THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 GIFT OF 
 COMMODORE BYRON MCCANDLESS
 
 
 
 THE 
 
 BY 
 
 j. M. LEMOINE, 
 
 AUTHOR OF MAPLE LEAVES J QUEBEC, PAST AND PRESENT, ETC. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY DA WSON BROS., MONTREAL; DAWSON & CO., QUEBEC; 
 JOHN W. LOVELL, HOUSES POIIJT, N. Y. 
 
 1878.
 
 F 
 
 " THERE is in North America a mighty river, having its head in remote 
 lakes, which, though many in number, are yet so great that one of theoi is 
 known as the largest body of fresh water on the globe, -with a flow as placid 
 and pulseless as the great Pacific itself, yet as swift in places as the ave:- age 
 speed of a railway train. Its waters are pure and azure-hued, no matter 
 how many turbid streams attempt to defile them. It is a river that never 
 knew a freshet, nor any drying-up, no matter how great the rain or snrw- 
 fall, or how severe the drought on all its thousand miles of drainage or of 
 flow and yet that regularly, at stated intervals, swells and ebbs within 
 certain limits, as surely as the spring tides each year ebb and flow in the Lay 
 of Fundy a river so rapid and yet so placid as to enchant every travellet 
 so grand and yet so lovingly beautiful as to enthral every appreciative soul, - 
 which rises in a great fresh -water sea, and ends in the greater Atlantic some 
 places sixty miles wide, at others less than a mile a river that never has 
 yet had a respectable history, nor scarcely more than an occasional artist to 
 delineate its beauties. It lies, for a thousand miles, between two great 
 nations, yet neglected by both, though neither could be as great without it 
 a river as grand as the LA PLATA, as picturesque as the RHINE, as pure as 
 the LAKES OF SWITZERLAND. Need we say that this wonderful stream is the 
 ST. LAWRENCE, the noblest, the purest, most enchanting river on all God's 
 beautiful earth." 
 
 1025151
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 IT has been a frequent subject of surprise, nay of disappoint- 
 ment, to tourists and strangers visiting each summer the noted 
 spots on the Lower St. Lawrence, that, with abundance of 
 material at command, no history had yet been attempted of the 
 majestic stream which for some thousands of miles winds its 
 course to the ocean. 
 
 What, indeed, would be Canada without this main artery of 
 commerce ? For six months, the wilderness of snow, jeered at 
 by the great scoffer, Voltaire, one hundred years ago ; for the 
 rest of the year a parched-up desert, closed to European shipping, 
 with tropical heats and a stunted vegetation. 
 
 Embracing on both banks more than one thousand miles of sea 
 board from Quebec to Cape Gaspe" ; lined by innumerable settle- 
 ments, thriving villages, rising towns ; dotted in its whole length 
 with numberless, fertile and picturesque islands, each having its 
 peculiar history, its wild legend of the forest or the sea, its 
 thrilling incident of naval warfare, possibly its harrowing tale of 
 shipwreck and death. 
 
 What a rich harvest here for the antiquarian, the historian 
 or the novelist? Conflicts on sea and on land between the
 
 vi INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ferocious aborigines, those mysterious wanderers, some of 
 whom had totally disappeared without the faintest trace, 
 between Cartier's visit, in 1535, and Champlain's day, legends 
 of their ferocity towards the white man, the disturber of their 
 forest home ; scarcely a bay, a cape, a headland without a 
 trace, a souvenir, of the deadly feud, which for centuries 
 arrayed in hostile conflict Old and New England against Old 
 and New France, in 1628-1632; 1690; 1759-1760; 1775-1783. 
 
 If the distant past of the great river has so many teeming 
 memories, how much of interest does it not possess in the 
 recent settlements on its banks, for every class of readers ? 
 
 What sources of information are now available ? a few com- 
 mon-place guide-books, repeating each year monotonous, stale, 
 scanty, stereotyped bits of gossip. 
 
 It is this want I have attempted to supply. Having once 
 spent an entire summer on the Gaspe^ coast ; made several suc- 
 cessive land and sea voyages to the most noted centres on the 
 Lower St. Lawrence, including a visit to the leading cities of the 
 Maritime Provinces ; had the advantage of a study, extending 
 over many years, of the old and modern French and English 
 works on Canada ; communicated freely with the best informed 
 Gaspesians, I have got to believe I possessed some qualifica- 
 tions to perform successfully the task I had laid out. My labor 
 was much facilitated, having at command, in a copious journal I 
 have kept, a daily entry of my peregrinations. It is less fine 
 writing and elaborate sentences, I aim at, than a familiar narra- 
 tive, a fresh, a spontaneous, (negligt at times, perhaps,) state- 
 ment of daily sights and incidents. To prevent repetitions, 
 each paper covers a portion of the St. Lawrence left out of the 
 others ; the last paper of all, relating a pleasant excursion, under-
 
 INTEODUCTION. Vll 
 
 taken with a sporting friend and party in the harbor of Quebec, 
 affords incidents of the three SIEGES. I gave it a light, sketchy 
 form as a relief to ennui, after so many historical facts, and 
 closed it with the humorous description of the tribulations which 
 befel my sporting friend, from his having speculated on a dead 
 whale. Special attention has been given to the historical portion 
 of these annals, intended to complete the series of sketches of 
 Canadian History, the MAPLE LEAVES, ALBUM DU TOURISTE, and 
 QUEBEC PAST AND PKESENT. The work is specially intended for 
 the information and amusement of summer tourists visiting, 
 either by steamer or by railway, the shores of the Lower St. 
 Lawrence. 
 
 j. M. LEMOINE. 
 
 SPENCER GRANGE, 17th May, 1878.
 
 Entered in I be Office of 1 be Minister of A.-nienHnre, in the year 1878, by J. M. LE Moiirs, in 
 conformity with the towpas-eci by tbe Parliament of Canada.
 
 PAET I. 
 
 1. THE ROUND TRIP QUEBEC GASPK DALHOUSIE S: 1 . JOHN, N.B. 
 
 HALIFAX, N.S. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, 
 
 2. THE ROUND TRIP QUEBEC MURRAY BAY TADOUMC CHICOUTIMI 
 
 CACOUNA, &c. 
 
 PAET II. 
 
 1. LIGHTS AND SHADOWS IN GASPESIA. 
 
 2. THE CRUIZE OF THE DOLPHIN GLIMPSES OF THREE SIEGES, 1690,- 
 
 1759, 1775.
 
 THE 
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWfiENCE, 
 
 PART I. 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 THE GULF PORT STEAMERS FATHER LOFTUS GASP ITS 
 SCENERY AND AMUSEMENTS. 
 
 ON BOARD THE " GASP, " 12th Sept., 1871. 
 
 ON a soft and hazy afternoon the good steamer " Gaspe," Com- 
 mander Baquet, was gliding noiselessly past the many lovely 
 isles of the St. Lawrence, past the Traverse, past the Pilgrims ; 
 so noiselessly, in fact, that, to one standing on shore, it might 
 have seemed that she had returned to her old trade, viz. : 
 secretly carrying cotton from the land of Dixie to the white 
 cliffs of Old England, in spite of the screeching of the American 
 Eagle. Though a good sea boat, she is not by any means a fast 
 one ; as blockade runners are expected to show at times a pair 
 of heels, and this she failed to do, she was forced* on receiving 
 two shot holes in her bow, to alter her ways. It is owing to 
 this that she became a respectable Canadian craft one of the 
 Gulf Port Steamers.
 
 8 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 After enjoying a substantial meal, the passengers, one and all, 
 ascended to the deck ; some to smoke others to talk politics 
 some to crack jokes : a motley assembly from every part of the 
 Dominion, with a sprinkling of foreigners. Amongst the latter, 
 was a big-fisted padre, who persisted in cracking ponderous jokes. 
 There was in his behavior something peculiar ; some made him out 
 an Armenian Deacon others said he belonged to the Greek dis- 
 pensation. As he was fierce at times as fierce, in fact, as a Greek 
 when " Greek meets Greek " we all agreed a Greek he should 
 be, and such he remained to us, under the historic name of 
 " Father Tom Loftus." ***** goon the wind 
 sprung up ; the ship rocked ; a storm was brewing. Was it 
 owing to having clergymen on board? An irreverent joker 
 advised to throw one of them overboard ; it was, however, mildly 
 suggested to " wait until morning." ' No clergyman was thrown 
 overboard, and next morning why, it was calm. At 9 a.m. a 
 boat came alongside, and took ashore the passengers for Father 
 
 Point and Rimoudki, including Mr. W , a most jovial Quebec 
 
 broker. 
 
 On all that day our brave steamer kept her course, under 
 steam and sails, amidst the gorgeous scenery of the St. Lawrence. 
 In the distance were visible the blue peaks of mountains bathed 
 in autumnal sunshine, their wooded valleys and green gorges all 
 aglow with the blaze of the colors which September drops on the 
 foliage of our maple and oak trees, gold, crimson, red, maroon, 
 amber, pale green, brown a landscape such as neither Claude 
 Lorraine, nor Landseer, ever dared to attempt in their brightest 
 day dreams ; a spectacle which invests the most humble. Canadian 
 cot with hues and surroundings denied to the turreted castle and 
 park of the proudest English baron. On we steamed, past Cape 
 Chatte, a name borrowed two centuries back and more from the 
 Commander de Chatte, a French nobleman, and mentioned as 
 such by Chftmplain in his map as early as 1612. A beacon 
 for ships was lighted on it, on the llth August last. 
 
 On the opposite side, where the Laurentian chain seems to 
 end, is Poiate des Monts, (the Point of the Mountains), and not
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 9 
 
 Point Demon (the Devil's Point) as some geographers have been 
 pleased to inscribe on the charts ; others, however, say that 
 M. de Monts, more than two centuries ago, bequeathed it his 
 name. Antiquarians, there is a nut for you to crack ! 
 
 We had on board several " choice spirits " of an enquiring turn 
 of mind ever ready to make experiments in order to ascertain 
 what was the best cure for sea-sickness. As the steamer rolled 
 heavily at times, the enquiry had a practical bearing. Was 
 " hot Scotch " a specific in all cases ? Or was " Irish potheen " to 
 be resorted to when the patient felt a kind of sinking sensation 
 at the pit of the stomach ? Here, as well as at the Vatican,* the 
 opinions were divided, as on the question of infallibility. After 
 steaming thirty-eight hours, the " Gaspe* " was securely moored 
 at Lowndes' wharf, Gaspe* Basin, one of the most snug harbors 
 in all British North America. f The beach below is occupied by 
 stores, warehouses, offices; the heights where the O'Harras, 
 Perchards and Arnolds formerly lived are now held by the 
 modern aristocracy of Gasp and officials, on both sides of the 
 Basin. On the south side, amidst trees, frowns Fort Ramsay 
 with its cannon. The new and substantial residence of the Hon. 
 John Leboutillier, M.L.C., t is conspicuous from afar, amongst 
 the less showy dwellings of the other members of the clan. 
 
 On the corresponding shore sits the roomy dwelling of the re- 
 spected Collector of the port, J. C. Belleau, Esq., a true-hearted 
 patriot of 1837, who, with the Vigers, De Witts, and other men 
 of note, were consigned to dungeons most dismal, for having 
 dared to suspect that under the Family Compact there were 
 
 The famous (Ecumenical Council had just closed. 
 
 f Gaspe" Bay is well described by Champlain, pages 1085-90, &c. The 
 name itself, it is suggested by his commentators, is borrowed from the 
 picturesque rock, detached from the shore, three miles higher than Cape 
 Gaspe", known to seamen as " Ship Head," or the ." Old Woman," from the 
 singular transformation by mirage ; the Indian name being Katsepiou, which 
 means separate (abridged into Gaspe".) See Champlairi's Voyayes. 
 
 J This gentleman has since died.
 
 10 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 some abuses in Canada. Adjoining the Collector's residence, 
 and facing the spot where the Royal squadron anchored in 1860, 
 with the Prince of Wales on board, flourishes the temple of 
 Roman Catholic worship. They were grand times, indeed, these 
 gala days of 1860, when Albert of Wales visited his Royal 
 mother's lieges, the Gaspesians. The officials, military and civil, 
 turned out in tremendous force, Plumes, cocked hats, long-tailed 
 coats, short-tailed coats, coats without tails, spurs, swords, 
 helmets, every device, in fact, calculated to lend eclat to the 
 pageant, was brought to the front. 
 
 Amongst other items of news, we heard it talked of to restore 
 to Gaspe an office of high rank and ancient creation the office 
 of Lieut.-Governor of Gasps'. Major Cox, in 1775, appears to 
 have been the resident Lieut.-Governor. We were shown a 
 hickory chair that belonged to him. This seat did not seem firm, 
 nor very durable, though it was a century old ; we felt, on sitting 
 down on it, just like a Governor pardon, a Lieut.-Governor 
 as Lieut.-Goveruors sit less secure and luxuriously. In the 
 good old Tory days, many offices existed with emoluments well 
 defined and duties very problematical. The Lieutenant-Gover- 
 norship of Gaspe", with a salary of 1,000 and perquisites ? 
 why, there were many things worse than that ! 
 
 Messrs. Joseph and John Eden own extensive wharves and 
 stores on the beach ; but, alas, the Free Port system, which in 
 1864, crammed the Gaspe stores with goods, and deluged the coast 
 with cheap gin and St. Pierre de Miquelon brandy, is a dream 
 now a melancholy dream of the past. We have to thank the 
 aforesaid active Government officers for their courtesy to us as 
 strangers. The old Coffin Hotel, now much enlarged, is beauti- 
 fully located on the hill, and merely requires an experienced 
 " Russell " to render it profitable, and a source of pleasure to the 
 many tourists \vho will hereafter wind their way each summer 
 to Gaspe 1 Basin.* 
 
 This hostelry was burned dowa in March, 1878.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 11 
 
 Higher up than their wharves, the Messrs. Lowndes have in 
 operation an extensive saw-mill, which provides daily bread for 
 many, many Gaspe* families. Let us hope it may nourish ! 
 
 One of the chief amusements at Gaspe* Basin, during the 
 summer months, is yachting and bobbing for mackerel, just 
 outside the Basin, in the Bay. It is a most exciting and invigo- 
 rating pastime. The worthy American Consul counts on num- 
 erous American craft entering the basin so soon as the new 
 Washington Treaty goes in force.
 
 12 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 GASPE" BASIN DOUGLASTOWN POINT ST. PETER'S MAL BAIE 
 NEW CARLISLE PASPEBIAC THE GREAT JERSEY FIRMS. 
 
 THERE is something singularly striking when, on a bright Sat- 
 urday morning, at break of day, with the far-reaching Bay of 
 Gaspe* before you lit up with amber sunshine, your ear catches 
 the boom of the heavy guns fired by the two Gulf Port steamers 
 the one from Pictou, the other from Quebec; their usual 
 signal on nearing the placid waters of the Basin. They are so 
 well timed that both frequently arrive together. Hark ! to the 
 wild echo bounding over the waters, and then leaping from peak 
 to peak in this weird, mountainous region. Three centuries ago 
 and more, other echoes no less wild disturbed the quiet of this 
 forest home the shouts of joy of Jacques Cartier's adventurous 
 crew, when planting a cross on the sandy point at the entrance, 
 on the 24th July, 1584; and when taking possession in the 
 name of Francis I of France ; not, however, without an ener- 
 getic protest being then and there made by a great chief, " clad 
 in a bear skin, and standing erect in his canoe, followed by his 
 numerous warriors." Hakluyt tells us that the old chief was 
 enticed on board the French ships, and, on his sons Taiguragny 
 and Domagaya being decked out in most gorgeous raiment, he 
 was prevailed to let the vain youths accompany the French cap- 
 tain to the court of the French King. Poor vain lads ! had you 
 been wise you would have jumped overboard and swam ashore 
 when you passed Ship Head ! 
 
 Look eastward on the dark waving woods hoary with age. 
 Is this not 
 
 the forest primeval ! The murmuring pines and the hemlocks 
 
 Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 13 
 
 Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic, 
 Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms, 
 This is the forest primeval ; but where are the hearts that beneath it 
 Leaped like the roe, when he hears in the woodland the voice of the huntsman? 
 
 Where are now the descendants of the fierce Indians who 
 then greeted Cartier, and whose huts were located on the rocky 
 ledge where I now stand ? There were then no swift steamers 
 churning these glad waters no golden wheat-fields, as those 
 I can now see at Sandy Beach ; but everywhere the forest 
 primeval its gloom its trackless wilds its uselessness to 
 civilized man. 
 
 On we sped, with steam and sails. Soon opened on us the 
 extensive old settlement of Douglastown. It was not named 
 after any fierce black Douglas, celebrated in song, but by an 
 unassuming land surveyor of that name. Numerous descend- 
 ants of the first settlers, of 1785 the U. E. Loyalists still 
 survive : the Kennedys, Thompsons, Murisons, etc., industrious 
 fishermen all. The whole bay is studded with fishing stations 
 and small villages, in which generally the E. C. church is the 
 most conspicuous object. After passing Grande Grve and 
 Chien Blanc, both the scenes of awful marine disasters, the 
 steamer hugs the shore towards Point St. Peter's, a large and 
 important fishing settlement, and creeps through a deep channel 
 between the rocky ledge called Plateau and Point St. Peter's, 
 and another thriving fishing location called Mai Baie. Accord- 
 ing to Champlain and his commentator, the origin of the name 
 is taken from Moliics or Morues Baie (Codfish Bay) which the 
 English turned into Mai Baie. 
 
 However, don't be surprised at any transformation in these 
 wild regions, as Cat Cape (Cape Chatte) and Devil's Point 
 (Pointe de Monts) sufficiently testify. I might add another 
 queer transmogrification. At St. Luce there is a deep cove and 
 jutting point ; in spring, it is infested with mussels, which the 
 French call des Cocques ; hence the French name L'Anse aux 
 Cocques. But the English must have a cock instead ; they 
 have named it Cock Point. I know I shall make the mouths
 
 14 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 of antiquarians water when I tell them I have at last, after a 
 deal of research, got hold of the origin of the name of Father 
 Point, a little higher up than Cock Point ; but of this hereafter. 
 Let us hurry on to the great, grand, and growing capital on the 
 Canadian side of Baie des Chaleurs (New Carlisle). All know 
 why the Bay was called Baie des Chaleurs (Bay of Heat) by 
 Cartier, though all of us on board the " Gaspe" " found the place 
 extremely cold. 
 
 On a high bank, with a southern exposure, lies a fine cham- 
 pagne country laid out in square blocks of four acres each for 
 a town chiefly inhabited by English and Scotch. It has an 
 Episcopalian church, a Eoman Catholic church, a new court- 
 house and jail, and no less than two judges, living within view 
 of each other. Two resident judges in New Carlisle remind 
 one of the two rival Roman Catholic churches staring at one 
 another at Trois Pistoles one evidently will have to knock un- 
 der, the place cannot afford such a luxury. It is said there is 
 here enough litigation to fatten three resident lawyers, and that 
 there are three physicians in the place. It is healthy notwith- 
 standing, and some of the inhabitants have been known to 
 attain great ages. Little or no fishing is done at the shire town. 
 I had no time to find out whether it derives its name from an 
 Earl of Carlisle, or from Tom Carlyle, the great Essayist and 
 coiner of words. From the readiness with which words and 
 names are altered, one would fain believe it hails from the great 
 essayist. One case in point : that of the neighboring fishing 
 settlement its commercial emporium Paspebiac. This is an 
 Indian name the English-speaking population have altered it 
 into Paspy Jack. They call themselves Paspy Jacks, and the 
 French, who get their backs up readily, especially since they 
 have had Parliamentary elections to manage, call it Pospillat 
 and themselves Des Pospillats. In Bishop Plessis's account of 
 his mission, here, in 1811, we read that in many instances the 
 maternal ancestors of the Pospillats were Micmac squaws, 
 much to the disgust of the neighboring settlements. These 
 half-breeds were then accounted fierce and revengeful. Tom
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 15 
 
 Carlyle must have had something to do with this word-coining. 
 But let us return to the county town. The view from the 
 heights is most imposing. You notice here and there a better 
 style of dwelling, trim flower-gardens interspersed with the 
 scarlet clusters of the mountain ash or roan berry comfortable 
 old homesteads, like that of the Hamiltons splendid new resi- 
 dences, like that of Dr. Robitaille, M.P.* 
 
 There are several educated families located at New Carlisle 
 which renders it a most pleasant residence, especially during 
 the summer months; but beware how you utter the word 
 " Election," and keep a dignified reserve on this explosive sub- 
 ject until you are at least past, on your return, Ship Head or 
 Fox Eiver. 
 
 Talking of fiercely-contested elections reminds one of the 
 great election of Eatanswill, mentioned in " Pickwick." Forty- 
 five green parasols be it remembered, judiciously bestowed, had 
 turned the scale on that eventful day. 
 
 In Canada, barrels of flour and the coin of the realm, are said 
 to be more effective. However, let us hope that in Bonaventure, 
 the election was carried with that lofty patriotism and exquisite 
 purity, the shining characteristic of all Canadian elections, in 
 June last ! ! ! Hem ! ! 
 
 For tourists in quest of health, sea-bathing and good fishing, I 
 
 New Carlisle was first settled by American Loyalists : that is, by persons 
 whose loyalty to the British Crown induced them to leave the United States 
 at the period of the Revolution. These persons obtained free grants of land, 
 agricultural implements, seed and provisions for one year. Lieut.-Governor 
 Cox was appointed, in or about 1774, as Governor of the district of Gaspe", 
 and seems to have resided alternately in two shire towns, New Carlisle and 
 Perce". He appears to have been sent for the purpose of settling the Loyal- 
 ists in New Carlisle and Douglastown, and to have expended between the 
 two places upwards of 80,000 sterling, a large amount when we consider 
 the little progress made in either locality. The Abbe" Ferland states that 
 Judge Thompson once jocularly observed to the Roman Catholic Bishop of 
 Quebec, that " this sum can 'only have been spent in making excavations 
 underground, nothing appearing on the surface to justify such an outlay." 
 Pye's Gaspe Scenery.
 
 16 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 know few places more eligible than Baie des Chaleurs and Gaspe" 
 Basin. 
 
 Paspebiac, with its roadstead running out to a point in the 
 Bay, is the seaport the great fishing stand of the Messrs. Robin 
 and the Messrs. LeBoutillier Brothers. The fishing establish- 
 ments a crowd of nice white warehouses, with doors painted 
 red, comprising stores, offices, forges, joiners' shops, dwellings for 
 fishermen, even to powder magazines all stand on a low beach 
 or sand bar, connected with the shore by a ford for horses, and 
 a trestlework bridge for foot passengers, which is taken down 
 every fall and restored in the spring at the expense of the Messrs. 
 Robin. It seems singular that the business and wealth centered 
 here cannot afford a bridge. Crossing by ford at night, when 
 the tide is high, is anything but an agreeable prospect. It is 
 scarcely safe. Perhaps when some of the magnates of the place 
 are found drowned in the ford, the Bridge question will assume 
 a more tangible phase. 
 
 Paspebiac is three miles east of New Carlisle. Here the 
 Custom House is located. The Collector (1871) is J. Fraser, Esq., 
 an active, well-informed old Scotchman.* The bar on which the 
 fishing warehouses stand, is a triangle formed by sand and other 
 marine detritus. The interior of the triangle is gradually filling 
 up. Here the fishermen dwell in summer ; they remove to their 
 winter quarters on the heights in rear in December. 
 
 It was in 1766 that Charles Robin, Esq., first landed at Pas- 
 pebiac and explored the coast in a small brig called the " Sea- 
 Flower." One hundred and forty-six years previous (1620) 
 other explorers, the Pilgrim-Fathers, were landing a little to the 
 south in the " May-Flower." On llth June, 1778, two American 
 privateers plundered Mr. Robin's store of all his goods, furs, 
 and seized his two vessels, the " Bee " and the " Hope ; " both 
 were moored in the Paspebiac Roads. But the " Bee " and the 
 
 This worthy, aged official, having since accepted a pension lives in his 
 old homestead, formerly the residence of the historian, R. Christie, at Cross 
 Point ; he is Warden of the County.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 17 
 
 New England privateers were all recaptured in the Restigouche, 
 by H. B. M. vessels, " Hunter" and " Piper; " and the heavy 
 salvage Mr. R. was called on to pay, viz. : one-eighth, caused 
 him to fail ; he was off for Jersey. In 1783 he returned, sail- 
 ing under French colors, and continued to accumulate wealth 
 until 1802, when he left for Europe. 
 
 On the green hills in rear, the great Jersey houses have splen- 
 did farms, dwellings, gardens, parks. Fish manure and kelp are 
 bountifully supplied here and largely used. The winter resi- 
 dences of the Managers of Messrs. Robin, and Messrs. LeBoutil- 
 lier Bros., are most commodious, most complete. I was allowed 
 to inspect a large store for the packing of pork on the establish- 
 ment of the Messrs. Robin the first I had ever seen on this prin- 
 ciple. The thawing is done in the depth of winter without any 
 artificial heat, and merely by a device which, whilst it excludes 
 the cold air, retains the natural heat generated in the earth. In 
 about a week the frozen pigs gradually thaw and are fit for salting. 
 The walls of this building, between earth, sawdust, timber, etc., 
 are about twelve feet thick, with a vacuum between each layer. 
 
 It is well worth a visitor's attention to examine the vast 
 facilities and arrangements devised to carry on the gigantic 
 trade in fish, oil, etc., of the two wealthy Jersey houses, whose 
 head establishments are at Paspebiac. The western point of 
 the bar, or beach, is occupied by Le Boutillier Bros., a respecta- 
 ble old Jersey house ; but though a worthy rival of its neigh- 
 bors, it is not so ancient as the great house of C. R. C. (Charles 
 Robin & Co.) None of the Robins, however, reside here. C. R. 
 C. is a mighty name on the Gaspe" coast. It has existed more 
 than a hundred years. Whether the " Co." is represented by 
 sons, as formerly, I cannot tell ; perhaps, like the great London 
 house immortalized by Dickens, C. R. C. might now mean 
 daughters it is beyond doubt " Dombey & Son " turned out to 
 be a daughter.* C. R. C. amongst the Gaspesians represent mil- 
 
 Since these lines were written in 1871, a notice of transfer of commercial 
 rights appeared in the Morning Chronicle of Quebec, Oct. 8, 1877, giving the 
 
 B
 
 18 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 lions ; seven vast establishments rejoice under this mystic com- 
 bination. 
 
 It would be akin to sacrilege to say, at Paspebiac, that they 
 could be affected by hard times. No one can fathom their 
 resources : no one dare dispute the principle on which each es- 
 tablishment is carried on. The poor clerks and managers, 'tis 
 true, cannot own wives or families at their residences at Gaspe* ; 
 the founder of the house ordained it otherwise one hundred 
 years ago, and their business rules are like the laws of the 
 Medes and Persians they alter not. C. R. C. is really a grand, 
 a glorious name, a tower of strength in Gaspesia, though it may 
 mean a monopoly. Its credit is calculated to last until the end 
 of time. Canada Banks may get in Chancery; the Bank of 
 England may feel tight, hard up ; 'but C. R. C. never. Its cre- 
 dit stands higher on all the range of this vast coast than the 
 Bank of England. I should be the last to attempt to dim the 
 lustre of these great Jersey firms ; their word is as good as their 
 bond, and in times of need, when the fishery fails, the poor fisher- 
 man never appeals to them in vain. 
 
 I cannot leave Paspebiac without noticing one of the most 
 prominent elements of progress recently introduced the exten- 
 sion of the Electric Telegraph, all the way down from Me'tis to 
 Baie des Chaleurs and Gaspe*. Times are indeed changed since 
 those dark ages when a Gaspe" or Baie des Chaleurs mail was 
 made up once each winter and expedited to Quebec on the back 
 of an Indian on snow-shoes. Thanks to their Parliamentary 
 Members, thanks to the wealthy Jersey firms, thanks to the 
 enterprise of .the people who furnished the telegraph posts, (the 
 Montreal Telegraph Co. agreeing to put them up), the wires 
 place them now in hourly intercourse with every city of Amer- 
 ica and of Europe. 
 
 following as the members of the commercial firm of Charles Robin, viz. : 
 " Messrs. Kaulin Robin, Philip Gosset and William Lempriere, all of the 
 Ibland of Jersey, in Europe, where is situate the head office."
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 19 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE MIC-MACS PETER BASKET, ESQUIRE, THE GREAT INDIAN 
 CHIEF HOPE TOWN LORD AYLMER AND HIS MIC-MAC 
 ACQUAINTANCE NOUVELLE C 11 IGOUAC P ORT DANIEL 
 THE OLDEST MAYOR IN THE DOMINION. 
 
 THE Mic-Mac and other Indians have gradually deserted 
 man j points of the Gaspe* coast, which swarmed with them for- 
 merly. Some 500 or 600 have congregated at Mission Point, on 
 the Eestigouche, up Baie des Chaleurs. Doubtless the fierce Pospil- 
 lats will also gradually decrease in numbers as the admixture of 
 Indian blood is not favorable either to morality or colonization. 
 Left to their unbridled instincts, what delightful drinking-bouts 
 these lazy mountaineers, the Mic-Macs, must have ! What 
 wholesale slaughter of the lordly salmon, at all seasons, whe- 
 ther it is spawning or not ! How many moose and caribou are 
 left in the close season to rot on the mountains, with their 
 tongue, mouffle or hide alone removed ? This indiscriminate 
 slaughter of our finest game has already rendered extinct the 
 majestic Wapiti, who, one hundred and thirty years ago, roam- 
 ed in countless droves over a great portion of Lower Canada. 
 Now, you have to go all the way to Manitoba or to the Rocky 
 Mountains to get a sight of the Wapiti. I am no admirer 01 
 the red man, though Fenimore Cooper can make a hero of him ; 
 those I have met so far, with some exceptions, I occasionally 
 felt inclined to see them improved as Brother Jonathan im- 
 proves them off the face of the earth. One of these exceptions 
 is Peter Basket, Esq., of Restigouche.
 
 20 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Peter Basket is the name of the great Mic-Mac chief who 
 visited Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort, about 1850, and 
 returned loaded with presents. As he seems to delight in 
 courts and great folks, *may I ask whether he, or some ancestor 
 of his, was one of the orators who formerly waited on His 
 Excellency Lord Aylmer, of whom an old Chronicler writes : 
 
 " When Lord Aylmer was Governor-General, he once went 
 on an excursion to Gaspe\ Amongst others who flocked there 
 to welcome the representative of royalty were Mic-Mac Indians, 
 numbering some 500 or 600. When His Excellency landed 
 with a brilliant staff, he was met by this respectable deputation 
 of the aboriginal race. The chief, a fine powerful man, sur- 
 rounded by his principal warriors, at once commenced a long 
 oration delivered in the usual solemn, sing-song tone, accompa- 
 nied with frequent bowing of the head. It happened that a 
 vessel had been wrecked some months previously, in the Gulf, 
 and the Indians, proving themselves ready and adroit wreckers, 
 had profited largely by the windfall. Among other ornaments 
 which they had seized, was a box full of labels for decanters, 
 marked in conspicuous characters, Rum, Gin, Brandy, etc. The 
 chief had his head liberally encircled with ornaments of the usual 
 kind, and on this occasion had dexterously affixed to his ears and 
 nose some of the labels as bangles. At the beginning of the inter- 
 view, these were not particularly discernible amid the novelty of 
 the spectacle ; and it was only while listening to the lengthened 
 harangue of the savage chief that His Excellency began to 
 scrutinize his appearance and dress; and then his ears and nose, 
 with the labels inscribed Brandy, Gin, Rum, etc. Glancing to- 
 ward his staff, he could no longer maintain his gravity, and was 
 joined in a hearty but indecorous burst of unrestrainable laugh- 
 ter. The indignant chief, with his followers, immediately with- 
 drew, and would neither be pacified nor persuaded to return, 
 although the cause of His Excellency's ill-timed merriment was 
 explained to him." 
 
 The road, on leaving Paspebiac beach, reaches the heights
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 21 
 
 some nicely-wooded lands, formerly the property of Messrs. 
 Eobin & Co., now called Hopetown, a thriving settlement of 
 industrious and economical Scotchmen. Handsome cottages 
 are rapidly taking here the place of the forest. The village of 
 Nouvelle comes next ; then a settlement called Chigouac, with a 
 good mill stream, and two grist mills erected on it. 
 
 When being jolted in a two- wheeled post stage, without 
 springs, over these villainous roads, the traveller will do well to 
 fix before hand the stopping places (for meals), as hostelries are 
 few and far between. Don't buoy yourself up with the halluci- 
 nation that on the Gaspe" coast, at least, you will have the most 
 savory of its products fresh fish always at command. Such 
 would be " a delusion and a snare." On my complaining once of 
 this deprivation, my thoughtful landlady whispered in my ear 
 that she had refrained from giving me, two days in succession, 
 fresh mackerel from fear of hurting my feelings, and lest I should 
 go away with the idea that no other fare could be had but a fish 
 diet. As a rule, you can count on the perpetual " ham and 
 eggs " for breakfast, dinner and supper ; but in some portions of 
 these latitudes, the hens, it appears, on strike either for less work 
 or better food, had decided not to lay, and I had to make the 
 most of " ham " solus. This ham regime, when protracted, 
 gets irksome ; you long for the egg country, where hens are not 
 on strike. Omelettes, let me tell you, are not a thing to be 
 lightly talked of or despised, my sherry- sipping and plum- 
 pudding eating travelling friend. An epicure of my acquaint- 
 ance holds as an axiom that it requires three persons to serve 
 up an omelette properly ; one to mix another to fry a third 
 to turn it in the pan, without lodging it in the fire. 
 
 But on this point I found nothing in Hackluy t, nor in Pur- 
 chas, great travellers though they be. 
 
 An hour's drive from Chigouac brings you to a beautiful 
 farming country, a deep, picturesque bay called Port Daniel 
 in the Township of Port Daniel, which begins at Pointe-au- 
 Maquereau, a rocky point jutting in the sea. When you reach
 
 22 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the summit of the range of Cap au Diable, the beautiful Bay of 
 Port Daniel suddenly meets the eye ; a splendid and varied pano- 
 rama lies before you. As you descend the mountain on a bright 
 summer afternoon, an interesting, an amusing scene often awaits 
 you. The innumerable fishing boats having returned, men, 
 women and children are busily engaged in landing, splitting 
 and conveying the fish to the stages. At the mouth of Port 
 Daniel Kiver, we have again the usual lagoon, and bar which 
 prevents the entrance of vessels of any large size ; there is, how- 
 ever, good anchorage under the Cape. On this, the east side of 
 the river, just at the harbor's mouth, snugly ensconced under 
 the hill, stands the Roman Catholic church. 
 
 " The ' Gasp^ Fishery and Coal Mining Company ' commenced 
 an establishment, and built a couple of small vessels on this 
 river and their so-called coal-field, a bed of shale, is about 
 three miles up the stream. Crossing the ferry about a quarter 
 of a mile further, is another river, on which there is a small 
 saw-mill." Pye's Gaspd Scenery. 
 
 1 must confess, this picturesque sunlit landscape will dwell 
 long in my memory. 
 
 Possibly, some spots visited for the first time seem to your 
 enchanted eye still more lovely, from the pleasant associations 
 which linger around them. A slight act of kindness where you 
 expected but the cold indifference of the world ; a hospitable 
 welcome ; the hand of good fellowship, cordially extended by an 
 utter stranger; the exchange of cultivated ideas, and intel- 
 lectual converse, where, at best, you counted merely on the rude 
 and unsympathizing gaze of the boor or the stranger : such in- 
 cidents, no doubt, contribute to create vivid, lasting and pleasure- 
 able emotions, which, being identified with the landscape itself, 
 leave a delightful record in the haunted halls of memory. It 
 was my good fortune to experience this welcome at Port Daniel. 
 The Chief Magistrate of Port Daniel, William Macpherson, 
 Esq., is a well-informed and warm-hearted Worshipful Mayor, 
 I should say the Prince and Nestor of Mayors on the Gaspe
 
 CHKONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 23 
 
 coast ; I learn he has graced the civic chair twenty-six years.* 
 He is a Scot, a true Scot. Under what portion of the vault 
 of Heaven will you not find a canny Scot, prosperous, high 
 in place, well to do ? The great tea-merchants in China are 
 Scotch ; the greatest philosophers in the United Kingdom of 
 Great Britain are Scotch ; the wealthiest companies in Canada are 
 Scotch Allan, etc. At the Council Board in the Dominion 
 Government ; in Ontario ; Quebec McDonalds, Macdonalds, 
 Eobertsons, McKenzies, all Scots. Am I not then justified in 
 quoting from the prize poem read at the St. Andrew's meeting 
 in Montreal, Halloween, 1866 : 
 
 An' sae it is the wide worl' o'er, 
 
 On fair or barren spot, 
 
 Frae Tropic isles to Arctic shore, 
 
 Ye'll fin' the canny Scot. 
 
 All posts o' honor weel he fills, 
 
 Leal subject o' his Queen ; 
 
 For loyalty, an' honesty 
 
 Claim kin wi' Halloween." 
 
 Long life then to His Worship of Port Daniel ! 
 Spencer Grange, Halloween, 1871. 
 
 * On reviewing these pages after a lapse of several years, our venerable 
 friend, we find, has added seven more years to his tenure of office.
 
 24 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 HARRINGTON COVE POINTE-AU-MAQUEREAU THE Loss OF THE 
 COLBORNE IN 1838 AN UNEXPECTED RENCONTRE WITH ONE 
 OF THE FEW SURVIVORS OF THE SHIPWRECK HlS OWN 
 VERSION OF THE DISASTER. 
 
 " Two voices are there one is of the sea, 
 One, of the mountains each a mighty voice." 
 
 Wordsworth. 
 
 THE 21st September, 1871, was indeed for me a bleak, gloomy 
 day on the sea coast ; the autumnal equinox was raging. 
 Scrambling over mountain gorges and dark gullies in a spring- 
 less, two- wheeled post stage is not cheering at any time ; still 
 less with a raw easterly wind and drizzling rain switching your 
 face. One feature of the landscape was in Marvellous keeping 
 with the surrounding gloom the ceaseless roar of the surf on 
 the iron-bound coast I was skirting. 
 
 " A hollow, hollow, hollow sound, 
 
 As is that dreamy roar 
 When distant billows boil and bound 
 Along a shingly shore." 
 
 Hood. 
 
 Never had I heard old Ocean's voice in grander tones never, 
 in more impressive majesty. I cannot say it had exactly a 
 depressing influence ; though it certainly made one thoughtful. 
 Closing in with the dark rocks of Pointe-au-Maquereau, bristling 
 with their silvery crest of foam, I thought of the horrors of that 
 awful night of October, 1838, which, at this very spot, con-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 25 
 
 signed to the " chambers of the deep " so many brave men, so 
 many loving young hearts. On my way down I had been 
 shown, in the church-yards at Paspebiac and Port Daniel, the 
 graves of the Hudsons, of Capt. Kent, and of several other vic- 
 tims of that shipwreck. 
 
 Before the era of light-houses, fog- whistles, beacons, etc., the 
 coast of Gasp^ was particularly dreaded by English mariners 
 bound for Montreal or Quebec. Many and heart-rending were 
 the tales of marine disaster, starvation and death, in these local- 
 ities ; few left a deeper impression than the loss of the ill-fated 
 barque " Colborne," stranded at Pointe-au-Maquereau on the 
 16th October, 1838. 
 
 The extraordinary value of her cargo, some $400,000 worth 
 of silks, wines, hardware, silver plate, specie, drifting ashore at 
 Harrington's Cove and Port Daniel, a vast heap of confusion ; 
 the spoils picked up by wreckers ; the sale by auction of such 
 untold wealth, which built up the fortunes of many a nobby 
 family ; the appalling loss of life, exposure and sufferings of the 
 few survivors, all conspired to render the shipwreck of the 
 Montreal trader, a harrowing, a most memorable occurrence. 
 This shipwreck now commemorates an era on the Gasp4 coast. 
 
 After crossing by the ford at Port Daniel the path winds 
 round a cape of a very rugged aspect. By some it is called Cap 
 d'Enfer, by others Cap au Liable, and to one ascending these 
 dreary heights, at the gloaming, on a bleak autumn evening, it 
 does seem a haunt not uncongenial to his satanic majesty. An 
 artist might fittingly select Pointe-au-Maquereau to depict the 
 Spirit of Evil hovering over, under the guise of the " Flying 
 Dutchman," looking out for some storm-tossed bark to revel in 
 the death-groans of the drowning mariners. 
 
 On we jogged, over rough roads and rougher bridges, until 
 the sombre outlines of the trees in the valley beneath were 
 scarcely visible at all. Evening had fairly set in ; the rain, 
 wind, and moaning of the sea increased. Seeing no dwelling, I 
 at last asked the jehu, who was rather of a bibulous turn,
 
 26 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 " Where are we then to stop to-night ? " In reply, I was told 
 that we were rapidly nearing l'Ause-au-Gascon ; that the hospi- 
 table roof of Joseph Jones Acteson, Esq., J.P., would soon 
 shelter us. 
 
 " Are there, then, no regular hotels on this eoast ? " I 
 enquired. 
 
 " None, sir, Iain sorry to say. Travellers have to trust to 
 the good- will of inhabitants for food, and shelter. However, 
 you are, I consider," he added, " rather in luck's way, you, who 
 appear so keen after local traditions, local history, and general 
 information. Soon you will have an opportunity of conversing 
 with a thorough-going Englishman the father of a numerous 
 family probably the sole survivor on this side of the Atlantic 
 of the fifty-four human beings who,, in 1838, constituted the crew 
 and passengers of the British bark ' Colborne,' stranded close by. 
 Mr. Acteson will, I am certain, take pleasure in relating to you 
 all that took place before and after the loss of this ill-starred 
 ship." I was accordingly introduced to Squire Acteson, J.P., 
 and though he suffered at the time from the effects of a kick 
 from a horse, he turned out so communicative that, tea being 
 dispatched, I asked him for full particulars of the shipwreck, 
 and with his consent, committed them in his presence to paper, 
 as follows : 
 
 THE LOSS OF THE "COLBORNE" AT MAKEREL POINT, 
 16th October, 1838, a* described by Mr. Acteson. 
 
 " ! never may the moon again disclose me such a sight 
 As met my gaze when first I looked on that accursed night. 
 I've seen a thousand horrid shapes begot of fierce extremes 
 Of fever, and most frightful things have haunted in my dreams." 
 
 The Demon Ship Hood. 
 
 "The 'Colborne' was a bark of about 350 tons, owned by 
 parties in Hull, and commanded by Captain Kent, an expe- 
 rienced seaman. We sailed from London, for Quebec and
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 27 
 
 Montreal, on the 30th August, with an unusually rich cargo of 
 British merchandise, wines, spirits, sperm oil, spices. There 
 was also on board valuable silver plate for Sir John Colborne ; 
 ornaments for E. C. churches, and a number of boxes of specie 
 for the banks, each box containing about 1,000. Our crew 
 consisted of seventeen men and some thirty-eight passengers, 
 amongst whom I can remember Capt. James Elliott Hudson 
 of the British Army, his lady, five daughters and six sons; 
 Mr. Wm. Walker, of the Koyal Navy, brother-in-law to 
 Capt. Hudson; Mr. W. Scobell, of Hamilton, Ont. ; Mr. J. 
 Scobell, of Devonshire, wife and six children, and four children 
 of his sister's, a Devonshire widow; Capt. Bucket, wife and 
 child ; Mr. Gilbert, father of a person of that name in Hamilton ; 
 
 Mrs. Wilson, wife of Wilson, Esq., Hamilton ; Mrs. Keast, 
 
 mother of Mr. Hawkins, of Toronto ; Mr. Barrows, of Devonshire, 
 and Mr. George Manly, of Quebec, Deputy Sheriff. The day 
 had been overcast, the weather, foggy ; a catch of delicious codfish 
 served up for dinner had put us all in prime humor. Our cap- 
 tain had sighted, as he thought, a light on Anticosti, though I 
 strongly maintained to him that at that time no such light was 
 kept up. The light seen was probably on Mount Anne, at 
 Perce'. Therein lay our trouble. 
 
 " Close to twelve o'clock at midnight of the 15th Oct., whilst 
 Capt. Kent and Capt. Hudson were taking a glass of wine 
 together in the cabin, the watch was called ; while aloft reefing 
 topsails, one of the hands sung out, ' Breakers ahead ; ' before the 
 ship could be put about, she struck heavily, starting stern post 
 and unshipping rudder. 
 
 " Everything was tumult in an instant. The ladies rushed 
 about frantic, in their night-dresses, seizing on all the wearing 
 apparel they could, to clothe themselves and their little children 
 every one of them indeed sobbing and shedding tears. We 
 tried the pumps; eight feet of water in the hold. The chief 
 mate asked the Captain for leave to cut away the masts, and get 
 the boats ready, but Captain Kent replied : ' there is no danger,
 
 28 CHKONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 that he was master, and that the masts would not be cut.' Our 
 ship lost her rudder at the first stroke, but the Captain, by 
 shifting the sails, got the vessel in deep water. Finding her fast 
 filling, he attempted (though she was but a stone's throw from 
 the shore when the ship first struck) to reach the rocks ; she 
 failed, having no helm. In about half an hour, it blowing very 
 fresh, the ship again struck and fell over. In an instant all 
 were in the sea ; the women wild with terror, the poor dear 
 children, whom we, rough sailors, used to play with on deck, 
 uttering piercing cries. When I now recollect the scene I sub- 
 sequently witnessed on the wreck floating ashore, when we 
 grappled.with boat-hooks for their little bodies, and fished them up 
 between the hatches, I could shed tears as if the whole thing had 
 happened but yesterday. I was then young and active and an 
 excellent swimmer ; five seamen and myself had managed to get 
 in the jolly-boat, which was amidships and had served as a roof 
 to protect some live stock deposited in the long-boat. A huge green 
 billow struck her, and making her turn over a somersault, I felt 
 myself sinking to a great depth. At that moment I thought it 
 was all up. I fancied I could see myriads of stars high above my 
 head, shining through the waters the most secret thoughts of 
 my whole life crowded before my mind, as if I were looking in 
 a mirror. Possibly the stars seen might have been the phos- 
 phorus emitted by the waves during the storm ; the whole sea 
 seemed on fire that night. I gradually rose to the surface ; my first 
 thought was to rid myself of my coat ; it was no use trying. I 
 made for the ship's yard, as she was on her beam ends, and with 
 three others who had previously been with me in the jolly-boat 
 when she capsized, I got into the long-boat, which was between 
 the masts in the water. After clearing her from the rigging, we 
 tried to reach the wreck to pick up some of the crew or passen- 
 gers ; but, having lost our oars, we had to drift at the mercy of 
 the waves. With some boards found in her, we rigged a kind of 
 aft-sail by sitting with our backs to them ; this kept the boat's 
 head to the sea. Thus, we drifted about all night, which was
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 29 
 
 intensely cold. Two of Capt. Hudson's sons who were on board 
 would likely have perished from cold, wet and exhaustion, had 
 we not protected them, by sitting down on them. We were in the 
 neighborhood of the ship, and could hear all night particularly 
 loud and melancholy cries on board ; this was a powerful young 
 sailor, who never ceased moaning untill he sank exhausted about 
 dawn, uttering even from under the waves a loud scream for 
 help ; none ever was to come to him. This strong fellow had 
 shipped just as we started from London, instead of two lads from 
 Hull, who had deserted. Thus had they escaped the fate of the 
 majority of us ; the lad had had just time to jump on board, as 
 we left the London docks. It is now thirty-three years ago 
 since I heard his cries of despair, and many a time have I woke 
 in my sleep, horrified, fancying I heard the same awful screams. 
 At five o'clock next morning our long-boat was towed by the 
 natives into Anse-au-Gascon. Some of us were quite insensible ; 
 the unremitting attention shown to us by the French and Eng- 
 lish fishermen, after some hours, brought us all round. The 
 ' Colborne ' drifted about, water-logged, from Monday night to 
 the following Saturday, when the numerous boats which the 
 news of her shipwreck had attracted, succeeded in towing her 
 ashore in Harrington Cove, a mile and three-quarters distant 
 from Port Daniel harbor. Some of the crew were found in the 
 rigging, dead ; some, quite exhausted. Capt. Hudson was fished up 
 with a boat-hook from the wreck, also two children and Mr. 
 Walker ; one sailor, the body of Capt. Kent, and another were 
 picked up amongst the rigging: all were taken on shore at Port 
 Daniel, to the store of Wm. Carter, Esq., where the inquest was 
 held. Of the fifty-four souls on board, the second mate, eight 
 seamen, two sons of Capt. Hudson, and one steerage passenger 
 were alone saved. I am now fifty- seven years of age, and 
 have resided on the coast ever since, having married Isabella 
 Chedor, the daughter of the man who rescued me the morning 
 after the shipwreck. 
 
 " Several bodies were picked up. It was reported that the
 
 30 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 body of Mrs. Hudson, on whom was found 600 in bank bills, 
 had been found, the same having drifted across the Bay, and a 
 number of vessels had been seen picking up the goods floating in 
 the Bay and Gulf. I could mention to you many other details, 
 but it is getting late." 
 
 " I dropp'd my pen, and listen'd to the wind 
 That sang of trees uptorn and vessels toss'd." 
 
 It was indeed, as Squire Aeteson well observed, getting late, 
 and I retired to my sleeping-quarters facing the beach, from 
 which broke forth, like a mournful dirge, the ceaseless roar of 
 the sea ; that relentless sea whose foam, like a shroud, had 
 closed over poor Captain Kent and his luckless passengers. It 
 moaned as of yore, and 
 
 " What were the wild waves saying?" 
 
 Next morning my host told me all about the extraordinary 
 appearance of the bay and beach, strewn with the valuable mer- 
 chandise of the stranded ship when she broke up ; silver plate 
 put up to auction, and knocked down for a few shillings ; church 
 ornaments of great value used by the natives as wearing ap- 
 parel ; costly wines and silk dresses sold for a trifle. Five boxes 
 of specie of 1,000 each were saved. In spite of the efforts of 
 the auctioneer and authorities, valuable lots disappeared as if 
 by magic. 
 
 The $400,000 of the " Colborne " did indeed enrich many 
 wreckers, and some that were not wreckers.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 31 
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 
 NEW PORT COVE PABOS GRAND EIVER ITS RICKETTY OLD 
 BRIDGE CAPE COVE CAP D'ESPOIR CURIOUS TRANSFORM- 
 ATIONS OF NAMES STILL MORE CURIOUS LEGENDS. 
 
 THE reader has no doubt been interested as much as I was at 
 the time by the graphic description of the loss of the " Colborne," 
 as it fell from the lips of my hospitable host, Squire Acteson. 
 This left us at Anse-au-Gascon, not very far distant from Pointe- 
 au-Maquereau, the western boundary of the County of Gaspe*. 
 Pointe-au-Maquereau marks the entrance to the Bay des Cha- 
 leurs, the Island of Miscou, distant about fifteen miles, being 
 the boundary of the bay, on the New Brunswick side. From 
 L' Anse-au-Gascon to Newport Islands, a distance of about 
 five miles, the road leaves the shore, and runs through the woods. 
 These Islands are two patches of rock where, we were told, " Cap- 
 tain Philip Dean, of Jersey, once had a fishing stand ." Pointe- 
 au-Maquereau is not visible from the road, so that the traveller 
 passes the boundary between the two counties without being 
 aware of it. The land through this portage is rocky and scarce- 
 ly fit for settlement. 
 
 " The seigniory of Pabos joins that of Grand Eiver, to the 
 east. Next comes Great Pabos, where a chartered English 
 company, under the name of the ' Gaspe" Fishery and Coal Mining 
 Company,' formerly established their headquarters, and squan- 
 dered the moneys entrusted to them by the duped shareholders. 
 Under the French rule this appears to have been a well-settled 
 locality. 
 
 " On a small island, in the middle of the lagoon, traces could
 
 32 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 be lately seen of what once constituted the foundations and 
 cellar of a large house, said to be that of the Governor or Inten- 
 dant. The remains of three mill dams on the north side of the 
 river were also visible, and the various articles found from time 
 to time prove that a considerable number of families must have 
 once occupied the front. 
 
 " Pabos is a bar harbor and very difficult of access. There 
 are two rivers which empty themselves into the lagoon, at a short 
 distance from each other. A large portion of the land in Great 
 Pabos is unfit for culture. 
 
 " Next to Great Pabos is Little Pabos with a river of the 
 same name, which was bridged by the Government in 1844. 
 The river Pabos as well as Grand River, are the resorts of large 
 flocks of wild fowl in the spring and fall. The inhabitants are 
 all sportsmen. Distance from Pabos to Grand River about eight 
 miles ; from Newport to Pabos, three." 
 
 Pabos the Great, seemed to me an ordinary French-Canadian 
 parish, with a respectable-looking church. A telegraph office 
 has recently been opened here, in the house of a Scotchman, by 
 the name of Archibald Kerr. From this house, on the heights, 
 where I stopped for dinner, I could notice a point below, where 
 the sea fowl (the Mouniacs, I fancied) seemed to congregate and 
 feed in countless numbers. I was told that they never left the 
 spot from May till November, and slept at night on the waters. 
 
 Grand River will be remembered by me on account of its 
 long and ricketty old bridge. " It was built out of a loan from 
 the ' Municipal Loan Fund,' and is a standing monument of 
 what local dissension can do. Grand River was conceded, on 
 the 31st May, 1697, by Louis de Buade, Count de Frontenac, 
 (Governor), and John Bochart (Intendant), to Mr. James Cochu, 
 of Grand River, commencing from the Seigniory of Great 
 Pabos, belonging to Mr. Ren Hubert, extending towards Cape 
 Hope, near the Island of Perce*. 
 
 " This Seigniory was purchased by the late Mr. Charles Robin, 
 from Mr. Duncan Anderson, on the 18th June, 1793. The Cape
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 33 
 
 mentioned in the concession as Cape Hope is the Cape Despair 
 of our day." 
 
 Abbe* Ferland, in his journal, speaks very highly of Grand 
 Eiver, not only as a valuable fishing station, but as regards its 
 soil and agricultural capabilities. He also states " that in con- 
 sequence of the immense quantity of wild fowl resorting to this 
 vicinity every spring and fall, all the men are sportsmen ; that if 
 shooting has its delights, it has also its dangers, as many hands 
 are seen minus a finger or thumb ; and that, by a remarkable 
 coincidence, accidents of this kind have universally happened on 
 a Sabbath or other holy day." 
 
 The Messrs. Eobin are still the owners of the soil. Very 
 few of the settlers on their estate have paid for the land, and the 
 majority can only be viewed in the light of tenants. The land 
 is good, for the most part level, and well-adapted for agricultural 
 purposes. But here, as along the whole coast from New Rich- 
 mond to Cap Chatte agriculture is a mere secondary consideration 
 when compared with the fisheries. The owners have, neverthe- 
 less, set the inhabitants a good example, having a fine farm which 
 is well cultivated and yields abundant crops ; next to Perce*, 
 Grand River is Messrs. Charles Robin & Co.'s best fishing stand. 
 They generally have about thirty-two boats every season fishing 
 on this establishment. . . Besides this firm, there are three 
 other mercantile establishments in Grand River, namely Messrs. 
 J. 0. Sirois, Thomas Tremblay, and Thomas Carbery. 
 
 This, like all the rivers on the coast, has a bar which makes 
 it both difficult and dangerous of access in bad weather. Small 
 schooners can enter the harbor at high water and remain in 
 perfect security. The population of the seigniory and township 
 of Grand River, which, by the last census (of 1861) was 879 
 souls, is rapidly increasing, and a perceptible improvement has 
 taken place in the appearance of the buildings within the laet 
 few years.* 
 
 Pye's Gasp6 Scenery.
 
 34 CHR'ONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 " The distance from Grand River to Cape Cove, a large settle- 
 ment, is ten miles, and eight from thence to Perce"; it forms 
 part of the township of that name, which extends about eighteen 
 miles along the sea coast. 
 
 " Population of this settlement chiefly Protestant, the church 
 forming a prominent object in the view. There is also a large 
 Roman Catholic church at Cape Despair to the west of Cape 
 Cove. 
 
 " Cape Cove, like Perce", is an important fishing station. There 
 are three commercial houses, Messrs. De la Parrelle Brothers, 
 Thos. Savage, and Amice Payne. The two first-named firms 
 aie also ship-owners, and all are natives of Jersey. There is 
 excellent land and some good farms in the vicinity. Mr. Savage 
 has an extensive farm, and a very fine grist-mill, which is in a 
 hollow half a mile beyond his barn. The mill is by far the best 
 of its kind in the district ; but, unfortunately, the supply of water 
 is not sufficient for such a combination of machinery, which 
 includes all the latest improvements. 
 
 " Cape Despair, which shelters the Cove to the westward, is a 
 comparatively low head laud, and is said to have been original- 
 ly called Cap d'Espoir, or Cape Hope. The lugubrious change 
 of name is reported to have been caused by the total loss there- 
 on of an English man-of-war, or transport, carrying troops, form- 
 ing portions of Sir Hovenden Walker's squadron."* 
 
 Shortly after the repulse before Quebec, in 1690, of Sir 
 "William Phipps (whose expedition had cost the British 100,- 
 000), the Earl of Sunderland, then Secretary of State, determin- 
 ed to make another attempt to dislodge the French from their 
 strong position at Quebec. The armament intended for this 
 object, in 1707, was entrusted to General Macartney ; but the 
 defeat of the allied forces at Alamanza compelled Queen Anne 
 to help her ally, Charles III. King of Spain, and General Mac- 
 artney, instead of sailing for Quebec, was sent to Portugal. 
 
 * Pye's Gasp Scenery.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 35 
 
 Four years after (1711) General Nicholson, a provincial 
 officer, who had just taken possession of Nova Scotia, having 
 suggested the plan of the campaign, five thousand troops from 
 England and two thousand Provincials were placed under the 
 command of General Hill, brother to the Queen's favorite, Mrs. 
 Masham ; the naval force being commanded by Admiral Walker, 
 a dash was made for old Quebec ; the great disaster which befell 
 on the 22nd August, 1711, was caused chiefly by fog. 
 
 Let us say a word of this famous spot : Our readers are, no 
 doubt, aware that this stormy cape has furnished food for many 
 antiquarian disquisitions. On some old maps, it is marked as 
 Cape Hope, Spei ; on more recent ones as Cape Despair. It 
 certainly turned out as the latter to Admiral Hovenden Walker's 
 distracted fleet, in 1711. The English Armada, which that 
 year was going to annihilate French power in Canada, came to 
 grief, like the Spanish Armada, destined to invade the British 
 soil. I have already noticed the curious mutations which many 
 names have experienced on the Gaspe" coast. Free translations 
 have played the de-il with more than one. We may add to 
 Pointe de Monts, Cape Chatte ; 1'Anse au Gris Fonds the Cove 
 with the grey bottom, made into Griffin's Cove ; Mille Eoches, 
 converted into Mill Eush, &c. A most curious instance of free 
 translation was recently mentioned by the Burlington Free 
 Press. That journal, alluding to the murder lately committed 
 at St. Albans, by John Bishop, says : 
 
 " The French-Canadian papers made bad work of the late 
 Bishop tragedy in St. Albans. Finding the announcement in 
 English that ' John Bishop, of St. Albans, in a fit of jealousy, 
 shot his wife and himself,' one of the French papers translated 
 it for its own columns as follows : ' Jean, Ev6que de St. Albans, 
 dans un acces de jalousie, a tut safemme ! ' The Franco- Cana- 
 dien took this up, and, as it would never do to have it supposed 
 for an instant that a bishop of the Church of Rome was married, 
 made all plain by making it read, ' The Protestant Bishop of 
 St. Albans,' etc. The Minerve next gave this news as direct
 
 36 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 from St. Albans, as follows: 'The Protestant Bishop of this 
 city shot his wife and himself. He was killed, and his wife is 
 not expected to recover.' And the Daily News brought up the 
 rear with the curious version that ' a murder and suicide took 
 place yesterday at St. Albans. In a fit of jealousy, a man 
 killed himself and afterwards killed his wife.' " 
 
 Legendary as well as antiquarian lore surrounds the hoary 
 and frowning Cape with a maze of romance. 
 
 Queen Anne sent in 1711, as aforesaid, a powerful fleet, with 
 seven or eight thousand troops, to kill off forever French power 
 in Canada. A most violent storm arose, dispersed the Armada, 
 and eight of the vessels were lost,' with every soul on board, in 
 the Gulf of St Lawrence, chiefly on Egg Island. It is supposed 
 that the fragments of the wreck, generally known as Le Nanfrage 
 Anglais, seen until of late years on Cap d'Espoir, as related by 
 the Abbe* Ferland, belonged to one of these ships. Mr. Pye* 
 sums up this incident as follows : " To this tradition of the sad 
 disaster which probably is substantially correct, superstition 
 has added wild and supernatural visions, which haunted the 
 imaginations of the fishermen of the last, and of the early part 
 of the present century. Something after this style : When 
 the surface of the treacherous deep was smooth as a mirror, 
 mountain waves would suddenly appear, bearing on their foaming 
 crest a phantom ship crowded with human beings, whose antique 
 military dress denoted that they belonged to a by-gone age. On 
 her bow is seen the toll figure of one whose mien and dress 
 denote that he is a superior officer. One foot resting on the 
 bowsprit, in an attitude as though he were prepared to spring 
 ashore, with his right hand he appears to point out the dark 
 cape to the helmsman, whilst on his left arm he supports a 
 female figure clad in white flowing robes. With wild and light- 
 
 Pye's Gaspe* Scenery.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 37 
 
 ning speed the doomed bark rushes to destruction, as though 
 urged on by some invisible and supernatural agency. One 
 mighty crash a wild cry of despair in which is plainly distin- 
 guished the voice of a woman and all is over. The phantom 
 ship with her living freight has disappeared beneath the roaring 
 surge."
 
 38 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWEENCE. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE EARLY HISTORY OF PERC THE ROCK AS VIEWED BY 
 NATURALISTS Two RIVAL REPUBLICS WHAT MAY LEAD 
 TO WAR. 
 
 A SHORT drive over tolerable roads and rather dangerous 
 bridges brought me from Cape Cove to Perce* the shire town, 
 or chef-lieu, of the Gasp district, a very old settlement. 
 
 In 1534, Jacques Cartier visited Perce", and gave the name 
 of " Cap de Pres," either to Perc^ Rock or to Mont Joli. Ever 
 since the end of the sixteenth century this spot continued to be 
 frequented by the French most successful fishermen, who there 
 found every species of facility to cure and dry codfish. Prob- 
 ably they followed in the wake of Cartier. Subsequently to 
 the foundation of Quebec, Champlain, on different occasions, 
 sent boats to Perce*, either to procure stores and provisions, or to 
 take advantage of the vessels on their return to France each 
 fall, to convey letters. 
 
 Jean Nicholas Denys, having obtained from the Company of 
 New France a grant of all the sea coast which skirts the Gulf of 
 St. Lawrence, from Canseau, in Acadia, to Cap des Rosiers, paid 
 a visit to his domains and attempted to turn them to advantage. 
 He sent some vessels to Perce*, but with indifferent success, as 
 he could not personally superintend his ventures in fact, mat- 
 ters turned out so bad that he was ruined. The French 
 Government, in order to help him out of trouble, and also 
 to meet the demands of several shipowners, re-annexed to the 
 royal domain this immense extent of country, and by way 
 of indemnity, granted to his son, Richard Denys de Fronsac*
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 39 
 
 lands in the Bay and on the river of Miramichi. Later on, De 
 Fronsac obtained the grant of Perce" and of the adjoining terri- 
 tory, where he induced seven or eight families to establish them- 
 selves; but this small population of residents was scarcely 
 noticeable amongst the five or six hundred fishermen who 
 arrive there each summer for the annual catch of fish. The 
 Bishop of Laval deemed it worth his while to look after the 
 spiritual wants of this remote portion of his flock. In 1673 he 
 entrusted this mission to the Recollet Fathers, who erected a 
 chapel at Perce another at Bonaventure Island, which chapel 
 was called Sainte Claire. To the two first missionaries suc- 
 ceeded, in 1675, Father Chretien Le Clercq, who wrote on Can- 
 ada two works now scarce : " La Gaspesie Le Premier Etab- 
 lissement de la Foi dans la Nouvelle-France." After William 
 of Orange had assumed the sceptre of his father-in-law, James 
 II., English ship-owners took advantage of the hostile feelings 
 which sprang up between France and England to destroy the 
 French settlements in America, and to attempt to seize on Can- 
 ada. Perce" was attacked without a moment's warning. Father 
 Jumeau relates as follows this thrilling episode of the war, 
 which took place in August, 1690 : 
 
 " Two British men-of-war appeared under French colors in 
 the roadstead of Bonaventure Island, and by this stratagem 
 easily captured five fishing vessels, whose captains and crews, 
 entirely engaged with the fishery, had to make for Quebec, not 
 being able to defend their ships. The enemy landed . . . 
 pillaged, sacked and burnt the houses of the inhabitants some 
 eight or ten families, who, for the most part, had already taken 
 refuge in the woods .... I am seized with horror at 
 the bare memory of the impiety .... which those mis- 
 creants committed in our church, which they had converted into 
 a guard-house. They broke and trampled under feet our 
 images. The paintings representing the Holy Virgin and St. 
 Peter were both pierced by more than one hundred and fifty 
 gun shots .... Not a cross escaped their fury, with
 
 40 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the exception of the one I had formerly planted on Holland's 
 Table, (Table a Holland) which, from its height on a nearly 
 inaccessible mountain, still subsists as a monument of our Chris- 
 tianity . . . . They set fire to the four corners of our 
 church, which was soon consumed, as well as the church of our 
 Bona venture Island Mission." 
 
 The Abbe* Ferland, to whom I am indebted for these interest- 
 ing details, draws a lively sketch of the death-like stillness 
 which pervades the settlement during the lonely winter months, 
 and the awakening bustle, stir, and cheerfulness which the re- 
 turn of the ships brings with it in May. A poet's fancy might, 
 indeed, revel in the sight, and find therein a congenial theme. 
 
 " At peep of day," says he, "you see the shore swarming with 
 stalwart Jersey lads, in their blue smocks, or shirts, worn over 
 their pants, busy launching their light boats for a long and 
 sometimes a dangerous day's cruise; in a minute or two the 
 sunlit ocean seems all studded with snowy specks a whole 
 fleet of swift fishing-smacks, with their white sails filling to the 
 last breath of the land breeze, like a flock of vernal birds wing- 
 ing their flight over the glad waters towards some fairyland in 
 the blue distance the return of the venturesome crew from the 
 dreaded Orphan's Bank* some three or four hundred, with the 
 last of the sea breeze, at eventide, " each proclaiming his success 
 with boisterous mirth, loud shouts, love ditties wafted they 
 would wish to that bright isle, their native land, their Eden, 
 far in the East, where more than one ' black-eyed Susan sighs for 
 their return, they hope.' 
 
 But enough for Perc^ ; as may be observed, it has its lights 
 and shadows. 
 
 Let us again translate from our old friend's journal the 
 Abbe* Ferland. Here is one of his delightful chromos of Perce* 
 
 The Orphan's Bank, which is far out at sea, is not visited by all. A 
 violent wind from the land may blow out the boats to sea. The fate of 
 many in the past a watery grave must be the result: HenCe the name.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE! 41 
 
 Eock and its airy inhabitants the gulls and cormorants. More 
 than once, have I myself watched their curious proceedings : 
 
 " From the windows of the parish priest's residence one can 
 see distinctly the green plateau of Perc^ Eock. It is strewed 
 with conspicuous objects, which at times seem to move, at 
 others are stationary the winged denizens of this retreat ; some 
 are busy hatching their eggs, whilst others are on guard to pro- 
 tect the newly-born young. This airy city is divided into two 
 wards : one is occupied by the Gulls (the Herring Gull) and the 
 other by the Cormorants. If any member of one tribe presumes 
 to wander beyond the boundary of those of his feather, such an 
 encroachment is not silently borne. A formidable outcry, of 
 one thousand voices, pervades the air, and is heard sometimes at 
 a distance of several miles. A cloud like a heavy storm of 
 snow hovers over the spot tainted by the presence of the 
 stranger. If the invaders should be in numbers, a column 
 detaches itself from the innumerable inhabitants of the threat- 
 ened territory, and describing a half circle rushes to attack the 
 rear of the enemy. As the defenders of the soil are always for- 
 midable and fierce on their native land, the strangers are com- 
 pelled to withdraw and shrink from the blows and shrieks of 
 their adversaries." 
 
 This border warfare causes frequent encounters ; scarcely a 
 quarter of an hour elapses without one's being aware from the 
 loud cries that Discord has let fly her shafts. 
 
 The two republics, whose territory combined covers about 
 two acres in superficies, were of yore protected by the steepness 
 of the rock, and lived secure far from the reach of man. 
 
 The paternal nest was bequeathed from one generation to 
 the next. The Gulls and Cormorants educated their children at 
 the identical spot where they themselves had sprung from the 
 shell into this wicked world. 
 
 This world, however, was undergoing changes. It was, 'tis 
 true, above, always the same sky ; around, the same sea, roaring 
 and lashing the solid foundations of their citadel, and covering
 
 42 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE 1 . 
 
 with the foam of its mountainous waves, the beaches of the two 
 adjoining coves. But, close by, a few hundred yards away, the 
 world was not the same. The forest was cut down ; smoke rose 
 over roofs inhabited by the white man ; the shore had ceased to 
 be solitary ; the surf bore on its crest, vessels with white sails 
 and long masts. The republic was in danger ; her fisheries were 
 invaded by barbarians, who, on more occasions than one, had 
 shed the blood of the ancient denizens of the rock. After all, if 
 it did become prudent to go and catch fish at a greater distance, 
 cormorants and gulls could equally eat it in safety from the 
 inaccessible summit of their habitation. Fallacious hope ! for 
 gulls as well as for men, nothing on earth exists free from 
 change. About the year 1805, that is some thousands of years 
 after the establishment here of the descendant of the first gull, 
 two foolhardy fishermen resolved to scale the fortress which, 
 so far, had been considered impregnable. ... A single point 
 seemed to offer a chance of success. Near one of the arches, 
 about forty feet above the base, the rock forms a point, and 
 underneath the ascent, seems more practicable. But the fear- 
 less fishermen chose another, through bravado ; it might have 
 scared a chamois. With oars tied together, and leaning on the 
 surface of the rock, they managed to climb the most steep por- 
 tion, and then, by hanging on to projections and shrubs, they ac- 
 tually got to the top. 
 
 It was indeed a glorious feat, this ascent of the rock by Du- 
 guay and Moriarty for the first time. It is true there was a 
 vague tradition that on certain occasions a youth of herculean 
 proportions and preternatural appearance had been seen on the 
 top; but these superstitious tales merely served to exhibit in 
 more vivid colors the venturesome spirit of the mortals who had 
 dared to brave the Genius of Perce* Hock, and beard him in his 
 inaccessible den. 
 
 The feat suggested to these two men by the love of distinc- 
 tion was prompted in others by motives of interest and the rage of 
 imitation ; once the path was known, one-half of the difficulties
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 43 
 
 disappeared. Each year the eggs and young birds were robbed. 
 At first the presence of man disturbed the old birds so little that 
 they often remained on the nest until removed. Fortunately a 
 by-law of the magistrates of Perce*, prohibiting these practices, 
 has restored the peaceable inhabitants of the Rock to their 
 hearths and homes. The loud cries of these birds, heard from 
 afar, have more than once been of great help to boats or ships 
 caught in the fog near Perce* ; they were excellent fog whistles 
 and beacons to the benighted mariner.
 
 44 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PERCE THE PERCE ROCK MONT JOLI BONAVENTURE IS- 
 LAND CAPTAIN DUVAL THE CELEBRATED PRIVATEER, 
 " VULTURE." 
 
 " THE Village of Perce*, which derives its name from the Rock, 
 is most advantageously situated for the cod fishery. It consists 
 of two small coves, called North and South Beach. The principal 
 part of the population reside at North Beach, which also contains 
 the court-house, jail, and Roman Catholic church. South Beach 
 is chiefly occupied by the important fishing establishment of 
 Messrs. Charles Robin & Co., who own the principal part of the 
 laud on that side. The two coves are separated by a headland 
 called Mont Joli, supposed by some to have been once united 
 with the Rock. On this promontory formerly stood the Pro- 
 testant Episcopal church, and the graveyard still marks the spot. 
 The population of Perce* does not exceed five hundred souls, 
 except during the summer months, when it is more than 
 doubled. It is the shire town of the County of Gaspe*. 
 
 " Few spots, if any, on the sea-board of Canada possesses greater 
 attraction for the artist and lover of wild and romantic scenery 
 than Perce* and its environs. Mont Ste. Anne, in rear of the 
 village, rising almost abruptly to the height of 1300 feet, is the 
 first land sighted by all vessels coming up the Gulf to the south- 
 ward of .the Island of Anticosti. In clear weather it may be seen 
 at a distance of sixty to seventy miles, and it is even confidently 
 asserted by shipmasters worthy of credit that it has been seen by 
 them at a distance of seventy-five to eighty miles. 
 
 " If you ascend the high road towards the settlement called 
 ' French Town,' and stand on the rising ground in rear of Belle-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 45 
 
 rue, you have beneath you, and all around, one of the most mag- 
 nificent panoramas the eye can wish to rest upon. Ste. Anne, 
 rising in all its towering majesty on your left, and extending to 
 the eastward, forms within Barry Head a portion of an amphi- 
 theatre, almost enclosing the village on two sides. The Eoman 
 Catholic church is a striking object at the foot of Barry Head. 
 Over and beyond this, at a distance of six miles, is seen Point 
 St. Peter and Plateau. To the right of this nothing is seen but 
 the sea as far as the eye can reach. Then comes the Rock, which 
 you overlook from this point. The birds (gulls and cormorants) 
 on its summit can also be distinctly seen." 
 
 A romantic legend, alluded to by the Abb4 Ferlaud, attaches 
 to the Perc Rock we regret we have not space for it. 
 
 I have myself seen the snow-white gulls sitting in myriads on 
 their nests on this green summit in July. You might have 
 imagined the froth of the sea or gigantic snow-flakes spread 
 amidst verdant pastures a most attractive spectacle to the eye 
 of a naturalist. 
 
 " The Island of Bona venture then forms the foreground. But 
 to the westward of that again the sea meets the eye, until it rests 
 on Cape Despair, and you get a bird's-eye view of Cape Cove and 
 L'Anse a Beau-Fils. From this point you have a most exten- 
 sive sea view down the Gulf and to the entrance of the Bay of 
 Chaleurs, the light on the Island of Miscou, New Brunswick, 
 distant about thirty-two miles, being often seen on a clear night. 
 
 " Leaving those lower regions, if you undertake to ascend 
 Mont Ste. Anne no very difficult task for those who are free 
 from gout and asthma a view presents itself to the astonished 
 eye, grand beyond description. All that we have just described 
 lies in one vast panorama at our feet. In rear, that is, from west 
 to north, the variegated green of the primeval forest meets the 
 eye, which seeks in vain some oasis, as it were, in the boundless 
 green expanse on which to rest. Hill and dale, mountain and 
 valley, all clad in the same verdant garb, extend as far as the 
 human ken can range. Casting your eye gradually eastward,
 
 46 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 you see over the land into the Gaspe* Bay, and beyond Ship Head 
 into the mouth of the St. Lawrence ; then, far away to seaward 
 down the Gulf; to the right, up the Bay of Chaleurs. If the 
 weather is clear, besides a number of large vessels, the white sails 
 of a fleet of schooners, chiefly American, of from 40 to 150 tons, 
 and amounting sometimes to some two or three hundred sail, 
 may be seen engaged in the cod and mackerel fisheries. From 
 this point nothing obstructs the view, which extends over Bona- 
 venture Island and all the headlands on either side, and on a 
 fine calm day two hundred open boats, spread over the bosom of 
 the treacherous deep, look like small specks upon the surface of 
 a mirror. Taken as a whole, we know of no scenery in the Bri- 
 tish Provinces to equal this. 
 
 " The drive or walk round the mountain to the corner of the 
 beach is most romantic, as well as the sail round the Island of 
 Bonaventure, and should on no account be omitted by the 
 excursionist. The road through the mountain gorge, which is 
 the highway connecting Perce* with Gaspe" Basin, must have 
 some resemblance to many portions of Swiss scenery. 
 
 " Perce" possesses two places of worship. That of the Church of 
 England is situated on an eminence at the foot of the mountain 
 on the Irish Town road. It is built in the Gothic style, and 
 though very small, being only capable of containing one hun- 
 dred persons, yet it is one of the neatest and most complete 
 village churches we have seen on this continent. The Protestant 
 community are mainly indebted to Messrs. Charles Robin & Co. 
 for its erection. The Roman Catholic Church is a large build- 
 ing, and when the interior is finished off, it will be a very hand- 
 some structure. 
 
 " Perce" is strictly a large fishing-stand the best in Canada 
 and it is here that the Messrs. Robin have their most extensive 
 fishing establishment. We believe we are justified in stating that 
 there is nothing to equal it, as a whole, in Canada, New Bruns- 
 wick, or Nova Scotia. This establishment collects yearly from 
 14,000 to 15,000 quintals of codfish, fit for shipment, including
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 4? 
 
 what they receive from their planters and dealers throughout 
 the township of Perce*. 
 
 " Perce" was for some time the residence of Lieut- Governor 
 Cox, who was appointed Governor of Gaspe" about 1785. The 
 site of the Government House may still be seen." Pye's Gaspe 
 Scenery. 
 
 The foregoing is certainly a glowing, and so far as I know, a 
 truthful picture of Perce", with the exception as to what relates 
 to the date of appointment of Lieut.-Governor Cox. According to 
 Colonel CaldwelTs letter * to General James Murray, bearing date 
 15th June, 1776, Major Cox, formerly of the 47th, was at that 
 time Lieut.-Governor of Gaspe*. 
 
 Perce", notwithstanding its picturesque scenery, never had for 
 me one-half of the attractions of Gaspe" Basin. It must, how- 
 ever, have had some attractions, even in ancient days, since 
 Monseigneur St. Vallier, who stopped there on his voyage from 
 France to Quebec in 1685, 'was induced to revisit it in the 
 spring of 1686. One is quite safe in considering it a large 
 fishing-stand in fact the grandest on the coast the kingdom of 
 cod, herring, and train oil the Elysium of fishermen. During 
 the busy months, codfish in every shape, in every stage of 
 preservation or putrefaction, scents the air especially in 
 August. The pebbly beach is strewn and begemmed with cod- 
 fish, drying ; the flakes glisten with it in the morning sun, whilst 
 underneath plethoric maggots attain a wonderful size. The 
 shore is studded with fish heads and fish offal in a lively state 
 of decomposition. Cod heads and caplin are liberally used to 
 manure the potato fields : the air is tainted with the effluvia ; 
 the land breeze wafts you odors which are not those of " Araby 
 
 This old letter, published in 1866, under the auspices of the " Literary 
 and Historical Society of Quebec " page 10 contains the following pas- 
 sage : 
 
 " On my way I passed by the picket drawn up under the Field Officer 
 of that day, who was Major Cox, formerly of the 47th, and now Lieut- 
 Governor of GaspeV'
 
 48 pHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the Blest." Well-to-do houses in some localities have a fishy 
 smell. The churches are not proof against it. Not many years 
 back, the R. C. Bishop, visiting the chapel on a fishing station, 
 on entering, exclaimed to the pastor, " Is the chapel used to dry 
 and cure codfish ? The smell here is positively dreadful ! " 
 "No, my lord," the pastor replied; "but at the news of your 
 approach my parishioners had the floor carefully washed with 
 soap. Unfortunately, the soap was made from fish oil." The 
 historian Ferland relates the anecdote. 
 
 Even potatoes chime in with the general homage to the 
 finny tribe ; some have been known to grow with bones in them. 
 A lady friend of mine made this her principal grievance against 
 Perce". She left it in high dudgeon. Being a judge's lady, I 
 have often wondered why she did not apply to the Court for a 
 writ of injunction against this intolerable nuisance. 
 
 The safest place to be out of the reach of the fishy aroma is 
 out at sea. But though there be fish everywhere in the sea 
 on the land in the churches in the air, you may feel like the 
 Ancient Mariner, 
 
 ." Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink." 
 
 It was my ill-fortune once to see fish everywhere, and still 
 none to eat. 
 
 My landlady met my repeated enquiry for fresh fish for 
 dinner, with some studied apologies about the weather. " The 
 boats could not go out," " the wind was so high," and so on. I 
 reluctantly came to the conclusion that at times it requires a 
 deal of interest to get fresh codfish for dinner at Perce", unless 
 you are an M. P. P. 
 
 It is, notwithstanding, a healthy location. Strong smells, 
 though they may press hard on the olfactory nerves, don't kill. 
 The citizens of Petrolia, 'tis said, are long livers. 
 
 Hon. John LeBoutillier,* M. S. C., and Mr. Frs. Lebrun have 
 extensive fishery establishments here. Hon. J. LeBoutillier 
 resides at Gaspe" Basin. 
 
 This worthy old GaspesSan closed his career in July, 1872.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 49 
 
 Perce* has latterly been selected in preference to Gaspe* Basin 
 as the shire-town (chef-lieu). A new court-house and jail are 
 in process of erection. The most prosy highwayman or debased 
 murderer once duly convicted, will enjoy the privilege of being 
 duly hanged in view of all the magnificent scenery just men- 
 tioned by Mr. Pye. I am sorry for it, on account of the genial 
 and educated sheriff (Vibert) of the district, whose acquaintance 
 I had not the good fortune to make. 
 
 BONAVENTURE ISLAND. 
 
 " This island, in the depth of winter, has the appearance of 
 a vast iceberg, and like the Perce" Eock, is one of Nature's 
 wonderful productions, forming a natural break-water between 
 the South Cove, Perce' and the Gulf. The whole is one vast 
 mass of reddish conglomerate, from which the term Bonaventure 
 Formation has been derived. It appears as though it had been 
 upheaved from the bottom of the ocean, forming on the seaside, 
 towards the Gulf, a stupendous wall 300 to 500 feet high, with 
 no less than fifty fathoms of water at its base. It slopes 
 gradually towards the mainland, and is well settled, there being a 
 E. C. church, a school-house, and some twenty dwelling-houses. 
 It is two and a half miles long, and three-quarters of a mile 
 broad, and is distant two and a half miles from the mainland. 
 The depth of water is sufficient for the largest ships afloat to 
 beat through the channel. Messrs. LeBoutillier Brothers have 
 a large fishery establishment on the island, at which thirty-eight 
 boats and about 120 men are employed. This was once the 
 property of the late Captain Peter Duval, a native of the island 
 of Jersey, and one whose deeds and prowess would not disgrace 
 the annals of England's history. Yet, strange to say, there 
 appears to be no record preserved by the family of a feat scarcely 
 to be surpassed. The grandson of our hero, who still resides on 
 the island, knows nothing of the leading facts, which are as 
 follows : 
 
 " Towards the close of the last war between England and 
 France, Captain Duval commanded a privateer, lugger-rigged,
 
 50 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 mounting four guns, with a crew of twenty-seven hands, him- 
 self included, and owned by the Messrs. Janvrin, of Jersey. 
 She was a small vessel, under 100 tons, and appropriately named 
 the ' Vulture/ having been the terror of the French coast from 
 St. Malo to the Pyrenees. The ' Vulture ' was almost as well 
 known along the shores of the Bay of Biscay as in her port of 
 registry, and like a bird of prey was continually hovering along 
 the coast, capturing vessel after vessel. The port of Bayonne 
 had suffered severely from the continued depredations of the 
 Jersey privateer off its entrance, and the merchants of the place 
 resolved to make an effort to capture their tormentor. A joint 
 stock company was formed, and a suitable vessel obtained, a brig 
 of about 180 tons, which being mounted with sixteen guns, and 
 manned by a crew of eighty men, awaited the return of the 
 ' Vulture.' That vessel having been seen off the port one fine 
 afternoon, the brig slipped out during the night, disguised as 
 much as possible, so as to be taken for a merchant- vessel, and 
 being sighted early on the following morning by the lugger's 
 look-out, the latter immediately gave chase and soon came up 
 with what she supposed would be an easy prize. The reader, 
 however, may conceive her astonishment when, on running 
 alongside of the brig, the ports were opened and every prepara- 
 tion made for action. On seeing this the first lieutenant of the 
 ' Vulture/ Captain LeFeuvre, told Captain Duval that having 
 no chance against such perfect odds, their only alternative was to 
 strike. ' Strike ! ' he exclaimed with an oath. ' So long as I 
 have a leg to stand on we shall fight. If I am knocked off my 
 pins, you take, command, and do as you please.' The vessels 
 immediately engaged, the ' Vulture ' keeping so close to her 
 antagonist that the shot from the latter could not take effect 
 owing to her great length. Meantime the lugger continued to 
 pour into the brig a well-directed fire of grape-shot, cutting her 
 rigging, and killing and wounding half of the French crew. The 
 captain of the brig, knowing the determined character of his 
 opponent, and expecting that he would attempt to board, made
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 51 
 
 for Bayonne. The lugger gave chase, but night coming on, the 
 brig reached port in safety. Of the lugger's crew, only one was 
 killed and two of them slightly wounded ; Captain Duval stating 
 that with ten hands he would have taken the brig by boarding, 
 but he feared to attempt it against such fearful odds. The 
 Protestant burial-ground on Mont Joli contains the remains of 
 this brave man, who attained a ripe old age." Pye's Gaspd 
 Scenery.
 
 52 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 POINT ST. PETER THE LIGHT op OTHER DAYS THE IRRE- 
 PRESSIBLE MEMORIES OF THE PAST BELLE ANSE Dou- 
 GLASTOWN PORTAGE THE BLACK POOL AND ITS LEGENDS. 
 
 THE preferable mode of travel from Perce* to Gaspe" Basin is 
 decidedly by water in summer the land route being of a pecu- 
 liarly primitive order, trying alike to man and beast. On 
 leaving the great shire-town, the highway winds round the hills 
 in rear of the Ste. Anne range a distance of several miles 
 until you reach a sand bank, which divides the sea from the 
 lagoon. It is called the corner of the beach ; vulgo, " Corny 
 Beach." 
 
 The scenery through the mountain gorge is truly grand, and 
 the contemplation of its beauties will more than compensate the 
 tourist for the difficulties of the road. About a mile from the 
 highest point, you pass immediately by the base of a stupen- 
 dous wall of conglomerate, which appears as though it had been 
 upheaved by another Atlas. There are indications all round Perce* 
 that, at some distant period, the mountains have been rent, and 
 vast masses dislodged from their original position by some 
 violent convulsion of nature. 
 
 A few miles out of Perce* the country assumes a level appear- 
 ance. The mountain ranges gradually disappear from the back- 
 ground. ..... The roads in the Township of Perce' 
 
 are decidedly the worst in the County of Gaspe*, and most of 
 the bridges are in a very dangerous state, being without railings 
 or guard of any kind to prevent the traveller from being preci- 
 pitated into the abyss below. 
 
 The bay, at Mai Baie, is a splendid sheet of water, bounded 
 by Perce* on the one side, and Point St. Peter on the other.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 53 
 
 Before reaching it, one has to cross the Mai 
 
 Baie stream a good river for salmon and trout-fishery by 
 means of a scow. 
 
 At Belle Anse, in Mai Baie, the high road leads to the portage 
 at right angles, branching off to Point St. Peter on the right and 
 towards Douglastown on the left. The same drizzly weather 
 followed me through this Avernian avenue, called the Portage 
 a dismal drive during the silent hours of night. 
 
 Eeluctantly had I to forego the sweet, though at times mel- 
 ancholy, satisfaction, of revisiting old, familiar places : Point 
 St. Peter and its hospitable shores. The irrepressible memories 
 of other days still persisted in enshrining it in a bright halo. 
 Eight well can I recall Point St. Peter ; its pebbly beaches ; its 
 symmetric long rows of boats, anchored, at night-fall, in straight 
 line in view of each fishing-station all dancing merrily on the 
 crest of the curling billows ; its fearless, song-loving, blue- 
 smocked Jersey fishermen. Can I ever forget its storm-lashed 
 reef ; its crumbling cliffs ; its dark caves, made vocal at each east- 
 erly blow with the wild discord of the sea ? Plateau, its foam- 
 crowned ledges, surrounded by noisy sea fowl ! Where now the 
 leading men of Point St. Peter I knew of yore ? Where the 
 Johnstons, Creightons, Packwoods, Collas, Alexanders of thirty 
 years ago ? Gone, one and all, or nearly so, to their long home. 
 Some reposing in yonder lone churchyard, on the brow of the 
 hill in rear ; others, placed by loving hands, in their marble 
 tombs under the shade of their own fairy island of Jersey, 
 sleeping the long sleep. Of some, scarcely a trace left amongst 
 men ; of others, stalwart sons worthily perpetuating the names 
 of their respected sires. Possibly, some yet forgotten behind on 
 this green earth of ours a few, a very few. 
 
 Point St. Peter brought back vividly to my mind a most 
 harrowing memory of my youth the untimely death, under 
 peculiarly painful circumstances, of an early friend ; it reads thus 
 in my boyish diary : 
 
 " It is the hour of noon on a dreamy August day, 1843. A
 
 54 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 loving father is detailing to me long-pondered domestic arrange- 
 ments, cherished hopes, carefully laid-out plans of family 
 advancement. One above others, in the happy family group, he 
 seems to doat on though he named him not a bright boy of 
 eleven summers, venturesome, full of spirit and intelligence, my 
 daily companion in the boat or with the gun, though by several 
 years, my junior. Of the five blooming children, the lights of his 
 home, on this one seemed to centre all the hopes of the fond 
 parent. 
 
 The light-hearted youth, humming a song, shot past me 
 whilst I remained conversing with his father on his way to our 
 oft-frequented fishing-ground, near the wharf, beckoning to me 
 not to delay ; but I did delay. I tarried, as I was wont, listen- 
 ing to the frank discourse of his excellent, true-hearted father. 
 I tarried behind. . . . Alas ! why had I not followed on. 
 An hour later and I am re-entering the portals of this once 
 happy home, helping to carry a livid corpse that of my late 
 companion. 
 
 It was I who discovered him dead, quite dead, reclining on 
 his side softly sleeping beneath the green, transparent waves, 
 at the spot where he and I, had so oft enjoyed our favorite 
 pastime : angling for cod and halibut. A trusty servant and 
 myself, in silence, are laying on a little bed, in full view of the 
 horror-stricken but not unsubmissive father, what now remaines 
 of so much bright promise, youth and hope. All this is now 
 happening at this very spot." 
 
 The sorrowing father (he died in 1846) was the late Henry 
 Bissett Johnston, a highly-educated Scotch gentleman of Point 
 St. Peter. I can recall it all as a scene of yesterday, though 
 it occurred close on thirty years ago ; but let us hie away. . . . 
 
 The portage road from Mai Baie to Douglastown, on a murky 
 September night, reminds one of the Cimmerian gloom with 
 which Virgil surrounds the abodes of souls in Hades. If you 
 are of an enquiring turn of mind, kind reader, gifted with a robust 
 constitution, unappalled by jolting, it will be worth your while
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 55 
 
 to go and see for yourself. At midway, a dark bridge spans a 
 brawling brook still darker in aspect. White foam floats about 
 the black pool at your feet, at the sight of which your horse 
 snorts and draws back. More than one goblin story is told of 
 this dreary spot. On my asking my companion whether he 
 could discover the bridge through the gloom which the shadows 
 of the tall surrounding trees deepened into absolute darkness,- 
 
 " No," said he, " but I can hear the roar of the brook, and 
 my horse knows the way, though horses have been more than 
 once scared by some awful screams heard here at night." 
 
 " You have," I replied, " been the mail-carrier for some time. 
 Have you ever heard these noises ? " 
 
 " Never," said he, " but my uncle's horse did, some years ago. 
 A murder, 'tis related, occurred at this bridge many years since ; 
 and you know," he added, with emphasis, " horses at night can 
 see things which are hidden from men." 
 
 " I cannot," I replied, " charge my memory with an instance 
 of the kind happening to me during my travels." I found that 
 Superstition could assert her sway at the Douglastown Portage 
 as well as on Hounslow Heath, near London wherever a deed 
 of blood in fact dwells in the memory of man.
 
 \ 
 
 56 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SHIPWRECK OF SIR HOVENDEN WALKER'S SQUADRON ON EGG 
 ISLAND, 22ND AUGUST, 1711 Loss OF EIGHT TRANSPORTS, 
 WITH 884 MEN PARTICULARS OF THE EQUIPMENT OF THIS 
 FORMIDABLE ARMADA ATTACK ON PLACENTIA PROJECTED 
 RETURN OF FLEET TO ENGLAND PERSECUTION OF THE 
 LUCKLESS ADMIRAL His DEATH IN 1725, IN SOUTH CARO- 
 LINA. 
 
 There lieth a wreck on the dismal shore 
 
 Of cold and pitiless Labrador, 
 
 Where, under the moon, upon mounts of frost, 
 
 Full many a mariner's bones are tossed. 
 
 Tom Moore, 1804. 
 
 IN the path of inward bound ships, on the North Shore of the 
 Lower St. Lawrence, lies a desolate isle of granite formation 
 about two miles in length. The lonely summit is surmounted 
 by a white wooden light-house, with a revolving white light, 
 visible at fifteen miles, and completing its evolution in a minute 
 and a half. 
 
 Had its fitful glare shone on these waters one hundred and 
 ten'years ago, it might possibly, in spite of ignorant pilots, have 
 preserved from a watery grave many hundreds of British tars 
 and soldiers, and saved from pain and humiliation a proud British 
 Admiral. That stormy, disastrous August night (the 22nd) of 
 1711, has indeed become memorable.* 
 
 * " A journal, or full account of the late expedition to Canada, with an 
 appendix containing commissions, orders, instructions, letters, &c., by Sir 
 Hovenden Walker, Kt., London, printed by D. Browne, at the Black Swan, 
 W. Mears at the Lamb, without Temple Bar, and G. Strahan at the Golden 
 Ball against the Exchange in Cornhill, 1720."
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 57 
 
 The repulse before Quebec, in 1690, of Sir William Phipps 
 had not been forgotten in England. In 1708, an attempt had 
 been made to obliterate the memory of this stinging disaster, but 
 war breaking out in Europe, Gen. McCartney's troops were sent 
 to Portugal instead of Quebec. Queen Anne revived the idea 
 three years later, viz.: in 1711. England wished to crown by 
 naval success the splendid victories achieved on land by the 
 great captain of the age Marlborough. 
 
 On the llth April, 1711, about 7 p.m., Rear-Admiral of the 
 White, Sir Hovenden Walker,* accompanied by Brigadier- 
 General the Hon. John Hill, commander of the land forces, for 
 the intended Canada expedition, waited on the Queen, at the 
 Palace of St. James, to receive their instructions from Her 
 Majesty. 
 
 Once in possession of his sealed orders, the Admiral hurried 
 to Portsmouth, arrived next at Spithead, where a variety of 
 delays, some caused by contrary winds, others by unforeseen 
 
 Sir Hovenden Walker's squadron comprised the following : Flag ship 
 the Edgar, 70 guns ; Windsor, 60 guns ; Montague, 60 guns ; Swiftsure, 70 
 guns ; Sunderland, 60 guns ; Monmouth, 70 guns ; Dunkirk, 60 guns ; Humber, 
 80 guns ; Devonshire, 80 guns. 
 
 Transports : Recovery, Delight, Eagle, Fortune, Reward, Success, Pink, 
 Willing Mind, Rose, Life, Happy Union, Queen Anne, Resolution, Marlborough, 
 Samuel, Pheasant, Three Martins, Smyrna Merchant, Globe, Colchester, 
 Nathaniel and Elizabeth, Samuel and Anne, George, Isabella and Catherine, 
 Blenheim, Chatham, Blessing, Rebecca, Samuel, Blessing, Goodwill, Anna, 
 Marlborough, Dolphin, Two Sheriffs, Sarah, Rebecca Anne, Prince, Eugene, 
 Dolphin, Mary, Herbin Galley, Friend's Increase, Anna, Susannah and 
 Thomas, Barbadoes, Anchor and Hope, Adventure, Content, John and Mary, 
 Speedwell, Baselisk, Granada (Bowles), John and Sarah, Margaret. 
 
 New England Transports : Dispatch, Four Friends, Francis, John and 
 Hannah, Henrietta, Blessing, Antelope, Hannah and Elizabeth, Friend's 
 Adventure, Rebecca, Martha and Hannah, Johannah, Unity, Newcastle. 
 
 Enterprise, 40 guns ; Sapphire, 40 guns ; Kingston, 60 guns ; Leopard, 54 
 guns ; and Chester, 54 guns ; also a prize, the Triton, joined the Admiral in 
 the Gulf of St. Lawrence. As to the Leostoff and the Feversham, both of 36 
 guns, who formed part of the fleet, no mention of them occurred thereafter.
 
 58 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 casualties in the fleet, tried his patience and gave dissatisfaction 
 to his royal mistress. One day through an omission of the State 
 Secretary, St. John, the captains refused to take orders from any 
 one except from their superior officer, Sir Edward Whitaker, 
 senior in rank to Admiral Walker. The next, something was 
 wrong in the outfits for the transport service ; at other times, 
 high winds prevented the fleet from putting to sea ; a storm dam- 
 aged the spars of the Devonshire, and the Swiftsure lost her top- 
 gallant masts. During these contretemps, Secretary St. John, 
 later on Lord Bolingbroke, was despatching to the worried Ad- 
 miral letter on letter to hurry him on his expedition. Finally, 
 on the 29th April, 1711, the English fleet bade adieu to the 
 white cliffs of England, and began its voyage towards the gulf 
 of St. Lawrence. Boston, visite'd by the Admiral twenty-five 
 years previously, in 1686, was the port of rendezvous. The 
 object of the expedition was a dead secret for the twelve thou- 
 sand men carried on the fleet for all except the Admiral and the 
 General. At one hundred and fifty-three leagues from the 
 Scilly Isles, the flag ship hove to, and the letter containing the 
 sealed orders where every ship was to meet, was distributed to 
 each commander. Despite all that secrecy, the object of the 
 expedition had leaked out. On the 3rd of May, Sir H. Walker, 
 having been compelled by stress of weather to anchor at Ply- 
 mouth, whilst the transports sought protection at Catwater, a 
 French sailor of the Medway, a renegade, who pretended to have 
 made four trips to a Canada river, having learned in one of the 
 city tap-rooms that an English fleet, destined for the capture of 
 Canada, was now ready to sail, had his services offered to the 
 Admiral to pilot the fleet to Quebec. Walker, amazed at the 
 discovery, tried to dissemble, pretending that he was bent merely 
 on a cruise in the Bay of Biscay ; he had him, however, shipped 
 on board of the Humber, with orders that he should be well 
 treated. The French renegade must have much relished his 
 good fortune. Later on in August, Col. Vetch, writing to the 
 Admiral from Canso, states :
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 59 
 
 AUGUST, 1711, at sea. 
 
 " SIR, I could not but judge it my duty to give you a cau- 
 tion with regard to your French pilot, whom I would have you 
 by no means depend upon, for I find him to be not only an 
 ignorant, pretending, idle, drunken fellow, but fear he is come 
 on no good design. 
 
 " Sir, yours devoted to serve you, 
 
 SAM. VETCH. 
 
 The admiral had much reliance on the experience of this Pali- 
 nurus, to escape the dangers besetting the ascent of the. St. 
 Lawrence ; some of these dangers appear to have been rather 
 over-estimated. Col. Vetch's caution was no doubt timely. 
 But trouble and vexation was besetting Walker on all sides. 
 He was scarcely out at sea when it was discovered that the 
 transport Mary, conveying a portion of Col. Desney's regiment, 
 had been forgotten at Catwater. During a stormy night, the 
 mizzen mast of the Monmouth broke like a reed. The frigates 
 were constantly shortening sail to wait for the unwieldy trans- 
 ports ; sometimes tow-ropes had to be thrown out to them ; when 
 it was indispensable to consult with Gen. Hill, who was on board 
 the Devonshire, it was found that sea-sickness had so dis- 
 ordered the hero that he could not answer the letters with his 
 own hand. Discipline itself was occasionally forgotten. In 
 spite of the strict orders for the vessels of the fleet to remain 
 together, one night, on nearing the Banks of Newfoundland, the 
 Dunkirk and Edgar started in chase of a small vessel in 
 the offing. An example was necessary. The Captain of the 
 Edgar, Soams, and the Captain of the Devonshire, Butler, were 
 both tried ; one was condemned to lose three months' pay ; the 
 other, cashiered. 
 
 At last, on the 25th June, after a passage of fifty-eight days, 
 Admiral Walker cast anchor . in the harbour of Boston, where 
 brilliant entertainments, as well as frequent annoyances, awaited 
 him. On landing in New England, Sir Hovenden was the lion 
 of the Colony : on the 4th July, he had to preside at the open-
 
 60 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 ing of the courses at Cambridge University ; on the 5th and 10th 
 of the same month, be witnessed, on Noddles' Island, a grand 
 review of the land and sea forces, which took place under Gen. 
 Hill. 
 
 On the 24th, he hastened to Koxbury, to inspect a regiment 
 destined for the Canada expedition. A series of dinners and 
 balls took place on the 19th and 23rd July, on board of the 
 Humber, in honour of the Indian Sachem of Connecticut, and 
 also in honour of the Mohawk Indians admitted on board of the 
 flag-ship, with a salvo of guns, music, cheers, and seamen's 
 dances. The Mohawks treated the English to one of their pecu- 
 liar dances, and this over, one of them, in the name of the Five 
 Nations, says the Admiral, delivered a long harangue, which the 
 interpreter told me was to this effect, " That they had long ex- 
 pected what they now saw, and were much rejoiced that the 
 Queen had taken such care of them, of which they had almost 
 despaired; that at this time they would exert themselves in a 
 most extraordinary manner, and hoped that the French in Ame- 
 rica would now be reduced. They pledged me, and drank the 
 Queen's health, and when they went away I gave them cheers 
 and guns." All these junkettings had an end. Sir Hovenden 
 Walker set to work in earnest to ship stores and provisions to 
 last four months, for 9,385 men, for the Canada expedition. 
 
 Walker's Journal contains the following entry under date of 
 25th July, 1711: "This morning, a French prize called the 
 Neptune was sent by Captain Matthews, which he had taken in 
 his cruise. The mate of her gives an account that a man-of-war 
 of 54 guns, and a store-ship of 30, was to follow, them to Que- 
 bec in about a month's time. That in a fog they had lost com- 
 pany of two ships of 16 guns each, which came out with them 
 from France. They had come above 100 leagues with Monsieur 
 Duguay (Trouin ?), who had under his command a strong squa- 
 dron of men-of-war and several transports with soldiers, but 
 where designed for, was a secret. He said they had heard nothing 
 in France of our expedition against Canada, nor thought any-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 61 
 
 thing of it ; and that if I pretended to go up that river with this 
 fleet, I should lose all the ships. The master of the prize, who 
 was on board the Chester, it seems, told Capt. Matthews, as I 
 am informed, that last year the French lost eight ships out of 
 nine in that river, and that a great number of ships are cast 
 away there every year, for which reason the seamen of Eochelle 
 avoid the voyage as much as possible, and when shipped to Ca- 
 nada have double wages." 
 
 Various were the troubles occasioned to the English fleet 
 while at Boston, by the rapacity of the bakers and public con- 
 tractors, the desertion of some of the men, the damage done 
 by storms or accidents to the ships, finally by the lukewarmness 
 of Governor Dudley. A final humiliation awaited the luckless 
 Admiral. The French pilots, enticed over and picked up all 
 through New England, refused to join, under frivolous pretexts ; 
 it required a Government warrant to compel them to do so. 
 
 At last, on the 30th July, 1711, the formidable squadron sent 
 out by England to humble France by the capture of its bulwark 
 across the Atlantic, left the pass of Nantasket, buoyant with hope. 
 
 It is curious to reconcile this hostile expedition with the fact 
 that England was not then at war with France. A proclama- 
 tion was prepared ; it read well. We furnish some extracts of 
 this magniloquent document : 
 
 " The French have committed several hostilities against the 
 subjects of the Kings and Queens of Great Britain, therefore 
 those lands and territories so possessed by the French do, accord- 
 ing to the laws of nature and nations, of right revert to the 
 Crown of Great Britain, where they originally were ; and it be- 
 comes lawful for Her Majesty of Great Britain, although there 
 were no actual war between Her Majesty and the Most Christian 
 King, to resume them. . . .w;^ 
 
 " Yet now, with a most pious intent for preserving for the 
 future a perpetual and lasting peace in North America . . . 
 Her Majesty has resolved (under the protection and assistance 
 of Almighty God), to recover all those said forfeited lands and
 
 62 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 territories, and appoint her own Governors in all those several 
 territories, cities, towns, castles and fortifications, where his most 
 Christian Majesty has pretended to settle any. 
 
 "And because the French now inhabiting those parts may 
 either out of ignorance or obstinacy, be induced by persons of 
 malignant and turbulent spirits, to resist her Majesty's so good 
 designs, she has thought fit, in reliance on the blessing of God 
 upon her so pious and religious purposes and endeavors, to 
 send such a strength as may by the Divine assistance be suffi- 
 cient to force a compliance, and reduce all opposers to reason. 
 
 " And esteeming all the French who are settled in these said 
 lands and territories, under the pretended title of His Most 
 Christian Majesty, to be as much subjects of the Crown of Great 
 Britain, as if born and settled there, or in Ireland, or in any 
 other of Her Majesty's Colonies, more immediately under her 
 protection, . . . 
 
 "It is hereby declared that after any hostilities shall be 
 committed, then we think ourselves free from all these pro- 
 mises, and we shall then have no further regard than, by the 
 assistance of God, to reduce all that resist by military force ; 
 trusting in the Almighty that He will favor and succeed her 
 Majesty's arms, in so reasonable, just and religious a design." 
 
 This proclamation, duly approved of by Governor Dudley, 
 was translated into French for the benefit of the Canadians. 
 
 When off the Coast of Cape Breton, the flagship Edgar was 
 joined by the Chester, who conveyed to the Admiral what he 
 much wanted a French pilot for the St. Lawrence. This new 
 Palinurus, by name Paradis,* had made forty voyages to Can- 
 ada his capture at this juncture was considered as a special in- 
 terposition of Providence. Paradis was the master on board a 
 Eochelle ship, the Neptune, ten guns, with a crew of seventy men, 
 
 I am indebted to M. Faucher for the name of the French pilot; his 
 summary of Walker's Journal in De Tribord d Babord I have also frequently 
 used in this sketch, d tout seigneur, tout honneur.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 63 
 
 thirty of whom were destined for the Garrison of Quebec. This 
 French prize had been taken a few days previous by Captain 
 Mathews, of the Chester. Paradis was offered 500 " pistoles " 
 to pilot the English fleet to Quebec, and a provision promised for 
 his declining years. Whether the temptation proved too great 
 for the " ancient mariner ? " history does not say. But what we 
 do find recorded is a sombre picture of the dangers of the St. 
 Lawrence drawn by the French pilot. Though the English 
 Admiral at first strove to make light of the advice tendered, it 
 seems to have much disturbed him, later on. In dismal array, 
 like a hideous nightmare, stood before him : Canadian " seas and 
 earth locked up by adamantine forests and swollen by high 
 mountains of snow : " " Brave men famishing with hunger and 
 drawing lots who should die first to feed the rest : " " Men, left 
 dead in the march and frozen into statues for their own monu- 
 ments." (Walker's Journal, page 25.) 
 
 " This afternoon, (16th Aug., 1711)," says Walker, " I saw 
 the land, being off Cape Gaspe, and upon sounding had ninety 
 fathoms water. 
 
 " This day we saw the Island Anticosti. ."...-. 
 That which now took up my thoughts chiefly was contriving how 
 to secure the ships if we got up to Quebec ; forseeing it to be 
 impossible for them to leave that place before the winter should 
 be too far advanced, and the only way I could think of was quite 
 to unrig them, take out all their guns, stores, ballast, and even 
 their masts, and with crabbs and machines contrived and made 
 for that purpose, haul up the hulls on the dry ground, to lie 
 shored up and secured in frames and cradles till the thaw ; for 
 the ice in the river freezing to the bottom, would have utterly 
 destroyed and bulged them, as much as if they had been 
 squeezed between rocks." * 
 
 We next follow the Admiral up Gaspe* Bay, within a harbor, 
 where a French ship from Biscay lay unrigged, waiting to load 
 
 9 Walker's Journal, page 121.
 
 64 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE, 
 
 a cargo of fish for Europe. ft I sent in," adds the Admiral, " and 
 seized her, intending to rig her out." 
 
 On the 19th (August) the Montague, Leopard and Sapphire 
 cruised off Gaspe* ; the two latter were to go to Bona venture 
 Island to destroy or bring away the fishing-boats of the place ; 
 a calm prevented them the work of devastation fell solely to 
 the brigantines and sloops previously sent. 
 
 The French ship captured in the Gaspe" harbor was fired, the 
 channel (of the Basin ?) being too intricate to fetch her out. " I, 
 therefore," says he, " ordered her to be burned, as well as the 
 houses and stages ashore, and the men to be brought on board 
 prisoners." This would have taken place, according to the entry 
 in the Admiral's journal, on the 20th August. A Biscay fishing 
 craft burnt ^the ashes of a dozen of fishermen's huts a few 
 boats ^destroyed on the Gaspe" shore ; such were the only trophies 
 left at this spot by the great British Admiral of the White, Sir 
 Hovenden Walker, Knight Commander-in-chief of Queen Anne's 
 Armada. 
 
 A stiff breeze brought the fleet out of Gaspe* Bay, but a calm 
 and thick fog^supervening, the Admiral issued strict orders to keep 
 his vessels together in the fog and- drizzly rain.* This weather 
 lasted all that day, the 22nd August ; gusts of wind came on at 
 night ; the fog grew thicker ; the lead gave no bottom, and, as no 
 land had been seen for two days, it was thought that the north 
 shore was far off. At ten that night " we found ourselves," says 
 Admiral Walker, " upon the north shore, amongst rocks and 
 islands, at least fifteen leagues farther than the log gave, when 
 the whole fleet had like to have been lost. But by God's good 
 providence all the men-of-war, though with extreme hazard and 
 difficulty, escaped, eight transports were cast away, and almost 
 
 " No commodore is to suffer any ship of his division to go ahead of 
 him, and in case any do, to fire at them ; and the men-of-war in his division, 
 or next to that ship that goes ahead, shall make up sail to get up with her 
 and cause the shot to be paid for by the master." Additional Signal* and 
 Instructions, given by Admiral Walker, p. 272.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 65 
 
 900 men officers, soldiers and seamen lost ; and had I not 
 made the signals as I did, but continued sailing, it is a great 
 question whether any ship or men had been saved." (Page 45.) 
 The Edgar had, indeed, a narrow escape. Captain Goddard, 
 by his timely wearing, was mainly instrumental in saving the 
 whole fleet. Paradis, the French pilot, who was asleep below, 
 on reaching the deck, ordered every inch of canvas to be 
 spread on the yards, and the Edgar, filling on the opposite tack, 
 escaped the breakers by a few ship's lengths. The Edgar wore 
 ship some time after and rejoined the squadron in the morning, 
 meeting the Swiftsure. Soon Captain Alexander, of the Chat- 
 ham, communicated the details of the disaster. Eight heavily 
 laden transports, representing 2316 tons, the Isabella and 
 Catherine, Samuel and Anne, Nathaniel and Elizabeth, 
 Marlborough, Chatham., Colchester, Content, and the Smyrna 
 Merchant, had been stranded during that night of the 22nd, on 
 Egg Island. Captains Eichard Bayly, Thomas Walkup and 
 Henry Vernon were drowned. Eight hundred and eighty-four 
 corpses strewed the beach of the Island and the Labrador shore. 
 The Windsor, Eagle and Montague had escaped shipwreck by 
 running into an anchorage near by. By that disaster the regi- 
 ments of Cols. Windresse, Kane, Clayton, as well as that of 
 General Seymour, entirely composed of the veteran troops of 
 Marlborough, were nearly destroyed, and, says Charlevoix, two 
 complete companies of the Koyal Guards were identified amongst 
 the dead on the beach by their scarlet coats. It is difficult to 
 get at the real figure of the dead and missing. On the Ad- 
 miral's arrival at Boston he had sent in requisitions to Governor 
 Dudley for four months' rations for 9,385 men he had brought 
 from England ; and again, at the council of war, held after the 
 wreck on Egg Island, when it was debated whether it would not 
 be advisable to attack Placentia, he declared his frigates had but 
 3,802 and the transports 3,841 a total of 7,643 seamen and 
 soldiers.
 
 66 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 According to the official report of Admiral Walker* 320 
 men embarked on board of the Isabella and Catherine ; 102 
 embarked on the Chatham ; 150 on the Marlborough ; 246 on 
 the Symrna Merchant; 354 on the Colchester ; 188 on the Na- 
 thaniel and Elizabeth, and 150 on the Samuel and Anne; 
 total, 1420. All these transports, together with the Content, not 
 entered in his return, were stranded on Egg Island ; and, with 
 loss of men by death and by desertion, it does not seem unrea- 
 sonable to fix at 1,100 the figure of those who failed to answer 
 to their names when the roll was called the morning which 
 dawned on the dreadful night of the 22nd August, 1711. 
 
 Twenty-one years previous, Admiral Phipps had lost over 
 1000 men and 38 vessels in an expedition against the same 
 Quebec. 
 
 Dumbfounded by this fearful marine disaster, Admiral Walker 
 instructed Captain Cook of the Leopard, to cruise round the 
 Island to save life and property, himself doing the same in the 
 Edgar. 
 
 Next day the Monmouth was sent to discover a safe anchor- 
 age for the fleet, but none having been found, and his pilots 
 declaring their inability to take the fleet inside of the Bay of 
 Seven Islands, the Admiral ordered that the survivors should 
 be divided among the other ships of the fleet, and assembled his 
 council of war on board of the Windsor, on which he hoisted 
 temporarily his flag. The officers present were : Captain Soams, 
 of the Swiftsure, Captain John Michel, of the Monmouth, 
 Captain Kobert Arris, of the Windsor, Captain George Watton, 
 of the Montague, Captain Henry Gore, of the Dunkirk, Captain 
 George Patton, of the Edgar, Captain John Cockburn, of the 
 Sunderland, and Captain Augustin House, of the Sapphire. 
 Angry words were first exchanged ; some of the commanders 
 took occasion to remonstrate with the Admiral for his having 
 failed to consult them prior to sailing from Boston. Captain 
 Bonner, pilot on board the Edgar, and Mr. Miller, pilot on 
 
 See page 190 Appendix to Walker's Journal.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 67 
 
 beard the Swiftsure, urged the dangers which the narrow passage 
 at Isle aux Coudres presented. The other pilots successively 
 acknowledged their incompetency. It was then unanimously 
 resolved to abandon the expedition against Quebec, and to steer 
 for Spanish Eiver, at Cape Breton, whilst the Leopard, in com- 
 pany of a brig, the Four Friends, and of the sloop Blessing, 
 should continue to cruise in the vicinity of the spot where the 
 transports had been stranded. At Cape Breton delays and 
 hesitation recommenced. Walker was determined not to return 
 to England without making an attempt on Placentia ; this place 
 being also mentioned in his instructions. Several of his captains 
 sided with him, but General Hill opposed the project. A 
 council of war was again resorted to, and as there were remain- 
 ing provisions but for eleven weeks the men being put on half 
 rations it was decided to return. But before leaving, the 
 Admiral thought it his duty to take possession of the land, in 
 the name of Queen Anne, and to replace the arms of France by 
 a Latin inscription cut in the form of a cross. 
 
 Thus ended this formidable armada, equipped at such expense, 
 and on which the Queen and Ministry had built such hopes. 
 Desertion of the men insubordination on behalf of the officers 
 incompetency of the pilots the want of foresight on behalf 
 of the Admiral want of patriotism of the Boston people, 
 always ready to instigate an attack on Quebec, but unwilling to 
 submit to the smallest pecuniary sacrifice in order to help their 
 Sovereign to prosecute such an undertaking such were the 
 leading causes of the disasters of a campaign which, far from 
 weakening New France, rather contributed to enrich her. 
 
 " It was considered," says Mere Juchereau, " advisable to 
 send persons to Egg Island to bring back what had been cast 
 ashore there. Mr. Duplessis, receiver of the admiral's dues, and 
 Monseignat, agent of the crown, freighted a vessel and engaged 
 forty men, whom they provided with a pastor and provisions, to 
 go and winter at Egg Island, so as to be able to save all the 
 property possible by the spring. They left in 1711 and returned
 
 68 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 in June, 1712, with five vessels loaded. The spectacle which met 
 their sight was awful to contemplate ; over 2,000 naked corpses, 
 in every posture of anguish, strewed the shore ; some appeared 
 as if gnashing their teeth others as if tearing out their hair ; 
 some were half covered with sand others joined in a deadly 
 embrace. One group was composed of seven women, holding 
 one another by the hand they had met death together. It 
 may look strange that women should have been in this expedi- 
 tion, but the English seemed so sure of taking Quebec, that the 
 offices, high and low, had been'distributed beforehand ; the future 
 incumbents had brought their children and wives, so as to be in 
 readiness to settle. The French prisoners in the fleet saw many 
 women and children following their husbands or fathers, and a 
 number of families who had gone, to reside in Canada. 
 
 The sight of so many dead bodies was awful, and the stench 
 arising therefrom unbearable; though the tide carried away 
 each day many, there still remained enough to breed a pestilence. 
 Some before death had secreted themselves in hollow trees, 
 others had sought protection under high wild herbs. The foot- 
 steps of others could be followed for six to nine miles ; it is 
 thought some of the latter had walked to rejoin their ships lower 
 down. There must have been old retired officers among them, 
 as some commissions were found signed by James II., who had 
 taken refuge in France in 1689. Some also were Eoman 
 Catholics, as images of the Virgin Mary were found on their 
 clothes. 
 
 Heavy anchors, cannon, balls, iron chains, warm clothing, 
 coverings, rich horse gear, silver swords, tents, numerous guns, 
 plate, every kind of iron ware, bells, rigging for ships, and a 
 multitude of other things were brought from Egg Island to 
 Quebec 5,000 worth was sold at auction ; every one rushed 
 to the sale to obtain a souvenir of the English armada. 
 
 More goods were left behind than were taken away ; they 
 were so deeply immersed in the sea that it was impossible to 
 remove them.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 69 
 
 Two years subsequently 12,000 worth, exclusive of what 
 had been previously taken, was conveyed to Quebec. " It was 
 enough to make us hope that our enemies would not again attack 
 us, and to increase our confidence in God," adds the good nun 
 who wrote the account. 
 
 In Quebec the feeling produced was intense. The news of 
 the disaster had reached there on the 19th Oct., 1711. M. de la 
 Valtrie, on his return from Labrador, had brought the first tid- 
 ings ; our forefathers, seeing that the colony had escaped from 
 certain loss, were loud iii exultation. The title of the small 
 lower town church, Notre Dame de la Victoire, was altered to 
 that of Notre Dame des Victoires. 
 
 Every one talked of the miraculous incident wrought to save 
 us ; the poets rhymed couplets in its honor. Grave historians nar- 
 rated elaborately the English campaign ; satirists pointed their 
 envenomed shafts at the mode of death of the enemy. Mount 
 Parnassus was climbed by all ; even the ladies turned poetical ; 
 the gentlemen of course followed suit. The clergy and friars had 
 their turn ; each day a new piece of poetry on the shipwreck was 
 indited. 
 
 We are told that the result " of the expedition to Canada has 
 made a great noise in London, almost as if the fate of Britain had 
 depended on it." (Walker's Journal.} Mourning in private 
 families and at court ensued. Calamity followed the steps of 
 the unfortunate Admiral. Scarcely had he arrived in London 
 when a messenger brought him the terrible news that the Edgar, 
 his flag ship, of seventy guns, with a crew of four hundred and 
 seventy men, had blown up at Portsmouth. Not a marine nor 
 officer nor document* had been saved ; no vestige to indicate 
 that the English navy once owned a magnificent line-of-battle 
 ship, called the Edgar. 
 
 The luckless Admiral had not yet exhausted his cup of bitter- 
 ness. Hunted out of London, ridiculed, maltreated by the 
 
 Amongst the documents destroyed was the original of the Journal kept 
 by Sir William Phipps, in the Quebec expedition of 1690, and presented 
 Admiral Walker by the French Minister.
 
 70 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Lords of the Admiralty, some of whom had been his comrades 
 when in the navy, we find him, on the 4th December, 1714, at 
 his house at Somersham, in Huntingdonshire, explaining to Se- 
 cretary Burchett the items of ship expenditure incurred for the 
 Eoyal cause three years previously at Boston, in order to free 
 himself from charges of extravagant expenditure brought against 
 him by the Admiralty. His twenty-eight years' service in the 
 navy, his captivity in France as a state prisoner, all seems for- 
 gotten. A London journal, the St. James' Post, announced that 
 while at his London residence, Newington Stoak, the Admiral 
 had been arrested by order of the Queen. Finally though his 
 services might have been readily accepted in the Venetian or Eus- 
 sian navy he sought a refuge against malice and calumny on a 
 plantation in South Carolina. All this time his colleague, General 
 Hill, was enjoying the favor of the Court ; he" had one advantage, 
 however, over Admiral Walker, he was the brother of Madame 
 Masham, the favorite of Queen Anne. 
 
 Walker, on returning to Boston after the Canada expedition, 
 was assailed, much to his surprise, by swarms of pamphlets and 
 printed libels. He had expected some reward, some kind of 
 acknowledgment for having saved the rest of the expedition. 
 Governor Dudley and Col. Nicholson took a delight in attacking 
 the unhappy Captain, even in his South Carolina home ; and he, 
 who at one time thought to eclipse in glory Admiral Drake, by 
 the conquest he meditated of Quebec, was compelled to flee to 
 Barbadoes. Finally, calm was restored to this perturbed soul. 
 In 1720, Sir Hovendon Walker succeeded in having an account 
 or journal of the expedition published, which placed the matter 
 in a more favorable light. In close communion with the Muses, 
 and especially so with his favorite author, Horace, from whom he 
 had selected the motto for his defence,* Sir Hovendon Walker 
 expired peaceably, in his American home, in the year 1725. 
 
 " Rebus angustis animosus atque 
 Fortis appare : sapienter idem 
 Contrahes vento nimium Becundo 
 
 Turgida vela." Ear., Lib. 2, Ode 10.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 71 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE MAGDALEN ISLAND GROUP ADMIRAL ISAAC COFFIN 
 DEADMAN'S ISLAND TOM MOORE, THE IRISH POET. 
 
 THE voyage to the Magdalen Islands is performed in a sailing 
 packet which leaves Gasp Basin the 5th, and Pictou the 25th 
 of each month. This singular group of islands thirteen in 
 number lies at the entrance of the Gulf. The chief ones are : 
 Amherst, Entry, Grindstone, Allright, Coffin's, Grosse Isle, Bryon, 
 Deadman's, and the Bird Eocks. 
 
 Amherst is called after the distinguished General Amherst, 
 who, in 1759, took such an active part in dislodging the French 
 from their colonial possessions. It is about eleven miles in 
 length and four in breadth, contains excellent soil, and from its 
 shores a most extensive cod, herring, seal, and mackerel fishery 
 is carried on. The island is annually visited by hundreds of 
 English, French, and American fishing vessels. The harbor, 
 which is entered from Pleasant Bay, is capable of containing 
 several hundred vessels (drawing not over twelve feet of water), 
 and affords shelter from all winds. In the back-ground is seen 
 the long sand beach, which divides Pleasant Bay from the waters 
 of the Gulf, and extends to Sandy Hook Channel, which forms 
 the entrance to Pleasant Bay. Amherst is a port of entry and a 
 warehousing port. It is sixty miles direct from Cape North in 
 Cape Breton, one hundred and fifty miles from Gaspe", in Lower 
 Canada, one hundred and twenty miles from Cape Ray, Newfound- 
 land, and fifty miles from the east point of Prince Edward Island. 
 
 They were granted on the 8th June, 1798, to Captain (after- 
 wards Sir Isaac) Coffin. It is said he became possessed of them 
 in the following manner : He was conveying out in his frigate the
 
 72 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Governor-General of Canada, Lord Dorchester ; a furious gale of 
 north, north-west wind compelled him to seek shelter under the 
 lee of one of those islands, where the English man-of-war rode 
 another gale in safety. Lord Dorchester, grateful for his escape, 
 and desirous of marking his gratitude, asked Captain Coffin 
 whether he would not like to possess these then insignificant 
 islands, to which he having assented, the patent was made out on 
 his arrival at Quebec. Admiral Coffin was born in Boston in 1760*, 
 entered the navy at the early age of thirteen, and passed 
 through the various grades of rank until the midshipman became 
 full admiral in 1814. He died in 1839, and left the islands to 
 his nephew, Captain John Townsend Coffin, of Ryde in the Isle 
 of Wight, an officer in the British Navy, now an admiral. 
 They are an entailed estate in his possession. Both the late 
 and the present possessor have in a variety of ways testified 
 their interest in the welfare of their tenants, the inhabitants of 
 the islands. The income derived from them is merely nominal, 
 and is always expended in improvements designed to promote 
 the welfare of the inhabitants. 
 
 At the time the grant was made, the population was about 
 500 souls. In 1861 the total population was found to be 
 2,651. Amherst Island contains about 1,000 inhabitants, and is 
 the most important of the Magdalen group. Let us mention the 
 island styled " Deadman's Island," which, on a dark September 
 evening, in the year 1804, when he passed it, inspired the poet 
 Thomas Moore with some harmonious verses, in connection 
 
 * In 1773 Isaac Coffin was taken to sea by Lieutenant Hunter of the 
 Gaspe, at the recommendation of Admiral John Montague. His command- 
 ing officer said he never knew any young man to acquire so much nautical 
 knowledge in so short a time. After reaching the grade of post captain, 
 Coffin, for a breach of the regulation of the service, was deprived of his 
 vessel, and Earl Howe struck his name from the list of post captains. This 
 act being illegal, he was re-instated in 1790. In 1804 he was made a 
 baronet, and in 1814 became a full admiral in the British Navy. 
 
 Nooks and Corners of New England Coast, DRAKE.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 73 
 
 with the old superstition amongst sailors about the phantom 
 ship called the " Flying Dutchman." 
 
 DEADMAN'S ISLAND. 
 
 O O 
 
 " There lieth a wreck on the dismal shore 
 Of cold and pitiless Labrador, 
 Where, under the moon, upon mounts of frost, 
 Full many a mariner's bones are tossed. 
 
 " Yon shadowy bark hath been to that wreck, 
 And the dim blue fire that lights her deck 
 Doth play on as pale and livid a crew 
 As ever yet drank the churchyard dew. 
 
 " To Deadman's Isle in the eye of the blast, 
 To Deadman's Isle she speeds her fast ; 
 By skeleton shapes her sails are furl'd, 
 And the hand that steers is not of this world 1 " 
 
 Ours is, however, no supernatural craft, but a plain Gaspe" 
 coaster, and that 
 
 " By skeleton shapes her sails are (not) furled," 
 
 I can swear ; so I will look on without any superstitious awe 
 on the perpendicular rocks surrounded on all sides by deep 
 water. It is, however, well styled " Deadman's Monument." 
 It does point to the spot where many an English sailor found a 
 watery grave. Scarcely visible above the waves, the storm- 
 tossed bark which once strikes on its granite shores goes to 
 pieces instantly a few spars, a shattered mast, possibly a soli- 
 tary hencoop, with the return of day, indicate that during the 
 previous night, perhaps, a crowd of slumberers have been hurried 
 forever under the seething waters. 
 
 Bryon Island is an important one in the group; but to a 
 naturalist none are more interesting than the Bird Isles " two 
 rocks, elevated above the water, upwards of one hundred feet. 
 Their flattened summits, whose circumference exceed not each 
 three hundred paces, exhibit a resplendent whiteness, produced
 
 74 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 by the quantity of ordure, with which they are covered, from 
 immense flocks of birds, which in summer take possession of the 
 apertures in their perpendicular cliffs, where they form their 
 nests and produce their young. When alarmed they hover 
 above the rocks and overshadow their tops by their numbers. 
 The abundance of their eggs affords to the inhabitants of the 
 neighboring coast a material supply of food." So wrote Heriot 
 in 1807. They had, however, been carefully noted and described 
 by the Jesuits as far back as 1632. Father Paul Lejune calls 
 these rocks Les Colombiers (dovecotes), from the myriads of 
 waterfowl which resort to them in the summer months. At the 
 period when he wrote, " birds were so plentiful there that a boat 
 could be loaded with their eggs in a few hours, and persons 
 ascending the rocks were liable to be prostrated to the ground 
 by the clapping of the wings of these feathered denizens." 
 
 Dr. H. Byrant, of Boston, who visited these rocks on the 
 21st June, 1860, for ornithological purposes, thus describes 
 them : " They are two in number, called the Great Bird or 
 Gannet Rock, and the Little or North Bird. They are about 
 three-quarters of a mile apart, the water between them very 
 shoal, showing that, at no very distant epoch, they formed a 
 single island. They are composed entirely of a soft, reddish- 
 brown sandstone, the strata of which are very regular and nearly 
 horizontal, dipping very slightly to the S. W. The North Bird 
 is much the smallest, and though the base is more accessible, the 
 summit cannot, I believe, be reached at least, I was unable to 
 do so. It is the most irregular in its outline, presenting many 
 enormous detached fragments, and is divided in one place into 
 two separate islands at high water the northerly one several 
 times higher than broad, so as to present the appearance of a 
 huge rocky pillar. Gannet Rock is^ a quarter of a mile in its 
 longest diameter from S. W. to N. E. The highest point of the 
 rock is at the northerly end, where, according to the chart, it is 
 140 feet high, and from which it gradually slopes to the 
 southerly end, where it is from 80 to 100.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 75 
 
 " The sides are nearly vertical the summit in many places 
 overhanging. There are two beaches at its base, on the southerly 
 and westerly sides the most westerly one comparatively smooth 
 and composed of rounded stones. The easterly one, on the con- 
 trary, is very rough and covered by irregular blocks, many of 
 large size and still angular, showing that they have but recently 
 fallen from the cliffs above. This beach is very difficult to land 
 on ; but the other presents no great difficulty in ordinary 
 weather. The top of the rock cannot, however, be reached from 
 either of them. The only spot from which at present the ascent 
 can be made, is the rocky point between the two beaches. This 
 has, probably, from the yielding nature of the rock, altered ma- 
 terially since Audubon's visit. At present it would be impos- 
 sible to haul a boat up, from want of space. The landing is very 
 difficult at all times, as it is necessary to jump from a boat, 
 thrown about by the surf, on to the inclined surface of the ledge, 
 rendered slippery by the fuci which cover it, and bounded 
 towards the rock by a nearly vertical face. The landing once 
 effected, the first part of the ascent is comparatively easy, being 
 over large fragments and broad ledges ; but the upper part is 
 both difficult and dangerous, as in some places the face of the 
 rock is vertical for eight or ten feet, and the projecting ledges 
 very narrow, and the rock itself so soft that it cannot be trusted 
 to, and in addition rendered slippery by the constant trickling 
 from above, and the excrements of the birds that cover it in every 
 direction. 
 
 " Since Audubon's time the fishery, which was carried on 
 extensively in the neighborhood of Bryon Island, has failed or 
 at least is less productive than on the North shore ; and I am 
 inclined to think that at present the birds are but little disturbed, 
 and that consequently their number, particularly of the Guille- 
 mots, has much increased. There was no appearance of any 
 recent visit on the top of the rock, and though after making the 
 ascent it was obvious that others had preceded us, still the traces 
 were so faint that it was several hours before we succeeded in
 
 76 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 finding the landing-place. The birds breeding there, at the time 
 of our visit, were Gannets, Puffins, three species of Guillemots, 
 Kazor-billed Auks, and Kittiwakes. These birds are all men- 
 tioned by Audubon, with the exception of Brunnich's Guillemot, 
 confounded by him with the common species. No other breed- 
 ing-place on our shore is so remarkable at once for the number 
 and variety of the species occupying it. 
 
 " Of the seven species mentioned, I am not aware that three, 
 namely, the Kittiwake and the Bridled and Brunnich's Guille- 
 mot, are known to breed at any other place south of the Straits 
 of Belle Isle ; of the remaining four, two, the Foolish Guillemot, 
 and Kazor-billed Auk, are found at many other places and in 
 large numbers ; the Puffin in much greater abundance on the 
 North shore, particularly at the Perroquet Islands, near Mingan 
 and Bras d'Or ; the Gannet at only two other points in the Gulf 
 at Perc^ Rock near Gaspe", which is perhaps even more 
 remarkable than Gannet Rock, but is at present inaccessible ; 
 and at Gannet Rock near Mingan, which will soon be deserted 
 by those birds in consequence of the depredations of the fisher- 
 man."
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 77 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE MAGDALEN ISLANDS VIEWED UNDER THEIR HISTORICAL, 
 UTILITARIAN AND COMMERCIAL ASPECTS. 
 
 IN the preceding chapter this group of islands was viewed 
 chiefly as a land-grant to Sir Isaac Coffin. " Deadman's Eock " 
 so called in consequence of its striking resemblance, when seen 
 from a certain point, to a corpse covered by a shroud came in 
 for its share of notice, and also as mentioned by Tom Moore ; 
 the sketch was closed by Dr. Bryant's excellent ornithological 
 report of the Bird Eocks, which however, possibly, will be 
 relished by students of natural history alone. Let us portray 
 these valuable islands under their most noticeable feature a 
 seal fishing-station of apparently inexhaustible wealth. I shall 
 quote from Commander Fortin's excellent report for 1864 : 
 
 " The Magdalen Islands are about forty-five miles in length ; 
 their greatest width is thirteen miles. They lie near the southern 
 point of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, facing the principal entrance 
 to that inland sea, between the 47th and 48th degrees of north 
 latitude ; their most southerly extremity being only twenty-five 
 miles further north than the City of Quebec, and between the 
 61st and 62nd degrees of longitude west from Greenwich. 
 
 " Discovered by Jacques Cartier on his first voyage to the 
 Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1534, these islands received the names 
 of Eamees, Bryon and Alezay; and it was not until a later 
 period that they acquired the names which they now bear. 
 
 " Situated as they are at the mouth of the Gulf of St. 
 Lawrence, and in the sailing line of vessels on their way to 
 Canada, they were frequently visited by the French trading and 
 fishing vessels after the discovery of Canada. But it does not 
 appear that at that time any considerable settlements were
 
 78 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 made upon them previous to their concession in 1663 by the 
 company of New France to Franqois Doublet, a ship captain of 
 Honfleur, who in the following year associated with himself 
 Franqois Gon de Quirae* and Claude de Landemarc, for the 
 purpose of trading and fishing there. But there is reason to 
 believe that in 1719 the islands again became' the property of the 
 French Government, as the latter, according to Charlevoix, 
 conceded them to Lecompte de St. Pierre. 
 
 " In 1763, at the time of the cession of Canada and its 
 dependencies to the British Government, they were only inhabited 
 by some ten families of French and Acadian origin, who engaged 
 in walrus and seal hunting, and to a small extent in the herring 
 and cod fishery. Subsequently, an American shipper, Gridley 
 by name, founded, on Amherst Island, near the entrance to the 
 harbor of that name, a trading and fishing establishment, the 
 ruins of which still exist. He took into his service families of 
 French origin residing on the islands, in order specially to carry 
 on, upon a large scale, the hunting of the walrus and the seal, 
 the oil obtained from which brought a good price in the markets 
 of the New England colonies, as did also the skins, which 
 yielded a very thick leather, and the tusks which served as a 
 substitute for ivory. 
 
 " The property of Mr. Gridley and his apparatus was partly 
 destroyed during the American War by the privateers of the 
 revolted colonies, but on the conclusion of peace he resumed his 
 trade and his labors ; but the walruses, whose habits of coming 
 in herds upon the beach had exposed them to the constant attacks 
 of the hunters, to whom they had become a valuable prey, had 
 already almost completely disappeared from the vicinity of the 
 islands. On the other hand, the seals did not appear in as large 
 numbers near the shore, and were not as easily captured as 
 formerly, and in consequence the establishments of Mr. Gridley 
 and of other shippers engaged more especially in the hunting of 
 amphibious animals rapidly decreased in importance and 
 prosperity.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 79 
 
 " I must here observe that besides the fishermen of the 
 Magdalen Islands, a large number had also come from the 
 English Colonies since the conquest of Canada, to engage in 
 walrus-hunting. They had carried it on with that perseverance 
 and energy for which they are so celebrated, and to them, in 
 great measure, is to be attributed the extinction in our waters of 
 this amphibious animal, which is second in importance only to 
 the whale. 
 
 " But the inhabitants settled on Amherst, Grindstone, and 
 Allright Islands had already begun to engage in a more steady 
 manner in the cod and herring fishery, the produce of which they 
 bartered with the traders of the other British Provinces, and 
 even of Jersey, for provisions and merchandise, and this yielded 
 them undoubted benefit. Moreover, the cultivation of the soil 
 which, however, they by far too much neglected, as their descen- 
 dants do at the present day, yielded them some certain supplies, 
 and at the time of the concession of all the Magdalen Islands 
 by the British Government to Admiral Isaac Coffin in 1798, as 
 a reward for the services which he had rendered to the English 
 Crown during the American war, the population of the Islands 
 was estimated at one hundred families ; but from information I 
 was enabled to obtain at Amherst, I believe this amount to be a 
 little exaggerated. In 1821, according to Col. Bouchette, the 
 number of families had increased to one hundred and thirty-three, 
 and in 1831, to one hundred and fifty-three, the total population 
 being about one thousand souls. The census of 1850 showed it 
 to be two thousand two hundred and two, and that of 1860, two 
 thousand six hundred and fifty-one. But it must not be forgot- 
 ten that the Magdalen Islands had sent out three colonies to the 
 north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the total population of 
 which amounts to about five hundred souls. 
 
 " The fisheries of the Magdalen Islands in their order, from 
 spring to autumn, are the seal fishery or rather seal hunting on 
 the ice, the herring fishery, the spring mackerel fishery, the cod 
 fishery, which lasts till autumn, and the summer mackerel 
 fishery."
 
 80 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 On these several pursuits I shall confine myself, borrowing 
 the words of the portly ex-commander of the Canadian Navy, 
 Hon. P. Fortin 
 
 SEAL HUNTING. 
 
 " Seal hunting is carried on upon the floating ice, in the Gulf 
 of St. Lawrence, throughout nearly its whole extent, although it 
 seldom happens that the schooners go higher up than Gaspe* 
 Cape to try their fortune in the River St. Lawrence. It is 
 rather upon the North shore of the Gulf, near the Island of An- 
 ticosti, and at the entrance of the Straits of Belle Isle, that the 
 fields of ice are met with upon which are generally found the 
 greatest number of seals. It is hardly necessary for me to re- 
 peat that the female seals, which penetrate the Gulf of St. Law- 
 rence in enormous herds in the month of December,* get up 
 
 Is this a satisfactory reply to the question propounded by an American 
 writer as to the hybernaculum of the Alaska seals, as follows : 
 
 "The islands of Alaska are the summer resort of seals in immense 
 numbers ; but where they spend their winters is an unsolved mystery. 
 Sufficient search has been made for their winter abodes with a view to 
 taking their skins to show that they do not land in any considerable 
 numbers on any known ground. They begin to leave the islands early in 
 October, and by the middle of December have all left, and none are seen 
 again until April or May. A few hundred, mostly young pups, are taken by 
 the Indians around Sitka, 1,200 miles east of the islands, during the month 
 of December, again in March on their return to the islands, and in February 
 off the coast of British Columbia ; but in such small numbers as to make no 
 appreciable difference in the immense number that visit the islands annually. 
 It is claimed by the natives that the seals return invariably the second year 
 to their places of birth, and, when not too often disturbed by driving, 
 continue to do so. In order to test the truth of this story, Mr. Byrant, 
 Special Agent of the Treasury Department at St. Paul's Island, has insti- 
 tuted an experiment of an eminently practical character, although it might 
 not command the entire approval of Mr. Bergh, whose jurisdiction, however, 
 does not extend to Alaska. He had one hundred male pups selected before 
 leaving, on a rookery one mile north of the village, and marked by cutting 
 off the left ear, on a rookery to the south of the village. This has been done 
 for two years, and next year the first will be old enough to be taken, when 
 the result will be ascertained. It is evident that sharks or other voracious 
 fish prey on the young pups while in the water, from the fact that of more 
 than a million pups annually leaving the islands, not one-third return to 
 them in the spring
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 81 
 
 on the floating ice about the middle or end of March to bring 
 forth their young, which they nurse with great tenderness and 
 suckle for the three or four weeks, or perhaps more, which time 
 they pass upon the ice without going into the water. It is dur- 
 ing that period that our hunters have to use their endeavors to 
 get them into their possession by killing them either with clubs 
 or by shooting ; for subsequently when they have attained suffi- 
 cient strength, they take to the water and the hunters see them 
 no more. But the floating ice also serves for a habitation for 
 the adult seals especially the females while they are tending 
 their young, and our hunters pursue them eagerly where it is in 
 their power to do so that is when they can approach them with- 
 out being perceived, or else when these amphibious animals are 
 upon ice so closely packed together that they can find no open 
 place through which to plunge into the water, and so escape pur- 
 suit. Then our hunters make great slaughter among them, and 
 crews of seven men have been sometimes known to kill hun- 
 dreds. 
 
 " Continuous high winds, blowing from the same quarter for 
 some length of time, drive the fields of ice covered with seals 
 towards the shores of the Islands, and keep them aground near 
 the coast until a change of wind supervenes, and at such times 
 great prizes fall to the Islanders. In an instant, the news is 
 spread through all the Islands by the ringing of bells and the 
 firing of guns, and soon the whole population rushes to the 
 shore, whence may easily be seen the seals scattered over the 
 ice as far as the eye can reach. 
 
 " Young and old men, each armed with a large knife, a rope 
 and a club, spring on to the fields of ice, while the women 
 remain on the shore within reach, to prepare their meals, and to 
 supply them with hot drinks in order to protect them from the 
 effects of the cold and damp, to which they are incessantly ex- 
 posed. With their clubs they stun all the seals which they come 
 upon, and then use their knives to despatch them and remove the 
 skin and fat. When they think their harvest large enough, they tie
 
 82 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 together with a rope, with which they are provided, as much of 
 their spoils as will suffice to make a burthen of from three hun- 
 dred to three hundred and fifty pounds, and they then drag this 
 valuable load from one piece of ice to another to the shore, 
 where they leave it in safety, and return to the same ground to 
 gather a fresh harvest. This fatiguing and often dangerous labor 
 continues throughout the whole day, and even the night in clear 
 weather, so long as there are any seals on the ice near the shore, 
 and the ice has not been driven away by the land breeze. I 
 have been told that formerly, when the seals were more numer- 
 ous than at present in the waters of the Gulf, the inhabitants of 
 the Magdalen Islands had taken as many as from one thousand 
 five hundred to two thousand seals, nearly all young, on the 
 fields of ice aground near the shore. But since I have been 
 visiting the islands, the results produced by seal-hunting have 
 been less abundant, and have sometimes amounted to hardly 
 anything. This year (1864) by a happy concurrence of circum- 
 stances, it was productive, having yielded at least six thousand 
 seals, which cannot be valued at less than three dollars each, 
 thus giving a total value of eighteen thousand dollars. This 
 excellent hunting took place on the 27th, 28th, and part of 
 the 29th April, having consequently lasted but two days and a 
 half. The ice driven by a strong east wind drifted out to sea, 
 carrying with it thousands of seals beyond the reach of the 
 hunters, whose disappointment may be more easily imagined 
 than described. 
 
 " This hunting is very often attended with danger, for the 
 currents or the wind sometimes drive off the ice before the 
 hunters can regain the shore, and if they are not taken off by 
 boats, they are carried off to sea, there to perish inevitably from 
 cold and hunger. Within some fifteen years several accidents 
 of this nature have, to my knowledge, occurred. But every 
 possible effort is made to prevent their occurrence by warning 
 the hunters, who are busy on the ice, when the latter begins to 
 move away from the shore by the firing of guns and by signals
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 83 
 
 agreed on beforehand. The fat of the young seals is tender, 
 and melts easily in the sun. It yields a very fine oil, which is 
 white and almost devoid of unpleasant smell. 
 
 " The Magdalen Islands schooners fitted out for seal-hunt- 
 ing, amounted in number this year to 25." 
 
 The navigation of these crafts amongst the ice-floes, in early 
 spring, amidst snow-storms and hurricanes, is attended with 
 considerable danger. Thus perished the "Emma" and the 
 "Breeze" the crews leaving 13 widows and 45 orphans. Of 
 the herring, mackerel and cod fisheries, etc., of these islands, 
 important and remunerative pursuits though they be, I will, for 
 want of space, merely give Commander Fortin's official returns 
 for 1864 : 
 
 Seal Hunting. 
 6,000 seals killed by the inhabitants on the ice, at 
 
 $3.00 a seal, $18,000 00 
 
 1,633 seals killed by the crews of schooners, at $6.00 
 
 a seal, 9,798 00 
 
 Herring Fisliery. 
 
 1,500 barrels of herring, at $2.00 per barrel, 3,000 00 
 
 Spring Mackerel Fishery. 
 
 900 barrels of mackerel, at $6.00 a barrel, 5,400 00 
 
 Cod Fishery. 
 
 9,170 quintals of cod, at $3.60 a quintal, 32,944 00 - 
 
 5,811 gallons cod liver oil, at 55 cents a gallon, 3,196 05 
 
 Summer Mackerel Fishery. 
 
 1,400 barrels of mackerel, at $10.00 a barrel, $14,000 00 
 
 Whale Oil. 
 
 360 of whale oil, at 70 cents a gallon, 252 00 
 
 $86,590 05 
 
 NOTE. The seal fishery in the Lower St. Lawrence is becoming of 
 importance. We read that (ST. JOHN'S, Nfld., Feb. 7th, 1872) a company has 
 been formed in Montreal, part of the capital being subscribed here, for the 
 prosecution of the seal fishery. Two fine new steamers, the " Iceland " and 
 " Greenland," are now on the passage from Aberdeen, having been built by 
 this Company. It is reported that Sir Hugh Allan has a considerable interest 
 in this adventure. Another new steamer for the seal fishery, called the
 
 84 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 " Wolf " has just arrived to W. Grieve & Co. The " Tigress," a fourth new 
 steamer, owned by some of our own merchants, and built in Quebec, was 
 unfortunately locked in the ice, in consequence of an " early closing move- 
 ment " on the part of the St. Lawrence, last November. She is, of course, 
 precluded from sharing in this year's fishery. (So far, these bright expecta- 
 tions of profit for the Province of Quebec have not yet been fulfilled 1878). 
 
 Allright Island lies to the north-east of Amherst Island, and 
 forms the north-east boundary of Pleasant Bay, which has a 
 width of about twelve miles. The island is about four miles long 
 by two broad, and its surface is almost entirely a succession of 
 small hills and valleys. Grindstone Island is so called from a 
 lofty conical cape of sandstone on its south-east shore, called by 
 the French Cap de Meule. This island forms the north-east 
 boundary of Pleasant Bay, and is almost five miles in length. 
 Its soil is rich, and agriculture is 'prosecuted with vigor. At its 
 western lijnit is the thriving village of 1'Etang du Nord. The 
 Judge of Bonaventure District holds his court each year at the 
 Magdalen Islands in September, and I had the pleasure of 
 recognizing in this dignitary, a worthy Quebec Police Magistrate 
 of ancient days His Honor Mr. Justice Maguire. 
 
 From the Magdalen group, the sailing packet* takes you 
 either to Gaspe" Basin or to Pictou, and the Gulf Port steamers 
 convey the traveller from the latter place to Paspebiac. 
 
 Since these lines were written in 1871, a steamer, the "Albert," runs 
 fortnightly from Pictou, N.S., to the Magdalen Islands.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 85 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 NEW RICHMOND MARIA ITS MYSTERIOUS LIGHT CARLETON 
 THE ABODE OF THE ACADIANS. 
 
 THERE are several other points of interest in the Bay which 
 I had not an opportunity of visiting this trip, but which I hope 
 to visit hereafter. - For the following notes on the same, I am 
 indebted to a well-informed official of Port Daniel : 
 
 " On leaving Black Cape you travel over hills and valleys of 
 fertile, well-cultivated lands settled by Scotch and French 
 Canadians, until you arrive at the little river, the homestead of 
 the Pritchards on the flat lands. 
 
 " The first settlers of New Richmond were four French- 
 Canadian families Burkets, Degousse, Sayer, Cormier and in 
 1783 three families of Loyalists, viz., Pritchard, Willot, Duffey ; 
 the head of one, Captain Pritchard, was rather more than a 
 Loyalist being an officer in the American Army, he went over 
 to the British. He received half pay until his death in 1827, 
 and was to the last a stout, daring old man. 
 
 "On crossing the little river, fording at low water or by 
 scow at high, you arrive at the business part of it. There are 
 here two churches a Presbyterian and a R. C. church within 
 half a mile of each other ; two mercantile establishments ; mills 
 where the business of the township is centered. Here Wm. Cuth- 
 bert, of Ayrshire, established himself in 1820. By dint of energy, 
 enterprise and honesty he accumulated a fortune of $400,000 as 
 partner of Robert Cuthbert, in Greenock, on the Clyde; and 
 died recently, much respected. Robert Montgomery and Son 
 have succeeded him in New Richmond, and do a large business 
 in mills, timber, etc.
 
 86 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 " The population is Scotch and French-Canadian intermixed. 
 One mile and a half from Mrs. Cuthbert's brings you to the 
 big river of New Richmond, in Indian language, Cascapediac, the 
 division line of the township of Maria, on crossing the big 
 river by scow, for it appears we are never destined to have 
 bridges, (except on the dawn of elections, they are never spoken 
 off.) The east point of Maria is an Indian reserve of one thou- 
 sand acres, where thirty families of Micmacs prolong a miser- 
 ble and intemperate existence. They have a church, are 
 visited by the priest of the mission, Point Restigouche, twice 
 a year. These Indians are of the lowest canaille of the genus 
 redskin. Leaving the Indians one mile, you get into a pros- 
 perous settlement of French-Canadians for one mile and a half, 
 when you arrive at the snug residence of Harvey Manderson, Esq., 
 J.P., a clever and original character. In rear of Mr. Manderson, 
 there exists a prosperous settlement of Patlanders, formed 
 twenty-five years ago. Two miles further brings you to the R. C. 
 church, and to the residences of the numerous and patriarchal 
 family of Audettes. One must not forget the hardy old Anti- 
 costi trapper, R. Campbell, Esq., now a successful merchant in 
 Maria. On the Cape of Maria shines nightly the mysterious 
 light which disappears when approached. Some say it indicates 
 the presences of a treasure buried here in days of yore ; others, 
 that it implies something much more dreadful ' But don't tell it 
 to the Marines.' Five miles further is Carleton, the abode of 
 the Acadians of old, the Landry, Allard, Allain, Le Blanc, 
 Jacque, Caisy families. One of the former industries of the 
 Bay, the smoking of herring, has quite disappeared, as it ceased 
 to be remunerative. At the foot of the lofty mountain range 
 known as the Tracadigetche Mountains, is clustered the roman- 
 tic village of Carleton in a sheltered nook. In 1861, the popula- 
 tion of the entire township was nine hundred and fifty-eight 
 souls, of whom twenty-six were Protestants. This portion of 
 the coast was first settled by Acadians, who, coming from Tra- 
 cadie, named this spot Tracadigetche or little Tracadie.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 87 
 
 " The Bay of Carleton is a fine sheet of water formed by 
 Migouacha and Tracadigetche points. The river Nouvelle 
 empties itself in this Bay. The anchorage is good, and the Bay 
 affords a safe refuge for shipping from northerly and easterly 
 gales. It is a favorite resort of the herring in spring as a spawn- 
 ing ground, and immense quantities are caught, which are used 
 not only as food, but also as manure. 
 
 " Here resides the wealthy and respected member of the 
 county, John Meagher, Esq.,* the father-in-law of our young 
 friend at Quebec, P. Chauveau, Esq. Here our much respected 
 townsman, Dr. Landry (of Quebec), has built himself a snug 
 villa, to spend thereat the summer months. 
 
 " New Richmond is a rich agricultural country for many 
 years back, exporting largely to Halifax and Newfoundland, as 
 well as several cargoes of timber and deals to Britain. Maria-f 
 and Bonaventure export agricultural produce to some extent. 
 Carleton is a stirring place, with a bank agency and considerable 
 business. A few years ago this place threatened to rival 
 Rimouski as the seat of the Episcopacy for this district. There 
 is a handsome convent at Carleton, founded mainly by the liberal- 
 ity of Mr. John Meagher. A few miles from Carleton the line 
 of the Intercolonial Railroad comes out ; the village of Mata- 
 pedia will much benefit thereby." 
 
 Mr. Meagher has since paid the debt of nature, and his son-in-law now 
 owns and occupies his spacious and picturesque homestead. 
 
 f Maria, I have heard stated, was called after Lady Maria Dorchester, 
 the daughter of the Earl of Eftiugham, when Lord Dorchester was Governor- 
 General of Canada.
 
 88 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII. 
 
 ANTICOSTI FLOTSAM AND JETSAM THE PIRATE OF THE ST. 
 LAWRENCE (GAMACHE), DELINEATED BY CHARLES LANMAN, A 
 WASHINGTON LITTERATEUR. 
 
 " The dangerous, desolate shores of Anticosti, rich in wrecks, accursed in 
 human suffering. This hideous wilderness has been the grave of hundreds, 
 by the slowest and ghastliest of deaths starvation. Washed ashore from 
 maimed and sinking ships, saved to destruction, they drag their chilled 
 and battered limbs up the rough rocks ; for a moment, warm with hope, they 
 look around with eager, straining eyes for shelter, and there is none ; the 
 failing sight darkens on hill and forest, forest and hill, and black despair. 
 Hours and days waste out the lamp of life, until, at length, the withered 
 skeletons have only strength to die." ( ELIOT WARBURTON). 
 
 I CAN recall Anticosti in its palmiest days for romance, and in its 
 darkest era for seafaring men, before the epoch of fog-horns, 
 lightships, and beacons. Fond memory takes me back to a well- 
 remembered sea voyage, prescribed in 1843 by doctors to 
 restore my health, and made by me in a well-known Gaspe" 
 whaler the " Breeze," Captain Arbour. In that year I visited 
 for the first time the desolate isle which Gamache the legendary 
 and dreaded wrecker had selected as a secure retreat for his 
 plunder, if not for a happy home. The redoubted pirate was 
 then in the zenith of his fame, if fame means lawless deeds, 
 encounters with Her Majesty's Eevenue officers predatory 
 attacks on the forlorn crews which the autumnal storms might, 
 perchance, cast on the God-forsaken shores of Ellis Bay. 
 
 Louis Olivier Gamache, delineated by an adept of the new 
 sensational school, would have exhibited in his person the im- 
 print of a full-blown hdros de romans. What rich vistas of
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 89 
 
 feeling, bravado, and remorse, this master spirit of evil might have 
 revealed under the magic wand of Alexander Dumas, Wilkie 
 Collins, Eugene Sue, or Fenimore Cooper! It was, doubtless, 
 from Gamache that Lever borrowed some of the dark traits of 
 his " Black Boatswain " in " Con Cregan," selecting at the same 
 time Anticosti as the landing-place on this side of the Atlantic 
 for his adventurous " Gil Bias " fresh from the groves of 
 Blarney. 
 
 The historian Ferlandhas left us in one of his light, humorous 
 papers a very good pen-and-ink photo of the pirate, whose den 
 he visited in 1852. Amongst the implements of warfare which 
 ornamented the walls, he noticed twelve fire-locks, chiefly 
 double-barrel guns, and a small cannon in front of the house. 
 The Abbess sketch, no doubt, guided our friend, Charles Lanman, 
 in his delineations of the celebrated sea rover, who was indeed 
 
 " A man of loneliness and mystery." 
 
 When I visited Anticosti for the first time, the particulars 
 of the melancholy fate of the " Granicus " were still fresh in 
 every mind. . 
 
 The brig " Granicus " was stranded at Fox Bay, on the east 
 end of the Island, in November, 1828. There are yet at the 
 time I write, living witnesses amongst us of the " Granicus " 
 tragedy ; amongst others, Captain Jesse Armstrong, our Harbor 
 Master at Quebec, who having sailed from that port on the 24th 
 October, 1828, for the West Indies, was in company with the 
 " Granicus " and a dozen other craft, at Pointe de Monts a few 
 days before the accident which befel those vessels. The greatest 
 number were cast ashore ; some, never heard of afterwards. The 
 passengers and crew of the " Granicus " safely arrived on land 
 to meet a more hideous and lingering fate. All perished during 
 the ensuing winter. When the Government schooner called 
 at the Island in the spring following, to stock the light-house 
 with provisions, etc., the decayed remains of these unfortunate 
 men were discovered in a rude hut. They had literally starved
 
 90 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 to death. In a pot over a fire-place was human flesh, revealing 
 the awful fact that in their last extremity they had resorted to 
 cannibalism to prolong life. Amongst the passengers, there was 
 a Montreal lady and her two children. 
 
 More than once the residents of Anticosti must have had 
 duties to perform similar to those described by Thoreau, at Cap 
 Cod: 
 
 " Once," says he, " it was my business to go in search of the relics 
 of a human body mangled by sharks, which had just been cast up a 
 week after a wreck. Having got the direction from a lighthouse 
 I should find it a mile or two distant over the sand, a dozen rods 
 from the water, covered with a cloth, by a stick stuck up I ex- 
 pected that I must look very narrowly to find so small an object ; 
 but the sandy beach, half a mile, wide, and stretching farther 
 than the eye could reach, was so perfectly smooth and bare, and 
 the mirage towards the sea so magnifying, that when I was half 
 a mile distant, the insignificant sliver which marked the spot 
 looked like a bleached spear, and the relics were as conspicuous 
 as if thsy lay in state on that sandy plain, or a generation had 
 labored to pile up their cairn there. Close at hand there were 
 simply some bones with a little flesh adhering to them ; in fact, 
 only a slight inequality in the sweep of the shore. There was 
 nothing at all remarkable about them, and they were singularly 
 inoffensive, both to the senses and the imagination; but as I 
 stood there they grew more and more imposing. They were 
 alone with the beach and the sea, whose hollow roar seemed ad- 
 dressed to them, and I was impressed as if there was an under- 
 standing between them and the ocean, which necessarily left me 
 out with my snivelling sympathies. That dead body had taken 
 possession of the shore, and reigned over it as no living one 
 could, in the name of a certain majesty which belonged to it." 
 (Cape Cod, Tftoreau.) 
 
 Since the Department of Marine has lit up and buoyed the 
 dangerous spots in our noble river, Anticosti, like Cape Hosier and
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 91 
 
 Manicouagan, have lost the greatest portion of their terrors.* 
 As early as 1864, mariners have thanked the Canadian author- 
 ities, in prose and in verse too,f for their attention to navigation 
 and commerce. 
 
 Directly in the path of inward and outward bound Quebec 
 and Montreal traders, lies the extensive Island of Anticosti, 
 which during the winter months is quite isolated from the rest of 
 the Dominion. 
 
 Anticosti was first discovered by Cartier in 1534, and called 
 by him in his second voyage " Assomption ; " by the pilot, Jean 
 Alphonse, in 1542, "Ascension Isle;" and by the Indians 
 " Natiscotec," which the French transformed into " Anticosti." It 
 was conceded in 1680 to Louis Jolliet. This island is 122 miles 
 long, 30 broad, and 270 miles in circumference, and contains 
 nearly 2,000,000 acres of land. Its nearest point is about 450 
 miles below Quebec. 
 
 The limestone rocks on the coast are covered with a thick 
 
 *In 1690 one of Sir William Phipps' troop ships, commanded by Captain 
 Rainsford, was wrecked on Anticosti, during the retreat from Quebec, and 
 but five of its people survived the winter on the Island. When the ice 
 broke up these brave fellows started in a row-boat for Boston, nine hundred 
 miles distant, and, after a passage of forty-four days, they reached their old 
 home in safety. Anticosti was granted about 1680 to the Sieur Jolliet, who 
 erected a fort there, but was soon plundered and ejected by the English. 
 In 1814 H. B. M. frigate Leopard, 50, the same vessel which searched the 
 U. S. frigate Chesapeake, in 1807, for deserters, was lost here. 
 
 f THE COMPLAINT OF THE "MARGARET." 
 
 On the 18th of November, 1864, the good ship " Margaret," of Aberdeen, 
 Alexander Cruickshank, master, arrived in our port (Quebec) with a cargo of 
 coals from Sunderland. Judging from the manner in which Captain Cruick- 
 shank has filled up his Report for the Custom House, we should say he is 
 philosopher, wit, and poet combined. The intelligence he communicates 
 respecting the weather he experienced is put in the following rhythmical 
 
 style : 
 
 " Breezy, Freezy ; Snowy, Blowy." 
 
 The Captain's muse is not of a melancholy turn. Instead of complain- 
 ing of the breezy, freezy, snowy, blowy weather, he eulogizes in the subjoined
 
 92 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 and often impenetrable forest of dwarf spruce, with gnarled 
 branches so twisted and matted together that a man may walk 
 for a considerable distance on their summits. 
 
 In the interior some fine timber exists. Pursh, who visited 
 the Island in 1817, found the pond pine (pinus aevotina) there. 
 This is a southern species, and it is a singular circumstance how 
 it established itself on this northern island. The timber of the 
 interior is birch, a little pine and spruce. 
 
 stanzas our lighthouses, and delicately points out in the two last verses a 
 deficiency that exists at Manicouagan, which we hope, after Captain Cruick- 
 ehank's complaint, our Trinity House will see the necessity of remedying: 
 
 " I see ye hae been lanterns buyin', 
 
 An' they shine well ; 
 Your river now, though dark's the night, 
 Has many a beacon's cheerin' light ; 
 From Quebec to Bic there's some iu sight 
 
 Like guidin 1 star, 
 On rock an' headlan', or in bight, 
 
 That shines afar. 
 
 " Your pilots now may work for ever, 
 The lights are placed for them so clever ; 
 To keep them all their side the river, 
 
 Seems wide awake ; 
 Saunt An-ton-ey bless the giver, 
 
 E'en for their sake ! 
 
 " But list ye, sirs, to a lady's prayer 
 Could you not your bounty share, 
 And anither lantern spare 
 
 For Manicouagan ? 
 A light is muckle wantit there 
 
 To save a flaggon. 
 
 " For, sirs, I'll whisper in your ear, 
 Its mony a bottom's scrubbed, I fear ; 
 Even mine, alas ! it made feel queer 
 
 An' rumpled sairly ; 
 Therefore I hope my words ye'll hear, 
 
 An' light it early."
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 93 
 
 The streams which descend to the coast abound with trout and 
 salmon in the summer season. The chief ones are Jupiter 
 Kiver, Salmon Eiver and Schallop Creek. Seals frequent the 
 flat limestone rocks in vast numbers. Mackerel in immense 
 shoals congregate around all parts of the coast. Bears are very 
 numerous ; foxes and martens abundant. Otters, and a few 
 mice, complete the known list of quadrupeds. Neither snakes, 
 toads nor frogs, are known to exist on this desolate island. 
 There are no good natural harbors on Anticosti. Provision posts 
 have been established by the Canadian Government, for the re- 
 lief of crews wrecked on the Island, and four lighthouses are now 
 maintained at the west, east, south and south-west points. 
 When I visited the south-west point in 1843, the lighthouse was 
 kept by an old Waterloo soldier of the name of McGilvray, so far 
 as I can recollect. 
 
 Mr. Pope * was in charge of one of the chief lighthouses for 
 many years. These lighthouses are about 100 feet high, most 
 substantially built, and provided with revolving lights. 
 
 Mr. William Corbet, a most successful trapper, has been, for 
 years, one of the chief inhabitants of the sea-girt isle. 
 
 In an account before us, we read that " an immense quantity 
 of square timber and logs, ready cut for the saw mill, are scatter- 
 ed over the south coast, having drifted down the rivers of the 
 main land, and particularly the St. Lawrence. Some of the 
 squared timber may have been derived from wrecks. Anti- 
 costi from its position at the entrance of the Gulf, from its na- 
 tural resources, and the teeming life of the sea which surrounds 
 it, has attracted considerable notice of late years. Ellis Bay 
 might become an important naval station. The island originally 
 formed part of the country called Labrador. In 1825 it was re- 
 annexed to Lower Canada by an act of the Imperial Parliament. 
 It is now in the hands of a considerable number of persons, some 
 residing in England and some in Canada. Companies are now 
 
 Since dead.
 
 94 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 forming and applying * to Parliament for powers to open up and 
 turn to advantage the resources of the island, etc. I shall close 
 this notice of Anticosti with Mr. Lanman's sketch of its cele- 
 brated wrecker, Gamache, from the New York Journal of Com- 
 merce ; it was written several years ago : 
 
 " THE WIZARD OF ANTICOSTI. 
 
 " Lonely and desolate are the shores of Anticosti. In winter 
 they are blocked up with ice and whitened with snow, and in 
 summer almost continually enveloped in fogs. To all mariners 
 who have occasion to sail the Gulf of St. Lawrence, they are a 
 perpetual terror, and the many shipwrecks occurring there have 
 given to the Island a mournful celebrity. Two lighthouses, 
 lighted from March to December, and two provision depots are 
 the only localities on the Island where those who may have 
 escaped a watery grave can obtain succor from famine and cold, 
 and the most noted of them is the Bay of Gamache. It is about 
 five miles in circumference, the only really secure harbor in the 
 region, and derives its name from the strange man who there 
 first made himself a home. From Quebec to Gaspe*, from 
 Gaspe to Pictou, not a name was better known, and the manifold 
 stories picked up by the writer during his Canadian and New 
 Brunswick wanderings respecting him would fill a volume. 
 They were extravagant, made up of fact and fiction, representing 
 him as a kind of ancient mariner, a pirate, a being half savage 
 and half ogre, arid enjoying the special protection of Satan him- 
 self. But the simple story of his actual life, well worth record- 
 ing, is as follows : 
 
 " Louis Olivier Gamache was born at Islet in Lower Canada 
 in 1784. When a mere boy he left his home and obtained a 
 sailor's berth on board an English frigate, in which capacity he 
 
 * Notice is hereby given, that application will be made to the Parliament 
 of the Dominion of Canada, at its next Session, for an Act to incorporate the 
 " Anticosti Company," for the purpose of colonizing, working and develop- 
 ing the resources of the Island of Anticosti ; and also for the purpose of 
 laying a submarine cable from South-West Point Lighthouse of Anticosti to 
 Cape Rosier, on the coast of Gaspe", to connect with the mainland telegraph 
 line; and also for the purpose of running a line of steamers from Anticosti 
 to ports within the Dominion, and to foreign ports. 
 
 Montreal, 24th January, 1872.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 95 
 
 spent about twenty years of his life, roaming over the entire 
 world. On his return, he found his parents dead and himself 
 friendless and poor. Having strayed into the little port of 
 Rimouski, he tried his hand at business and failed. Disgusted 
 with people generally, and somewhat so with life, he resolved to 
 settle on the Island of Anticosti, whose lonely shores had taken 
 his fancy captive when last returning from his ocean wander- 
 ings. Determined as he was to spend the balance of his days 
 in the peaceful enjoyments of hunting, fishing, and sailing, his 
 sagacity led him to the bay already mentioned. He built him- 
 self a rude cabin and then visited the main shore to obtain a 
 good wife, in which effort he was successful. She was all he 
 hoped for, but the loneliness and cold of Anticosti were more 
 than she could bear, and she died during her first spring upon 
 the Island.* 
 
 " Summer came and Gamache sought for peace of mind by 
 sailing in his schooner among the icebergs of the north, and 
 slaughtering the gray seal and walrus. With the money thus 
 made he erected some new buildings, and gathered about his 
 home a few of the comforts of an ordinary farm, such as horses, 
 cows and sheep. He married a second wife, with whom he 
 spent the seven happiest years of his life, but on returning from 
 
 * " THE LAMENT OF THE PIRATE'S BRIDE. 
 
 " By the sad sea waves 
 
 1 listen while they moan 
 A lament o'er graves 
 
 Of hope and pleasure gone. 
 I was young, I was fair, 
 I had not a care 
 From the rising of the moon 
 To the setting of the sun ; 
 Yet I pine like a slave 
 By the sad sea wave. 
 Come again ! 
 Bright days of hope 
 And pleasures gone 
 
 Come again 1 
 Bright days come again ! "
 
 96 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 one of his winter hunts, he found her frozen * to death with his 
 two children so nearly famished that they followed their mother 
 and he was once more alone. A kind of gloom now settled upon 
 his spirit, and though he led an active life, he became misanthropic. 
 He cared not to have any intercourse with his fellow-men, and 
 his only companion and confidante was a half-breed French- 
 man ; but if a revenue officer, a professional fisherman, or a party 
 of sporting characters happened to make him a visit, they were 
 sure to be treated with kindness. He felt that death had robbed 
 him of all that he most cherished, and how did he know, was his 
 mode of reasoning, but some of his Indian neighbors would 
 prove treacherous, and take his life without warning? Some 
 band of pirates, moreover, might hear of his forlorn condition 
 and sweep away his property and murder him in cold blood. 
 These were impending calamities, and something must be done 
 for protection. Hence it was that he resolved to adopt a series 
 of measures that would inspire a dread of his person and name. 
 He fully succeeded in all his romantic efforts, and the following 
 are a few of the many with which his name is associated. 
 
 " On one occasion, having been windbound for several days, 
 he anchored his vessel in one of the ports of Gaspe", and making 
 his way to the village inn ordered a sumptuous supper for two 
 persons. The truth was he was nearly famished, and having 
 caused his man Friday to be on board the vessel, he had deter- 
 mined to have a good feast and any fun that might follow. Before 
 sitting down to his repast he gave special directions to the effect 
 that the door of the dining-room must be locked, and that it 
 would be dangerous to have him disturbed. He devoured nearly 
 everything on the table, and finally falling into a deep sleep did 
 not wake till morning. The host and some of his inquisitive 
 neighbors were moving about soon after daybreak, and a number 
 of them declared that they had heard mysterious noises during 
 the night, and when the unknown guest stepped out of the 
 dining room into the sunshine, and while paying his bill with 
 American gold, talked incoherently about the gentleman in black, 
 the people who hung about the house were amazed, but when 
 the landlord told them of the empty plates and platters, and 
 
 Some curious story circulates on the coast about his second wife : less 
 ethereal, and in order to escape the sad death by cold which befel her 
 predecessor, she took to wearing bear-skin breeches.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 97 
 
 they saw the stranger re-embark without saying a word, they 
 were all confounded, and felt certain that the devil and an inti- 
 mate friend had visited their town. 
 
 " On another occasion, while spending a day or two in 
 Quebec, an officer of the law boarded the schooner of our hero, 
 for the purpose of arresting him for debt. Gamache suspected 
 what was in the wind, and as the autumn was far advanced^ 
 and he was prepared to leave for the Gulf, he told the officer 
 that the captain should soon be on board, and suggested a glass 
 of wine below by way of killing time. The wine was good^ 
 and the officer concluded that he would call again to see the 
 Captain, as his business was of a private nature, but when he 
 ascended to the deck he found himself a prisoner. He was com- 
 pelled to visit the Island of Anticosti, where he spent the 
 entire winter feasting on the fat of the land as well as of the 
 sea. In the spring, with a good supply of wine and the money 
 for his claim, he took passage in a fishing vessel, and returned a 
 wiser and better man to Quebec, and to the bosom of his discon- 
 solate family. 
 
 " Even the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company were com- 
 pelled to measure their skill with the wit of our friend Gamache. 
 He would barter with the Indians on the Labrador coast, 
 although he knew that the consequence of being captured might 
 be serious. Business had been brisk with him, and when on a 
 quiet summer afternoon he was about leaving a little harbor on 
 the forbidden coast, he was discovered by an armed vessel which 
 immediately started in pursuit. Night came and Gamache 
 found refuge in the harbor of Mingan. When the morning light 
 appeared his enemy was in the offing. Another chase ensued, 
 long and tedious, and night again settled on the waters. And 
 then it was that a rude craft was made and launched, covered 
 with a few tar-barrels, and the bright flame which soon illumined 
 the ocean directly in the course of the frigate,, convinced its 
 officers that the runaway had, conscience-stricken, gone to the 
 bottom of the sea. But a better fate awaited him, for he spent 
 the subsequent night in his own bed on the Bay of Gamache. 
 
 " On another occasion when our hero happened to be left 
 entirely alone at his house, he saw a stalwart Indian disembark 
 from his canoe, and with a bottle in his hand, march directly 
 for the dwelling. The movements of the savage, his fondness 
 for liquor, and his well-known character for fighting, portended 
 trouble. As he approached, Gamache planted himself at the
 
 98 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 threshold of his castle, rifle in hand and exclaimed, ' One step 
 further, and I will fire ! ' The step was taken, but it was the 
 last, for a bullet shattered the thigh bone of the savage. Thus 
 reduced to helplessness, he was gratified to find that Gamache 
 carried him into the house, placed him on a bed, doctored his 
 wound and took every care of him, until the damaged leg was 
 restored ; and then loading the Indian with provisions, escorted 
 him to his canoe, with the parting benediction : ' When next 
 you hear that Gamache is alone, and attempt to give him trou- 
 ble, he w r ill send the bullet through your head, and now 
 begone!' That lesson had its legitinate effect on the whole 
 tribe of Anticosti Indians. 
 
 " One more incident touching the Wizard of Anticosti is to 
 this effect : A young pilot had been driven by the stress of the 
 weather into the Bay of Gamache. He had heard much of the 
 supposed freebooter, and nothing but the dreadful state of things 
 would have induced him to seek refuge in that particular Bay. 
 A short time after he dropped anchor, Gamache came out in a 
 small boat and asked the pilot to his house. Most reluctantly 
 was the invitation accepted, but a manifestation of courage was 
 deemed necessary. When the guest entered the dwelling and 
 saw the walls of each room completely covered with guns, pistols, 
 hatchets, cutlasses, and harpoons, his fears were excited to the 
 highest pitch. Gamache observed this, but only enjoyed the 
 stranger's consternation. A smoking supper was spread upon 
 the table, but even the moofle and the beaver's tail were only 
 tasted by one of the party the eye of the other quivered, with 
 excitement, and his thoughts were bent upon the tale that would 
 circulate respecting his fate. He made a display of gayety; 
 when the evening was waxing on, he rose to depart, and with 
 many expressions of thankfulness he offered his hand to his 
 host. 'No, no, my friend,' said Gamache, 'you must not 
 leave here ; the sea is rough, and the night is dark and wet, 
 and you cannot leave the bay. I have a comfortable bed 
 upstairs, and to-morrow you may leave if still alive.' 
 These words sounded like a knell, and up to the chamber of 
 death, as he supposed, ascended the pilot. ' You may sleep,' 
 continued Gamache, as he handed his guest a lamp, ' as long and 
 soundly as you can. Your bed is soft ; it is made with the down 
 of birds I myself have killed ; for I am a good shot, and I never 
 miss my game.' For a while the pilot had found it impossible 
 to quiet his never certain sleep ; but nature finally gave way,
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 99 
 
 and he fell into a doze which was anything but refreshing. As 
 the clock struck twelve he was startled by a noise, and opened 
 his eyes. There stood Gamache by the bedside with a candle 
 in one hand and a gun in the other. ' I see you are awaked,' 
 said he, ' but why so very pale ? You have heard, undoubted- 
 ly, that I am in the habit of murdering every one who tarries 
 at my house, and hanging the gun on the two wooden pegs 
 ' I have come to give you a settler for the night ! ' With this 
 remark he displayed a bottle of brandy and tumbler, and after 
 drinking the health of the pilot, handed him the glass, and con- 
 tinued ' There, take a good pull ; it will make you sleep soundly, 
 and if Gamache comes to attack you during the night, you can 
 defend yourself with the loaded gun hanging over your head,' 
 and thus the joke ended. When morning came, the storm had 
 disappeared ; and the pilot and his host were quite as happy as 
 the day was bright. 
 
 " And thus was it as the mood came upon him, that Gamache 
 endeavored to relieve the monotony of his self-inflicted exile. 
 His afflictions seemed to have changed his character; though 
 certainly without guile, a kind of passion for doing out-of-the- 
 way things followed him to the close of his life, and gave him 
 the unenviable reputation he possessed. He died in 1854 from 
 the effects of exposure to cold, and the pleasant Bay with his 
 name is about the only memorial he left behind. 
 
 " And now for a few authentic particulars respecting the 
 general character of the Island of Anticosti, as developed by 
 recent explorations. It is one hundred and thirty-six miles 
 long, and thirty-six miles wide ; a large part of the coast has a 
 belt of limestone reels that are dry at low water ; the south side 
 of the Island is generally low, but on the northern coast there 
 are hills and cliffs that attain an elevation of three, four and 
 five hundred feet. The only attempts at cultivation that have 
 been made are at Gamache Bay, South- West Point and Heath 
 Point, and the chief agricultural productions are potatoes, barley 
 and peas ; the forest land is abundant, but the trees are com- 
 monly small, and even dwarfish, and peat or mossy bogs 
 abound in every direction. Fruit-bearing trees and shrubs are 
 quite plentiful, but one of the most valuable natural produc- 
 tions is a wild pea growing along the shore of the ocean. The 
 two principal rivers are the Salmon and the Jupiter, and all the 
 streams as well as the lakes, which are numerous, are said to 
 swarm with salmon, salmon trout and trout ; the wild animals
 
 100 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 are the bear, the black, red and silver fox, and the marten. In 
 the bogs and more sheltered parts of the coast, seals are extremely 
 abundant. Besides the harbor named after Gamache, but 
 originally called Ellis Bay, there is a Harbor called Fox Bay, 
 but neither of them would shelter vessels of more than five 
 hundred tons burden. The Island is under the Jurisdiction of 
 Lower Canada, but is the private property of a family residing 
 at Quebec." 
 
 ANTICOSTI ISLAND. 
 
 BY WiLLasr SMITH, ESQ., DEPUTY MINISTER OF MARINE, 
 
 CANADA. 
 
 THE Island which bears the name, of the heading of this article 
 lies directly in the mouth of the St. Lawrence, between the 49th 
 and 50th degrees of latitude, nearly the same as that of the north 
 of France, and contains an area of 2,460,000 acres of laud of the 
 best quality, similar, says Sir William Logan, the eminent Cana- 
 dian geologist, to the fine arable soil of Canada West, and the 
 Gtenesee County, New York State ; it is one-fourth larger in size 
 than Prince Edward Island ; it possesses over 300 miles of sea 
 coast, is about 140 miles long, and 35 miles broad in the widest 
 part, with an average breadth of 27 miles. 
 
 Aiiticosti is made mention of so long ago as 1660, in the 
 geographical folio work of the celebrated loyalist, Dr. Peter 
 Beylyn, known as " Cosinographia." He says that the proper 
 name of the island is Natiscotee, which it is supposed was 
 corrupted by the Spaniards, who fished in and off the St. Lawrence 
 at that period, to its present appellation. He reports that the 
 Island was then held by a tribe of Indians, who were exceed- 
 ingly kind and friendly to such mariners as landed there. The 
 fief of the island was granted by Louis XIV, about 1680, to 
 Sieur Louis JoHet, as a recompense for his discovery of the 
 mouths of the Mississippi and the Illinois, and other services 
 rendered to his Government ; and it seems to have been held of
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 1Q1 
 
 so little account in its primitive state that Pere Charlevoix, 
 writing about 1712, in his "Histoire du Canada," says that 
 Joliet "would, perhaps, have preferred one of the smallest 
 lordships in France." In La Hontan's " History of Canada," is 
 a chart of the St. Lawrence, and a plan of the island, showing 
 Joliet's Fort on the western flank. La Hontan was a French 
 Marine officer, and he mentions that Joliet was captured in his 
 boat off the island by the English expedition against Quebec, in 
 1690, under Admiral Phipps, but released after the failure of 
 that expedition. Mr. T. Aubury, who sailed with General 
 Burgoyne's army in 1766j devotes three pages of his work, 
 " Interior Travels Through America," to the seal fisheries of 
 Anticosti, and the method of catching these animals between the 
 continent and the adjacent islands. 
 
 So much for the early records of Anticosti. When the 
 feudal system became abolished, which had long prevailed under 
 French domination of Canada, there being no tenants on the 
 island, the seigneur, or lord of the manor, became possessed of 
 the whole soil in fee simple, since which time it has been held 
 jointly by a variety of persons, chief amongst whom are the 
 Forsyth family. The title to this immense possession seems to 
 have been fully acknowledged by the Parliament of Canada, 
 as an act was passed during the last session (in the spring of 
 1873) incorporating a company to develop the resources of the 
 island. 
 
 Anticosti slopes gradually from its elevated northern coast to 
 the grassy savannahs which skirt the southern shore, and thus, 
 in a great measure, the fertile portions of the country are pro- 
 tected from the severe winter winds. Its climate is very healthy, 
 and it certainly is not severer than that of the other maritime 
 provinces. The atmosphere is pure and clear, and free from the 
 fogs which are so frequent on and around Newfoundland. The 
 winter's cold is considerably tempered by the waters of the Gulf 
 and Eiver St. Lawrence, and the heat of summer is, to a certain 
 extent, moderated by the same influence. Vegetation progresses
 
 102 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 there very rapidly and crops come to perfection in good season.* 
 The soil is of good quality, being a rich loam intermixed with 
 limestone ; valuable forests are to be found on the greater part 
 of the island, and although the timber generally is not of the 
 largest size, it is of a superior quality, and well adapted for 
 ship-building. 
 
 The fisheries around the island, which have been hitherto 
 comparatively neglected, are valuable and important. Speaking 
 of them, Commander Lavoie, of La Canadienne, in his report, 
 in 1870, to the Dominion Government, says : " This island is 
 beginning to be frequented and settled by hardy fishermen, tempt- 
 ed by the desire of participating in its rich fisheries, which up 
 to the last few years were, comparatively, unexplored. . . . 
 The importance and value of its 'fisheries have increased along 
 with the number of fishermen. The waters bordering on Anti- 
 costi are stocked with the same kinds as are to be met with on 
 
 the south and north coast of the St. Lawrence." 
 
 
 
 In his report for last year (1872) Commander Lavoie says: 
 " Large shoals of herrings visit its shores at about the same time 
 they repair to Pleasant Bay, Magdalen Islands. A schooner, from 
 Prince Edward Island, caught last spring with the seine 1,100 
 barrels of herrings in one day." He goes on to say : " The whole 
 
 * I cannot express so hopeful a view as Mr. Smith, from my experience 
 of Anticosti. 
 
 1. Certainly, vegetables, such as potatoes, cabbages, turnips and other 
 coarse products, thrive, but wheat, oats and corn will not ripen. Horned 
 cattle will only live a short time. 
 
 2. The timber might do for spars. 
 
 3. The harbors are not safe. 
 
 Admiral Bayfield writes, p. 69 : " It is unusual to find an island so 
 large as Anticosti without a good harbor. The reefs of flat limestone, 
 extending in some parts to 1J miles from the shore, the want of anchorage 
 off most parts of the coast, and, above all, the frequent fogs, justify this belief 
 in part, but not in so great a degree as to render reasonable the dread 
 with which they seem to have been occasionally regarded. 
 
 The loss, suffering, and memorable failure of the recent settlement is 
 likely to make the Island shunned for many years to come." St. Lawrence 
 Pilot.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 103 
 
 coast of Anticosti abounds with fish of all sorts, but harbors are 
 scarce, even for fishing boats. Cod fish on this coast are all large, 
 and no finer are seen even on the Miscou and Orphan Banks.'' 
 The number of fishermen frequenting its banks increases every 
 year. Even when cod-fishing was a failure everywhere else in 
 the Gulf, it did not fail at Anticosti. Halibut are so plentiful 
 that 199 barrels were taken in one day. 
 
 The seal fishery, which could be carried on here as well in 
 winter as in summer, might be turned to profitable account, large 
 numbers of these animals being visible during the former season, 
 and thousands of them being observed in the summer and autumn 
 at the entrance of almost all the bays and rivers, where they re- 
 main comparatively unmolested. 
 
 Hunting on the island is of considerable value, though of far 
 less importance than its fisheries. The animals whose skins are 
 of marketable value which are found on the island, are black 
 bears, which are very abundant, otters, martens, and silver grey, 
 red, black, and, sometimes, the white fox. Great quantities of 
 ducks, geese, and other wild fowl resort to the lakes and the bays 
 of the island. 
 
 There are numerous natural harbors round the coast, which 
 are comparatively safe in all winds Ellis Bay and Fox Bay 
 being especially so. The former is distant about eight miles from 
 West End Lighthouse on the south side, the latter is fifteen miles 
 from Heath Point Lighthouse on the north side. Ellis Bay is two 
 miles in breadth, with deep water three-fourths of a mile from 
 shore, but only with from three to four fathoms in shore. Fox 
 Bay is smaller, the distance across its mouth is one mile and a 
 half, with deep water in the centre, extending up the bay nine- 
 tenths of a mile, but shoaling near the shores of it, the whole 
 length of the bay being one mile and two-tenths. Mr. Gamache, 
 who has resided at Ellis Bay for upwards of twenty-five years, 
 states the harbor to be perfectly secure in all winds, and at all 
 periods. A gentleman from England, in 1853, a member of 
 Lloyd's who visited the island to inspect a vessel which had been
 
 104 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 wrecked on the coast, declared he considered the harbor " a most 
 excellent one," so much so, that he should, on his return to 
 England, make it specially known at Lloyd's, and added, further, 
 that there are many places in England, and other countries, carry- 
 ing on large maritime commerce, which have not got so deep, so 
 spacious, or so safe a harbor as Ellis Bay. This gentleman had 
 been three times round the world as captain of an East India- 
 man. 
 
 The excellent position of Anticosti in regard to ships, com- 
 merce, etc., is easily seen, when we remember that every vessel 
 must take one or other of the channels formed by the island, 
 whether having passed from the Atlantic, or intending to pass to 
 the ocean through the straits of Belle Isle, through the more 
 frequented passage between Newfoundland and Cape Breton, or 
 through the Gut of Canso, or whether running between Quebec 
 and those portions of Canada and of the maritime provinces lying 
 on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Vessels taking either of the chan- 
 nels formed by the position of the island, must pass close to the 
 island in consequence of the comparative narrowness of the nor- 
 thern one, and of the strong south-east current which always runs 
 along the southern channel. To avoid this, and the risk of being 
 driven on the rock-bound coast of the south shore of the Gulf and 
 Ftiver, vessels generally stand out till they make the West Point 
 of Anticosti, close to Ellis Bay. The inner anchorage of this has 
 a depth of from three to four fathoms at low water, with excel- 
 lent holding ground (gravel and mud) ; the outer portion of the 
 anchorage could be materially improved at a trifling expense, so 
 as to be able to contain in safety, during all winds, almost any 
 number of vessels of the largest size. If docks were constructed 
 at Ellis Bay, with a patent slip, it would be an admirable position 
 for the repair of vessels stranded or damaged throughout the 
 Lower St. Lawrence, many of which are now broken up by the 
 sea, or dismantled by wreckers before assistance can be obtained 
 from Quebec. For steam-tugs employed for the relief of vessels 
 in distress, this might be made an excellent station ; here, also, a
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 105 
 
 few steamers or gunboats could command the two entrances to 
 the river, or send out from this convenient and central spot 
 cruisers to any part of the Gulf. 
 
 The establishment of depots of coal at Ellis Bay and Fox 
 Eiver would be an advantage, the importance of which it would 
 be hard to estimate, coal being easily procurable from Nova Scotia, 
 and laid down at either harbor, at a cost not exceeding from 
 $3.50 to $4 per ton. Considering the fact that upwards of 2,000 
 vessels annually arrive from Europe in the season, besides a large 
 fleet of coasting and fishing vessels, all of which must pass with- 
 in sight of the island, some idea can be formed of the importance 
 to be attached to the position and capabilities of these harbors 
 for commercial purposes. 
 
 The company which has been formed for the purpose of colon- 
 izing the Island of Anticosti, and for working and developing its 
 resources, propose to lay out town sites at Ellis Bay, Fox Bay, 
 and at the South-west Point. The chief town will be at Elli's 
 Bay, where the principal place of business will be established. 
 The beautiful situation of the first of these places, with its bracing 
 sea-air, must eventually make it a resort for thousands of plea- 
 sure-seekers, since sea-bathing could there be combined with many 
 other summer sports and amusements. The capital of the com- 
 pany is $2,500,000, divided into 25,000 shares of $100 each. The 
 island is to be divided into twenty counties, of about 120,000 
 acres each, subdivided into five townships. It is further pro- 
 posed to lay a submarine telegraph cable to connect the island 
 with the main-land ; to build saw-mills and grist-mills, establish a 
 bank and a general hospital, churches and schools, and to estab- 
 lish, moreover, five fishing stations, in different parts of the 
 island, where temporary buildings are to be erected for curing 
 and drying fish. 
 
 Operations and improvements of such a kind have every- 
 where had the most beneficial result upon the industry, wealth, 
 and general progress of the country in which they were attempt- 
 ed, and with the great resources and favorable geographical
 
 106 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 position of the Island of Anticosti, there is no reason to doubt 
 that they will be attended there with similar results. 
 
 Sir William Logan, in his " Geographical Report of Canada," 
 after referring to deposits of peat, or peat-bogs, in different parts of 
 Canada, says, " the most extensive peat deposits in Canada are 
 found in Anticosti, along the low land on the coast of the island, 
 from Heath Point to within eight or nine miles of South- West 
 Point. The thickness of the peat, as observed on the coast, was 
 from three to ten feet, and it appears to be of an excellent quali- 
 ty. The height of this plain may be, on an average, fifteen feet 
 above high- water mark, and it can be easily drained and worked. 
 Between South- West Point and the west end of the island, 
 there are many peat-bogs, varying in superficies from 100 to 1,000 
 acres." 
 
 Near South-West Point there are several large salt ponds, 
 which, if labor was abundant, might be turned to a profitable 
 account in the manufacture of salt ; a manufacture which would 
 become of some value to a great part of our North American 
 fisheries, which, as well as the greater part of Canada, are now 
 supplied with salt from the Bahamas, and from England, or the 
 United States ; and for curing fish and provisions, bay salt, formed 
 from the sea and from salt ponds, is the most valuable. In conse- 
 quence of there not having being a sufficient supply of salt upon 
 the island, an immense quantity of fish caught at Anticosti, a 
 year or two ago, were rendered useless. This was alluded to by 
 Commander Lavoie, of " La Canadienne," in his report for 1871, 
 where he says that " fishing was abundant this season, the yield 
 being reckoned at 9,500 quintals of cod, . . . but the great- 
 est drawback arose from the difficulty experienced in curing the 
 fish, from the want of salt/' Some of the Bahama Islands are 
 retained merely on account of the salt ponds which they contain, 
 and in Ceylon a large revenue is derived from the salt works 
 carried on in that island. 
 
 In Commander Lavoie's report for 1872, quoted from before, 
 he says, that geologists and others, who have visited the interior
 
 CHKONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 107 
 
 of the island, agree in stating that its soil is rich, and that more 
 than one million acres can be cultivated with advantage. Clear- 
 ances have already been made at Gamache (Ellis Bay), at South 
 West, and at West Point, where the vegetables and grains of the 
 district of Montreal and Quebec nourish. Stories, however, of 
 the numerous wrecks that have occurred on the shore of Anti- 
 costi have spread such terror that, up to 1861, nobody had 
 thought of settling there. The reefs of flat limestone, extending 
 in some parts to one mile and a quarter from the shore ; the want 
 of anchorage of a great portion of the coast ; and, above all, the 
 frequent fogs, justify this belief, in part ; but not in so great a 
 degree as to render reasonable the dread with which they seem 
 to have been regarded, and which can only have arisen from the 
 natural tendency to magnify dangers, of which we have no pre- 
 cise knowledge. 
 
 Four lighthouses are erected on Anticosti ; one on Heath 
 Point, at the east end of the island ; another at South- West 
 Point, the third on West Point ; and the fourth at South Point, 
 at Bagota Bluff. That on Heath Point is a round tower, built of 
 a greyish white limestone, quarried on the island, and is ninety 
 feet high. It shows, at an elevation of 110 feet above the level 
 of high water, a fixed white light, which in clear weather should 
 be visible from a distance of fifteen miles. The lighthouse on 
 South- West Point is built of the same stone as the previous 
 one, quarried on the spot, is seventy-five feet high, and of 
 the usual conical form, exhibits a white light, which revolves 
 every three minutes, and is visible at fifteen miles, with the 
 eye ten feet above the sea ; with the eye at fifty feet, it can 
 be seen nineteen and a-half miles, and with the eye at an 
 elevation of 100 feet, it will be visible about twenty-three 
 miles. The third lighthouse, erected on the West Point of 
 Anticosti, is a circular stone tower, faced with white fire 
 brick, 109 feet in height. It exhibits, at 112 feet above high- 
 water mark, a fixed white light, visible from a distance of 
 fifteen miles. A gun is fired every hour during fog and snow
 
 108 CHEONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 storms. The lighthouse at South Point is a comparatively new 
 building, the light having been first exhibited in August, 1870. 
 It is a hexagonal tower, painted white, seventy-five feet above 
 high- water mark, with a revolving white flash light every twenty 
 seconds. It should be seen at from fourteen to eighteen miles 
 distance, and is visible from all points of approach. A powerful 
 steam fog- whistle is also stationed there, about 300 feet east of 
 the lighthouse. In foggy weather, and during snow storms, this 
 is sounded ten seconds in every minute, thus making an interval 
 of fifty seconds between each blast, which can be heard in calm 
 weather, or with the wind from nine to fifteen miles distant, and 
 in stormy weather, or against the wind, from three to eight miles. 
 The lights are exhibited from the 1st of April to the 20th of 
 December of each year. 
 
 Provision depots are also established on the island for the 
 relief of wrecked crews. The first of those is at Ellis Bay, the 
 second at the lighthouse at the South- West Point ; the third 
 which was formerly at Shallop Creek (Jupiter Eiver), was this 
 year removed to South Point, where the new lighthouse and 
 steam fog- whistle have been located, and the fourth at the light- 
 house on Heath Point. Direction boards are erected on the 
 shore, or nailed to trees, from which the branches have been lop- 
 ped off, near the beach, and on various points of the coast. 
 These boards are intended to point out to shipwrecked persons 
 the way to the provision posts. 
 
 Vessels are more frequently lost on Anticosti, in the bad 
 weather, at the close of navigation, than at any other time, and 
 their crews would perish from want, and the rigors of a Cana- 
 dian winter, if it were not for this humane provision, made by 
 Government, in the absence of settlements on the island. As, 
 however, the population begins to increase, and dwellings become 
 scattered about, there will be the less urgent need for these de- 
 pots. 
 
 The currents around the Island of Anticosti are very varia- 
 ble and uncertain, and to this cause may be attributed many of
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 109 
 
 the shipwrecks that have from time to time occurred there. At 
 the north .point of the island there is a current almost always 
 setting over to the north-east, being turned in that direction by 
 the west end of the island. Confined as it is, within a narrow 
 channel, it is very strong. All along the south coast, between the 
 south-west and west points, the swell and the current both set in 
 shore, and the bottom being of clean flat limestone, will not hold 
 an anchor. It is also by no means uncommon in summer for 
 the breeze to die away suddenly to a calm. 
 
 The tide around the island only rises from four to seven feet. 
 
 It not unfrequently happens that when the current from the 
 northward is running, another from W.N.W. comes along the 
 south coast, in which case they meet at a reef off Heath Point, 
 and cause a great ripple, or irregular breaking sea. This takes 
 place when a fresh breeze is blowing along the land on either side 
 of the island. A wind has been observed on the north side from 
 N. or N.E., whilst that on the south side was W.N.W., and yet 
 never meeting round the east end of the island. Between the 
 two winds there is usually a triangular space of calm, and light 
 baffling airs, extending from five to eight miles. In the space 
 between the winds there is often observed a high cross sea, and 
 constantly changing light airs, which would leave a vessel at 
 the mercy of the current, and in great danger of being set on 
 the Heath Point reef. 
 
 Streams of excellent water descend to the sea on every part 
 of the coasts of Anticosti. They are, for the most part, too small 
 to admit boats, becoming rapid immediately within their entrance, 
 and even the largest of them are barren with sand, excepting for 
 short intervals of time, after the spring floods, or after continued 
 heavy rains. 
 
 There is no doubt that, in a very few years, there will be a 
 numerous population on the island, as applications for land are 
 being constantly received by the Anticosti Company, and the sur- 
 vey is being pressed forward with all practicable speed. Had the 
 island been thrown open to settlement years ago, it would be in
 
 110 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 a very different position, commercially speaking, from what it 
 now is ; but once opened, and found to be equally productive 
 with the Maritime Provinces and Prince Edward Island, there is 
 no reason why in a few decades it should not rival the latter. 
 For long neglected and discarded, Anticosti now has a chance of 
 prominence, and the Dominion will hail the advent of another 
 link in her chain, which, though it may never assume the title 
 now borne by Prince Edward Island, " The gem of the Gulf," 
 may yet prove as valuable a jewel in the diadem of Confederation. 
 
 NOTE. If the Anticosti Company turned out such an expensive failure, 
 the efforts of individuals were more successful. We gather from different 
 sources, and especially from a Gaspe* communication in the Morning 
 Chronicle of June, 1877, that after the collapse of the Company, in 1874, 
 the aid extended by the Government, under the intelligent management of 
 the Agent for the Marine Department at Quebec, T. U. Gregory, Esq., has 
 resulted in most permanent and beneficial results. Mr. Gregory visited, in 
 person, that fall, the forlorn settlers of Ellis Bay, and, instead of removing 
 them to the main land, distributed biscuit, pork, flour, to last until the spring, 
 impressing on them to cultivate the land, and not rely solely on the 
 fisheries, and leaving them seed potatoes for the spring. The yield from 
 these potatoes has been surprising forty bushels to one and, in 1877, 
 whole cargoes of potatoes have been shipped to Quebec. We congratulate 
 Mr. Gregory for his share in the beneficial results. The population, from 
 127 in 1871, reaches now some 300 souls.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. Ill 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Loss OF THE FRENCH FRIGATE " LA BENOMME " ON ANTICOSTI, 
 14TH Nov., 1736 A WINTER OF HORRORS, STARVATION 
 AND DEATH A MISSIONARY'S CAREER. 
 
 OF the many shipwrecks, which gave the lower St. Lawrence, 
 in former days, an unenviable notoriety, there were none, we 
 believe, more harrowing none so fully described, though few as 
 little known, as that of His Most Christian Majesty's sloop-of- 
 war La Renommde, of which the full account in English is now 
 submitted. It is a translation from a narrative written by Father 
 Crespel,* one of the surviving passengers. 
 
 La Renommde, a French sloop-of-war, of 14 guns, com- 
 manded by Captain de Freneuse, was stranded on the 14th 
 Nov., 1736, on a ledge of flat rocks, scarcely a mile from shore, 
 about eight leagues from the south point of Anticosti, at the en- 
 trance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On the 3rd of Nov., 1736, 
 La Renommde, bound for Eochelle, France, and consigned to the 
 King's Treasurers, Messrs. Pacaud, sailed from the port of 
 Quebec, with a complement of 54 men. All went well until 
 
 * Father Emmanuel Crespel recounts this shipwreck, in a spirited letter 
 addressed by him to his brother. 
 
 ? This friar, according to Bibaud, seems to have landed in Canada in 
 October, 1724. Some time after he was sent to Sorel as a missionary ; there 
 he remained two years. We find him as almoner at Detroit, at Fort Fronte- 
 nac, at Crown Point. After his escape from death on Anticosti, he was sent to 
 Soulanges as pastor, where he remained two years. He was subsequently 
 sent to France, on the King's ship Rubis, to act as vicaire of the convent of 
 Anesnes in Hainault. Finally he returned to Canada, and died at Quebec, 
 28th April, 1775.
 
 112 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 eleven days later, when the vessel, whilst standing over under a 
 stiff breeze from the south, towards Anticosti, and in the act of 
 wearing, suddenly touched ground and commenced to ship heavy 
 seas. All was confusion on board. The gunner's mate, alone, 
 had the presence of mind to rush below to the store-room and 
 remove some biscuit and provisions, together with fire arms a 
 barrel of powder and cartridges ; these things were stowed in the 
 jolly-boat. A heavy sea, having struck the vessel, wrenched off 
 the rudder, when the commander ordered one of the masts to be 
 cut, which, in its fall, made the ship careen over. Cool and 
 collected, in the midst of danger, Captain de Freneuse quietly 
 gave orders to have the long-boat hung to the davits. Twenty 
 persons jumped in ; as the last was entering, one of the blocks 
 gave way. Half of the inmates were precipitated in the sea 
 the rest clung to the sides of the boat, dangling in mid air. 
 Without moving a muscle the intrepid commander ordered the 
 rear tackle to be let go, but as the boat straightened and touched 
 the water, two seas struck her. At last she shoved off. 
 
 One of the officers steered with a broken oar, and with a 
 drenching rain passengers and crew made for the shore, where 
 the ominous roar of breakers fell dismally on their ears. Carried 
 onward on the crest of a billow the boat was soon capsized 
 and dashed on the iron-bound coast. The foresight of a sailor 
 who jumped ashore, holding the painter, afforded the rest the 
 means of dragging the craft out of the retreating billow. The 
 sea had disgorged its prey, but the position of the shipwrecked 
 mariners was not much improved. They were huddled on a 
 kind of small island, which the high tides evidently submerged. 
 To reach the main island itself they had to cross the Pavillion 
 stream ; this was nigh costing them their life. 
 
 Some hours later the jolly-boat, manned by six persons, 
 rejoined them. The crew reported that Captain de Freneuse was 
 still on board of La Renomme t with seventeen men, and that 
 he refused to quit the ship. 
 
 One can imagine the prospect of those who had reached the
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 113 
 
 shore on the dreary island of Anticosti without fire or shelter 
 of any kind, whilst those that had persisted in remaining on the 
 deck of the doomed ship expected her to break up every instant- 
 At midnight, the storm was at its height ; all hope of surviving 
 had vanished. At dawn, it was found that La, Menom- 
 mde, being a new and staunch frigate, still held together. Not 
 a moment was lost in making preparations to leave. Provisions, 
 carpenters tools, tar, an axe, and some canvas were deposited in 
 one of the remaining boats ; and Captain de Freneuse, with a 
 heavy heart, rolled up the Flag of his good ship, took it in the 
 boat with him, and quitted, the last of all his companions, the 
 quarter deck of the noble frigate. 
 
 The second night passed on the island was still more dread- 
 ful than the first. Two feet of snow had fallen, and without the 
 shelter of the canvas all would have succumbed to the in- 
 clemency of the weather. There was no time, however, to de- 
 spond. All set to work. The mizzen-mast of the ship had 
 drifted on shore. It was cut up to make a keel for the boat ; 
 the latter was carefully caulked and made seaworthy. Whilst a 
 supply of fuel was obtained by some of the crew, the others did 
 their best to melt snow. Active occupation it was thought 
 would deaden sorrow, but, on any interruption taking place, 
 despair would again reappear. Six months' captivity awaited the 
 ill-fated mariners on a dismal isle, until navigation should open 
 in the ensuing spring. Their stores stood as follows : 
 
 Quebec ships homeward bound carried provisions for two 
 months only. At the date of the shipwreck La Renommde had 
 already been eleven days out. The salt water had destroyed a 
 portion of her ships' stores, and even with the strictest economy 
 in doling out a scanty, daily ration, there was barely enough for 
 forty days' subsistence. With the arctic temperature of winter, 
 the floating ice forming round the ship was rapidly cutting her 
 out from intercourse with the shore. Snow was lying deep on 
 the ground, and as a crowning evil, fever set in. A final decision 
 must be arrived at immediately. It was known that a party of
 
 114 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 French, that winter, intended to pass the season at Mingan, on 
 the north shore, in readiness for the spring seal-fishing. To meet 
 it, it was necessary to travel forty leagues over the sea snore 
 before the north-west point of the island was reached, and then 
 twelve leagues of open sea had to be crossed. Would it be better 
 to divide into two groups, one of which would winter at Pavillion 
 river, whilst the other would push for Mingan to secure assist- 
 ance ? In theory, the proposition had much to recommend it. 
 The trouble arose, when it came to a decision, as to who should 
 go to Mingan, and who should remain behind. None would 
 consent to remain. " In this emergency," says Father Crespel, 
 "we resolved to seek counsel and succor from God." 
 
 On the 26th of Nov., he celebrated Mass. This over, twenty- 
 four of the crew resigned themselVes to the Divine Will to 
 winter at Pavillion river, no matter what the consequences might 
 be. Thus, was sundered the Gordian knot. All that night, the 
 missionary was engaged in hearing confessions. Next day, after 
 leaving provisions for their forlorn companions and swearing on 
 the Holy Evangelists to return as soon as possible to take them 
 away, Captain de Freneuse, Father Crespel, and M. de Semie- 
 ville, with thirty-eight followers, set off for the unknown shores 
 of Mingan. The sense of a common danger having obliterated 
 all distinctions of rank, a hearty and solemn farewell was ex- 
 changed all round. Alas ! to many it was to be a final one ! 
 
 Two parties were formed by the commander. 
 
 The mode of travel was dreadful. By dint, of tugging at the 
 oars, six to nine miles per day was the most they could achieve. 
 The snow was their couch at night. A diminutive quantity of 
 dry codfish, . a few teaspoonfuls of flour diluted with snow water : 
 such was their evening meal. 
 
 Bright and balmy was the 2nd December ; a gentle breeze 
 springing up, hope revisited their emaciated countenances, when, 
 on attempting to double the south-west point of the island, the 
 long-boat, under sail, met with a heavy cross sea ; and in wearing, 
 the jolly-boat, next to them, was lost sight of. " Later on, we
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 115 
 
 found out," says Father Crespel, "what had happened it: it 
 was swamped." Being forced to run for shelter, we at last 
 succeeded in landing after infinite trouble. A large fire was lit 
 on the beach to indicate, if possible, to the missing boat the spot 
 where Captain de Freneuse's party in the long-boat were located. 
 After gulping down a little of the flour mixture, we sank down 
 weary, to sleep amidst the snow. All slept until the roar of a 
 terrible storm, which threw the long-boat on the" shore, awoke us. 
 We set to repairing the damage done to our craft ; the delay had 
 the good effect that we succeeded in capturing, in a trap set for 
 the purpose, two foxes who were prowling in the neighborhood. 
 
 On the 7th December, Captain de Freneuse was able to set 
 out again, but with a heavy heart, having, despite all his re_ 
 searches, failed to obtain any tidings of the other boat. The craft 
 had scarcely held her way for three hours, when another storm 
 struck her. Not a harbor, not a creek to run into. This was one of 
 our gloomiest nights having to keep cruising, in the surf and 
 floating ice, in a bay in which we could get no grapline to hold. 
 A landing was effected at dawn. The cold got so intense that 
 the bay froze over ; the boat ceased to be of any use. Further, 
 we could not go. The stores were landed; huts erected with 
 spruce boughs, also a depot for provisions in such a position that 
 none could have access to them without being seen by all. Eules 
 were framed for their distribution. Four ounces of paste daily 
 to each man, and two pounds of flour and two pounds of fox meat, 
 constituted the daily allowance for seventeen men. 
 
 Once a week, a spoonful of peas varied the fare. " This,'' 
 adds Father Crespel, " was our best meal." Bodily exercise be- 
 came a necessity. Leger, Basile and Father Crespel used to go 
 and cut branches for fuel ; another party carried the wood to the 
 huts, while the care of keeping the forest path beaten and open 
 devolved on a third. In the midst of these associations, trials 
 were not wanting. Having no change of clothing, vermin soon 
 preyed on these unfortunates ; the smoke in the huts and the 
 whiteness of the snow brought on ophthalmia ; while unwhole-
 
 116 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 some food and snow water had engendered constipation and dia- 
 betes but the energy of these hardy men failed them not. 
 
 On the 24th December, Father Crespel succeeded in thawing 
 some wine for sacred purposes. Christmas was at hand, and 
 midnight mass was to be solemnized. It was celebrated without 
 pomp without church ornaments, in the largest of the huts. 
 A touching spectacle it must have presented : forlorn castaways, 
 amidst the solitude of Anticosti, wafting their tearful adoration 
 to the helpless babe in the stable of Bethlehem. 
 
 New Year's Day, 1737, was marked by a terrible reverse. 
 Foucault, sent at dawn to reconnoitre, came back with the appal- 
 ling news that the ice had carried away the long-boat. For five 
 days, nothing was heard but sobs and wailings. All, then, was 
 lost ! The thought of death took' possession of every mind ; 
 the idea of suicide was rapidly invading these diseased brains. 
 Father Crespel, during these dark hours, unceasingly held forth 
 on the duties revealed religion imposed on the sufferings un- 
 dergone by the Son of God to save mankind, beseeching his 
 hearers to rely on Divine mercy. The mass de Spiritu Sancto 
 was again solemnized on Epiphany Day, to call down on the 
 deserted mariners, strength from above courage to accept the 
 decrees of fate. 
 
 On the impulse of the moment, Foucault and Vaillant 
 consented to go and search for the lost boat. 
 
 Their generous zeal met with its reward. Two hours later, 
 they returned with the news that, whilst looking round, they 
 had come on an Indian wigwam and on two bark canoes, con- 
 cealed under branches. They produced, in corroboration of 
 their statement, an axe and the fat of a seal, taken from the 
 wigwam. 
 
 This proved conclusively that the island was inhabited. 
 Noisy demonstrations of joy replaced the deep-set gloom. 
 Next day, another cheering incident was added. Two sailors, 
 who had wandered from the rest, discovered the long-boat, 
 stuck fast in a field of ice, and, in returning to camp, they had
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 117 
 
 Che inexpressible satisfaction to find on the shore a chest, con- 
 taining wearing apparel ; it had floated there. Their joy, 
 however, was of brief duration. On the 23rd January, the 
 master carpenter died suddenly. Distressing symptoms were 
 manifesting themselves among the crew ; every seaman's legs 
 began to swell. 
 
 On the 16th February, an astounding blow, like a bombshell, 
 fell in their midst. Captain de Freneuse's brave spirit, borne 
 on the wings of prayer, was wafted heavenwards. Next, expired 
 Jerome Bosseman ; next, Girard ; lastly, died the master-gunner, 
 a Calvinist, whose recantation, Father Crespel says, he received 
 in due time. Religion claimed its rights, and dispensed around 
 its soothing balm in those moments of anguish. Simple indeed 
 was the burial. The dead were dragged out by their fellow 
 sufferers ; snow piled over the livid remains close to the entrance 
 of the hut. This was all their physical exhaustion permitted 
 them to do. Even the elements seemed leagued against them. 
 On the sixth of March, a snow storm overwhelmed the hut of 
 Father Crespel, who had to seek shelter in the sailors' hut. 
 For three days, raged the blinding storm, keeping them prisoners 
 in the hut, without fire, without provisions. They had snow water 
 to drink. Five more of the party succumbed to cold and want. 
 The snow had completely covered over their hut to them a species 
 of living tomb. By their united efforts, they forced open the 
 door, emerged from the snow-drift and sought out provisions. 
 The temperature outside was such, that half an hour of exposure 
 sufficed to freeze the hands and feet of Basile and Foucault ; 
 their comrades carried them back in their arms. Their sally 
 had resulted in procuring a little flour from the depot. After 
 these three days of abstinence, it was so ravenously devoured 
 that, at one time, death seemed likely to be the result for all. 
 
 Encouraged by the example of Basile and of Foucault, 
 Leger, Furst and Father Crespel went to the woods to gather 
 fuel. The scanty supply was exhausted before eight o'clock 
 that night. The cold was so great that Vaillant, senior, was
 
 118 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 found next morning frozen stiff on his bed of spruce boughs. 
 It was judged prudent to seek another shelter. Father Crespel's 
 hut being smaller, might, when dug out of the deep snow, be 
 more easily kept heated. 
 
 Nothing was more heart-rending to view than the dismal 
 procession which took place on the removal to the small hut ; 
 the less broken-down of the seamen loading on their shoulders 
 Messrs, de Senneville and Vaillant, jr., whose flesh was falling to 
 pieces, whilst Le Vasseur, Basile and Foucault, whose limbs 
 had been frozen, dragged themselves on their knees and elbows. 
 
 On the 17th March, their familiar, death, ended the suffer- 
 ings of Basile ; and on the 19th Foucault, who was youthful and 
 athletic, closed his career after a frightful agony. The fes- 
 tering sores of the survivors were wrapped up and bandaged with 
 the clothes taken from the dead bodies. Twelve days later, 
 Messrs, de Senneville and Vaillant's feet dropped off, and their 
 hands began to mortify ; Christian resignation at times made 
 room for despair. 
 
 On the 1st April, Leger, whilst reconnoitering in the direc- 
 tion where the bark canoe had been found concealed, captured 
 an Indian and his squaw, whom he escorted to the camp. These 
 were, the first human faces seen since they had left Pavillion 
 river, and Father Crespel, versed in Indian dialects, explained 
 the state of affairs to the savages, urging them with tears to go 
 and hunt for game for the party. The Indian solemnly pro- 
 mised. One, two, three days expired, and still no word of the 
 Indians. Leger and Father Crespel dragged themselves as far 
 as the wigwam, where they found to their utter consternation 
 that one of the canoes had disappeared. Misfortune having 
 sharpened their wits, the two walking skeletons yoked them- 
 selves to the remaining canoe, which they drew to their wig- 
 wam, fastening it securely to the door, so as to render the 
 escape of the owner from the island, impossible without visiting 
 the wigwam. 
 
 Alas ! no visitor came to them, except the dreaded and
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 119 
 
 familiar visitor death which successively carried off Le Vas- 
 seur, Vaillant, jr., aged sixteen, and de Senneville, aged twenty 
 years, son of a King's Lieutenant, at Montreal who had in his 
 youth been a page of Madame La Dauphine of France, and had 
 served in the Mousquetaires. 
 
 Having no more sick to look after, Father Crespel re- 
 assembled the survivors in council when it was resolved to quit 
 the funereal spot and to travel in a canoe. The frail craft in 
 custody was accordingly repaired smeared with fat ; rude 
 paddles were hewn in the woods, and the 21st of April fixed on, 
 as the day of departure. 
 
 Their commissariat consisted of the flesh of the hind leg of a 
 fox. It had been arranged that the juice alone of this meat, when 
 boiled, was to be served out that day to the famished mariners, 
 the flesh itself being reserved for the morrow ; but on the smell 
 of the cookery reaching their olfactory nerves, all ravenously 
 attacked and eat the meat, which disappeared in a trice. " Instead 
 of giving us strength, this surfeit weakened us. We awoke," 
 says Father Crespel, " next morning more debilitated, and what 
 was worse, without any food to fall back on." 
 
 Two days thus elapsed in hunger and despair ; death was 
 waited for as a welcome deliverer ; the famished men were re- 
 peating on the sea shore, the Litanies for the dead ; all at once 
 was heard the report of fire-arms. 
 
 It was, adds Father Crespel,, our friend, the Indian, who had 
 returned to ascertain what had become of his canoe. At this 
 juncture, the unfortunates dragged themselves towards the In- 
 dian, uttering pitiful cries, but the savage chose to consider him- 
 self deaf to all their entreaties, and shortly, took to his heels. 
 Father Crespel and Leger, though insufficiently shod, under the 
 sting of this new desertion, decided to give chase crossed over 
 Bescie (Sheldrake) river, and managed to close on the fugitive, 
 whose flight was retarded by the weight of a seven-years child 
 slung to his shoulders. The savage, to make safe his escape, 
 pointed out to them a spot in the woods, where, he said, he had
 
 120 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 stowed away a quarter of bear's meat, half cooked. All that 
 night was passed mutually watching one another. Next day 
 Father Crespel intimated to the Indian to conduct him to the 
 Indian encampment. The seven-years old Indian lad was 
 detained as a hostage, and placed on a sledge. Leger and 
 Father Crespel yoked themselves to it, whilst the big savage 
 walked before as their guide. After journeying on for three 
 miles, the party struck on the sea, and as this seemed the short- 
 est route, it was decided to go by water. The canoe could only 
 contain three persons Father Crespel, the Indian and his child. 
 Loud were the lamentations when the missionary got into the 
 canoe, after beseeching his companions to follow on foot along 
 the shore. 
 
 On the evening of that day, the savage induced Father 
 Crespel to land and make a fire, to which the Father acceded the 
 more readily that the wind was high, but having ascended a hum- 
 mock of ice to look round, the redskin took occasion of the coura- 
 geous father having his back turned, to fly into the woods with 
 his child. Nothing now remained for Father Crespel to complete 
 this chain of disaster, but death. Deserted by all around, the brave 
 missionary leaning on the barrel of his gun, poured out his sorrows 
 to God, and, as he says, recited the verses of the Book of Job. 
 Whilst thus engaged, he was joined by Leger, who, with eyes 
 swimming in tears, informed him that his comrade Furst had 
 fainted and fallen down on the snow some distance away, and 
 that he had been compelled to leave him to his fate. At that 
 instant, a gun-shot rent the air, in the direction of an opening in 
 the forest. Leger, still buoyed up with hope, pressed Father 
 Crespel to follow him. When in the act of entering the wood, 
 a second gun report was heard. Instead of firing off their own 
 muskets in reply, the Frenchmen advanced silently in the direc- 
 tion from whence came the sound, when soon they hit on a 
 clearing, in the centre of which stood the hut of an Indian chief, 
 with smoke issuing therefrom. The chief greeted them with 
 kind words, explaining to them that the singular conduct of the
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 121 
 
 Indian guide in running away from them was the effect of fear 
 of the scurvy, small-pox, and " bad air." 
 
 But where was poor Furst ! The missionary tempted the 
 Indian by an offer of his gun if he would go and fetch their 
 missing comrade. It was all in vain. Furst spent the night 
 lying on the snow, where God alone protected him from the in- 
 tense cold ; " as for us," says Father Crespel, " though under the 
 shelter of our hut, we suffered intolerably from the temperature, 
 and it was only on the morrow, when we were starting to meet 
 Furst, that he returned to us." 
 
 Two days more were allowed for recruiting, and mindful of 
 the solemn pledge given to return with help from those who 
 had remained at Pavillion River, they embarked on the 1st May 
 for Mingan. Father Crespel reached there in advance of the 
 others, having exchanged from the boat to a light canoe, which, 
 alone, he paddled the space of six leagues. M. Volant, the head 
 of the Mingan post, received his French compatriots with con- 
 siderate kindness. Not a moment was lost to hurry on relief to 
 the survivors of La Renommee. A large, well-equipped, and 
 amply provisioned boat, under the guidance of Mr. Volant, 
 shoved off, bearing also Father Crespel, Furst, and Leger. 
 
 On the craft nearing the Pavillion river, a volley was fired 
 by the crew ; instantly from the woods emerged four men, in 
 appearance more like savages; they knelt on the shore ex- 
 tending their suppliant hands towards the boat. The tenderest 
 care was taken of these walking skeletons. During the absence of 
 Father Crespel and party, these unfortunates had undergone in- 
 credible sufferings. Exposure, hunger, gangrene had succes- 
 sively decimated their numbers. Finally they had to face starva- 
 tion, after every expedient had been resorted to. The shoes of the 
 dead men were boiled in snow water and then roasted in embers 
 for food ; last of all, the fur breeches they had worn were boiled 
 and eaten ; a single pair remained when Mr. Volant arrived. 
 
 Thus reduced, the greatest caution was necessary to bring 
 them round. Strictest orders were given to regulate the supply
 
 122 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 of food for these exhausted stomachs. For all that, a native of 
 Brittany named Tenguy, died suddenly, whilst being helped to 
 a glass of brandy, and sudden joy produced insanity on another 
 named Tourillet. As for two of their comrades, Baudet and 
 Bonau, both natives of He de Rh6, their bodies began to smell. 
 Mr. Volant's boat was changed into an hospital, whilst those on 
 shore, set to digging graves for the twenty-one corpses, which 
 encircled the spot where the first detachment of the crew 
 of the French frigate had wintered. A modest cross was 
 raised to mark the place where these human beings had suffered 
 and resignedly closed their eyes in death. The boat then put 
 out to sea, hugging the shore and watching closely for any traces 
 of the small party who had entrusted their fortunes to the jolly- 
 boat. A few leagues from the spot where now stands the light- 
 house, lately kept by Mr. Ed. Pope,* Mr. Volant now discovered 
 two dead bodies on the strand ; close by, the fragments of a small 
 boat. These were the only remaining traces of the thirteen 
 men who had striven in the jolly-boat to keep company with 
 Captain de Freneuse and the long-boat, until they were lost 
 sight of on doubling, in a heavy sea, the south-west point of 
 Anticosti on the 2nd December, 1736. 
 
 This respected gentleman died at Anticosti, aged 82 years, on the 
 2nd July, 1871.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 123 
 
 CHAPTEE XV. 
 
 " THE VOICES OF THE SEA " A STORM WITHOUT WIND SOME 
 OF JACQUES CARTIER'S AND CHARLEVOIX'S TOUGH YARNS 
 THE LEGENDARY LORE OF THE ST. LAWRENCE LE BRAIL- 
 LARD DE LA MAGDELEINE. 
 
 MY return trip from Anticosti, in 1843, was marked by a singular 
 incident a heavy swell without a breath of wind. The " Breeze " 
 having no headway, would not steer, and rolled helplessly in the 
 trough of the sea ; so much at times, that one might have expected 
 her masts to snap like reeds a most radiant sunshine during all 
 this while. No noise caught the ear except certain low mutter- 
 ings in the distance, which chimed in mournfully with the creak- 
 ing of the yards as the vessel rose and fell to the billows. A 
 school of whales, and some porpoises, disported themselves north 
 of us, the former spouting from their nostrils the briny surf. Did 
 these murmurings proceed from these leviathans of the deep ? It 
 recalled those " mysterious noises of the ocean " so exquisitely 
 described by Chateaubriand, and likened by him to the voices of 
 birds : " Ces oiseaux avaient des voix extraordinaires, comme 
 celles qui sortent de mers. Si 1'ocean a sa Flore, il a aussi sa 
 Philomele ; lorsqu'au coucher du soleil le courlis siffle sur la 
 pointe d'un rocher, et que le bruit des vagues I'accompagne, c'est 
 une des harmonies les plus plaintives que Ton puisse entendre." 
 It was not, however, 
 
 A wild, promiscuous sound, 
 Like broken thunders that at distance roar, 
 Or billows murmuring on the hollow shore.
 
 124 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 The eccentric Thoreau depicts thus, those peculiar utterings 
 of old Ocean which are at times heard in the midst of a calm or 
 before a storm : 
 
 " The sounds which the ocean makes must be very signifi- 
 cant and interesting to those who live near it. When I was 
 leaving the shore at this place (Cape Cod) the next summer, and 
 had got a quarter of a mile distant, ascending a hill, I was star- 
 tled by a certain loud sound from the sea, as if a large vessel were 
 letting off steam by the shore, so that I caught my breath and felt 
 my blood run cold for an instant, and I turned about expecting 
 to see one of the Atlantic steamers thus far out of her course> 
 but there was nothing unusual to be seen. There was a low bank 
 at the entrance of the hollow, between me and the ocean, and 
 suspecting that I might have risen into another stratum of air 
 in ascending the hill, which had wafted to me only the ordinary 
 roar of the sea, I immediately descended again, to see if I lost 
 hearing of it ; but without regard to my ascending or descending, 
 it died away in a minute or two, and yet there was scarcely any 
 wind all the while. The old man said that this was what they 
 called the ' rut,' a peculiar roar of the sea before the wind 
 changes, which, however, he could not account for. He thought 
 that he could tell all about the weather from the sounds which 
 the sea made. 
 
 " Old Joselyn, who came to New England in 1638, has it 
 among his weather signs that ' the resounding of the sea from 
 the shore, and murmuring of winds in the woods, without ap- 
 parent wind, sheweth wind to follow.' 
 
 " Being on another part of the coast one night since this, I 
 heard the roar of the surf a mile distant, and the inhabitants said 
 it was a sign that the wind would work round east, and we should 
 have rainy weather. The ocean was heaped up somewhere at the 
 eastward, and this roar was occasioned by its effort to preserve its 
 equilibrium, the wave reaching the shore before the wind. Also 
 the captain of a packet between this country and England told 
 me that he sometimes met with a wave on the Atlantic coming
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 125 
 
 against the wind, perhaps in a calm sea, which indicated that at 
 a distance the wind was blowing from an opposite quarter, but 
 the undulation had travelled faster than it. Sailors tell of ' tide- 
 rips ' and 'ground-swells,' which they suppose to have been 
 occasioned by hurricanes and earthquakes, and to have travelled 
 many hundreds, and sometimes even two or three thousand miles." 
 (Cape Cod Thoreau p. 39.) 
 
 How many thousand miles away was brisk Eurus stirring up 
 his domain ? and this inexplicable tide-rip, or ground-swell, from 
 whence had it travelled ? 
 
 The caption to this chapter leads the reader to expect, inter 
 alia, some t " tough yarns " from old travellers ; the reader must 
 not be disappointed. 
 
 Charlevoix, the historian, relates that Jacques Cartier, on the 
 15th May, 1534, on visiting the Bird Eocks elsewhere described, 
 had an encounter with * " a white bear of the size of a cow, who 
 sprang into the sea on seeing Cartier's boats. The day after, the 
 great discoverer captured Bruin whilst swimming near the coast 
 of Newfoundland fourteen leagues distant ! " Heugh ! what a 
 swim ! Leander's feat on the Hellespont was a mere joke to 
 this ; the Arctic stranger may also have been swimming for love ! 
 Who dares deny ? This seems tough, but what Charlevoix says 
 of the flesh and habits of the Canadian horned owl is even more 
 so. 
 
 " This bird," f says he, " is good eating, many prefer his flesh 
 
 De la il (Cartier) remonta au nord, et gagna des iles qu'il appela dans 
 ses Me"moires, les lies aux Oiseaux. Elles sont e"loigne"es de Terreneuve de 
 quatorze lieues, et il fut bien surpris d'y voir un ours blanc, de la grosseur 
 d'une vache, qui avait fait ce trajet a la nage. Des que cet animal cut 
 apercu les chaloupes qui allaient a terre, il se jetta a la mer et le lendemain 
 Cartier 1'ayant remontre* assez pres de Terreneuve, le tua et le prit." [Hist. 
 Nouvelle France, Vol. I, p. 8.) 
 
 j- La chaire du Chat-Huant Canadien est bonne a manger, et bien des 
 gens la pref erent a celle de la Poule . . . Sa provision pour Thyver sont 
 des Mulots, auxquels il casse les pattes, et qu'il engraiss et nourrit avec soin, 
 jusqu'a ce qu'il en ait besoin." (JLettre de Charlevoix a la Duchesse de Let 
 Diguerea, 1721.)
 
 126 CHKONICLES OF THE ST. LA WHENCE. 
 
 to that of chickens. He lives in winter on ground-mice, which he 
 has caught in the previous fall, breaking their legs first (a most 
 useful precaution, to prevent their escape) and then fattens them 
 up with care, for his daily use.'' This, no doubt, is pushing to 
 its extreme limits, the privilege of great travellers. 
 
 I, for one, will unhesitatingly claim the right of accepting 
 this tf white bear story " and owl anecdote, as the French- 
 man aptly says, sous bdn<!/ice d'inventaire. At page 16 of 
 Charlevoix's Histoire de la Nouvelle France, we find something 
 else very spicy. Every one is aware of the popular tradition 
 which goes to explain the ungainly appearance of the Esquimaux 
 tribe, viz., that the Esquimaux are the offspring of two seals, who, 
 having become tired of the liquid element, resolved, like Captain 
 Cuttle, to spend the remainder of their lives on shore, and in 
 their old age had several children who had lost all taste for the 
 sea, and became the ancestors of the Esquimaux. This is start- 
 ling enough with regard to our unctuous, oleaginous, and aromatic 
 brethren of the far North, but the peculiar organization which 
 Jacques Cartier lends them, is still more worthy of note. Cartier 
 was told by Donacona that there existed in a distant land (noth- 
 ing like distance to lend enchantment to objects), human beings 
 who did not eat, but seemed to live by what they drank (Neal 
 Dow has discovered many such, even in our own country); that 
 in another place the men had but one leg, a very large one ; one 
 arm, with two hands on it and a variety of other peculiarities 
 of lively interest to Professor Owen and comparative anatomy. 
 But revenons a nos moutons : the " storm of calm," as our 
 captain called the troubled state of the waters without wind, 
 lasted a few hours, during all which the brightest of noonday 
 suns lit up the scene. The currents and winds wafted us then 
 higher up than Little Fox River, and we anchored close to the 
 River Magdeleine, so famous for its wild legends amongst the 
 seafaring people at Gaspe.. 
 
 The " Breeze " was riding at anchor in the vicinity of the 
 spot where the famous Braillard de la Magdeleine was heard dur- 
 ing the great storms which sweep the coast.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 127 
 
 Before setting forth the version which an old dame a second 
 Bessie Millie,* and who also possibly " helped out her subsistence 
 by selling favorable winds to mariners " gave us, on landing, I 
 shall quote from the Soirees Canadiennes for October, 1861, the 
 humorous description of the Braillard, by our late and lamented 
 friend, the historian of Canada, Abbe" Ferland. 
 
 " We are opposite the Eiver Magdeleine, famous in the 
 chronicles of the country for ghost stories connected with it. 
 
 " Where is the Canadian sailor, familiar with this coast, who 
 has not heard of the plaintive sounds and doleful cries uttered by 
 the Braillard de la Magdeleine? Where would you find a 
 native seaman who would consent to spend a few days by him- 
 self in this locality, wherein a troubled spirit seeks to make known 
 the torments it endures ? Is it the soul of a shipwrecked mari- 
 ner asking for Christian burial for its bones, or imploring the 
 prayers of the Church for its repose ? Is it the voice of the 
 murderer condemned to expiate his crime on the very spot which 
 witnessed its commission? . . For it is well known that 
 Gaspe" wreckers have not always contented themselves with 
 robbery and pillage, but have sometimes sought concealment and 
 impunity by making away with victims, convinced that the 
 tomb is silent and reveals not its secrets. Or else, is this the 
 celebrated Devil's Land mentioned by the cosmographer Thevet, 
 where, according to him, Eoberval (in 1542) abandoned his niece, 
 la Demoyselle Marguerite with her lover and with her old Nor- 
 man Duenna. The ancient chronicler places this land somewhere 
 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and relates that after the death of 
 her two companions, the Lady Marguerite had to contend with 
 devils, who, under the disguise of white bears, tried to frighten 
 her with their claws and their growls. On this legendary topic, 
 Thevet might have found a match in one of our sailors, who 
 certainly knew naught of the Lady Marguerite, but was particu- 
 larly well posted in all matters referring to the Braillard de la 
 Magdeleine. He felt ill at ease in this neighborhood, and 
 
 Waverley Novels The Pirate.
 
 128 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 whistled for wind, were it even contrary : anything to him seemed 
 preferable to remaining in the vicinity of the Braillard." (Log 
 of the schooner Sarah, during her trip from Quebec to Gaspd 
 in 1836. Abbt Ferland.) 
 
 On the other hand, the resident cicerone thus held forth : 
 "An awful shipwreck once occurred at this place. A father and 
 mother, amongst crowds of others, here found a watery grave. 
 Their infant son, by some miraculous interposition of his guar- 
 dian angel, was safely washed ashore." Whether in this case the 
 guardian angel assumed the form of a Newfoundland dog, or 
 the more orthodox appearance of a winged cherub, tradition has 
 failed to say. " The darling boy was safely landed on the pebbly 
 beach, and soon made it vocal with his grief and moans for the 
 loss of his best friends. His infant waitings blended with the 
 swelling storm, struck the ear of some belated fisherman whose 
 boat was passing the entrance of the .River Magdeleine. Hence 
 the name ' Le Braillard Magdeleine.' The noise is still heard 
 in stormy weather, and may be explained either by the action of 
 the surf rolling into one of the many hollow caverns along the 
 Gaspe* coast, and which has astonished all observers, or by shelv- 
 ing rocks over which it moans, like an unquiet spirit. It would, 
 however, be doing an injustice to my venerable and pious cicerone 
 were I to conceal the fact that she admitted, albeit hesitatingly, 
 that the meanings of the ' Braillard ' might be caused by the action 
 of high winds on two large pines which overhang a neighboring 
 cape, and whose trunks grate ominously on one another. Alas 
 alas ! for the marvellous ! The Abbe* Casgrain tells a tale about 
 the Braillard des lies de la Magdeleine, in which a bad priest 
 became, through grief, reduced to a skeleton, for having refused 
 to christen a child, who subsequently died unbaptized, and was 
 heard to moan constantly afterwards." Gentle reader, you have 
 your choice of these explanations. 
 
 [Here closes our Nautical Journal for 1871. Two summers 
 will elapse ere we resume our pleasant peregrinations in 
 the kingdom of herring and cod.]
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 129 
 
 CHArTEK XVI. 
 
 THE ISLE OF Miscou ITS EARLY HISTORY FISHERIES GAME 
 LIGHT HOUSES, &c. ONE OF CHAMPLAIN'S FISHY 
 STORIES THE GOUGOU. 
 
 " With deep affection, 
 
 And recollection, 
 
 I often think of the Chaleur Bay ; 
 
 Whose river wild, would, 
 
 In age or childhood, 
 
 Cast round men's fancies, its magic sway." 
 
 (After Father Front's Shandon Bells.) ARCHIE PELL. 
 
 " On board the G. P. S. " Secret Sept. 1873." 
 
 BAIE dES CHALEURS has not only its teeming salmon rivers, 
 Cacapedia, Bonaventure, Port Daniel, Eestigouche, etc., many 
 picturesque headlands, storm-beaten capes, enchanted islands 
 sleep on the heaving bosom of its waters. Of the latter class, is 
 the island of Miscou* at the entrance of the bay ; its early chron- 
 icles teem with the marvellous history of its fresh water spring, 
 gushing amid ocean ; its land and sea monsters ; its well authen- 
 ticated traditions of war, famine and human suffering. It also pre- 
 sents a most conspicuous landmark, and harbors of refuge for the 
 bay fishermen, caught on the banks by a north-east storm. It lies 
 contiguous to the dreaded Orphans' Bank, so famous under 
 French domination for its codfish, in size ranking nearly as 
 high as that of the great banks of Newfoundland. Miscou also 
 has its record of wrecks ; a memorable marine disaster occurred 
 here as early as the 31st Oct., 1685, the loss at Pointe aux 
 Bouleaux, of the French ship carrying the Intendant de Meulles. 
 Here, at this point, our Government has constructed an octa. 
 gonal wooden tower crowned by a red light ; three hundred and 
 
 * I am indebted to Mr. Faucher's work for several particulars concernii.g 
 Miscou. 
 
 I
 
 130 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 twenty-one feet to the east, may be seen a powerful steam fog- 
 whistle which during thick weather arid snow storms, sounds its 
 note of alarm twice per minute at intervals of twenty-five 
 seconds, with a duratiin of five seconds. On the western side 
 of Miscou, blazes forth another beacon for mariners, a white 
 light which takes two minutes to revolve. Frail fishing cob- 
 bles, unable to return through stress of weather to the north- 
 eastern side of the bay, before losing hope, try to catch the 
 point of Miscou ; should they miss, a watery grave awaits the 
 crew. Of late the island has been shorn of prestige, population 
 and importance. 
 
 At present the finny tribes frequenting its shores hardly 
 suffice to keep life and soul together in about a dozen of fam- 
 ilies located there, even with the adventitious profit accruing 
 from the rich harvest of wild hay grown on its saline beaches. 
 More than a century back, a Jesuit missionary wrote to his 
 Superior : " The soil of Miscou is poor ; its supply of fresh 
 water is unwholesome ; its trees are dwarfed stunted * 
 compared to those of the mainland, but it swarms with hares, 
 grouse, and formerly it contained moosedeer (lans\ but they 
 have since all been destroyed. It is remarkable for its vast mea- 
 dows which the tide daily overflows, and for its game." " The 
 soil," adds Deny, " quakes under one's feet for fifty yards all 
 round you ; here sojourns cranes, white geese, thrushes (grives), 
 like those of France; here the Canada goose (outarde) in- 
 cubates and nestles in security during the mantling season of 
 spring." The old Governor of the Maritime Provinces, it 
 would seem, made a singular discovery here, in one of his ex- 
 ploring expeditions. 
 
 " A few hundred yards from the beach there spurts from the 
 briny sea a gush of fresh water as big as your two fists, which 
 
 * In early times, a gunner who had charge of some powder accidentally 
 set fire to it : the conflagration spread : the woods were soon in a blaze. 
 The fishery failed the next year. (Deny.)
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 131 
 
 retains its freshness for a space of twenty yards without in any 
 wise blending with the surrounding salt liquid, either at high 
 or low tide. The fishermen come there in boats to fill their 
 casks and draw it up as if it were from the reservoir of a foun- 
 tain ; at this singular spot, at low tide, the sea is but one fathom 
 in depth ; it is surrounded by water as salt as that of the rest of 
 the ocean." The truthfulness of Governor Deny's narrative has 
 been vouched for to me by seafaring people frequenting these 
 shores ; " and more than one," says Mr. Faucher, " has told me 
 of his having drunk from Governor Deny's spring." 
 
 In early days Miscou was a post of importance, and gave 
 its name to the surrounding districts of Miscou. It comprised 
 all the Indian tribes of Gaspesia, of Miramichi, and of the 
 Nipisiguit. De la Ealde in 1627, and Desdames had been in 
 command, and Deny had erected here a habitation where he 
 had planted " many peach and other stone-fruit trees, together 
 with the grape vine ; they all thrived." But the spirit of 
 discord, rife among the Acadian magnates, reached even here ; 
 d'Aulnay de Charnisay destroyed this flourishing settlement in 
 one day. 
 
 Labor and fishing establishments had made of Miscou a spot 
 advantageously known all over New France. During the open 
 season of summer, a regular packet, the ship Ange Gardien, plied 
 between Miscou and Quebec. The summer months were spent 
 in fishing and trading ; each fall, the fishing crafts returned to 
 France ; in the spring, the catch of the autumn previous was sent 
 from France to Quebec, the population of the city being too 
 scanty to furnish men for this branch of commerce. Miscou, 
 shorn of its inhabitants in the fall, assumed a solitary and sullen 
 aspect with the approach of winter ; a few fishermen remained 
 in charge of the buildings, and during the cold and murky nights 
 of December the sparse residents had to encounter foes more 
 terrible yet than desertion. Champlain has traced the horrors of 
 the winter of 1627, when from November to April following, 
 more than eight feet of snow fell, at Miscou. De la Ealde that 
 year had left behind a few Frenchmen to trade off some goods he
 
 132 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 was unwilling to bring back to France ; these unfortunates 
 nearly all died of scurvy. The next year was not more auspi- 
 cious for the settlement. One morning David Kertk's ship of war, 
 the Vicaille, anchored near the island, and took possession of the 
 house, coasting craft and small boats of the place. On the return 
 of Miscou with Quebec, by the English to France, in 1632, the 
 banner of the " Hundred Partners," whose fleet fished or traded 
 from Cape Breton to Tadousac, again floated over the lonely, but 
 prolific, shores of Miscou. 
 
 This branch of commerce and brisk business had induced 
 the Jesuits to found, in 1635, the mission of Saint Charles, in 
 the island Saint Louis de Miscou. Innumerable savage hordes 
 brought here, each spring, for barter, their packages of furs ; here 
 these fleets of light canoes rendezvoused previous to levying 
 war against the Birsimis Indians of the North Shore ; here, they 
 sought shelter from the deadly and ubiquitous Iroquois ; here, 
 indeed, existed the seed for an abundant harvest of souls, which 
 was reaped by zealous missionaries. Fathers Charles Turgis 
 and Charles du Marche* were sent to look after the spiritual 
 welfare of twenty-three Frenchmen, the nucleus of a missionary 
 settlement ; but physical suffering was about the only occupation 
 of these poor people, says the Relations of 1647. Disease and 
 famine decimated the settlement. Father du Marche* was obliged 
 to return to France. Father Turgis, for some time, fought the 
 unequal contest, consoling some, administering the last rites of 
 the Church to others, before committing them to the earth, after 
 death. He too, at last, had to give in; fatigue and malaria 
 brought him low. Before expiring, he buried the captain, the 
 clerk, the surgeon of the settlement, together with all the 
 officers and some nine laboring hands. Having prepared for 
 death the only sick man surviving, he yielded up in peace his 
 own brave spirit. (Relations of 1637.) 
 
 On the sad news of his end reaching Quebec, Fathers Jacques 
 de la Place and Nicholas Gondoin were sent to continue the 
 missionary labors of Father Turgis. They found the habitation
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 133 
 
 desolate ; the duty of removing the dead bodies from their 
 couches to their newly made graves devolved on the Indians ; the 
 French being too emaciated to do so. Some, of a more barbarous 
 turn of mind, seeing the universal ruin of all their hopes, wished 
 to pillage the store-houses, but the survivors, putting a good 
 face on things, arrested them in their evil designs. According 
 to the Relations, the Miscou mission was terrible to encounter. 
 Father Gondoin had to quit it, and Father Claude Quentin had 
 recovered his health there, after having to bury his assistant, a 
 lad he had with him. Father Jean Dolbeau lost there the use 
 of his limbs, and on his way to France in quest of more genial 
 air, the powder magazine of the ship which conveyed him having 
 ignited, " he was blown into heaven," quaintly says the Relations. 
 Father Andre" Kichard and Father de Lyonne could alone with- 
 stand the severity of the climate; they succeeded in getting up 
 a small church, which for a time seemed to prosper, but which 
 disappeared when the island was abandoned. 
 
 Miscou of old, we think ourselves safe in considering any- 
 thing but a genial place of abode ; not even to the most sanguine 
 fisher, was it an earthly paradise. In addition to its traditions 
 of sickness, desolation, death, war, and piracy, Champlain, the 
 great historiographer, peoples it with forms uncanny and unlovely, 
 calculated, if possible, to enhance the weird interest the spot 
 already possesses.* 
 
 * " II y a, disait-il, une chose Strange, digne de reciter, que plusieurs 
 sauvages ra'ont accuse" d'etre vraie ; c'est que proche de la Baie des Cbaleurs, 
 tirant au Sud, est une ile cm fait residence un monstre qui avait la forme 
 d'une femme mais fort effroyable, et d'une telle grandeur qu'ils me disaient 
 que le bout des mats de notre vaisseau ne lui fut pas venu jusqu'a la cein- 
 ture. Us le peignent grand : il a d4vore et devore beaucoup de sauvages 
 leequels il met dedans une grande poche, quand il peut les attraper, puis les 
 mange, et disaient ceux qui avaient evite le peril de cette malheureuse bete, 
 que sa poche- etait tellement grande qu'il y eut pu mettre notre vaisseau. 
 Ce monstre fait des bruits horribles devant cette ile, que les sauvages appel- 
 !ent le Gougou et quand ils en parlent ce n'est qu'avec une peur si etrange 
 qu'il ne se peut dire de plus et m'ont assure plusieurs 1'avoir vu. Meme le
 
 134 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 In sketching it, he winds up rather jocosely, we are inclined 
 to think, by marking it out as the headquarters of a Satanic 
 fiend a female devil, who delighted in torturing the sons of 
 men. 
 
 What was the female devil like ? 
 
 " Old Harry " has ever, from our tenderest years, to our 
 susceptible mind, typified a male devil ; that is admitted on all 
 hands to be bad enough, but what his lady, or any female mem- 
 ber of the brood might be, this we unhesitatingly admit to be 
 beyond our ken. According to the text of the illustrious dis- 
 coverer, a fearful monster, in shape and size like a female giant, 
 without, seemingly, the least affinity to fish, flesh, or fowl, haunt- 
 ed the humid margin of Miscou. The terror-stricken Indians knew 
 it as the " Gougou." Of its sex, in their minds, no uncertainty 
 existed it ranked under the feminine gender. Had it the trade- 
 mark of a Syren? Nothing indicates it had a tail, with those 
 womanly attractions sung by poets : 
 
 " Desinit in piscem, mulier formosa superne.'' 
 
 It was certainly amphibious ; sometimes, like that famed Syren, 
 the Goddess Calypso, it inhabited an island. Like Ulysses's 
 charmer, it was keen after men, red Indians especially ; not to 
 enlist them, however, as lovers, but merely as tit-bits for its 
 morning meal a bonne bouche previous, probably, to retiring 
 to the " Orphans' Bank," where a few porpoises, or an adult 
 whale, would constitute its dinner. From Champlain's testi- 
 mony, plainly it was an uncomely, nay, a repulsive monster 
 
 Sieur Prevert de Saint Malo, en allant a la decouverte des Mines, m'a dit 
 avoir passe ei proche de la demeure de cette effroyable bete que lui et tout 
 ceux de son vaisseau, entendaient les sifflements etranges des bruits qu'elle 
 f aisait et que les sauvages qu'il avait avec lui, lui dire que c'etait la mSnae be"te 
 et avaient une telle peur qu'ils se cachaient de toute part, craignant qu'elle 
 fut venu a eux pour les emporter." Je tiens, disait Champlain, en termi- 
 nant cette description du Gougou par cette reflexion pleine de logique, " que 
 1'ile soit la residence de quelque diable qui les tourmente de cette facon." 
 (Voyages de Champlain.)
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 135 
 
 un monstre effroyable and the founder of Quebec, the happy 
 spouse of the blooming He"lene Boule", the prettiest woman 
 in New France, was of an appreciative turn of mind. The 
 " Gougou," for all that, in shape resembled a woman " un 
 monstre qui avait la forme d'une femme, maisfort effroyable." 
 Had any one except those devoured ever been close enough to 
 the giantess to form a correct opinion ? We are again left in the 
 dark. A St. Malo miner, it is true, le Sieur Prevert, while 
 " prospecting for a pocket," had passed so close to the abode of the 
 monstre effroyable that he heard the extraordinary hissing, 
 sifflements dtranges, of the fiend. However, whilst thus in 
 quest of a " Big Bonanza," whether a pocket or a vein, le Sieur 
 Prevert, together with his ship's crew and some Indians, was 
 fortunate enough to escape a pocket he was not looking for, the 
 grande poche, great pocket, described by Charnplain as the 
 receptacle of Madame Gougou's booty. Sieur Prevert, be it re- 
 membered, was a miner, and unless his story had been corrobo- 
 rated to Champlain previously by Indians, we confess we would 
 be inclined, like the stories of other miners, to accept it, cum 
 grano. There is a fishy flavor about it, requiring many " grains 
 of salt " to render it palatable. 
 
 But again this Gougou haunts us. Where, then, was the 
 alleged resemblance to one of the softer sex ? The Gougou, we 
 are told, when seen by men, uttered " extraordinary hissings," 
 sifflements Granges. Will any one dare pretend it might not 
 have been a fashionable Syren Syrens, it is well known, are 
 most common on the sea shore showing off, before so many 
 Ulysses, her powerful staccato trills, like a Calypso, a fast girl 
 of that period, might be expected to do ? What, in verity, con- 
 stitutes a female " monstre effroyable " ? Did Madame Gougou, 
 out of her teens, sport high-heel shoes, a Grecian bend, a 
 crinoline like Mont Blanc, a chignon Alpine in its dimensions ? 
 Here again Plutonian darkness awaits us. 
 
 Still, in this age of inquiry and intellectual development, 
 shall we throw up the sponge and proclaim our inability to
 
 136 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 explain what sort of creature might be the Miscou Giantess, who 
 could swallow red Indians like shrimps or doughnuts ? Which 
 " missing link " would the venerable Darwin assign to it ? If it 
 was not a " mermaid fair," could it be 
 
 That great sea-snake under the sea, 
 who, 
 
 From his coiled sleeps in the central deeps, 
 Would slowly trail himself sevenfold ? 
 
 Or else, would it be a gigantic specimen of Victor Hugo's Devil 
 Fish (like the one recently found at Newfoundland) who still 
 lived in the popular mind, from the terror he had caused by 
 having drawn beneath the seething sea, to his slimy and deadly 
 embrace, some- noted Indian warrior, whilst bathing, etc. ? 
 
 Or else, again, shall we adopt the more probable theory, that 
 in Champlain's day a morose old sea-cow (the Morse) had 
 elected a domicile at Miscou ? It is well known that the Morse 
 inhabited the Magdalen Islands, close by, and other isles in the 
 St. Lawrence, until the end of the last century ; that their beaten 
 paths are visible to this day on the shores of the Magdalen Group. 
 Who will unravel the mystery ? Is it, therefore, a subject of 
 surprise that Miscou, with its far-reaching memories of scurvy, 
 suffering and death, its solitary, woodless marshes, for six months 
 in the year swept by the wintry blast, at all times fruitful in 
 malaria, with its Avernian, boiling spring, should have seemed 
 to the father of New France, a fitting symposium for a dreaded 
 giantess the Gougou ? For us, scudding past its shores, under 
 a lowering sky, with the equinoctiaf gale howling over our frail 
 steamer, which also carried to the God-forsaken land of Tracadie 
 a squad of close-shorn, devoted Trappist Monks, to take charge 
 of the Lazaretto, the island did appear as a not uncongenial tryst- 
 ing place, where the last of the order, an ascetic anchorite, made 
 holy by orisons, a long fast and fish diet, might, on one of those 
 " starless December nights " described by Champlain, have closed 
 creditably his Lenten tenure of life. Could not Campbell's 
 " Last Man " find on this forlorn isle many subjects of reflection 
 before bidding adieu to the sorrows of this sorrowful planet ?
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 137 
 
 CHAPTEE XVII. 
 
 ST. JOSEPH OF TRACADIE IN NEW BRUNSWICK ITS LAZARETTO 
 ITS LEPERS Is IT THE EASTERN PLAGUE ? THE KINGDOM 
 OF DEATH'S ELDEST DAUGHTER " DIAGNOSIS OF THE 
 DISEASE. 
 
 ON the marshy shores of the county of Gloucester, in New 
 Brunswick, fifty miles from Miramichi, twenty-five miles south 
 of Caraquet, there stands, close to a small stream, a village 
 bearing the name of the latter. Its aspect is sullen, lonely, 
 desolate in the extreme. On one side, the seething waters of the 
 Gulf of St. Lawrence, rarely enlivened by a sail ; on the other, 
 a low, naked, monotonous sea-shore, dotted here and there with 
 a few fishermen's huts. Even old Ocean, so grand at times, 
 seems here to have doffed some of her wonted majesty of mien. 
 Nakedness is the prevailing feature of the landscape : one would 
 fancy the hand of man, in general ready to adorn, has drawn 
 back in despair or disgust. The houses are poverty stricken ; 
 their roofs, dark, rude, thatched. Close by, the parish church 
 small inornate unassuming. Further on, a large, sombre 
 edifice, hideous to the eye, surrounded by a lofty fence of cedar 
 pickets. The uses to which the building is destined, we will 
 shortly explain. There is, in fact, about the whole landscape 
 the dwellings their inmates their surroundings, such a cold, 
 hopeless, all-pervading sense of dejectedness, that a traveller 
 journeying through this dismal country might be tempted to 
 exclaim : " Is not this place accursed ? " 
 
 Eightly so ; there is a curse on this spot : the "eldest daughter 
 of death," she of Holy Writ, has made it her sanctuary : this is 
 her undisputed kingdom the Kingdom of Death. Ask the
 
 138 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 frenzied inmates of yonder gloomy dungeon, if they do not think 
 so. 
 
 Reader, the funereal village we have just sketched is that of 
 Tracadie, and the lofty, gloom-pervading structure, with iron 
 bars* in the windows, like a prison, is the State Lazaretto, built 
 in 1847 : its inmates, the plague-stricken, incurable, doomed 
 lepers. 
 
 The Tracadie Lazaretto succeeded to that of Sheldrake was 
 an improvement on it such as it is. 
 
 Why such a structure ? 
 
 Public opinion in New Brunswick had been much agitated 
 painfully disturbed at the increasing, though concealed ravages 
 of a mysterious contagion, tracing not only to 1817, but much 
 beyond. In 1844, a medical commission recommended the opening 
 of a close hospital, on an island called Sheldrake, in the River 
 Miramichi. Here, the victims of the terrible malady were 
 gathered together, sometimes by force, and rigidly sequestrated 
 from all intercourse with the rest of human kind. Discipline 
 as well as religion, seem to have been strangers to this foul 
 receptacle of human misery. Every species of crime except 
 murder, blasphemy and despair were the familiars of the 
 hopeless captives, until some devoted nuns and fearless mission- 
 aries were allowed to comprise these loathsome victims within 
 the scope of their ministrations. Female heroism, whether it 
 comes before us under the guise of Florence Nightingale in the 
 fever-stricken hospitals of Scutari, or as a Hotel Dieu Nun* 
 amidst the incurable lepers of Tracadie, is equally welcome, 
 equally blessed. 
 
 Of all the hateful emanations from the bottomless pit, to 
 afflict poor mortality, leprosy seems to have been reckoned 
 one of the direst, the most insidious, the most inexorable. It 
 
 They have since been removed and a green lawn added round the 
 buildii.g. 
 
 The Hotel Dieu Nuns of Montreal, in 1868-9, accepted the charge 
 of nursing' the Tracadie lepers, and we recollect, about 1875, meeting on 
 the Gulf Port steamers, three Trappists, from the Trappist settlement in 
 Dorchester, bound on the same pious errand.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 139 
 
 would furnish a curious and not uninstructive study to follow 
 the march of the ancient and modern legislator intent on facing 
 the cruel malady. 
 
 In the middle ages, the leper was counted as dead, long before 
 the period of dissolution : he was even compelled to march to the 
 church, and in order to mark more unmistakably his isolation 
 from mankind, the church service for the dead was publicly 
 read, masses were said for the repose of his soul; and so that 
 the ceremony should be more impressive, a shovelful of earth 
 was scattered over his body. In France, under Louis VII., a 
 gallows stood in front of the Lepers' Lazarettos, which went by 
 the name of Leproseries. 
 
 The hangman's assistant was constantly on the spot to " tuck 
 up " any leper hardy enough to venture beyond the portals of 
 these accursed abodes. The Church, too, struck them off from the 
 communion of the faithful, so that they escaped the hangman's 
 hempen halter to prepare for the torments of the damned. The 
 prospect, it will be admitted, was not cheering. 
 
 Thanks to the writings and reports of Sir Arthur Hamilton 
 Gordon, (1) Lieut. -Governor of New Brunswick ; of theEev. Abbe* 
 Ferdinand Gauvreau, (2) for eighteen years Curd of Tracadie and 
 Chaplain of the Lazaretto ; of M. de Bellefeuille, (3) of several 
 eminent medical men charged by Government to investigate and 
 report on the origin, nature and cure of the mysterious plague 
 of Tracadie, there are at command, for those who choose to 
 investigate the subject, ample sources of information. 
 
 (1). Wilderness Journeys in New Brunswick in 1862-3, by His Excel- 
 lency the Honorable Arthur Hamilton Gordon. 
 
 (2). Letters in 1859, par le Rev. Ferdinand Gauvreau, Chaplain du 
 Lazaret, a un ami. 
 
 (3). Les Lepreux de Tracadie, par E. Lef . de Bellefeuille, Revue Cana- 
 dienne, 1870. 
 
 (4). Dr. Benson's Report, to Lieutenant- Governor of New Brunswick. 
 
 (5). Report on Leprosy, by the Royal College of Physicians, prepared by 
 Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies, with an Appendix, Lon- 
 don, 1867. 
 
 (6). Lieutenant- Governor Gordon's Letter to the Duke of Neuxastk, 1867.
 
 140 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 What is the origin and nature of the formidable disease 
 existing at Tracadie, for more than a century ? Is it really 
 leprosy, such as we read of in ancient days ? the unclean disease 
 of the Mosaic record ? Is it the elephantiasis of the Greeks ? 
 the elephantiasis of the Arabs ? asks Mr. de Bellefeuille, from 
 whom we have borrowed so much information. Is it the leucea 
 vitiligo of the Latins ? the leprosy of the middle ages ? psoria- 
 sis?, or is it merely an aggravated form of syphilis, intensi- 
 fied by bad treatment, or by external circumstances ? Such 
 questions are of the province of the Faculty. We do not belong 
 to the Faculty, and have but a qualified belief in all its dicta. 
 The greater number of medical men, we have been told, favor 
 the idea that the Tracadie plague is the elephantiasis of the Greeks. 
 
 Mr. de Bellefeuille, amongst others, furnishes some general 
 information on leprosy which, we think, is not inopportune. 
 
 Leprosy dates from the dawn of history. In the early ages, 
 it caused more stir than at present. We find it classed among 
 the punishments inflicted by God on erring men. Its external 
 manifestations were at all times so dreadful, so unmistakable 
 that several learned commentators on the sacred volume, have 
 striven to identify with leprosy, the indelible mark set by Om- 
 nipotence on the brow of the first murderer. The terror it 
 spread among nations is ascribable less to its hideous and de- 
 basing characteristics than to the general conviction that it was 
 incurable. Hence the wide spread idea that leprosy was a visi- 
 tation from the Divinity to chasten the wicked and try the 
 righteous. 
 
 This scourge appears to have been known long before the 
 Mosaic era : we find it first mentioned in the fourth Chapter of 
 EXODUS. God tells man to put his hand in his bosom, and when 
 he pulls it out, it is " leprous like snow "leprosus instar nivis. 
 This naturally supposes the characteristic symptoms of leprosy 
 must have been previously known. Moses might have seen it 
 in the country of Midian, where resided his father-in-law, Jethro. 
 Several able writers, Don Calmet, Marathon, Lysimacchus,
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 141 
 
 Molon, Appianus, Tacitus, Justinius, have stated, with various 
 circumstances, that the Jews came out of Egypt on account of 
 leprosy. What a terrifying visitation it must then have been ! 
 and it was to become, still more virulent forty years later on, in 
 the land of Canaan. Chapter XII. of LEVITICUS discloses the 
 aggravated malignity the disease was destined to attain forty 
 years later among the descendants of the Israelites, in the pro- 
 mised land. Several kinds are indicated. We have leprosy in 
 clothes, and the purifications attending it ; leprosy in the walls 
 of houses the fatal " red spots" ; and the interference of the 
 priests. The dwelling radically unclean was doomed to de- 
 struction, and the materials to be cast out of the city. 
 
 Don Calmet, in commenting on the Scriptures, prefaces LEVI- 
 TICUS with his explanatory notes. He assigns, as the agency of 
 disease and death, a multitude of small worms, located between 
 the skin and eating away the flesh, tendons, nerves, so as to 
 produce the symptoms observable in leprosy, closing his remarks 
 by stating that the venereal disease is a species of leprosy well 
 known to antiquity. At present, leprosy exists in Italy ; in Nor- 
 way ; in Turkey, in a village on the ^Egean Sea ; in the East 
 Indies ; it is found, as formerly, on the coast of Africa ; in the 
 Indian Archipelago. 
 
 Mr. de Bellefeuille noticed it in Jerusalem ; at Naplouse 
 (the ancient Samaria), at Damascus, where exists a Lepers' Laza- 
 retto, very badly kept supported by public contributions. 
 Charles Dana, in his New American Cyclopedia, notices its 
 presence in Tracadie and other points in America. 
 
 Leprosy, as we all know, was one of the trials sent to Job, 
 much to the scandal of the good man's wife, who thought 
 that it proved he had committed some great crime. Christ 
 more than once, in His mission of Mercy, heals lepers. 
 
 Herodotus, Eschines. Pliny, allude to leprosy amongst the 
 Persians, Greeks and Egyptians. Our space precludes us from 
 enlarging on this branch of the subject. 
 
 The first settlements on the Miramichi River, in New
 
 142 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Brunswick, took place shortly after the treaty of Utrecht in 1713, 
 by the French, chiefly Basque, Norman or Breton colonists. 
 Under the administration of Cardinal Fleury, strenuous efforts 
 were made to promote this enterprise, to that degree that a 
 French gentleman, Mr. de Beaubair, was sent out as Intendant 
 by France. He founded at the north-west entrance of the Mi- 
 ramichi river a small town which still bears his name : the island 
 facing the town, also known as Beaubair Island, was strongly 
 fortified : old residents still talk of a foundry thereat, for 
 pieces of artillery workshops and shot, and shell factories. 
 
 During the year 1757, the Miramichi settlements were sorely 
 afflicted in consequence of the war raging between England and 
 France, which quite paralyzed their fish and fur trade : the en- 
 suing winter, a famine carried off a number of the inhabitants. 
 
 Two transports loaded with supplies were sent to their re- 
 lief ; they fell in the clutches of the English cruizers round 
 Louisbourg. 
 
 When matters were at their lowest ebb for the French 
 settlers, a French vessel from Morlaix, the Indienne, was 
 stranded at the entrance of the Miramichi river close to the 
 little stream of Wind Bay, corrupted into Wine Bay ; this was 
 during the fall of 1758. Tradition adds, that, previous to enter- 
 ing American waters, the Indienne had been engaged in the 
 Levant trade, and had on board some packages of old clothes, 
 shipped at Smyrna. On the vessel breaking up, these old garments 
 floated ashore ; the poor fishermen thanked Providence for this 
 windfall, alas ! and therewith, clad their nakedness. Other ac- 
 counts connect the breaking out of the plague with the inter- 
 course of the Indienne'a crew with the natives, whose hospi- 
 tality is well known, and who thus unwittingly received in ex- 
 change for their generous relief, the direst of diseases as an 
 inmate of thefr homes. Be this as it may, it is certain that 
 about this time, first broke out the awful malady amongst the 
 half-starved fishermen. The contagion especially preyed on the 
 town of Beaubair ; the Tntendant, Mr. Beaubair, falling one of
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 143 
 
 the first victims ; so that between famine and sickness no less 
 than eight hundred inhabitants died and were buried at Pointe 
 Beaubair. The survivors fled from Miramichi : some went to 
 Prince Edward Island ; the greater number sought an asylum on 
 the western coast of the gulf, and founded new settlements, such 
 as that of Niguamech, Tracadie, Pockmouche; they also swelled 
 the population of Caraquet. For more than eighty years after, 
 though leprosy was known to exist in these obscure and distant 
 localities, it caused little alarm. In 1817, the death of an un- 
 fortunate, Marie Ursule Landry, drew attention to the ravages of 
 the fell destroyer. How was the disease propagated ? No one 
 can tell, replies Lieut. -Governor Gordon. 1st. It can scarcely be 
 considered as hereditary, since in the same family, father and 
 mother may be lepers and their children, clean, whilst in others, 
 the contagion attacks the children and spares the parents ; such 
 was the case in 1856-7. A woman named Domitilde Brideau, 
 wife of Francois Robichaud, was so foul with leprosy that her 
 whole person seemed a mass of corruption. She gave birth to a 
 daughter, whom she suckled; death shortly after closed the 
 career of the mother in the hospital. The daughter remained free 
 of any taint, resided three years at the hospital, from whence she 
 was removed. She has since grown to womanhood, got married, 
 has become a mother ; her children are hale and well. Many 
 such instances might be adduced. 2nd. Is the disease conta- 
 gious ? What is witnessed does not seem to favor that view. 
 In some families the husband is a leper ; his wife is free from 
 the taint, and vice versa in others. 
 
 There is now living in Tracadie a man named Francois Eobi- 
 chaud, who was thrice married; his two first wives died of 
 leprosy ; the third is now in hospital. He himself is in perfect 
 health and free from the disease. In some families one or two 
 of the children are lepers the rest are clean. A woman em- 
 ployed to wait on the lepers, remained in the hospital eight 
 years, eating and drinking with them, and she escaped the conta- 
 gion. We have seen her several times ; she is free from leprosy.
 
 144 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 The laundress who washes the clothes of the sick has been liv- 
 ing in the hospital the two last years, and has not caught the 
 infection. It has happened in several cases that persons sus- 
 pected wrongly of being lepers had been forcibly retained in the 
 Lazaretto several years; when let out, they never afterwards 
 exhibited any symptoms of leprosy. 
 
 The lepers now in the Lazaretto are unanimous in asserting 
 they caught the disease by sleeping in the same bed in which 
 lepers had slept, or eating and drinking with them. 
 
 Shall we then conclude that God scourges with leprosy those 
 whom it pleases Him to afflict ? 
 
 I am strongly inclined to believe that food and improper diet 
 have much to do with leprosy. The poverty amongst the Tra- 
 cadie fishermen is extreme : there are scarcely amongst them 
 ten families who can afford to procure bread : they are all sea- 
 faring or fishermen, and subsist entirely on fish, herrings, potatoes 
 and turnips. Vapour baths, arsenical preparations, in many 
 instances have mitigated the violence of the disease, and afforded 
 temporary relief. 
 
 In 1849-50, a celebrated French physician established at 
 Dalhousie, Dr. LaBillois, treated the Tracadie lepers for sixteen 
 months, and pretended to have cured ten of them, viz., J. Gou- 
 thiau, Chs. Comeau, T. Brideau, A. Benoit, L. Sonier, Ed. Vien- 
 neau, Madame A. Sonnier, M. Sonnier, Madame Ferguson, 
 Melina Lavoie.- " The entire of the above cases," adds Dr. La- 
 Billois, " are now quite well, and the treatment I adopted was 
 entirely for syphilitic disease, thus establishing without any 
 doubt the true nature of the disease." (Dr. LaBillois's Report, 
 1850.) 
 
 However, on glancing over the Report of the Health Com- 
 mittee, of which Hon. James Davidson was secretary, one notices 
 that all these patients re-entered the hospital and died there, 
 with the exception of two, who died in their own dwellings. Of 
 the third, Dr. Gordon, of Bathurst, wrote : " The disease is 
 making slow progress, but it is still going on to a fatal terinina-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 145 
 
 tion. We do not believe that the lepers in the Lazaretto either 
 exceed sixty in number at any one time." 
 
 His Excellency Governor Gordon most graphically describes 
 the heart-rending scenes which took place occasionally, when 
 the individuals bearing the symptoms of leprosy were forcibly 
 marked out for the Lazaretto, and ejected forever from the family 
 circle : one day it was a mother rudely torn from the uplifted 
 arms of her tender, unresisting offspring ; the next, it was a wife 
 or husband, apparently in health and full of vigor, but plague- 
 stricken, in reality bidding one another an eternal adieu. 
 You might also see helpless childhood violently and remorse- 
 lessly thrust in the living tomb, known as the Lazaretto, that 
 inexorable prison, on whose cold portals ought to have been 
 inscribed the words of Dante's Inferno : " He who once enters 
 here, leaves hope outside." 
 
 When the victim was refractory, he was mercilessly struck 
 with sticks, felled like a wild beast, bound with cords, and 
 dragged to the Lazaretto, for who would dare touch a leper ! 
 
 In a letter addressed to a friend, and re-published by Mr. E. 
 Lef. de Bellefeuille in the Revue Canadienne, for 1870, the 
 respected almoner of the Tracadie Lazaretto, .Rev. Ferdinand 
 Gauvreau, thus describes leprosy as he had seen it in over one 
 hundred cases during his ministrations, that is above eighteen 
 years : " Once the disease has laid hold of a new subject, its action 
 is so insidious, so underhand, that for a long time, perhaps two, 
 four or more years, the doomed man notices no change either in 
 his daily wants or bodily habits ; slumber to him is just as balmy, 
 as sweet ; digestion goes on regularly ; breathing, as freely as 
 heretofore. But, alas ! and may Almighty God have mercy on 
 him ! he is but a leper ! the deadly virus is in him ! There it lies 
 in wait, ready to spring forth at any moment. The fiend, like a 
 venomous adder, will be on him as soon as it will awake. At 
 the beginning of the malady, the skin soon loses its healthy 
 and natural color, the complexion, its freshness and brilliancy ; a 
 death-like, morbid white color covers the victim from head to 
 
 E
 
 146 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 foot. One would imagine the relentless malady had got hold of 
 the mucous membranes and taken the place of the fluids necessary 
 to the vital functions. 
 
 Without going so far as to assert whether eastern leprosy 
 has ever manifested other outward symptoms, it is undeniable 
 that the Tracadie disease, at least in its rudimentary stage, 
 assumes all the external marks of the eastern leprosy, I mean 
 the unnatural whiteness of the skin. This, in the second stage, 
 turns to a faint yellow ; in the third or last stage, it changes 
 to a dark violet-red, or deepens even sometimes into a greenish 
 hue. The disease cannot then be mistaken. 
 
 Nay, the inhabitants of Tracadie, as well as myself, have 
 become so familiarized with this precursory symptom of leprosy 
 that, on the sole appearance of the whiteness of the skin, we 
 make sure of the presence of the scourge : seldom are we wrong. 
 One case of death only that of Cyrille Austin, occurred in 
 what I term the first stage. All the other cases before ending 
 fatally, went through the second and third stages. Let us now 
 follow, if possible, step by step, the dire infection. 
 
 At first, the poor victim is a prey to a devouring fever, with 
 trembling all over a rigidness and weakness in every joint a 
 weight on the chest as if oppressed by a violent sorrow a rush 
 of blood to the head lassitude drowsiness a sense of lone- 
 liness, and other very disagreeable sensations', which lepers 
 have often described to me, but some of which have escaped 
 from my memory. The whole nervous system is thus affected 
 with a complete insensibility to pain, to that degree, that a sharp 
 instrument, like a needle or the blade of a knife, stuck in the 
 fleshy parts, or even through the cartilages and tendons of the un- 
 fortunate leper, cause him no pain whatever. What is more, the 
 leper could calmly place his arm or his leg in a blazing pitch or 
 wood fire without enduring any pain whatever, even after the 
 member was entirely consumed. He might even in that state 
 doze off, and sleep as placidly as if he were on a comfortable bed. 
 Gradually, however, says Mr. Gauvreau, this unnatural white-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWBENCE. 147 
 
 ness of the skin wears off to make room for spots more or less 
 large, of a light yellowish hue ; in some individuals, these spots 
 are not broader than a dollar. When of that size, they come out 
 symmetrically and at intervals corresponding between each 
 other, either on the arms, on the shoulders, or on the limbs,- 
 more often on the chest. These spots at first are more or less 
 distant from one another, but, as the virus permeates the vital 
 parts, they get contiguous to one another, and, when all united, 
 they end by converting the body of the leper into a mass of cor- 
 ruption. Then follows the swelling of all the limbs the tume- 
 faction of every part of the body from head to foot ; and when 
 these swellings have attained their maximum, the skin bursts, to 
 allow the escape of purulent ulcers, disgusting and repulsive to 
 the last degree. The whole skin gets stretched, and ..emits a 
 slimy perspiration something like varnish. The skin between 
 the index and thumb, withdraws ; the extreme points of the fin- 
 gers and toes get very diminutive, and occasionally some joints 
 fall off unawares, and painless to the victim. The noblest por- 
 tion of the human body that created to the image of God the 
 face equally with other parts suffers. The features swell and bulge 
 out. The chin, the cheeks and the ears are covered with tuber- 
 cles hard and red, as large as a large pea ; the eyes, half pro- 
 truded from their sockets, get covered with a species of cataract, 
 which, in some subjects, end in total blindness. Such is the con- 
 dition of one of the patients at the present moment. The skin 
 of the forehead swells and thickens, and in some instances 
 assumes a leaden hue, which occasionally pervades the whole 
 face ; in some cases, it turns to red, possibly as the bilious, the 
 sanguine or the lymphatic temperament, predominates. A face 
 previously remarkable for its comeliness and dignity will get full 
 of gashes deep ridges ; the lips form two purulent ulcers, the 
 upper one swollen and upturned towards the nose, which has 
 disappeared, and the lower lip hanging on the chin, shiny and 
 lustred by swelling. Can anything be imagined more hideous ? 
 In some subjects, the lips are contracted and turned up like
 
 148 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the mouth of a purse drawn together with a string. This de- 
 formity, adds the Kev. Mr. Guillemin, is the worst of all, since 
 it precludes the victim from receiving Holy Communion, which 
 many long for. The malady runs its course of destruction in the 
 interior of the victim. At last, it settles in the larynx and all 
 its bronchial ramifications. So great is the disturbance caused 
 here, that the miserable patient can find no rest in any position 
 he dares assume. His breathing resembles a sharp wheezing ; 
 it becomes so laborious that he fears to choke at every moment ; 
 death by strangulation would be welcome. Having myself wit- 
 nessed some of these death-bed scenes, I should not like to see 
 any more. Spare me a detailed account of this insuperable 
 agony ; my courage would fail me. Just imagine you see the 
 expiring leper making spasmodic movements horrible contor- 
 tions rushing anon to an open door for more air, and then 
 throwing himself on his couch. Hark to his furious yells his 
 lamentations, which would move the most savage heart his 
 frenzy his tears his despair, amidst exclamations " Oh God! 
 have mercy on me ! mercy ! oh, mercy ! " 
 
 At last, exhausted, worn out by the protracted struggle, he 
 chokes. All is over ! another Lazarus may have been taken to 
 the bosom of Abraham ! "
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 149 
 
 CHAPTEE XVIII. 
 
 DALHOUSIE ON A CIRCUS DAY GAMPBELLTON THE MICMACS 
 OF CROSS POINT. 
 
 DALHOUSIE, Aug. 14, 1873. 
 
 IT was our fate to see this little town rather under a cloud. 
 The railway navvies were thronging every hotel : a circus was 
 momently expected : everywhere reigned noise bustle, discoid 
 though a man in authority has told us, that at times the place is 
 quiet, even to dulness : he ought to know. 
 
 Dalhousie, N.B., with broad streets laid out at right angles, 
 is tastefully built on the slope of a fertile ridge. It seemingly 
 dates about half a century back to those peaceful, halcyon days 
 of the good Earl of Dalhousie, at one time Governor of Nova 
 Scotia on the 16th June, 1820, Governor General of Canada. 
 From him, it borrowed its name. During this half century, 
 striking changes have taken place. Where you might have seen, 
 fifty years ago, an Indian encampment on the green banks of the 
 Restigouche, now stands' a growing town of 110 families ; where 
 now flourish clustered birch bark wigwams, churches, bar-rooms, 
 piety and whiskey. Yes, bars and bar-rooms and many could you 
 count in 1873, from the timber cribs and piles of sawn lumber, on 
 the beach towards the heights, raising their blitheing heads 
 amongst the houses of the laboring class and the stores of the tra- 
 ders. I found it a pandemonium of tumult and noise. The railway 
 navvies shouted the boys shouted the bar-keeper shouted, 
 and louder than others Charley, the Ethiopean, shouted; 
 amidst these shoutings, barking of curs and cracking of whips 
 by owners of trotting horses, I realized what glorious times king 
 alcohol can establish when nothing, not even the municipality,
 
 150 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 nor a female temperance crusade, arrests his sway, on a circus 
 day. 
 
 As a sunbeam amidst this gloom, the eye gathers in the 
 contour of comely dwellings and churches lining the tops of the 
 hill, without forgetting a spacious public hall in course of erec- 
 tion, destined to become quite an ornament. The houses them- 
 selves are what we could call in Quebec, paste-board shells 
 some totally unfit to keep out January frosts. Their design, 
 though, pleases the eye. If the number of churches be taken as 
 a criterion, the Dalhousieites make up a good show in the spiri- 
 tual line. At one end of the town, embosomed in green foliage, 
 like a bird's nest, is perceptible the dwelling of a mill owner ; a 
 few roods up the hill peers out, from under the trees, the home- 
 stead of Hon. Mr. Hamilton ; higher up still, a monument erected 
 to his sire, one of the founders of the settlement it also serves 
 as a landmark to seamen.* Formerly, the leading industry here 
 was lumbering and the Eestigouche salmon fishery ; the Inter- 
 colonial has of late shaken its golden fleece amongst the labor- 
 ing class. Eailways are great civilizers granted. Railway 
 laborers, navvies and whisky are not. Inflated wages ; that pink 
 of mocfern institutions the strike ; bar-room rows : such are 
 some of the evils which the construction of a railway line occa- 
 sionally brings in a heretofore quiet locality, on pay day. 
 
 The scenery at Dalhousie is very beautiful in summer : the 
 salmon and trout fishery of the Eestigouche, together with the 
 
 HAMILTON'S MONUMENT 
 
 la of freestone. It was cut in Glasgow, Scotland, and erected in 1851. It 
 stands twenty feet high, and bears the following inscription : 
 
 " In Memory of 
 CAFTAIN JOHN HAMILTON, 
 
 A native of King's Cross, Arran, Scotland. He was the first merchant 
 who settled at Dalhousie, and along with many benevolent actions built St- 
 John's Presbyterian Church, for which his friends and countrymen here 
 thns record their gratitude. 
 
 He passed the last ten years of his life in his native land, and died at 
 Irvine, 24th August, 1868, aged 80 years."
 
 CHRONICLES OP THE ST. LAWRENCE. 151 
 
 cod and mackerel fishery beyond, and the sea bathing, is likely to 
 attract many tourists and sportsmen. Health, wealth and morals 
 will increase, no doubt, as M. W. W. Ross, a recent tourist, well 
 observes, when gin cock-tails decrease, on the departure of the 
 transient population of laborers, etc., which the construction of 
 the Intercolonial gathered at this spot. 
 
 Our popular Viceroy once honored Dalhousie with a morning 
 call, at a very short notice. This naturally elicited an outburst 
 of loyalty ; the local celebrities came to the front. 
 
 Dalhousie then rejoiced in an unusually big black Ethiopian 
 of the name of Charley ; many and curious were the privileges 
 daft Charley enjoyed in the commonwealth. Charley, a black 
 prince of blood royal, was bent on asserting his right to meet 
 familiarly white Princes, no matter how long their pedigree might 
 be. Charley withal is loyal to the back-bone, and in order 
 that no misconception might arise on this point, he, on hearing 
 of the coming visit of the great earl hurried home, decked him- 
 self in his Sunday's best, added a waving plume to his bonnet, 
 and with much dignity of mien, rushed down to the beach, in 
 advance of the deputation. As this humorous incident may yet, 
 for aught we know, find its place in some future chapter on the 
 " Lights and Shadows of Colonial Life," if sketched by the magic 
 pen to which we owe the photo of "Dismal Wilson" of the 
 Foam, we shall not enlarge. Sixteen miles of pleasant travel 
 takes you from Dalhousie to the next settlement on the Resti- 
 gouche, Campbellton, a thriving village, with three churches, 
 Presbyterian, Methodist and Roman Catholic, the last a new 
 structure prettily located on a hill. It contains an office for the 
 Intercolonial Railway, presided over by an official, in whom we 
 recognised with pleasure an old Quebecer, as polite and obliging 
 as if he- still was one of the denizens of the ancient capital : D. 
 Busteed, Esq. The general features of Campbellton reminded one 
 of Dalhousie ; abundance of bar-rooms, with occasionally a few 
 sons and daughters of the forest, perambulating the streets ; the 
 placid waters of the Restigouche in full view of the village and
 
 152 CHRONICLES OP THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 serving as a line of demarcation between the Campbelltonites 
 and the Micmac Indian mission at Cross Point, opposite. 
 
 " The name Restigouche, meaning ' river that divides like a 
 hand,' is of Indian origin, and is derived from the fact that it 
 has five leading tributaries. It is about two hundred miles 
 long, and has its source near Lake Temiscouata. Between 
 Campbellton and the village of Cross Point, on the opposite side, 
 it is only 3,100 feet wide, but its average width in the estuary 
 is about two miles. The depth of the river opposite Campbell- 
 ton, at low tide, is twenty feet, and the harbor is safe and 
 commodious." 
 
 It would be wrong to imagine that Campbellton, in Canada, 
 means prime whisky. That ambrosial usquebaugh, known in 
 the land o' cakes as Campbellton whisky, had neither a habitation 
 nor a name in these localities. " Forty Eod " was the name of the 
 wine of the country the balm of Gilead of the railway navvy 
 on a Saturday night. 
 
 Campbellton is called after Major General Sir Arch. 
 Campbell, at one time Governor of New Brunswick. 'Tis a 
 pretty village, laid off in streets in 1833, by the late Robert 
 Ferguson, Esq., of Athol House, with nothing Indian about it, 
 save the occasional presence in its precincts of a couple of tawny 
 warriors and some smoke-dried Pocahontas from the Micmac 
 reserve across the river, at Cross Point, on the Canada side of 
 the Restigouche. At Cross Point, the Government has allotted 
 1000 acres of land, on the lovely banks of the Restigouche, for 
 what now survives of the once powerful tribe of Micmac 
 or Souriquois Indians, an offshoot of the Algonquins, once 
 the masters of the country. They number eighty-six families. 
 Each family owns a small wooden house 20 x 20 feet, to which 
 are attached a few acres of arable land. Their chief business 
 seems to be to hoe potatoes, build birch bark canoes eat, 
 smoke and sleep. A resident missionary christens, marries and 
 buries them. The redskin, withdrawn from his former modes 
 of subsistence spiced and served up into a civilized being
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 153 
 
 does not appear to flourish better at Mission Point than elsewhere. 
 The E. C. clergyman,* who manages the temporal and spiritual 
 concerns of his Indian flock, appeared to be both beloved by his 
 parishioners, as well as much attached to them. His church 
 register showed for the year ending 31st December, 1872, forty- 
 one births and forty-six deaths ; with this melancholy result the 
 ultimate fate of the mission cannot long be uncertain. 
 
 Whilst death had knocked at nearly every second door, the 
 angel of fecundity had passed by more than the half without 
 entering. We were invited to pay our respects to the chief 
 and interpreter of the mission old Sam Suke. Sam, with 
 his piercing black eyes, intelligent face, and fluent discourse, 
 makes a very respectable chief ; he speaks Micmac, French and 
 English. Old Sam, with your kind Micmac wife, keep up your 
 spirits, there will yet be a cosy spot for you in the happy hunt- 
 ing grounds, towards which old age is hurrying you ! 
 
 In the neighborhood of the mission, there is a very rich 
 quarry of sandstone, which the contractors for the Intercolonial 
 have opened up ; from it magnificent blocks for the culverts 
 have been shaped. Mr. Busteed's house close by contains several 
 interesting relics of former times substantial mementoes of the 
 strife which in 1690 and 1758-60 raged between the navies of 
 France and England. At the entrance of the Restigouche, 
 Admiral Byron sunk a French frigate close to Cross Point ; a 
 few miles lower down, Peree" and Bonaventure had been mer- 
 cilessly pillaged in 1690. The hulls of the French vessels can 
 yet be seen in very low tides, from one of which a massive can- 
 non was procured some years back, and now ornaments the fire- 
 place of Mr. Busteed's dwelling ; it was shown to us. A piece 
 of oak in excellent preservation was presented to us as having 
 been cut from the timbers of the vessel sunk by the fiery ad- 
 miral. This prized trophy we intend to convert into a walking 
 stick. 
 
 Kev. Mr. Leonliard.
 
 154 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 NAVAL OPERATIONS ON THE RESTIGOUCHE, 1760. 
 
 Methinks the spirits of the brave, 
 Who on thy banks have found a grave, 
 
 Still linger, loath to fly ; 
 And on the meanings of the gale, 
 Strange shapes ride forth, all cold and pale, 
 
 Unseen by heedless eye. 
 
 Oft in mine ears hath darkly rung 
 Their solemn requiem, softly sung, 
 
 Mysterious, deep and chill ; 
 And, dying oft, come back again 
 In sweet, unearthly, ghostly strain, 
 
 The mournful night wiuds o'er the hill, 
 
 K. K. K. 
 
 The historian, Ferland, in his interesting narrative of a trip to 
 the Lower St. Lawrence, in 1836, whilst describing Cainpbellton 
 and Cross Point, thus recalls some of the warlike memories of 
 the past, in connection with the Eiver Restigouche : 
 
 Bella horrida bella 
 
 Et Tyberim multo spumantem sanguine cerno. 
 " The horrors of war in days of yore disturbed those waters 
 which at present flow in such placid silence over the bones of 
 warriors of another era. Here, pride, hatred, love of glory, love 
 of country, warmly disputed the laurels of victory. It was in 
 the spring of 1760, Quebec had fallen the preceding autumn. 
 Urged on by the Marquis of Vaudreuil, the French Court had 
 sent tardy and weak succor to the Chevalier de Levis, who was 
 bent on attacking Quebec. The French fleet had on its way to 
 Canada wasted its time in giving chase to some of the enemy's 
 ships : the English arrived first on the coast, to dispute the entry 
 of the St. Lawrence. The French squadron then took refuge in 
 Bale ties Chaleurs, and ascended the Restigouche, where the 
 Admiral, M. de Danjac, found fifteen hundred persons who had 
 sought a refuge on its banks, where they lived in the greatest 
 misery. Captain Byron, probably the celebrated navigator, the
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 155 
 
 grandfather of the poet Byron, at the head of the men-of-war, 
 ' Fame,' ' Dorsetshire,' ' Achilles,' ' Scarborough,' and ' Ee- 
 pulse,' (with the 'Prince of Orange,' ' Eochester ' and ' Eurus,' 
 and three armed vessels from Quebec) set to attack the French 
 fleet, which he met on the 8th July, about this point of the Ees- 
 tigouche. The French ships of war, were the ' Machault ', 32 
 guns; the ' Esperance,' 20 guns; the ' Bienfaisant,' 22 guns; 
 the * Marquis de Marloze,' 18 guns. The French had made 
 preparations to meet the enemy ; several cannon had been placed 
 on Battery Point. Lower down, at Pointe d la Garde, from 
 whence the eye reaches as far as the entry of the Eestigouche, 
 there was a detachment of soldiers who were charged with keep- 
 ing guard over the course of the river and give notice of the ad- 
 vance of the English fleet. 
 
 The wind being fair, Byron's ships ascended the stream 
 without hindrance, until they reached Battery Point, where they 
 experienced a brisk fire from the guns. 
 
 " Two French ships were disabled and the guns of the bat- 
 tery silenced ; the ' Bienfaisant' and the ' Marquis de Mar- 
 loze' w r ere compelled to withdraw towards the Indian village, 
 whilst the English pushed forward to Pointe a Martin (now 
 Campbellton), on the opposite side, where they suffered much 
 from the fire of some guns placed flush with the water. How- 
 ever, their superior artillery riddled the French ships. One of 
 these was run ashore close to the Eestigouche Chapel, whilst the 
 commander of the other fired its magazine to prevent it from 
 falling into the hands of the English. The destruction of the 
 French fleet having left Commodore Byron master of the field, 
 he gave orders that an assemblage of huts, which had been hon- 
 ored by the name of Nouvelle Eochelle, and were built on 
 Pointe a Bourdon, three miles higher than the Eestigouche vil- 
 lage, should be razed. During the engagement, the French and 
 the Micmacs had retreated to the woods, where they awaited in 
 safety the departure of the English fleet. 
 
 " The imagination of the visitor who contemplates the locale,
 
 156 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 vividly brings to mind those stirring and terrible scenes. The 
 ships of both nations, then at war, closing, or fleeing, or grap- 
 pling one another, their long pennants streaming to the breeze 
 defiantly and proudly ; amidst the thickets on the shore, groups 
 of Indians curiously decked out or grotesquely clad; those 
 sterile capes crowned with grim cannon scattering death and 
 surmounted with the white flag of France ; the clouds of smoke 
 hanging over the river and hiding the shores from the eye of the 
 fierce combatants ; the crashing of spars and masts, and the 
 stern voice of command ; the popping of musketry and roar of 
 artillery ; the shouts of victory, mixed with the groans of death 
 or rage ; such were some of the incidents of the drama, which 
 some seventy-five years ago were enacted, on the narrow theatre 
 where we now stand. It was but one of the episodes of the 
 long rivalry between France and England," (Les Cotes de la 
 Gaspteie, 1836.)
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 157 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 ST. JOHN, N. B. ITS SCENERY SUSPENSION BRIDGE 
 
 VICTORIA HOTEL. 
 
 MY knowledge of this thriving town dates to a few years later 
 than my summer trip to the Lower St. Lawrence in 1875. I 
 left Quebec per Grand Trunk Railway in January, 1874, to 
 spend a few days at St. John and Halifax : it is unnecessary to 
 remind the reader the Intercolonial Railway was not then in 
 operation. The Quebec traveller had to stop over night at 
 Bangor, in Maine, arriving at St. John the next night. 
 
 I shall first describe St. John, the chief shipping port of 
 New Brunswick. Doubtless you will ask me why it is called 
 St. John, there being a St. John's in the neighboring province 
 of Newfoundland ? When I put that question myself, the only 
 reply vouchsafed was that it had changed its old name, some 
 generations back, from Parr's City to that of St. John, on account 
 of the noble river on which it is built, and which opens out for 
 it such untold vistas of wealth. Why called Parr's City ? This 
 appellation was bestowed on it by one of its former Governors. 
 Had it been preserved, there would have been but one St. John 
 in the Maritime Provinces a circumstance which no doubt 
 would have saved many letters from going astray. Railway 
 travel has made the Lower Provinces very accessible to the On- 
 tario and Quebec folks ; you quietly retire to rest at 8 p. m., in 
 a gorgeous Pullman car, at the Levis station, and in forty-seven 
 hours,* after enjoying a comfortable night's rest at the 
 Bangor House, in Bangor, Maine, you are safely landed at 6 p.m., 
 
 . Fifteen hours now suffice, since the opening of the Intercolonial 
 Railway.
 
 158 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 at the Carleton ferry, opposite St. John, whence a steamer, 
 more remarkable for adaptability than beauty, at 7 p.m., takes you 
 across the St. John river, and curiously poised, covered vehicles 
 deposit you in the handsome hall of the Victoria Hotel the 
 prince of hotels, not only in the Maritime Provinces, but in the 
 Dominion, Toronto alone excepted of this hereafter. 
 
 St. John is a city of 29,000 souls, with a port open the 
 whole year round, and which, were it not for the tumultuous tide 
 of the Bay of Fundy, which rushes over the flats with race-horse 
 speed in some instances, would compare even to our port, for 
 commerce, depth of water, and safety. On one side are the ship- 
 yards, at a place called Courtney Bay. St. John has ever been 
 celebrated for her ships; her clipper, the Marco Puolo, for 
 instance, has a European fame. The draftsman who furnished 
 the specifications of this splendid craft has since accepted an 
 appointment in the Revenue Department of his native city. 
 St. John is the fourth shipping port in the world ; Quebec the 
 third, we think ; so much for the Dominion. The city is a 
 curious combination of commercial interests, wooden houses and 
 piety, judging from the number of churches, many of consider- 
 able beauty. I would be inclined to fix the proportion at one 
 church for every 1,000 souls. Taking temples of worship as an 
 exponent, St. John is decidedly pious. It is more than pious ; 
 and, bearing in account the eagerness of all classes for intellectual 
 pursuits by means of Institutes reading rooms natural history 
 societies, especially by lectures from celebrated litterateurs, 
 who receive from $50 to $200 for a lecture, the people, I 
 opine, are of a progressive and enlightened tendency. True, 
 it has not the time-honored seats of learning of Ontario and 
 Quebec, first-class Universities, nor does there appear to be a 
 very high classical standard in the sciences ; it has, what is of 
 more moment for a shipping port, a sound system of commercial 
 education ; the Tilleys and Tuppers, and Mitchells and Howes 
 have shown in the great council of the nation of what stuff they 
 were made ; their successors have now a fair field before them, 
 and are certain of one thing, a fair trial.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 159 
 
 Ontario and Quebec for years had their running sores which, 
 under the treatment of political quacks, used periodically to fester 
 and produce much proud flesh, the Clergy Reserves, in Wester^ 
 the Seigniorial Tenure, in Eastern Canada ; able practitioners at 
 last came forth, cut and carved, the patients rallied and grew 
 strong and healthy. It will yet be so, let us hope, for New 
 Brunswick ; some daring operator will plunge the scalpel in a 
 very bad ulcer, which has bothered her for years, the School 
 question. Let us hope this may soon be. 
 
 Compared with Montreal, with its 120,000 souls, and exqui- 
 site style of architecture, St. John appears small indeed, but in 
 breadth of views on many topics, in a certain geniality of man- 
 ners, in that cosmopolitan feeling of interest towards strangers, one 
 of the results no doubt of the geographical position which brings 
 in foreigners in crowds at all times of the year, St. John is en- 
 titled to a high mead of praise. Next to travelling itself, there 
 is no surer method of getting rid of local prejudices, scraping off 
 exclusiveness, than holding converse and comparing notes with 
 men educated, or even practical, who belong to other climes. 
 
 St. John is not a well-built city by any means, and barring 
 its magnificent hostelry, the Victoria Hotel, few edifices by chaste- 
 ness of design or richness of material will attract the eye of the 
 stranger. It may be called a wooden city ; here and there a 
 granite, free-stone or brick building varies the landscape. There 
 are ugly traces of excavations in the streets, which no doubt 
 after a few years will be removed. The footpaths are like those 
 of Quebec no credit to the municipality. Of their system of 
 taxation, I cannot say a great deal. One feature about it, the 
 income tax, will cause moneyed strangers seeking a home to give 
 it the cold shoulder. Capital ought to be coaxed and invited to 
 stop in places ; the inquisitorial system of legalized perjury, called 
 the income tax, confided to the tender mercies of city councillors 
 for its execution, may flourish in the realms rendered memorable 
 by the peculations of a Tweed, a Connolly, a Field, but true- 
 born Canadians abhor it, and have found means of building up
 
 160 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the most gorgeous of Canadian cities Montreal without an 
 income tax. 
 
 The Skating Kink of St. John, 'tis admitted, is the finest in 
 the Dominion;* it cost $14,500, and can accommodate 3,000 or 
 4,000 people. The form is circular well lit up at night, and the 
 directors, energetic men. 
 
 Curling is a great institution in St. John, Halifax, and Pictou 
 the dining room of our hotel is now ringing with the songs 
 and toasts of the Pictou curlers on a visit to the St. John curlers. 
 They have achieved a glorious triumph over their rivals. 
 
 Of Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick, with its 6,000 
 souls, parliamentary honors and high aristocracy, I am not in a 
 position to say anything, time to visit it having been denied me 
 
 During my stay in St. John I was struck with the uniform 
 loyal feeling towards the mother country, combined with a manly 
 reliance on self, should the day ever come for a separation. 
 This noble sentiment I found vigorously set forth in a most 
 practical lecture delivered by the Rev. Mr. Graetz, under the 
 auspices of the Mechanics' Institute, now presided over by 
 Gilbert Murdock, Esq., Superintendent of the City Water Works, 
 etc., a practical, scientific engineer, much in the style of our 
 City Surveyor, Chas. Baillarge*. To Him I am indebted for a 
 deal of information on New Brunswick. In addition to a 
 flourishing Institute for Mechanics, St. John boasts a Natural 
 History Society. It is not difficult to imagine that such a 
 specialty, left to itself, can scarcely be expected to strike forth 
 very deep roots in a seaport famous chiefly for pine deals, square 
 timber and sailing ships. The two societies, however, might be 
 combined in one, and an object involving original research in 
 history, arts and literature introduced. The society with a new 
 charter from the Provincial Legislature, headed by the first 
 New Bruns wicker, Lieutenant-Governor Tilley, helped by 
 Legislative endowment, and perpetuating its usefulness in a 
 
 Since this was written, the citizens of Quebec have erected, at a cost of 
 $32,000, a splendid structure for a Skating Rink.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 161 
 
 series of "Transactions" published annually, in my opinion, 
 would in a few years become for New Brunswickers what the 
 Earl of Dalhousie's old foundation, the Literary and Historical 
 Society of Quebec, is to Quebecers generally a household- word 
 and an honor. 
 
 In more respects than one, Quebec might with advantage 
 take pattern from this maritime city in none more than 
 in hotel accommodation. Quebec has had for years one of 
 the most popular of hotel-keepers Willis Eussell a name 
 known with advantage from Halifax to New Orleans. Why 
 cannot a first-class hotel be started in a city of 60,000 souls, like 
 Quebec, when St. John with its 29,000 has built a most princely 
 one, and has also five or six hotels as large as the St. Louis, 
 without counting minor ones ? 
 
 The Victoria Hotel * was built by a joint stock company in 
 1870, at a cost of 50,000. It is a six story, handsome, stone 
 edifice, with a very ornate front, at the corner of Germain street 
 one of the highest points in St. John. It looms out grandly ; 
 in bright weather during summer, a magnificent view is obtain- 
 able from its lofty roof. The dining-room and entrance hall are 
 paved with red and white marble tiles. The contrast pleases the 
 eye. The bed-rooms contain fireplaces, and the arrangements 
 for hot or cold water baths and patent water-closets on the latest 
 American principle, are all that can be desired. Like first-class 
 American hotels, there is a profusion of pier glasses, mirrors, etc. 
 The bed-room furniture is of black walnut, neatly carved; the 
 washstands, decked with white marble slabs. 
 
 In the hall, there is a solid elevator, which is worked by a 
 small boy who stands inside ; it takes up boarders to the fifth 
 
 " The ' Victoria,' that grand hotel which was St. John to every 
 traveller that came here, was opened for business, July, 1871, under the 
 following board of Directors : Otis Small, Esq., President ; John Magee, A. 
 Chipman, Smith, John McMillan and William F. Harrison, Esq. Like dozens 
 of other public edifices it was destroyed by the awful fire of 20th June, 
 1877." GEO. STEWART, JR. 
 
 L
 
 162 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 story in one minute and a half. It can lift fifteen persons at a 
 time, and cannot by any chance cause an accident, as the slides 
 run on ratchets ; so that if any of the gear gave way, the highest 
 it could fall would be six inches. It is set in motion by a small 
 steam engine in the basement, and cost altogether $10,000. 
 
 The Victoria Hotel was started by a company of wealthy 
 merchants, and by some seeking to become so, as a hostelry 
 which by its comfort and luxury might attract the most luxuri- 
 ous and wealthiest of the American travelling public, in quest of 
 a cool atmosphere and sea breezes in the dog days. The Bay of 
 Fundy is lavish to St. John, of moisture in winter, and of coolness 
 in the summer months. 
 
 The city, unlike London or New York, has none of that 
 sultry, suffocating heat in which raiment of any kind is a 
 weight and torment in which man longs for breathing air, 
 and would fain, as Sidney Smith quaintly puts it, rid himself 
 of his flesh and "sit in his bones only." The building is 
 heated by steam pipes, such as the Quebec and Union Banks 
 from a boiler and engine of fifty-horse power in the basement. 
 It uses about one ton of coal per day in winter, the steam also 
 serves for all household purposes, washing, cooking, etc. The 
 Victoria Hotel, from the crowd of wealthy Americans it has 
 attracted, is considered one of the best investments for the city, 
 a veritable Pactolus for dry goods merchants, fur stores, glove 
 and tailoring establishments, and fancy stores generally, etc. It 
 will contain from 300 to 400 guests ; its staff of employees is 
 about 80 in number. 
 
 There is no reason why Quebec should not have a Victoria 
 Hotel ; such an establishment built by a company and super- 
 intended by a Willis Russell, would roll wealth in the coffers 
 of our dry goods retailers, fur dealers, railway companies and 
 river steamers, etc. If a suitable site could not be procured 
 near the Government Garden facing the river, I know of but 
 e le othe r , which, by the airiness of the situation and beauty of 
 surrounding landscape, seems well adapted, if money could
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 163 
 
 procure it; that is the lot on Perrault's Hill the old Asyle 
 Champdtre, now owned by Hy. Dinning, Esq. 
 
 The city has two squares ornamented with trees, of rather a 
 sickly constitution, one might think, judging from their size. 
 The mists and fogs of the Bay of Fundy are anything but 
 favorable to this style of ornamentation. 
 
 Now, let us have a drive and see the country seats and 
 lovely views round St. John.* 
 
 A suburb, adjoining the city, and merely divided by the rail- 
 way bridge, called Portland, contains on a high ridge dotted with 
 spruce and cedar plantations many of the residences of the 
 wealthy merchants. High over the rest, looms out Eeed's Castle ; 
 lower down the homesteads of the two Burpees one of whom, 
 Isaac, is our present Minister of Customs. Further on, is the 
 magnificent suspension bridge, built by W. K. Eeynolds in 
 1852. Its span is 640 feet and cost about $100,000. The 
 bridge is suspended 100 feet above low water, by wire cables 
 which pass over massive granite towers. From the bridge, a 
 grand view of the St. John Falls may be had ; at low water the 
 river rushes through a narrow gorge, 450 feet wide, with tremen- 
 dous velocity ; and at high water, the tide which rises above the 
 level of the rapid in the harbor below, forces the water back 
 and causes the same rush in the opposite direction. For some 
 time every tide, vessels may pass up and down with perfect 
 safety : thence, the road leads to Carleton, called after General 
 Carleton, first Governor of New Brunswick, in 1785, under whom 
 Fredericton was selected as the capital. Carleton is a thriving 
 suburb of St. John, connected to the city also by a ferry there 
 the St. John's train has its terminus. 
 
 What a sombre pall now hangs over the city we found so brilliant 
 BO prosperous so enterprising xo hospitable in 1874. St. John seems to 
 have suffered as much as any other Canadian city from the fire-fiend. The 
 years, 1784, 1788, 1816, 1823, 1837, 1839, 1841, 1845, were marked b/ 
 great conflagrations that of 1837, though a crushing blow, was nothing 
 compared to the terrible scourge which, during a few hours on the 20th
 
 164 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 I noticed here several ornate dwellings, some owned by wealthy 
 Americans engaged in the lumber trade. But to a Quebecer, 
 accustomed to our picturesque scenery, nothing is more attractive 
 than the green banks of the Kenebeccasis * about eight miles 
 from the city, at a settlement called Rothesay. The railway has 
 here a station, and takes in each morning to the city the owners 
 of the country seats of Eothesay. These dwellings line the river 
 or lake bank, and seem much and deservedly sought after. Here 
 took place the celebrated regatta which ended in such a melancholy 
 manner for England's champion. I was shown the wharf where 
 poor Eenforth landed and shortly after expired. 
 
 St. John, until 1785 a portion of Nova Scotia, the first 
 European settlement on the continent of North America, has 
 been sketched, under its social, commercial, and educational 
 aspect, let us now see New Brunswick in a historical point of 
 view, -f 
 
 " Although settlements have been made in Acadia for many 
 years, no mention is made of St. John until 1604, when the 
 
 June, 1877, reduced to ashes two-fifths of the city, destroying 1612 houses 
 and public buildings. This dire calamity has found an able annalist in one of 
 St. John's most brilliant litterateurs, George Stewart, jun., the founder of 
 Stewart's Literary Quarterly, and present Editor of Belford's Magazine. 
 
 Nearly all the rivers in New Brunswick are designated by Indian 
 names, either significant of a personal right, or expressive of some promi- 
 nent locality. Thus the Etienne, the Burnaby, the Bartholomew and others 
 are called after the respective chiefs to whom they originally belonged ; 
 whilst the Looshtork (now Saint John) signifies Long River ; the Restigouche, 
 Broad River ; the Miramichi, Happy Retreat ; the Nipisiguit, Noisy or Foam- 
 ing River ; the Tootooguse, Fairy River ; the Tabusintac, the Place Where 
 Two Reside ; the Magaguadavic, the River of Hills ; the Richibucto, the River 
 of Fire. 
 
 f The first grant of land in it was given by King James I., in 1621, t, 
 his secretary, Sir William Alexander, who called it Nova Scotia, or New 
 England. It was then considered by the English, as a part of Cabot's dis- 
 covery of Terra Nova Sir William being unable to colonize his grant, sok 
 
 it to Claude De la Tour And the treaty of St. Germain ratified in 1632 
 
 ceding Acadia to France, the French became possessors of it, by both pos- 
 session and purchase.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 165 
 
 great founder of Quebec (Champlain), pilot of an expedition, 
 commanded by M. de Monts, after coasting along the shores of 
 Nova Scotia, crossed the Bay of Fundy and discovered the 
 magnificent river which he named St. John. At that time it 
 was called by the aborigines, Ouangondy. The river runs five 
 hundred miles through the finest lumber districts of the Province ; 
 its head waters being within fifteen miles of the River St. 
 Lawrence. No settlement was made until 1635, when a French 
 nobleman named Claude De la Tour commenced the erection of 
 a palisade fort opposite Navy Island, in the harbor of St. John. 
 De la Tour, having been appointed Lieutenant-General, lived 
 here for a long time, with a large number of retainers and 
 soldiers, and traded in furs with the Indians. But, having 
 fallen into disfavor with the French King, was ordered to sur- 
 render his fort and commission ; this he refused to do, and an 
 expedition under the command of D'Aulnay Charnisay, was sent 
 out in 1643, to eject him. D'Aulnay blockaded the fort, but 
 De la Tour, having got assistance of men and ships from Governor 
 Winthrop, of Boston, drove his fleet back to Port Royal, (now 
 Annapolis, N. S.) where a number of his vessels were driven 
 ashore and destroyed. Again, in 1645, D'Aulnay attacked the 
 fort, and De la Tour being absent with a number of his men, his 
 lady took command, and defended it with so much skill and 
 perseverance that the fleet was compelled to withdraw. Having 
 received reinforcements, D'Aulnay shortly after returned, and 
 again attacked the fort by land; after three days spent in un- 
 successful attacks, a Swiss sentry, who had been bribed, betrayed 
 the garrison, and allowed the enemy to scale the walls. Madame 
 De la Tour personally headed her little band of fifty men, and 
 heroically attacked the invaders ; but, seeing how hopeless was 
 success, she consented to terms of peace offered by D'Aulnay, if 
 she would surrender the fort. He immediately, upon getting 
 possession, disregarded all the conditions agreed to, hung the 
 whole garrison, compelled this noble woman, with a rope round 
 her neck, to witness the execution ; she, a few days afterwards,
 
 166 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 died, of a broken heart. In 1650, De la Tour returned to St. 
 John, and received from the widow of D'Aulnay, who had died 
 in the meantime, the possession of his old fort. 
 
 In 1653, they were married, and he once more held peace- 
 able control of his former lands, as well as those of his deceased 
 rival. In 1654, an expedition was sent by Oliver Cromwell, from 
 England, which captured Acadia from the French, and De la Tour 
 was once more deprived of his property and possession. In 1667, 
 Acadia was ceded to France, at the treaty of Breda, but, in con- 
 sequence of the violation of this compact by the French, it was 
 re-taken by Sir William Phipps, in 1690. The British remained 
 sole masters of Acadia until in 1697; the Treaty ofRyswick 
 in Holland restored it to France. It was given back to England 
 by the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, 'and retained ever since. No 
 settlement of importance, was made until the year 1749, when a 
 fort was built at the mouth of the Nerepis River, about ten miles 
 from the City of St. John. In 1745, the French were again 
 driven out by the English ; and, in 1758, a garrison was established 
 at St. John, under the command of Colonel Monckton. In 1764, 
 the first English settlers came to New Brunswick, but no per- 
 manent settlement was made untft 1783, when the U. E. 
 Loyalists arrived and founded the present city." I cannot close 
 this short historical sketch, which the guide books are safe in 
 crediting to Abbe* Ferland's " Cours d'Histoire du Canada," and 
 a few other historians, without adding that De la Tour's heroism 
 did not only find a suitable niche in history, but that poetry also 
 lent to it, a lasting consecration. Under the title of " Le Jeune 
 De la Tour," Mr. Gerin Lajoie, now of Ottawa, has written a bril- 
 liant drama, admired by every friend of Canadian literature. 
 
 I should have much liked to visit what are called, the French 
 Counties in the Upper Provinces, in order to see how the descend- 
 ants of those men so sweetly sung by Longfellow still fared in 
 this vale of sorrow, where suffering was their lot at the begin- 
 ning, and, possibly, indifference and oppression afterwards. As 
 we approached Halifax, the country became more mountainous ;
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 167 
 
 deep cuts in the rocks for the rail, were covered over with a 
 plank roof, to exclude snow drifts ; the old pines looked down 
 mournfully, snow-crowned and bending from the distant hills ; a 
 small brook wound its tortuous course, in the depth o f a ravine 
 over which our iron horse sprang with one bound ; old ocean 
 was misty, as of yore. How true are your words, sweet singer : 
 
 " Still stands the forest primeval, but under the shade of its branches 
 Dwells another race, with other customs and language. 
 Only along the shores of the mournful and misty Atlantic 
 Lingers a few Acadian peasants, whose fathers from exile 
 Wandered back to their native land, to die in its bosom. 
 
 PRIVATEERING IN THE BAY OF FUNDY, A. D. 1776. 
 
 The following interesting account of the Yankee privateer De- 
 fence, in her vain endeavors to sail up the Avon river, for the 
 purpose of plundering the town of Windsor, is from an old paper 
 supposed to be written by one of the mariners taken from the 
 British sloop Dover, by the Yankee privateer : 
 
 His declaration is, " that on Tuesday, the 21st day of 
 August, 1776, the schooner Dover was taken between the Isle of 
 Haute and Cape Dore*e, by the sloop of war Defence, belonging to 
 the State of Massachusetts Bay, Capt. Evans, master, mounting 
 six double fortified cannon, six pounders, and six double fortified 
 four pounders, with a number of swivels and 58 men. This 
 sloop was completely equipped as a privateer ; that soon after 
 the capture of the schooner Dover, they communicated to Mars- 
 ters their design of going to Windsor to take Fort Edward, 
 plunder the stores and capture an armed British schooner an- 
 chored in the river. Pretending to be unacquainted with the 
 river, they told Marsters he must pilot them up ; as he refused, 
 he was put in irons. Their intention was to anchor the sloop at 
 Mount Denson, arm the schooner Dover and a whale boat with 
 thirty-five men, which were to proceed to Windsor by night ; 
 but by some mistake they got into the current which made up 
 Cobequid river, and it being high tides they could not get out of
 
 168 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 it until it was too late to carry their purpose into execution. On 
 Wednesday morning, the sloop took the schooner Three Friends, 
 Farnam, Master, and a large shallop bound to Cornwallis ; that 
 night they again endeavored to sail up to Windsor, but the cur- 
 rent prevailed against them so much, they could not accomplish 
 their purpose. 
 
 " Some of the officers and men of the privateer landed at Par- 
 tridge Island, and found a soldier who had been sent from Fort 
 Cumberland with despatches on the King's service ; after threat- 
 ening him, he acknowledged the package was left at the house 
 of a Mr. Pettis, of Parrsboro, and also, Mr. Pettis had sent back 
 a drove of cattle belonging to Col. Franklyn. This so exaspera- 
 ted the Yankees, that they went ashore, plundered Pettis' house 
 and set fire to it. 
 
 "On Saturday, the 25th, in the morning, some conversation 
 occurred between the privateer men and the prisoners concerning 
 the Charlestown Frigate being expected in the Bay, and that 
 then they proceeded down the Bay, taking with them the sever- 
 al vessels captured, having first set ashore the prisoners. That 
 during the stay of the privateer in the Basin, a certain party 
 landed and plundered the people of Cornwallis." 
 
 The great object of the privateer was the plundering of the 
 large amount of stores in Windsor, but, owing to the swift cur- 
 rent of the river and the knowledge that a British Cruiser was 
 expected up the Bay, prevented the successful carrying out of 
 the enterprise.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 169 
 
 CHAPTEE XX. 
 
 HALIFAX ITS CITADEL ITS PORT ITS WEALTH ITS HISTORY. 
 
 HALIFAX, Feb. 25, 1874. 
 
 WE have left far behind us St. John, the genial, thriving head- 
 quarters of the " Blue Noses " ; thirteen hours of railroad travel 
 will land us at the north end of Halifax, at Eiehmond Depot. 
 A few miles beyond, on a ridge facing a lovely sheet of water, still 
 stands, but renovated, Prince Edward's Lodge, dating from 1795. 
 It is masterly described by Haliburton. Here Farmer George's 
 big, burly, jovial, though persecuted son, of Quebec notoriety, 
 spent some of the best days of his youth, with his fair charmer 
 Madame de St. Laurent.* Alphonsine The"rese Bernadine 
 Julie de Montgenet de St. Laurent. Her late husband appears 
 to have been a colonel in the French army. 
 
 We are now snugly housed in Mynheer Von Hesslein's com- 
 fortable hotel, on Hollis street. An antiquary would ask. 
 " Who was Mynheer's grandfather f Was he coeval with the 
 great Diedrich Knickerbocker, who flourished in Manhattan, at 
 the dawn of Yankeedom ? Was his progenitor one of those 
 hospitable Brunswickers who, in 1757, settled at the north end 
 of the city, since known as Dutch Town ? Or else, are we to 
 pin our faith to the ancient traditions (for I love popular tradi- 
 tions : they dress up fiction so much like fact) according to 
 
 This elegant French lady, widow of Baron Fortisson, lived twenty- 
 eight years in the intimacy of the Prince ; as his lawful wife, many thought. 
 In 1818 we find her leaving her protector and entering into a convent in. 
 France ; that year the Duke was married.
 
 170 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 which his worthy sire was a much respected gun-room officer 
 on board the sloop-of-war Sphinx, which arrived on 14th July, 
 1749, in Chedabucto Bay, bearing Hon Ed. Cornwallis, the 
 first Nova Scotian Governor and his fortunes. For subsequent 
 travellers, let this remain an open question. Mynheer Hesslein, 
 our contemporary and host, is an excellent type of the prosper- 
 ous pater familias, happy as the day is long, with or without 
 the soothing fumes of a meerschaum or the soul-inspiring aroma 
 of that divine nectar, lager beer. 
 
 " When you're weary 
 
 Night or day 
 Smoke a cheery yard of clay ; 
 
 When I'm smoking, 
 Musing, joking, 
 
 There is no King 
 Half as gay." 
 
 I hail thee, Halifax, England's last bulwark across the sea ! 
 land, watched over by the " brave and the free " in the midst 
 of thy fogs, warmly wrapped in the folds of that glorious old flag 
 wbich for " a thousand years has braved the battle and the 
 breeze." 
 
 From the frowning battlements of thy airy citadel, you can 
 well afford to look down complacently on the ships of all nations, 
 which deck your incomparable harbor ! Shall we then view you, 
 as Britannia's supreme hope her last standpoint in this land of 
 the West, in the long run, so uncongenial to European poten- 
 tates and European dynasties ? Yes, joyfully did the Great Napo- 
 leon, in 1804, sell out his interest in the territory called after 
 the Great Louis, his predecessor Louisiana. Joyfully did the 
 Eussian autocrat, barter away Alaska and all its wealth of fog. 
 Not more so, however, some say, than Manchester and Sheffield 
 would feel were Queen Victoria to sell out or give away her inter- 
 est in these, our fair realms of Canada. Did George III. really 
 offer to return Canada, bought with the blood of Wolfe to 
 France, if the latter would only promise to keep out of the quar-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 171 
 
 rel with her American provinces in 1775 ? but, fate had decreed 
 Lafayette should go. 
 
 Have kings then, like other men, their price ? is that price 
 summed up in the one word expediency ? No, England can 
 never apply to the metropolis of Nova Scotia, Walpole's wither- 
 ing doctrine : never, except on the day, distant we hope, when 
 the cutlers of Sheffield and the weavers of Manchester will 
 have pushed the Sovereign of the sea, down amongst nations, 
 to the level of Holland. 
 
 What, then, are we to admire the most at Halifax, her 
 spacious port or her picturesque citadel? Of the spirit of 
 enterprise amongst her many wealthy citizens, we are inclined to 
 think soberly. Her money grubbers remind us too much of the 
 similar class, in our own Canadian cities a sleek fat unc- 
 tuous race, doting on shipping news well versed in ocean 
 freights rates of exchange dry, very dry Sherry and New- 
 foundland old Port. Rather unbelievers in schools of design 
 history lyric poetry or the like. Catch them building a " Crystal 
 block" a Victoria hotel a university not they they have 
 something better to do so long as the coal fields, mineral 
 deposits, coast fisheries hold out. They do not lack hospitality, 
 nor generosity, but love routine too much. See how they care- 
 fully button up in winter in their well padded coats happy in 
 their truly British reserve, which makes them look on people of 
 other climes as outside barbarians. I like Halifax folks as 
 specimens of comfort, in a garrison town. 
 
 They are keen at discounts, but do not talk to them of build- 
 ing up a handsome city ; they have not too much time to watch 
 the rates of exchange in New York, or the returns of the sugar 
 crop in Cuba. Are they then wrong ? Certainly not, if life's 
 sole aim at Halifax or at Quebec, is good markets for timber, 
 coal, fish, oil. In a thousand ways does Halifax resemble our 
 old Quebec. Her port, her commanding citadel, her fortifica- 
 tions, her commerce, her shipping, and her garrison of British 
 troops, all remind us of her dear sister city. I mean fortified
 
 172 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Quebec before the City Council had laid violent hands on all 
 that which distinguished her from the mushroom third class cities 
 in Yankee Land. The sea fogs and coal smoke give a dingy 
 appearance to the buildings, many of which owned by the 
 wealthy are built of wood something like the third-class tene- 
 ments, visible at Montreal, some thirty years ago. The tone of 
 society in Halifax is English, with all its national reserve. The 
 names of her streets are English; you have Granville, Hollis, 
 Sussex, Kichmond, Kent, Albermarle, Grafton, Eussell, Seymour, 
 Wellington, Bedford, Birmingham streets. Granville street is 
 the chief commercial street. 
 
 As many as fourteen men-of-war have been moored at once 
 in her spacious bay ; the English flag, close to the French the 
 American, all amicably, within hailing distance. Imagine the 
 deviltry and frolic of eight or ten thousand jolly tars, let loose 
 in a sea port town, with plenty of solid gold guineas ! 
 
 The Halifax Club appears well patronized well kept. 
 
 The western part of the city and environs contain many 
 substantial and some ornate villas and old homesteads ; the 
 northern part is populated by the poorer class with a sprink- 
 ling of colored people. 
 
 The Skating Rink of Halifax is situated in rear of the Cita- 
 del, on South Park street. It is a roomy building much less 
 ambitious in appearance than the St. John's Rink ; a place well 
 adapted where the youth and beauty of the city can learn the 
 " poetry of motion." Once or twice a week, the martial strains 
 of one of the city bands enliven it, when the beau monde, of 
 course, turns out en masse. Halifax, though essentially a mili- 
 tary and naval station, does not appear to me as genial a soil for 
 the Lotharios sporting epaulettes as Toronto, Montreal and 
 Quebec used to be in days of yore. Many sons of Mars are still 
 perversely holding out against the melting glances of the Nova 
 Scotian belles. Benedicts they wont be ! What a bug-bear those 
 North American colonies have been, in the past, to Belgravian 
 Mammas having tl hopefuls " serving there, ever since the fatal
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 173 
 
 day when brave Wolfe met death for an idea ! Whether the 
 style of beauty prevailing in the city, is of the Grecian or 
 Roman type, want of time prevented any investigation such an 
 interesting subject might warrant. Ever since the days of Gover- 
 nor Cornwallis, Halifax has passed for a kind of emporium, where 
 British officers are " provided with wives." 
 
 Club life, an occasional tandem drive, a skate in winter, a 
 
 dash of yachting or a cast with the salmon fly, bobbing for 
 
 mackerel in summer : such, the chief programme of amusement 
 
 for the military. Bedford Basin and the bay present rare facilities 
 
 for yachting and boating. More than likely, our sea-loving 
 
 Viceroy will be next summer dipping his colors in Nova Scotian 
 
 waters, to the Commodore of the u Eoyal Halifax Yacht Club." 
 
 There are two men, above others, of whom the citizens seem 
 
 proud their energetic, liberal minded Archbishop, Monseigneur 
 
 Connolly,* and the popular Lieutenant-Governor, Adams G. 
 
 Archibald. 
 
 The sea-going merchant craft of Halifax differ materially in 
 size from that of St. John, whose sixty-four shares may re- 
 present the interest of as many individuals in the city, man, 
 woman and child. In the latter, large waisted timber ships are 
 required to convey to other lands the wealth of New Brunswick 
 forests. In Halifax, snug, fast sailing brigantines, from 100 to 
 250 tons, suit better for an expensive cargo of fish, for Cuba, the 
 Brazils, etc., and to bring back rum, sugar, and molasses. The 
 number of arrivals from sea for 1873 being 1,384 ships, repre- 
 senting 372,985 tons ; departures 1,012 ships, representing 
 313,240 tons. This lucrative business was formerly colossal in 
 its proportion ; it is still very large, and suffices to keep busy 
 the whole year round the Collector of the port, Mr. Mc- 
 Donald. 
 
 The new Provincial buildings, a massive granite block, con- 
 tain the Inland Revenue Department, the Customs, Post Office, 
 and in its upper story the Museum, particularly rich in mineral 
 
 He died in 1876.
 
 174 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 specimens, fossils, Indian curiosities, native marbles ; birds, 
 reptiles and fishes preserved by the art of the taxidermist ; this 
 collection is mainly due to the unceasing efforts of Professor 
 Honeyman, who may daily be seen at the rooms, when not 
 attending his classes. The Doctor is versed in mineralogy, 
 and takes pleasure to show his treasures and furnish explana- 
 tions about the fossil remains and other curiosities committed to 
 his care. I was happy to notice amongst the daily attendants 
 several young ladies, taking nearly as lively an interest in a 
 trilobite or a saurian, twenty thousand years old, more or less, as 
 a Lyell, a Murchison, or a Dawson would have done. Dr. 
 Gilpin and Mr. Morrow, two scientific citizens versed in natural 
 history, I regretted not having met. I found the Halifax 
 Museum far ahead of that of our Literary and Historical Society 
 in minerals, but its Ornithological Department was far behind. 
 This scientific corps publishes annually a volume of its Transac- 
 tions, which it exchanges with similar institutions in the Ameri- 
 can Republic and several European associations. The School 
 question occasionally crops out in Halifax, but under a different 
 aspect from that of New Brunswick ; there seems a tendency 
 at present towards associating the rate payers more intimately 
 with the direction of the schools, by obtaining for them the 
 selection of trustees, instead of leaving it to Government to do 
 so. 
 
 Protestant supremacy seems the order of the day in the 
 Maritime Provinces. Bismarck must be a saint of high degree 
 amongst them. A charter to an Orange Society has been 
 recently granted ; it only remains for the Ribbonmen to seek 
 and obtain one, to meet their opponents on equal grounds, when 
 both will " fight like devils, for conciliation, and cut each other's 
 throats for the love of God." 
 
 Halifax, the capital of the Province of Nova Scotia, was 
 founded in 1749 by the Lords of the Board of Trade, and named 
 after the President, Geo. Montague, Earl of Halifax. The sum 
 of 40,000 was granted by the Government, and a fleet of
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 175 
 
 thirteen transports, with 2,576 emigrants left England, con- 
 voyed by the sloop of war " Sphinx " on board of which was 
 Colonel the Honorable Edward Cornwallis, as Captain -General 
 and Governor of Nova Scotia. They arrived in Chedabucto 
 Bay on the 21st June, 1749, and the civil government was 
 organized on board the " Beauport " transport, on the 14th July. 
 The same month the town was laid out in squares, the streets 
 being from fifty-five to sixty feet wide. 
 
 On clearing away the ground for settlement, a number of 
 dead bodies were found, supposed to have been the remains of 
 the soldiers of the Duke d'Anville's expedition which wintered 
 there in 1740. The town of Dartmouth opposite was commenced 
 in 1750. The settlement suffered continually from attacks by 
 the French Indians, and a fearful disease carried off one thousand 
 souls. For a protection, a fence was built, consisting of upright 
 pickets or palisades, with block houses situated at a short distance 
 apart; this fence ran from the water up to where St. Mary's 
 (Roman Catholic) Cathedral now stands, from there to Jacob 
 street, and down to the Harbor again. A Government House 
 was built where the Parliament building now stands ; it was a 
 low, one-story building, and was surrounded by hogsheads filled 
 with gravel and sand, upon which small pieces of ordnance were 
 mounted for its defence. 
 
 Between the years 1751 and 1758 a number of German 
 settlers arrived at the colony, and settled at the north end, now 
 called Dutch Town. In 1780, the streets of the town were in a 
 very rough condition, and, from stumps of trees and rocks, were 
 impassable for carriages. St. Paul's Church now standing, 
 although much improved and enlarged was built by the Go- 
 vernment in 1750; and the old German Church in 1761, on 
 Brunswick street, where it still stands as a relic of the old Ger- 
 man settlement. 
 
 The city is built on the side of a hill, sloping gradually up 
 from the water some distance, when it suddenly becomes steep 
 and high. Upon the summit is built the Citadel, covering the
 
 176 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 top with its fortifications. This immense fortress, 260 feet 
 above the sea level, was commenced by Edward, Duke of Kent, 
 when commander-in-chief of the garrison, and also the towers of 
 Point Pleasant, George's Island, Eastern Battery, Meagher's 
 Beach, and York Redoubt, were built about the same time. 
 From the Citadel a most extending and interesting view may be 
 enjoyed. The city at our feet, extending some four miles along 
 the shore of the harbor, with its wharves crowded with shipping, 
 and the town of Dartmouth on the other side ; on our left, the 
 British squadron at anchor off the dockyard, the narrows and 
 Bedford Basin, beyond ; on our right, George's Island command- 
 ing the harbor with its fortifications, McNab's Island, the 
 Light-house, and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance, the mag- 
 nificent harbor, with ports and batteries everywhere, and the 
 north-west arm and mountains in our rear. Passes can be pro- 
 cured from the Town Major, at the Brigade office, to visit the 
 Citadel or any of the other forts. 
 
 The dockyard was first established in 1748 ; was extended 
 and improved in 1749 and the present wall built in 1770. It 
 contains stores, workshops, warehouses, naval hospital, residences 
 for the officers, and extends about half-a-mile along the shore of 
 the harbor. In it, are many war trophies taken by English 
 cruisers in 1812 ; among others the head-figure of the Chesapeake, 
 placed there by the officers of the Shannon. 
 
 The Parliament buildings, situated in the centre of a large 
 square, between Hollis and Granville streets, are built of grey 
 free-stone, and contain the House of Assembly Rooms, Legisla- 
 tive Council Chamber, Library, and Public Offices of the Local 
 Government. 
 
 ' I had not leisure to visit the magnificent room of the 
 Legislative Council, which contains a painting of one of 
 Nova Scotia's most illustrious sons, Sir Fen wick Williams, the 
 heroic defender of Kars, of whom the city is as proud as of 
 her Haliburtons and Howes. 
 
 The new Provincial Building is a handsome edifice, costing
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 177 
 
 about $120,000. It contains the Provincial Museum, Custom 
 House, and other offices of the Dominion Government. 
 
 There is a Citizens' Free Library at the City Court House, in 
 which building are held the meetings of the Mayor and Corpo- 
 ration, and the Stipendary Magistrate's Court. The other prin- 
 cipal buildings are the Government House, St. Mary's Cathedral, 
 Dalhousie College, the Asylum for the Insane (on the Dart- 
 mouth side,) Admiralty House, Halifax Club House, Supreme 
 Court House, Gaol, Wellington Barracks, City Hospital, Peniten- 
 tiary, City Marble House. The " Royal Halifax Yacht Club " 
 have recently erected a commodious club house, with the neces- 
 sary accessories of piers, slips, boat houses, etc., at Richmond, in 
 the north suburb of the city. The building is large and well^ 
 arranged, and does great credit to the members. It is provided 
 with refreshment, reading, billiard rooms, etc., and all the 
 necessaries of nautical enjoyment. 
 
 The Poor Asylum is a large building of brick and granite, put 
 up at the cost of about $260,000. It is one of the finest edifices 
 in the city. 
 
 The Blind Asylum is a brick and stone building only lately 
 completed through the philanthropy of the late William Mur- 
 doch, Esq., who left $25,000 towards educating the blind in 
 Nova Scotia. 
 
 The Imperial Government has finished recently a Military 
 Hospital, at a cost of about $150,000. The Free School system 
 in Nova Scotia has caused the erection of several handsome stone 
 buildings in the city, to be used as school houses. 
 
 Halifax is well supplied in Banks of a most solid and sub- 
 stantial character, the Halifax Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia, 
 People's Bank, Union Bank, Merchants' Bank, Bank of British 
 North America, Bank of Montreal, and two Savings Banks. 
 Two Building Societies, four Public Libraries, one Free Library, 
 and several reading and other recreation rooms are established. 
 There are nineteen newspapers published in this city three 
 daily, and the remainder tri-weekly and monthly journals. 
 
 M
 
 178 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Twenty-four places of worship, composed of Church of Eng- 
 land, 7 ; Roman Catholic, 3 ; Presbyterian, 5 ; Wesleyan, 3 ; 
 Baptist, 3 ; Congregational, 1 ; and two belonging to the colored 
 population. 
 
 Halifax is famous for its beautiful drives and walks ; the 
 fine cool temperature enjoyed in the hot season, owing to its 
 proximity to the ocean, will make it a foremost place of resort 
 for tourists. It has one of the finest harbors in the world, and 
 with Bedford Basin at its head, affords opportunity for sea-bath- 
 ing, yachting, and other water amusements seldom offered else- 
 where. The Horticultural Gardens, situated in Spring Gardens, 
 are very tastily and prettily arranged and laid out, so are the 
 public gardens in the rear. The military and city bands frequent- 
 ly give concerts here, and afforcj recreation and amusement to 
 thousands. 
 
 Steamers leave Halifax for Portland, Boston and New York, 
 also for ports along the western shore of the Provinces, Prince 
 Edward Island, Newfoundland, Bermuda, and the West Indies. 
 The Allan line call there going and returning. Nova Scotia with 
 Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and a large part of the 
 State of Maine, was called by the French in the seventeenth 
 century, Acadia. Subsequently, when conquered by the English, 
 the whole country was called Nova Scotia, and afterwards divid- 
 ed into provinces and named as at present. England, though 
 claiming Acadia from its discovery by Cabot, in 1497, had main- 
 tained no permanent hold, and for upwards of a century there 
 was constant change of ownership between England and France, 
 and the inhabitants, or Acadians, had no sooner acknowledged 
 themselves the subjects of the Crown, when, without the slightest 
 regard to their feelings, interests, or wishes, they were transferred 
 to the other. Discovered in 1497, by English navigators ; in 
 1604, in possession of the French. In 1613, the English under 
 Argal, drove the French away and Sir William Alexander is ap- 
 pointed Governor by James I. In 1632, it is again restored t o 
 France by the Treaty of St. Germain ; and in 1654, it is captured 
 by the English, and Cromwell appoints Sir Thomas Temple,
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 179 
 
 Governor. By the treaty of Breda, it once more comes under 
 the crown of France, in 1667. 
 
 In 1680, we find the English again in possession, having 
 captured Port Eoyal and all the principal settlements. In ] 682-, 
 the French are once more masters ; and finally the English in 
 1710, besiege Port Eoyal, compel the French to surrender, and 
 name it Annapolis Royal, in honor of Queen Ann, then on the 
 throne of England. 
 
 In Nova Scotia, there is an abundance of mineral wealth. 
 Coal is found in Pictou, Cumberland and Cape Breton ; gold, all 
 along the Atlantic coast ; iron ore, in Colchester and Annapolis 
 Counties ; gypsum, in Hants ; marble and limestone, in many 
 different localities; freestone, in Pictou; amethyst, at Parrs- 
 borough ; copper ore and silver mines have been discovered in 
 many places ; manganese, at Tennicape ; oil, in Cape Breton, and 
 an immense marble mountain of the finest description. The 
 forests abounds in lumber. The fisheries on the coast are abund- 
 ant, and the harbors excellent. The fishing grounds are noto- 
 rious, the forests are supplied with game, and wild animals are 
 plentiful. 
 
 The wealth of the Maritime Provinces must be very large, 
 judging from the amount appropriated each year to carry on the 
 civil government in the four neighboring provinces. A legisla- 
 tive union of all the provinces included in the Dominion would 
 be an immense saving in the long run, now that all the great 
 political questions are settled ; legislation ought to be limited to 
 charters of companies and a few minor points. Could this not 
 be managed well and cheaply, in the different Parliamentary 
 Committees at Ottawa ? 
 
 I have heard it stated that the interest of the Maritime Pro- 
 vinces was not identical with that of Ontario and Quebec ; this 
 may be the case to a certain extent ; still, if the four lower prov- 
 inces were grouped under one Parliament,* instead of each having 
 
 Since these lines were written the question of uniting together the 
 Maritime Provinces is assuming a more tangible form.
 
 180 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 its Legislature, which much resembles a large municipality, how 
 many additional thousands of pounds could then be appropriated 
 to educational and municipal purposes. These four provinces 
 each year must increase in importance ; even Prince Edward Is- 
 land, the youngest' daughter of Confederation, is waking up, and 
 will be in the spring traversed from end to end by a railroad. 
 The railway facilities, and the Gulf Ports Line of steamers, will ) 
 during the summer season, continue to bring from abroad my- 
 riads of American tourists, eager to enjoy the exquisite scenery 
 of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and Newfoundland.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 181 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND ITS EARLY HISTORY POPULATION 
 RESOURCES ADMIRAL BAYFIELD CHARLOTTETOWN SUM- 
 MERSIDE A WINTER STEAM FERRY. 
 
 OF late years the Gulf Port Steamship Company has wisely 
 decided to enlarge the area comprised in the weekly round trip of its 
 steamers, so as to include a call at the Island of Prince Edward, 
 the lovely isle, the gem of the Gulf, which stands like a 
 vase of greenery, at the entrance of the St. Lawrence, not 
 inappropriately called " the Garden of the St. Lawrence.' 
 Until 1758, it was French territory, but that year it was ceded 
 to Great Britain. In 1763, the island was annexed to Nova 
 Scotia (or Acadia) ; in 1771, it was erected into a separate 
 government, and in 1851, responsible government was declared. 
 Under French domination, it bore the name of Isle Saint- Jean, 
 and was granted by letters patent, bearing date August, 1719, to 
 the Compagnie de I' Isle Saint-Jean. 
 
 Prince Edward Island was sighted by Sebastian Cabot, in 
 1497 ; three centuries later, it received its present name, in 
 honor of the father of our gentle Queen, Edward, Duke of Kent, 
 then commander of the forces in Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and 
 Newfoundland. A year later on, in 1798, an Act of the Colonial 
 Parliament ratified the name. 
 
 It is one hundred and thirty-four miles long, and varies in 
 breadth, by the indentations of its shores, from five to thirty-four 
 miles. In former times, Prince Edward Island numbered a popu- 
 lation of 7,000 Acadians ; peaceable and thriving tillers of a gene- 
 rous soil, some of whom would export as many as 1,200 bushels
 
 182 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 of oats to the Quebec market, in a season. The hand of fate was 
 on the Acadian here, as formerly amidst the valleys and fertile 
 plains of Grand Pre*. National antipathy suggested to the British, 
 another raid on this helpless people. The compatriots of 
 Evangeline were forcibly deported in ships ; barely one hundred 
 and fifty families evaded the stern decree, by hiding in the 
 woods or near the sea, or by leading in their boats, a roving, sea- 
 faring life.* Now came to the victors, the spoils. The island 
 was divided into three counties, the lands of the proscribed race 
 formed sixty-seven lots or townships of 20,000 acres each. The 
 total, 1,300,000 acres, was divided by lottery, among Imperial 
 servants and favorites, who, rightly or wrongly, claimed to have 
 served the British crown. These new land-owners, who owed to 
 chance their title-deeds, were -compelled by the terms of the 
 patent either to reside themselves on the island or to provide 
 occupants within ten years. Some fulfilled the terms of the 
 grant, others did not. It mattered little ; Che hated Acadians were 
 expelled ! 
 
 Change of owners gradually took place : this land was soon 
 groaning under the curse of leaseholds of a quasi indefinite du- 
 ration. Some leases ran for twenty-one years, others were worded 
 for nine hundred and ninety-nine years. A settler under one of the 
 latter leases, occupied the land rent-free the first two years ; at 
 the annual rate of threepence an acre, for the next three years ; 
 at six-pence per acre, for the fifth and sixth year ; at nine-pence 
 per acre, for the seventh and eighth year ; for the remainder of the 
 term, he was held to pay a shilling per acre and taxes. This 
 cumbersome land tenure caused incredible trouble and parliamen- 
 tary agitation ever since its inception in 1773; but of late, 
 the Government,-f by compensating the extensive land owners 
 
 De Tribord d Babord. 
 
 f A Bill was intftxluced in the P. E. I. Parliament in 1852, by the Hon. 
 George Coles, called the Land Purchase Bill, placing in the hands of the Go- 
 vernment 100,000, with which they were authorized to purchase the claims 
 of proprietors willing to sell.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 183 
 
 of the island, have much improved the condition of the settlers, 
 enabling them to become proprietors. Governor Denys, who 
 explored the island in 1672, and Admiral Bayfield, who in his 
 hydrographical reports, described it in 1860, both assign to it, 
 the form of a crescent. At its highest points, it does not exceed 
 from four to five hundred feet. The census of 1871 fixes its 
 population at 94,021 souls. Its chief sources of wealth up to 
 this time, are its deep-sea fisheries, agriculture and ship-build- 
 ing ; though, according to Professor Dawson, vast coal formations 
 underlie the whole island. 
 
 Its healthiness is unquestionable ; the Asiatic scourge, cholera, 
 has never yet penetrated there. The summer heat and winter 
 cold is less than that of Quebec, though, according to Bayfield, 
 the spring would be retarded, by the icy breath of the north 
 wind blowing from the Gulf. This scientific naval officer sets 
 forth that the south-west breezes, which, in June, July and 
 August, veil in murky fog, the Bay of Fundy, changes to tepid 
 and delightful emanations, in their passage through the Strait of 
 Northumberland and over the island, and then again turn to dank, 
 penetrating mist, as they career seaward towards Labrador. 
 
 Charlottetown, the capital, sits gracefully on a short neck of 
 land between the North and Hillsboro rivers, on a safe, capa- 
 cious harbor, called by the French Port de la Joye. Its quays, 
 however, are not very commodious. The town is lighted by gas 
 and well laid out ; the streets, crossing each other at right angles 
 and several of them one hundred feet wide. Here and there, hedges 
 and shade trees in front of private residences, with tiny garden- 
 plots ; fountains gushing amidst moss, ferns, and rockeries. Every 
 wealthy citizen seems to think himself in duty bound to adorn his 
 home and its approaches. On all sides, indications of refinement, 
 affluence, public order : one feature, above others, welcome no 
 beggars, cripples, public mendicants soliciting alms. Alas ! when 
 will old Quebec borrow a leaf from the book of her young sister ? 
 The colonial building is the handsomest edifice in the place. 
 It is built of Nova Scotia freestone. The other principal build-
 
 184 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 ings are the post office, market house, public hall, exchange, drill 
 shed, Prince of Wales, St. Dunstan's, and Methodist colleges, 
 Normal school, convent, lunatic asylum, gaol and government 
 house. The fourth estate is well represented at Prince Edward 
 Island. 
 
 The environs of the city teem with beautiful drives ; wide, 
 well-kept public roads intersecting the island in all directions 
 and running under the shade of spruce, fir and maple trees, occa- 
 sionally skirted by a thorn hedge or rose bushes. 
 
 From the dome of the colonial building, a commanding 
 view of Charlottetown is enjoyed. 
 
 In addition to many beautiful drives round the city, visitors 
 of a piscatorial and meditative turn of mind, have close at hand 
 several streams and rivers, in , which the finny tribe gambol 
 the live-long day. 
 
 There is also a charming trip by steamer to be taken to 
 Mount Stewart, eighteen miles distant. 
 
 At Charlottetown, is the residence of Admiral Bayfield,* 
 whose name, as commander of the exploring Government vessel, 
 " Gulnare, " for years, was a household word to every Quebecer. 
 
 The hydrographical labors of this able naval officer com- 
 prise, not only the boundless shores of our St. Lawrence, 
 but also many of the western lakes and inland seas of Ontario : he 
 
 Henry Wolsey Bayfield is descended from a very ancient English 
 family, the Bayfields, formerly of Bayfield Hall, County of Norfolk, Eng- 
 land. He entered the royal navy on the 6th January, 1806, as a supernu- 
 merary volunteer, on board H. M. ship Pompey, bearing the flag of Sir William 
 Sidney Smith ; we find him subsequently in the Queen, 98 guns, the flag 
 ship of Admiral Lord Collingwood, next in the Duchess of Bedford. After 
 brilliant service in the Beagle, and Wanderer, we find him commanding a 
 gun-boat, on the lakes in Canada in 1814, and, in 1815, assisting captain 
 Owen in the survey of Lake Ontario ; the St. Lawrence, from Kingston to 
 Prescott, and the Niagara river. In 1827, the Lord High Admiral, the Duke, 
 of Clarence, appointed him to the survey of the St. Lawrence. This laborious 
 and very important service lasted until 1856, when he attained the rank of 
 rear-admiral. His connection with Canada began in 1814 ; he was a resident 
 of Quebec from 1827 to 1841.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 185 
 
 holds his place amongst the band of indefatigable explorers and 
 hydrographers, famous amongst Canadians : Jacques Cartier, 
 Champlain, Nicholas Denys, La Verendrye, Joliet, Belin, &c. 
 
 Charlottetown, at five hours run, has a commercial rival 
 SUMMERSIDE, on the Strait of Northumberland, provided with 
 a spacious harbor. Summerside is noted for its commerce, ship- 
 building, and especially, for its delicious oysters. 
 
 Prince Edward Island, since the new arrangement of our 
 steamers, the opening of the railway through the Island, and the 
 efforts made by the Dominion Government to connect it during 
 the winter months with the main land by a regular winter steam 
 ferry, * is getting widely known, appreciated and admired by 
 every denizen of Canada. 
 
 Until recently, the connection between the Island and main 
 land, was kept up in winter, by experienced canoe men. 
 
 It is a pleasing incident for us to connect the name of a talented 
 Quebec shipbuilder with the winter navigation of the strait dividing the 
 Island, from terra firma. Though the Northern Light Steamer may not 
 entirely overcome the obstacles created by nature, under good management 
 and in favorable seasons, she will certainly shorten the period of isolation 
 for the islanders, and the name of Edward Sewell, Esq., of Levi, will yet, we 
 hope, be remembered as that of one of the benefactors of Prince Edward 
 Island.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 187 
 
 THE ROUND TRIP 
 
 MURRAY BAT CACOUNA TADOUSAC 
 CHICOUTIMI AND INTERVENING 
 PLACES. 
 
 THREE decades have not yet elapsed since the Saguenay and 
 " its terrors," Murray Bay, Cacouna, Tadousac, with their hotels 
 and lovely beaches, have been thrown open to Canadian, Ameri- 
 can and European travel. The time was well do we remember 
 it when each summer a few of the venturesome spirits among 
 us, at the approach of the dog days, tearing themselves away 
 from business, gave a few weeks to recreation and health. It 
 was customary then to walk to the Cul-de-Sac * or Palais harbor 
 and select a berth in one of the many coasters bringing to market 
 hay, deals, cord-wood, oats or other produce from the lower 
 parishes ; a trip to Murray Bay in those days was styled a sea 
 voyage ; it was also supposed to include salt water baths. The 
 coasting craft, who could rejoice in a sober skipper sails with 
 few rents decks tolerably tidy a clean cabin spacious enough 
 for a man " to fling round a cat by the tail," with security to the 
 cat, rightfully commanded a preference. The schooner's provi- 
 sions for the trip (which often in duration exceeded the time our 
 Atlantic steamships now take to reach England) were next exam- 
 ined. Black bread, junk pork, onions and Molson's " forty rods " 
 being generally pronounced insufficient fare ; by some, even un- 
 wholesome, the tourist was told to provide his own ship's stores. 
 
 The erecting of the Champlain market and wharves in 1854, and of 
 the new wharves at the Palais, has done away with both these valued harbors 
 for small river craft.
 
 188 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 A prime Westphalia ham, from Robertson's a loaf of Clearihue's 
 white bread some of Glass's wine-biscuits and crackers a case 
 of Teneriffe or good Benecarlo wine from Shaw and Torrance's 
 (alas ! how our respected ancestors used to vaunt these beverages, 
 which money now can scarcely purchase) a few dozen of McCal- 
 lum or Racey's pale ale a bottle of Scheidam or St. Croix old 
 white rum, to restore the circulation after bathing and prevent 
 cramps : such then, was the indispensable commissariat of the 
 wealthy traveller. Occasionally, a rheumatic or dyspeptic subject 
 was ordered, as a dernier resort, to try sea baths, by those 
 eminent members of the faculty, Fargues, Blanchet, Fremont, 
 Morrin, Marsden, Sewell. 
 
 The " sea voyage," to the invalid, was not always an un- 
 alloyed delight. Should he, for instance, not have owned such 
 a thing as a pair of " sea legs " the major part of the trip, 
 especially when the Murray Bay "Argo," close-hauled, was caught 
 tacking, in a stiff south-easter, was spent in making a prolonged, 
 byt not interesting, experimental study of what Monsieur le 
 Capitaine styled " mal de mer ;" the skipper, however, generally 
 a humane and prudent commander, scarcely ever failed to notify 
 the passengers in time to prepare and requested them as a specific 
 against nausea, to remain on deck, when they neared the 
 chopping seas of the Oouffre, the dreaded maelstrom between 
 lie aux Coudres and Cap au Corbeau, famous for its dangers 
 even in the days of the historian Charlevoix. This perilous eddy 
 once passed, a few hours of fair wind brought the schooner 
 to the sand-obstructed mouth of the river Malbaie ; this could 
 only be made with a high or rising tide. The coaster then 
 hoisting sail, entered, dipping perhaps her tricolor flag either to 
 the popular and well remembered seigneur, John Nairn, whose 
 little chateau stood and still stands on the western point, or else 
 to the esteemed Scotch merchant, Hon. John Malcolm Fraser, 
 whose cosy old stone manor, redolent of Highland memoirs of 
 1782, looms out on a high bank at Pointe a Gaze, to the east of 
 river Murray. There would take place the disembarking in
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWKENCE. 189 
 
 the schooner's jolly-boat, amidst the unharmonious dialect of the 
 Warrens, Blackburns, Harveys and McNeills, and other French- 
 ified Scotch of the Bay, greeting the captain on his safe return, 
 and amidst the suppressed oaths of the sailors, having to wade 
 from the jolly-boat to the rocks or sandy shore, carrying on their 
 backs the invalid tourist or adventurous Quebec traveller, there 
 being no wharves. In a trice, a sitting-room and cabinet or 
 sleeping apartment was rented in one of the white-roofed cottages 
 lining the shore, at the rate of $10 per month, including board. 
 
 It was etiquette to go the next day and make a call on the 
 genial seigneur of Murray Bay, as well as on the curt, the post- 
 master and other howling swells of the place. Amidst excellent 
 cheer, good salmon fishing in the river Murray, and trout fly 
 fishing at the Chute, at Grand Lac and Lac Gravel, July and 
 August flew over like the vistas of an enchanted dream. After 
 luxuriating on fresh herring, fresh salmon, luscious sardines, new 
 potatoes, French cherries, raspberries, plums and blueberries, the 
 quandam invalid or adventurous traveller, as the case might be, 
 would, by the 1st September, re-land at the Palais market pier 
 or Cul-de-sac as to the coats of his stomach, a new, a better 
 man. 
 
 This quasi-pastoral era closed in 1853, when the staunch 
 steamer " Saguenay," Capt. Eene Simard, built by an enterpris- 
 ing company,* was put on the Murray Bay and Saguenay route. 
 John Laird, Esquire, was the esteemed agent of this company, 
 from 1852 until the sale of the " Saguenay." 
 
 The " Saguenay " steamer was succeeded by the " May 
 Flower, " the " Comet, " the " Lord Elgin, " &c., until the es- 
 tablishment of the St. Lawrence Steam Navigation Co., which 
 put on this route, the first-class steamers "St. Lawrence," 
 " Saguenay, " " Union " and " Clyde." 
 
 Incorporated by 16 Viet. cap. 247, as " The Quebec and Trois Pistoles 
 Steam Navigation Company ;" composed as follows : William Price, C. H. 
 Tetu. (Trois Pistoles ), Henry John Noad, James Gibb, Gibb & Ross, Louis 
 Renaud & Brothers, Julien Chouinard, L. & C .Tetu, F. X. Paradis, Archibald 
 Campbell, sen., and Francois De Foy. Act assented to, 14th June, 1853.
 
 190 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 POINT LEVI. 
 
 On casting off from the wharf of the Richelieu Company, the 
 steamer runs east, giving a wide berth to that shallow, dangerous 
 far-reaching point to which a Levi,* more than two centuries 
 back, lent his name Pointe Levi, previously known as Cape 
 Levi. This Levi 'was one of the first Viceroys of Canada. 
 Pointe Levi St. Joseph de Levi, as it was styled until 1850 
 has undergone many subdivisions. It comprises now, a town, 
 Levi ; two flourishing villages, Lauzon and Bienville, both incor- 
 porated under the municipal act, a few years after, 1860 ; the new 
 Parish of St. David de 1'Aube Riviere, erected in 1876, and the 
 adjoining parish of St. Romuald to the west, created a separate 
 parish about 1854. The only part which has retained its old 
 name is the eastern portion. The Town of Levi, incorporated 
 in 1861, f is, of course, by its growing wealth, population (13,464 
 souls) and commanding position, the most noticeable. Perched 
 high on the hill, she seems to eye defiantly her big and elder 
 sister on the west shore of the great stream, old Quebec. The 
 stately churches of Levi, her colleges, convents, hospices, glisten- 
 ing white-roofed dwellings loom out imposingly from the river. 
 At the foot of the precipice on a spare strip of land, oversha- 
 dowed by pine-crowned cliffs, and skirted by the murmuring St. 
 Lawrence, you see from the deck of the passing steamer, crowded 
 thoroughfares, tortuously creeping through two rows of 
 houses, a vast brick-built market hall, shops, foundries, hotels, 
 
 " The family of Levi," says the historian Ferland, " was of ancient and 
 biblical origin, and laid claim to important prerogatives ; it traced back to 
 the patriarch Jacob, by his son Levi. This reminds one that in a chapel, 
 owned by the family, might be seen a painting, depicting the Holy Virgin, 
 and a member of the house of Levi, with his hat in his hand. Two inscrip- 
 tions explained the scene, ' Keep your hat on, Cousin,' says the Virgin ; 'It 
 is my pleasure to do so, Cousin,' replies the descendant of Levi.'' (Cour 
 cCHistoire du Canada, Ferland, Vol. /., p. 214. 
 
 f The Act of Incorporation, the 24 Vic., cap. 70, was sanctioned 16th 
 January, 1861.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 191 
 
 steamers, ship-yards lining the numerous piers, from Chabot's 
 hill to the sheds, offices and terminus of the Grand Trunk Kail- 
 way, up to Hadlow Cove ; everywhere, the hum and bustle of 
 commerce. 
 
 Up to 1850, the eastern portion of the point, used every 
 summer to be thickly studded with the bark wigwams of the 
 Micmac Indians from Baie des Chaleurs, or the North Shore 
 Montagnais the presumed descendants of the warriors who in 
 1775 or 1812 (without the privilege of scalping) had helped Old 
 England to keep out the irrepressible Yankees. The city pre- 
 cincts being closed to these lawless and rum-loving worthies, 
 each summer they paddled their canoes to the historic point of 
 Levi, erected bark huts, awaiting patiently until the English 
 Commissariat handed them their annual presents for services 
 rendered in time of need ; blankets, clothing, beads, trinkets for 
 the Indian princesses ; red cloth, feathers, axes, ammunition 
 for the Indian princes. 
 
 Hence the origin of the name of the adjoining indention in 
 the shore Indian Cove Anse aux Sauvages. It now com- 
 prises even the site lower down, selected about twenty years 
 back by the wealthy Quebec firm, Allan, Gilmour & Co., for a 
 lumber cove, conspicuous from afar, by its forest of masts, its ex- 
 tensive deal wharves and booms for square timber. On a decli- 
 vity, shaded by a hill in rear, to the west, were begun in 1867 
 the earthworks of Fort No. 3, a splendid piece of military en- 
 gineering. It was in the adjoining cemetery of St. Joseph that 
 was found underground, in 1850, the rusty old cage, in which 
 the fiend La Corriveau, court-martialed in 1764, was hung, to 
 starve and die (See Maple Leaves, 1st series, for particulars.) 
 
 On the Levi heights, were encamped the invading hosts, in 
 June, 1759, and in November, 1775, under Wolfe and Arnold. 
 " It was," says the annalist, Jean Claude Panet,- himself an inmate 
 of Quebec in 1759, "on the 24th June (1759), we first noticed 
 from the city the English fleet, anchored along the Levis shore 
 near Beaumont."
 
 192 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 " Brigadier-General Monckton, in June, 1759, with the fighting 
 Highlanders (78th Frasers), the 15th Foot and the ferocious 
 Rangers, had some lively encounters with the French, round the 
 old church of St. Joseph. On the 4th July of that year, Wolfe 
 was supposed to be evacuating his Levis camp to take up posi- 
 tion on the Island of Orleans." Again we read in old John 
 Thompson's MS. journal of the siege, some graphic particulars, 
 describing how several of the unfortunate wounded (English and 
 French) at the battle of the 13th September, 1759, were crossed 
 over from Wolfe's Cove, Quebec, in boats to Levi, carried on 
 litters from the ferry all the way to the church of St. Joseph, 
 temporarily converted into an hospital ; how the stalwart High- 
 lander, -in carrying in his arms a wounded French prisoner some 
 three miles, ruined his uniform : ,old Thompson must have been 
 something of a Hercules to attempt such a feat. 
 
 This Church of St. Joseph was again in the ensuing winter, 
 when British colors floated on Cape Diamond, the scene of active 
 military operations. On the 13th February, 1760, (the ice-bridge 
 having formed about the 5th,) General Murray sent over detach- 
 ments of the 78th, under Lieut. McNeil, to pursue a French 
 force hovering in the neighborhood. On the 24th February, 
 1760, Capt. Saint Martin, having returned with a body of 800 
 French troops to attack the English detachment posted at the 
 church, General Murray, in person, crossed over on the ice with 
 the 15th, 28th, 78th and some light infantry, supported by two 
 field pieces ; Saint Martin escaped, and the General recrossed 
 that night, bringing over with him fifteen prisoners, but without 
 losing a single one of his men. 
 
 On the 4th Nov., 1775, Arnold's indomitable New England- 
 ers, reduced in numbers by hunger, illness, desertion, exhausted 
 by their three months' trudge through the then trackless forest 
 of Maine, wading through streams thick with ice and snow, 
 debouched on the Pointe Levi heights, from the St. Henri wood, 
 somewhere near the Kennebec Eailway terminus ; after feeling 
 slightly put out Lieutenant-Governor Cramahe having had all
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 193 
 
 the water craft crossed over to Quebec they induced the 
 Indians they had met on the Kennebec and Chaudiere rivers, to 
 ferry them over in their canoes during a dark night, (on the 14th 
 November,) to Wolfe's Cove and Spencer Cove at Sillery, in 
 order to elude the Hunter and other English frigates anchored 
 abreast of the city. The whole ground is alive with the warlike 
 memories of the historic past. The parishes adjoining St. Joseph 
 to the east, though overrun, in 1759, by the English forces : 
 Beaumont, St. Michel, St. Valier, Berthier, St. Thomas, have 
 little in their history to attract the tourist, but opposite Levi 
 begins the fertile and verdant 
 
 ISLE OF ORLEANS, 
 
 full of souvenirs for the beholder. It lies on the placid bosom 
 of the great river, amphitheatre like, with a southern exposure, 
 four miles lower down than Quebec, in length about twenty 
 miles, and. five and a half miles broad ; being seventy miles in 
 area, and divided into six parishes, viz. : 
 
 ST. PETRONILE DE BEAULIEU, 
 
 on the western extremity, St. Pierre, Ste. Famille, St. Francois, 
 St. Jean, St. Laurent. " The beautiful situation of the island, 
 in the broad St. Lawrence, its picturesque heights and umbra- 
 geous groves, its quaint little hamlets and peaceful and primitive 
 people, render Orleans one of the most attractive districts of the 
 Lower St. Lawrence." The late N. H. Bowen, Esq., of Quebec, 
 whose villa adorns the western point, published, in 1866, a short 
 but excellent sketch of the place ; in 1867, Mr. L. P. 
 Turcotte, aided by the notes of the Abbe" Bois of Maskinonge*, gave 
 a complete history of his native island, from which the following 
 particulars are mainly condensed. One of the most noticeable 
 edifices on the island, is the new and tasty temple of Eoman 
 Catholic worship erected by the denizens of the new parish of St. 
 Petronile de Beaulieu, amidst graceful cottages, on a high bluff 
 in full view of Quebec. It is connected with the city by a 
 
 N
 
 194 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 regular ferry during the summer months and an ice-bridge in 
 winter. 
 
 " The island was called Minigo by the Indians, a large tribe 
 of whom lived here and carried on the fisheries, providing also a 
 place of retreat for the mainland tribes in case of invasion. In 
 1535, Jacques Cartier explored these shores and the hills and 
 forests beyond, being warmly welcomed by the resident Indians, 
 and feasted with fish, honey and melons." He speaks of the noble 
 forests, and adds : " We found there grape-vines, such as we had 
 not seen before in all the world ; and for that, we named it the 
 Isle of Bacchus." A year later, it received the name of the Isle 
 of Orleans, in honor of De Valois, Duke of Orleans, the son of 
 Francis I., of France. The popular name, L'Isle des Sorciers 
 ( Wizard's Island), originated either on account of the marvellous 
 skill of the natives in foretelling future storms and nautical events, 
 or else because the superstitious colonists on the mainland were 
 alarmed at the nightly movements of lights along the insular 
 shores, and attributed to demons and wizards the dancing fires 
 which were carried by the Indians in visiting their fish nets 
 during the night tides. 
 
 The island was granted in 1620, to the Sieur de Caen, by the 
 Duke de Montmorency, Viceroy of New France. In 1675, this 
 district was formed into the Earldom of St. Laurent, and was 
 conferred on M. Francois Berthelot, who assumed the title of the 
 Count of St. Laurent. In 1657, part of it was occupied by 
 six hundred Christian Huron Indians, who had taken refuge 
 under the walls of Quebec from the exterminating Iroquois. In 
 1656, the Iroquois demanded that they should come and dwell in 
 their country, and upon their refusal fell upon the Hurons with a 
 force of 300 warriors, devastated the island and killed seventy- 
 two of the unfortunate Christians. Two tribes* were com- 
 pelled soon after to surrender and held as captives into the 
 Iroquois' country, while the tribe of the Corde left the island 
 
 The Hurons were divided into three tribes : the tribe of the Rock, of 
 the Bear, and of the Corde.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 195 
 
 and settled at Lorette. The isle was over-run by the Iroquois on 
 the 18th June, 1661 ; they massacred indiscriminately, there and 
 on the Cdte de Beauprd opposite, the helpless French settlers. A 
 Quebec sportsman, Couillard de L'Epinay, was at that time on 
 the island, on a shooting excursion ; Jean de Lauzon, son of the 
 Governor of the Colony and brother-in-law to Couillard de 
 L'Epinay, also Seneschal of New France, made up a party of 
 seven spirited Quebecers, and sailed down in a boat to warn his 
 brother-in-law of his danger. They landed near Rivi&re Maheu, 
 where their boat grounded. De Lauzon sent two of his followers 
 to see whether there were any one in a neighboring house belong- 
 ing to Bene' Maheu, pilot ; on opening the door, they found them- 
 selves confronted by eighty Iroquois, who raising the warwhoop 
 surrounded the seven Frenchmen, unable to put to sea, as their 
 boat was aground ; they summoned the French to surrender, 
 promising to spare their lives, but De Lauzon, who knew too 
 well the ferocity and perfidy of the foe, refused, firing away at 
 them until the savages had to cut off his arms ; they then cut off 
 the Seneschal's head. The brave seven were all slaughtered, one 
 excepted, who though grievously wounded was carried away to 
 be tortured; before leaving, they burnt the bodies of their own 
 dead warriors. The great cross of Argentenay was carried away 
 and raised in triumph at the Iroquois' village, on Lake Onondaga, 
 (New York.) 
 
 For nearly a century, the isle enjoyed peace and prosperity, 
 until it had 2,000 inhabitants with 5,000 cattle and rich and 
 productive farms. Then, came the advance of Wolfe's fleet in 
 June, 1759; the inhabitants all fled to Charlesbourg ; the una- 
 vailing French troops and artillery left these shores ; Wolfe's 
 soldiers landed at St. Laurent^ and erected camps, forts and 
 hospitals on the south-east point ; and soon afterwards, the British 
 forces systematically ravaged the deserted country, burning 
 many houses on the Isle, 
 
 Orleans is now divided into two seigniories, or lordships, 
 whose revenues and titles are vested in ancient French families
 
 196 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 of Quebec, the Poulin, Gourdeau, Drapeau, etc. The soil is rich 
 and diversified, and its pretty vistas justify Charlevoix's sketch 
 (of 1720) : " We took a stroll on the Island of Orleans, whose 
 cultivated fields extend around, like a broad amphitheatre, and 
 gracefully end the view on either side. I have found this coun- 
 try beautiful, the soil good, and the inhabitants very much at 
 their ease." The farms are celebrated for their excellent potatoes, 
 prunes and apples and for their high flavored cheese (frontage 
 rafine"). The people by their insular position still preserve 
 many of their early Norman customs ; the island is the residence 
 of many river pilots. 
 
 ST. PIERRE 
 
 occupies the southwest end of the island, where Capt. Hardy, one 
 of Wolfe's officers, had a post. It has a population of 700 inhabi- 
 tants, and runs eastward about seven miles, until it reaches Ste. 
 Famille, with the river Pot-au-Beurre, as the boundary. The 
 first chapel, for the French and Indians, erected there in 1651, 
 was consecrated on the 2nd July, 1653, by the Jesuit Father 
 Lallemand. It stood near A use du Fort, where the " Columbus/' 
 3,700 tons, and the " Baron Eenfrew," 3,000 tons, were built in 
 1824 and 1825, the largest vessels that the world had seen up to 
 that time. The next parish, 
 
 STE. FAMILLE, 
 
 facing Ange Gardien and Chateau Richer, is six miles in length, 
 and is bounded to the east by St. Francois Bout de I' Isle ; in 
 1671, it had a stone R. C. church more than eighty feet long, by 
 thirty-six feet broad. 
 
 " The convent of Ste. Famille was founded in 1685, by the 
 Sisters of the Congregation, and since that time the good nuns 
 have educated the girls of the village, having generally about 
 seventy, in the institution. The nunnery is seen near the church, 
 and was built in 1699, having received additions, from time to 
 time, as the village increased. Its cellar is divided into narrow
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 197 
 
 and contracted cells, whose design has been long forgotten. The 
 woodwork of the convent was burned by Wolfe's foragers in 
 1759, but was restored in 1761, after the conquest of Canada by 
 the English. The first church of Ste. Famille was built in 1671, 
 and the present church dates from 1745 ; the village is nearly 
 opposite to Chateau Eicher, and commands fine views of the 
 Laurentian Mountains. 
 
 ST. FRANgois. 
 
 This parish includes the domain of the ancient fief of Argen- 
 tenay, and was formed in 1678. In 1683, the first church was 
 built ; the present church dates from 1736, and was plundered by 
 Wolfe's troops in 1759. The view from the church is very 
 beautiful, and includes the St. Lawrence to the horizon, the white 
 villages of the south coast, the Isle Madame, Grosse Isle and Isle 
 aux Reaux. On the north shore, at the end of the island, are 
 the broad meadows of Argentenay, where wild fowl and other 
 game are sought by the sportsmen of Quebec. This district looks 
 across the north channel upon the dark and imposing ridges of 
 the Ste. Anne mountains and the peaks of St. Fereol ; and the 
 view from the church is yet more extensive and beautiful. 
 
 ST. JEAN. 
 
 The church of St. John was built in 1735, near the site 
 of a chapel dating from 1675, and contemporary with the hamlet. 
 This parish is famous for the number of skillful river pilots which 
 it has furnished. It has about 1,300 inhabitants, and is the most 
 important parish on the island. It is nearly opposite the south 
 shore village of St. Michel. 
 
 ST. LAURENT, 
 
 facing the south shore, is seven miles from St. Jean, upon the 
 well settled royal road. The parish is entered after crossing the 
 river Maheu, where the Seneschal of New France fell in battle. 
 It was originally erected under the name of St. Paul, which
 
 198 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 name it kept until 1698. It was, it is said, at the request of Mr. 
 Berthelot, Seignior of the Island and County of St. Laurent, that 
 its first name was changed into that of St. Laurent. A first early 
 church, dedicated to St. Paul, was built about 1675, at a spot 
 called L'Arbre Sec (the Dry Tree), several arpents west of the 
 Jesuit Church, where the hills begin. The R. C. church of St. 
 Laurent is a stately edifice of cut stone, with a shining tin roof, 
 and is 113 feet in length. It replaced the churches of 1675 and 
 1697, and was begun in 1860, and consecrated in 1861. The 
 Route des Pretres runs north from St. Laurent to St. Pierre, and 
 was so named fifty years ago, when this church had a piece of 
 St. Paul's arm-bone, which was taken away to St. Pierre, and 
 thence was stolen at night by the St. Laurent people. After a 
 long controversy, the Bishop of Quebec ordered that each church 
 should restore to the other its own relics, which was done along 
 this road by large processions, the relics being exchanged at the 
 great black cross, midway on the road. One and a half miles 
 west of St. Laurent, is the celebrated haven called Trou St. Pat- 
 rice (as early as 1689), or Patrick's Hole, where vessels, es- 
 pecially coasting crafts, seek shelter in a storm, or outward- 
 bound ships, await orders to sail. 
 
 We have still a vivid recollection of a cosy wayside inn, kept 
 by a bustling and hospitable landlady, Madame Cookson, who was 
 reckoned, as the Canadian caboteurs used to style her, La Provi- 
 dence des Marins. Here anchored, it would seem, Nelson's 
 sloop of war the " Albermarle," in 1782, when the love-sick 
 Horatio* returned to Quebec for a last farewell from the blooming 
 Miss Simpson, a daughter of Sandy Simpson, one of Wolfe's 
 Prevost-Marshals. Miss Simpson afterwards married Col. 
 Mathews, Governor of Chelsea pensioners, and died in 1830, 
 speaking tenderly of her first love, the hero of Trafalgar. 
 
 The river is a mile and a quarter wide here, and there are ten 
 or twelve fathoms of water in the cove. * 
 
 Southey in his LIFE OF NELSON, alludes to this youthful passion, and 
 letters recently discovered throw new light on it.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 199 
 
 Two miles west of this point is the curious Caverne de Bon- 
 temps, a grotto about twenty feet deep, cut in the solid rock, near 
 the level of the river. It lies on the land of one Francois Mar- 
 anda, and was called after one Bontemps, who sought refuge 
 there. The people of St. Laurent are noted as skillful boat 
 builders. In 1865, close to the church to the east, was erected 
 a tower or lighthouse, to guide inward-bound ships. 
 
 ILE MADAME AND ILE AUX REAUX. 
 
 These two islands, one league to the south of St. Francois, 
 are under the spiritual charge of the pastor of St. Francois. lie 
 auxReaux was granted to the Jesuits, in 1638, by Governor de 
 Montmagny ; for many years the late Dr. Geo. Mellous Douglas 
 owned it, and had it in a high state of culture. 
 
 GROSSE ISLE THE QUARANTINE STATION. 
 
 This island, about two and a half miles long, was purchased 
 in 1832, by the Provincial Government from the Ursuline Nuns of 
 Quebec. It was considered necessary to have a quarantine station, 
 on the appearance of the Asiatic scourge in 1832, where all foreign 
 ships bound for Quebec should stop to undergo a medical exam- 
 ination and purification in case of contagion amongst the crew 
 and passengers : all invalids were immediately sent to hospital, 
 ' and the vessels fumigated and disinfected, under the personal 
 superintendence of a medical man and staff, stationed there from 
 15th April to 10th December, each year. Dr. Charles Poole, a 
 London surgeon, was the first, appointed to this charge : he was 
 succeeded, in 1836,, by Dr. George Mellous Douglass, who held 
 the appointment for many years, and during the trying season of 
 1847. At his death, in 1864, he was succeeded by young Dr. 
 Charles Montizambert, the present incumbent. 
 
 . No one is allowed to live on the island without the permis- 
 sion of the medical man in charge. Until 1864, in order to en- 
 force sanitary regulations and compel ships to stop, a company 
 of British soldiers, under a military head, vested with supreme 
 
 , *
 
 200 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 authority over the island and its inhabitants, was stationed there 
 every summer : they were furnished with heavy guns, and no pass- 
 ing ship felt inclined to disregard the shot firecf across her bows. 
 The blue coat of the policeman has since replaced the scarlet 
 uniform. Though cholera, in 1834 and 1849, gave the authorities 
 busy times, the deadly ship fever of 1847 amongst the Irish em- 
 igrants, who landed by thousands on our shores, rendered that year 
 a painfully memorable one : ships, in order to escape quarantine, 
 sometimes concealed all trace of disease, by throwing over board 
 the dead before hearing the boom of the Grosse Isle cannon : the 
 flow and ebb of the tide would float ashore those bloated corpses, 
 a ghastly sight. Instead of a short and pleasant ten days' trip in 
 the splendid Allan steamers, as at present, the emigration in 
 former times, to the extent of 40J300 to 50,000, took place in ill- 
 provided sailing ships ; the voyage being frequently protracted 
 to fourteen weeks, and six or seven hundred emigrants huddled 
 together in one small vessel. The mortality and human suffer- 
 ing was incredible : still hover over the island as a hideous night- 
 mare the memories of 1847. In one grave alone, 7,000 victims 
 of ship-fever lie buried. There is a good wharf for landing, and 
 the long white sheds and buildings seen from the passing steam- 
 er, are the hospitals for the sick and the quarters of the medical 
 man. 
 
 8TE. MARGUERITE ISLAND AND ITS GROUP. 
 
 This island, about five miles in length, is not inhabited : 
 owned by residents of St. Thomas, Crane Island, etc., it is of 
 value merely on account of the fuel it yields. The beaches in 
 summer, are used to pasture young cattle belonging to the south 
 shore of the St. Lawrence, and which, from rarely seeing man, 
 become perfectly wild when the owners cross over at the ap- 
 proach of winter, to convey these mustangs and bullocks home. 
 A hut and a barn have been built here. The shallows near the 
 island used to be a favorite fishing ground for bass : the fishing 
 is done in boats. To the north and east of St. Marguerite Island
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 201 
 
 / 
 
 the map shows a group of bare, uninhabited islets, some with 
 scarce any trace of vegetation, and whose barren, reddish rocks 
 are visible from afar : several generate in storms, eddies and tide- 
 rips dangerous to boats and small craft. The principal ones are 
 Patience I., Two Head I., Heron I., Canoe I., Race I., Mile I., 
 Onion I. One, Canoe Island, the largest, is inhabited and fit for 
 culture ; it exhibits one solitary dwelling : here, however, a re- 
 spected E. C. prelate, the late Archbishop Baillargeon, was born in 
 1809. The eye next embraces a fertile island six miles in length, 
 by one mile broad, or so ; it is connected by a vast, verdurous 
 meadow, submerged by every spring tide, with the adjoining isle, 
 Goose Island so named nearly three centuries ago on account 
 of the myriads of geese, ducks, etc., seeking their subsistence on 
 its muddy flats. 
 
 CRANE ISLAND. 
 
 In 1646, one of the most picturesque islands of the St. 
 Lawrence, thirty-six miles lower down than Quebec, from the 
 incredible number of sea fowl and game it harbored, had attracted 
 the attention of a Grand Seigneur, sent out by the Grand 
 Monarque, Louis XIV. to administer New France. He obtained 
 a land-patent, and found here ample scope for his sporting tastes. 
 Charles Huault de Montmagny, Knight Grand Cross of Jerusa- 
 lem and Governor of Quebec, was Seigneur, the first Seigneur 
 of Crane Island. 
 
 Of the bags of game he annually made up on the verdant 
 and swampy beaches of his lovely isle ; of the roasted duck, teal 
 or snipe he served up to his little court, within the precincts of 
 the Castle of St. Louis, we have no record, save the faint 
 tracings of tradition. 
 
 That erratic wanderer, sung by Horace Gruem advenam, 
 the wary crane, having also sought the island as a trysting 
 place, during its spring and fall migrations from Florida to the 
 fur countries and Hudson Bay, the place was called after it 
 Crane Island. Under French rule, the law lent its protection
 
 202 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 to the game it contained. Special ordonnances de chasse were 
 passed to that effect ; and some legislation to protect the ducks, 
 etc., at the period of incubation, also took place under the early 
 English Governors; at one time, several varieties of aquatic 
 fowl resorted to its vast meadows. Pot hunters having under- 
 taken to hunt with dogs the fledglings, in July, before they 
 could fly, the parent birds resented such unsportsmanlike prac- 
 tices, and sought new breeding places in the more secluded isles, 
 on the Labrador coast or in the neighborhood of Lake St. John. 
 
 Amongst the early proprietors, figure the names of some of 
 the Carignan-Salieres Regiment, subsequently to whom we find 
 the name of a descendant of Charles LeMoyne de Longueuil. In 
 1775, the Seigneur was M. de Beaujeu, brother of the famous de 
 Beaujeu, who, in 1755, won from the English the memorable 
 battle of Monangahela.* In 1759, he had been intrusted with 
 the command of an important post, that of Michillimakinac in 
 the west; for his services and devotion to the cause of His 
 Most Christian Majesty, he was decorated. De Beaujeu, at the 
 head of his censitaires, was a sturdy chieftain ; nor did he hesi- 
 tate during the winter of 1775-6, to cross over and join the 
 succor, which De Gaspe", Seigneur of St. Jean Port Joly, Couil- 
 lard, Seigneur of St. Thomas, and an old Highland officer, Thos. 
 Ross, of Beaumont, made a noble effort to pour into Quebec. 
 
 It is curious to follow the warlike Seigneur de Beaujeu, up- 
 
 " Louis Lienard Villemonde de Beaujeu was the brother of the hero of the 
 Monangahela and his worthy emulator. Ensign from 1731 to 1738 ; lieute- 
 nant in 1744 ; he was appointed in 1751 captain of the company of Soldiers 
 of the Marine, in place of M. de la Verendrye, and, by his honorable con- 
 duct, in January, 1754, obtained the cross of St. Louis. The authorities 
 granted him that year a concession of land, four leagues in depth by four 
 front, on the border of Lake Champlain, and he applied himself to the work 
 of clearing it. Sometime afterwards he was appointed commander of the 
 post of Michillimakinac, and he served in this position during many years. 
 Later, he took an active part in the defence of the country during the 
 American war. M. de Beaujeu died on the fifth of June, 1802, at his manor, at 
 Crane Island, at the advanced age of eighty-five years and five months.'' 
 Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Vol. VIL, page 138.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 203 
 
 holding the standard of England in 1775-6 the same standard he 
 had so successfully opposed, before the desertion of the colony 
 by France De Beaujeu, whose name still survives in that of the 
 sand-bank in the St. Lawrence, opposite the manor house as laid 
 down in Bayfield's Chart. It is proper to state that his winter 
 expedition of 1775-6 to relieve His Excellency, Guy Carleton, 
 blockaded in Quebec, ended in a disaster, nearly costing him and 
 his followers their lives. Capt. DeBeaujeu expired at Crane 
 Island in 1802. In our early sporting days, we recollect hearing 
 from the anciens of the Island, quaint anecdotes relating to their 
 aged and warlike seigneur, Capt. DeBeaujeu. It would seem 
 that on great holy days, the Chevalier de St. Louis took particu- 
 lar pride in wearing in his button-hole the red ribbon of the order 
 sent out to him by the King of France, Louis XV. Age and 
 infirmities creeping on, the old lion used to remain in his den 
 the greater part of the day, and, when the censitaires came to fetch 
 the rents and seigniorial capon, at Michaelmas, more than once 
 they had to light the fire on the very spacious hearth, enclosed 
 by an antique, " wide-throated " chimney, which, to this day, is 
 a subject of curiosity to all visitors, so as to render the hall 
 tenantable. Kecently, two antiquated rusty cannon were shown 
 to us lying on the shore at Crane Island near the Church ; in our 
 opinion they must have belonged to the French man-of-war 
 I' Elephant, stranded on the 1st September, 1729, on the shoal of 
 Cap BruU, opposite to Crane Island, on the north side, whence 
 they were brought. 
 
 In 1859, a similar cannon, measuring in length five feet eight 
 inches, and twelve inches in diameter, was presented by a resi- 
 dent of Crane island, Capt. Lavoie, to the Quebec Seminary : at 
 that period, some of the timber of this old wreck was still visible. 
 
 History furnishes the following, anent this memorable ship- 
 wreck, by which the Bishop of Canada (Monseigneur Dosquet) 
 and its Intendant Hocquart, with several other men of note, 
 were near losing their lives. 
 
 Bishop Dosquet obtained one thousand half-crowns (e'cus)
 
 204 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 from the French Government for his losses, and described in a 
 letter still extant, the manner in which the Elephant was wrecked. 
 
 We have also a very detailed proces verbal of the accident, 
 from the pen of M. Hocquart, the Intendant who was a passenger. 
 
 The Elephant, commanded by Monsieur Le Comte de Vau- 
 dreuil, " lieutenant de vaisseau," was at the time in charge of a 
 river pilot, by name Chariteau. M. Hocquart relates how the 
 frigate, at the request of the pilot, got under way at 3 p.m., with 
 a fresh north-easter and rising tide, and how at 12 midnight, 
 being deceived by a fire on the beach, it struck heavily three times 
 on the ledge. An attempt was made to carry out in a boat a 
 kedge anchor, but the boat was swamped. 
 
 For two hours, the ship made no water ; with the ebb, she 
 keeled over and broke her back ; on the 2nd September, it was 
 decided, the pumps being insufficient, to cut her masts, in order 
 to save the very valuable cargo the frigate contained. 
 
 The Quebec harbor master, M. de la Richaudiere, had got on 
 board at ten o'clock the following morning, and was present at 
 the consultation, which resulted in the cutting of the vessel's 
 masts ; a number of small craft were sent from Quebec to unload 
 the stranded ship, which was effected by the 12th October. In 
 the meantime, a violent storm came on, causing great damage to 
 the small craft thus employed, and resulting in the death of a 
 young carpenter, of the name of Prenouveau ; the king granted 
 his mother a pension of 150 livres. The frame of the Elephant 
 was broken up the timbers having been found much decayed. 
 
 The proces verbal is signed by the officers of the ship ; 
 Serigny de Loire, and Duquesne Meneville, le Chevalier de 
 Bretonville, Duperat de la Bernandaye ; Blanchard, maitre ; 
 Chariteau, maitre-pilote ; Testu, Vaudreuil and Riviere. 
 
 (Signed,) HOCQUART. 
 
 The population of Crane and Goose Islands may reach 800 
 souls. 
 
 With the exception of the seigniorial manor, on the lower 
 end of Crane Island, rebuilt and enlarged by McPherson Le
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 205 
 
 Moyne, Esquire, the new seigneur, who occupies it during the 
 summer months, all the dwellings stand on the northern side of 
 the island. A thick belt of forest trees hides" them from view, 
 except when the steamer takes the north channel, when they are 
 faintly seen in the distance. 
 
 The locality ranked as a parish, under the name of St. Antoine 
 de I'lle aux Grues, as early as 1683, when it comprised but 
 three families, in all fifteen souls. In 1678, Pierre de Becart, 
 Sieur de Granville, was the seigneur. It was the birthplace 
 of a public-spirited and talented ecclesiastic, the Rev. Messire 
 Painchaud, who in 1827 founded the College of Ste. Anne des 
 Aulnets, county of Kamouraska. A marble slab now marks the 
 spot in the island cemetery where repose the remains of this 
 warm friend of education, deceased in 1839. 
 
 Crane Island during the " leafy months " is noted for its 
 salubrity and attractiveness. A highway for carriages runs from 
 one end to the other, and dense woods, descending to the shores, 
 intersect the portion of the island which is not under culture. A 
 grove of young maple and oak, some thirty acres long, fringes 
 the crest of this plateau, at the west point facing the anchorage, 
 so well known to every river pilot, La Pointe aux Pins. 
 
 Twelve years ago, the Marine and Fishery Department 
 erected here a lighthouse on a detached pier : also several up- 
 right beacons along the shore, to mark out the course of ships 
 steering inside of Beaujeu's bank, opposite the manor house. 
 In rear the ground rises in successive terraces studded with 
 dwarf, parasol pines of singular beauty, and leads through natural 
 avenues to the wooded and umbrageous plateau above, known 
 as " Le Domaine du Seigneur," a cool, delightful spot for a pic- 
 nic or fite champe'tre, if ever there was one. These picturesque 
 highlands have also their heather : a fuzzy graceful carpet of 
 juniper bushes weighted down each fall with fruit. When Sep- 
 tember crimsons the adjoining maple groves, a visit to this elysium 
 is a thing to be remembered ; few sites in our gorgeous Canadian 
 scenery can surpass its river views, extending to Cape Tour-
 
 206 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 mente, Cape Maillard and over the innumerable islets basking in 
 sunshine at your feet. 
 
 The old manor, with its gay parterres, orchard, ample 
 verandah, flag staff and numerous outhouses, is in full view 
 from the steamer ascending the south channel : it stands on the 
 spot where dwelt the warlike Seigneur de Beaujeu. Some 
 distance in rear, is visible an old windmill, beyond which may 
 be seen a string of pretty white cottages extending to the extreme 
 west end of the island ; the parish church, of course, as in all 
 Canadian scenery, looms out in the centre tlie parent watching 
 over the welfare of her offspring. As a river view, nothing can 
 surpass in grandeur the panorama which the broad St. Lawrence 
 here unfolds on a radiant summer morning, when, with the 
 rising tide, a fleet of swan-winged merchantmen emerge from the 
 Traverse, far below, in the direction of the church of St. Roch 
 des Aulnets : at first imperceptible white specks on the horizon, 
 gradually growing larger and larger, on the bosom of the glad 
 waters, until they each in succession crowd on you, top sails, top 
 gallant-sails and royals all set ; a moving tower of canvas advan- 
 cing straight to where you stand so close, when an island pilot, 
 perchance, is in charge, and takes the inshore channel, the deep- 
 est though the narrowest, that you can distinctly hear the voices 
 of all on board. 
 
 The high tides of spring and fall wash the foot of the rising 
 ground on which the manor stands ; the game, such as ring- 
 plovers, curlews, sea-snipe, sand-pipers, then light within a few 
 rods of the house. To the north of Crane Island, and separated 
 by a narrow pass, you notice a small island, which the tide 
 covers each day ; that is the celebrated Dune well known to 
 Canadian sportsmen as abounding with Canada geese (outardes), 
 snow-geese, ducks and small game. In May and September, 
 you may daily see a flock of snow-geese and outardes feeding 
 there, some three thousand, beyond a rifle's range, or winging 
 their rapid, noisy, wedge-like flight towards the muddy St. Joa- 
 chim flats opposite.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 207 
 
 Home of our boyhood, thrice blessed isle, the congenial 
 abode of many feathered denizens, the seat of plenty and of 
 domestic peace, how oft, a youthful fowler, have we, gun in 
 hand, trudged knee-deep through thy reedy, boundless marshes ! 
 Fatigue ! pooh ! there was in those days no such word in our 
 vocabulary. How many sunny, blissful hours, during the long 
 mid-summer vacation, have we not beguiled away on thy grassy 
 lawn or in thy well-stocked orchard, dreaming away life's day 
 dreams, or waiting impatiently until the increasing murmur of 
 the swelling, bursting tide should indicate high water, the aus- 
 picious moment when we sallied forth to pour destruction 
 among the serried flocks of beach-birds cooped up on thy pebbly 
 shores ! Haunts of our early days, can we ever forget you ? 
 
 " Sweet memory, wafted by thy gentle gale, 
 Oft up the stream of time I turn my sail, 
 To view the fairy haunts of long lost hours, 
 Blest with far greener shades, far richer flowers." 
 
 GOOSE ISLAND.* 
 
 " Six miles lower down than Crane Island the tourist discovers 
 the farm houses and verdant beaches of Goose Island, owned 
 since 1876 by the Hotel-Dieu nuns of Quebec, a spot most gra- 
 phically sketched by the Jesuits in 1663, as being then the 
 inviolate sanctumf and breeding-ground of millions of ducks and 
 teal, " whose loud voices made the whole island resound in the 
 summer season, but who kept a profound silence during the spring 
 and summer of 1663, owing to the frightful and continuous 
 earthquakes, which caused the soil to roll and quake to such a 
 degree that church steeples would bend to the earth and then 
 rise up again ! ! " J This last feat, from its novelty, must have 
 
 * From Legendary Lore of the St. Lawrence. 
 
 f Relations des Jesuites. 
 
 J It is really curious to note the care taken, both under French and Eng- 
 lish rule, to protect the game in these preserves. No less than two Ordi- 
 nances were passed, one in 1731, and the other in 1769, to assure to the Seig-
 
 208 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 been particularly attractive to witness, from a balloon for instance, 
 or from the deck of a ship ; from anywhere in fact, except from 
 old mother Earth. 
 
 Goose Island is united to Crane Island by a belt of swampy 
 ground, four miles long, shown on the map : this marsh is wholly 
 covered by the tide, in the spring and fall, only M. de Montmagny , 
 when Governor of the colony, obtained from the Company of New 
 France, the grant of Crane Island and of the two neighboring 
 Islands (Petite and Grosse He aux Oies) which bear the same 
 name, as a shooting-ground. The Iroquois, in 1655, made a de- 
 scent on Goose Island, and murdered M. Moyen ; his wife and 
 children were carried off, as prisoners. One of the daughters 
 married the brave Lambert Closse, whose courage shed lustre 
 on the early times of Montreal. An efficient game law would 
 in a few years restore it to what it was formerly,* the best shoot- 
 
 neurs of Crane and adjacent islands, the exclusive privilege and right of 
 shooting, granted them by their original title deed. 
 
 Gilles Hocquart. 
 
 " Sur les plaintes qui nous ont e*te* portees par le Sieur de Touville aide 
 Major des Troupes, Seigneur des Isles aux Grues, au Canot, Ste. Marguerite et 
 la Grosse Isle, que plusieurs particuliers tant de cette ville, que des d : isle et 
 des cotes voisines s'ingerent de chasser dans les d : isle quoique qu'il n'y ait 
 que le Seigneur qui ait le privilege d lui accorde par ses litres, a quoi il nous 
 aurait requis de pourvoir, nous faisons tres expresses defenses a toutes per- 
 sonnes de chasser dans l'e"tendue des d : isles et Seigneuries sous quelque 
 pretexte que ce soit, sans la permission du Sieur de Touville et a peine de 10 
 livres d'amende centre les contrevenants, et de confiscation de leurs nrmes et 
 canots au profit du dit Seigneur : et sera la pr&sente Ordonnance lue, publie"e 
 et afficliee en la maniere accoutumee. Mandons, &c. 
 
 Fait a Quebec, 20 Mars, 1731. 
 
 (Signs') HOCQUART. 
 
 (Archives de la Province Registre des Ordonnances, Folio 70 Recto. 
 
 * By His Excellency, Guy Carleton, Captain General and Governor in 
 Chief of the Province of Quebec, Brigadier General of His Majesty's armies, 
 etc., etc., etc. 
 
 Taking into consideration the representations which have been made to 
 us by the Sieur De Longueuil, Seigneur of Crane and Goose Islands, Canoe and 
 Ste. Marguerite Islands, and also Grosse Isle, that by his title he has the ex- 
 clusive right to shoot on these said Islands that, notwithstanding several
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 209 
 
 ing ground in the country, for snipe, geese, ducks, teal, and all 
 the other beach birds of which old Governor Boucher, the illus- 
 trious ancestor of the numerous Boucher family, wrote in 1663 
 from his capital (Three Eivers) such glowing accounts to his 
 friends at the court of Louis XIV. Some years back, a magnifi- 
 cent swan was shot on these swamps and presented to the Gover- 
 nor General, by Daniel McPherson, Esq., then proprietor of these 
 Islands. Not only is Goose Island a land of promise for the 
 sportsman and the naturalist, it also has its wild legends. 
 
 More than a century, back a French officer left old for New 
 France, as it was then called. This gentleman obtained the grant 
 of a Fief or Seigniory, comprising a group of islands called the Ste. 
 Marguerite Islands, to which he subsequently added the two 
 Goose Islands and Crane Island, originally granted to M. de 
 Montmagny in 1646. The extent of such a domain supposes 
 rank and importance in the seignior, who chose for his manorial 
 residence one of the most picturesque, but also one of the most 
 
 persons both from the city and neighboring parishes and even the inhabitants 
 of these Islands, attempt to shoot there without leave, destroying the hay on 
 the beaches and catching the young ducks that they find there, thereby di- 
 minishing their numbers considerably for the next hunting season, and also 
 removing each year a quantity of thatching grass, also using as firewood the 
 timber on those islands, we hereby expressly forbid that any person either 
 from Quebec, or from the neighboring seigneuries, and likewise that any of 
 the inhabitants of these Islands, under whatever pretence, do shoot on these 
 Islands or any portion thereof without the express permission of the Sieur de 
 Longueuil, under pain of legal punishment. We also forbid them to remove 
 the young ducks, to carry away the thatching grass, to destroy the meadow 
 hay, or burn the timber on the said Islands without the leave of the said Sieur 
 de Longueuil, and the said Sieur de Longueuil may have this ordonnance pub- 
 lished in the neighboring parishes. 
 
 Done at Quebec, 28th July, 1769. 
 
 (Signed,) GUY CARLETON. 
 
 Reg. I. Foi et Hommages, 
 Folio 226. 
 
 Modern legislation has rendered these ordonnances unnecessary by 
 including 'Beaches' within the provisions of the Agriculture Act, and 
 providing punishment against trespassers on property. 
 
 o
 
 210 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 secluded islands of the group, and thereon built not a crenelated 
 tower, not a baronial castle of the middle ages, but a plain mas- 
 sive stone house, a prison, as it proved subsequently, either for 
 himself or his son ; tradition has failed to elucidate this point. 
 There, for many a long year, far from the eyes of men, a solitary 
 prisoner was immured. His keeper, perhaps his friend, his 
 relative, for aught that can be stated to the contrary, was a 
 woman, a woman of rank and wealth. The prisoner, it was said, 
 was insane. The question was often asked, " Was he born so, 
 or, if not, what produced, or led to, his insanity ? Were there no 
 lunatic asylums in France fit to receive him ? The replies to 
 these queries are likely to remain for ever amongst the unfathomed 
 secrets of the past. Dark surmises were circulated. Who 
 was this new Masque de Fer Why was he immured between 
 four massive walls, with no sweet sounds to beguile captivity's 
 lonely hours, save the voice of the pitiless, north-easterly 
 storm or the monotonous murmur of the waves on the granite 
 rock wherein he was entombed, in a living grave ? The name 
 of the fair occupant of the manor was Madame or Made- 
 moiselle de Granville.* The prisoner was her brother : 
 
 sisterly love made her his jailor she said so. 
 
 * His patent runs thus : " To theSieur de Granville. 
 
 " Louis de Buade, &c. 
 
 " Jean Bochart, &c. 
 
 " On the petition presented to us by the Sieur de Granville, Lieutenant of 
 a company of the detachment of Marines of New France, where h is mar- 
 ried and settled, praying that we would grant him a new title for a tract of 
 land, situated near Goose Island and Crane Islands, called the Ste. Margue- 
 rite Islands, together with three snail islands on the south side thereof, and 
 the beaches adjacent to the said islands, which had already been granted to 
 him about thirty two years ago by Mr. Talon, then intendant in this country, 
 the title-deed of which is lost ; 
 
 "We* 
 
 (" 5th Nov., 1698.") 
 
 A Mr. de Granville (an officer in the Regiment of Carignan) had had a 
 concession of Island du Portage in 1672 it does not appear whether this 
 is the same man or not.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 211 
 
 Years rolled on : the poor captive died, and 
 
 " Perhaps, in this neglected spot is laid 
 
 Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire, 
 Hands, that the rod of Empire might have swayed, 
 Or waked to ecstacy the living lyre." 
 
 The manorial residence of the seigniors was removed to the 
 neighboring island, where it has, for half a century and more, 
 been in the possession of the McPherson family. McPherson's 
 house, and McPherson's shoal are equally well known to the 
 mariner. The ruins of Madame de Granville's grim old house 
 were standing until recently. Fresh is the legend in the memory 
 of the oldest inhabitants of Goose Island ; but on the spot where 
 it stood, unfortunately for the lovers of legendary lore, there has 
 been erected a substantial modern structure. It required great 
 efforts to disjoint the masonry of the old walls. 
 
 Who will rescue from oblivion this historical episode, ere it 
 sinks in the shadow of the past, embodying its outlines in a 
 brilliant narrative, throbbing with the pulse of life. Have we 
 amongst us no Landors, no Martineaus, no Frederika Bremers, no 
 Hawthornes? (Legendary Lore of the St. Lawrence.*) 
 
 Sixteen summers have flown over since these lines were penned. The 
 Legendary Lore of the St. Lawrence a few hasty notes I had collected, as my 
 offering towards a little work Mr. Geo. T. Gary, editor of the Mercury, 
 published in 1862 has done duty in nearly every Guide Book, describing 
 the scenery of our lordly St. Lawrence. How those scanty unpretending 33 
 pages have been pirated pillaged robbed wholesale and retail has amused 
 me. The coolest piece of piracy of the contents of my poor Legendary 
 Lore of the St. Lawrence was perpetrated by an Ogdensburg, N.Y., writer, by 
 name Gardiner B. Chapin, under the title of Tales of tJie St. Lawrence. Mr. 
 Chapin put forth, in 1874, from the presses of John Lovell, Montreal, an 
 illustrated volume of some 372 pages, purporting to be a volume of 
 " Historical Romances ; " and whilst complaining that no enduring record 
 then existed of incidents connected with the noble river, he undertakes to 
 fill up the lacuna by his " frame work of tinted fact or flowery garlands 
 of romance" the reader can form his own opinion as to his success. The 
 scene of the Goose Island Masque de Fer is thus transferred to the adjoin- 
 ing island, where certainly no tradition of that kind ever existed. Five of
 
 212 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 SEAL ROCKS A GAME PRESERVE. 
 
 Some miles lower down than Big Goose Island, also the 
 property of the H6tel-Dieu nuns of Quebec, and lying in the 
 direction of Bale St. Paul, the eye gathers in the contour of a 
 low, uninhabited, unadorned, rocky plateau, treeless and bare : it 
 is known as Seal Eocks, La Batture aux Loups-Marins loved 
 by the phocce of yore, though these amphibious wanderers 
 seldom resort to it at present. A game preserve of established 
 renown, it is leased from Government by a club of chasseurs 
 from St. Jean Port Joly and Islet : the author of the Canadians 
 of Old, Mr. De Gaspe, has agreeably narrated, in his Memoirs, 
 the glorious sport he enjoyed here in the heyday of his youth. 
 The Seal Eocks stand in the distance far away, some ten miles 
 or more, from his mossy old nianor at St. Jean Port Joly : his 
 teeming fancy has woven around it a fascinating story, founded 
 partly on fact, in which the Seal Eocks " apple tree, half sweet, 
 half sour," holds its place. 
 
 Let us follow on the riband of white cottages, with a parish 
 church every six or nine miles, until we shoot past the pretty 
 villages of the south shore : St. Eoch des Aulnets ; Ste. Anne, 
 with its handsome college, swathed in trees ; its model farm ; 
 its green groves and golden wheat fields. 
 
 The establishment of a model farm by the College at Ste. 
 Anne deserves a notice, if space permitted. 
 
 RIVIERE OUELLE. 
 
 Watch for the pointe of Eiviere Ouelle, dear to our respected 
 Lieutenant-Goveruor, the Hon. Luc Letellier, and to our literary 
 friend, Abbe* E. H. Casgrain, who has, with much ability and 
 research, succeeded in rescuing from oblivion the early history 
 
 my sketches of Canadian History, some of which have cost me much research, 
 are thus unceremoniously abstracted and perverted, transformed in what he 
 calls "tinted fact 1 ' without any acknowledgment whatever of the source 
 whence the materials were drawn. I was in the act of drafting an energetic 
 protest against this literary pirate, when I heard of his death.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 213 
 
 of his native parish. Once the crack of the musket and the 
 loud shouts of victory resounded on this headland. In October, 
 1690, Admiral William Phipps attempted, in boats, a landing, 
 but he had calculated without taking in account the bellicose 
 old Kiviere-Ouelle pastor, the Abbe* Francheville,* who, after 
 pointing out forcibly to his warlike parishioners the audacity and 
 godlessness of ces mdcrdants de Bostonnais, for whom Canadian 
 homes and Canadian altars had nothing sacred, placed them in 
 ambush under the shelter of the trees and rocks at the point ; they 
 poured in the first boat so well directed a volley that the inmates 
 were killed or disabled, all except two, who made good their 
 escape, on which the other boats retreated in hot haste. 
 
 Was it the memory of this repulse, asks Abbe* Casgrain, which 
 impelled Wolfe's followers to wreak such signal vengeance on 
 this and the adjoining parishes, in 1759, by ruthlessly burning 
 the dwellings, mills, etc. ? -f- 
 
 Histoire de FHotel-Dieu de Quebec, p. 321 ; Opinion Publique, March 28, 
 1878. 
 
 (According to a siege narrative, published in the New York Mercury, of 
 the 31st Dec., 1759, Capt. Gorhamand his 150 ferocious Rangers and detach- 
 ments from Highlanders and Marines, in all about 300, spread terror and de- 
 solation on both shores of the Saint Lawrence. " On the4th of August (1759) 
 they proceeded down to St. Paul's Bay, where was a parish containing about 
 200 men, who had been very active in distressing oiir boats and shipping. 
 At three o'clock in the morning, Capt. Gorham landed, and forced two of 
 their guards, of 20 men each, who fired smartly for some time ; but that, in 
 two hours, he drove them all from their covering in the wood, and cleared 
 the village which they afterwards burnt ; it consisted of about fifty fine houses 
 and barns destroyed most of their cattle, etc. That, in this they had one man 
 killed and six wounded ; but that the enemy had two killed and several 
 wounded, who were carried off. That, from thence they proceeded to Mai 
 Baie (Murray Bay) ten leagues to the eastward on the same side, where they 
 destroyed another very pretty parish, drove off the inhabitants and stock, 
 without any loss ; after which, they made a descent on the south shore, oppo- 
 site Isle-aux-Coudres, destroyed part of the parishes of Ste. Anne and St. 
 Roch, where were many handsome houses with good farms, and loaded the 
 vessels with cattle, and then returned from the expedition." 
 
 (From a Journal of the Expedition up the River St. Lawrence, 1759J
 
 214 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 THE OLDEST COUNTRY CURfe IN CANADA. 
 
 Would you like to witness the landing at Riviere Ouelle (in 
 1683) of the "oldest country cur^ in Canada, " ? listen to Park- 
 man's lively description : 
 
 " On the Lower St. Lawrence, where it widens to an estuary 
 six leagues across, a ship from France, the last of the season, 
 holds her way for Quebec, laden with stores and clothing, house- 
 hold utensils, goods for Indian trade, the newest court fashions, 
 wine, brandy, tobacco and the king's orders from Versailles. 
 Swelling her patched and dingy sails, she glides through the 
 wilderness and the solitude, where there is nothing but her to 
 remind you of the great troubled world behind and the little 
 troubled world before. On the far verge of the ocean-like river, 
 clouds and mountains mingle in dim confusion ; fresh gusts from 
 the north dash waves against the ledges, sweep through the 
 quivering spires of stiff and stunted fir-trees, and ruffle the fea- 
 thers of the crow, perched on the dead bough after his feast of 
 mussels among the sea-weed. You are not so solitary as you 
 think. A small birch canoe rounds the point of rocks, and it 
 bears two men ; one, in an old black cassock and the other, in a 
 buckskin coat, both working hard at the paddle to keep their 
 slender craft off the shingle and the breakers. The man in the 
 cassock is Father Morel, aged forty-eight, the oldest country 
 cure* in Canada, most of his brethren being in the vigor of youth, 
 as they had need to be. His parochial charge embraces a string 
 of incipient parishes extending along the south shore from Ri- 
 viere du Loup, to Riviere du Sud, a distance reckoned at twenty- 
 seven leagues, and his parishioners number in all three hundred 
 and twenty-eight souls. He had administered spiritual conso- 
 lation to the one inhabitant of Kamouraska, visited the eight fam- 
 ilies of La Bouteillerie and the five families of La Combe ; and 
 now, he is on his way to the Seigniory of St. Denis with its two 
 houses and eleven souls.* 
 
 These particulars are from the Plan General de VEstat Present des Mis-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 215 
 
 The father lands where a shattered eel-pot, high and dry on 
 the pebbles, betrays the neighborhood of man. His servant 
 shoulders his portable chapel, and follows him through the belt of 
 firs and the taller woods beyond, till the sunlight of a desolate 
 clearing shines upon them. Charred trunks and limbs encumber 
 the ground ; dead trees, branchless, barkless, pierced by the wood- 
 peckers, in part black with fire, in part bleached by sun and 
 frost, tower ghastly and weird above the labyrinth of forest ruins 
 through which the priest and his follower wind their way, the 
 cat-bird mewing and the blue-jay screaming, as they pass. Now 
 the golden-rod and the aster, harbingers of autumn, fringe with 
 purple and yellow the edge of the older clearing, where wheat 
 and maize, the settler's meagre harvest, are growing among the 
 stumps. 
 
 To set up his altar in a room of the rugged log cabin, say 
 mass, hear confessions, impose penance, grant absolution, repeat 
 the office of the dead over a grave made weeks before, 'baptize, 
 perhaps the last infant, marry, possibly, some pair who may or 
 may not have waited for his coming, catechize, as well as time 
 and circumstances would allow, the shy but turbulent brood of 
 some former wedlock ; such was the work of the parish priest in 
 the remoter districts. It was seldom that his charge was quite 
 so scattered and so far extended as that of Father Morel ; but 
 there were fifteen or twenty others whose labors were like in kind, 
 and, in some cases, no less arduous. All summer, they paddled 
 their canoes from settlement to settlement, and in winter, they 
 toiled on snow-shoes over the drifts, while the servant carried 
 the portable chapel on his back or dragged it on a sledge. 
 Once, at least, in the year, the cure" paid his visit to Quebec, 
 where, under the maternal roof of the seminary, he made his 
 retreat of meditation and prayer, and then returned to his work. 
 
 sions du Canada, fait en fannee 1683. It is a list and description of the par- 
 ishes with the names and ages of the cures, and other details. See Abeille 
 I. This paper was drawn up by order of Bishop Laval.
 
 216 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 He rarely had a house of his own, but boarded in that of the 
 seigneur or one of the liabitants." (The Old Regime in Canada, 
 page 341.) 
 
 A CANADIAN COTTAGE. 
 
 " Do you see," writes Abbe" Casgrain, " on the summit of yon- 
 der hillock that dainty white dwelling, with its thatched roof 
 barn, furnishing such a pleasant contrast with the surrounding 
 emerald fields. That is a Canadian cottage." 
 
 Crowning this little eminence of green sward, it seems to 
 smile on the noble river, reflecting its graceful image, and whose 
 ripples expire at its feet. The Canadian peasant dotes on the 
 lordly flood, on whose banks he first drew the breath of life. 
 
 Absence will create a craving for the fond object of his youth ; 
 he feels drawn towards it ; he longs to hear its great voice, in 
 autumnal storms or in summer sunshine ; to feast his eyes on 
 its many, wooded and beautiful isles. The stranger, unfamiliar 
 with our 'Canadian farmer, and bent on assimilating him to the 
 peasant of old France, his sire, would commit an egregious error. 
 
 More enlightened, especially more religious, the habitant 
 is far above the French peasant in his style of living. Compared 
 to the French peasant, he of Canada is a real little prince 
 quite independant in means living on his sixty or eighty 
 arpents of land, enclosed by a cedar fence here, all his daily 
 wants are abundantly supplied. Come, we will venture beyond 
 this threshhold with its pleasant surroundings. I will tell you 
 what I saw there, a thousand times. Here we are at the entrance. 
 The porch exhibits two oaken buckets brimful of fresh water 
 resting on a stool ; at hand, ever ready to quench your thirst, 
 hangs on the wall, a tin cup. In the interior of the dwelling, 
 whilst the soup simmers at the fire-place, the housewife, sitting 
 near the window in a rocking chair, is quietly turning her 
 spinning wheel. 
 
 A mantelet of calico, a blue skirt of homespun, a neat white 
 cap (caline) : such, her simple attire. The baby is asleep in his crib. 
 Occasionally, the mother casts an earnest look at its fresh
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 217 
 
 little face, like a rosebud, peering from under the variegated 
 calico counterpane, made up of triangular pieces ingeniously 
 joined together. In one corner of the room, the eldest daughter, 
 seated on a trunk, is actively engaged at her loom, and hums a 
 song. The shuttle, impelled by those vigorous young hands, 
 glides along with marvellous swiftness ; seven or eight ells of 
 home-made linen represents a day's work, materials for next 
 year's raiment. 
 
 At the opposite end, high above an antiquated bedstead, 
 covered with a quilt, white with blue squares, is suspended a 
 cross between some images of saints. 
 
 That dry spruce bough is the palm blessed by the parish 
 priest. Two or three barefooted " hopefuls " are seated on the 
 floor, busy harnessing a pet dog." 
 
 To these truthful touches, one might add the following : 
 
 On the rafter over your head, hangs a long shot gun, which 
 has carried death to scores of ducks and wild geese perchance, 
 to a stray bear or cariboo. Next to it, are suspended the snow- 
 shoes of the farmer, ready for wood travel, when the maple 
 sugar season arrives. Close to the black temperance cross, is 
 the chapelet the beads of the housewife doubly dear to her 
 should they have been brought from Rome, with the Pope's 
 blessing, when her younger sou, the Pontifical zouave, returned 
 from the Eternal City. 
 
 There, too, is hung up the bottle of holy water, brought from 
 church, on Holy Saturday before Easter. Among other properties, 
 it is considered a specific against lightning.* Pray, do not for- 
 get to notice the traditional old eight-day clock, reaching to the 
 ceiling, which rings with that clear, metallic tinkle, of which the 
 secret is lost to modern clock makers. 
 
 All round the walls, are set highly-colored images of Ma- 
 
 The sprinkling of holy water to guard against calamity, and scare the 
 devil, is resorted to not only by the Canadian peasant ; I knew a family, 
 whose respected head held a very high position in the Province ; they 
 sprinkled the floor with eau benitc before every thunder-storm.
 
 218 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 donnas, St. Ignatius of Loyola, the musical St. Cecilia, youthful 
 St. Catherine, queen of Hungary ; they surround the more com- 
 manding image of the reigning pontiff. Close by him, in plas- 
 ter, on a niche, you may notice a statue of the great Napoleon, 
 with his famous cocked hat ; his arms are crossed on his chest, 
 as if in the attitude of meditation. 
 
 In the seaboard parishes, the great Napoleon is often replaced 
 by the burly form of a sailor, of a parrot, or of a cock in plaster. 
 
 The travelling photographer, having penetrated even in the 
 most remote hamlet, accounts for that family album on the cen- 
 tre table ; the leaves are well thumbed ; the first picture is that 
 of the Pope, the next that of the curd of the parish ; then, should 
 the family have furnished members to Holy Orders, will appear 
 their likenesses ; possibly good Governor Dufferin and his ami- 
 able Countess's picture may come next ; but, of course, the 
 church must rank before the state. The remainder of the album 
 is a repository for the dear ones of the family circle. 
 
 KAMOURASKA. 
 
 Before the era of steamers, in fact even as late as 1850, 
 Kamouraska was the Brighton of Lower Canada. Here, as at 
 the other watering-places, the assembling of tourists is every- 
 where apparent by the increase in the number of cosy dwellings 
 all along the beach. Kamouraska is the shire-town of the jud - 
 cial district of Kamouraska, and has its resident judge and 
 lawyers. The heights at the west end of the village are crowned 
 by the handsomer residences of the aristocracy of the place, 
 conspicuous among which is the picturesque villa of the high 
 sheriff of the district, Vinceslas Tache 1 , Esquire, embosomed 
 in trees, gardens and green fields. Another very attractive spot 
 is the site of the old seigniorial manor, at the Petit Cape, a long 
 antique structure, till lately inhabited by the seigneur, Ivanhoe 
 Tache*. The parish on the sea-shore is called St. Louis ; the parish 
 on the second range in rear, goes under the name of St. Paschal. 
 It is remarkable for its wheat fields and delicious dairy produce ; 
 it is also a station of the railway.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 219 
 
 " Who," asks Judge Kouthier, " does not know Kamouraska ? 
 Who does not know that it is a charming village, bright and 
 picturesque, bathing its feet in the crystal of the waters of the 
 river like a naiad, and coquettishly viewing the reflections of 
 its two long ranges of white houses so near the river that from 
 all the windows the great waves may be contemplated and their 
 grand voices heard ? On all sides, except towards the south, the 
 horizon extends as far as the eye can reach, and is only bounded 
 by the vast blue curtain of the Laurentides. At the north-east, 
 the eye rests on a group of verdant isles,* like a handful of 
 emeralds dropped by the angel of the sea. These isles are the 
 favorite resort of the strangers who visit Kamouraska. There, 
 they fish or bathe, or seek other amusements ; many the gay pic- 
 nics on these charmed spots." 
 
 THE PILGRIM ISLANDS, 
 
 A few miles below Kamouraska, consist of a remarkable 
 group of rocks, which, from their height, are visible at a great 
 distance. These islands, in summer, scarcely ever present to 
 the beholder the same shape for an hour at a time ; that beauti- 
 ful delusion, " THE MIRAGE," seeming constantly to dwell 
 about them. This may be due to refraction of the sun's rays, 
 owing to the rocks being sparsely covered with vegetation. 
 
 Dr. William Kelly, a scientific gentlemen attached to Capt. 
 Bayfield's surveying party of the St. Lawrence, read before the 
 Literary and Historical Society, in 1836, a paper on " Some 
 Extraordinary Forms of Mirage," calculated to throw light on this 
 singular, phenomenon : 
 
 " When my attention," says the Doctor, " was directed, some 
 years since, to the different forms of objects, seen through mirage 
 in the St. Lawrence, one of these, which I particularly remarked, 
 was the flower-pot shape assumed by small islands when affected 
 by the mirage, which depends on the contact of warm moist air 
 with a surface of water colder than its dew point. Whatever the 
 real shape of the island or rock might be, its top seemed raised 
 and flattened ; generally extending in a straight horizontal line 
 so far on each side as at least to equal the base in extent, often 
 
 * Isle aux Corneilles, Isle Brulee, Isle de la Martinique, Isle de la Pro- 
 vidence.
 
 220 CHEONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 beyond it : whilst midway between the base and distorted top 
 the figure was contracted, having the appearance of a neck. 
 When two islands lay close together these flattened tops some- 
 times met, giving the appearance of an arch from one to the 
 other. In all other cases of mirage, depending on the same 
 cause, the tops of objects seemed straight and horizontal in 
 the same way, but the sides were like a wall. They frequently 
 presented an appearance as if they were horizontally stratified. 
 
 In the paper on mirages, published by the society, in 1832, 1 
 hazarded a conjecture that these forms of arches, and flower- 
 pots might be owing to the beach of the islands being heated 
 by the sun, and hence acting on the air, in contact with it, in a 
 different manner from the surrounding cold sea. I have since 
 found that the state of the air on the beach could have no share 
 in producing the phenomenon ; as we observed it when the 
 islands were so distant, that the beach was below the horizon, 
 and the refraction, consequently, was wholly owing to the state 
 of the air over the water nearer to us. The cause of rocks and 
 islands assuming this form was afterwards made manifest to me, 
 as I had an opportunity of seeing the mode in which it occurred 
 at Mingan, in July, 1832. 
 
 On the morning of the 16th July, at 9.30, the wind was 
 light and variable, the sky clouded but bright, the temperature 
 of the air 59, the dew point 51, the surface water 44. One of 
 the Perroquet islands, distant about 8 miles, seemed raised 
 above the horizon, with a flattened top, and walled sides. At 
 10 a.m. the apparent height of the island above the water was 
 diminished : the walled appearance of its sides, and flattened top 
 were no longer perceptible ; but, on looking with a telescope, it 
 was found that the horizon itself was raised, causing the diminu- 
 tion in the relative height of the land. At 11.30, there was a 
 light breeze from S. W., the sky clear, and the sun bright, the 
 Perroquet then presented a well-marked double image, the upper 
 one being inverted. A fishing schooner at anchor to the west- 
 ward of the island presented also a double image, the upper 
 one inverted in the same way, but the whole less distinct than 
 the images of the island. A line answering to the horizon 
 was also seen on a level with the upper flat part of the in- 
 verted image of the island, and extending from it to a sandy 
 point on the main. The true horizon was quite distinct, and 
 well-marked beneath. The sandy beach between us and the 
 point seemed raised like a wall. The two images of the island
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 221 
 
 did not remain long distinct : the upper one gradually sunk, and, 
 when both met, the island had the flower-pot shape. There 
 was a faint return of two distinct images, about a quarter of an 
 hour after, but it lasted only a few minutes. On the 17th, we 
 had again an inverted image of the Perroquet, but not so distinct 
 and well-defined as the day before. It soon presented to the 
 naked eye nothing more than the flat top and walled sides usually 
 seen in this form of mirage. But on examining it carefully with 
 a telescope, in some parts of the flattened top the picture of a 
 beach was seen above the trees; thus shewing that this form 
 also depended on a second inverted ima.ge lying above, and con- 
 founded with the upright one. 
 
 Since that time I have frequently observed the flower-pot 
 shape of islands during the mirage ; and by the help of a teles- 
 cope, have found certain indications of the inverted image ; the 
 upper line generally extending as a false horizon, on the inferior 
 edge of which, the play of the waters could be occasionally 
 noticed. The upper portion of the flower-pot figure resembles 
 the lower exactly in shape, as far it extends ; and the image of 
 the stones of the beach, which is sometimes seen in it, leaves no 
 doubt of its being an inverted picture. 
 
 All the various forms assumed by objects under the influence 
 of this mirage seem to be the result of two or more images, 
 alternately erect and inverted, either distinct or mingled toge- 
 ther in a greater or lesser degree. When the objects are near, 
 the images are usually confused; they are so, occasionally in 
 distant objects, but can, in most instances, be distinguished by 
 the help of a telescope ; and sometimes they are beautifully 
 distinct to the naked eye. The beginning of summer is the 
 time when the contrast between the temperatures of the air and 
 water is greatest. During the first four years of the survey, 
 when we passed this time in the narrow parts of the river, we had 
 no opportunity of observing more than a double image ; but in 
 June, 1832, we went at once to the gulf ; and, in passing Point 
 des Monts, where the breadth of the river is very considerable, 
 we saw the three images distinctly marked, such as they have 
 been described by Vince and Scoresby. The appearance they 
 presented, and the attendant circumstances of both air and water, 
 have been narrated by Captain Bayfield in a paper published 
 in the Nautical Magazine for February, 1835. We have fre- 
 quently since seen treble images in the estuary and gulf, but 
 never so beautiful as on that occasion. 
 
 A telescope, if at hand, should always be employed in
 
 222 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 observing mirages of any kind, as it enables us to detect parti- 
 culars that would escape the naked eye. On one occasion, 
 when, to the naked eye, the hull of a ship seemed raised to an 
 enormous height, and the sails very small, the telescope shewed 
 three distinct images. Of the two lower, the second was inverted, 
 and its rigging and sails intimately mingled with those of the 
 first upright one. The third image was erect, with its hull resting 
 on the inverted hull of the second. The space between the 
 hulls of the first and second image being occupied by a confused 
 mingling of masts, sails and rigging, gave to the whole the 
 appearance of one immensely raised hull, as already stated. 
 
 By the help of the telescope we were afterwards enabled to 
 detect five distinct images, though the whole gave to the naked 
 eye the impression of only one almost shapeless mass, like that 
 which I have just mentioned. 
 
 We were off Metis, on the afternoon of the 14th of September, 
 1835. There was a light easterly wind and cloudy sky : the 
 temperature of the air 48 ; the dew point 40. 5 ; the surface 
 water 39. 5. The barometer 29.90 falling. Some light rain 
 fell two or three times during the afternoon, and we had very 
 heavy continuous rain after night-fall. Several vessels were in 
 sight between 3 and 4 p.m., and all presenting a variety of 
 appearances from refraction. The most remarkable was that in 
 which a vessel with all sail set, at one moment looked like an 
 immense black chest, no sails or masts being visible. On 
 observing her for a time the black body seemed to separate 
 horizontally into two parts ; and two sets of mingled sails occupied 
 the intervening spaces, with one set of very small sails above. 
 The figures afterwards became more distinct, and three images 
 were clearly discerned. Another vessel changed also from the 
 form of a great square flat-topped chest, to five distinct images 
 the upper with the sails erect, and the two lower double images 
 with their sails rather confusedly intermingled. A raised hori- 
 zon was parallel to the upper figure of the hull. In a third case, 
 the chest-like figure divided into two portions, of which one 
 appeared much nearer than the other, the sea seeming to 
 be interposed. This appearance occurred afterwards in other 
 ships. When we first saw it we thought there really were two 
 hulls, and the deception was only removed by the figures gradu- 
 ally uniting, and forming one.* Captain Bayfield and Mr. 
 
 The alternate union and separation of the different images, which often 
 occur within a few minutes, cause a very curious variety in the forms which 
 objects seem to assume.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 223 
 
 Bo wen observed five distinct images of another vessel after I left 
 the deck.* When I first noticed extraordinary appearances, 
 like those I have endeavored to describe, I was not aware of 
 the advantage of employing a telescope for the examination of 
 objects at inconsiderable distances. As the whole appeared to 
 be a single image, it seemed extraordinary that the hull of a ship 
 should appear to have its altitude so immensely increased, 
 whilst the masts and sails had their height lessened in an equal, 
 or even greater, degree.-f A general increase, or a diminution, 
 in the altitude of any object might be reconciled to optical prin- 
 ciples, but I could think of no mode that could, in any way, 
 account for the contrary manner in which the upper and lower 
 parts of the same object seemed to be affected. 
 
 It seems probable that the horizontally stratified appearance, 
 which the coast often assumes under this species of mirage, may 
 be the effect of multiplied images of the horizon, or level sea at 
 its base. The number of images may as well exceed five, as we 
 find they do three, which, I believe, was the greatest number 
 hitherto noticed by any observer.^ 
 
 The temperature of the surface water varies much amongst the 
 Mingan Islands. Several rivers empty themselves into the sea at 
 this place, the waters of which, in calms, float on its surface, 
 which thus is sometimes several degrees warmer than the water 
 at a depth of a few inches. A moderate current of air, which 
 amongst small islands is often partial, sometimes, by agitating 
 the water at one place, renders the surface there cold, whilst it 
 continues warm in places sheltered from the wind. We have 
 
 Since this paper was read we had an opportunity of seeing the form of 
 a ship changed by mirage in a way we had not previously met with. Off 
 Basque Island on the 10th September, 1836, at 3 p.m., two ships to the east- 
 ward seemed each to consist of three immense columns of irregularly 
 formed sails, with a set of small distinct sails at the top of each column. 
 The images seemed, not only immensely raised, but also extended horizontally 
 (a circumstance which we had not remarked in any previous case), the space 
 between the masts being considerable, and each column of sails quite dis- 
 tinct. The jibs were indistinctly erect and inverted alternately, giving some 
 appearance of a combination of images, but there was no appearance of 
 hull. The vessels were some miles distant from us, probably hull down. 
 The temperaure of the air was 47, water 39. The dew point, found 
 shortly after when a breeze had sprung up and the mirage disappeared, 
 was 37. 
 
 f On one occasion, at Bic, what appeared to be a large high boat, with 
 two men sitting on the thwarts, turned out to be a small schooner under sail. 
 
 J Whatever the number of images may be, they appear in every instance 
 to be alternately erect and inverted.
 
 224 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 hence occasionally strange combinations of mirage. On the 16th 
 and 17th July, shortly before the double images of the Perroquet 
 were observed, the islands to the eastward of the harbor had 
 their extremities apparently projecting in the air, as is usual in 
 that species of mirage which depends on the temperature of the 
 surface being higher than that of the air, or at least higher than 
 its dew point. The horizon on this side was low and near a 
 rock, three miles distant, seemed above it. As the breeze sprung 
 up from the S. W. the horizon receded beyond this rock, and the 
 islands generally appeared to have flattened tops, shewing the 
 mirage of the opposite kind. But the extreme points of the most 
 distant island seemed still in the air, notwithstanding the 
 island generally presented the same flat level top as the others 
 thus shewing, in its different parts, the opposite forms of mi- 
 rage at the same time. 
 
 Something like this occurs frequently in the strait of Belle- 
 Isle, where we saw the Labrador, coast exhibiting the flattened 
 tops, walled sides, and other marks of the mirage which is con- 
 nected with a cold surface, whilst on the Newfoundland side the 
 horizon was depressed, and the points and low shores of the 
 headlands seemed consequently lifted into the air. Whenever 
 we had an opportunity of examining the temperature of the 
 water, on both sides of the strait, we found it warmer near the 
 Newfoundland shore, and the different forms of the mirage which 
 we saw at other times seems a proof that it is generally so.* 
 
 In these case there was no particular point which could be 
 fixed on as shewing that there the effect of either mirage ceased. 
 The raised horizon on the one side and the depressed horizon 
 on the other seemed to merge one into the other ; and the whole 
 line across the strait appeared unbroken. But on one occasion 
 near the Labrador coast, the point of junction of the two species 
 of mirage was so well marked that it appeared like a step in 
 the horizon. 
 
 On the 18th June, 1834, we were approaching the coast of 
 Labrador from the central parts of the gulf. At 8.45 a.m. the 
 temperature of the air was 46 ; the dew point 45 ; the surface 
 water 43.5 ; the sky clear ; wind S. W., fight ; barometer 30.12, 
 
 The most remarkable mirages over water have occurred in straits : 
 those seen by Mr. Vince at Dover, and the celebrated Fata Morgana at 
 Messina. In the St. Lawrence, they are most frequently observed, and pre- 
 sent the greatest varieties in similar situations : as at Bic, Point des Monte, 
 Mingan, and the strait of Belle-Isle.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 225 
 
 rising. The dip of the horizon, from an elevation of 12 ft. 6 
 inches, was 3' 15", by the mean of throe very good observations 
 with the dip sector. As we neared the shore, the color of the 
 water changed ; the horizon towards the land seemed depressed ; 
 and the distant islands consequently elevated into the air. About 
 the point where the water changed color, there seemed a sudden 
 descent like a step in the horizon. 
 
 At 10.30 we had got well within the dark discolored water ; 
 the air was 47; the dew point 46 ; the water drawn from along- 
 side 46. 5 ; the wind and sky as before. The dip of the horizon, 
 from the same elevation of 12 ft. 6 inches, was 4' 11", by the 
 mean of four very distinct equal observations." 
 This much for mirage, let us proceed. 
 
 CACOUNA, 
 
 In point of hotel accommodation, is doubtless the first 
 watering place on the Lower St. Lawrence, the abode of fashion 
 for three months in the year, the Saratoga of Canada. It lies six 
 miles from Riviere du Loup, and two miles from the railway sta- 
 tion in St. Arsene. Among a number of smaller hotels is con- 
 spicuous the large structure, the St. Lawrence Hall, capable of 
 accommodating 500 guests ; the population of the village swells 
 during the summer months to 2000 or 3000. In the village 
 there are three churches, Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Roman 
 Catholic. The lakes in the interior afford good trout-fishing 
 and shooting ; at the close of the season races are held, in which 
 horses from Montreal, Quebec, and occasionally from the United 
 States, take part. The beach is very favorable for bathing, the 
 air very pure ; several wealthy merchants and professional men 
 have erected cottages here for their seaside holidays. Altogether, 
 to those who wish to see life and bustle in a large watering place, 
 we commend Cacouna. 
 
 TADOUSAC, 
 
 Is one of the most noted watering places on the Lower 
 St. Lawrence : its very name takes us back to the cradle of Can- 
 adian History. Jacques Cartier landed at Tadotisac, on the 1st 
 
 p
 
 226 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 September, 1535. In 1628, Admiral William Kertk took pos- 
 session of it : some years later, in 1632, Captain James Michael 
 Kertk, a brother to the Admiral, died there, and his remains, after 
 burial, were dug up by the Indians and given as food to their 
 dogs. Tadousac played an important part in our early history, 
 as a stopping place for French and Basque vessels engaged in 
 the fisheries. Chauvin had founded a fishing port at Tadousac 
 as early as 1599. At Ohauvin's death, neither Commander de 
 Chatte, nor de Monts continued the establishment, though the 
 fishing company, DeGuay de Monts, traded there in 1607. It 
 was only in 1622 that it became a regular trading post. 
 Champlain found ships there in 1610, and remarks that their 
 arrival dated since the 19th May, which was an earlier date for 
 arrivals from sea than had been witnessed there for the last sixty 
 years ; this, as the historian Ferland remarks, proves that ever 
 since De Eoberval's last voyage, in 1549, Basque, Breton, and 
 Normand vessels had continued to trade there in peltries. In 
 1648, the Tadousac traffic yielded more than 40,000 livres in 
 clear profit, and the commercial transactions, in amount, exceeded 
 250,000 litres ; the weight of the fur attained at least 24,400 
 Ibs., and there were more than 500 moose skins. We learn by 
 Mere de 1' Incarnation that the Tadousac Fort was burnt with 
 the dwelling quarters and church, in 1665. In 1716, Father 
 Delestage, a Jesuit, was charged with the spiritual care of the 
 post of Tadousac, where more than 200 Indians were wintering. 
 The Relation of 1636 mentions that the Basques used to 
 hunt the whale as high up and higher than Tadousac. There 
 seems to be some uncertainty as to the origin of the name. 
 Tadousac in the Montagnais dialect means mounds, Mamelons ; 
 others derive it from the Montagnais expression, Shashuko, which 
 signifies The Place of Lobsters ; to some tribes, it was known 
 under the Indian name of Sadilege. It is picturesquely situated 
 on a semi-circular terrace, fringed with mountains, on a deep and 
 secure harbor, and overhangs a cove called I'Anse a VEau, where 
 the steamers touch at a wharf belonging to the Messrs. Price. A
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 227 
 
 spaGious hotel, founded there in 1865, by a joint stock company,* 
 supplies accommodation to a large influx of strangers. Near the 
 hotel, are the old buildings of the Hudson Bay Company. On 
 the lawn, is a battery of antiquated 4 pounders. Next to the 
 views, sea-bathing and boating of Tadousac, the great curiosity 
 for tourists is the diminutive old chapel of the Jesuit Mission, 
 erected in 1746, on the site of a church dating from 1615. Here 
 botanized in July, 1792, the celebrated botanist, Andre Michaux. 
 
 The salmon breeding establishment, opened next to the steam- 
 boat wharf in the Hudson Bay stores by the Department of 
 Fisheries and Marine, of late has attracted much notice. It is 
 under the able management of Mr. Jos. Eadford. In 1876, it 
 had facilities for the incubation of 1,000,000 salmon ova, and 
 turned out 100,000 young fish, that year. It is a curious sight 
 to see the lordly salmon, the old ones, on a bright sunny day, 
 disporting themselves, in droves of 100 or 200, just at your feet. 
 Four thousand California salmon ova were introduced there last 
 year. 
 
 The building or hatchery being lofty, one story has been 
 devoted to a collection of the numerous sea-fowl frequenting the 
 shores of the Lower St. Lawrence. The idea and success of the 
 Tadousac Museum, we understand, is due chiefly to the active 
 and intelligent agent for the Marine Department, at Quebec, J. 
 U. Gregory, Esq. 
 
 Several elegant villas have recently been built round the 
 bay : one of the most conspicuous, is that of the Earl of Dufferin. 
 Let us also mention, the handsome cottages put up by Col. 
 Ehodes, of Benmore, Mr. Powell, of Philadelphia, Messrs. John 
 Gilmour, Willis Russell, Jas. L. Gibb and Mr. Price, of Quebec, 
 and Mr. Radford, of Tadousac. 
 
 This Company was incorporated by Act of Parliament (29 Viet. Ch. 
 93) and comprised the following names : Hon. D. E. Price, James B Forsyth, 
 Wm. Rhodes, John Gilmour, Willis Russell, of Quebec ; Dr. Geo. W. Camp- 
 bell, Chs. J. Brydges, Alexander Hart, of Montreal, and Joseph Radford, of 
 Tadousac.
 
 228 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 The St. Lawrence is here about twenty-four miles wide, 
 and the mountains of the south shore are visible, while on clear 
 days, the view includes the populous villages of Cacouna and 
 Rivtire du Loup. 
 
 Tadousac, as stated, is an Indian word, and means knobs or 
 mamelons, which is illustrative of the irregular formation of th e 
 land. 
 
 " Tadousac," says Mr. Tactic", " is placed, like a nest, in the 
 midst of the granite rocks that surround the mouth of the 
 Saguenay. The chapel and the buildings of the post occupy 
 the edge of a pretty plateau, on the summit of an escarped height. 
 So perched, these edifices dominate the narrow strip of fine 
 sand which sweeps around at their feet. On the river, the 
 view plunges into the profound -waters of the sombre Saguenay ; 
 in front, it is lost in the immense St. Lawrence ; all around, are 
 mountains covered with fir trees and birches. Through the 
 opening which the mighty flood has cut in the rock, the reefs, 
 the islands, and south shores are seen. It is a delicious place."* 
 (J. C. Tachd.) 
 
 * The following is culled from a correspondent of the New York Timed 
 letter of a recent date : it is satisfactory as showing that our American 
 cousins can appreciate the glories of our St. Lawrence and Saguenay. 
 
 "Tadousac is neither a town, village, nor hamlet. It is Tadousac, and the 
 old hotel porter says, ' There ain't nothin' like it on the face of this terres- 
 trial airth.' There is hardly soil enough in the whole place to make a 
 decent onion bed. Perhaps the people eat manna, or are fed by ravens. 
 But the mass of the population is present only in summer, and is quartered 
 in about 150 little cottages set down along the road that leads from the 
 landing into the interior. Tadousac is at the junction of the Saguenay with 
 the St. Lawrence. The hotel and most of the cottages front the St. Lawrence, 
 the Saguenay being visible only through a notch in the hills that make the 
 point around which the deep waters of the Saguenay sweep themselves into 
 the St. Lawrence. Tadousac is a place of rest and recreation. You would 
 hardly find a lace shawl, or a pair of six button kid gloves, or a claw- 
 hammer coat the whole length of the road. The men and women and chil- 
 dren are all of them roughing it. They make a business of enjoying every- 
 thing, and they also contrive that all their enjoyment shall be of a health- 
 giving sort. There is bathing in the salt water of the St. Lawrence, a beach
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 229 
 
 Four miles east of Tadousac, is the harbor of Moulin & 
 Baude, where are large beds of white marble. Charlevoix an- 
 chored here in the Chameau, in 1700, and was so enthusiastic 
 about the discovery that he reported that " all this country is 
 full of marble." 
 
 CHICOUTIMI. 
 
 At the head of navigation on the Saguenay, stands Chicouti- 
 mi, the capital of the county, with a population of about 700 
 souls : it is the great shipping point of the lumber district. The 
 Messrs. Price here load upwards of forty vessels with deals. The 
 trade amounts to $500,000 a year, and until lately, was managed 
 by Senator David Price, who owns very extensive saw mills all 
 along the St. Lawrence, and is styled " The King of the Sague- 
 nay." This much respected firm holds most of the Saguenay 
 County. The extensive Chicoutimi mill property is now confided 
 to the management of Jas. Scott, Esquire, formerly of Montmagny. 
 A pier has been recently erected, and on the heights facing it is 
 the handsome new college, of stone : near by, stands out conspi- 
 cuously the large village church and convent of the Good 
 Shepherd. Beyond the village, the court house is seen, on the 
 dark slope of a high hill ; the swift Chicoutimi rushes past, 
 until the flood tide intercepts its course. 
 
 extending about two miles, a sort of setting for the round little Bay of 
 Tadousac. This beach is a playground, too, for the children, and at all 
 hours of the day small boys and girls may be seen tumbling head over heels 
 in the sand and mud. Four of the children I saw, belonged to Lord Dufferin, 
 the Governor-General of Canada. But the little lords and ladies looked 
 happy, and, as they trudged along the sand, Lady Helen, a miss of a dozen 
 years, would ever and anon toss into her once white apron a bunch of sea 
 weed or a dead smelt, while her younger brothers squabbled for the pos- 
 session of a slippery, nasty piece of " kelp.'' Lord Dufferin's summer 
 residence is close to the Tadousac Hotel. For older people, who do not care 
 to -bedaub themselves upon the beach, there are the crags and peaks and 
 boulders to climb among. We were out upon the rocks this morning early, 
 and I can honestly say that the scenery we enjoyed was the most lovely 
 that I ever saw. Looking to the east, south and west, there was spread be- 
 fore us the sea of waters that forms the Lower St. Lawrence."
 
 230 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 The ancient Jesuit Chapel and the Hudson Bay Company's 
 post were situated near the confluence of the two rivers, and 
 within the chapel, of which traces existed until recently, was the 
 tomb of Father Cocquart, the last of the Jesuit Missionaries. A 
 strong mission was founded here by Father Labrosse, in 1727. 
 
 On the high bank of the river Chicoutimi opposite, is the vil- 
 lage of Ste. Anne du Saguenay with 200 inhabitants. Lake St. 
 John is about sixty miles west of Chicoutimi, * and is reached 
 by a good road, which passes through Jonquiere, Kenogami and 
 Hebertville. The Rapids of Terres Rompues, on the Saguenay 
 Eiver, are nine miles above Chicoutimi. Anglers ascend every 
 summer in quest of the winnonish, or northern chair, a large 
 game-fish, whose pink meat is considered as great a delicacy as 
 brook-trout or salmon; Lake St. John was discovered, in 1647, 
 by Father Duquen, the missionary at Tadousac, who was the 
 first European to ascend the Sagnenay to its source. Several 
 Jesuit missionaries soon passed by this route to the great Ne- 
 kouba, where all the Indian tribes were wont to meet in annual 
 fairs : and in 1672, Father Albanel advanced from Tadousac, by 
 Lake St. John and Lake Mistassini, to the Mer du Nord, or 
 Hudson's Bay. A Roman Catholic mission was founded on the 
 Jake, at Metabetchouan, and posts of the Hudson Bay Company 
 were also established there. 
 
 Twenty years ago, there were no settlements here, except the 
 Hudson's Bay posts, now there are numerous villages, the chief 
 of which are Roberval, Riviere & 1'Ours and St. Je'rorne. 
 
 " Mr. Price, M.P.," says Sweetser, "states that a missionary 
 has recently discovered, high upon the Saguenay (or on the Mis- 
 tassini) an ancient French fort with intrenchments and stockades. 
 On the inside, were two cannon and several broken tombstones 
 dating from the early part of the 16th century. It is surmised 
 that these remote memorials mark the last resting-place of the 
 Sieur Roberval, Governor-General of Canada, who (it is supposed) 
 
 Chicoutimi, in northern Indian dialect, means " Deep Water."
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 231 
 
 
 
 sailed up the Saguenay, in 1543, and was never heard from after- 
 wards. The Eobervals were favorites of King Francis I., who 
 called one of them ' the Petty King of Vieinieu ' and the 
 other ' the Gendarme of Hannibal.' They were both lost on 
 their last expedition to America." 
 
 THE SAGUENAY. 
 
 " The Saguenay River is the chief tributary of the Lower St. 
 Lawrence, and is the outlet of the great Lake St. John, into 
 which eleven rivers fall. For the last fifty miles of its course, 
 the stream is from one to two and a half miles wide, and is 
 bordered on both sides by lofty precipices of syenite and gneiss, 
 which impinge directly on the shores, and are dotted with stunted 
 trees. Along their slopes, are the deep lines of glacial striations, 
 telling of the passage of formidable icebergs down this chasm. 
 The bed of the river is one hundred fathoms lower than that of 
 the St. Lawrence, a difference which is sharply marked at the 
 point of confluence. The shores were stripped of their forests 
 by a great fire in 1810, but there are large numbers of hemlock 
 and birch trees in the neighboring glens. The river is frozen 
 from the Isle St. Louis to Chicoutimi, during half the year, and 
 snow remains on the hills until June. The awful majesty of 
 its unbroken mountain shores, the profound depth of its waters, 
 the absence of life through many leagues of distance, have made 
 the Saguenay unique among rivers, and it is yearly visited by 
 thousands of tourists as one of the chief curiosities of the Western 
 World. 
 
 " The Saguenay, says Bayard Taylor, is not, .properly, a river. 
 It is a tremendous chasm, like that of the Jordan Valley and the 
 Dead Sea, cleft for sixty miles through the heart of a mountain 
 
 wilderness No magical illusions of atmosphere enwrap the 
 
 scenery of this Northern river. Every thing is hard, naked, stern, 
 silent. Dark-grey cliffs of granitic gneiss rise from the pitch-black 
 water; firs of gloomy green are rooted in their crevices and 
 fringe their summits ; loftier ranges of a dull indigo hue show
 
 232 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 themselves in the back-ground, and over all, bends a pale, cold, 
 northern sky. The keen air, which brings out every object with 
 a crystalline distinctness, even contracts the dimensions of the 
 scenery, diminishes the height of the cliffs, and apparently be- 
 littles the majesty of the river, so that the first feeling is one of 
 disappointment, still it exercises a fascination which you cannot 
 resist ; you look, and look, fettered by the fresh, novel, savage 
 stamp which nature exhibits, and at last, as in St. Peter's or at 
 Niagara, learn from the character of the separate features to 
 
 appreciate the grandeur of the whole Steadily upwards we 
 
 went ; the windings of the river and its varying breadth, from 
 half a mile to nearly two miles, giving us a shifting succession 
 of the grandest pictures. Shores that seemed roughly piled 
 together out of the fragments of chaos, overhung us ; great masses 
 of rock, gleaming duskily through their drapery of evergreens, 
 here lifting long irregular walls against the sky, there split into 
 huge, fantastic forms by deep lateral gorges, up which we saw 
 the dark blue crests of loftier mountains in the rear. The water 
 beneath us was black as night, with a pitchy glaze on its surface ; 
 and the only life in all the savage solitude was now and then, 
 
 the back of a white porpoise, in some of the deeper coves 
 
 The river is a reproduction truly on a contracted scale of the 
 fiords of the Norwegian coast The dark mountains, the tre- 
 mendous precipices, the fir forests, even the settlements in Ha ! 
 Ha ! Bay and 1'Anse k 1'Eau (except that the houses are white 
 instead of red) are as completely Norwegian as they can be. The 
 Scandinavian skippers who come to Canada all notice this 
 resemblance." (BAYARD TAYLOR.) 
 
 " From Ha ! Ha ! right down to the St. Lawrence, you see 
 nothing but the cold, black, gloomy Saguenay, rolling between 
 two straight lines of rocky hills that rise steeply from the water's 
 edge. These hills, though steep, are generally roughly rounded 
 in shape, and not abrupt and faced with precipices. This makes 
 the scenery differ from that with which it has been often com- 
 pared, the boldest of the fiords of Norway. Over the rugged
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 233 
 
 hills of the Saguenay, there is generally enough of earth here and 
 there lodged to let the grey rock be dotted over with* a dark 
 green sprinkling of pine trees. Perhaps there is hardly a spot 
 on the Saguenay which, taken by itself, would not impress any 
 lover of wild nature by its grandeur, and even sublimity ; but 
 after sailing for seventy miles downwards, passing rocky hill 
 after rocky hill, rising one beyond the other in monotonously 
 
 straight lines alongside of you ; after vainly longing for some 
 
 break in these twin imprisoning walls which might allow the 
 eye the relief of wandering over an expanse of country, you will 
 begin to compare the Saguenay, in no kindly spirit, to the Rhine 
 
 It is a cold, savage, inhuman river, fit to take rank with 
 
 Styx and Acheron ; and, into the bargain, it is dull. For the 
 whole seventy miles, you will not be likely to see any living 
 thing on it or near it, outside of your own steamer ; not a house, 
 nor a field, nor a sign of any sort that living things have ever 
 been there." (WHITE.) 
 
 " Sunlight and clear sky are out of place over its black waters. 
 Anything which recalls the life and smile of nature is not 
 in unison with the huge naked cliffs, raw, cold, and silent as 
 the tombs. An Italian spring could effect no change in the 
 deadly rugged aspect : nor does winter add one iota to its 
 mournful desolation. It is with a sense of relief that the tourist 
 emerges from its sullen gloom, and looks back upon it as a kind 
 of vault Nature's sarcophagus, where life and sound seems 
 never to have entered. Compared to it the Dead Sea is bloom- . 
 
 ing, and the wildest ravines look cosy and smiling. It is wild / 
 without the least variety, and grand apparently in spite of itself ; 
 while so utter is the solitude, so dreary and monotonous the 
 frown of its great black walls of rock, that the tourist is sure 
 to get impatient with its sullen dead reverse, till he feels 
 almost an antipathy to its very name. The Sagueuay seems to 
 want painting, blowing up, or draining, anything in short, to 
 alter its morose, quiet, eternal awe. Talk of Lethe or the Styx, 
 they must have been purling brooks compared with this savage
 
 234 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 river ; and a pic-nic on the banks of either would be preferable to 
 one on fche banks of the Saguenay ! " (LONDON TIMES.) 
 
 MURRAY BAY. 
 
 Of all the picturesque parishes on the margin of our ocean like 
 river, which innumerable swarms of tourists visit every summer 
 for salt water bathing, none will interest the lover of sublime 
 landscapes more than Murray Bay. One must go there to enjoy 
 the ruggedness, the grandeur of nature, the broad horizons. You 
 may not find there the waving wheat fields of Kamouraska, the 
 shelving, verdurous shores of Cacouna or Rivtire du Loup or 
 RimousH: grateful retreats for our citizens during the dog- 
 days, but you will enter in communion with savage, unconquered 
 nature and view points yet more majestic than those of the 
 coasts and walls of Bic. In the interior, precipice on precipice ; 
 impenetrable gorges in the projections of the rocks; peaks 
 which lose themselves in the clouds, and among which the 
 bears wander through July, in search of blueberries ; where the 
 cariboo browses in September ; where the solitary raven and the 
 royal eagle make their nests in May ; in short, alpine landscapes, 
 the pathless highlands of Scotland, a Byronic nature tossed 
 about, heaped up in the north, far from the ways of civilized 
 men, near a hidden volcano that from time to time awakens and 
 shakes the country in a manner to scare, but not to endanger, 
 the romantic inhabitants. 
 
 According to some, in order to enjoy in perfection these 
 austere beauties, one must be at the threshold of life, in youth, 
 the privileged epoch of existence. If, then, you wish to taste, in 
 their full features, of the dreamy solitudes of the shores, of the 
 caves, of the great forests, overshadowing Pointe a Pique or Cap 
 d VAigle, or to capture by hundreds the frisky speckled beau- 
 ties of the remote Lake Gravel, you must own a good eye, a well 
 nerved arm, a supple leg. 
 
 Murray Bay was explored in June, 1608, by Champlain, who 
 named it "Malle Baie" on account of the furious tide running 
 there ; even though the weather is calm, the bay is greatly moved.
 
 CHEONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 235 
 
 It is still generally known as Mai Baie, though the English 
 use the name Murray Bay, given to it in 1782, in honor of 
 General James Murray, who granted it to two worthy Scotch 
 officers, captains Fraser and Nairn. These gentlemen brought a 
 number of soldiers and followers : Warrens, McNeills, McLeans, 
 Blackburns, Harveys, whose descendants represent large families, 
 Scotch in name, but, in language, customs and faith, French- 
 Canadians. Old James Thompson, one of Wolfs sergeants, in 
 1759, was sent by the Government here, in 1776, to superintend 
 the erection of a depot for American prisoners-of-war in 1776. 
 The structure was built near the Nairn manor house, the cap- 
 tives working themselves to the erection of the basement. One 
 morning there was great commotion in the settlement : Arnold 
 and Montgomery's followers, thirsting for freedom, had taken 
 advantage of the shades of evening and a land breeze, to venture 
 across to the opposite shore (about 30 miles) in flat batteaux. 
 A reward from the British authorities soon brought back to their 
 prison, these ill-fated patriots. 
 
 The foot of the invader, in 1759, left at Murray Bay, as well 
 as on the remainder of the north shore, up to Quebec, a deep im- 
 press. But in these piping times of peace, this " memory of 
 sorrow " has faded away. The descendants of the Savard and Du- 
 four, who laid ambushes for Admiral Durell, fraternize and inter- 
 marry with the progeny of the ruthless Highlanders, who harried 
 the Murray Bay henroosts and farmyards, a century ago and more. 
 
 Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, each summer are fairly represent- 
 ed, in dozens of pretty seaside hamlets, built by les sacrds An- 
 glais ! * who have bountifully spread their capital, at Pointe ob 
 Pique, and transformed it from a lone French parish to a re- 
 markably rich, stirring and thriving settlement, during the sum- 
 mer months. 
 
 One smiling terrace lines the wooded heights, oversha- 
 dowing the steamboat wharf, owned by W. H. Kerr, Esq., of 
 
 * A nick name given during the insurrection of 1857, by the French 
 Canadian patriots, to the followers of Sir John Colborne.
 
 236 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Montreal, batonnier (president) of the Bar of Lower Canada, 
 and no less distinguished as a jurist than as a thorough sports- 
 man. 
 
 A little to the east is another row of seaside summer resi- 
 dences, built and occupied by W. McLimont and others. Four 
 extensive modern hostelries line the highway, capable of accom- 
 modating 2000 visitors, and full to overflow, many weeks in the 
 summer. An Episcopal church and a kirk were wanted by the 
 tourists congregating here : the genial seigneuresse of Murray 
 Bay, Mrs. John Nairn, having presented the site, a handsome 
 little temple for public worship was erected, about 1872, in the 
 very heart of the new village, so populous, so frolicsome, so En- 
 glish, during three months out of the twelve, placed at our doors 
 by the St. Lawrence Steam Navigation boats touching there. A 
 sketch of this favorite watering place, the Highlands of the St. 
 Lawrence, as it is styled, would be incomplete without a mention 
 of the numerous cottages rented to tourists and owned by Lt. Col. 
 D. C. Thomson, late commander of the 9th Batallion Quebec 
 Volunteers, the lessee of the Murray Bay, and other salmon 
 streams. 
 
 One of the chief charms of Murray Bay is the numerous 
 lakes and rivers, abounding with trout, to be found in the inter- 
 ior : Grand Lac, Petit Lac, Lac Gravel* the Chute, and the de- 
 lightful drives all round the Bay and on both sides of the Kiver 
 Murray. Three miles from Pointe a Pique, may be seen the long 
 and inelegant Eoman Catholic Church, and, further east, two dense 
 rows of houses styled the French village : the Eiver Murray bridge 
 intervenes, before reaching the court house standing sentry at the 
 extreme end of the village, on a hill ; the main road there skirts 
 the lofty heights, past Pointe a Gaze, near the old Fraser manor 
 occupied by Lieut. Col. Keeve, and leads to a very pretty 
 portion of the bay, named Cap & TAigle, where crowds of tour- 
 ists go each summer, to recruit, renting the farmers' houses, for 
 a couple of months. 
 
 ' Lac Gravel and Lac Comportt are owned by Lieut.-Col Reeve, Seigneur 
 of Mount Murray.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 237 
 
 EBOULEMENTS. 
 
 The steamers generally touch for a few minutes at the long 
 wharf of the parish of Eboulements ; this is one of the durable 
 though costly piers built by Mr. Francois Baby for the Govern- 
 ment, about 1854. 
 
 There are few spots on the north shore of the St. Lawrence 
 which have suffered more from volcanic action and earthquakes 
 than the parish of Eboulements. Even the solid old manor of the 
 seignior, on the lofty plateau, some three miles from the wharf, 
 had to pay tribute ; the soil looks convulsed, upturned and crumb- 
 ling from the hill sides ; the village draws its name from these 
 extraordinary disturbances : Eboulis or Eboulements. The 
 hilly nature of this settlement is the great bar to an influx of 
 tourists, though once on the mountain brow or level plateau, 
 near the church, in the neighborhood of the clouds, those in 
 quest of mountain air, will get a supply ample and of good 
 quality. 
 
 We have a charming pen-and-ink photo of the Laterriere 
 manor, with its patriarchal customs and quiet rustic felicity, 
 drawn by the Abbe Casgrain. Hon. Frs. de Sales Laterriere, the 
 seignior, a physician of note, and for many years the respected 
 member for the county, expired there recently, at an advanced 
 age. With his frankness, urbanity and austere old face, he was 
 an excellent type of the French seigneurs, such as we knew many 
 in our youth brave, hospitable and true comme I'dpfe du roi. 
 
 BAIE ST. PAUL. 
 
 St. Paul's Bay is a parish of 4,000 inhabitants of French ex- 
 traction, on the North shore, about sixty miles from Quebec ; the 
 village is clustered about the church and convent, near the 
 Gouffre Eiver. A tram railway leads to St. Urbain, about nine 
 miles in the interior, to the works of an English Iron Mining 
 Company, who, after sinking here about 80,000, has discon- 
 tinued its mining operations. The place abounds in iron, plum- 
 bago, limestone and curious saline and sulphurous springs. More
 
 238 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 than once, on the return of spring, the wild and turbulent 
 streams that sweep down the valley have carried away the 
 bridges which had been erected by the people. A detached pier 
 to land passengers from steamers has recently been erected by 
 Government, at the entrance of the bay. 
 
 St. Paul's Bay was settled early in the seventeenth century, 
 and has always been noted for its earthquakes and volcanic dis- 
 turbances. The great earthquake of 1663, was followed by an- 
 other, in 1791; as recently as the 17th of October, 1870, a 
 shock damaged mostly every house in the valley, and the parish 
 church suffered a great deal. In 1759, Capt. Gorham and his 
 rangers, destroyed the village. Charlevoix, writing, in 1720, says : 
 " Above the Goujfre, I have just mentioned, is the Bay of St. 
 Paul, where the habitations begin -on the north side; and there 
 are some woods of pine trees, which are much valued. Here, are 
 also some red pines of great beauty. The gentlemen of the 
 Seminary of Quebec are lords of this bay. Six leagues higher, 
 there is a very high promontory, which terminates a chain of 
 mountains which extend about 400 leagues to the west. It is 
 called Cape Tourmente, probably because he that gave it this 
 name, suffered here by a gust of wind." 
 
 The western promontory of St. Paul's Bay is Cape Labaie ; 
 that on the east, opposite the Isle aux Coudres, is Cap au Cor- 
 beau. " This cape has something of the majestic and of the 
 mournful. At a little distance, it might be taken for one of the 
 immense tombs erected in the middle of the Egyptian deserts by 
 the vanity of some puny mortal. A cloud of birds, children of 
 the storm, which continually hover about its fir-crowned brow, 
 seem, by their sinister croaking, to intone the funeral of some 
 dying man." 
 
 Between St. Paul's Bay and the upper end of Isle aux Cou- 
 dres, is the whirlpool called Le Gouffre, where the water sud- 
 denly attains a depth of thirty fathoms, and at ebb-tide, the 
 outer currents are repulsed from Coudres to Cap au Corbeau in 
 wide, swirling eddies. It is said that formerly schooners which
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 239 
 
 were caught in these surges, described a series of spiral curves, 
 the last of which landed them on the rocks. It was the most 
 dreaded point on this shore. Small boats shun these chopping 
 seas, but, latterly whether on account of the filling in with sand 
 of the deep spot, or from earthquakes, the Gouffre has lost most 
 of its terrors. 
 
 The vistas up the valleys of the Gouffre, and the Rivttre du 
 Moulin show distant ranges of picturesque blue mountains, with 
 groups of conical alpine peaks. In 1791, the shores of the bay 
 were shaken by earthquakes for many days, after which one of 
 the peaks to the north belched forth great volumes of smoke and 
 passed into volcanic state, emitting columns of flame through 
 several days. The peaks are bare and white, with sharp preci- 
 pices near the summit. The valley of the Gouffre has been 
 likened to the Vale of Clwyd, in Wales, and is traversed by a 
 fair road along the right bank of the rapid river. Ten or twelve 
 miles from the bay are the extensive deposits of magnetic iron 
 ore, which were explored by order of the Intendant Talon, two 
 centuries ago. 
 
 " In all the miles of country I had passed over," says Ballan- 
 tine, " I had seen nothing to equal the exquisite beauty of the Vale 
 of Baie St. Paul. From the hill on which we stood, the whole val- 
 ley, of many miles in extent, was visible. It was perfectly 
 level, and covered from end to end with little hamlets, and sev- 
 eral churches, with here and there a few small patches of forest. 
 Like the happy Valley of Kasselas, it was surrounded by the 
 most wild and rugged mountains, which rose in endless succes- 
 sion one behind the other, stretching away in the distance, till 
 they resembled a faint blue wave in the horizon." 
 
 A former pastor of St. Paul's Bay, Rev. Messire Trudelle, 
 thus alludes to the scenery : 
 
 " Nothing can be more pleasing than the landscape which 
 may be viewed from the crest of Cap au Corbeau. Have you 
 strength to clamber up the long slopes of Cap au Corbeau ; to 
 see the white-sailed schooners at the entrance of the bay; to
 
 240 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LA.WRENCK. 
 
 compass, at one glance, the thousand divers objects at your feet ; 
 the sinuous course of the Mare*e and of the serpentine Gouffre ; 
 on the south, the antique mansions and rich pastures ; to see the 
 church and convent and the vilkge, the Cap a la Hey, the bot- 
 tom of the bay ; and, farther away, the shores of St. Antoine, 
 Perou, St. Jerome, St. John, St. Joseph, and St. Flavien ? " 
 
 COUDRES ISLAND Isle aux Coudres. 
 
 On returning from Murray Bay, the steamer, after touching 
 at the long Government pier at Eboulements, skirts, until it 
 reaches Baie St. Paul, the base of the rugged north shore range, 
 with Cap aux Oies, Cap aux Corneilles, Cap au Corbeau, 
 towering in the skies above. On your left, lies a low, grassy, 
 fertile island, nearly nine miles long by four miles broad, Isle 
 aux Coudres, thus designated, more than three centuries ago. 
 
 Here sojourned, on the 6th September, 1535, the venturesome 
 St. Malo mariner, Jacques Cartier. At the west end, you can get 
 a glimpse of the little harbor where lay the three French vessels. 
 It is known now, as Havre de Jacques Cartier, le Mouillage 
 des Anglais (the English anchorage), (hereafter we shall say why,) 
 and the Baie de la Prairie, probably on account of the meadow 
 stretching along the beach. Cartier named this inviting abode 
 Hazel Island, Isle aux Coudres from the abundance of hazel 
 bushes coudriers growing there. In few corners of new 
 France, under French regime, could you have found, or could 
 you find to this day, more fully, more agreeably preserved, the 
 manners, bonkommie, patriarchical simplicity of the first Norman 
 and Breton settlers of Canada, though the land grants are all 
 posterior to 1720. . 
 
 Everything, 'tis true, tended in this direction : the insulated 
 position of the inhabitants, the exiguity of this sea-girt kingdom, 
 the uneventful, even tenor of their lives, their feudal, social and 
 religious training. During the summer months, being able to 
 provide for all their wants, they have little communication with 
 the mainland. No telegrams, no railways, no steamers to
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 241 
 
 waft them tidings of the shifting, wicked outer world. No 
 communists to array them against church or state. Occasionally 
 on the eve of a general parliamentary election, a dazed politician 
 may land on these peaceful shores, momentarily ruffling the 
 surface of this guileless Arcadia a passing ripple, nothing more. 
 Cold, torpid winter has one advantage, the islanders are then 
 safe, or nearly so, against politicians and electioneering agents. 
 When snow storms rage, shutting out from view the frowning 
 north shore settlements and their white- walled dwellings, like 
 swans dosing on the sea shore, you might remain there for days 
 a captive, though the hospitality of the natives would render it a 
 mild captivity. 'Twould be worth the lives of the crew, for a 
 canoe to be caught in a blinding snow storm, amidst the 
 hummocks and field ice choaking up the narrow passage between 
 Isle aux Coudres and Baie St. Paul, with the tide rushing past 
 like a mill race. 
 
 To the pious of the neighboring parishes on terra firma, 
 hardy enough to tempt, as pilgrims, the perils of the deep, the 
 island possesses more than ordinary interest : a mystic, a super- 
 natural glamour surrounds its solitary shores. Here, on the 7th 
 September, 1535, being the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin,* 
 was celebrated the first mass said on Canadian soil : for this inci- 
 dent, we have the undoubted authority of Jacques Cartier After 
 three centuries and a half, imagination recalls to mind the brave 
 little French squadron the Grande Hermine, the Petite 
 Hermine, the Emerillon quietly riding at anchor in yonder 
 
 * " Le sixieme jour du dit mois (de Septembre), vinsraes poser a une isle qui 
 fait une petite baie et couche de terre. Icelle isle contient environs trois lieues 
 de long et deux de large : il est une moult bonne terre et grasse, plaine 
 de beaulx et grands arbres de plusieurs sortes ; et entre autres y, a plusieurs 
 couldres tranches que trouvames fort chargees de noisilles, aussi grosses et de 
 meilleure saveur que les notres, mais un peu plus dures. Et par ce la nom- 
 mames 1'Isle es Coudres. 
 
 Le septieme jour du dit mois (de septerabre) jour Notre Dame, apres 
 avoir oui la messe, nous partimes de la dite isle pour aller a mont le dit 
 fleuve." Voyages de Jacques Cartier. 
 
 Q
 
 242 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 bay. A mellow, autumnal sun gilds the hills in rear, dispelling 
 the haze which September's cool evenings bring forth from the 
 surface of the heaving waters ; the neighboring groves, with their 
 graceful maple, sturdy oaks and waving pine, rustle under the 
 morning breeze, to the decreasing notes of the retiring migratory 
 birds. Their foliage, glistening with the dew, touched by the first 
 chills of September, are burnished as with gold, or sprinkled with 
 amber or tipped with scarlet a gorgeous, a royal mantle, with 
 sheen of diamonds and rich gems, thrown over nature by the 
 genus loci, to greet the famous discoverer and sea captain. 
 
 Hark to the cadence of oars from boats bearing to the 
 shore, French uniforms and French colors! you cannot mis- 
 take their nationality : the officers, soldiers and sailors of the 
 gallant Francis I. ; here follow the almoners of the fleet, Dom 
 Antoine and Dom Guillaume le Breton, bearing in their hands 
 the sacred vases, for the celebration of the sacrifice of mass. 
 
 To every son of Home, rejoicing in religious freedom on 
 Canadian soil, under his Protestant Queen, the spot where was 
 offered for the first time the holy sacrifice is indeed a sacred spot. 
 On a slight eminence close to the shore, in commemoration of 
 the event, a wooden cross, surrounded by a palisade, was erected 
 in 1848, by a devout islander, the Rev. Epiphane Lapointe. 
 On the base, may be read the^following inscription, calculated to 
 mislead those unacquainted with early Canadian history : 
 
 Id 
 
 Fut ctUbrte 
 La Premiere Mesae 
 Dite d VIsle aux Coudres, 
 
 Par 
 
 Le Re've'rend P&re De La Brosse, 
 1765.* 
 
 Father La Brosse was an excellent priest a devoted mission- 
 ary. He expired on the llth April, 1782, at midnight, at Ta- 
 
 " Here was celebrated the first Maes, said in the Isle aux Coudres, by 
 Reverend Father De La Brosse, 1765."
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 243 
 
 dousac, some seventy miles lower down. We are informed by 
 Abbe" Casgrain, the historian of Isle aux Coudres, on the faith of 
 a pious tradition current all over the island, that the news of his 
 death was wafted that very night, not by telephone, be it 
 remembered, but by a voice which, naturally or supernaturally, 
 whispered into the ear of the pastor of the island, Kev. Messire 
 Compain, about twelve at midnight, when he had just got 
 through his breviary and beads, and was sitting down to study 
 by the gleam of his lamp. He was also told to go down next 
 morning to the east end of the island, where he would find a 
 canoe waiting to convey him to Tadousac, there to bury the 
 good missionary. The news was rendered more impressive by 
 the immediate tolling of the bell of his own chapel, and on his 
 entering the chapel, the bell continued to toll, though he could 
 discover no human agency, and no person, in fact, except himself, 
 was there. Though much startled, he recollected having heard 
 that the bells of the missions of Father La Brosse would an- 
 nounce the hour of his death. The next morning he accordingly 
 travelled to the lower end of the island, and, sure enough, a 
 canoe was awaiting his arrival. His first words before embark- 
 ing were to inform the astonished crew of his knowledge of the 
 death of Father La Brosse, and how he learned it. The Ta- 
 dousac mariners had details still more miraculous to tell about 
 the good missionary's death : how he had prophesied it, long 
 before ; how he left instructions, not to mind wind'or weather, 
 but, without fear (he guaranteeing them against harm), to launch 
 a canoe and go and fetch the pastor of Isle aux Coudres, Eev. 
 Messire Compain, to bury him ; how, in fact, they had ven- 
 tured, notwithstanding the south-easterly storm raging that 
 morning ; how, on the faith of his assurances, four expert men 
 had ventured out in their frail craft ; how, as soon as they were 
 out of the bay, a perfect calm reigned round them, whilst the 
 waves ran mountains-high, close by ; how, conducted by an in- 
 visible hand, they soon weathered Cap aux Oies, Goose cape, 
 and arrived safe at Isle aux Coudres, at eleven o'clock in the 
 morning, to fulfil their errand.
 
 244 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Father La Brosse, it was said, after prophesying the hour of 
 his death, was found at twelve o'clock at midnight, dead, with his 
 head resting on his hands, on the first step of the altar of his 
 Tadousac chapel. 
 
 Eev. Messire Compain landed safely at Tadousac that night. 
 
 It was currently stated afterwards that, at the churches of 
 all the missions which had benefited by the ministrations of 
 Father La Brosse, Chicoutimi, Isle Verte, Trois Pistoles, Ri- 
 mouski, Baie des Chaleurs, the bells, set in motion by invisi- 
 ble hands, had tolled at midnight, on the day of his death. 
 
 Such, adds the annalist of the island, is the marvellous 
 legend which all the islanders repeat, with some additions and 
 variations, to visitors, and which now, in its main features, cir- 
 culates beyond the locality. Despite the inscription on the 
 cross, before mentioned, and the miraculous circumstances at- 
 tending Father La Brosse's demise, the privilege of having said 
 the first mass on the island must revert to Jacques Cartier's 
 almoner. 
 
 The origin of this singular island emerging from the waters, 
 under the shadow of the stupendous and volcanic crags of the 
 Laurentian range, has given rise to many conjectures. Some 
 have even asserted that at one time it formed part of terra 
 firma, from which it was wrenched by a violent commotion of 
 the earth; that the crevasse between, by the action of the 
 tide, was worn away until it formed the deep channel now 
 existing to the north of it. If so, it could not have been pro- 
 duced by the great earthquake of 1663, as old writers mention 
 the existence of the island, prior to that year. 
 
 About one-quarter of the island is yet a forest, intersected 
 by twelve sugar maple plantations, looked after with much care 
 by the inhabitants, on account of the sugar and fuel they 
 annually furnish. 
 
 A savanna covers the centre of the island those portions of 
 the soil not under culture. Population about 750 souls, all Roman 
 Catholics. The church, which stands at the west end, is dedi- 
 cated to St. Louis (Louis, IX.) of France.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 245 
 
 Coudres Island is occasionally visited by violent wind and 
 rain storms, which seem to drop down from the lofty capes 
 across the channel, to the north of it ; the western extremity 
 faces the Gouffre river, and the deep gap between the capes at 
 Baie St. Paul, acts like an outlet through which " rude Boreas ," 
 rushes across the narrow channel until his fury is spent on the 
 green fields and sandy beaches of Isle aux Coudres. The annal- 
 ist of the island, whilst dilating on the fertility of the soil, sets 
 forth the rich porpoise fisheries of Pointe a la Prairie, which 
 yielded in 1875 one hundred huge porpoises. There is also a 
 whale story connected with the island, on which we shall not 
 enlarge. We are told that the adjoining woods used formerly to 
 be infested by myriads of bitterns, who, in this secluded spot, 
 brought forth their young. 
 
 The bittern from its peculiar note " quac," is called, cuac, by 
 the Canadian peasantry. The young were juicy and tender; seve- 
 ral families used to make bittern or cuac pies, hence the jocular 
 name enjoyed by the islanders to this day, " Bittern Eaters," 
 Mangeurs de Quacs. The nesting place was called " Quacrie " : 
 this is the only quackery that can be charged on the honest 
 and hospitable islanders. 
 
 If the Island produces in abundance sugar, grain, fish and 
 oil (no mention, however, is made of fromage raffing its sandy 
 shores yields a produce highly objectionable to strangers, if not so 
 to the hardy islanders, whose skin is impregnated, perhaps, with 
 porpoise oil : we allude to the robust breed of fleas, for which, 
 says the Abbe*, the isle is famous. But enough about this blissful 
 Arcadia, though, under the guidance of such a well-informed 
 cicerone as Monsieur 1'Abbe* Casgrain, the historiographer of 
 the Island,* we would like to follow him in his pilgrimage, so 
 as to examine in detail the spots he so well described, VAnse d 
 I'Attente, la Pointe a la Prairie and I'Anse a Buttemont, each 
 the theatre of a shipwreck on the 27th November, 1832, where 
 
 * P6l6rinage d VIsU aux Cotidres, 1'Abbe R. H. Casgrain.
 
 246 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 three Quebec home-bound ships, the Rosalind, Baleckfoot and 
 an other vessel, were stranded, and the masters and crews most 
 hospitably entertained. 
 
 Let us now fulfill a promise made at the inception of this 
 sketch, respecting the origin of the name Le Mouillage Anglais, 
 the English anchorage, ztPointe d la Prairie. It was known as 
 such, ever since the 23rd June, 1759, when the van of the English 
 fleet, under Admiral Durell, anchored there. The Admiral had a 
 good reason to remember the spot, as his grandson,* midshipman 
 in the fleet, and two other naval officers were made prisoners at 
 Cap d la Branche, whilst riding over the island, some chroniclers 
 say, in quest of game, others, to plant the British flag on an 
 eminence. They had their horses shot from under them, without 
 being themselves in any wise hurt; by two Canadian militia men, 
 Francois Savard and Nicette Dufour, who had secreted themselves 
 in an ambush, planned under the directions of Captain de Niver- 
 ville, then stationed at St. Joachim or Baie St. Paul with a party 
 of sixty Abenaquis Indians and sixty Canadian militiamen. The 
 
 *"8 June (1759), Nous apprimes que les Anglais avaient fait leur 
 descents a 1'Isle aux Coudres, et s'y elaient etablis. 
 
 9. II s'est, fait un de'tachement d 'environ 60 sauvages Abenakis et de 60 
 Canadiens, commandes par M. de Niverville ; le Sieur Desrivieres, qui arrivait 
 de France, f ut avec lui en qualittS de volontaire. 
 
 Les sauvages s'amuserent a 1'Isle d'Orieans a manger des boeufs et des 
 moutons qu'on y avaient laisses, 1'Isle de 1'Orleans ayant et abandonee. 
 
 Le Sieur Desrivieres, qui ne voulait point revenir sans rien faire, se 
 de"tacha avec sept Canadiens de 1'Isle aux Coudres qui s'etaient refugie"s A St. 
 Joachim, et s'en fut dans 1'Isle, oii il se mit en embuscade. 
 
 10. Us ont pris trois jeunes gens, dont un, petit fils du commandant de la 
 flotte des sept gros vaisseaux, un gardt-marin et un autre officier passant & 
 cheval par leur embuscade pour aller placer le pavillion anglais sur une 
 Eminence, qui eurent leurs chevaux tue"s sous eux et f urent faits prissonniere. 
 
 12. Ces trois jennes gens furent amenes a Quebec, dont le petit fils du 
 commandant ayant ete tire a part, se trouva parler bon francais. 
 
 Ces jeunes gens furent traites honorablement pendant sept a huit jours a 
 Quebec, et ensuite on les envoya avec distinction au Trois-Rivieres. I1 8 
 louerent 1'adresse des Canadiens d'avoir tue leurs chevaux sans leur avoir 
 fait de mal. (Sitge de Quebec, 1759, Journal de Jean Claude Panet.)
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE, 247 
 
 gallant British youths praised the skill of the Canadian marks- 
 men, were sent to Quebec, where they were closely questioned, 
 then transferred to Three Eivers, and finally exchanged and 
 released in the ensuing fall. "The Isle aux Coudres," says 
 Bayard Taylor, " is a beautiful pastoral mosaic in the pale emerald 
 setting of the river." 
 
 ST. JOACHIM. 
 
 Five miles lower down than Ste Anne du Nord, on the river 
 bank, lies the parish of St. Joachim, a village of more than 1000 
 souls. It recalls the great Bishop Laval, and teems with the 
 warlike memories of two sieges, 1690 and 1759. St. Joachim 
 basking peacefully, at the foot of frowning Cape Tourmente, 
 luxuriating in its rich pastures and natural meadows, is bounded 
 to the north by a range of lofty mountains, to the west, by the 
 river St. Anne, to the south by the lordly Ft. Lawrence. Several 
 limpid streams fecundate these fertile plains, among others* 
 the Friponne, fringed with graceful elms ; the Petite Ferme 
 rivulet, which, expanding in volume, forms a goodly sheet of water, 
 well stocked with fish ; the river Marsolet, on whose bank may 
 yet be seen the ruins of a stone bridge erected by Champlain ; 
 the Blondel stream, accessible to flat-bottomed boats, for a cer- 
 tain distance from its mouth. The extensive natural meadows, 
 submerged each tide by the St. Lawrence, produce abundant 
 harvest of excellent fodder for cattle. Game is here abundant, 
 spring and fall, such as Canada geese, white geese and a variety 
 of ducks, and, for upwards of two hundred years, the eel -fishing 
 has been a source of wealth to the inhabitants. 
 
 It is from this fertile region that the Quebec seminary draw 
 a large proportion of the farm products required for their insti- 
 tution. 
 
 One of the most conspicuous objects at St. Joachim, is the 
 Petit Cap, a thickly wooded mound rising about one hundred 
 and fifty feet above the green meadows. 
 
 In full view of the passing steamers, may be seen the Chateau
 
 248 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Belkvue, crowning the picturesque and lovely cape. It is a 
 roomy, two-story structure about 200 feet in length, to which 
 access is had by a maze of umbrageous forest paths, cut in all 
 directions by the seminary pupils during their summer holidays. 
 Before debouching on it, the tourist meets with an eel fish crys- 
 tal spring, called La Fontaine d Bouchard. On the fa9ade of 
 the chdteau may be read the latin inscription : 
 
 " Eia age ! nuric salta, non ita, musa, diu." 
 
 Here, during the sultry days of August each year, you might 
 meet a noisy bevy of seminary boys, rod or book in hand, in 
 company with a few black-robed preceptors ; an annual pionic 
 to the summit of Cape Tourmente, is never omitted, to visit the 
 lofty cross erected there by a former generation of seminaristes, 
 and to gaze at the wonderful panorama which the broad St. Law- 
 rence and its green isles gleaming in sunshine, discloses to the view 
 of the youthful pilgrims on a bright summer day ; the Petit Cap 
 and its cool groves and river views, seems a realm of fairy land : 
 crede experto. 
 
 The historian, Frs. Parkman, thus sums up his impressions 
 after visiting the Chateau Bellevue : 
 
 " The Chateau Bellevv^e is a long and massive building of 
 limestone, situated near the foot of Cape Tourmente, and sur- 
 rounded by noble old forests, in which are shrines of St. Joseph 
 and the Virgin. The chateau is furnished with reading and bil- 
 liard rooms, etc., and is occupied every summer by about forty 
 priests and students from the Seminary of Quebec. The neat 
 Chapel of St. Louis de Gonzaga (the protector of youth) is south 
 of the chateau. 
 
 Near this point, Jacques Cartier anchored, in 1535, and was 
 visited by the Indians, who brought him presents of melons and 
 maize. In 1623, Champlain came hither from Quebec, and found- 
 ed a settlement, whose traces are still seen. This post was des- 
 troyed by Sir David Kirke's men, in 1628, and the settlers were 
 driven away. St. Joachim was occupied in August, 1759, by 150 
 of the 78th Highlanders, who had just marched down the Isle
 
 CHEONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 249 
 
 of Orleans, through St. Pierre and Ste. Famille. They were 
 engaged in the streets by armed villagers, and had a sharp skirmish 
 before the Canadians were driven into the forests, after which 
 the Scottish soldiers fortified themselves in the priest's house, 
 near the church. 
 
 The site of the seminary was occupied before 1670, by Bishop 
 Laval, who founded here a rural seminary in which the youth 
 of the peasantry were instructed. They were well grounded in 
 the doctrine and discipline of the Church, and were instructed in 
 the mechanics' arts and various branches of farming. This was 
 the first * agricultural college ' in America. The broad seigniory 
 of the Cote de Beaupre, which lies between St. Joachim and 
 Beauport, was then an appanage of Bishop Laval, and was more 
 populous than Quebec itself. Above the vast meadows of the 
 parish of St. Joachim, that here border the St. Lawrence, there 
 rises like an island a low flat hill, hedged round with forests, 
 like the tonsured head of a monk. It was here that Laval 
 planted his school. Across the meadows, a mile or more distant, 
 towers the mountain promontory of Cape Tourmente. You may 
 climb its woody steps, and from the top, waist deep in blueberry 
 bushes, survey, from Kamouraska to Quebec, the grand Can- 
 adian world outsketched below ; or mount the neighboring 
 heights of Ste. Anne, where, athwart the gaunt arms of ancient 
 pines, the river lies shimmering in summer breeze, the cottages of 
 the habitants are strung like beads of a rosary along the mea- 
 dows of Beaupre", the shores of Orleans bask in warm light, and, 
 far on the horizon, the rock of Quebec rests like a faint gray 
 cloud ; or traverse the forest till the roar of the torrent guides 
 
 you to the rocky solitude where it holds its savage revels 
 
 Game on the river ; trout in the lakes, brooks, and pools ; wild 
 fruits and flowers on the meadows and mountains ; a thousand 
 resources of honest and healthful recreation here wait the student 
 emancipated from books, but not parted for a moment from the 
 pious influence that hangs about the old walls embosomed in the 
 woods of St. Joachim. Around, on plains and hills, stand the
 
 250 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 dwellings of a peaceful peasantry, as different from the restless 
 population of the neighboring states as the denizens of some 
 Norman or Breton village." 
 
 i 
 
 STE. ANNE DU NORD. 
 
 After shooting past the verdurous beaches of St. Joachim, the 
 feeding grounds of myriads of white and Canada geese, inApril and 
 September, the steamer steers as much as possible amid channel 
 in view of Ste. Famille. The eye catches a distant glimpse of the 
 new church of La, Bonne Ste. Anne, also known as Ste. Anne 
 du Nord and Ste. Anne de BeauprA. 
 
 To the faithful hailing from Home, La Bonne Ste. Anne is 
 a talisman, a spot sacred, as much as Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes 
 and Paray-le-Monial are to Fretich or English pilgrims. The 
 miraculous cures effected here, would furnish material for a large 
 volume ; they have found an excellent annalist, in a brilliant 
 litterateur, the Abbe* Raymond Casgrain. The population of 
 Ste. Anne is about 1,200 inhabitants. Last season 24,000 pilgrims 
 visited the shrine. On the anniversary of the festival of Ste. 
 Anne, (26th June) the numerous small inns are inadequate to 
 accommodate the pious crowd swarming on the piers and 
 beaches. 
 
 On the east of the village is the new church, of a massive 
 and beautiful structure of grey stone, in classic architecture. 
 
 The old building of the church of Ste. Anne is on the bank 
 just above, and is probably the most highly venerated shrine in 
 Anglo-Saxon America. " The relics of Ste. Anne are deposited 
 in a crystal globe, and are exhibited at morning mass, when their 
 contemplation is said to have effected many miraculous cures. 
 Over the richly adorned high altar is a picture of Ste. Anne, by 
 the famous French artist Le Brun, (presented by the Marquis 
 of Tracy,) and the side altars have paintings (given by Bishop 
 Laval) by the Franciscan monk, Lefrancoi*, who died in 1685,, 
 There are numerous rude ex-voto paintings, representing mar- 
 vellous deliverances of ships in peril, through the aid of Ste.
 
 CHEONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 251 
 
 Anne ; and along the cornices and in the sacristy, are great 
 sheaves of crutches, left here by cripples and invalids who 
 claimed to have been healed by the intercession of the saint ; 
 within the church is the tomb of Philippe Re'ne' de Portneuf, 
 priest of St. Joachim, who was slain with several of his people, 
 whilst defending his parish against the British troops, in 1759." 
 " Above all," says Parkman, " do not fail to make your pilgrimage 
 to the shrine of Ste. Anne. . . . . 
 
 Here when D'Aillebont was governor he began with his 
 own hands the pious work, and a habitant of Beaupre, Louis 
 Guimont, sorely afflicted with rheumatism, came, grinning with 
 pain, to lay three stones in the foundation, in honor, probably, 
 of Ste. Anne, St. Joachim and their daughter, the Virgin. 
 Instantly, he was cured. It was but the beginning of a long 
 course of miracles continued more than two centuries, and 
 continuing still. Their fame spread far and wide. The devotion 
 to Ste. Anne became a distinguishing feature of Canadian 
 Catholicity, till at the present day, at least thirteen parishes bear 
 her name. . . . Sometimes the whole shore was covered 
 with the wigwams of Indian converts who had paddled their 
 birch canoes from the farthest wilds of Canada. The more 
 fervent among them would crawl on their knees from the shore 
 to the altar and, in our own day, every summer a far greater 
 concourse of pilgrims, not in paint and feathers, but in cloth and 
 millinery, and not in canoes, but in steamboats, bring their 
 offerings and their vows to the " Bonne Ste. Anne." 
 
 " According to the traditions of the Roman Church," says 
 Sweetser, " Ste. Anne was the Mother of the Blessed Virgin, and, 
 after her body had reposed for some years in the Cathedral at 
 Jerusalem, it was sent by St. James to St. Lazare, first bishop 
 of Marseilles. He, in turn, sent it to St. Auspice, bishop of 
 Apt, who placed it in a subterranean chapel, to guard it from 
 profanation in the approaching Heathen inroads. Barbarian 
 hordes afterwards swept over Apt and obliterated the church. 
 700 years later, Charlemagne visited the town, and, while attend-
 
 252 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 ing service in the cathedral, several marvellous incidents took 
 place, and the forgotten remains of Ste. Anne were recovered 
 from the grotto, whence a perpetual light was seen, and a 
 delicious fragrance emanated. The colonists who founded 
 Canada brought with them this special devotion, and erected 
 numerous churches in her honor, the chief of which was Ste. 
 Anne de Beaupre*, which was founded in 1658 by Gov. d'Ail- 
 lebout, on the estate presented by Etienne Lessard. In 1668, the 
 cathedral-chapter of Carcasson sent to this new shrine a relic of 
 Ste. Anne (a bone of the hand) together with a lamp and a reli- 
 quary of silver, and some fine paintings. The legend holds that 
 a little child was thrice favored with heavenly visions on the site 
 of the church ; and that on her third appearance the Virgin 
 commanded the little one to tell the people that they should 
 build a church on that spot. The completion of the building 
 was signalized by a remarkable miracle. The vessels ascending 
 the St. Lawrence, during the French domination, always fired 
 off a saluting broadside when passing this point, in recognition 
 of their delivery from the perils of the sea. Bishop Laval made 
 Ste. Anne's day, a feast of obligation ; and rich ex-voto gifts were 
 placed in the church by the Intendant Talon, the Marquis de 
 Tracy, and M. d'Iberville, the " Cid of Xew France." For over 
 two centuries, the pilgrimages have been almost incessant, and 
 hundreds of miraculous cures have been attributed to La Bonne 
 Ste. Anne. Between June and October, 1874, over 20,000 pil- 
 grims visited the Church, some of whom came from France and 
 some from the United States. 
 
 The C6te de Beaupre" and the site of Ste. Anne were grant- 
 ed by the Compagnie des Cent Associds, in 1636, to the Sieur 
 Cheffault de la Eegnardiere.'who, however, made but little pro- 
 gress in settling the broad domain, and finally sold it to Bishop 
 LavaL In 1661, after the fall of Montreal, this district was 
 ravaged by the merciless Iroquois, and, in 1682, Ste. Anne was 
 garrisoned by three companies of French regulars. On the 23rd 
 August, 1759, Ste. Anne was attacked by 300 Highlanders and
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 253 
 
 Light Infantry and a company of Rangers, under command of 
 Capt. Alex. Montgomery. The place was defended by 200 
 villagers and Indians, who kept up so hot a fire from the shelter 
 of the houses, that the assailants were forced to halt and wait 
 until a flanking movement had been made by the rangers. The 
 victors burnt the village, saving only the ancient church, in 
 which they made their quarters. A tradition of the country says 
 that they set fire to the church three times, but it was delivered 
 by Ste. Anne. The following day they advanced on Chateau 
 Eicher and Ange-Gardien, burning house and barn, and cutting 
 down the fruit trees and young grain. 
 
 The picturesque Falls of Ste. Anne are reached by the road 
 to St. Joachim, as far as the rustic auberge at the crossing of 
 the Ste. Anne River. Thence the way leads up the river-bank 
 through dark glens for three to four miles. In descending from 
 the plateau to the plain below, the river forms seven cascades 
 in a distance of about a league, some of which are of rare beauty, 
 and have been preferred even to the Trenton Falls, in New York. 
 The lower fall is one hundred and thirty feet high. 
 
 " A magnificent spectacle," says Marshall, " bursts upon our 
 sight. A rapid stream, breaking its way through the dark woods, 
 and from pool to pool among masses of jagged rock, suddenly 
 cleaves for itself a narrow chasm, over which you may spring 
 if you have an iron nerve, and then falls, broken into a thousand 
 fantastic forms of spray, along the steep face of the rock, into 
 a deep gorge of horrid darkness. I do not know the volume of 
 water ; I forgot to guess the height, it may be two hundred 
 feet. Figures are absurd in the estimate of the beauty and 
 grandeur X>f a scene like this. I only know that the whole im- 
 pression of the scene was one of the most intense I have ever 
 experienced. The disposition of the mass of broken waters is 
 the most graceful conceivable. The irresistible might of the 
 rush of the fall, the stupendous upright masses of black rock 
 that form the chasm ; the heavy fringe of dark woods all around, 
 the utter solitariness and gloom of the scene, all aid to impress
 
 254 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the imagination. An artist might prefer this spot to Niagara." 
 The eccentric Thoreau thus lends his weird imagery to this 
 wild glen : 
 
 " Here the river, 1,200 feet wide, comes flowing rapidly over 
 a rocky bed out of that interesting wilderness which stretches 
 toward Hudson Bay and Davis' Straits. Ha ! Ha ! Bay, on the 
 Saguenay, was about 100 miles north of where we stood. 
 Looking on the map, I find that the first country on the north 
 which bears a name is that part of Kupert's Land called East 
 Main. This river, called after the Holy Anne, flowing from 
 such a direction, here tumbles over a precipice at present by 
 three channels, how far down I do not know, but far enough 
 for all our purposes, and to as good a distance as if twice as far. 
 . . . . The falling water seemed to jar the very rocks, 
 and the noise to be ever increasing. The vista was through a 
 narrow and deep cleft in the mountain, all white suds at the 
 bottom." From the bed of the stream below "rose a perpendi- 
 cular wall, I will not venture to say how far, but only that it 
 was the highest perpendicular wall of bare rock that I ever saw. 
 
 . . . This precipice is not sloped, nor is the material soft 
 and crumbling slate, as at Montmorenci, but it rises perfectly 
 perpendicular like the side of a mountain fortress, and is cracked 
 into vast cubical masses of grey and black rock shining with 
 moisture, as if it were the ruin of an ancient wall built by 
 Titans. . . . Take it altogether, it was a most wild and 
 rugged and stupendous chasm, so deep and narrow where a 
 river had worn itself a passage through a mountain of rock, and 
 all around was the comparatively untrodden wilderness."
 
 PART II.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LA WHENCE. 257 
 
 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS 
 
 KINGDOM OF HERRING AND COD, 
 
 i. 
 
 ON BOARD THE GULF PORT STEAMER "SECRET," 
 
 5th June, 1877. 
 
 I CAN recall the time when the only mode of transit between 
 Quebec and the Lower St. Lawrence, in summer, was by the 
 medium of coasting vessels, ranging in size from forty to one 
 hundred tons ; this, of course, takes one back to a rude, primitive 
 era in the colony, when, according to Hon. Mr. Fabre, senator 
 and editor of the Evenement newspaper, the members returned 
 to Parliament, by the Lower St. Lawrence constituencies, came up 
 in schooners to take their seats, boarding occasionally within 
 these floating hotels when circumstances permitted, or else put- 
 ting up at some of the Cul de Sac hostelries of the Lower Town
 
 258 CHRONICLES OF TIIE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 and dispensing in toto with any kind of polish on their red, beef 
 and round-toe moccasins.* 
 
 Gaspe* was tjien, in verity, a terra incognita during the long 
 and dreary months of frost and snow. The mail service was 
 performed monthly, and consisted of one solitary heavy clasped 
 leather bag, strapped to the back of a sturdy Indian, who went 
 forth on snow-shoes ; when tired, he would transfer his des- 
 patches to a sledge drawn by his faithful Indian dog. Later on, 
 rough paths having been hewn through the woods by the Govern- 
 ment, the mail matter went through the parishes, drawn by 
 horses, to meet the Halifax sailing packet, when not sent vid 
 New York. 
 
 Quebecers, in those days, used each morning to cast an en- 
 quiring look towards the telegraph, crowning the dizzy heights of 
 Cape Diamond to ascertain when the long looked for letters 
 might reach ; several balls hoisted to a yard across a lofty post, 
 
 * " Thirty odd years ago, says Fabre, when Parliament sat during the sum- 
 mer, the Gulf members came up to Quebec in schooners, and lodged in them 
 all through the session. He also says that at about the same period a traineau, 
 loaded with trunks and parcels, arrived at the Parliament House, one fine day, 
 just previous to the opening of the session, and from it descended, a stout 
 countryman and his wife, who carefully examined the twenty-four windows 
 of the building, and finally decided to rap at the door, which was immediate- 
 ly opened by one of the messengers. The countryman thereupon presented 
 his compliments, stated that he was the member elect for the County of 
 Berthier ; that he had come with his wife to take his seat ; and that he had 
 brought his winter's provisions with him. He was consequently fully pro- 
 vided, but only wanted a cooking stove, and hoped that there would be one 
 in his room. The messenger immediately saw through the primitive sim- 
 plicity of his -visitor, and gradually " drew him " out. He ascertained that 
 the member for Berthier expected to find a room already prepared for him 
 in the Parliament House, in which he and his wife could live throughout the 
 winter, and subsist upon the provisions he had brought from his native vil- 
 lage. The messenger grinned, you may be certain, and was finally forced to 
 avow that there was no bed-rooms in the Parliament House for members. 
 " The member for Berthier " thereupon gave his horse a smart lash with the 
 whip, and indignantly and forever turned his back upon the Legislative 
 Halls of the Province." To which, I can add, ri none vero, bene trovato.
 
 CHEONICLES OF THE ST. LAWEENCE. 259 
 
 such, was the system of telegraphing then in use. The signals 
 were carefully repeated from headland to headland from parish 
 to parish from Bic to Quebec, a distance of gome 150 miles. 
 To the simple denizen of the country a trip to Gaspesia or the 
 Maritime Provinces was a serious undertaking, and never lightly 
 talked of. Its duration to and through, at the shortest, covered 
 four or five weeks. The route was not reckoned safe ; the river 
 not lighted, nor properly buoyed. There were many dreaded 
 spots where superstition had hung more than one wild legend 
 where shipwrecks had spread innumerable harrowing memories. 
 It was not unusual for the prudent amongst the country travel- 
 lers to call in the village notary to draw up, in legal form, the 
 last will of an anxious father or of a rich uncle ; the demure 
 official, of course, took care to add his mite to the terrors possible, 
 or even probable, of the projected trip. Those who go down to 
 the sea in ships witness many sights, it is well known, which are 
 denied to timorous landsmen. 
 
 Indeed, a trip to Gaspe" had trouble at its very threshold. 
 Before inhaling salt water, one day's sail from the city plunged 
 the traveller in the tumultuous surges of the Gouffre the mael- 
 strom, once so dreaded, between Isle aux Coudres and Baie St. 
 Paul where the hapless craft, after gyrating thirteen times or 
 more in the baffling eddies of the Gouffre, if not swallowed up 
 at once, had a fair chance of being cast ashore on the ledges of 
 Pointe & la Prairie, on the west end of the Isle aux Coudres, or 
 at the foot of Cap au Corbeau. The Gouffre, however, by the 
 shifting of its sand banks, or other causes, has lost much of its 
 terrors ; the merest tyro ventures through it, without " vowing 
 a taper " to La Bonne St. Anne, the patroness of mariners, whose 
 chapel, decorated with ex-votos and crutches, is in view from St. 
 Joachim. Opposite to the Gouffre, at St. Rock des Aulnets, 
 was the shallow Traverse and its mill sluice, racing tide, disclos- 
 ing amongst other dreaded landmarks La Roche Avignon, where 
 the Allan steamer " Canadian " came to grief about eighteen 
 years back. No spot, however, was more feared than the en-
 
 260 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 trance of the river Madeleine, lower than Matane ; there, during 
 easterly storms, was heard the Braillard de la Madeleine the 
 wailings of an unbaptized child, whose unquiet spirit hovered 
 over this rocky shore ever since the date of Le Grand Naufrage 
 Anglais, 1711. Not even the dismal shores of Anticosti, where 
 shipwrecked seamen have been compelled to live on one another's 
 flesh, and where the truculent Gamache, held undisputed 
 sway, caused more alarm than the idea of being becalmed, op- 
 posite to the river Madeleine. Then again, what could that 
 fantastic rock at Cape Gaspe", THE OLD WOMAN, portend, when 
 its quasi-human shape loomed out in the dusk of the evening 
 during a " stiff northwester ? " Perce Kock had also its ominous 
 and death-presaging sights. Had not several mariners noticed 
 many white objects moving about, on its verdant summit at 
 twilight ? They could not be gulls hatching there ; they were 
 more than likely the souls of the departed, whose boats had been 
 shattered against this lofty rock at night during storms. Such 
 were some of the subjects of alarm Tor the honest, simple-minded 
 generation of fishermen, which formerly constituted the bulk of 
 travel between Quebec and the Lower Ports. 
 
 Of the protracted duration of one of those Gasp^ trips, I can 
 speak from experience. In October, 1843, it took me seventeen 
 days to reach, in a coaster of 43 tons, the " Victoria," Capt. Basile 
 Cay en, of Islet, from Pointe St. Peter, Gaspe, to the then capacious 
 harbor of the Palais, Quebec. Of storms, bilge water, pea soup, 
 and junk pork I had a lion's share of comfort, not a shadow. 
 On emerging from the close cabin and unwashed berth, it neces- 
 sitated, need I say, more than one ablution to fit a traveller for 
 the drawing-room. How quickly our respected fathers might 
 have ended their misery had a little bird whispered to them to 
 get up a Gulf Port line of steamers. 
 
 The idea of navigating the Lower St. Lawrence by steam- 
 ships had originated as early as 1831. On the 28th April of that 
 year, at a cost of $64,000, the Royal William, steam and sailing 
 ship of 180 horse power and 1,000 tons burden, had been launch-
 
 CHKONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 261 
 
 ed at Quebec, from the shipyard of Messrs. Sheppard & Campbell. 
 This vessel, the pioneer of our early steam marine, was intended 
 to ply, and did ply two years, between Quebec and Halifax. 
 For many a long day, the name of the late Capt. John McDou- 
 gall, her commander, was a household word amongst Quebecers.* 
 This vessel, we are told, was purchased in London by the Spanish 
 Government and became the Isabella Secunda, ship of war. It 
 is sometimes stated that the Savannah, built at New York, first 
 crossed the ocean by steam in 1819 ; there is here, a slight error. 
 She did not use her engine in crossing, whereas the Royal 
 William steamed all the way from Quebec to London. English 
 as well as American books of reference ignore the Royal William, 
 she was only " colonial." Let us come to a later period, about 
 1843. A generation still exists which can look back to the 
 palmy days of the good ship Unicorn and her experienced com- 
 mander, Captain Walter Douglas. The Unicorn was the pioneer 
 of the Cunard fleet to Halifax, and after accomplishing the first 
 voyage, proceeded to take her place on the route from Quebec to 
 Pictou, which she held for several years, aided occasionally by 
 the Margaret. The Unicorn was intended to be the connecting 
 link between the ocean line to Halifax and Canada. 
 
 Several interesting documents, including a letter from Capt. McDougall 
 and the Quebec Custom House Register of the Royal William, will be found 
 in "QUEBEC, PAST AND PKESENT." See also appendix
 
 262 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 II. 
 
 THE LOWER ST. LAWRENCE ITS STEAMERS ENCHANTED ISLES 
 THE PAPPYJACKS LIGHTS AND SHADES IN THE LIVES OF 
 GASPESIANS, &c. 
 
 WHO has not heard of the Gulf Port Steamers those snug 
 ocean crafts, which plough the lower St. Lawrence from May to 
 December ; and from December to May, the heated surface of 
 the Gulf Stream, in Bermudan waters ? Each season, they are 
 crammed with tourists, jolly anglers, keen sportsmen, sallow 
 invalids and lily-cheeked belles, in quest of the bracing sea- 
 breeze of Gaspe", or making the fashionable grand tour, from 
 Montreal to Prince Edward's Island and back. 
 
 Now the Gulf Port Steamers have to breast a storm of 
 opposition from the Intercolonial Railway, who, in order to 
 monopolize the freight traffic and kill oif other modesof convey- 
 ance, carries freight at half rates. May the line yet live long to 
 bring health and comfort to the travelling community ! 
 
 There were, on the 5th June, 1877, many sights, many other 
 subjects to discuss on board of the " Secret," the staunch craft of 
 blockade renown for many years past commanded by Capt. 
 Davidson much more palatable than Mr. Brydges' recipe for mak- 
 ing the fortune of the Intercolonial. Rapidly we were leaving be- 
 hind Quebec, its glittering spires, bristling artillery, monasteries 
 and muddy streets, and edging in close to the green slopes of Or- 
 leans, its smiling villages the quiet home of many pilots and 
 their white-roofed cottages nestling tenderly, like chickens, under 
 the wing of their maternal protector Mother Church. Isle aux 
 Reaux, Isle Madame, Grosse Isle since 1832, the quarantine 
 station with all the gloomy memories of cholera, typhus, ship 
 fever, plurima mortis imago He Marguerite, one and all, we 
 shot past, as rapidly as if Commander Wilkes was at the heels of
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 263 
 
 our blockade runner, when she bore a different name, and that 
 we had issued from the harbor of Charleston, instead of that of 
 Quebec. Soon the graceful maple fringe of Pointe aux Pins, 
 and the cosy old manor of Crane Island, open on us. Some of 
 the passengers being desirous of inspecting more closely the 
 historic shooting Box of Governor de Montmagny, in 1646, 
 one turn of the wheel took us inside of the Beaujeu shoal, in the 
 deeper though very narrow, channel, within a stone's throw from 
 the beach, which bounds the ornamental grounds and flower 
 garden of the seigneur, Macpherson LeMoyne, Esq., who, after a 
 lapse of nearly two hundred and fifty years, has succeeded to the 
 Chevalier de Montmagny. Next to Crane Island, we noticed 
 the fertile islands so rich in pasturage and game, Little and Big 
 Goose Islands, the property of the Hotel Dieu nuns, of Quebec. 
 On we steamed, until the lofty tower on the summit of a high 
 rock, the Pillar light house, with its revolving moon, visible at 
 thirty miles, brought all hands on deck. To the south of it and 
 very close, lit up by the last rays of the sun, lurked that round 
 boulder, covered at quarter tide, LA KOCHE A VEILLON,* hard of 
 aspect, yea harder than the ribs of any of Sir Hugh Allan's iron 
 clads, as the defunct CANADIAN, if resuscitated, could tell the 
 tale. On this treacherous rock, we well remember seeing the 
 ill-fated steamer, with her bow, high in the air and her stern, sunk 
 in deep water. A structure now covers this insidious foe with 
 a reflector, to reflect the glare of the Pillar light-house. Beware, 
 mariner, of La Roche a Veillon ! 
 
 Such an avalanche of questions and comments, some passing 
 queer, were elicited by the fate of the CANADIAN ! " Was Sir 
 Hugh Allan himself in command," asked a beetle-browed old 
 fellow, " when it was attempted to steer over this rock ? I read 
 that Sir Hugh was one of those men who liked to come in con- 
 tact with gritty substances, the harder the pleasanter." None of 
 us could fathom the exact inuendo here implied. " Was the 
 
 Is it Avignon or a Veillon, antiquarians reply !
 
 f 
 
 264 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 pilot mad, drunk, dazed or bulldozed by blue glass f " inquired 
 an intelligent-looking Yankee, with a quid in his left jaw (some 
 said he was a judge, others that he was a Congress man), " in 
 attacking the rock ? I guess a Cap Cod or Hell Gate pilot will 
 do as much as any Canuck, but, by Tiberius Gracchus ! I have 
 yet to learn of either attempting to climb over such a rock, with 
 a 4,000 ton steamship worth $500,000, rather than porting his 
 helm, to go round." To all, the feat of the " Canadian " re- 
 mained un unsolved, an unsolvable mystery. No one man, I 
 say it with pain, had the hardihood to champion the cause of 
 the Canadian Steam Navy. Sir Hugh's seamanship all went for 
 naught. 
 
 A short distance lower down, like a duck afloat, we noticed 
 the red hull of the " Floating Light Ship," which remains there 
 from April until December, each evening hoisting to the masthead, 
 its lantern for the guidance of the thirteen hundred square-rigged 
 ships sent out from Britain to denude our forests of their priceless 
 wealth yea, too often priceless, in another sense of the word, 
 as some of our timber merchants daily find when it reaches 
 British ports. The St. Lawrence is about fifteen to twenty 
 miles wide at the Traverse, opposite St. Eoch, though the deep 
 water channel for ships on the south side is not much more 
 than six acres, in breadth ; the tide rushes through like a mill 
 sluice. In December, with the ice forming, woe to the home- 
 ward-bound ships grounding in the Traverse. Until 1759, the 
 north channel was used by the French ; deeper water and, in 
 summer, a nearly constant up-stream current attracted inward- 
 bound crafts to the north shore channel. The traverse was then 
 made at Point Argentenay, at the lower extremity of the Island 
 of Orleans, in the direction of St. Michel. Admiral Saunders 
 and General James Wolfe sailed up in June, 1759, all the way 
 from Louisbourg to Quebec, without meeting with any casualty, 
 though the feat had been declared impossible, the landmarks, 
 buoys and signals having all been removed by the French 
 that summer. What a capital joke the English must have
 
 CHKONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 265 
 
 thought it ! They were/tis true, in possession of excellent French 
 charts of the Eiver St. Lawrence; and they also had an ex- 
 perienced mariner and pilot on board, in the person of Denis de 
 Vitro*, an old Quebecer, then a prisoner of war in England, whom 
 they had brought out with them ; lastly, by hoisting French 
 colors about Bic, they succeeded in decoying some French pilots 
 of the lower parishes. Threats of instant death rendered these 
 " ancient mariners " particularly careful not to run the ships on 
 shore. In those primitive days, the national rivalries burnt 
 fiercely a Frenchman hated an Englishman, nearly as much as 
 a Blue hates a Red patriot, in the present day, Capt. John 
 Knox, one of Wolfe's officers, records the fact of a French priest 
 of the lower parishes, on witnessing through his telescope, the 
 successful trick of the English on the French pilots, falling down 
 dead, from a fit of apoplexy alas !
 
 2G6 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 III. 
 
 GASP BAIE DES CHALEURS THEIR SCENERY, ROADS, SET- 
 TLEMENTS. 
 
 IN order to disclose at one glance Gaspesia and its sea shore, we 
 shall follow Mr. Pye's programme : from Cape Chatte to the River 
 Restigouche, round the northern side of the Bay des Chaleurs. 
 
 " The district of Gaspe," says he, " forms the eastern extremity 
 of the Province of Quebec. It is bounded on the west by the 
 county of Rirnouski, north by the River St. Lawrence, east by 
 the Gulf, south by the Bay of Chaleurs and the Province of New 
 Brunswick, and lies between the parallels of 47 20' and 49 
 10' north latitude, and 64 and 66 30' longitude west, from 
 Greenwich. 
 
 " From Cape Chat, the western limit on the St. Lawrence, the 
 sea-board extends to the River Restigouche, a distance of about 
 280 miles. This district formerly constituted one county, send- 
 ing only one member to Parliament, and was generally known 
 as the ' Inferior District of GaspeV The late Mr. Robert Christie, 
 the historian of Canada, who was many years member for Gaspe", 
 often stated that ' it was a complete terra incognita, Kamschatka 
 being better known to the majority of the reading portion of the 
 community, even of these Provinces, than the Inferior District.' 
 
 Gasp^ is now divided into two counties, Gaspe" and Bona- 
 venture, each sending a member to the Local Legislative Assem- 
 bly (and one to the House of Commons). The former extends from 
 Cape Chat to Pointe au Maquereau, the latter from Pointe au 
 Maquereau to the Restigouche. These counties united with 
 Rimouski form the Gulf division, which elects a Legislative Coun- 
 cillor (and a Senator.) According to the census of 1861, the
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWEENCE. 267 
 
 total population of the county of Gasp was 14,077 souls ; this 
 includes Bona venture Island and the Magdalen Island group, all 
 of which form part of the county for judicial and elective pur- 
 poses. 
 
 " The population of Bonaventure, at the same time amounted 
 to 13,092 giving a total of 27,169 for the entire district. Of 
 this population 6,558 are Protestants, and 20,611 Eoman Catho- 
 lics. From Cape Chat to Ship Head (Gaspe"), the coast is for 
 the most part wild and mountainous, and so precipitous in many 
 places that travellers must walk along the sea shore. 
 
 " There is a good carriage road from Quebec to Ste. Anne des 
 Monts, where a point has been recently connected to Gasp^ 
 Basin, by a good road made by order of Government, in rear of 
 the mountains which skirt the shore of Fox Eiver. Ste. Anne is 
 a seigniory, owned by the son of the late Hon. John LeBou- 
 tillier, (Horace LeBoutillier, Esq.,) who has a good fishing estab- 
 lishment at the mouth of the river of the same name which 
 flows through the seigniory. There is a large tract of good 
 land in this locality, which is well settled, the population in 
 1861 being 869 souls. The difficulty of access to Perce has 
 caused this portion of the county of Gaspe* to be united to the 
 county of Eimouski for all judicial purposes, except in criminal 
 cases, and there is also a separate registry office at Ste. Anne 
 des Monts. 
 
 " Mont Louis is the next important settlement. This is also 
 a seigniory, owned by Mr. Thomas Fraser, of Quebec. 
 
 " The next seigniory is Magdelaine, a small settlement ; then 
 Grande Valle"e des Monts, where Messrs. William Irving & Co. 
 have a fishing station. Fifthly, Ance de 1'Etang, commonly 
 known as Grand Etang. There are thus five seigniories 
 between Cape Chat and Fox Eiver. The last is owned by the 
 Messrs. 1'Esp^rance, of St. Thomas, who have established there a 
 well-conducted and profitable fishery, combined with which they 
 have a fine farm. These gentlemen, like Alexander Selkirk, 
 may truly say that they are ' monarchs of all they survey,'
 
 268 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 and what is more to their credit is, that they are, we believe, 
 the only French Canadian merchants who have been eminently 
 successful in this branch of business on the Gasp coast. Fox 
 Eiver is the next settlement, and here the postal road, which 
 follows the line of coast until it reaches Restigouche, commences. 
 The Government road, which is now open, enables a traveller to 
 descend along the south shore of the St. Lawrencef ascend the 
 Bay of Chaleurs, and regain the starting points, vid the Interco- 
 lonial and Grand Trunk Railway. 
 
 " Following the line of coast from Fox River, we come to Griffin 
 Cove, thence to Cape Rosier, that Scylla of the St. Lawrence. 
 An excellent light-house has been erected on the Cape, to 
 warn the mariner of his danger, and a gun is fired every half 
 hour in thick foggy weather. The next point is Ship Head, 
 which brings us to the Bay of Gasp ; from thence we proceed 
 along the southern shore of the Bay, which is well settled and is 
 known as Sandy Beach. Here, we have a neat Protestant church 
 and comfortable parsonage, which, though standing on an emi- 
 nence, are nearly concealed from view by a fine grove of trees. 
 From this we reach Douglas Town Ferry, distant from the Basin 
 seven miles. This is the mouth of the River St. John, a noted 
 salmon stream, fished this year (1877) by the Earl and Countess 
 of Dufferin. Like all the rivers on this coast, the River St. 
 John has at its entrance a large lagoon, divided from the sea by 
 a low sand bank, forming a safe harbor for small schooners. 
 There is good anchorage in the bay for vessels of the largest size, 
 and it was here that the Royal Squadron first anchored on the 
 occasion of the Prince of Wales' visit to Canada, in 1860. 
 
 " The site of Douglas Town was originally selected by a Scotch 
 surveyor of the name of Douglas, and intended by the Govern- 
 ment as a place of settlement for United Empire Loyalists. The 
 inhabitants are all engaged in the fishery, and are principally 
 Irish and French Canadians. It is a town in name only, the 
 sole public building being a Roman Catholic church. The high 
 road from Douglas Town still skirts the line of coast as far as
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 269 
 
 r / 
 
 Seal Cove, where it strikes through the forest to Belle Ance, in 
 Malbay, a distance of about eight miles. This portage, the Can- 
 adian name for all forest roads, is partially towards Malbay, but 
 the first four miles, on the opposite side, will afford the traveller 
 a fair idea of the primeval forest. On reaching Belle Ance, the 
 high road joins the portage at right angles, branching off on the 
 left to Point St. Peter's, and on the right to the mouth of the 
 river and ferry. As you emerge from the portage road on a fine 
 clear day, a grand tableau meets the eye, well worthy of an art- 
 ist's pencil. The whole range of the Perce* mountains rise, in 
 all their majesty, before you, the village of Perce 1 being partly 
 visible. Mount Joli and Perce" form striking objects to the 
 left, both the arch and split in the rock being plainly seen. 
 Beyond these, Bonaventure Island stretches out, not unlike a 
 gigantic whale, resting on the bosom of the vasty deep. The 
 ocean dotted with vessels and fishing boats, perhaps a steamer 
 ploughing its smooth surface, complete the sea view, while to 
 the right, are hill upon hill, and mountain upon mountain, 
 crowned with the evergreen forest. 
 
 " The Bay of Malbay is a splendid sheet of water, bounded by 
 Perce" on one side and Point St. Peters on the other. When you 
 arrive at the mouth of the river of the same name the ferryman 
 is again in requisition. A few hundred yards beyond the ferry- 
 is a large Eoman Catholic church. The river is well settled 
 along the bank a considerable distance up the stream. The har- 
 bor is accessible for small craft only, on account of the sand 
 bar at the mouth of the river ; the lagoon is very extensive, 
 forming a beautiful sheet of water when the tide is high. On 
 this river there is also good salmon and trout fishing, and abund- 
 ance of wild fowl in spring and fall. Having crossed the ferry, 
 the road runs along the same bank which divides the sea from 
 the lagoon, a distance of four miles, to the corner of the beach, a 
 small settlement, consisting of a few respectable families. Here, 
 the road commences which winds in rear of the St. Anne range 
 to Perce*, a distance of about five and a half miles. The scenery
 
 270 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 through this gorge is truly grand, and the contemplation of its 
 beauties will more then compensate the tourist for the difficulties 
 of the road. About a mile from the highest point, you pass im- 
 mediately by the base of a stupendous wall of conglomerate, 
 which appears as though it had been upheaved by another Atlas. 
 There are indications all around Perce* that at some distant 
 period the mountains have been rent, and vast masses dislodged 
 from their original position by some violent convulsions of nature. 
 A few miles out of Peree", the country assumes a level appearance ; 
 the mountain ranges gradually disappear from the back-ground, 
 and there is evidently a wide extent of land in the interior suited 
 for agricultural purposes." 
 
 It may not be out of place to state that several improvements in roads, 
 bridges, sea and land communications have taken place since the time to 
 which Mr. Pye alludes in his interesting volume from which we have drawn 
 both amusement and instruction. 

 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 271 
 
 IV. 
 
 PERCE PABOS NEWPORT POINT AU MAQUEREAU L'ANSE 
 AU GASCON PORT DANIEL CHEGOUAC PASPEBIAC NEW 
 CARLISLE BONAVENTURE MARIA CARLETON NOUVLLEE 
 EESTIGOUCHE A DRIVE ALL AROUND. 
 
 "THE roads throughout the County of Gaspe* are tolerably 
 good on the whole, for a new and sparsely settled country. 
 Those in the Township of Perce" are decidedly the worst, and 
 most of the bridges are in a very dangerous state, without rail- 
 ings or guard of any kind to prevent the traveller from being 
 precipitated into the abyss below. 
 
 The court house and gaol at Perce* being in a most dilapi- 
 dated state there is every probability that new buildings will 
 be erected at Gaspe* Basin, which will then become the shire 
 town. The distance from Perce* to Cape Cove is eight miles, 
 and ten from thence to Grand Eiver. The land throughout this 
 section of the country is well adapted for agricultural purposes, 
 comparatively level, and well watered. All the front lots are 
 occupied, and the inhabitants are evidently paying more atten- 
 tion to their farms than heretofore. 
 
 Grand River is the only one in the district of Gaspe" which 
 has been bridged by the inhabitants. The money was borrowed 
 from the Municipal Loan Fund, and it is much to be regretted 
 that what might have been an important public benefit bids 
 fair to become a public nuisance, in consequence of the dissen- 
 sions between the inhabitants to which it has given rise. The 
 harbor at Grand RiverMs a bar harbor, accessible only to 
 small vessels. The seigniory of Pabos joins that of Grand 
 River. Little Pabos is the next settlement, with a river of the 
 same name, which was bridged by the Government, in 1844.
 
 272 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Next comes Great Pabos, where a chartered English company 
 under the name of the Gaspe* Fisjiery and Coal Mining Company, 
 formerly established their headquarters, and squandered the 
 monies entrusted to them by the duped shareholders. Under 
 the French rule this appears to have been a well settled locality, 
 as traces could be lately seen of what once constituted the found- 
 ations and cellar of a large house, said to be that of the Governor 
 or Intendant. The remains of three mill-dams on the north side 
 ot the river were also visible, and the various articles found from 
 time to time prove that a considerable number of families must 
 have once occupied the front. 
 
 Pabos is a bar harbor, and very difficult of access. There 
 are two rivers which empty themselves into the lagoon at a short 
 distance from each other. A large portion-of the land in Great 
 Pabos is unfit for culture. 
 
 The Pabos as well as Grand Eiver are the resort of large 
 flocks of wild fowl in the spring and fall. The inhabitants are 
 all sportsmen. The distance from Grand River to Pabos is about 
 eight miles, thence to Newport three. 
 
 The Pabos estate may be said to be in chancery, part of the 
 buildings have been sold and removed ; the rest are going to 
 ruin. 
 
 Newport is a snug little cove, with good anchorage for small 
 vessels. There are two small fishing establishments here, one 
 belonging to Messrs. Charles Robin & Co., the other to Mr. 
 Philip Hamon, a native of Jersey, who resides here with his 
 family. About two miles beyond are two small patches of rock 
 called the Newport Islands, where Captain Philip Dean, of Jer- 
 sey, once had a fishing stand. A mile and a half further brings 
 us to Point-au-Maquereau, the eastern boundary of the County of 
 Gaspe*. This point marks the entrance to the Bay of Chaleurs, 
 the Island of Miscou, distant about fifteen miles, being the 
 boundary of the bay on the New Brunswick side. From the is- 
 lands the road leaves the shore and passes through the woods, a 
 distance of about five miles, to L'Anse au Gascon. Point-au-Ma-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 273 
 
 quereau is not visible from the road, so that the traveller passes 
 the boundary between the two counties without being aware of 
 it. The land through this portage is rocky, and scarcely fit for 
 settlement. 
 
 Having reached 1'Anse au Gascon, the country is again 
 broken, and you have a continuous succession of hill and dale. 
 The scenery from this to Port Daniel is bold and romantic, and 
 when you reach the summit of the range of Devil's Cape,* (some 
 call it Cap au Diable, others, Cap a 1'Enfer), the beautiful bay of 
 Port Daniel suddenly meets the eye, and a splendid and v.aried 
 panorama lies before you. As you descend the mountain on a 
 fine summer afternoon, an interesting and amusing scene often 
 presents itself. 
 
 The fishing boats having just returned, men, women and 
 children are all busily engaged in landing, splitting, and carrying 
 the fish to the stages. At the mouth of the Port Daniel Eiver 
 we have again the usual lagoon and bar which prevents the en- 
 trance of vessels of any size, but there is good anchorage under 
 the Cape. On this, the east side of the river, just at the har- 
 bor's mouth, snugly ensconced under the hill, stands the Eoman 
 Catholic church. The Gaspe* Fishery and Coal Mining Com- 
 pany commenced an establishment and built a couple of small 
 vessels on this river, and their so-called coal field, a bed of shale, 
 is about three miles up the stream. 
 
 Crossing the ferry, about a quarter of a mile further, is an- 
 other river, on which there is a small saw mill. A good substan- 
 tial bridge, built by the Government, spanned this stream, but the 
 approach from the westward being a sand bank, without protec- 
 tion of any kind, has been washed away, and no steps have been 
 taken by the municipality to repair the damage.-f- " 
 
 * There is a limestone quarry on the Point of Cap au Diable, where forty 
 or fifty vessels load annually for Prince Edward Island. It is worked by a 
 chartered company of Prince Edward Island. 
 
 t The water mill is no more. There is a steam saw mill between the two 
 rivers. The bridges are now completed on both rivers. 
 
 8
 
 274 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 This is a thriving settlement, having many good farms in and 
 around the bay. Port Daniel is also the name of the township 
 which commences at Point au Maquereau. As you ascend the 
 hill on the west side of the bay there is a small Presbyterian 
 church, and on the level beyond, another place of worship be- 
 longing to the Church of England. 
 
 From this point the country assumes a level appearance, the 
 land is better adapted for agricultural purposes, and the farms 
 denote a higher state of cultivation. 
 
 An hour's drive from Port Daniel brings us to Chigouac, a 
 small settlement, through which runs a good mill stream, with 
 two grist mills erected on it. There is also a small Episcopal 
 church and parsonage. This is the Township of Hope. About 
 a mile and a half further is a small Roman Catholic chapel, which 
 is in a settlement called Nouvelle. Beyond this we come to a 
 small cove and river, with a small grist mill upon it. Having 
 crossed the bridge, we come to a fine level tract of land called 
 Hope Town. The settlers are chiefly Scotch, and the fine farms 
 and good buildings prove that the owners are industrious and 
 economical. The road from this to Paspebiac is perfectly level. 
 The last three miles pass through what is termed Hope Town 
 Woods, a fine piece of forest land owned by Messrs. Charles 
 Robin & Co. But these gentlemen having sold or leased the 
 lots along the road, for settlement, handsome cottages are spring- 
 ing up, and the forest is fast disappearing. 
 
 As we emerge from the woods, a number of vessels at anchor, 
 and the fine white buildings on the low sandy beach, denote 
 that we are approaching some important place. This is Pas- 
 pebiac. From Paspebiac to New Carlisle is a beautiful drive of 
 three miles. The Bay of Chaleurs is before you on the left, in 
 all its beauty and grandeur. The adjacent coast of New Bruns- 
 wick, which is now plainly seen, forms the back ground. On 
 the right you have w r ell-cultivated farms and neat cottages. The 
 whole range of land, from Nouvelle River to the Great Bonaven- 
 ture, is of excellent quality for agricultural purposes. From New
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 275 
 
 Carlisle to Bonaventure Eiver, a distance of about eight miles, 
 the road is tame and uninteresting, the only objects worthy of 
 mention being two grist mills. 
 
 The Bonaventure is a large river, abounding in salmon and 
 trout, and forms an excellent harbor for small vessels. Some 
 years ago, vessels of two hundred and fifty tons could load here 
 with timber, but the bar has increased so much of late that 
 vessels drawing more than eight to nine feet cannot enter. An 
 extensive business has been carried on in Bonaventure at differ- 
 ent periods, even within the last ten years, but it appears as 
 though some fatality attended all who have attempted to estab- 
 lish themselves in this locality. Nothing is done here now, and 
 the harbor is wholly deserted, except when the coasters of Messrs. 
 Eobin or Le Boutillier Brothers come in to collect fish, or in 
 spring or fall when a number of schooners, which winter here, 
 are being fitted out or laid up. No extensive lumber trade could 
 be established in this locality at present, all the rear lands from 
 Paspebiac to New Richmond, or nearly so, being still owned by 
 the Gasp^ Company. The sale of those lands was an act of 
 injustice to the inhabitants of the Townships of Cox and Bona- 
 venture, who are thus almost precluded from obtaining even 
 firewood. This river is the resort in spring of immense shoals of 
 smelt, which enter it to spawn, and thousands of barrels are 
 recklessly destroyed by the inhabitants for the purpose of manuring 
 the land. Thousands of barrels of herrings, of which fabulous 
 quantities arrive, are every spring used for the same purpose. 
 The herring do not enter the river, but literally roll in shore 
 along the sandy beach, which extends from here to Little Bona- 
 venture. The inhabitants have been known to drive their cart 
 to the water's edge and there load, by scooping the fish from the 
 sea, with a dip net. ' 
 
 To the westward of the harbor, is a fine Roman Catholic 
 Church, the largest, we believe, in the District of Gaspe*. Bona- 
 venture is a populous township, originally settled by the Aca- 
 dians.
 
 276 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Three miles further brings us to Little Bonaventure River, a 
 small stream scarcely deserving the name of river. In 1856, the 
 Bay of Chaleurs was completely frozen over from the Great 
 Bonaventure to Bathurst, the whole surface of the Bay being as 
 smooth as a pond. Numbers of persons crossed over with horse 
 and sleigh even as low as Little Bonaventure, from which forty 
 persons went to Petites Roches, a distance of fifteen miles, for ash 
 to make hoops. Though this is generally known as the Pariah 
 of Bonaventure, it is now the Township of Hamilton. 
 
 A couple of miles beyond Little Bonaventure, the country 
 assumes a more picturesque appearance, with a succession of hill 
 and dale. Passing Black Capes, a Scotch settlement in the 
 township of New Richmond, a grand coup d'ceil presents itself 
 as you reach the highest point. The village and bay of New 
 Richmond from the foreground, with the settlement of Maria 
 running along the base of the Carleton Mountains, which tower 
 aloft in the rear. To the left of these, you see the islands near 
 Dalhousie, and the New Brunswick coast from thence to Bathurst. 
 Having crossed the Little Cascapedia, you pass the Presbyterian 
 Church, on your left, and soon reach what may be termed the 
 village. Here is situated the fine property owned by the heirs 
 of the late William Cuthbert, Esq., a Scotch gentleman, who 
 carried on a large business in the lumber trade and ship building. 
 Just beyond, is the Roman Catholic church. From Black Capes 
 to the Great Cascapedia, is a good agricultural district, principally 
 occupied by Scotch settlers. The land between the rivers is a 
 fine level country, occupied in rear as far as the seventh conces- 
 sion. There is good, safe anchorage for large vessels between 
 the two rivers. This should have been the shire town, being 
 more central and better adapted in every respect than New 
 Carlisle, from which it is distant about thirty miles. Both the 
 Cascapedia rivers abound with salmon and trout. 
 
 Crossing the great Cascapedia, we land in the township of 
 Maria, which extends along the sea-shore at the side of the 
 Carleton Mountain range. Just as we leave the river, the road
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 277 
 
 passes through a small Indian settlement of the Micmac tribe, 
 and a little beyond is a grist and saw mill ; about four or five 
 miles from the ferry is a large new Eoman Catholic Church. 
 The land along the sea-shore of Maria is low, the road being 
 but little elevated above high- water mark. This is a populous 
 township, the soil being good, some three concessions deep, to 
 the foot of the mountains. 
 
 There is nothing worthy of notice until we reach Carleton 
 church, a large new building, about a mile from the village. 
 There are no Protestant places of worship on this side of New 
 Eichmond. 
 
 Passing the village of Carleton we proceed through the 
 township, which at this part is a narrow strip of land, scarcely 
 one concession deep, until it touches the base of the mountain, 
 which rises here with a steep acclivity. The summit is a fine 
 table land. There, the inhabitants of the village obtain their 
 fire- wood, which is brought to the edge and then shot down the 
 inclined plane. A considerable extent of land has been cleared 
 on the summit, and good hay is raised to feed the cattle which 
 are employed in drawing the wood during the winter months. 
 
 The next township is Nouvelle, which includes the seigniory 
 of Schoolbred. Nouvelle River is a considerable stream, abound- 
 ing in salmon and trout, the latter being the finest fish we have 
 ever seen. Meguacha Point, which is seen on the left, is about 
 two miles from Dalhousie and derives its name from the rich 
 color of the soil, which, in tne Micmac language, means a long 
 time red. 
 
 We cross the river by a bridge at a distance from Nouvelle 
 Basin. An hour's drive brings us to the township of Mann, in 
 which is situated the Micmac colony known as Mission Point.* 
 
 Pye's Gaspe Scenery.
 
 278 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 V. 
 
 THE MACKEREL AND SALMON QUESTION AN ILLINOIS JUDGE 
 THEREON PERCE PASPEBIAC. 
 
 WE have now smelt salt water for close on thirty-six hours, 
 the breakfast bell is just tolling merrily glad tidings indeed. 
 Down to the lower saloon, young and old, hurry equal all, to 
 the emergency. Some fat mackerel, fresh salmon and cod, 
 which but a few hours previous were roaming heedless tenants of 
 the " vasty deep," thanks to the art of that eminently respected 
 individual, the cook, some in flat dishes, others in deep platters, 
 ornament the table, flanked with French rolls, corn cake, crisp 
 toast, spring butter, the whole rendered savory and fragrant by 
 the steam of two huge urns of Mocha and Souchong. The brac- 
 ing sea-breeze, a cloudless sky, that irresistible, overpowering 
 feeling, which permeates those committed to the briny element, 
 has instilled a new life. In silence, we sit ; in silence, we devour. 
 The crusty old captain exchanges a silent nod of recognition 
 around ; at one glance I take in the situation we are there to act, 
 not to talk. Tlwre are others waiting for our places at table. To 
 my right, sits a very tall, very dignified old judge, from Illinois ; 
 thrice his plate is pushed forward for provender; thrice it 
 returns, well freighted with that incomparable mackerel. At 
 last, His Honor looks round complacently ; some await, 
 as if they expected from him a deeply pondered judgment 
 on some interesting point of international law the Fishery 
 question,* possibly, under a new aspect ; the suspense is 
 of but short duration. The ermined sage, after stroking twice, 
 
 * The Halifax Fishery Commission was then discussing the indemnity we 
 might be entitled to claim ; we have since learned with what success.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 279 
 
 in a measured manner, a bushy, snow-white beard, straightens 
 to its full height his herculean frame, and in a grave but silvery 
 tone of voice, thus addresses his neighbor : " What would the 
 parched-up, asthmatic occupant of an inland city give for such a 
 feast for an hour of such enjoyment ? I feel transformed, I am 
 now a new, a better man, I hope. Sir," he added, " I feel as if 
 I were at peace with the whole world; a child even, might 
 now stroke my beard ; " he rose and disappeared up the 
 companion door. So impressive on us had been the dignified 
 bearing, fine countenance and athletic proportions of the grand 
 old judge that the merest familiarity with his silvery beard, 
 such as he intimated, even by a child, would have seemed to 
 one* and all, sacrilege. 
 
 On we steamed, past that picturesque low, rocky ledge, 
 " Plato," opposite Point St. Peter ; in less than one hour, the swift 
 blockade runner was under the lee of the frowning Perce* Eock. 
 
 " The Perce Rock is one of the most remarkable objects that 
 meet the eye of the mariner or traveller along the entire Can- 
 adian seaboard. To the former it is an excellent beacon, and 
 one of those extraordinary monuments of the Omnipotent Archi- 
 tect, which, once seen, can never be forgotten. Its name of 
 Perce", properly Le Eocher Perce", or the Pierced Eock, is not de- 
 rived from the hole now seen, which was very small a few years 
 ago, but from that which formerly existed, forming the space 
 between the Eock and its outward watch tower. The arch gave 
 way with a terrific crash in June, 1846, and this is now called 
 the Split. The present " Hole in the Wall " forms a perfect 
 arch, being about sixty feet in height by eighty in width. At low 
 water, you can walk through and scan its mighty proportions ; 
 at high water fishing boats can pass through. The rock is com- 
 posed of mottled yellowish and reddish limestone (supposed to 
 belong to the Upper Silurian age), which is gradually yielding to 
 the devastating power of the elements. Its base is accessible, 
 at low water, on the south side, to foot passengers, who can walk 
 the entire length to the Split. But on the opposite side the water
 
 280 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 is so deep that a line-of-battle ship could run stern on. It is 
 distant some 200 yards from Mount Joli, on the mainland, and 
 is about 300 feet high at this part. Its length is about 1 ,400 feet ; 
 its breadth, at the widest part, 300 feet. It is nearly perpen- 
 dicular on all sides, and may, therefore, be considered inacces- 
 sible ; but in 1818, Messrs. Moriarty and Duguay, two residents 
 in the village, undertook the dangerous ascent, and having 
 gained the summit, a strong rope was well secured thereon, by 
 means of which the ascent was again made during several years, 
 for the purpose of cutting the long grass which grows on the top. 
 The grass, being made up into bundles, was lowered into boats 
 anchored below, and as much as three tons of hay were thus 
 obtained annually. A by-law was ultimately passed by the 
 magistrates prohibiting the ascent, in consequence of a man 
 having lost his life while making the perilous attempt." 
 
 A remarkable feature connected witn the Rock is its being 
 the resort, during the summer months, of vast numbers of sea- 
 fowl, who make their nests on the summit ; and in July and 
 August, when the young are fledged, and the parent birds have 
 returned in the evening from their foraging excursions, the 
 whole surface of the rock literally swarms with thousands of 
 birds, making a most discordant noise, which can be heard at a 
 distance of several miles, and in dark nights or foggy weather, 
 warns the mariner of his proximity to Perce. Our captain 
 (Davidson,) formerly of the steamer Lady Head, subsequently 
 of the Secret, has often gratified his passengers by firing a gun 
 whilst passing. This causes a perfect cloud of gulls, gannets, 
 cormorants, etc.,' to rise, and set up the most discordant and 
 unearthly yells and screams imaginable. Each successive fall 
 the feathered occupants of Perce' Rock abandon their birthplace 
 for some milder region, returning with the first indications of 
 spring. Their arrival is always hailed with pleasure by the 
 inhabitants of the locality, who are thus assured of the speedy 
 disappearance of the ice and snow, by which they have been 
 surrounded during the previous five months.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 281 
 
 Surveyor-General Bouchette, in his topographical description 
 of Lower Canada, published in 1814, speaking of Perce, says : 
 
 " Very near the southerly point of Mai Baie there is a re- 
 markable rock, rising about two hundred feet out of the water, 
 and about twelve hundred feet in length, in which there are 
 three arches completely wrought by nature : the centre one is 
 sufficiently large to allow a boat under sail to pass through it 
 with ease." (At present, one only remains). 
 
 Abbe" Ferland, in his Journal of a Voyage on the Shores of 
 Gaspe", observes that " everything would seem to indicate that 
 in by-gone ages, the Eock and Mount Joli were united by similar 
 arches," an opinion confidently expressed by Denys, who visited 
 this spot more than two centuries back. At the period of his 
 first visit, there was only one arch. But when he returned 
 many years after, he found that the sea had scooped out two 
 others, one of which, he says, disappeared through the crumbling 
 away of a part of the rock. Perce* is an awkward place to stop 
 at for steamers or sailing vessels and very difficult of access 
 for them, when high easterly winds prevail. Elsewhere, we have 
 described the ravages committed here in 1690. " In 1711, 
 another naval attack was made by the British, and the French 
 ships Hero and Vermandois were captured in the harbor. In 
 1776, a desperate naval combat took place off Perce* Bock, be- 
 tween the American privateers who had devastated the shores 
 of the Bay of Chaleurs and the British war-vessels Wolf and 
 Diligence. Two of the American vessels were sunk within 
 cannon shot of the Kock."
 
 282 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Two INVASIONS THE LOBSTER AND SALMON QUESTION AT PORT 
 
 DANIEL ITS PRACTICAL BEARING PORT DANIEL AND ITS 
 
 . WORTHY MAYOR, " TOUCH NOT THE CAT, BUT THE GLOVE." 
 
 PORT DANIEL, 8th June, 1877. 
 
 A FEW words on a new industry, just sprung up at Port Daniel, 
 may not be out of place. 
 
 In the year 1775, there was trouble in this Canada of ours ; 
 our worthy neighbors, the " Bostonnais," were seized with an 
 irresistible craving to improve our social condition. We were 
 supposed to be flagging, pining away, under a King longing for 
 the freedom, more properly, the license, a republic brings among 
 other blessings. The grand panacea to cure all our colonial 
 evils was republican institutions. How much suffering from 
 cold fatigue hunger ; how many privations, our trusty and 
 well beloved cousins endured in their disinterested efforts to 
 regenerate Canada, I shall not here rehearse ; the dismal tale I 
 have unfolded in QUEBEC PAST AND PRESENT. The invasion of 
 1775 was a. fiasco a very complete one ; it did not pay. 
 
 One century later, the Province, at least that portion watered 
 by the Bale des Chaleurs, is again invaded ; our intelligent 
 neighbors this time are not devastating our farm or poultry yards 
 no territory, except that of the lobster and salmon, is to be 
 invaded ; our good friends are not come to regenerate us, but to 
 enrich themselves this second invasion will pay they are 
 welcome. 
 
 Until last fall, the New Brunswick side of Baie des Chaleurs 
 was studded with lobster and salmon canning establishments, 
 worked chiefly by intelligent Americans, intent on teaching the 
 Blue-Noses how much hidden wealth lies imbedded, unrevealed, 
 profitless in the Eiver St. Lawrence. They fished they netted
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 283 
 
 they trapped every living thing the beach possessed having 
 the shape of a lobster, " provided it was nine inches long," with- 
 out despising salmon. For some cause or other, the Americans 
 have crossed the bay to our side, where they have leased fishing 
 grounds and built thereon factories ; at the present moment, they 
 are spreading, in all directions, hard cash. American companies 
 have now at least five fishing stands on the Canada side, in 
 addition to their chief place of business and export, New Mills,* 
 near Dalhousie, N.B. Their spirit of enterprise has found vent 
 at Carleton, Maria, Capelin, Bonaventure, and within a few 
 weeks, at Port Daniel, twenty miles lower down than the great 
 centre of trade, Paspebiac. This latter establishment I was 
 shown over by the worthy mayor of Port Daniel, who seemed 
 to take a most legitimate pride in this new source of prosperity 
 for the municipality over which he has presided as mayor for the 
 last thirty years. I shall have a word to say hereafter about this 
 enlightened civic magistrate. 
 
 The canning of lobsters and salmon at Port Daniel is worthy 
 of some notice. The factory, a plain wooden building, provided 
 with chimneys, ovens, ventilators, hydraulic power, etc., is 100 
 feet by 30 on a small point formed by a brook, whose water is 
 pumped in the building. The internal management seemed ad- 
 mirable as to system, time and economy ; no useless gossiping 
 allowed ; no profane language ; men, boys, girls, each at their 
 allotted task. Naturally the lighter duty devolves on the young 
 girls, whp get 40 cents per diem ; the full grown men get from 
 $20 to $30 a month, according to their experience, knowledge 
 and ability. Foreman, clerk and workmen all labor together ; 
 no drones in the hive. When the clerk is not engaged at figures, 
 he is to be seen with apron on, in the roughest work the factory 
 offers. 
 
 Before beginning operations, the " Boss," as he is named, 
 called on the owners of salmon nets, settled in writing with them 
 
 Destroyed by fire in 1877.
 
 284 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the price they could sell their salmon at, viz. : 4J cents the 
 pound; lobsters were to fetch 2 cents a pound, when the fish- 
 ermen furnished their own traps. A lobster trap is a strange 
 apparatus. It represents, in shape, the half of a cylinder ; light 
 lathes about three feet long nailed round the halves of a hoop. 
 At each end, there is a piece of net : in the centre, an aperture 
 through which the lobster crawls in, tail foremost of course, with 
 one claw lapped over the other ; this aperture forms a species of 
 tunnel ; once inside, it is impossible for the crustacean to find 
 his way out. The companies sometimes furnish the lobster traps, 
 sometimes they don't : when they do, one-third of the catch is 
 first applied to pay for the use of their traps, baited with clams, 
 herring, capelin. On the 8th June instant, the catch for that 
 morning amounted to five tons of lobster, representing about 
 2,500 individuals. None but fresh, live lobster are received ; 
 the care with which they are prepared for canning, and the pre- 
 cision used in making the cans air-tight, are striking. The first 
 boil the lobster goes through, is intended to detach the flesh from 
 the shell ; when hermetically sealed, the cans are again immersed 
 in hot water and boiled ; each vessel contains one pound exactly, 
 and is expected to fetch from 15 to 20 cents wholesale, and 25 
 cents retail.* 
 
 The only point on which we cannot chime in with these en- 
 terprising Americans, is that of passing off our delicious salmon 
 and lobsters for United States fish, through the printed labels 
 and trade marks attached to each can.-f- However, if our own folks 
 
 " The company pays 35 cents per hundredweight right out of the sea, 
 which will come to about 2 cents per Ib. in tin. The factory during June 
 have put up over 50,000 Ibs. of lobster and salmon ; it makes shipments 
 every week. At the end of June, 1877, a schooner took 250 boxes of 4 dozen 
 cans in each box, to the Allan line agent, at Quebec, to be sent by one of 
 their steamers to Liverpool ; they keep posted iu the best markets, whether 
 in Europe or the United States." 
 
 t The labels on the cans speak for themselves, Bay Lobsters, "U.S. of 
 America.'' Port Daniel is put on the outside of the box, as a private mark 
 at which factory the fish were put up.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 285 
 
 are lacking in the enterprise necessary to realize profit from the 
 wealth of our own waters, it would be a kind of dog-in-the-man- 
 ger policy should we object to our neighbors coming in our midst. 
 Success, say we, to American enterprise ! A canny Scot of Port 
 Daniel, Mr. Miller, leased the company this land as a fish station, 
 asking merely a nominal rent for the lot, provided he was al- 
 lowed to have all the offal as fish manure for his meadows and 
 potatoe fields. The lobster's offal, as a fertilizer, is. said to be 
 unrivalled, and the effluvia arising therefrom, in the dog days, 
 after a while, gets to be less intolerable. Gaspesia is the land 
 of loud smells : all know. 
 
 All canned fish is removed in boats to a small steamer the 
 company owns. It may be " a joy for ever," it is not " a thing 
 of beauty." This black odoriferous craft is picturesquely ugly. 
 It strikes us, it might travel lobster fashion, stem or stern on. 
 However, it answers its object, and that is the main point. 
 
 We alluded to the opening up of a new and valuable indus- 
 try on several points on the Quebec side of Baie des Chaleurs, 
 and particularly at Port Daniel. It may not be out of place 
 to point out how it may be made to endure. For upwards of 
 twenty years, each succeeding ministry has taken up warmly 
 the fishing interest; we now beg to subjoin the regulations 
 governing the capture of lobsters. 
 
 " No person shall fish for, catch, kill, buy, sell or possess 
 any lobsters between the 10th day of August and the 20th day 
 of September, in each year. 
 
 " Female lobsters in spawn or with eggs attached, soft 
 shelled and young lobsters of less size than nine inches in length, 
 measuring from head to tail, exclusive of claws or feelers, shall 
 not be at any time fished for, caught, killed, bought, sold or 
 possessed, but when caught by accident in nets or other fish- 
 ing apparatus lawfully used for other fish, lobsters in spawn, or 
 with eggs attached, soft shelled and young lobsters of a less 
 size than nine inches, shall be liberated alive, at the risk and 
 cost of the owner of the net or apparatus, or by the occupier of 
 
 \
 
 286 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the fishery, on whom, in every case, shall devolve the proof 
 of such actual liberation." 
 
 His Excellency has also been pleased to order that the regula- 
 tions passed on the 24th of April, 1874, respecting " Lobster Fish- 
 ing," be and the same is hereby repealed. 
 
 W. A. HIMSWORTH, 
 Clerk, Privy Council. 
 
 These regulations allow the lobster one month's respite in 
 summer, as a close season ; it is now stated that some doubts 
 exist as to the period which the crustacean devotes to reproduc- 
 tion, as individuals are found with spawn at all seasons ; if such 
 is the fact, there stands a fit subject for enquiry. In the mean- 
 time, we think the lobster, and not his destroyer, ought to have 
 the benefit of the doubt. 
 
 It will require all the foresight and energy of the Fishery 
 Department, to guard against the wholesale destruction of 
 this delicious crustacean, on the north side of B'lie des 
 Chaleurs, seeing what has happened on the oppposite shore.* 
 At any place, lobsters cannot be more abundant than we 
 
 CANADIAN LOBSTERS. 
 
 (From the London Globe.) 
 
 " If the evidence collected by Mr. Frank Buckland may be accepted, our 
 English lobster fisheries have nearly followed our formerly prolific oyster 
 beds to annihilation, through the same cause over-fishing. Whether the 
 evil will be stopped in time by recent legislation remains to be proved, but 
 the people of Canada would do well to take warning by what has happened 
 in the mother country. According to accounts which have reached us lately 
 the lobster fisheries of the Dominion are being terribly overworked. On the 
 third of the present month, a barque is reported to have cleared at the Mirami- 
 chi Custom House 75,000 worth of lobsters on board, consigned to the 
 London market. This is said to be the most valuable cargo of the sort ever 
 shipped from New Brunswick, and we should imagine that the despatch of 
 many more of equal magnitude would bring the trade to a dead stop for the 
 want of the raw material. It is true that some parts of the Canadian coast 
 are amazingly prolific of crustacean life. So immense is the supply provided 
 by nature, that the Canadians may almost be excused for considering it 
 practically limitless. But we have seen in the case of certain English fish- 
 eries that persistent overworking brings about scarcity, and so our friends
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 287 
 
 found them at Port Daniel, on the 8th June inst., when no 
 less than 750 individuals, representing 3,000 Ibs., were trapped 
 in one night ; will this continue ? let us hope so. We 
 are safe in stating that a new industry has taken root on the 
 Gaspe" coast, more valuable though to some, less attractive 
 than " wrecking," such as formerly, when $400,000 of goods 
 might float at one tide, in a sheltered bay witness the cargo 
 of the " Colborne," stranded in 1838. There is still another 
 mode of achieving the prosperity of the place, viz : agricultural 
 pursuits. 
 
 There are few localities in the Dominion combining for the 
 tourists, as varied, as healthy pleasures, as that extensive line 
 of sea shore, extending from Gaspe" Basin to Campbellton, in New 
 Brunswick some two hundred miles, through groves, meadows 
 and over rocky capes, with scenery of matchless beauty ; boat- 
 ing ; salmon and trout streams ; and sea fowl in myriads, in 
 September. The Englishman, Scotchman and Irishman is not 
 here at a loss to make himself understood, as in the parishes 
 round Quebec. English and French are indiscriminately spoken ; 
 the bulk of the enterprise and wealth is in the hands of the Eng- 
 lish-speaking population. Instead of a weekly mail, as formerly, 
 the postman and his mail bags make their daily rounds, from 
 Cross-Point to Gaspe* : the mail waggon and its fast relay of 
 horses is not only the most expeditious mode of conveyance, 
 'tis also the cheapest, and, in some localities, the only style of 
 
 on the other side of the Atlantic will probably discover if they continue this 
 depopulating process much farther. It is said that quite baby lobsters are 
 ruthlessly slaughtered in vast numbers for preservation in tins. Their flesh 
 does not differ in flavor or appearance from that of adult crustaceans, so that 
 consumers have no means of judging as to the size and age. It would be 
 well for Canada if some one of her citizens took up the work performed in 
 England by Mr. Frank Buckland and his coadjutors towards fish of all sorts. 
 They were too late in the field to save our oyster beds from annihilation, but 
 in other directions they have done a great deal for the preservation of one of 
 themost important sources of our food supply. The Dominion has a splen- 
 did property in her maritime fisheries ; she should see to it at once that they 
 are not deteriorated by indiscriminate and reckless operations.
 
 288 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 land transport. The Gaspesian, ice-bound during six months 
 is a gregarious animal : he likes his fellowman ; he is simple in 
 his tastes, loquacious, full of gossip, a busy politician, espe- 
 cially since he has been made to believe that politics means " the 
 cure of souls" more concerned as a rule, in the newspapers of 
 Bathurst and Chatham, Dalhousie, N.B., than in those of Mont- 
 real and Quebec. His hospitality is proverbial. The Scotch and 
 English prefer agriculture to the catch of herring and cod ; they 
 form the minority, but a minority more self-reliant, with a registry 
 certificate less burthened with hypothecs. A number of smil- 
 ing parsonages peep out of groves all along the bay ; but many 
 of these dovecotes are lacking the doves. Why ? it puzzled us 
 much to find out.* Is it impecuniosity or a roving disposition 
 which besets the divines ? Does the missionary fear meeting a 
 cassowary ready to eat him, 
 
 " Hat and boots and hymn book, too," 
 
 in the guise of one of those fierce Pospillats, anglice, Paspyjacks 
 of former days, or else are those " praying " men to be taught 
 the surest way to heaven, by having compulsory " fasting " 
 added to the programme ! This may work better in theory 
 than in practice. Who will dare venture on the dreaded ground 
 of Theology ? We just now had occasion to testify to the hearty 
 welcome awaiting the stranger, who properly accredited lands at 
 Gaspe* as a friend ; one spot, however, in particular, which how- 
 ever free of access to all nationalities, we found a warmer 
 greeting, a more genial shake of the hand, for those who, unforget- 
 ful of the Land o' Cakes," had a Mac in their name, and that 
 land favored by the Gods, is PORT DANIEL, a thriving munici- 
 pality, presided over for close on thirty years by a well-to-do 
 old Scotchman, William McPherson, Esq. The Laird of Port 
 Daniel prides himself on being a bit of a poet, as well as an 
 orator. Under the hospitable roof of Cluny cottage, Ids resi- 
 dence, we found time slipping away unaccountably fast. 
 
 I have since learned that the absence of several, was in consequence 
 of their attendance at the meeting of the Synod, in Quebec.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 289 
 
 THE KINGDOM OF THE PASPYJACKS THE GREAT JERSEY FIRMS. 
 
 WE are now fast approaching the famous kingdom of the Robins 
 and LeBoutilliers, Paspebiac. 
 
 Let us now view the chief emporium of commerce 
 in the Baie des Chaleurs, as we recently found it. Its 
 Indian name in Micmac means " Point of Rest " such it was 
 for the Micmac canoes from Gaspe", etc., frequenting the river 
 Restigouche at the top of the bay. It is formed of two parts ; 
 the green ridge of groves, and corn fields crowned by hand- 
 some dwellings in rear, conspicuous amongst which are the 
 houses of the managers of the great Jersey firms, the Robins and 
 the LeBoutilliers ; and a triangular, low, sandy spit, four miles 
 long jutting out in the sea at high water nearly an island, 
 covered with the fishermen's cottages and lofty fish stores and 
 outhouses of the Princes of Paspebiac, Messrs. Robin and Messrs. 
 LeBoutillier ; the latter are less ancient, perhaps less wealthy ; the 
 former are generally known under the mystic combination C. R. 
 C., (Chs. Robin & Co.) Both are deservedly respected for their 
 honorable dealings, powerful by their accumulated wealth and 
 compact organization. Though at least these houses may be 
 said to represent intelligent monopolies, still, during the dreary 
 months of winter, they are the true, often the only friends, the 
 starving fishermen can count on. More than one century 'of 
 success has surrounded the oldest house, C. R. C., with incredi- 
 ble prestige in the eyes of the simple-minded fishermen. C. R. C. 
 is undoubtedly a tower of strength in all Gaspesia ; the firm has 
 four fishery establishments on the coast, at Paspebiac, Perce", 
 Grand River, Newport, and also one, at Caraquette, on the New 
 Brunswick side, whilst the LeBoutillier firm own establishments 
 
 T
 
 290 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 at Bonaventure Island, at Forteau, Labrador, at He a Bois, 
 Straits of Belle Isle, and on the Island of Miscou. C. R. C. is 
 indeed a powerful combination of brains, activity, method, 
 money. To think that amongst all these bright elements of 
 social success, there should be a dark speck ! The managers and 
 clerks are denied at Paspebiac the sweet companionship of 
 womankind ; they may own wives in Jersey, where they are 
 generally allowed to spend every second winter, but once in the 
 kingdom of cod and herring, strict celibacy is the order of the 
 day ; no undivided attention between family ties and business is 
 tolerated. So was it ordained more than one hundred years 
 ago, by the inexorable Charles Robin, the founder of the Robin 
 dynasty ; his cast-iron laws were borrowed 'tis believed, though 
 not proven, from the edict of Draco De piscibus ? The historian 
 Ferland observes that even the eatables of the clerks are regulated. 
 Amatory food, such as eggs and oysters, have not yet, however, 
 been " put to the index." No change either is tolerated in the 
 mode of constructing their coasters ; one and all must have round 
 sterns. One of their ship carpenters who had dared to try an in- 
 novation on this point was threatened with a dismissal, and 
 round stems prevailed. 
 
 To each fishing establishment is attached a provision and dry 
 goods store ; the fishermen receive their pay, part in cash, part 
 in goods. This is styled truck. During severe winters, when 
 the fall fishing has failed, without the Robins' and LeBoutilliers' 
 help there is no other alternative, for many families, but star- 
 vation. So long as the capture of cod and herring continues to 
 supersede the tilling of the soil, the large Jersey firms must con- 
 tinue to retain their hold ; their sovereignty will in a measure 
 abate when agriculture shall take the lead among the natives. 
 
 The Paspyjacks, as a people, one regrets to say, neglect the 
 tillage of the soil. Far better off than they, are the Scotch, English 
 and Irish, with their farms ; indeed, they seem a superior race of 
 colonists. A writer has asserted of the English, that the reason 
 why in enterprise, commerce, freedom, wealth, they surpass all
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 291 
 
 other nations, is because they can be likened to a varied and 
 lasting concrete, a mud of many nations, made up ; Ancient Bri- 
 tons, Romans, Danes, Saxons, Normans, all blended in one har- 
 monious whole. One cannot say the same of the Paspyjacks : 
 some element is wanting in the concrete. The majority had 
 Acadian fathers : others had Jersey progenitors, some of the black- 
 smiths, carpenters and fishermen who came out with Charles 
 Robin, in 1766, but for whom celibacy had no attractions. Wives 
 were scarce on the Gaspe* coast : they tamed as a substitute some 
 spruce Restigouche squaws trapped at the Micmac settlement 
 close by ; the offspring of these Pocahontas, bleached tolerably 
 white ; one perverse taint sometimes remained : a craving for fire- 
 water. A marked trait of Indian character, the love of revenge, 
 occasionally cropped out under the stimulus of the " ardent," ren- 
 dering them quarrelsome. Hence why the neighbors stood off. 
 The Frenchmen of Perce* dreaded and shunned the fierce Pospi- 
 lats, whilst the canny Scotch and law-abiding English saw little 
 glory in fighting the bellicose Paspyjacks. 
 
 The Paspyjacks are different from other Gaspe" communities ; 
 they might inscribe on their escutcheon " Hard work and mode- 
 rate intellectual developments ; " they have however much im- 
 proved. 
 
 They are safe against the potato rot, and the weevill ; the Co- 
 lorado bug has no terrors for them, their harvest comes from 
 the sea. The horse epizoot, they can afford to laugh at ; they ride 
 and drive, in boats ; they own no horses. The women occasion- 
 ally do a little driving, that is when they go with oxen to fetch 
 up the decayed herring and capelin from the beach to manure their 
 gardens. 
 
 The great bane of their existence is the Parliamentary election. 
 They have been told that unless they selected a candidate of the 
 proper political stripe, why they might be " locked out of heaven." 
 'Tis quite a serious piece of business. An election in former 
 days, especially in winter when the sea was sealed to them, was 
 welcome ; it meant rum, flour, pork for the men, parasols for
 
 292 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the ladies ; recently, it dwindled down to bad theology, a very 
 poor substitute for flour, pork, parasols. Various are their tri- 
 bulations. Let us discuss pleasanter topics. 
 
 THE MOVING LIGHT IN THE BAIE DBS CHA.LEURS. 
 (From the Chatham (Miramichi) Colonial Times, of 12tli Nov., 1861.) 
 
 " A phenomenon of a strange nature has been visible in the 
 Baie des Chaleurs for the last fifty years, and although every 
 inhabitant along that extensive coast is accustomed to witness 
 it from time to time, yet we do not remember having seen any- 
 thing about it in print, or hearing of it from any individual up 
 to the time of our late visit to that quarter about three weeks 
 ago. On the night of Monday, the 17th ult., while in Cara- 
 quette, a fine settlement about forty miles below Bathurst, in 
 the County of Gloucester, we saw this famous light, apparently 
 a short distance below Point Mizzenette, but far out in the Bay. 
 It appeared as if the hull of some little craft was on fire, and the 
 devouring element was sweeping through the rigging and con- 
 suming everything within its reach. Such of course were the 
 first efforts of the imagination in endeavoring to give outline or 
 shape to an indefinite something that was far beyond the powers 
 of closer investigation. It was pointed out to us by John Mc- 
 Intosh, Esq., of that place, in whose company we were at the 
 time of its appearance. This gentleman gave us a short sketch 
 of its history, which was corroborated by the statements of many 
 others from different localities along this extensive sea coast. 
 
 " The light in its appearance and movements is totally diffe- 
 rent from the Ignis fatuus or ' Will o' the Wisp.' It precedes 
 a north- westerly storm, and is a sure forerunner of it. It is not 
 confined to one locality, but is seen from time to time at different 
 places by the inhabitants of Caraquette, Grand Ance, New Bandon, 
 Salmon Beach, in fact by the whole population between Miscou 
 and Bathurst. It is not confined to summer, nor to the open 
 water, but is as frequently seen on the ice during the frost of
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 293 
 
 winter.* In the summer season parties have gone out to examine 
 it in boats, but as they approach it, it disappears, and after they 
 have passed the place where it had been, to some distance, it re- 
 appears behind them, giving the curious but little chance of a 
 close investigation. What it really is, few pretend to say, but 
 that it is the result of natural causes, not many intelligent per- 
 sons doubt ; yet like all other strange sights and circumstances, 
 it has its tradition, which is not only current among the illiterate 
 but is firmly believed by many of the more intelligent inhabi- 
 tants of the Baie des Chaleurs." 
 
 THE TRADITIONS. 
 
 " We have listened to many inhabitants of the Baie des Cha- 
 leurs, accounting for this strange and remarkable phenomenon ; and 
 also those who believe in the supernatural, while they differ in 
 some minor points, agree in this one, that the light originated in a 
 bloody tragedy committed in the Bay about ten years before it 
 made its appearance. It is said to be in the remembrance of 
 many persons now living that about sixty years ago a small 
 craft was cast away in the Bay the parties in charge were 
 supposed to be drowned, the goods on board lost, and buried 
 in the water. Shortly afterwards, the bodies of the unfortunate 
 men were driven ashore, and from certain marks and appear- 
 ances pointed out by individuals, it was supposed that foul play 
 had been used, and that instead of the parties having been 
 drowned, they had been murdered, their boat plundered and set 
 adrift, wherever the tossing billows were disposed to carry it. 
 After some time, suspicion was aroused, and rested upon certain 
 individuals who had been out in the bay at the time of the sad 
 occurrence, and were found to be in possession of articles belong- 
 ing to the other boat. No legal steps, however, were taken in 
 
 The writer has had this latter fact corroborated by an old navigateur 
 Capt. N. Allard, of St. Paul Street, Quebec, who stated having seen it in the 
 depth of winter. It blazed furiously on the ice, and seemed of the size of 
 a bale of merchandise.
 
 294 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the matter, and time passed on, the circumstances being forgotten 
 by many, when the bay was visited by a dreadful north-west 
 gale, such as had not occurred in the memory of the oldest in- 
 habitants. In the morning after the gale, the boat belonging to 
 
 the supposed murderers was found dashed to pieces at , and 
 
 the individuals themselves so broken upon the rocks by the 
 wild, dashing surges that they could hardly be recognized. Thus 
 it is supposed, vengeance followed them, and the guilty party 
 received a signal retribution. Since this wreck, and on the eve 
 of every north-westerly gale, such as the supposed murderers 
 were wrecked in, the light is visible in one part of the bay or 
 another ; and at times, approaches the shore so closely, coming 
 into the very cove, that certain individuals whom we can name 
 are prepared not only to assert, but also to attest upon oath, 
 that they have seen this light, or rather this blazing craft (which 
 it is supposed to be) so distinctly that they could recognize the 
 individuals moving and passing through the flames ! Such are 
 the outlines of the tradition connected with this strange pheno- 
 menon." 
 
 I am not one of the fortunate visitors to whom was vouchsafed 
 a sight of the " moving light." In explaining natural causes, 
 there are no class of people more prone to accept the marvellous 
 and supernatural than the hardy and storm-beaten fishermen of 
 every country, and no portion of the Dominion, before the era 
 of lighthouses and beacons, more famed for marine disasters than 
 the shores and islands of the Lower St. Lawrence. On some 
 spots, the minds of the people seem quite tinctured with tales of 
 death, starvation, cannibalism. The Cornish wrecker hanging at 
 nightfall, during the storm, his perfidious lantern on some jut- 
 ting headland, to decoy to a horrible death the unsuspecting 
 mariner, had once, representatives and types on the Gaspe* 
 coast. Thanks to Commander Fortin, Honbs. Theodore Eobitaille, 
 P. Mitchell, and other M.P.s, the lighthouse, the beacon, the fog- 
 whistle, the alarm gun, and the telegraph, have been enlisted 
 in the cause of suffering humanity, and the loss of life or of
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 295 
 
 valuable merchandise rarely happens at present. I must not omit 
 a memorable marine disaster often alluded to, but I think only 
 described fully, in the " Transactions of the Literary and Histori- 
 cal Society of Quebec for 1830," page 187. I mean the me- 
 lancholy shipwreck of the Granicus at Anticosti, in 1828. It 
 appears to have happened thus : 
 
 " On the 29th October, 1828, the barque Granicus cleared 
 from the port of Quebec, on her homeward-bound passage to the 
 Cove of Cork, and, being wrecked on the coast of Anticosti, not 
 far from the East Point, the crew and passengers are supposed 
 (for their conduct subsequently, up to the period of their disso- 
 lution, is only probable surmise, founded on strong presumptive 
 evidence, there being no living witness to the transaction) to 
 have met, in their search along the shore, with one of the direc- 
 tion boards, under the guidance of which they proceeded to the 
 north-westward, as far as Fox Cove, where a provision depot 
 formerly existed, and where the board alluded to above, taught 
 them to expect one still. This board, according to Godin, was 
 brought by one of the unfortunate wretches to the place where 
 it was afterwards found. Upon arriving at this post, they found 
 it deserted, the provisions removed, and nothing but an empty 
 log house and store to receive them. Into these they entered, 
 and, yielding to deplorable necessity, they appear to have sub- 
 mitted themselves, gradually but deeply, to all the horrors of 
 cannibalism ; for, what other inference could be drawn from 
 finding the beams of their dwelling-places shambled with human 
 subjects, half carcass, half skeleton, from which the flesh had 
 undoubtedly been removed, to a pot which was found resting upon 
 the ashes of the extinct fire, the whole of its disgusting contents 
 not quite demolished from the discovery of a pile of ' well 
 picked bones ' and ' putrid flesh ' from the circumstance that 
 money, watches, and gold rings, etc., etc., were found upon the 
 premises, together with a pencilled note, signed B. Harrington, 
 desiring that forty-eight sovereigns in his hammock (which were 
 - found), should be sent home to Mary Harrington (probably his
 
 296 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 poor mother) Barrick Street Cove, ' as they are the property of 
 her son.' This man, the only unmutilated form among them, 
 was found dead in his hammock, being the last to survive the 
 cold and the poisonous effects of this infernal feast. Some 
 fishermen from the Magdalen Islands, probably searching after 
 wrecks, were the witnesses to these closing sorrows, and, col- 
 lecting them together, they were buried in a small piece of 
 ground adjoining, now enclosed by a wooden fence. It wae 
 thought that the remains of three children, two women and 
 eight men, could be distinguished. The skeletons of two men 
 were also found in the woods, to which they are supposed to 
 have retreated with the view of avoiding such a scene, and flat- 
 tered by the hope of reaching a place of safety. It is said the 
 boat of the Granicus was found on the shore of Fox Cove, 
 when visited by the Magdalen fishermen, about the middle of 
 May, 1829, and hence it has been considered a subject for sur- 
 prise that, when the crew and passengers found the post desert- 
 ed, they did not return on their course and seek another, situated 
 at the East Point, not far from the spot where they appear to 
 have suffered shipwreck." The Island is famed for many other 
 shipwrecks.* 
 
 Nearly two centuries ago, Anticosti and its desolation was known to 
 British mariners. 
 
 " One of Sir William Phipps' ships was driven on the island of Anti- 
 costi. The vessel that struck on the island of Anticosti was commanded 
 by Capt. Rainsford, who had with him sixty men ; when the ship struck, 
 they had only time to land their provisions before the vessel sunk. The 
 captain and his men finding that they should be obliged to winter on the 
 Island, built a store house and several huts to shelter themselves from the 
 cold, with the planks of the wreck. As they were short of provisions, they 
 agreed each man's allowance to be two biscuits, half a pound of pork, half 
 a pound of flour, one pint and a quarter of peas, and two small fish per week. 
 It was not long before the dismal effects of hunger and cold began to appear 
 among them, for, on the twentieth of December, their surgeon died, and 
 after him forty men, in a few weeks, and, though they were all convinced of 
 the necessity of keeping to their allowance unless they would at last eat 
 each other, yet their store houses were frequently broken open. An Irish-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 297 
 
 CARLETON MARIA NOUVELLE POINT SCIMINAC CROSS POINT 
 THE BREECHES OF AN INDIAN CHIEF THE MICMACS OF 
 CROSS POINT KEY. MR. FAUCHER INDIAN WRONGS IN- 
 DIAN EEVENGE. 
 
 HAVING elsewhere described Carleton and Maria, two thriving 
 settlements near the top of the bay, I shall not dwell further 
 on them ; the first recalls one of our most popular early ad- 
 ministrators, Sir Guy Carleton (Lord Dorchester) ; the second, 
 Maria, the accomplished daughter of the Earl of Effingham, Lady 
 Maria Carleton, the genial hostess of the Chateau St. Louis, in 
 1776, at Quebec, whose kindliness of manner was commemorated 
 in prose and in verse, more than one hundred years ago, in that 
 old repository of Canadian lore, Nelson's Gazette, founded in 1746. 
 Carleton is the birth-place of two men of note Chief Justice 
 Vallieres and Dr. J. Landry. 
 
 The road on leaving Nouvelle a tolerably good one at 
 times skirts the sea-shore ; at others, to cut off points, runs in 
 the interior. We met, however, with a fallen bridge this 
 gave us the choice of fording the river (at low water only) 
 with a spot in the centre, marked by a boulder surrounded by 
 
 man once got to the provisions, and eat no less than eighteen biscuits, which 
 swelled him to such a degree that he was in great pain and was near burst- 
 ing. On the twenty-fifth of March, five of the company resolved to venture 
 out to sea in their skiff, which they lengthened out so far as to make a sort 
 of 4 cabin for two or three men, and, having procured a sail, they shipped 
 their share of provisions on board, and steered away for Boston. It was on 
 the ninth of May, (1691), before these poor wretches arrived there, through 
 a thousand dangers from the sea and ice, and almost starved with hunger 
 and cold. Upon their arrival, a vessel was immediately dispatched away to 
 the Island and brought off the few unfortunate wretches that had been left 
 behind. (Smith's History of Canada, Vol. I, p. 105-6.)
 
 298 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 tolerably deep water ; this deep water spot was so narrow that the 
 horse (if smart) and waggon was expected, so we were told, to 
 leap over it ; or else, we had the alternative of picking our way 
 over a lofty and very dangerous ridge of mountains. Our horse 
 not having been trained to " leaping with a waggon behind him," 
 we chose the smallest of the evils, and ventured through the nar- 
 row path over the rocky ledge. Another feature of Gaspe land- 
 travel, is the scow ; on a calm day, and with a sober-minded 
 horse, there are many modes of transit across a stream worse 
 than a scow ; but with wind and rain, and a fiery, shying horse, 
 the scow is not desirable crede experto. Sometimes " Rosi- 
 nante," being dry and blown, will persist in putting out his head, 
 longing for water, when a lurch of the scow may precipitate horse, 
 waggon and all, in the stream. Such was the fate of a horse 
 shortly before we crossed. 
 
 With the shadows of evening deepening, I sought the hos- 
 pitable roof of an obliging Scotchman, keeping a rude hostelry 
 at Point Sciminac, by name Daniel Brown. At dawn next day, 
 Squire Brown was attending to his salmon nets, from which he 
 brought, alive and kicking, a splendid salmon, which two or three 
 hours later was served up, fried, piping hot, a dish fit for a king. 
 Five minutes' walk from Brown's hotel, 
 
 " In the zeazon of the year, " 
 
 there is excellent trout fishing, and in September, the woods 
 all round teem, we were told, with hares, grouse, and cariboo. 
 Of the feathered tribe (it was then the 9th June), we heard, 
 with break of day, some hermit thrushes singing right merrily. 
 A most romantic drive under groves of maple, spruce and 
 pine, skirting a declivity, with occasional glimpses of the far- 
 reaching bay, soon brings us to the Township of Mann ; we are 
 skirting a natural meadow, rich in hay, periodically watered by 
 high tides. Much of this moist land, we are told, belonged to 
 John Fraser, Esq., of Cross Point, the esteemed Warden of the 
 County, and formerly of Her Majesty's Customs, at Paspebiac.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 299 
 
 Soon we debouch on the ancient, rambling, white dwelling of 
 the worthy Warden. This was, for long years, the happy and 
 picturesque home of our well-remembered old friend Robert 
 Christie, the historian and renowned member for Gaspe*. Mr. 
 Christie, Secretary, in 1823, to the Commission named to invest- 
 igate the claims of the Restigouche Indians, had acquired, in 
 1824, this homestead at sheriffs sale from Mr. Mann, who had 
 purchased it with money borrowed from a well-to-do Scotch 
 settler, Mr. Ferguson. With Mr. Fraser as cicerone, I enjoyed 
 a drive through the Indian Eeserve at Mission Point. The In- 
 dians have much improved their financial position through the 
 ready sale they found at Campbellton for their canoes, baskets, 
 and all kinds of Indian work, whilst the Intercolonial Railway 
 Pactolus was flowing through the Metapedia Valley. The new 
 Chief Polycarpe whose selection was confirmed by the Depart- 
 ment of Indian Affairs at Ottawa, resides in a very nice cottage in 
 the centre of the settlement, amidst grassy fields ; flocks of sheep 
 are grazing in front of the house, and a double avenue of orna- 
 mental trees lead to the front door. These and other surround- 
 ings seem to indicate that the wild Aborigines of the forest have 
 at last been transformed into civilized beings. I was compliment- 
 ing my kind friend Mr. Fraser on this hopeful change, when, on 
 looking more closely, I saw the Micmac breeches and the Mic- 
 mac shirt of the chieftain, streaming to the breeze, conspicuously 
 dependent, on the lawn, from the limbs of a graceful maple tree. 
 Civilization had penetrated as far as the house, they had yet to 
 reach the breeches and shirt of the venerable sachem. A civil- 
 ized white man, owning the pretty cottage, would have establish- 
 ed the laundry in rear, I thought. 
 
 Though the census returns are not encouraging for the Resti- 
 gouche Mission, there is vast improvement in the place since I 
 first saw it, in 1871. I find, in a work just published, some in- 
 teresting particulars of its origin. Some fifty odd years ago, 
 Bishop Plessis had confided the spiritual charge of the Resti- 
 gouche Mission, to an energetic, devoted, and athletic missionary,
 
 300 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 who seems to have completely won the heart of the Micmac 
 warriors. Various were their modes of marking their love for 
 their devoted and generous pastor. During his annual mission 
 among them, his hut each day was most bountifully provided 
 with salmon, venison, hares, wild ducks, grouse, etc. Life, how- 
 ever, was not always couleur de rose, with His Reverence. 
 
 " One day," says Mr. Faucher, " the spiritual ministrations 
 having concluded, the patliache, as he was styled, was prepar- 
 ing to return to Carleton, noticed around him an unusual and 
 mysterious reserve, foreboding no good. For some years past, 
 the tribe had loudly complained to the British authorities that 
 the old country colonists on the Restigouche were encroaching 
 on their rights and immunities ; even their means of subsis- 
 tence were endangered. Each season, the British, they alleged, 
 were in the habit of closing with their salmon nets the Restigouche 
 which at the entrance was nearly one mile wide thus depriv- 
 ing them of the salmon ascending the stream their daily food. 
 They were consequently left to eke out an uncertain existence 
 on the scanty supply of game they might shoot or trap in the 
 forest. These complaints, although duly forwarded to the 
 Government, remainded unredressed. Much ill-feeling was 
 the result. Soon, another incident brought matters to a crisis. 
 A rumor got afloat that the English were taking possession of 
 the natural meadows created by the tide on the marshes of the 
 Riviere du Loup stream, in the adjoining township of Mann, 
 cutting and removing the hay therefrom without any regard 
 to the rights of the Indians. 
 
 The time was unfortunate for such a rumor to circulate. 
 It so happened that the warriors of the different settlements had 
 just met at the mission of St. Anne, on the Restigouche ; the 
 gathering was very large. A secret pow-pow of the chiefs had 
 been called, and one dark night, a unanimous vote was arrived 
 at, to make short work of all the English inhabiting the Baie 
 des Chaleurs. This bloody resolve once settled, an order was 
 issued to arm forthwith, to get the canoes in readiness, and, in
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 301 
 
 order to strike surely, to strike at once. That very night, the 
 sentry watching at the entrance of the council wigwam was 
 felled by a powerful arm, and next minute, the gigantic form of 
 the missionary confronted the assembled chiefs. The man of 
 God quietly scanned the faces of the startled warriors ; not a 
 muscle moved ; all stood up immoveable and silent. l Chiefs 
 and warriors,' said the priest, advancing in the centre of the 
 circle, ' something strange and wicked must be going on here, 
 since you hide from me, whom hitherto you have treated as 
 your father. The friend of the Great Spirit, however, cannot 
 be deceived by those over whom it is his heavenly mission to 
 watch. I have come to beseech you to reveal me your sorrows, 
 so that I may unite my tears with yours, and help you to endure 
 troubles in a way befitting the sons of a great tribe of the 
 children of God.' 
 
 A deep shudder crept through the whole meeting, but no reply 
 was made. 
 
 ' Well, Great Chief,' rejoined the missionary, crossing the 
 circle and placing himself before the oldest and most respected 
 of the tribe, ' have you nothing to say in reply to your father ? 
 Is your tongue tied by the spirit of obstinacy, or, rather, has the 
 demon of revenge become master of your heart ? I smell blood 
 in the very air ; your glance, usually so grave, so kind, now 
 darts forth the lightning of revenge. Do not forget, great 
 warrior, that the Deity gives old age to man merely to prepare 
 for his long sleep, and that before lying down to rest, it is his 
 duty to teach others experience and wisdom, instead of instil- 
 ling hatred, and opening up the way to hell. Speak, Chief 
 'tis yet time. I adjure you in the name of the living God, to tell 
 me what is going on here ! ' 
 
 The aged warrior drawing himself up majestically, with 
 measured and firm utterance, thus held forth: 'Father, our 
 patience is exhausted. The decree has gone forth. The hour 
 of the English has come. To-day, your place is not among us ; 
 stay behind. As to you, brother warriors, make ready. I have 
 said.'
 
 302 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 All rush to their canoes shove off, uttering the ominous 
 war-whoop. The missionary remained alone, but his heart failed 
 him not. A squaw, who knew where was the first rendezvous 
 selected by the tribe, came to the missionary and told him how 
 the work of blood was to begin at Battery Point. The man of 
 peace, without losing a minute, seizing a paddle pushed off in 
 a crazy old canoe considered unfit for the expedition, and pad- 
 dled vigorously in the direction taken by the infuriated savages. 
 The dread of being too late seemed to increase tenfold the agility 
 and muscular power of the black-robed giant. The frail craft 
 seemed to fly with wings over the silent stream ; there was death 
 hovering over so many happy homes. Soon he overtook the re- 
 lentless host, when, with tears and entreaties, the missionary 
 begged of the Micmacs to alter their resolve, promising in the 
 name of God and of the great King of England, that justice would 
 be rendered to the oppressed Indians. 
 
 There was so much earnestness such manifest truthfulness 
 in the appeal, that the chiefs began to waver. 
 
 ' Can you promise,' said one of them to the missionary. 
 1 that within a year from this date our rights will be recognized 
 and respected, hereafter ? ' 
 . ' I do promise, my children.' 
 
 ' Well, Father, should we find ourselves deceived, the En- 
 glish of the Restigouche will have lived one year longer,' rejoined 
 in a ferocious tone, the great chief, and the order was given to 
 return. 
 
 True to his promise was the good missionary. The parlia- 
 ment of Lower Canada, shortly afterward, passed an Act the 
 4th George IV., cap. I., to guarantee and regulate Indian rights. 
 This law was sanctioned on the 9th of March, 1824, and it was 
 His Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie, our Governor-General, 
 who himself was the bearer of the good tidings, to the swarthy 
 sons of the forest on the Restigouche, which he visited this year." 
 Thus, adds Mr. Faucher, through the exertions of a Roman Ca- 
 tholic missionary, were saved the lives of many well-to-do English
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 303 
 
 colonists on the 'banks of the beautiful Eestigouche the most 
 noted of whom at that time were Messrs. Mann, Ferguson, and 
 Crawford. This worthy priest was the late Rev. M. Faucher, for 
 thirty-three years pastor of Lotbiniere, who 'expired at Quebec 
 on the llth of August, 1865, and who, before dying, went to 
 make his adieu to his cherished neophytes on the green banks of 
 Mission Point. Thus, a promise, perhaps rashly made, but loyally 
 fulfilled by the Earl of Dalhousie, was the means of saving many, 
 many English lives.* 
 
 * From De Tribord d Babord, Faucher de St. Maurice.
 
 304 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 SCENERY ON THE RESTIGOUCHE AND METAPEDIA THE SUGAR 
 LOAF SQUAW'S CAP CROW'S QUILL PEAKS BIG DAN 
 FRASER. 
 
 AFTER visiting the Micmac Reserve at Mission Point, you can 
 now return to Campbellton by crossing the Restigouche, in the 
 ferryman's sail boat ; taking the train at 8.30 a.m., and arriving at 
 Quebec, the same day at 9. 30 p.m. At the time of my first 
 visit to Campbellton, the Intercolonial Railway was not yet 
 in operation. I was therefore compelled to retain a seat in the 
 postman's waggon, in order to reach big Dan Fraser's house on 
 the Metapedia, where a regular stage, stopping at Ste Flavie, ran 
 daily. If this mode of transit was more tiresome, less expedi- 
 tious than by rail, in its windings over hill and dale, through that 
 lovely valley of the Metapedia, it disclosed scenery of wondrous 
 beauty, denied to the traveller by the iron horse. We cannot do 
 better than borrow the words of a recent tourist over the same 
 route : 
 
 " From this point may be seen several isolated mountain 
 peaks of peculiar formation, highly picturesque. The principal 
 are the ' SUGAR LOAF,' ' SQUAW'S CAP,' and ' CROW'S QUILL.' 
 At or near this place, is also ATHOL HOUSE, once the finest pro- 
 perty on the Restigouche, but now, through financial embarrass- 
 ment, fallen into neglect. The mountain ranges still continue 
 on either side of the river, though less wild and rugged. The 
 scenery, like portions of the Hudson, is more beautiful than 
 grand, more artistic than nature. The arable lands rise higher 
 and higher, up these mountain slopes ; whilst, from the summits, 
 extending many miles back, there are, it is said, rich table lands. 
 The valley has now widened in places, to one and a half miles 
 and more. The river widens also, often dividing into two 
 branches, and again uniting to form unnumbered islands, all rich,
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 305 
 
 many very extensive ; the recovery of one from the river, and 
 its subduing to agricultural purposes, having cost hundreds of 
 dollars. 
 
 Another much more extensive, beautifully shaded with elms, 
 is devoted to common pasturage ; hundreds of horses are let loose 
 in its luxuriant grass. As we draw near the river's mouth, the 
 mountain ranges, as if repenting of the freedom given the waters 
 for the last twenty-five miles, with mutual understanding seek 
 to join their rocky ridges in a final effort to stay their progress. 
 It is all in vain. The time to ' resist ' is in the ' beginnings.' 
 Its voice is heard by mother ocean just beyond. The sea, ever 
 jealous of her own, and mightier than mountains, extending to the 
 wanderer the strong arm of the Bay des Chaleurs, takes to her 
 bosom the returning offspring. This final attempt of the ranges 
 at landlocking, has left one of the finest of harbors, capacious 
 and sheltered. The Eestigouche was first discovered by Jacques 
 Cartier in, 1534. At its mouth, in 1638, Jean Jacques Enaud 
 planted a little colony of Acadians, and laid the foundation of 
 the fortified town of Petite Kochelle. The town has passed 
 away, with scarce a trace remaining ; but up the river, some miles 
 back on the table lands, clinging with tenacity to ancient Nor- 
 man cap and kirtle, is a small colony of Acadians. It was inter- 
 esting to me to learn these things of the people of " Evangeline." * 
 
 Since my short sojourn, in 1873, under the hospitable roof of 
 Big Dan Fraser, the fame of the Metapedia pools has spread far 
 and wide. The Quebec Chronicle of 13 Sept., 1877, mentions 
 them as follows : 
 
 " At the juncture of the rivers Metapedia and the Restigouche, 
 in the heart of Metapedia valley, stands the far-famed head- 
 quarters of the keen sportsmen of this continent, known as the 
 Metapedia Hotel, whose proprietor is Mr. Dan Fraser, with whom 
 a large number of the citizens of Quebec are well acquainted. 
 This spot is much frequented during the fishing season by the 
 
 The Metapedia New Dominion Monthly for Dec., 1869, p. 11. 
 
 U
 
 306 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 best anglers in America, also by a number from the United 
 Kingdom, to enjoy such sport as can only be afforded in the mag- 
 nificent rivers of the immediate neighborhood. During the 
 past season, the scenes for many a morning have been of the 
 most picturesque description ; groups of stalwart Indians, all 
 speaking the English language fluently, may have been observed 
 making their preparations for the day's work in the water with 
 the finny tribe, whilst their white employers were busily arrang- 
 ing their fishing tackle, ' eager for the fray.' So numerous have 
 been the visitors to the Metapedia this year, that from sixty to 
 one hundred Indians have found occupation as guides, etc., for 
 several months, and as many as thirty canoes known to leave 
 the hotel of a morning fully manned, a large number of them 
 fishing almost in sight. One gentleman during his stay killed 
 one hundred and three salmon he was an expert of no mean 
 calibre in the piscatorial art ; others have been successful accord- 
 ing to the length of their stay. The establishment referred to is 
 delightfully situated, and within fifty yards of the Intercolonial 
 Railway Station. 
 
 RIMOUSKI METIS MATANE. 
 
 THE Seigniory of Rimouski and St. Barnabe* was conceded 
 the 24th April, 1688, by the Marquis of Denonville, to theSieur 
 de la Cordonniere. It now belongs to the heirs Drapeau. In 
 1858, the co-seigneurs were Victor Lebel, Charles Lepage, Ed. 
 Pouliot, Theodore Gagnon, Hypolite Lepage, Octave Rivest, etc. 
 Rimouski, dating from 1701, was erected as a parish in 1835, 
 and by act of Parliament, it was a few years back, incorporated as 
 a town,under the name of St. Germain de Rimouski. On the 1 6th 
 May, 1867, it was created an episcopal see, and Bishop Lange- 
 vin, its first bishop, took possession of his diocese, with great 
 pomp. It is the capital of the county of the same name, with a 
 population of 1500 souls. It contains several handsome private 
 residences, two colleges, three convents, a bishop's palace, a dis- 
 trict jail, a district judge, a splendid cathedral, which cost up-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 307 
 
 wards of $50,000, a good railway station for the Intercolonial. 
 The Eimouski River, which rises in two considerable branches 
 in rear of the seigniory, and falls into the St. Lawrence, is a great 
 salmon stream. It is crossed at the west end of the village by a 
 beautiful iron bridge, resting on four piers and two abutments. 
 The scenery along the river is very pretty. There is a large 
 lumbering establishment three miles from the town, on the river. 
 A wharf three quarters of a mile long has been constructed by 
 the Government, about half way between Rimouski and Father 
 Point,* at which the English mails are landed and taken on 
 board. A branch of the Intercolonial runs down to the wharf, 
 so that no time is lost in despatching the mails after the arrival 
 of the steamer in the bay. 
 
 That portion of the population which gave up their fishing 
 pursuits for farming are thriving the most ; some, however, still 
 stick to their boats and nets, and look after codfish and herring 
 instead of wheat and barley. There are a number of shops and 
 hotels. 
 
 Some twenty years ago, a most flourishing settlement was 
 a wilderness Sandy Bay ; now it is inhabited to the Sixth 
 Range or Concession, and the curd has a respectable rent-roll 
 as a rule, a fair indication of the fertility of parishes. Some of 
 the villages, like Ste. Luce, Ste. Flavie, Metis, Matane, are built 
 on beautiful deep bays, in which a winding rivulet or rapid river 
 discharges. On the majority of them, substantial saw-mills, 
 surrounded by bright pine and spruce deals, proclaim that Eng- 
 lish enterprise dwells therein. Echo still repeats the respected 
 name of the " King of the Saguenay," Wm. Price, Esq. 
 
 At Little Me'tis, a curious spectacle greets the eye an 
 entire settlement of Scotchmen, imported from the Land of Cakes 
 some fifty years ago, by the Seigneur of Metis, the late Mr, 
 McNider, numbering about 100 families. They have pushed 
 their settlement to the Fifth Concession, and seem to prosper. I 
 was surprised to find they could support two churches of the 
 
 So called after Father Henri Nouvelle, who wintered there in 1663.
 
 308 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Protestant faith, a Presbyterian and a Methodist church. The 
 children looked well clad, rosy and contented. I asked one wee 
 lassie where she was bound for. " To see my mither, ayount the 
 hills," she civilly replied, with charming simplicity. 
 
 They speak Gaelic, 'tis said, in the settlement. Few French- 
 Canadians live there. Their lands are not as much mortgaged as 
 those of the French-Canadians, and they scarcely ever inter- 
 marry with them. I heard it stated that though they belonged 
 to a better class, and brought several agricultural books and im- 
 plements with them, they gradually fell back to the slow style of 
 culture of the Canadian peasant. Some, 'tis said, have sold 
 their farms and removed to Greenbush, Wisconsin 'tis a loss 
 for Me'tis. As to scenery, nothing on the south shore of the St. 
 Lawrence equals that of Bic, Matane, Me'tis. The high road, for 
 more than forty miles, runs level like a bowling green, on the 
 edge of the roaring St. Lawrence so broad here, that the opposite 
 shore cannot be seen. The back ground is diversified by hills, 
 meadows, rivers and valleys. 
 
 I shall retain a long time the vivid impression which Me'tis 
 made on me, whilst travelling through, on the 15th November, 
 1871. It was the first winter roads ; the weather was bright and 
 frosty. Amidst the breaking of the surf on the beach, the tinkle of 
 our sleigh-bells was scarcely audible. Merrily, we bowled along in 
 the solemn silence of a Sabbath afternoon, to where duty called. 
 On our right stood the Kirk, lit up with the last rays of the 
 setting sun, whilst a bevy of rosy-cheeked, youthful worshippers 
 poured out of its portals, homeward bound ; and far away in the 
 blue east, a mere speck dancing on the bosom of the great river, 
 a noble ship, the " Nestorian,'' also homeward bound, carrying back 
 Lord Monck and his fortunes. One of those radiant sunsets 
 with which autumn occasionally consoles us for the loss of sum- 
 mer was pouring on the waters westward its purple light, whilst 
 a pair of hardy fishermen were striving lustily at their oars, to 
 make the entrance of the Me'tis bay. What a scene for an 
 artist !
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 309 
 
 At Matane, the traveller finds a comfortable boarding-house, 
 kept by a Scotchman named Grant, who speaks French. The 
 Matane river, a splendid salmon and trout stream, enters the 
 Bay of Matane. The G. P. steamers make Me'tis and Matane 
 stopping places, and there is little doubt that, in addition 
 to the Montrealers who enjoyed sea-bathing at Matane last 
 summer, several Quebecers will deviate from over-crowded, 
 over-dressed and noisy Cacouna, to Gaspe" and the lower 
 parishes as bathing-places. One of the greatest boons to this 
 portion of Canada, is the opening up of the interior by coloniza- 
 tion roads ; not those, of course, made mile by mile, such as had 
 been previously the case so that the first mile was rendered im- 
 passable by the underbrush which in a couple of years springs up. 
 
 The Tache road will be of undoubted service. It runs parallel 
 to the St. Lawrence, about thirty miles inland from Beauce to 
 Eimouski, and lower down ; cross roads are being opened towards 
 it, from each parish. 
 
 A wonderful change has come over the Canadian peasantry 
 since the construction of the Grand Trunk Railway, Inter- 
 course with the cities and the United States the spread of edu- 
 cation colleges, court houses, convents, opened in all the large 
 centres such, the spectacle which all through greets the eye, 
 even in the remote parishes. 
 
 Eimouski, one of the largest countries of the Dominion, is 
 one hundred and fifty miles in length. It extends from Bic inclu- 
 sive, to Cap Chatte, and lower. Seventeen parishes,* of which 
 six or eight are on the banks of the river, and the remainder in 
 the interior, constitute this fine county, together with seven 
 townships.*!* 
 
 St. Simon, St. Mathieu, St. Fabien, St. C6cil, Bic, Town of St. Germain, 
 Parish of St. Germain, St. Blandine, St. Anaclet, St. Donate, Ste. Luce, Ste. 
 Flavie, Ste. Angele de Merici, Ste. Octave de Metis, L'Assomption, McNider, 
 St. Ulric. 
 
 f Township of Matane, St. Je*rome de Matane, St. Fe*licite, Townships of 
 Cherbourg, Dalibert, Bomieu.
 
 310 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 We are safe in averaging fifteen parishes to each county 
 which would give one hundred and five parishes, each with a 
 spacious parish church (sometimes two), school houses, mayor 
 and councillors, post office, &c. Some parishes like Montmagny, 
 since it became the chef-lieu (county town), with resident judge, 
 court house, jail, &c., have sprung into importance very rapidly. 
 The same might be said of Rimouski. The sciences taught at 
 Rimouski college comprise a commercial course : Belle-Lettres, 
 Rhetoric, the Classics, Natural and Moral Philosophy, Chemis- 
 try, Mathematics, Astronomy.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 311 
 
 ST. BARNABY ISLAND OPPOSITE TO EIMOUSKI ITS Pious OLD 
 HERMIT His EOMANTIC SORROW AND DEATH. 
 
 THERE are many picturesque isles to which scenery or associa- 
 tion lends a charm in the Lower St. Lawrence. A low and well- 
 wooded island, two miles in extent, facing the flourishing new 
 town of St. Germain de Eimouski, deserves a short notice ; it still 
 bears the name it had as early as 1629, when the Kertks, bent 
 on capturing Quebec, rendezvoused there St. Barnaby. A bar- 
 rier against the swell of the gulf, St. Barnaby, together with 
 the long Government pier erected there by Mr. Baby, it affords 
 a not unnatural hope to the Riinouskites, that, at some time or 
 other, their protected haven may become a " harbor of refuge " 
 for vessels navigating those waters. Purveyors of romance can 
 here find the groundwork for a pathetic tale of dissappointed 
 love. 
 
 A letter from Col. Eivers, bearing date " Isle Barnabe*, 13th 
 October, 1766," quoted in Mrs. Brooke's interesting Novel in 
 four volumes, written at Sillery, in 1767, under the title of the 
 " History of Emily Montague," though silent as to the name and 
 fate of the singular hermit who it appears, habited the island 
 for close on half a century, sets forth in vivid language the cause 
 of his seclusion. 
 
 Col. Rivers to Emily Montague. 
 
 Isle Barnaby, Oct. 13 (1766.) 
 
 " I have been paying a very singular visit ; 'tis to a hermit, 
 who has lived sixty years alone on this island ; I came to him 
 with a strong prejudice against him. I have no opinion of those 
 who fly society, who seek a state of all others, the most contrary
 
 312 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 to our nature. Were I a tyrant and wished to inflict the most 
 cruel punishment, human nature could support, I would exclude 
 criminals from the joys of society, and deny them the endearing 
 sight of their species. 
 
 (I am certain I could not exist a year alone : I am miserable 
 even in that degree of solitude to which one is confined in a 
 ship ; no words can speak the joy which I felt when I came to 
 America, on the first appearance of something like the cheerful 
 haunts of men ; the first man, the first house, nay the first In- 
 dian fire of which I saw the smoke rise above the trees, gave me 
 the most lively transport that can be conceived ; I felt all the 
 force of those ties which unite us to each other, of that social 
 love to which we owe all our happiness.) 
 
 But to my hermit and what his appearance was like ; he is a 
 tall old man with white hair and beard, the look of one who has 
 known better days, and the strongest marks of benevolence in 
 his countenance. He received me with the utmost hospitality, 
 spread all his little stores of fruit before me, fetched me fresh 
 milk, and water from a spring near the house ; after a little 
 conversation, I expressed my astonishment that a man of whose 
 kindness and humanity I had just had such proof, could find his 
 happiness in flying mankind. I said a good deal on the subject, 
 to which he listened with the politest attention. 
 
 " You appear," said he, " of a temper to pity the miseries of 
 others. My story is short and simple : I loved the most ami- 
 able of women ; I was beloved. The avarice of our parents, who 
 both had more gainful views for us, prevented a union on which 
 our happiness depended 
 
 " My Louisa, who was threatened with an immediate mar- 
 riage with a man she detested, proposed to me to fly the tyranny of 
 our friends ; she had an uncle at Quebec, to whom she was dear. 
 The wilds of Canada, said she, may afford us that refuge our 
 cruel parents deny us. After a secret marriage, we embarked. 
 Our voyage was thus far, happy ; I landed on the opposite shore 
 to seek refreshments for Louisa ; I was returning, pleased with
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 313 
 
 the thought of obliging the object of my tenderness, when a 
 lightning storm drove me to seek shelter in the bay. The storm 
 increased, I saw its progress with agonies not to be described ; 
 the ship, which was in sight, was unable to resist its fury ; the 
 sailors crowded into the boats ; they had the humanity to place 
 Louisa there ; they made for the spot where I was, my eyes were 
 wildly fixed on them ; I stood eagerly on the utmost verge of 
 the water, my arms stretched out to receive her, my prayers ar- 
 dently addressed to Heaven, when an immense wave rose. I 
 heard a general shriek ; I even fancied I distinguished Louisa's 
 cries ; it subsided ; the sailors again exerted all their force ; a 
 second wave, I saw them no more. Never will that dreadful 
 scene be absent one moment from my memory. I fell senseless 
 on the beach ; when I returned to life, the first object I beheld 
 was the breathless body of Louisa at my feet. Heaven gave 
 me the wretched consolation of rendering to her the last sad du- 
 ties. In that grave all my happiness lies buried. I knelt by 
 her, and breathed a vow to Heaven to wait here the moment 
 that should join me to all I held dear. I every morning visit her 
 loved remains and implore the God of mercy to hasten my dis- 
 solution. I feel that we shall not long be separated ; I shall soon 
 meet her, to part no more." He stopped and, without seeming 
 to remember he was not alone, walked hastily towards a little 
 oratory he had built on the beach, near which is the grave of his 
 Louisa ; I followed him a few steps ;*I saw him throw himself on 
 his knees ; and, respecting his sorrow, returned to the house." 
 
 " ED. EIVERS." 
 
 For the remaining links of his history, we are indebted to a 
 Eimouski litterateur, Mr. Elze'ar D. Gauvreau, as appears by a 
 correspondence under his signature in a local journal lately edited 
 at St. Germain, La Voix du Golf. Mr. Gauvreau thus holds 
 forth : " The hermit's name was Toussaint Cartier ; he came to 
 Canada in 1723, as appears on reference to a deed executed in 
 1728, between him and Mr. Lepage, the seigneur of Eimouski. 
 Many times," familiarly adds Mr. Gauvreau, " my grandfather,
 
 314 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LA.WRENCE. 
 
 Charles Lepage, spoke to me about the Hermit, whom he had 
 personally known, and who used to relate that he had been ship- 
 wrecked on the island and made a vow in consequence. He 
 was very religious, and would spend hours in his oratory at 
 prayers. He used to shun the sight of females." Old Charles 
 Lepage used also to relate how the Hermit died : " One morning, it 
 being noticed from the south shore that no smoke issued from the 
 chimney of his cabin, he sent two young men to the island to 
 enquire the reason. On entering they found him lying on the 
 floor, insensible ; his faithful dog was near him, licking his eyes ; 
 he was brought over to terra firma, where he died 30th * 
 January, 1767, as appears by the Church Register. But the 
 Hermit never mentioned to my grandfather that disappointment 
 in love was the cause of his seclusion. Until a few years back, 
 the remains of his hut were visible, about the centre of the 
 island facing Rimouski, likewise the traces of a garden, such as 
 fruit trees, surrounding his former dwelling." 
 
 On the opposite shore, a few miles to the east of the town, is 
 Father Point, the well-known telegraph station and stoppage of 
 the Atlantic steamers. It takes its name from the fact of a 
 celebrated Jesuit, Father Henry Nouvelle, who having in a boat 
 left Quebec, for a mission among the Papinachois Indians, on 
 19th Nov., 1663, was caught by the ice, and forced to winter at 
 this spot where he remained until the spring of 1664. 
 
 (Extract of Baptismal Register of Rimouski.) 
 
 (Translation.) 
 
 " The year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven, the thirtieth of 
 January, died in this parish of St. Germain de Rimouski, Toussaint Cartier, 
 aged about sixty years, an inhabitant of the said parish, after having received 
 the sacraments of repentance, of eucharist and extreme unction. His remains 
 were buried in the church of this parish, with the usual rites, the last day of 
 said month of January. In testimony whereof, I have signed the day and 
 year, aforesaid. 
 
 (Signed, FATHEB AMBROSIUS."
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 315 
 
 ST. SIMON ST. FABIEN BIG. 
 
 ON leaving the flourishing town of St. Germain de Rimouski, 
 the route by land lies through the comparatively new parishes 
 of St. Simon and St. Fabien. St. Fabien is a succession of hills, 
 mostly as steep as those of Bic. The place has been erected as 
 a parish within a few years. The inhabitants seem industrious, 
 but the want of railway communication, and uninteresting sur- 
 rounding landscape, has kept out strangers. Rich farmers seem 
 scarce here. Matters are mending of late. 
 
 Shut out from the river view between two mountains, St. 
 Simon has ever appeared to me monotonous in the extreme. 
 The road runs at the bottom of a valley, with sloping pasture 
 lands and farms on each side, a distance of some six miles ; in the 
 centre, is the church. 
 
 At St. Fabien, a pretty lake nearly skirts the highway, and 
 in the interior, behind St. Simon ; but more accessible from Ca- 
 couna, the lovely lake of that name, well known to all disciples 
 of Walton, is situate amidst mountains. Its yield of trout 
 is great, and its shores, remarkably attractive. 
 
 From St. Simon, the traveller, after a pleasant drive, 
 strikes the mountainous and exceedingly beautiful scenery of 
 Bic. One hill only, in this distant region, in my opinion, ex- 
 ceeds, in height, the hills and precipices of Bic ; that is the pre- 
 cipitous hill, nine miles from Murray Bay, called La Cdte du 
 Grand Ruisseau. Amidst these Alpine heights, the Intercolo- 
 nial Railway runs ; at one spot, near Bic, the train glides along 
 a mountain gorge some two hundred feet in the air. Formerly, 
 the highway from Bic to St. Simon was located on the beach, at 
 the base of stupendous cliffs, and was safe at low water only.
 
 316 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 The sea washed over it during storms at a great height ; and in- 
 cautious travellers have found there a watery grave. 
 
 Instead of a flourishing village, at the beginning of this 
 century there was scarcely one house to every nine miles of 
 road. Tradition still points out the spot where a dreaded way- 
 side inn existed, kept by a horrible old crone of the name of 
 Petit. During January storms, belated travellers seeking the 
 shelter of Madame Petit's roof in several instances were never 
 heard of again* Numerous and dark are the traditions anent 
 Madame Petit. M. J. C. Tach^ has woven some very interest- 
 ing stories about Bic, in which Indian cruelty plays a conspi- 
 cuous part. In early times, the chief island of Bic was named 
 Le Pic. It is called in the Routier of Jean Alphonse, Cap 
 de Marbre. Jacques Cartier, in 1535, named the harbor itself 
 Islot St. Jean, having entered it on the anniversary of the 
 day when John the Baptist was beheaded. Under French 
 rule, the Baron d' Avaugour, in 1663, and the celebrated engineer 
 Vauban, thirty years after, had planned an important part to be 
 played by Bic in the general system of defences contemplated 
 to consolidate French power, in Canada. Quebec was then to 
 receive most extensive fortifications. But, to the Duke of Wel- 
 lington, in 1823, are to be chiefly credited the present defences of 
 the city. Bic was to be a harbor for the French ships of war to 
 be retained in these waters. It still looks forward to becoming 
 a winter harbor of refuge. The Trent difficulty brought it 
 into notice. 
 
 The Bay of Bic is of incomparable beauty. The heroine of 
 Mrs. Brooke,* Emily Montague, on viewing it, in 1767, ex- 
 claimed " I wish I were Queen of Bic." 
 
 The seigniory of Bic was granted by Count de Frontenac to 
 Charles Denis de Vitre", 6th May, 1675. In Oct., 1822, it 
 belonged to Azariah Pritchard, Esquire, who exchanged it for 
 other property with the late Archibald Campbell, N.P., of 
 
 The History of Emily Montague. 4 volumes, London, 1767.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 317 
 
 Quebec. Mr. Campbell, on 10th November, 1852, by acte de 
 donation, transferred it to its present proprietor, William Dar- 
 ling Campbell, N.P., of Quebec. 
 
 The Island of Bic, Biquet, Cap Enrage", He Brulee, Cap a 
 1'Orignal, especially the Cavern of Islet au Massacre : these are 
 familiar names to the coaster or mariner of the Lower St. 
 Lawrence, in quest of a haven during our autumnal storms. 
 
 Mr. J. C. Tactic"* has rescued from oblivion the particulars of 
 the great Indian massacre, of which this cave was the theatre, 
 in the early days of New France. 
 
 " L'ISLET AU MASSACRE." 
 
 AT the entrance of Bic harbor, there exists a small island. 
 For a couple of centuries back, it has been known as L' Islet au . 
 Massacre, Massacre Island. A deed of blood marks the spot : 
 tradition and history furnish the details of the horrible scene of 
 yore, enacted there. Two hundred Micmac Indians were camp- 
 ing there for the night : the canoes had been beached : a neigh- 
 boring recess or cavern in the lofty rocks which bound the 
 coast offered an apparently secure asylum to the warriors, their 
 wives and children. Wrapped in sleep, the Redskins quietly 
 awaited the return of day to resume their journey ; they slept, 
 but not their lynx-eyed enemy, the Iroquois : from afar, he had 
 scented his prey. During the still hours of night, his noiseless 
 step had compassed the slumbering foe. Laden with birch-bark 
 fagots and other combustible materials, the Iroquois noiselessly 
 surround the cavern ; the fagots are piled around it ; the torch 
 is applied. Kobe ! Kohe ! ! Hark ! the fiendish and well-known 
 war-whoop ! The Micmacs, terror-stricken, seize their arms, and 
 are preparing to sell dearly their lives, when the lambent flames 
 
 Col. Pelissier's feat in roasting alive, in 1845, 1500 helpless inhabitants 
 of Algeria, the pet colony of France, recalls the infamous butchery, in 1692 
 of the McGregor clan, known as the Massacre of Glencoe. Between Indian 
 and civilized cold-bloodedness, there seems little to choose. 
 
 u Soirees Canadiennes.
 
 318 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 and the scorching heat leave them but one alternative, that of 
 rushing from their lurking place. More fortunate than 
 Pelissier's roasting Arabs,* they have at least one egress ; wild 
 despair nerves their hearts : men, women and children crowd 
 through the narrow passage, amidst the flames ; but at the same 
 instant a shower of poisoned arrows decimates them : the human 
 hyena is on his prey ; a few flourishes of the tomahawk from the 
 Iroquois warriors, and the silence of death soon pervades the 
 narrow abode. Now for the trophies : the scalping took some 
 time, history mentions but Jive, out of the two hundred victims, 
 who escaped with their lives. The blanched bones of the Mic- 
 mac warriors strewed the grotto, and could be seen until some 
 years back. This dark deed, still vivid by tradition in the 
 minds of the Kestigouche settlers, is mentioned in Jacques 
 Cartier's narrative.* 
 
 Let us close these sketches of the Lower St. Lawrence with a 
 short summary of one of the most striking Indian legends which 
 the Abbe* E. H. Casgrain has gathered on the shores of the great 
 river. 
 
 Jacques Cartier obtained his information from Donnacona, the old 
 Sachem of Stadacona, and speaks thus : 
 
 " Et fut par le dit Donnadona montre au dit Capitaine les peaux de cinq 
 tetes d'hommes estendues sur des bois, comme peaux de parchemins ; et 
 nous dit que c'e"taient des Toudamans de devers le Su, qui leur menaient 
 continuellement la guerre. " Outre nous fut dit qu'il y a deux ans passes 
 les dits Toudamans (Iroquois) les vinrent assailler jusqu'au dedans le dit 
 fleuve, a une isle qui est le travers du Saguenay, ou, ils e*taient a passer la 
 nuit, tendant aller a Honguedo (Gaspe) leur mener guerre, avec environ 
 deux cents personnes, tant hommes, femmes qu'enfants, lesquels furent 
 surpris en dormant, dedans un fort qu'ils avaient fait, ou mirent les dits 
 Toudamans, le feu, et comme ils sortaient, les tuerent tous reserve cinq, qui 
 s'e"chapperent. De laquelle detrousse, se plaignant encore fort, nous montrant 
 qu'ils en auraient vengeance." 
 
 Jacques Cartier's Second Voyage, Cl. IX.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 319 
 
 RIVIERE OUELLE. 
 
 RIVIERE OUELLE was in the 17th century the scene of one of 
 those barbarous tragedies in which the Iroquois took a particular 
 delight. The place is called after Madme Houelle, the lady of a 
 French Controleur General ; she was captured with her little son, 
 on their trip from Quebec to Riviere Ouelle : the stirring tale is 
 brilliantly related in one of the " Legendes Canadiennes *' re- 
 cently published by the Abbe Casgrain, a young clergyman of 
 Quebec. The Abbe" has certainly succeeded in investing Riviere 
 Ouelle, his native parish, with a romantic interest for all lovers 
 of the chronicles of the past. No one who has glanced at the 
 striking tableaux representing the career of the Ghoul of the St. 
 Lawrence, (a diabolical old Iroquois Squaw),* but will admit that 
 this legend is one of the most attractive of the many which cluster 
 round Canada's glorious river. None will leave Riviere Ouelle 
 without visiting the three curious and inexplicable snow shoe 
 tracks deeply incrusted in the solid rock on the beach. Although 
 the tide is doing its utmost to efface those foot-prints, still they 
 are very visible at present. But another singular impression on 
 those same rocks, has recently become obliterated : it was the 
 marks of the anterior part of two human feet and hands. 
 
 LA JONGLEUSE ; Legendes Canadiennes.
 
 DEAMATIS PEKSON.E. 
 
 THE PORT ADMIRAL, J. U. G. 
 
 COMMANDER M. of H. M. S. " DRDID." 
 
 JEAN BAPTISTS SOYER, chef de cuisine on board of " DRUID." 
 
 JONATHAN OLDBUCK, Antiquary Naturalist Discoverer. 
 
 MIDSHIPMAN EASY, R. N. Secretary to the foregoing. 
 
 JAMES CUNNINGHAM, Pilot and Sailing Master of H. M. Steamer " DOLPHIN. ' 
 
 HENRY QUINN, 1st Engineer on H. M. Steamer " DOLPHIN." 
 
 B. RICHARDSON, 2nd " " " " " 
 
 JEREMIE KEROUACK, 
 
 ELZEAR VALLEE, 
 
 LUKE MURPHY, 
 
 CYPRIEN GAQNE, > Able-bodied seamen. 
 
 J. B. BEAULIEU, 
 
 PAT. LEWIS, 
 
 JEAN SOUCY, 
 
 Foreign Ladies from the Kingdom of Sillery. 
 
 The Port Admiral's dog " Shudack," a Russian. 
 
 SCENB. 
 
 Some times on board of the " DRUID." 
 u H u u u DOLPHIN." 
 Time, 1.30 p.m.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 321 
 
 THE CRUISE OF THE " DOLPHIN." 
 
 " I'm afloat ! I'm afloat, 
 
 On the fierce bursting tide ; 
 The ocean's my home, 
 And my bark is my bride." 
 
 .- i JAM :;{ aviyvvi.pJ r* :.i!-...r -sV 
 ON BOARD H. M. STEAMER " DOLPHIN," ON THE QUEBEC STATION, 
 
 13th Sept., 1877. 
 
 From our boyhood, an indescribable charm a freshness of 
 existence an exuberance of life, has ever coursed through our 
 veins the instant we felt released from our dull shore duties 
 and found ourselves careering amidst the rolling hills and 
 valleys of the " vasty deep." Never yet, we say it with regret, 
 have we succeeded in fully accepting our part of the responsibi- 
 lities which the decrees of fate have awarded us as landsmen. 
 The time was, in our rosy youth, when we longed for 
 
 " A life on the ocean wave, 
 A home on the rolling deep," 
 
 quite satisfied to accept it, with all the hazards with which 
 Father Neptune surrounds his adventurous sons. 
 
 Now, with the phantom of years looming across our path, we 
 are occasionally tempted to sing the glories of old ocean, if not 
 with the " winged words " of Byron, Dibdin Barry Cornwall, 
 at least with Marryat's sober, measured prose. 
 
 Need our readers then marvel, when we tell of our readiness 
 to form one of a party invited to the quarter-deck of H. M. 
 
 v
 
 322 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Steamer " Dolphin," during one of her recent cruises on the 
 Quebec station. 
 
 The " DOLPHIN," 1 gun, is that trim fresh water frigate, on 
 which Commodore Russell has hoisted his blue pendant, with 
 the word " Dolphin " conspicuously inscribed on it. 
 
 It was to the kind offices of our nautical friend, the Admiral 
 of the Port, that we were indebted for being associated to this 
 grand exploring expedition, in latitudes rendered famous by 
 scores of illustrious mariners : Cartier, Champlain, LaGalissoniere, 
 Cook, Bougainville, De Vauclain, St. Vincent, Jervis, Hardy, 
 Nelson, Boxer, cum multis alus. 
 
 The " Dolphin," having coaled, provided with marine stores 
 and a full equipment of men, was to take us from the flag ship 
 the " Druid," where she was to receive her sealed orders. 
 
 To enumerate the cordial welcome extended to us by the 
 Commander of H. M. Steamer " Druid," the generous hospitality 
 showered on us, the fervent prayers of our friends for our safe 
 return from the hazardous voyage before us, is one of those 
 pleasant duties which gratitude renders still more so. 
 
 We were soon comfortably seated under the white awning 
 spread to temper the ardor of a meridian sun over the 
 ' Dolphin's " quarter-deck. Scarcely had the boatswain's shrill 
 whistle died away, when from the shore was wafted the 
 softest strains of a city band, playing " Home, sweet Home." 
 This to us, leaving for a perilous and long voyage was both 
 soothing and melancholy ; soon our powerful engine was churn- 
 ing the glad waters into wreaths of foam. Off we go ! West- 
 ward Ho ! 
 
 One of our first subjects of enquiry, was as to the origin of 
 the name of our steamer. Was she called, after Verrazano's 
 ship, the " Dolphin," with which the bold Florentine visited for 
 the first time, in 1524, the coast of Maine, etc., or could it be 
 after that other " Dolphin *' which formed part of Sir Hoven- 
 den Walker's squadron, in 1711. So much concern was mani- 
 fested that finally a promise was obtained from our gallant
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 323 
 
 Port Admiral, that the Lords of the Admiralty should be written 
 to, for information on the subject. The " Dolphin " is neither a 
 turret-ship, nor an ironclad she is a composite built war 
 vessel. She was launched at a time when it was fashionable in 
 England to ignore the " colonies ; " hence, why, her name was 
 dropped out of the navy list, though she forms a not unimportant 
 portion of the Canadian navy. The "Dolphin" was from the 
 beginning intended for coast defences ; by her build, draught of 
 water, armament and general equipment, she is eminently 
 adapted for the service. 
 
 " On tlie bosom of a river, 
 
 Where the sun unloosed his quiver, 
 
 Steamed a vessel light and free ; 
 Morning dew-drops hung like manna 
 On the bright folds of her banner, 
 And the z.ephirs rose to fan her 
 
 Softly to the radiant sea." 
 
 When under a full head of steam, with her burly pilot 
 steadying the wheel her blue ensign streaming to the breeze, 
 she gracefully dips her "pearly prow" into the foam-crested 
 waves, in a " stiff northeaster," we would like to know where 
 you would find such another perfect specimen of naval architec- 
 ture. For a figure head, stands an out-stretched hand, with a 
 formidable club the club of the law ! Beware ! 
 
 Let us now state her tonnage and the exact spot occupied by 
 her solitary gun, which has so often belched forth destruction. 
 Her tonnage does not entitle her to be classed with two deckers ; 
 her one gun is neither a Krupp nor an Armstrong nor 
 even a turret gun it is precisely, however, the kind of gun a 
 Port Admiral such as ours, takes pleasure in owning. There it 
 crouches, loaded and primed, close to the companion ladder a 
 trusty double-barreled fowling piece ever ready should ducks 
 or other sea fowl encroach much within the nautical mile. 
 
 How oft have we watched the "Dolphin" breasting the 
 billows, bounding with the swiftness of an antelope over Lauren-
 
 224 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 tian tides, in the very chops of the channel, but not beyond. 
 
 We then knew, nay, we felt the harbor was secure against 
 
 crimps. 
 
 The " Dolphin," if the whole truth must come out, is the 
 Government steam launch, which, backed by the strong arm of 
 the law (the new seaman's act), has dealt such a deadly thrust to 
 " crimping " in the port of Quebec. Every night, it is her special 
 province to steam round the anchorage ground, in the midst of 
 the shipping, and each day at 1.30 p.m. the swift "Dolphin" 
 cruises round the harbor to enforce the port regulations, to 
 convey to the city refractory seamen, to board any ship flying 
 at her main, the red or police signal the appeal for relief.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWBENCE. 325 
 
 II. 
 
 THE FRESCOED CHURCH OF ST. ROMUALD. 
 
 The " Dolphin " was headed for Cap Eouge, and skirted the 
 wharves in succession ; in a few minutes, we emerged from the 
 dark shade of Cape Diamond, exhibiting, high up in the cliff, a 
 black board to mark the spot from which Montgomery did not 
 fall. The ocean steamers, huge Leviathans sleeping lazily on the 
 waters and hugging closely the Allan's wharf, were next recon- 
 noitered. Close by, was the indenture in the row of houses, 
 where a portion of the cape tumbled down, in 1841, causing 
 some forty casualties. Crowds of timber-laden ships lined the 
 shore higher up. Here and there, a small steamer, with a raft or 
 ship in tow, shrieked, puffed, whistled or groaned, as the fancy 
 came over her bustling or eccentric captain. 
 
 After passing St. Columba Church and many familiar spots on 
 the Sillery heights, the " Dolphin " edged in for St. Eomuald, well 
 known to mariners, as New Liverpool, where ships are loaded. We 
 had just cast a prolonged gaze on Pointe d Pizeau and its old 
 Indian memories,* when a familiar voice roused our attention. 
 
 " Here we are, ejaculated the Port Admiral, abreast of New 
 Liverpool, steaming over that expanse of deep water, marked out 
 as the ballast ground. How many prows have furrowed these 
 dark waters since this identical date of September, 1535, when 
 the three Saint Malo crafts, the ' Grande Hermine,' about 120 
 tons, Jacques Cartier, master ; the ' Petite Hermine.' 60 tons, 
 Marc Jalobert, master ; the ' Emerillon,' 40 tons, Guillaume Le 
 Breton, master, were ascending the St. Lawrence, down to that 
 13th September, 1860, when Capt Vine Hall's Leviathan, the 
 
 It has been surmised by some of our historians, that the tribe of In- 
 dians which Cartier had found at Stadacona in 1535, and who had disap- 
 peared when Charnplain arrived, had retreated to Pointe d Puizeau, thus 
 called after M. de Puizeau, who owned land there when M. de Maisonneuve 
 wintered at Sillery, in 1641-2.
 
 326 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 ' Great Eastern/ 22,500 tons, was daily swinging to the tide, 
 on her anchors, at this very spot. 
 
 ' How balmy the air : how placid the bosom of the noble river ! ' 
 
 " It is not always so," retorted the antiquary. " Let us 
 skirt, in a southerly direction, the wharves and view the exten- 
 sive saw mills, erected in 1804, on the Rivitre Bruyante or 
 Etchemin, by Col. Henry Caldwell, Wolfe's brave quarter-mas- 
 ter General the proprietor of the Lauzon seigniory, in 1804. 
 They have seen several masters : Col. Henry Caldwell his son, 
 the Eeceiver-General Sir John Caldwell ; grandson, Sir Henry 
 Caldwell ; Messrs. John Thomson, Henry Atkinson, &c." 
 
 On a slight eminence, a little to the west, glistens the spire 
 of the Roman Catholic Church of St. Romuald, richly decorated, 
 thanks to the efforts of its progressive pastor. 
 
 By far the greatest curiosity which St. Romuald contains, 
 is its ornate Roman Catholic Church. Its beauty is due to the 
 taste of its enlightened priest, the Rev. Messire Saxe, a son of P. 
 Saxe, Esq., land surveyor, formerly of Quebec. The decorations of 
 the church date of 1868-69 ; the dome and ceilings remind one 
 very much of the gorgeous Roman Catholic Church the Ge&u, 
 at Montreal, where the Jesuits officiate. This portion of its 
 interior is the work of a German artist, now settled at Cincin- 
 nati. The paintings were made by Mr. W. Lamprech, a young 
 German, who took the first prize in the celebrated Academy of 
 painting of Munich. This artist, 'tis said, is one of the best 
 who ever graduated at this renowned school. Mr. Lamprech 
 now ranks very high in the United States. He was employed 
 to paint the principal scenes in the life of our Saviour, of the 
 Virgin, of St. Joseph, of St. Romuald. 
 
 The subjects are thus distributed : 1st. In the chancel, the 
 " Nativity " " Death " " Resurrection of our Saviour." 
 
 2nd. In the chapel of the Holy Virgin : the " Annunciation " 
 " Visitation " " The Three Kings "the " Presentation." 
 
 3rd. In the Chapel of St. Joseph : the " Marriage of St.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 327 
 
 Joseph " " His Flight in Egypt " Nazareth " " Jesus amidst 
 the Doctors"" Death of St. Joseph." 
 
 4th. In the dome, eight pictures represent different episodes 
 in the life of St. Romuald. The first, when he took orders ; 
 the last, above the altar, his " Apotheosis or Entry in Heaven." 
 5th. The Medallions on a gold ground, sixteen in number, 
 portray the history of the Church, in that of Peter ; Paul ; the 
 four Evangelists ; five Doctors of the Eastern, and five Doctors 
 of the Western, Church. 
 
 Oth. The ornaments to the ceiling of the side chapels are 
 allegorical references to the Litanies of the Virgin, such as these : 
 Turris Davidica, Rosa Mystica, Sedes Sapientice, etc., sixteen 
 in number. 
 
 The pictures are like an opened Bible ; they are pregnant 
 with meaning, even to the eye of those who cannot read. 
 
 7th. The altars were erected on plans furnished by Mr. 
 Schneider, who was then considered as the first architect of 
 Munich by a young Canadian artist. 
 
 8th. The statues are all in sculptured wood, by Rudmiller^ 
 of Munich, and copied from clay models worked by the most 
 able artists of Munich. 
 
 Altogether, the frescoed church of St. Eomuald is the hand- 
 somest temple of Eoman Catholic worship in this section fo the 
 Province ; it comes next to the famous Oesu of Montreal. 
 
 To those who can remember the abominable daubs on the 
 walls of churches thirty years ago, what a pleasant reflection that 
 progress has votaries even in country churches ? I can recollect 
 one church picture in a remote parish that made one's hair stand 
 on end. It depicted the narrow escape a worldly friar had of 
 brimstone and sulphur, for ever : just when the Prince of dark- 
 ness was extending his claws, to grasp the Padre, the latter's 
 guardian angel, vaulting from a high horse, with a fierce look and 
 a rapier as long as Orlando's, sprang to the rescue, cut off the 
 devil's left whisker, and saved the penitent Padre. There was 
 much for imagination and poetical license in this picture, but, of 
 art, naught.
 
 328 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 III. 
 
 THE SIEGE OF 1759 WOLFE'S FLEET AND SIGNALS THE 
 FRENCH GUNNER OF 1760. 
 
 Why did you select such an historical anniversary as 
 the 13th Sept. to make this long talked of exploration? inquired 
 our friend the Admiral of the Port. 
 
 Simply, illustrious mariner, to have a memorable 
 date on which to pour into your willing ear the veracious 
 account of the many stirring incidents of which this portion 
 of the river was the arena, one hundred and eighteen 
 years ago. Yes, on this day, nay, perhaps, at this very 
 hour, on the 13th Sept., 1759, as soon as the smoke of the 
 battle field had cleared away, this part of the St. Lawrence must 
 have been very interesting to view with its ponderous three- 
 deckers frigates and transports, all flying the proud banner of 
 England, with the Levi hospital boats, carrying the wounded of 
 both nations, protected by their white flag. That sturdy old High- 
 lander, Jas. Thompson, in his diary, has told us how the wound- 
 ed were crossed over from the battle field to the hospital at St. 
 Joseph (the church.) 
 
 Pray, most learned antiquary, naturalist and discoverer, 
 favor us with more of your historical lore, anent the port of Que- 
 bec, retorted the Port Admiral, slightly twisting his moustache. 
 Unroll the bright scroll of war, from the thrilling days of Phipps, 
 down to the uninteresting era of to-day, when, instead of wit- 
 nessing proud admirals opening out with shot and shell on the 
 mural crowned city, we may shortly see this portion of the river 
 covered with market boats conveying fat bullocks to the Exhi- 
 bition.* 
 
 * The Provincial Exhibition was held on the 18th Sept. last, on the 
 Cove Fields.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 329 
 
 Your wish, sir, has been anticipated, and my youthful sec- 
 retary has there in his portfolio, a record just prepared of Wolfe's 
 disembarkation, on the night of the 12th September, on the 
 shores under the green groves of Marchmont. To us, the spot is 
 known as Wolfe's Cove ; under French regime, it was called le 
 Foulon, on account of some fulling mills erected there and set 
 in motion by the ruisseau Saint Denis, which rushes from 
 the cliff above into the St. Lawrence. Captain John Knox, 
 of the 43rd, serving under General Wolfe, and to whom we are 
 indebted for the most detailed account of the campaign, will 
 tell us, first, of the ships composing the English fleet, viz : 
 
 SLOOPS. 
 
 Neptune, 90 guns (flag ship). 
 
 Princess Amelia, 80. 
 
 Dublin, 74. 
 
 Royal William, 84. 
 
 Vanguard, 74. 
 
 Terrible, 74. 
 
 Captain, 70. 
 
 Shrewsbury, 74. 
 
 Devonshire, 74. 
 
 Bedford, 68. 
 
 Alcide, 64. 
 
 Somerset, 68. 
 
 Prince Frederic, 64. 
 
 Pembroke, 60. 
 
 Medway, 60. 
 
 Prince of Orange, 60. 
 
 Northumberland, 64. 
 
 Oxford, 64. 
 
 Stirling Castle, 64. 
 
 Centurion, 60. 
 
 Trident, 54. 
 
 Sutherland, 50. 
 
 FRIGATES. 
 
 Diana, 36. 
 Leostofte, 28. 
 Richmond, 32. 
 Trent, 28. 
 Echo, 24. 
 
 Seahorse, 20. 
 Eurus, 22. 
 Nightingale, 20. 
 Hind, 20. 
 Squirrel, 20. 
 Scarborough, 20. 
 Scorpion, 14. 
 Zephir, 12. 
 Hunter, 10. 
 Porcupine, 14. 
 Baltimore, 10. 
 Cormorant, 8. 
 Pelican, 8. 
 Racehorse, 8. 
 Bonetta, 8. 
 Vesuvius. 
 Strombolo. 
 
 CUTTER. 
 Rodney, 2. 
 
 TRANSPORT CUTTERS. 
 
 Charming Molly. 
 
 Europa. 
 
 Lawrence. 
 
 Peggy and Sarah. 
 
 Good-Intent and Prosperity. 
 
 " Together, -he adds, with an immense fleet of transports, store- 
 ships, victuallers, traders, etc." 
 
 You will see by the foregoing that England on this occasion 
 meant business. The disembarking was specially watched over
 
 330 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 by Capt. Chad, of the Navy ; whilst the " General Orders " for 
 the landing were issued on the llth September. "The troops 
 must go into the boats about nine, to-morrow night (the 12th), 
 or when it is pretty near high water.. ..As there will be a neces- 
 sity for remaining some part of the night in the boats, the officers 
 will provide accordingly, and the soldiers will have a gill of rum 
 extra to mix with their water ; arms and am munition ; two days' 
 provisions with rum and water are all that soldiers are to take 
 in the boats ; the ships, with their blankets, tents, etc., will soon 
 be brought up. 
 
 SIGNALS. 
 
 " First. For the flat bottomed boats, with the troops on 
 board, to rendezvous abreast of the ' Sutherland,' between her 
 and the south shore, keeping her near : one light in the ' Su- 
 therland's ' main topmast's shrouds. 
 
 " Second. When they are to drop away from the ' Suther- 
 land,' she will show two lights in the main topmast shrouds, one 
 over the other. The men to lie quite silent, and when they 
 are about to land, must not, upon any account, fire out of the 
 boats : the officers of the navy are not to be interrupted in their 
 part of the duty ; they will receive their orders from the officer 
 appointed to superintend the whole, to whom they are answer- 
 able. Officers of artillery, and detachments of gunners, are put 
 on board the armed sloops to regulate their fire, that, in the 
 hurry, our troops may not be hurt by our own artillery ; Cap- 
 tain York, and the officers, will be particularly careful to dis- 
 tinguish the enemy, and to point their fire against them ; the 
 frigates are not to fire until broad day-light, so that no mistake 
 can be made : the officers commanding floating batteries will 
 receive particular orders from the General. The troops to be 
 supplied to-morrow (the 12th) with provisions to the 14th. 
 The troops ordered for the first embarkation to be under arms 
 at the headquarters to-morrow morning at four o'clock."
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 331 
 
 An officer of the 43rd, says Knox, was sent ashore to St. 
 Nicholas to endeavor, to procure some fresh provisions, but could 
 not succeed " 
 
 We shall not dwell longer here, on the incidents of the 1 2th 
 September, 1759, nor on the still more important events awaiting 
 Wolfe on the morrow ; that " morrow" fraught for him with death 
 and glory, which he is reported to have alluded to, whilst re- 
 peating aloud, one of the sweetest of Gray's elegies and, mayhap, 
 dreaming of the dear ones in old England, whom he was destined 
 never again to see. 
 
 Let us follow, on the chain of time ; six months later, we 
 can, with the mind's eye, see a solitary, helpless waif, floating 
 over the spot, we have just left. 
 
 In April, 1760, that unlucky French gunner, dropped from 
 Levi's boats at Cap Rouge, clinging to his solitary piece of ice was 
 floating past the city to return with the ebb tide. Chevalier John- 
 stone, aide-de-camp to Lieut.-General Levi, thus relates this inci- 
 dent in his narrative of the siege of 1759 : " The English got the 
 news of our army being at Cap Rouge by a most singular acci- 
 dent. An artillery boat having been overturned and sunk by 
 the sheets of ice, which the current of the St. Lawrence* brought 
 down with great force, an artillery man saved himself on a piece 
 of ice that floated down the river with him upon it, with a 
 possibility of his getting to land, when he was opposite the city. 
 The English, as soon as they perceived that poor distressed 
 man moved with humanity and compassion sent out boats, * 
 who with difficulty saved him (the river being covered with 
 fields of ice) and brought him to town, with scarcely any sign of 
 life. Having restored him with cordials, the moment he began to 
 breathe and recover his senses, they asked him whence he came, 
 and who he was ? He answered, innocently, that he was a 
 French cannonier from M. de Levi's army at Cap Rouge. At 
 first they imagined he raved, and that his sufferings upon the 
 
 From the Race horse frigate.
 
 332 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 river had turned his head; but, after examining him more 
 particularly, and his answers being always the same, they were 
 soon convinced of the truth of his assertions, and were not a 
 little confounded to have the French army at three leagues from 
 Quebec, without possessing the smallest information of the fact. 
 All their care proved ineffectual for the preservation of life ; he 
 expired the moment he had revealed his important secret. What 
 a remarkable and visible instance of fortune fighting for the 
 English ? 
 
 Had it not been for this most unaccountable accident, M. de 
 Levi, to all appearances, would have captured all the English ad- 
 vanced posts, which were said to amount to 1,500 men, who 
 retired to the town immediately after setting fire to the magazine 
 of powder in the Church of St. Foy," 
 
 . ' 
 VBU^It>OlOti flti'tl ^i 
 
 xi ad 
 
 [ ^jonailaii f.id :*.iij i>ne ^wvi 
 
 V
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 333 
 
 A REMINISCENCE OF THE SIEGE OF 1690. 
 IV. 
 
 Let us see what was taking place in port seventy years 
 before : 1760. 
 
 Hark ! the cadenced sound of paddles in the distance : here 
 comes, on the rush of the tide, impelled by the brave arm of 
 Canadian voyageurs, a light bark canoe, with the white banner 
 of France streaming. It is sturdy old Count of Frontenac has- 
 tening from Montreal, on the 14th Oct., 1690, to give Admiral 
 Phipps, through the " mouths of his cannon," a bit of his mind ; 
 the historian Parkman will furnish us the particulars : 
 
 ARRIVAL OF FRONTENAC IN A BIRCH CANOE FROM MONTREAL, 
 OCTOBER, 1690. 
 
 " A messenger arrived in haste at three o'clock in the after- 
 noon, (of the 10th Oct.,) and gave him a letter from Provost, Town 
 Major of Quebec. It was to the effect that an Abenaki Indian 
 had just come overland from Acadia, with news that some of 
 his iribe had captured an English woman near Portsmouth, who 
 told them that a great fleet had sailed from Boston to attack 
 Quebec. Frontenac, not easily alarmed, doubted the report ; 
 nevertheless, he embarked at once with the Intendant in a small 
 vessel, which proved to be leaky, and was near foundering with 
 all on board. He then took a canoe, and towards evening set 
 out again for Quebec, ordering some two hundred men to follow 
 him. On the next day, he met another canoe, bearing a fresh 
 message from Prevost, who announced that the English fleet had 
 been seen on the river, and that it was already above Tadousac. 
 Frontenac now sent back Captain de Ramsay with orders to 
 Callieres, Governor of Montreal, to descend immediately to Que- 
 bec with all the force at his disposal, and to muster the inhabi- 
 tants on the way. Then he pushed on with the utmost speed. 
 The autumnal storms had begun, and the rain pelted him with- 
 out ceasing, but on the morning of the fourteenth he neared the
 
 334 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 town. The rocks of Cape Diamond towered before him, the St. 
 Lawrence lay beneath them lonely and still, and the Basin of 
 Quebec outspread its broad bosom, a solitude without a sail. 
 Frontenac had arrived in time. 
 
 He landed at the Lower Town, and the troops and the armed 
 inhabitants came crowding to meet him. He was delighted at 
 their ardor ; shouts, cheers, and the waving of hats greeted the 
 old man as he climbed the steep ascent of Mountain street. 
 Fear and doubt seemed banished by his presence. Even those 
 who hated him rejoiced at his coming, and hailed him as a deliv- 
 erer. He went at once to inspect the fortifications. Since the 
 alarm a week before Pre'vost had accomplished wonders, and not 
 only completed the works begun in the spring, but added others 
 to secure a place which was a natural fortress in itself. On two 
 sides, the Upper Town scarcely needed defence. The cliffs along 
 the St. Lawrence and those along the tributary river St. Charles 
 had three accessible points, guarded at the present day (1867) by 
 the Prescott Gate, the Hope Gate, and the Palace Gate. Prevost 
 had secured them by barricades of heavy beams and casks filled 
 with earth. A continuous line of palisades ran along the strand 
 of the St. Charles, from the great cliff called the Sault au 
 Matelot, to the palace of the Intendant. At this latter point 
 began the line of works constructed by Frontenac to protect the 
 rear of the town. They consisted of palisades, strengthened by 
 a ditch and an embankment, and flanked at frequent intervals by 
 square towers of stone. Passing behind the garden of the 
 Ursulines, they extended to a windmill on a hillock called Mount 
 Carmel, and thence to the brink of the clift's in front. Here there 
 was a battery of eight guns, near the present Public Garden ; 
 two more, each of three guns, were planted at the top of the 
 Sault an Matelot, another at the barricade of the Palace Gate, 
 and another near the windmill of Mount Carmel, while a num- 
 ber of light pieces were held in reserve for such use a? occasion 
 might require. The Lower Town had no defensive works, but 
 two batteries, each of three guns, eighteen and twenty-four 
 pounders, were placed here at the edge of the river.* 
 
 Two days passed in completing these defences under the eye of 
 
 Relation de Mnru>eignat. Plan de Quebec^ par Villfineuve. 1690. Rela- 
 tion du Mercvre (Jalant, 1691. The summit of Cape Diamond, which com- 
 manded the town, was not fortified till three years later, nor were any guns 
 placed here during the English attack.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 335 
 
 the Governor. Men were flocking in from the parishes far and 
 near, and on the evening of the fifteenth about twenty-seven 
 hundred, regulars and militia, were gathered within the fortifica- 
 tions, besides the armed peasantry of Beauport and Beaupre', 
 who were ordered to watch the river below the Town, and resist 
 the English should they attempt to land.-f- At length, before 
 dawn on the morning of the sixteenth, the sentinels on the Sault 
 au Matelot could descry the slowly moving lights of distant 
 vessels. At daybreak the fleet was in sight. Sail after sail 
 passed the Point of Orleans and glided into the Basin of Quebec. 
 The excited spectators on the rock counted thirty-four of them. 
 Four were large ships, several others were of considerable size, 
 and the rest were brigs, schooners and a fishing craft, all throng- 
 ed with men." 
 
 f Diary of Sylranus Davis, prisoner in Quebec, in Mass. Hist. Coll. 
 
 t 1,101. There is a difference of ten days in the French and English 
 dates, the new style having been adopted by the former, and not by the latter.
 
 336 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 THE ENGAGEMENT AT BEAUFORT 1759. 
 
 V. 
 
 WE are nearing a spot on the Beauport shore, close to Montmo- 
 rency Falls, which, from noon to sunset on the 31st July, 1759, 
 the hissing of shot and shell, and the playful tricks of the savages 
 on British scalps must have rendered tolerably lively. Here 
 General Wolfe paid dearly for his ill-judged attack on the 
 French lines, which extended from the Saint Charles to the 
 Montmorency Falls. The heights beyond the city and the city 
 itself having been considered unassailable by water, an attempt 
 was made by the English from their Ange-Gardien batteries at 
 the Falls, with the aide of the Centurion frigate and boats, to 
 capture the French redoubts opposite, and those lining that por- 
 tion of the Beauport shore. No account seems to us fuller than 
 that furnished by the historian Garneau : this defeat cost the 
 British close on 600 men. 
 
 THE BATTLE OF BEAUPORT FLAT, 31ST JULY, 1759. 
 
 " As the left bank of the Montmorency, says Garneau, just be- 
 yond its embouchure is higher than the right, Wolfe strengthened 
 the batteries he already had there, the gun-range of which enfilad- 
 ed, above that river, the French entrenchments. The number of 
 his cannon and pieces for shelling was raised to sixty. He caused 
 to sink, on the rocks level with the flood below, two transports, 
 placing on each, when in position, fourteen guns. One vessel 
 lay to the right, the other to the left, of a small redoubt which 
 the French had erected on the strand, at the foot of the Cour- 
 ville road, in order to defend not only the entry of that road, 
 which led to heights occupied by the French Reserve, but 
 also the ford of the Montmorency below the Falls. Cannon 
 shots from the transports crossed each other in the direction of 
 the redoubt. It became needful therefore to silence the fire of 
 the latter, and cover the march of the assailants, on this acces-
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 337 
 
 ible point of our line ; therefore the Centurion, a 60-gun ship, 
 was sent afterwards to anchor opposite the falls, and as near as 
 might be to the shore, to protect the ford which the British for- 
 lorn-hope was to cross, as soon as the attacking force should de- 
 scend from the camp of 1'Auge-Gardien. Thus 118 pieces of 
 ordnance were about to play on Montcalm's left wing. Towards 
 noon, 31st July, all this artillery began to play, and, at the same 
 time, Wolfe formed his columns of attack. More than 1,500 
 barges were in motion in the basin of Quebec. A part of Monk- 
 ton's brigade, and 1,200 grenadiers, embarked at Point Levi, 
 with intent to re-land between the site of the Centurion and the 
 sunken transports. The second column composed of Townshend's 
 and Murray's brigades, descended the heights of 1'Ange-Gardien 
 in order to take the ford and join their forces to the first column 
 at the foot of the Courville road, which was ordered to be ready 
 posted, and only waiting for the signal to advance against the 
 adjoining French entrenchments. These two columns number- 
 ed 6,000 men. A third corps of 2,000 soldiers, charged to as- 
 cend the left bank of the Montmorency, was to pass that river at 
 a ford about a league above the falls, but which was guarded by 
 a detachment under M. de Repentigny. At 1 p.m., the three 
 British columns were on foot to execute the concerted plan of 
 attack, which would have been far too complicated for troops 
 less disciplined than Wolfe's. 
 
 Montcalm, for some time doubtful about the point the ene- 
 my would assail, had sent orders along his whole line for the 
 men to be ready everywhere to oppose the British wherever they 
 came forward. As soon as the latter neared their destination, 
 de Levis sent 500 men to succour de Repentigny (at the upper 
 ford) also a small detachment to espy the manoeuvres of the 
 British when about to cross the lower ford, while he sent to 
 Montcalrn for some battalions of regulars, to sustain himself in 
 case of need. The General came up, at 2 p.m., to examine the 
 posture of matters at the left. He proceeded along the lines, ap- 
 proved of the dispositions of de Levis, gave fresh orders and 
 returned to the centre, in order to be in a position to observe all 
 that should pass. Three battalions and some Canadians, from 
 Trois-Rivieres, came in opportunely to re-inforce the French left. 
 The greatest part of these troops took post, as a reserve, on the 
 highway, and the rest were directed on the ford defended by M. 
 de Eepentigny. The latter had been already hotly attacked by 
 
 w
 
 338 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 a British column, but he forced it to give way, after some loss 
 of men. The retreat of this corps permitted that sent to succor 
 de Repentigny, to hasten back to the arena of the chief attack. 
 
 Meanwhile, the barges leaving the Point Levi columns, led 
 by Wolfe in person, after making several evolutions, meant to 
 deceive the French as to the real place for landing, were directed 
 towards the sunken transports. The tide was now ebbing ; 
 thus, part of the barges were grounded on a ridge of rock and 
 gravelly matter, which stopped their progress and caused some 
 disorder ; but at last all obstacles were surmounted, and 1200 gren- 
 adiers, supported by other soldiers, landed on the St. Lawrence 
 strand. They were to advance in four divisions, and Monkton's 
 brigade, which was to embark later, had orders to follow, and, as 
 soon as landed, to sustain them. From some misunderstanding, 
 these orders were not punctually executed. The enemy formed 
 in columns, indeed ; but Monkton's men did not arrive to time. 
 Still the van moved, music playing up to the Courville road 
 redoubt, which the French at once evacuated. The enemy's 
 grenadiers took possession of it, and prepared to assail the 
 entrenchments beyond, which were within musket-shot distance. 
 Wolfe's batteries had been pouring, ever since mid-day, on the 
 Canadians who defended this part of the line, a shower of bombs 
 and bullets, which they sustained without flinching. Having 
 re-formed, the British advanced, with fixed bayonets, to attack 
 the entrenchments ; their showy costumes contrasting strangely 
 with that of their adversaries, wrapped as they were in light 
 capotes and girt round the loins. The Canadians, who compen- 
 sated their deficient discipline only by their native courage and 
 the great accuracy of their aim, waited patiently till the enemies 
 were a few yards distant from their line, meaning to fire at them 
 point-blank. The proper time came, they discharged their pieces 
 so rapidly and with such destructive effect,* that the two British 
 columns, despite all their officers' endeavors, were broken and 
 took flight. They sought shelter at first against their foes' fire 
 behind the redoubt ; but not being allowed to re-form ranks, rnev 
 continued to retreat to the main body of the army, which had 
 deployed a little further back. At this critical time, a violent 
 thunderstorm supervened, which hid the ruin of the combatants 
 
 * " Their (men of) small arms, in the trenches, lay cool till they were 
 sure of their mark ; they then poured their shot like showers of hail, which 
 caused our brave grenadiers to fall very fast.'' (Journal of a British officer.)
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 339 
 
 on both sides from each other, while the reverberations of suc- 
 cessive peals rose far above the din of battle. When the rain- 
 mist cleared off, the Canadians beheld the British re-embark- 
 ing with their wounded, after setting fire to the sunken 
 transports. Their army finally drew off, as it had advanced : 
 some corps in the barges ; others marched landwards, after 
 re-crossing the Montmorency ford. The fire of their numer- 
 ous cannons, however, continued till night set in ; and it 
 was estimated that the British discharged 3,000 cannon balls 
 during the day and evening ; while the French had only a 
 dozen pieces of cannon in action, but these were very serviceable 
 in harassing the disembarking British. The loss of the French, 
 which was due almost entirely to artillery fire, was inconsider- 
 able, if we remember that they were for more than six hours 
 exposed to it. The British lost about 500 men, killed and 
 wounded, including many officers. 
 
 The victory gained at Montmorency (on the 31st July, 1759) 
 was due chiefly to the judicious dispositions made by de Levis, 
 who, with fewer troops in hand than Wolfe, contrived to unite 
 a greater number than he did at every point of attack. Suppos- 
 ing the British grenadiers had surmounted the entrenchments, 
 it is very doubtful whether they would have prevailed, even 
 had they been sustained by the rest of their army. The ground 
 from the strand to the Beauport road rises into slopes, broken 
 by ravines, amongst which meanders the Courville road ; the 
 locality, therefore, was favorable to our (Canadian) marksmen. 
 Besides, the regulars in reserve were close behind, ever ready 
 to succour the militia men. 
 
 This engagement revived wonderfully the spirits of Mont- 
 calm's raw militia and their Indian allies, who, according to Eng- 
 lish accounts, lost no time in removing as many British scalps as 
 circumstances permitted." (History of Canada, Garneau.) 
 
 "As our company of grenadiers," says a British officer, 
 " approached, I distinctly saw Montcalm on horseback riding 
 backwards and forwards. He seemed very busy giving direc- 
 tions to his men, and I heard him give the word to fire. 
 Immediately they opened upon us, and killed a good many 
 of our men, I don't recollect how many. We did not fire, 
 for it would have been of no use, as they were completely 
 entrenched, and we could only see the crown of their heads." 
 .... We were now ordered to retreat to our boats, that had 
 been left afloat to receive us ; and by this time it was low water,
 
 340 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 so that we had a long way to wade through the mud. A 
 sergeant, Allan Cameron, of our company, seeing a small 
 battery on our left with two guns mounted, and apparently no 
 person near it, thought he would prevent it doing us any mis- 
 chief on our retreat, so he picked up a couple of bayonets that 
 lay on the beach, and went alone to the battery, when he drove 
 the points of them in the vents as hard as he could, and then 
 snapped them off short. When the French saw us far enough 
 on our retreat, they sent their savages to scalp and tomahawk 
 our poor fellows that lay wounded on the beach. Among the 
 number was Lieutenant Peyton, of the Royal American Battalion, 
 who was severely wounded, and had crawled away as far as the 
 pains he endured would allow. After the savages had done their 
 business with the poor fellows that lay nearest to the Freuch 
 batteries, they went back, except two, who spied Lieutenant 
 Peyton, and thought to make a good prize of him. He hap- 
 pened to have a double-barrelled fusil, ready loaded, and as he 
 had seen how the savages had treated all the others that came 
 into their clutches, he was sure that if they got the better of 
 him they would butcher him also. Fortunately his presence of 
 mind did not forsake him, and he waited until the first savage 
 came near enough, when he levelled his fusil, and brought him 
 to the ground ; the other savage, thinking that the Lieutenant 
 would not have time to reload, rushed in upon him boldly, with 
 his tomahawk ready to strike, when Lieutenant Peyton discharged 
 his fusil right into his chest, and he fell dead at his feet. We 
 saw no more of the savages after that, at least on that occasion, 
 but we saw enough of them afterwards. 
 
 While poor Lieutenant Peyton lay upon the ground, almost 
 exhausted from his exertions and loss of blood, he was accosted 
 by Sergeant Cameron, who had no other means of helping him 
 than carrying him away ; and he was well able to do it, for he 
 was a stout, strong, tall fellow. He slung the Lieutenant's fusil 
 over his shoulder along with his own, and took him on his back, 
 telling him to hold fast round his neck. As he had a long way to 
 carry him, he was obliged every now and then to lay him down 
 in order to take breath, and give the Lieutenant some ease, as 
 his wound was exceedingly painful. In this way he got him at 
 last to one of the boats, and laying him down, said, ' Now, sir, I 
 have done as much for you as lay in my power, and I wish you 
 may recover." * 
 
 HAWKINS' Picture of Quebec.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 341 
 
 VI. 
 
 AN EPISODE OF THE SIEGE OF 1775. 
 
 Before heading for Indian Cove, let me tell you, most 
 worthy Admiral, of two incidents of the American Invasion of 
 1775 : the crossing during the silent hours of night on the 14th* 
 November, 1775, of Arnold's Fire-eaters. From where we stand 
 we might have followed the ripple of these " thirty-five Abenaquis 
 canoes," paddled so cautiously, so noiselessly, in the darkness, in 
 order to evade the grape-shot, or armed boats of the two English 
 men-of-war, anchored here : the Hunter and Lizard. A few 
 minutes more, and the frail embarcations will close in with the 
 shore, some at Wolfe's Cove, others, a little higher up, at Sillery, 
 and land in safety (except one birch canoe which burst asunder) 
 their chilled but hardy warriors. On that very day, a scalping 
 scene was very nigh being enacted in this neighborhood : the hu- 
 mane interference of some New England Volunteers alone saved 
 a British scalp from Abenaquis ferocity. An eye-witness and 
 
 " At 2 o'clock at night, assembled at a certain place, where we had for 
 shelter some mills, when the boats were to be drawn from the cave of the 
 Chaudiere to receive us. Mr. Haulstead (previously in charge of Col. Cold- 
 well's Mills) served as pilot. The canoes were but few in number ; therefore 
 were obliged to cross and return three times ere the army got over. The 
 aight being exceeding dark, everything was conducted with the utmost 
 secrecy no lights, no noise. Captain Hatchett and Company were left as a 
 guard at Point Levi to some effects left behind there. It was proposed to 
 
 cross immediately into Wolfe's Cove, the distance a league. I went in 
 
 the Pilot boat, in which wa General Arnold, Captain Morgan with some 
 riflemen, and one boat load of savages, with others to the amount of six 
 boats, crossed between the two vessels (the Hunter and Lizard) notwith- 
 standing the armed barges were plying every hour from ship to ship.'' 
 (Journal of Dr. Isaac Senter, surgeon to Arnold's Forces, 1775.)
 
 342 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 actor, who lived to become a respected Pennsylvania Judge, will 
 tell us how it occurred. Mr. Justice Henry (who died in 1824, 
 and left a very interesting narrative of his captivity in Quebec 
 in 1775) furnishes the name of the intended victim : a youthful 
 midshipman of H. M. S. Hunter, and brother of Captain Mc- 
 kenzie, commander of the Pearl, frigate. 
 
 " A hurried and boisterous report, says Henry, came from head 
 quarters that the British were landing to our left, at a mill, about a 
 mile off (at New Liverpool). Each one grasped his arms. Morgan 
 and the Indians, who lay nearest to the commander's quarters, 
 were foremost. The running was severe. The lagging Indians 
 and a variety of the three companies were intermingled. Coming 
 to the brow of the precipice, but still unseen, we perceived a 
 boat landing, which came from a frigate lying in the stream, a 
 mile below. The boat came ashore. A youth sprang from it. 
 The tide ebbing, the boatman thought it better to obtain a deeper 
 landing-place, nearer the mill, and drew off. Morgan, appre- 
 hensive of a discovery of our presence, fired at the boat's crew. 
 A volley ensued without harm, probably because of the great 
 space between us. They pulled off shore, until beyond the range 
 of our guns, leaving the midshipman to our mercy. 
 
 The hapless youth, confounded, unknowing what to do, 
 plunged into the river, hoping to regain his boat. His friends 
 flying from him, he waded, he swam, yet he could not reach the 
 boat. At the distance, perhaps of one hundred and fifty yards, 
 nothing but his head above water, a shooting match took place, 
 and believe me, the balls of Morgan, Simpson, Humphreys, and 
 others, played around, and within a few inches of his head. 
 Even after a lapse of thirty years, it gives me pain to recollect 
 that my gun was discharged at him. Such, however, was the 
 savage ferocity engendered, in those ungracious times, by a de- 
 volution of the Ministry of the mother country from the true 
 line of conduct towards her colonies. 
 
 McKenzie, (the name of the young man) seeing that his 
 boat's crew had deserted him, showed a desire to surrender by 
 approaching the shore. The firing ceased. But, a still more 
 disgusting occurrence than the preceding followed. The lad, 
 coming toward the shore, evidently intending to submit, salutes ; 
 the Indian, the brother of Natanis, sprang forward, scalping-knife 
 in hand, seemingly intending to end the strife at a single blow.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 343 
 
 The humanity of Morgan and Humphreys towards a succumbent 
 foe was excited. One or the other of them, it is not now recol- 
 lected which in particular, by his agility and amazing powers of 
 body, was enabled to precede that Indian by several yards. This 
 contest of athleticism was observed from the shore where we ' 
 were, with greatest interest. Morgan brought the boy (for he 
 was really such) to land, and afterwards esteemed him, for he 
 merited the good will of a hero. Wet and hungry, we returned 
 to quarters. Running along the shore with our prey, the Hunter, 
 sloop of war, having warped up for the purpose, pelted us all 
 the way with balls and grape shot. It was no easy matter to 
 ascend the bank, which was steep and craggy. Our prisoner 
 had left the sloop, of which he was a midshipman, upon command 
 to procure spars and oars which lay in the mill (Cald well's Mill). 
 He was the brother of Captain McKenzie. * * * In 1777, young 
 McKenzie was again taken. I saw him at Lancaster (Pennsyl- 
 vania), active, lively and facetious as ever. During our stay at 
 Point Levi, Colonel Arnold was busily engaged." (Judge 
 Henry Narrative of the* Siege of Quebec, 1775, page 80). 
 
 A MEMORY OF 1792. 
 
 We are rapidly nearing a spot, amid channel, between the 
 Church of Beauport and that of St. Joseph, Levi, always dread- 
 ed, in stormy weather, by Quebec boatmen. When the wind 
 and tide meet, as the commander of the Dolphin will tell you, 
 it requires a smart steersman and a good sea-boat, to escape being 
 swamped by the cross-seas or " tide rip," generated here, it is 
 thought, by the uniting of the several currents diverging round 
 Orleans. I could enumerate many casualties : a memorable one 
 took place here, on Monday, the 21st May, 1792, which deprived 
 Quebec of a worthy pastor, Eev. Aug. David Hubert, and the 
 parish of St. Pierre, Isle of Orleans, of its seignior, M. Mauvide. 
 Twelve persons in all, that day were drowned between the two 
 Churches, as the spot is called by seafaring men. The master of 
 the skiff, a Mr. Lachance, and a young man were saved ; the boat 
 in attempting to make the Levi shore was swamped, close to the 
 beach. ; . *
 
 344 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 The melancholy accident is mentioned in detail by Nelson's 
 Gazette of 24th May, 1792 ; and a suitable inscription on a mar- 
 ble tablet close to the altar of the Holy Family, in the Basilica 
 of Quebec, commemorates the death of the good priest, as follows : 
 
 Hie jacet 
 Rev. Augustinus David 
 
 Hubert 
 
 Hujus Ecclesiae Parochus, 
 Pastor dilectus et amans, 
 
 Undis Fluvii, 
 Spectante et ejulante 
 (Jivitate, submersus, 
 Die 21 a Maii, 
 Anno 1792. 
 
 Flete et orate. 
 
 How long has our swift little DOLPHIN been shooting 
 across from shore to shore, asked Mr. Oldbuck. 
 
 Why, it has not taken much more time than the ice-boats 
 do, with a fresh westerly breeze, to cross from the Napoleon 
 wharf to Levi, when the frozen surface of the river is very 
 smooth. It is not every winter, you know, but generally one 
 out of three, we can calculate having this useful connecting link 
 with the south shore, styled an ice-bridge. Nor does it entirely 
 depend on very intense cold, though the cold snap in January 
 is favorable to it ; the state of the tide and wind has much to do 
 with the preliminary to an ice-bridge, that is, the stoppage of the 
 ice at the narrows at Cape Eouge. 
 
 For the enlightenment of future generations, let us note here, 
 illustrious admiral, ere it is entirely forgotten, the old style of 
 ferrying passengers, in winter. Until 1818, the Levi ferry, winter 
 and summer, was in the hands of Indians. In summer, birch 
 bark canoes were used ; in winter, wooden boats, scooped out 
 from the trunk of large pines, all in one piece hence their name, 
 " dug-outs." In 1843, the " dug-outs " met with rivals. Messrs.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 345 
 
 Julien & Gabriel Chabot of Levi used the first " built " canoes, 
 made something like a long and strong whale boat. In 1827, 
 Sir John Caldwell owned the first steam tug, the Lauzon, Capt. 
 Gabriel Chabot. On week days in summer, the Lauzon towed 
 rafts ; on Sundays, she held the ferry. The first horse boat was 
 built in 1828, by Charles Poire", farmer of Levi, the last had to 
 give up the ghost in 1845,* when steam superseded horseboats. 
 The important question of a winter steam ferry was solved by 
 the steamer Unity, in 1857. 
 
 Until a few years back, canoes solely were used in 
 winter ; William Howard Eussell, of the London Times, on his 
 visit to Quebec, in 1861, gave a very graphic description of this 
 mode of conveyance in his Volume, Canada and its Defences. 
 
 * Quebec Past and Present, p. 431.
 
 346 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 VII. 
 
 WINTER QUARTERS OF THE Petite Hermine IN 1535-6. EARTH 
 
 WORKS ON THE ST. CHARLES, IN REAR OF MR. PARKF/S VILLA. 
 THE CRADLE AND THE TOMB OF FRENCH DOMINION IN 
 NORTH AMERICA. 
 
 You certainly have furnished us pleasant glimpses of the 
 three memorable sieges to which the city was exposed. I never 
 could have conceived that so many thrilling incidents could have 
 taken place in the limited area over which the Dolphin has been 
 steaming for the last hour. 
 
 Is there anything about the St. Charles worthy of note ? 
 
 Yes, replied Mr. Oldbuck, there is the spot where Jacques 
 Cartier's ship wintered in 1536, beyond the Marine Hospital. Mr. 
 Joseph Hamel, city surveyor, published in 1843, a useful brochure 
 on the remains of a vessel he discovered, where the Lairet stream 
 falls into the St. Charles supposed to be those of the Petite 
 Hermine. 
 
 A view was lithographed, copied from an engraving 
 executed at Paris, the subject of which was furnished by Geo. B. 
 Faribault, of Quebec, retracing the departure of the St. Malo 
 mariner for France on the 6th May, 1536. To the right, may 
 be seen Jacques Cartier's fort,* built with stockades, mounted 
 with artillery, and subsequently made stronger still, we are told 
 with ditches and solid timber, with drawbridge, and fifty men 
 to watch night and day. 
 
 "Le Capitaine fit renforcer le Fort tout al entour de gros fosses, larges, 
 et profonds avec porte & pont-levis et reuforts de rangs ou pans de bois 
 
 au contraire des premiers. Et fut ordonn6 pour le guet de la nuit cin- 
 
 quante hommes a quatre quarts, et a chacitn changement des dits quarts les 
 trompettes sonnantes ; ce qui fut fait selon la dite ordonnance.'' Voyage de 
 Jacques Cartier.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 347 
 
 Next comes the Grande Hermine, his largest vessel, of 
 about one hundred and twenty tons, in which Donacona, the 
 interpreter, and two other Indians of note, treacherously seized, are 
 to be conveyed to France, for presentation to the French monarch, 
 Francis I. Close by, the reader will observe L'Emerillon, of about 
 forty tons in size, the third of his ships ; and higher up, the hull of a 
 stranded and dismantled vessel, the Petite Hermine, of about sixty 
 tons, intended to represent the one whose timbers were dug up at 
 the mouth of the Lairet stream, in 1843, and created such 
 excitement amongst the antiquarians of that day. On the op- 
 posite side of the river, at Hare Point, ,the reader will notice on 
 the plate a cross, intended to represent the one erected by 
 Cartier's party on the 3rd May, 1536, in honor of the festival of 
 the Holy Cross ; at the foot, a number of Indians and some 
 French, in the old costume of the time of Francis I. So much 
 for Jacques Cartier and his winter quarters, in 1535-6. 
 
 Two hundred and twenty-three years after this date, we find 
 this locality again the arena of memorable events. In the 
 disorderly retreat of the French army on the 13th September, 
 1759, from the heights of Abraham, the panic-stricken squadrons 
 came pouring down Cote d' Abraham and C6te a Cotton, hotly 
 pursued by the Highlanders and the 58th Eegiment, hurrying 
 towards the bridge of boats and following the shores of the 
 Eiver St. Charles, until the fire of the hulks, anchored in that 
 river, stopped the pursuit. On the north side of the bridge of 
 boats was a Ute de pont, redoubt or hornwork, a strong work of 
 a pentagonal shape, well portrayed in an old plan of the 
 Siege Operations before Quebec. This hornwork was partly 
 wood, defended by palisades, and towards Beauport, an earth- 
 work covering about twelve acres ; the remains (the round 
 or ring field), standing more than fifteen feet above ground, may 
 be seen to this day surrounded by a ditch ; three thousand * men 
 
 It is evident that the Beauport entrenchments were to be on a vast 
 scale. In those days of corvees and forced labor, when it was merely ne- 
 cessary to command depar le roi, it was easy to bring together large bodies
 
 348 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 at least must have been required to construct, in a few weeks, 
 this extensive entrenchment. In the centre, stood a house, still 
 visible on a plan, in which, about noon on that memorable 
 day, a pretty lively debate was taking place. Vaudreuil and 
 some of the chief French officers were at that moment and in 
 this spot debating the surrender of the whole colony. Let us 
 hear an eye-witness, Chevalier Johnstone, General de Le"vis' 
 aide-de-camp, one of the Scotchmen fighting in Canada for the 
 French king, against some of his own countrymen under Wolfe 
 after the disaster of Culloden. Chevalier Johnstone's descrip- 
 tion will strike every one from its singular accuracy : 
 
 " The French army in flight, scattered and entirely dispersed, 
 rushed towards the town. Few of them entered Quebec ; they 
 went down the heights of Abraham, opposite to the Intendant's 
 Palace, directing their course to the hornwork, and following the 
 borders of the River St. Charles. Seeing the impossibility of 
 rallying our troops, I determined myself to go down the hill at 
 the windmill, near the bake-house,-f and from thence across, over 
 the meadows to the hornwork, resolved not to approach Quebec, 
 from my apprehension of being shut up there with a part of our 
 army, which might have been the case if the victors had drawn 
 all the advantage they could have reaped from our defeat. It is 
 true the death of the general-in-chief an event which never 
 fails to create the greatest disorder and confusion in an army 
 may be pleaded as an excuse for the English neglecting so easy 
 an operation as to take all our army prisoners. 
 
 of men. " M. de Montcalm, arrive" <\ Quebec (from Montreal), commanda 
 tout le monde pour travailler a des retrenchements qui f urent traces vers une 
 paroisse nominee Beauport. Comme il pensa que cea ouvrages ne seraient 
 pas en e"tat avant I'arrive'e des vaisseaux anglais, ce qui pouvait etre d'un 
 jour a 1'autre, il envoya un ordre a M. de Levis, qui e"tait a Montreal, de 
 commander, generalement, tons les hommes de ce gouvernement de descen- 
 dre a Quebes, et qu'on avait besoin d'un coup de main. II envoya a cet 
 egard des ordres precis et conformes, dans toutes les paroisses, qui mirent 
 tout le monde en mouvement." Memoires sur les affaires du Canada, 1749- 
 1760. Finally, Vaudreuil decided that Montreal would furnish 1500 men only 
 for this service. 
 
 This bake-house appears to have been somewhere at the foot of Abraham's 
 Hill.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 349 
 
 " The hornwork had the River St. Charles before it, about 
 seventy paces broad, which served it better than an artificial 
 ditch ; its front facing the river and the heights, was composed 
 of strong, thick, and high palisades, planted perpendicularly, 
 with gunholes pierced for several pieces of large cannon in it ; 
 the river is deep and only fordable at low water, at a musket 
 shot before the fort ; this made it more difficult to be forced on 
 that side than on its other side of earthworks facing Beauport 
 which had a more formidable appearance ; and the hornwork 
 certainly on that side was not in the least danger of being taken 
 by the English, by an assault from the other side of the river. 
 On the appearance of the English troops on the plain of the 
 bake house, Montguet and La Motte, two old captains in the 
 Regiment of Beam, cried out with vehemence to M. de Vau- 
 dreuil, ' that the hornwork would be captured in an instant, by 
 an assault, sword in hand ; that we would be all cut to pieces 
 without quarter, and that nothing else would save us but an 
 immediate and general capitulation of Canada, giving it up to 
 the English.' 
 
 " Montreuil told them that ' a fortification such as the horn- 
 work was not to be taken so easily.' In short, there arose a gen- 
 eral cry in the hornwork to cut the bridge of boats.* It is 
 worthy of remark, that not a fourth part of our army had yet ar- 
 rived at it, and the remainder, by cutting the bridge, would have 
 been left on the other side of the river as victims to the victors. 
 The Regiment ' Royal Roussillon/ was at that moment at the 
 distance of a musket shot from the hornwork, approaching to 
 pass the bridge. As I had already been in such adventures, I 
 did not lose my presence of mind, and, having still a shadow re- 
 maining of that regard which the army accorded me on account 
 of the esteem and confidence which M. De 'Levis and M. De 
 Montcalm had always shown me publicly, I called to M. Hugon 
 who commanded, for a pass in the hornwork, and begged of him 
 to accompany me to the bridge. We ran there, and without 
 asking who had given the order to cut it, we chased away the 
 soldiers with their uplifted axes, ready to execute that extravagant 
 and wicked operation. 
 
 " M. Vaudreuil was closeted in a house in the inside of the 
 hornwork with the Intendant and with some other persons. I 
 suspected they were busy drafting the articles for a general ca- 
 
 It crossed the St. Charles, a little higher up than the Marine Hospital, 
 exactly at the foot of Crown street.
 
 350 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 pitulation, and I entered the house, where I had only time to 
 see the Intendaut with a pen in his hand, writing upon a sheet 
 of paper, when M. Vaudreuil told me I had no business there. 
 Having answered him that what he said was true, I retired im- 
 mediately, in wrath, to see them intent on giving up so scandal- 
 ously a dependency for the preservation of whic,h so much blood 
 and treasure had been expended. On leaving the house, I met 
 M. Dalquier, an old, brave, downright honest man, commander 
 of the regiment of Beam, with the true character of a good offi- 
 cer the marks of Mars all over his body. I told him it was 
 being debated within the house, to give up Canada to the English 
 by a capitulation, and I hurried him in, to stand up for the 
 King's cause, and advocate the welfare of his country. I then 
 quitted the homwork to join Poularies at the Ravine* of Beau- 
 port, but having met him about three or four hundred paces from 
 the hornwork, on his way to it, I told him what was being dis- 
 cussed there. He answered me that, sooner than consent to a 
 capitulation, he would shed the last drop of his blood. He told 
 me to look on his table and house as my own, advised me to go 
 there directly to repose myself, and clapping spurs to his horse, 
 he flew like lightning to the hornwork." 
 
 Want of space precludes us from adding more from this very 
 interesting journal of the Chevalier Johnstone, replete with cu- 
 rious particulars of the disorderly retreat of the French regiments 
 from their Beauport camp, after dark, on that eventful 1 3th Sept. ; 
 how they assembled first at the hornwork, and then filed off by 
 detachments up the Charlesbourg road, then to Indian and Ancient 
 Lorette, until they arrived, worn out and disheartened, without 
 commanders, at day break, at Cap Rouge. 
 
 On viewing the memorable scenes witnessed on the St. 
 Charles, the spot where the first French discoverers wintered in 
 1535-36, and also the locality, where it was decided to surrender 
 the colony to England in 1759 are we not justified in consider- 
 ing it as both the cradle and the tomb of French dominion in the 
 new world ? 
 
 On this land has, for many years, stood the family mansion 
 of George Holmes Parke, Esquire, Ringfield. 
 
 A small bridge supported on masonry, has since been built at this spot 
 exactly across the Main road at Brown's mills, Beauport.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 351 
 
 You have, Mr. Oldbuck, recalled some startling events, 
 authenticated by our most reliable historians and enacted within 
 the precincts of our port : you have shown us every style of 
 naval architecture from Frontenac's tiny birch bark canoe to 
 that modern phenomenon, the Great Eastern : I think we have 
 had enough of history for to-day. Do not be vexed if I tell you, 
 I once from my office window, witnessed a stranger sight than 
 any you have yet described. One morning, I saw on a level 
 with the Queen's Wharf, the huge snout of a whale. 
 
 A whale, did you say ? 
 
 Why, yes, a bonafide, gigantic whale. 
 
 Please, explain, redoubtable admiral. I long for that 
 whale story.
 
 352 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 " On the morning of the 14th of August, 1872, I despatched 
 one of the steamers under my control on a surveying trip to the 
 Northern Channel, a duty annually performed by that vessel. 
 I expected her to be absent for several days and had looked for- 
 ward to this with great expectations as I would then be free to 
 take a run out to some of the lakes, trout fishing. I had made 
 all my preparations, looked over my flies, lines, and rods, and 
 arranged with a congenial companion to leave early next day. 
 Little did I then imagine the fish I was so soon to struggle 
 with. The height of my fishing ambition was salmon and trout. 
 I never aspired to such monsters as whales. After the de- 
 parture of the steamer, I left my office in the evening for home 
 and at the usual hour retired to bed. At about midnight I was 
 awakened by a loud ringing of my door bell, and hurried 
 down to see who was there. I opened the door when a young 
 nephew, who had taken passage in the steamer, rushed into the 
 house in a great state of excitement. As soon as he could catch 
 sufficient breath, he informed me that the steamer had returned. 
 This being so unexpected, I greatly feared some dreadful acci- 
 dent had happened some one drowned or killed I begged 
 him to tell me the worst at once. In a gasping tone, he began 
 hurriedly to say that " the steamer the Captain the whale," 
 etc., etc. I really did not know what to understand, but it was 
 evidently something about a whale. 
 
 " What do you mean ? are you mad ? " said I. 
 
 " No, no," he cried. "The Captain wants to see you im- 
 mediately about it. Oh! it is such a monster, about two 
 hundred feet long and big as a ship."* 
 
 e It is unnecessary to add any further testimony to the authenticity of this 
 whale story. Hundreds in Quebec, in August 1872, hurried down to view 
 the monster high and dry, at the slip on the Queen's wharf. J. M. L.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 353 
 
 I caught the young man by the shoulder, and pushed him into 
 a seat. After a few minutes' rest, he was able to give me to un- 
 derstand that twenty-four miles below Quebec, and one hun- 
 dred miles from salt water, they had found a large whale stranded 
 on a sand bar, had turned back with it in tow, and the Captain 
 wanted to see me about it. I dressed and went down to the 
 wharf, and saw the Captain, who was full of importance and 
 anxiety over the matter. I requested him to sit down and tell 
 me what it all meant." 
 
 " Well, sir," he said, at once appealing to my good feelings. 
 " Of course you are master, and can do as you wish, but I 
 hope you will see fair play in this matter, and that I am allowed 
 my share of the prize ; it is a fortune, and such a chance may 
 never happen to me again. You and I can make heaps of 
 money out of it, and afford to be generous to the crew in the 
 bargain. Will you go half the profits and charge me with half 
 the expenses ? I am willing to pay my share. Oh, yes, sir, I'll do 
 the right thing, and I hope you will see to my interest. We are 
 sure to make a great spec out of that whale ; there must be one 
 hundred barrels of oil in that whale, and the oil is in great de- 
 mand, notwithstanding the opposition made to it by coal oil." 
 
 The Captain certainly thought he had struck oil at last. 
 
 " Captain, it is a bargain," I answered. " I'll do my best for all 
 parties concerned ; but tell me, where in the world did you get 
 that whale ? " 
 
 " Well, sir," said he, " after leaving the wharf, everything 
 went on quietly until, when about half way through the North 
 Channel, the look-out man cried out : ' A schooner or barge, 
 aground or upset on the sand bar, sir, ahead to the right of us.' 
 Several persons being on deck at the time, all glasses were 
 levelled in the direction of the object ; none were able to make out 
 what it was. I stopped the steamer and sent the mate with six 
 men in a boat to ascertain. We followed the men's movements 
 with straining eyes, and saw them cautiously approach the sand 
 bar, and step out of the boat ; the tide being at half ebb, left a large 
 portion bare for a considerable distance from the object in view. 
 The men appeared very undecided what to do next, and huddled 
 together with evident fear ; they kept on slowly, approaching 
 nearer and nearer, then halted, and consulted together ; finally, 
 they set to shouting with all their might in their native tongue. 
 We listened; I thought I caught the words, ' Une baleine June 
 baleine ! a whale, a whale ! ' I could hardly believe this possible,
 
 354 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 so far up the river. However, I ordered another boat and pro- 
 ceeded to the scene. The men on the bar came to meet me, all 
 very excited and speaking at the same time, saying it waa a 
 monstrous whale : two of them declaring it was alive for they 
 had seen it wink its eyes ; another, that he saw its body 
 quiver ; none had dared to go near ; they feared it might turn 
 on them and, with a stroke of its enormous tail, launch them 
 into eternity. My presence appeared to inspire confidence ; all 
 looked to me to lead the party on, but, I can assure you I did 
 not fancy the idea at all ; so, after the men had called each other 
 cowards, and inferred as much of me, by their looks, one Baptiste, 
 who had plucked up more courage than the others, volunteered 
 to go forward if all would follow and keep quite near. This was 
 acceded to ; in single file, we started, Baptiste leading, with a 
 boat-hook and pole in hand ; when some distance off our leader 
 came to a dead halt, and would proceed no farther, until he was 
 thoroughly roused to the task by the bantering tones of his 
 followers, when, with a sudden desperation he ran forward, gave 
 the monster a poke, and dashed back into our midst out of 
 breath. The poor whale never stirred a muscle. This appeared 
 to embolden Baptiste, who tried it again, with the same results. 
 We then mustered sufficient resolution to storm the dead mons- 
 ter in a body ; every-one in turn struck at him with an oar or 
 something of the kind. The whale was really dead. I stared at the 
 great creature in astonishment. Visions of barrels of whale oil and 
 heaps of money appeared before me. I felt I had struck oil, 
 that prospects were decidedly bright, and the old saying, that 
 there is a tide in every man's affairs when taken at the ebb, 
 would lead to a fortune, was at last to be verified in me. A long 
 consultation was held to decide what course to pursue ; next, to 
 secure the prize and safely land it at the ancient city. After a 
 great deal of talking, it was determined that a hole should be cut 
 in the monster's jaw, a chain inserted, then fastened to the tail, 
 then attached to a hawser and made fast to the steamer, and with 
 the flood-tide, to take it in tow and return to the city. The 
 chain was sent for and soon made fast. 
 
 " How anxiously we counted the hours and minutes which 
 passed waiting for the ebb that ebb-tide which was to lead to 
 such glorious results. In due course it came, and we started 
 with our prize in tow ; the whale swaying first to one side, then 
 the other at times its high mouth would open and almost stop 
 the boat. I can assure you, I was not trolling a minnow ; it was
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 355 
 
 quite the reverse of baiting with a sprat to catch a whale, and I 
 never fancied he was running any risk of being pounced on by 
 any cannibal fish. By dint of perseverance and a favorable tide, 
 we at last reached the wharf near midnight ; I despatched your 
 nephew for you. Now I know you expect me to proceed again 
 on my trip at daylight, and as I shall be absent several days, I 
 must leave all to you, and hope you will do the best you can 
 for me. As I said before, charge me with half of all the ex- 
 penses and give me half the profits. We have got a big thing, 
 and I would feel very anxious about it during my absence, did 
 I not know that you will do the right thing." 
 
 " Very well, Captain," I answered, " I'll do my very best ; 
 so make it secure." 
 
 The whale was made fast to the pier and I bade the Captain 
 good-bye again, and proceeded home quite delighted with our 
 prospects. I sat up nearly the whole night hunting over mr 
 books for some treatise upon the subject of whales. The only 
 one I could find was an old copy of " Chambers' Information for 
 the People." In this, it is stated that for every foot in length, 
 a Right whale is calculated to give a barrel of oil. Now as 
 the Captain told me it was seventy feet long and a Simon- 
 pure whale, I put down the probable produce at seventy barrels 
 figured this up at fifty to sixty cents per gallon smoked a 
 pipe of peace, smiled at our good luck, and lay down to take a 
 short rest, dreaming of whales from the one which swallowed 
 Jonah to the one I now possessed. At an early hour I was at 
 the wharf and found crowds of people already assembled to see 
 it, and a large number were engaged in working it up on the 
 rising tide in an ascent near the wharf, where at low water it 
 could be seen nearly its entire length. The fabulous prices 
 stated by the knowing- ones as to its value soon induced several 
 speculators to make me offers for its purchase, but finding I would 
 not sell, some proposed to form a joint stock company and take 
 shares. I was deaf to all such offers, and determined that the 
 Captain and I should be the only members of the firm. A long 
 headed old fellow proposed to exhibit at so much per head ; this 
 struck me as an excellent idea, and I let him carry out his plan, 
 receiving with a happy countenance the money he frequently laid 
 on my table. During the day I was besieged with people who 
 wanted me to relate the history of the capture. An excited indi- 
 vidual also presented himself as a claimant of the whale, declaring 
 that he had harpooned it some two hundred miles down the river
 
 356 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 several days before it was found, and threatened me with all the 
 rigors of the law if I did not deliver it up to him at once. He 
 said he was sure there were marks on the body to substantiate 
 his claim ; upon close examination none could be found, and con- 
 sequently I would not give it up to him. I had promised to 
 look after the Captain's interest, and intended doing so. In the 
 meantime, the exhibition was going on with the best of results, 
 and money pouring in. I came to the conclusion that if this 
 could continue for two or three days the result would be splendid, 
 especially as there was to be opened the next day an industrial 
 exhibition in the ancient city, and thousands of visitors would 
 rush to see such a great curiosity as a real whale. I can assure 
 you, I began to think that we had really struck oil, and some- 
 thing else too, and every half hour added large sums to my first 
 calculations of the profits likely to be divided between the Cap- 
 tain and myself. Whale stock kept rising, rising, and rising 
 again ; all these great expectations were soon to be dashed to the 
 ground and trouble cast its shadows before. 
 
 The weather was very warm, the sun shone fiercely, and I 
 don't think that big whale had been accustomed to a warm climate. 
 The cold North would appear to agree better with him, for the 
 old fellow soon began to manifest decided symptoms of suffering 
 from the heat. The Port physician had evidently scented that 
 whale, for he came to me in an excited manner and asked me 
 whether I intended creating some fearful disease by poisoning 
 the atmosphere with that whale. " We will have the typhoid 
 fever or cholera, sir, raging in the city before twenty-four hours," 
 said he, " if you don't get rid of that whale, sir ; he must be removed 
 at once, sir." I tried all manner of arguments to induce him to 
 take a more favorable view of the matter ; it was no use. He 
 said, he was bound to see that whale away from the precincts of 
 the city, and go, it must. You may imagine this was a damper 
 to all my prospects. I got vexed, then cooled down a little to 
 become more so, and finally told the Doctor to take the whale 
 and do what he pleased with it. 
 
 " No, sir," cried he in anger, " I will not have anything to 
 do with it. You must see to its being removed, sir ; you are the 
 responsible party, sir." 
 
 At last we both decided to go out and have a look at him to 
 see if it were not possible without danger to the health of the in- 
 habitants, to keep it a couple of days longer. My hopes began to 
 rise again, but one look at the colossus lowered them like a shot.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 357 
 
 We found him high and dry on the slip, and such a sight ! he 
 was perforated in every part of his body. He had been stabbed 
 and stuck with knives and other sharp instruments, by numerous 
 inquisitive visitors trying the thickness of his skin, and looked 
 as if seriously affected with the small-pox ; I had to admit 
 that it did smell rather strong in that neighborhood. This made 
 the Doctor more determined than ever, and about an hour after 
 he left me, down marched an officer of police with three consta- 
 bles, who served me with a peremptory order from the Mayor to 
 remove that whale at once. Now, just fancy the fix I was in.. 
 How to remove him ? Where to put him ? The man who 
 owned the elephant was far better off than I was, for it was alive 
 and could be marched off; but my monster was immovable, 
 and could neither be coaxed, nor driven away. Not even the 
 claimant was at hand to relieve me. Obey I must, and one 
 trial should be made to save those seventy barrels of oil and 
 the whale bone, which I was sure would net handsome profits. 
 At last I decided to charter a tug steamer, and tow it off some- 
 where down the river. I was told that it would not float. 
 Not knowing better, I also chartered two barges, and on the 
 rising tide the whale was got between them, securely fastened 
 with ropes, and off we started with the whale and barges in tow. 
 One of the barges contained one hundred empty oil barrels, 
 several large iron kettles, axes, shovels, and everything neces- 
 sary to carry on the operations of collecting the oil. We had 
 no idea where we could stop ; we did not dare to land near any 
 habitation. At last we espied a quiet bay, some distance from 
 the city, and decided the steamer should give the barges good 
 head way and run them as high on the beach as possible. The 
 condition of the tide favoring this plan, it was carried out, and 
 the whale was left snugly moored to some large trees and on 
 the receding tide it was high and dry in P 's Bay. About 
 fifteen or twenty men were engaged to cut it up, boil it down, 
 and barrel the oil. I then returned home, completely exhausted, 
 bewailing the hour that made me partner in a whale venture. 
 I paid daily visits to my whaling establishment until I 
 could do so no longer. The scent penetrated my clothing, got 
 down my throat, remained in iuy nostrils, and prevented my 
 eating for several days. The news of the great whale being 
 at P 's Bay spread in every direction, people came from 
 miles around to see it. It was hacked and cut in pieces by 
 curiosity hunters ; some carrying away pieces of the skin to make
 
 358 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 razor strops, or to cover old trunks. I forbade the men to say 
 that I had any thing to do with it ; it was no use, every one 
 appeared to know that I was the proprietor. The newspapers 
 published the most ridiculous accounts of me in connection with 
 that whale, and for many days I got telegrams and letters from 
 friends all over the country, inquiring about my whale, and some 
 of them were very amusing. Several of my artistic friends 
 caricatured me ; in one, I was represented in bed surrounded by 
 baby whales, beseeching me to return them their mamma. 
 Really I don't think that Barnum, as exhibitor of the Woolly 
 Horse, the What Is It, Mermaid, or any other great wonder, 
 occupied a more prominent position than I did at that time. 
 Presidents of Historical Societies and other learned institutions 
 called upon me for the history of that whale, and my name was 
 to be immortalized if I would donate the skeleton to their 
 museums ; I waived all such honors until I could consult 
 my partner, the Captain, who I was sure would prefer turning 
 everything into money and I invariably answered that he was 
 absent and I could do nothing without his consent. 
 
 Upon one of my visits to the whale, I observed a large barge 
 about a quarter of a mile below us ; if was filled with country 
 people from the opposite side of the river, who had got up a 
 picnic to visit the whale. There were about sixty or seventy, 
 old and young, women among the rest. As there was no wharf 
 near, a number of strong young men carried the women ashore 
 on their backs. When all were landed they formed into proces- 
 sion to march up to the bay, but every step onward filled their 
 nostrils with such a scent as to nearly take their breath away. 
 At last they came to a halt, evidently unable to stand it any 
 longer. Several of the young men, not so fastidious as the 
 others, ventured up close to the monster and told such fabulous 
 tales of it that the women loudly expressed their regret at not 
 being able to see the sight too. One stout old dame, with broad- 
 brimmed straw hat, umbrella and spectacles, and apparently the 
 chaperone, told them that she knew how to get over the diffi- 
 culty. "Just follow me," she cried. They all turned back 
 and went into a field, and were soon intently engaged in gather- 
 ing some herbs, after which the procession was re-formed with- 
 the old dame at the head, when on they came, shouting and 
 laughing with a determined air to conquer all obstacles. When 
 they got up near enough, every one was found to have a bunch 
 of wild mint under their noses, and they chuckled greatly over
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 359 
 
 the success of the old woman's plan of seeing the whale, while 
 smelling the mint. 
 
 After several days' work I was rather astonished to find that 
 all the men had secured was nine barrels of what they assured 
 me was whale oil, and there was no more. This small result 
 upset the Captain's and my own calculations with a vengeance. 
 The man who wrote the article on whales in " Chambers' Infor- 
 mation for the People " could not have meant such a whale as 
 ours. I can assure you, I would have sold out my share cheap, 
 but whale stock had lost its hold upon public confidence, and 
 was far below par. I found that the Captain, after inquiry, had 
 lost all interest in the speculation and did not claim any dividend. 
 However, I was determined to bring the matter to a speedy 
 close. I sent up the nine barrels of oil, and all the materials 
 used in the operation of securing them. Being fond of collect- 
 ing specimens of Natural History, I had the skeleton also taken 
 up and laid out to bleach on the wharf. 
 
 The oil did not please me, there was a smell about it quite 
 different from that of any whale oil I had ever noticed before; one 
 would have supposed that the old whale had come back in its 
 flesh again. So I accepted the first offer I got, before the Port- 
 physician came around, and sold the nine barrels for thirty 
 dollars, on condition that it was removed at once. This was 
 done and it became the property of a dealer in junk and old 
 stores. I was told he went off boasting of his bargain. Some 
 days after he found a customer for it. As soon as he started 
 the bung of the barrels to get samples, the contents pushed out 
 and drove himself and customer away by its loud smell. Those 
 nine barrels contained nothing more than boiled whale in a high 
 state of fermentation. There was not an ounce of oil in the old 
 creature's body. He had evidently been afflicted with some 
 disease, worked himself up from the sea into fresh-water, died, 
 and finally floated into the sand-bar where found, ( to my cost). 
 I put the best face I could on the matter ; had the skeleton laid 
 out, it soon became white, and was really a great curiosity to 
 many, the jaw-bones being each sixteen feet long. 
 
 I now found myself proprietor of only a whale's skeleton. 
 There is an old saying, that every man has a skeleton in his 
 cupboard. I can assure you mine was not in a cupboard, for it 
 was rather larger than I presume the generality of mankind are 
 supposed to be haunted with. 
 
 I was one day quietly examining the debit and credit side of
 
 360 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 the whale account, when I found myself the loser by a con- 
 siderable amount. Just as I closed the book, with much 
 dissatisfaction, I heard a rap at my office door, and desired the 
 person to walk in. A respectable man came in and asked me 
 whether I was Mr. McGreevey. I answered " No, sir, that is 
 not my name ; " the gentleman he named was President of the 
 St. Lawrence Steam Navigation company, a few blocks further 
 off, but our names sound a little alike. 
 
 " Well sir," said he, " you will probably say whether you 
 are the person who owns a whale." 
 
 " Oh, yes," I answered, " I am that unfortunate man. 
 What can I do for you, sir ? " 
 
 He said, " I am one of the members of the municipal council 
 of St. Jean, and also a church warden. You had a whale cut 
 up at St. P 's Bay a few miles above us ; a quantity of the offal 
 has floated down with the tide ; settled on the beach right 
 opposite our church, and near our homes. The atmosphere is 
 poisoned ; we cannot remain in church, nor live in our houses, 
 from the dreadful stench created by that horrid whale ; I am 
 deputed by the council to call upon you and request you to 
 have it removed before we all die of cholera or some other pes- 
 tilential disease." 
 
 You may well imagine that this did not make me feel any 
 better over my whale speculation. I managed, however, to 
 work upon the councillor's good nature, and for a sum of money 
 he promised to get some persons to clear the offal off the beach, 
 and rid me of this new trouble. 
 
 In the latter part of September, a friend, who is President of 
 a university in one of the United States, visited our city and I 
 had many pleasant hours with him. Calling at my office, I 
 showed him the skeleton of the whale; he was very much 
 pleased to see it, as it was the first, and certainly a great curi- 
 osity. He gave me several gentle hints that it would add greatly 
 to the attractiveness of his university's museum, if it was there. 
 I told him that it cost me much trouble and considerable money. 
 He then said that if I would have it cased and forwarded to 
 him, he thought the trustees of the institution would allow me a 
 fair value for it. As he offered to pay for the packing, I con- 
 sented, and had it forwarded via. one of the western steamboat 
 lines. Several months passed before I heard from him, when one 
 day I received a letter, in which he wished to know whether I 
 was not of opinion that that whale had been born to cause
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 361 
 
 trouble to every one who ever had anything to do with it. In 
 due course it had arrived at Chicago. Of this fact, he was noti- 
 fied by the agent of of the steamboat line, but perfectly dum- 
 founded by the bill of cost ; the university being called upon to 
 pay $225 for freight and charges, and he feared under these cir- 
 cumstances, my prospects of any further allowance 'were very 
 doubtful indeed. So ended my adventures with that provoking 
 old whale." 
 
 Moral : do not speculate in dead whales in the " dog days " ! 
 
 Just as the Port admiral had delivered the moral of the whale 
 story, the DOLPHIN, glided into its berth at the Queen's wharf. 
 The shrill pipe of the boatswain, the shriller whistle of the steam- 
 er, proclaimed our safe return. One and all we tendered 
 our hearty thanks to the admiral of the Port, whose courtesy 
 had procured us a sea voyage, as pleasant as it was instructive. 
 
 It had just taken us two hours and ten minutes to steam 
 round.
 
 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWKENCE. 363 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 (Extract from my Gasp6 Journal, 8th June, 1877.) 
 
 Having enjoyed a substantial repast, in which salmon, fresh from the 
 pool, was the pi&ce de resistance, we were, amongst many tit-bits of useful or 
 amusing knowledge, treated to a song, partly composed by the Ottawa 
 poet, " Cousin Sandy," partly by the old " Laird of Cluny Cottage ; " it was 
 set to the tune of" Widow Machree" with variations, and retraced some of 
 the brightest episodes of the eventful career of a lamented literary friend 
 of ours alas ! no more, the Hon. T. D. McGee, as follows : 
 
 D'ARCY M'GEE. 
 
 Be young Canada proud, Oh I I speak it aloud, 
 For there ne'er was a land, and there never will be, 
 But has heard of the name, aye and likewise the fame, 
 That's a bull never mind that of D'Arcy MoGee. 
 
 Though I say to myself all my compeers are delf, 
 And I am the real China, and that's true for me, 
 Where's the man, old or young, with a musical tongue, 
 That will match with this Orator, D'Arcy McGee. 
 
 That spalpeen, it's true, that's from East Waterloo ; (*) 
 He chides me and chates me, to own it I am free, 
 But I'm never at fault with the great Mister Gait, 
 And Cartier smiles sweetly on D'Arcy McGee. 
 
 IV. 
 
 My staunch friend, J. A., can with Orangemen pray, 
 I eoon will convince him, and that you will see, 
 That the priests are the heat for the folks of the West ; 
 As well as the Orator D'Arcy McGee. 
 
 v. 
 
 With men such as these at the antipodes, 
 A household word surely I am destined to be, 
 For the gold in the mines of Australia shines, 
 Through the quartz, at the mention of D'Arcy McGee. 
 
 (*) Hon. Michael Foley, aince dead.
 
 364 CHRONICLES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Then be aisy now, plaze, fur old Demusthenese, 
 Had he lived in those days would have copied from me ; 
 For the man in the moon must go oft' in a swoon, 
 When he heart) the redoubtable D'Arcy McGee. 
 
 I will venture a bet that the fishes must sweat, 
 In the mighty St. Lawrence right out to the eea; 
 And my big burning words must set fire to the birds, 
 That fly within hearing of D'Arcy McGee. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 You all know the same, that from Ireland I came, 
 And I tried very hard my country to free, 
 With O'Brien and Meagher and Mitchel for war, 
 The life of Young Ireland is D'Arcy McGee. 
 
 There's no nation on earth to such genius gave birth 
 As the Island of Erin that lies in the sea; 
 Burke, O'Connell and Shiel were full matches for Peel, 
 And the last, though not least, that is, D'Arcy McGee. 
 
 x. 
 
 Some say I am handy at sipping good brandy, 
 And, with social gents, I am great on the spree ; 
 To taste of the crathure 'tis all human nature, 
 And eo does the Orator D'Arcy McGee. 
 
 I'll better my station by Confederation ; 
 
 And be known in the future by K. C. and B. 
 
 I have made my own path up to KNIGHT OP THE BATH, 
 
 Hurrah for Old Erin and Sir D'Arcy McGee !
 
 T .A. :Q IL. DE3 
 
 Showing the distances of the various POINTS OF INTEREST from 
 
 Quebec, and from each other, on the Lower St. 
 
 Lawrence and Saguenay Rivera. 
 
 ) wiH*fe9**ioo*>j co o ^ ^ 4*. en to as -*- i ot c^ o* c: <m fco I "oint ot. Tjaurent. 
 
 2 to to oo oo -io> cn *- * *- Co CO to c: * Co Co i-" i I I St. John. 
 -i-ioissoeoS' oo toif o 03 3 -i en o<c oo *- 05 1-> o -J 1 
 
 ?KSo.8l IleMadame - 
 
 o-i~i~icRoien *- 
 
 -lC>tO*~CC-*4- I 
 
 Cap Tourmeiite. 
 
 trsss 3ss;8S! GroSi8eJle - 
 
 Lighfc 
 
 H-oo55-i 
 
 cnici en St. Paul's Bay. 
 
 .I K)) _I O , ^ 
 
 Les Eboulements. 
 
 Murray Bay. 
 
 i Riviere du Loup. 
 
 Tadousac - 
 
 Ste. Marguerite. 
 
 Soo^S St. Louis Islets. 
 
 anards 
 
 -i*.cocoeoi*to ^- oi 'i Little Saguenay River. 
 
 rf^-CSCDuuO'. O^-rf^Oh-l " 
 
 i st - Jo"n' Bay. 
 
 Eternity Bay. 
 
 SSt^, i! 1 The Capes. 
 
 West - 
 
 Ha! Ha! Bay. 
 
 go | St. Alphonse. 
 
 Chicoutimi. 
 
 Rimouski to C 
 
 mi, d 
 vi 
 
 ki to Tadousac 
 ac to St. Alphons 
 
 '5" 
 
 3 A 
 O 
 
 fS 
 
 = 1- 
 *5 
 
 a 
 f. C 
 3b 
 2 c 
 i-o 
 
 QUEBEC 
 
 42 
 60 
 
 60 
 72 
 
 8S 
 
 NOTE. In the above table the distance of any place from Quebec will be found at the 
 top of perpendicular column under the name of the place wanted. The distance between 
 any other two places is found by taking the name or one of the places in the left hand 
 margin, and following its line until it intersects with the column at whose head ia the 
 name of the other pluces sought. 
 
 * Places marked with an asterisk are Stations of the Montreal Telegraph Company.
 
 366 
 
 Gw// 0/ St. Lawrence Route. 
 
 The favorite Passenger Steamer " MIRAMICHI " leaves Montreal 
 every alternate Monday at 4.00 p.m., and Quebec every alternate 
 Tuesday at 2.00 p.m., for Pictou, calling at Father Point, Metis, 
 Gaspe", Perce, Paspebiac, Summerside, and Charlottetown, P. E. I., 
 returning, leaves Pictou, every alternate Monday at midnight. 
 
 BERMUDA LINE. 
 
 Steamers leave New York for Hamilton, Bermuda, every 
 Thursday in April, May and June, and every alternate Thursday 
 thereafter. 
 
 WEST INDIA & VENEZUELA LINE. 
 
 Steamers leave New York every Third Saturday, for St. John, 
 Porto Eico, St. Thomas, Laguayra and Porto Cabello, Venezuela. 
 
 A Steamer is intended to leave New York about the 1st July, 
 and every six weeks thereafter, for Domerara, calling at St. 
 "Thomas, Martinique, Barbadoes and Trinidad. 
 
 Connections to all parts of the West Indies and South America. 
 For Freight or passage apply to 
 
 W. MOOKE, Manager, 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 A. E. OTJTERBRIDGE & CO., 
 
 29 Broadway, New York. 
 
 G. LEVE, Passenger Agent, 
 
 Broadway cor. Chambers St., N. Y.
 
 367 
 THE 
 
 1878. ST. LAWRENCE STEAM NAVIGATION 1878. 
 
 COMPANY. 
 
 A, JOSEPH, JULIEN CHABOT, 
 
 President. Manager. 
 
 This Company's Line of Steamers, plying along the North and South 
 Shores of the Lower St. Lawrence, and on the 
 
 FAR-FAMED RIVER SAGUENAY, 
 
 Is composed of the following First-Class PASSENGER STEAMERS: 
 
 "SAGUENAY," " ST. LAWRENCE," "UNION," 
 
 OFFICERED BY EXPERIENCED MEN. 
 
 From the 20th June to the 10th of September, one of the above Steamers 
 will leave the St. Andrew's Wharf every day (except Sunday) at 7 a.m., on 
 arrival of the Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company's Steamer from 
 Montreal and the Grand Trunk Railway Trains from the West, which make 
 connection for the SAGUENAY RIVER, as far as Ha ! Ha ! Bay and Chi- 
 coutimi, calling at Baie St. Paul, Eboulements, MURRAY BAY, RIVIERE 
 DU LOUP, [Cacouna] and Tadousac. 
 
 $jT Connecting at Riviere du Loup with the Intercolonial Railway, for 
 and from the Maritime Provinces and Eastern States. 
 
 After above date, until 12th October, a boat will leave Quebec for the same 
 places, on Tuesdays and Fridays. 
 
 For TICKETS and information, enquire as follows : 
 
 Throughout the United States at Offices Selling Northern Excursion Tic- 
 kets. NEW YORK, 261 Broadway ; BOSTON, 197 and 240 Washington 
 Street. 
 
 In CANADA, at all principal Offices of the Grand Trunk and Intercolo- 
 nial Railroads. 
 
 At all Western Offices of the Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Co., and on 
 their Passenger Steamers. 
 
 In MONTREAL, Nos. 133 and 177 St. James Street, 228 St. Paul Street, 
 and on the Richelieu Pier. A. MILLOY, Agent. 
 
 In QUEBEC, at the General Ticket Agency of G. LEVE, opposite the St. 
 Louis Hotel, where State Rooms can be secured. 
 
 And at the Company's Office. 
 
 For further information, apply to A. GABOURY, Secretary. 
 
 Or to II. F. BELLE W, Freight and Passenger Agent, 
 
 ST. ANDREW'S WHARF, QUEBEC. 
 
 Quebec, 1878.
 
 368 
 
 ,. IT. LOWS HOTEL, 
 
 ST. J^OUIS STUJZET, 
 
 Q.U EBEC. 
 
 This Hotel, which is unrivalled for Size, Style and Locality in 
 Quebec, is open through the year for pleasure and business travel. 
 
 It is eligibly situated in the vicinity of the most delightful and 
 fashionable promenades, the Governor's Garden, the Citadel, the 
 Esplanade, the Place d'Armes, and Durham Terrace, which furnish 
 the splendid views and magnificent scenery for which Quebec is so 
 justly celebrated, and which is unsurpassed in any part of the world. 
 
 The Proprietors in returning thanks for the very liberal patron- 
 age thej' have hitherto enjoyed, inform the public that this Hotel 
 has been enlarged and refitted, and can now accommodate 500 visi- 
 tors, and assure them that nothing will be wanting on their part 
 that will conduce to the comfort and enjoyment of their guests. 
 
 THE RUSSELL HOTEL COMPANY, Proprietors. 
 WILLIS KUSSELL, President. 
 
 SALMON FISHING 
 
 IN TUB 
 
 I^ITTOIT sto. UVilIctrsvieirito, 
 
 Which is about sixty miles long, and contains six separate stations, each affording 
 ample fishing for two rods. 
 
 A TRIBUTARY OF THE RIVER SAGUENAY, CANADA. 
 
 ROBERT HARE POWEL, Esq., 424 Walnut St., Philadelphia. } 
 WILLIS RUSSELL, Esq., St. Louis Hotel, Quebec. / e " ees " 
 
 Summary of Catch by the undersigned for the Season of 1877. 
 
 Days. Fish. Weight. Average. 
 
 Messrs. R. H. Powel, IT 74 999$ 13J 
 
 " W. Russell,? 1 9 145 16 
 
 " Streit (New York) & Green (New Jersey), 36 489 13^ 
 " Walter M. Bnickett (41 Tremont Street, 
 
 Boston,) 5 31 449 14$ 
 
 " E. V. Olark (New York,) 7 98 14 
 
 Col. Rhodes, Quebec, 2 44 22 
 
 Total 159 2224$ 14
 
 369 
 THE POOLS OF THE MARGUERITE. 
 
 From " Sketches of the Lower St. Lawrence," by J. M. LeMoIne, 
 
 I :<!., late President of the Literary and Historical Society 
 
 of Quebec. 
 
 Picturesque scenery, combining exercise and healthy repose with moderate 
 charges, during the languid days of July and August, has, no doubt, contri. 
 buted, in no small degree, to attract, for some years past, pleasure-seekers 
 from every corner of the continent to the watering-places on the Lower St. 
 Lawrence. Two spots in particular Chicoutimi, at the head-waters of the 
 Saguenay, and Tadou&ac, at its outlet are famed places of resort during 
 the "leafy" months. Of late, a new source of attraction has sprung up 
 between these two points that is, the opening up to tourists of a piscatorial 
 turn, of the Salmon-Pools of the MARGUERITE, which, until recently, were held 
 in reserve by the proprietor, for self and friends. 
 
 The MARGUERITE, a tributary of the Saguenay, after taking a short turn, 
 near its entrance, runs parallel with its big brother for some seventy miles. 
 It is distant fourteen miles from Tadousac, and one hundred and twenty, from 
 Quebec. Steamers leaving Quebec at seven a.m. reach Tadousac the same 
 day at seven p.m. 
 
 This river has all the rugged beauty of the Saguenay on a smaller scale. 
 Hidden amidst the silence of the forest primeval, far away from the haunts 
 of civilized man, it rejoices in some of the most magnificent scenery on the 
 continent ; its eddies and roaring rapids, wheeling occasionally around per- 
 pendicular capes as lofty as those of Eternity and Trinity, are varied by a 
 succession of deep, quiet pools, in which the lordly salmon, fresh from the 
 briny billows of the St. Lawrence, disports himself at leisure, carefully 
 guarded from poachers by vigilant overseers. 
 
 The proprietor of this noble river has completed arrangements, 
 at several of the pools, calculated to add much to the comfort of anglers de- 
 sirous of enjoying a few days' salmon-fishing, at a rate of remuneration 
 which will certainly place it within the reach of many. Six plain Gothic 
 cottages, 30 x 24 feet, with verandahs, have just been erected one at each 
 of the pools. They are provided with beds, linen, blankets, crockery, cook- 
 ing stoves, and utensils, and also ice-houses for cooling drinks ; in fact, all 
 the indispensables requisite for a well provisioned disciple of old Izaak, 
 located for a week in the depths of a Canadian wilderness, with a compaynon 
 de route, or help mate, if a benedict, his wife that is, provided she has a 
 taste for rusticating, and can enjoy fresh salmon cooked in twenty different 
 ways. Some brave ones have, last summer, followed their lords to the tran- 
 quil pools of the Marguerite, and added roses to their cheeks by " rough- 
 ing it in the bush." 
 
 Y
 
 370 
 
 There are no other habitations in this wilderness but those recently put 
 up by the proprietor. The intercourse from one pool to the other is by 
 means of birch bark canoes, or by paths cut out, at some expense, through 
 the virgin forest. It is nature in its wildest graces. However, to many 
 
 " There is a pleasure in the pathless woods ; 
 There is a rapture on the lonely shore ; 
 There is society where none intrudes." 
 
 Each cottage can accommodate several persons. The Quebec line of 
 steamers passes daily up and down the Saguenay. Sail or row-boats are 
 at all times available at Tadousac, fourteen miles lower down, to convey 
 the tourist, his provisions, wardrobe, etc., to the elysium of the lovely 
 Marguerite. 
 
 Previous to the improvements on this estuary, the fly-fishing had 
 attracted considerable notice, having been patronized by His Royal Highness 
 Albert Edward, of Wales, Lord Lisgar, and his popular successor, Lord 
 Dufierin, Governor-General of the Dominion. Some of the salmon caught 
 have attained 38 Ibs., but, as a rule, they do not average more than 16 Ibs. 
 The following items, as to the capacity of the six chief Pools, were obtained 
 from the proprietor himself : 
 
 The Lower-Forks Pool 
 
 Suffices for four or five Rods. The Station has a large cottage furnished 
 
 with kitchen detached. 
 The next station is four miles above, and is called 
 
 Home Pool : 
 
 Four Rods, etc. ; cottage furnished throughout. 
 
 The Chateau : 
 
 Three miles above, for four Rods ; also, has a cottage, etc. 
 The Sand Pool : 
 
 Four miles higher, with same accommodation ; a cottage furnished. Two 
 Rods. 
 
 Ila rdM vll le : 
 
 Six miles above ; has a cottage furnished . Four Rods. 
 Upper-Forks Pool > 
 
 Six miles higher ; has a cottage furnished. Three Rods.
 
 tsns-iffane,
 
 371 
 
 SL J. SH^TTCr dfe OCX, 
 
 NOS. 13 & 15 
 
 St. John Street, Upper Town, 
 
 AND 
 
 No. 37 Sous-le-Fort Street, 
 
 Lower Town, Quebec, 
 
 IMPORTERS AND DEALERS IN 
 
 " Fishing Tackle' and "Sporting Goods." 
 
 HIGHEST PRIZE AWARDED AT LAST EXHIBITION. 
 
 J. B. LALIBERTE. 
 
 ESTABLISHED 1867, 
 
 Fashionable Hatter & Furrier 
 
 Ladies' and Gents' fine furs of every descrip- 
 tion manufactured from the choicest Mink, 
 S. S. Seal, Bearer, Sea Otter, Sable, Persian 
 Lamb, Ermine. Russian and Hudson Bay 
 Skins always on hand. Fur Rooms open the 
 whole year. 
 
 124 & 126 St. Joseph St., St. Eoch, 
 _ QUEBEC. 
 
 ACADEMY OF JESUS-MARIE. 
 
 HIGH above the umbrageous groves of SOUS-LES-BOIS, for many years the 
 attractive Villa of Errol Boyd Lindsay, Esq., looms out the majestic ACA- 
 DEMY OF JESUS-MARIE, an institution for the education of young ladies. 
 It is owned and conducted by the French Nuns of Jesus-Marie, well known for the 
 excellence of their teaching. The system followed in that Convent is that of Father 
 Lacordaire, which is well suited to develope the reasoning and judgment of the pu- 
 pils, who are not required to learn anything by memory, but exclusively by analy- 
 sis. All the subjects comprised in a classical course of studies are taught in this 
 Convent, in English and in French. 
 
 As to sanitary arrangements, this Academy is one of the best institutions in Que- 
 bec. Ventilation and airing in every room is perfect, and the place where the Con- 
 vent is situated is one of the healthiest around the City. The ground occupies an 
 area of several acres, and is ornamented with trees, walks and gardens, giving a 
 rural appearance to the place and a great deal of comfort and amusement to the 
 pupils. 
 
 This Convent is about three miles from Quebec, on St. Louis road, to the north 
 of the parish church of St. Colomban of Sillery. It is a lofty white brick building, 
 roomy, and built with all the modern improvements, under the direction of Rev. 
 Mr. Audet, member of the Board of Arts and Manufactures. From the roof of the 
 building, one may enjoy one of the grandest views of Quebec, the Plains of Abra- 
 ham, the St. Lawrence and the surrounding country.
 
 372 
 
 ESTABLISHED IN 1841. 
 
 THOMAS ANDREWS, 
 
 No. I ST. JOHN STREET 
 
 QUEBEC, 
 Importer and Dealer in 
 
 English and American House Furnishing, 
 
 Building and Cabinet Hardware. 
 
 FISHING TACKLE. 
 
 A SUPERIOR ASSORTMENT OF 
 
 Salmon and Trout Rods, Fishing Baskets, Landing Nets, Gaffs, prepared Silk 
 Lines, Double and Single Oasts, Spoon Baits, Artificial Minnows, Marana Gut, 
 Fly Dressing Material, c. 
 
 FLIES. 
 
 The best selection of Salmon and Trout Flies, made expressly for the Lakes 
 and Rivers in the vicinity of the Lower St. Lawrence. 
 
 TO SPORTSMEN. 
 
 Double and Single Fowling Pieces, Scott's, Webley's and other celebrated 
 makers ; Rifles, Revolvers, Shot Belts, and Pouches, Powder Flasks, Shot. Wads, 
 Central and Pin Fire Cartridge Cases ; Curtiss& Harvey's Diamond Grain Powder. 
 
 Constantly on Hand 
 
 Paints, Oils, Turpentine, Varnishes, Painters' Brushes, Window Glass, Putty, 
 Nails, Spear & Jackson's Files and Edge Tools, American Ship Augers, Blind 
 Staples, Wrought Iron Gas Tubes and Fittings, Globe and Check Valves, Steam 
 and Water Gauges, India Rubber and Hemp Packing, Lift and Force Pumps, 
 Sinks, Wash Hand Basins, &c. 
 
 ALSO 
 
 A great variety of Cooking Stoves, Kitchen Ranges, Fancy, Hall, Parlor, Box 
 and Coal Stoves; Cooking Utensils, Fire Guards, Fire Irons, Coal Scuttles, 
 Bronzed and Wire Fenders, Cocoa Matting, Door Mats, Wool Rugs, Chamois, 
 Brushes, Sponges, Refrigerators, Water Coolers, Ice Cream Freezers ; and 
 
 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS- 
 
 Jos. Rodgers & Son's, Westenholm's, celebrated Scissors, Razors, Pocket and 
 Table Cutlery. 
 
 Orders for Tin and Copper Work. Plumbing, Gasfitting, Bell Hanging, will be 
 attended with neatness and despatch 
 
 Steam and Hot Water Apparatus. Special attention is given to this branch.
 
 373 
 
 N.S. HARDY 
 
 OPPOSITE CHURCH NOT RE-DAME, 
 
 LOWER TOWN, QUEBEC, 
 
 BOOK STORE, 
 
 CHURCH ORNAMENTS, 
 FRENCH WORKS, PUBLISHED IN CANADA, FOR SALE. 
 
 ALSO 
 
 RELATIONS DES JESUITES, 3 Volumes, Rare, 
 
 INDIAN ^ELjOraf CURIOSITIES, 
 
 Bead X^** 1 ^ gP^K Works. 
 
 Hiiiiiiiniiinniiuiiimii'iiiiiuiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiriiiiinniii 
 AT THE CI3K OF TEE TISEE, 
 
 FABRIQUE STREET, UPPER TOWN, QUEBEC. 
 
 OPPOSITE JESUIT BARRACKS. 
 
 G. & C. HOSSACK, 
 
 |g| , G-rocers, ;;- : :/ - s 
 
 WINE AND SPIRIT DEALERS 
 
 CORNER OF ANN AND GARDEN STREETS, 
 
 Opposite the Russell House, Upper Town Market, Quebec. 
 
 Fishing parties furnished with every requisite, such as 
 Potted meats, Soups, Condensed Milk, Essence of Coffee. 
 
 and J^filitary Tailor, 
 
 AND 
 
 IMPORTER OF GENTLEMEN'S FURNISHINGS, 
 Corner Hiiado & IHifort streets^ 
 
 UPPER TOWN, QUKBEC, OPPOSITK POST-OFFICE,
 
 374 
 
 PUBLISHED 
 
 ENGLISH. 
 
 'LEGENDARY LORE OF THE LOWER ST. LAWRENCE, 
 
 (1 vol. in-32) 1862 
 
 *MAPLE LEAVES, (1st Series) (1 vol. in 80) 1863 
 
 * " " (2nd Series) (1 vol. in-8o) 1864 
 
 * " " (3rd Series) (1 vol. in-8o) 1865 
 
 *THE TOURIST'S NOTEBOOK, (1 vol. in-64) by 
 
 Cosmopolite 1870 
 
 *SWORD OF BRIGADIER GENERAL MONTGOM- 
 ERY, (A Memoir) (1 vol. in-64) 1870 
 
 * JOTTINGS FROM CANADIAN HISTORY, (Stewart's 
 
 Quarterly) 1871 
 
 *TRIFLES FROM MY PORTFOLIO, (New Dominion 
 
 Monthly) 1872 
 
 MAPLE LEAVES, (New Series) 1873 
 
 QUEBEC, PAST & PRESENT 1876 
 
 THE TOURIST'S NOTE BOOK (second edition) 1876 
 
 FRENCH. 
 
 *L'ORNITHOLOGIE DU CANADA, (2 vol. in-8o) 1860 
 
 *LES PECHERIES DU CANADA, (I vol. in-8o) 1863 
 
 *MEMOIRE DE MONTCALM, VENGEE, (1 vol. in- 
 
 32) 1865 
 
 *L'ALBUM CANADIEN 1870 
 
 NOTES HISTORIQUES SUR LES RUES DE QUE- 
 BEC 1876 
 
 TABLEAU SYNOPTIQUE DES OISEAUX DU CAN- 
 ADA, & 1' usage des Ecoles 1877 
 
 For sale at Messrs. DAWSON& Co., Lower-Town, Quebec. 
 
 * The works marked with an asterick are very scarce.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PART i. 
 
 Introduction v 
 
 CHAFFER I. 
 
 The Gulf Ports Steamers Father Loftus Gaspe" Its . Scenery and 
 
 Amusements 7 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Gaspe Basin Douglastown Point St. Peter's Mai Baie New Car- 
 lisle Paspebiac 12 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Micmacs Peter Basket, Esquire, the Great Indian Chief Hope 
 Town Lord Aylmer and his Micmac Acquaintance Nouvelle 
 Chigouac Port Daniel The Oldest Mayor in the Dominion 19 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Harrington Cove Pointe-au-Maquereau The Loss of the Colborne in 
 1838 An Unexpected Rencontre with one of the Few Survivors of 
 the Shipwreck His own Version of the Disaster 24 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 New Port Cove Pabos Grand River Its ricketty Old Bridge Cape 
 Cove Cap d'Espoir Curious Transformations of Names Still 
 more Curious Legends 31
 
 376 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Early History of Perec" The Rock as Viewed by Naturalists Two 
 
 Rival Republics What May Lead to War 38 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Percd Mont Joli Bonaventure Island Captain Duval The Cele- 
 brated Privateer "Vulture." 44 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Point St. Peter The Light of Other Days The Irrepressible Memo- 
 ries of the Past Belle Anse Douglastown Portage The Black 
 Pool and its Legends 52 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Shipwreck of Sir Hovenden Walker's Squadron on Egg Island, 22nd 
 August, 1711 Loss of Eight Transports, with 884 Men Particu- 
 lars of the Equipment of this Formidable Armada Attack on 
 Placentia Projected Return of Fleet to England Persecution of 
 the Luckless Admiral His Death in 1725, in South Carolina 56 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Magdalen Island Group Admiral Isaac Coffin Deadman's Island 
 
 Tom Moore, the Irish Poet 71 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The Magdalen Islands viewed under their Historical, Utilitarian and 
 
 Commercial Aspects 77 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 New Richmond Maria Its Mysterious Light Carleton The Abode 
 of the Acadians 85
 
 CONTENTS. 377 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Anticosti Flotsam and Jetsam The Pirate of the St. Lawrence 
 (Gamache), delineated by Charles Lanman, a Washington Littera- 
 teur 88 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Loss of the French Frigate " La Renomme*e " on Anticosti, 14th Nov., 
 1736 A Winter of Horrors, Starvation and Death A Missionary's 
 Career from Mr. Faucher's Summary Ill 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 " The Voices of the Sea " A Storm Without Wind Some of Jacques 
 Carrier's and Charlevoix's Tough Yarns The Legendary Lore of 
 the St. Lawrence Le Braillard de la Magdeleine 123 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Miscou Island as described by Mr. Faucher Its History Fisheries, &c. 
 
 One of Champlain's Fishy Stories The Gougou 129 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 St. Joseph of Tracadie in New Brunswick Its Lazaretto Its Lepers 
 Is it the Eastern Plague? "The Kingdom of Death's Eldest 
 Daughter" Diagnosis of the Disease 137 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Dalhousie on a Circus Day Campbellton The Micmacs of Cross 
 Point 149 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 St. John, N.B. Its Sceneiy Suspension Bridge Victoria Hotel 157 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Halifax Its Citadel Its Streets Its Port Its Wealth Its History.. 169 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Prince Edward Island Its Early History Population Resources 
 Admiral Bayfield Charlottetown Summerside A Winter Steam 
 
 Ferry 181 
 
 z
 
 878 CONTENTS. 
 
 THE ROUND TRIP TO MURRAY BAY CACOUNA 
 TADOUSAC CHICOUTIMI AND INTER- 
 VENING PLACES. 
 
 Point Levi 190 
 
 Isle of Orleans 193 
 
 St. Petronile de Beaulieu 193 
 
 St. Pierre 196 
 
 Ste. Famille 196 
 
 St. Francois 197 
 
 St. Jean 197 
 
 St. Laurent 197 
 
 He Madame and lie aux Reaux 199 
 
 Grosse Isle the Quarantine Station 199 
 
 Ste. Marguerite Island and its Group 200 
 
 Crane Island 201 
 
 Goose Island 207 
 
 Seal Rocks a Game Preserve 212 
 
 Riviere Ouelle 212 
 
 The Oldest Country Cure" in Canada 214 
 
 A Canadian Cottage 216 
 
 Kamouraska 218 
 
 The Pilgrim Islands 219 
 
 Cacouna 225 
 
 Tadousac 225 
 
 Chicoutimi 229 
 
 Saguenay 231 
 
 Murray Bay 234 
 
 Eboulements 237 
 
 Baie St. Paul 237 
 
 Coudres Island Isle aux Coudres 240 
 
 St. Joachim 247 
 
 Ste. Anne duNord... 250
 
 CONTENTS. 379 
 
 PART II. 
 
 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS IN THE KINGDOM OF 
 HERRING AND COD. 
 
 I. 
 On Board the Gulf Porte Steamer "Secret" 257 
 
 II. 
 The Lower St. Lawrence Its Steamers Its Enchanted Isles 262 
 
 III. 
 
 Gasp6 Baie des Chaleurs Their Scenery, Roads, Settlements 266 
 
 IV. 
 
 Perce Pabos Newport Pointe au Maquereau L'Anse au Gascon 
 Port Daniel Chegouac Paspebiac New Carlisle Bonaventure 
 Maria Carleton Nouvelle Restigouche A Drive all Around. 271 
 
 V. 
 
 The Mackerel and Salmon Question An Illinois Judge thereon 
 
 Perce" , 278 
 
 VI. 
 
 Two Invasions The Lobster and Salmon Question at Port Daniel Its 
 Practical Bearing Port Daniel and its worthy Mayor, "Touch not 
 
 the Cat, but the Glove." ,282 
 
 The Kingdom of the Paspyjacks The Great Jersey Firms... 289 
 
 The Moving Light in the Baie des Chaleurs 292 
 
 The Tradition 293 
 
 Carleton Maria Nouvelle Point Sciminac Cross Point The 
 Breeches of an Indian Chief The Micmacs of Cross Point Rev. 
 
 Mr. Faucher Indian Wrongs Indian Revenge 297 
 
 Scenery oa the Restigouche and Metapedia The Sugar Loaf Squaw's 
 
 Cap Crow's Quill, Peaks Big Dan Fraser 304 
 
 Rimouski Me"tis Matane 306 
 
 St. Barnaby Island, opposite to Rimouski Its Pious Old Hermit His 
 
 Romantic Sorrow and Death 311 
 
 St. Simon St. Fabien Bic 315 
 
 "L'Isletau Massacre" 317 
 
 Riviere Ouelle * 319
 
 380 CONTENTS. 
 
 THE CRUISE OF THE DOLPHIN. 
 I. 
 
 On Board H. M. Steamer " Dolphin,'' on the Quebec Station 321 
 
 II. 
 
 The Frescoed Church of St. Romuald 325 
 
 III. 
 
 The Siege of 1759 Wolfe's Fleet and Signals The French Gunner of 
 April 1760 328 
 
 IV. 
 A Reminiscence of the Siege of 1690 333 
 
 V. 
 
 The Battle of Beaufort Flat, 31st July, 1759 336 
 
 VI. 
 
 An Episode of the Siege of 1775 341 
 
 A Memory of 1792 343 
 
 VII. 
 
 Winter Quarters of the Petite Hermine in 1535-6. Earth Works on 
 the St. Charles, in rear of Mr. Parke's Villa. The Cradle and the 
 
 Tomb of French dominion in North America 346 
 
 VIII. 
 Conclusion 352 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Song of the Laird of Cluny Cottage anent D'Arcy M'Gee 363 
 
 NOTE For PAGE 111. Since I prepared, chiefly from the French narrative of 
 Mr. Faucher, in Tribord and iJabord, the short summary I gave of Father Crespel's 
 Bufferings on Anticosti, I have learned that an English translation of this interest- 
 ing document bad been made in New York, by John G. Shea, Esq. 
 
 To Abbe Ls. Bois of Maskinonge, I owe thanks, for having placed at my dis- 
 poS^his narrative of this shipwreck ; and to Mr. Faucher, for the use I made of 
 several passages of his volume, notably of that relating to P. E. Island; to Chris- 
 topher O'Connor, Esq., of Quebec, fora copy of Sir Hovenden Walker's Journal 
 a very rare work.
 
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