CHAPTER VII.

NEWFOUNDLAND AND THE LABRADOR COAST.

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION AND AREA -GENERAL HISTORY

ASPECT-GEOLOGY-CLIMATE-POPULATION AND

TERRITORIAL DIVI

SIONS-GOVERNMENT-INSTITUTIONS FINANCES-COMMERCE-SHIP

PING-FISHERY-NATURAL PRODUCTIONS-VALUE OF PROPERTY-RELI

GION-EDUCATION AND THE PRESS-SOCIAL STATE, &c.- -THE LABRADOR COAST MORAVIAN SETTLEMENTS, &c.

GENERAL HISTORY AND AREA.-Newfoundland Isle lying on the N.E. side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, between the parallels of 46.40. to 59.31. north latitude, and the meridians of 52.44. to 59.31. longitude west of Greenwich, is bounded on the whole eastern shore by the Atlantic Ocean;* on the N.E. and north it is separated from the coast of Labrador by the Strait of Belleisle (which is about fifty miles long, by twelve broad), on the N.W. by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and on the S.W. it approaches at Cape Ray towards Cape Breton Isle, so as to form the main entrance from the Atlantic Ocean into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Its extreme length measured, on a curve from Cape Race to Griguet Bay, is about 420 miles; its widest part from Cape Ray to Cape Bonavista is about 300 miles, and excluding its broken and rugged shores, the circumference may be stated at 1,000 miles-the whole comprising an area of 36,000 square miles.

GENERAL HISTORY.-The history of this island begins, according to tradition, with its possession by Biorn, a sea king, or pirate of Iceland,† who was driven thither, and is said

* Newfoundland is the nearest part of America to Europe, the distance from St. John's in Newfoundland, to Port Valentia on the west coast of Ireland, being 1656 miles, and which might be traversed every month throughout the summer, if steam packets were established, in from eight to ten days.

↑ Robertson and Pinkerton were of opinion that Newfoundland was first colonised by the Norwegians, and the latter thought the red Indians degenerated savages from the Norwegian settlers, whom Eric, Bishop of Greenland, went to Winland in 1221 to reform.

456

ANCIENT RUINS IN NEWFOUNDLAND.

to have taken shelter near Port Grace Harbour, about the year 1001. It is doubtful, however, whether his party ever colonised the island, if so perhaps they had become extinct* before its second discovery by John Cabot, the Venetian, who obtained a commission, to make discoveries, from Henry VII., and during his first voyage, 24th June, 1497, observed a headland, which, as a lucky omen, he named Bonavista, which name it retains to the present day. Cabot brought home with him three of the natives, who were clothed in skins, and speaking a language which no person understood. [See population section.]

The Newfound Island having been afterwards visited by Cotereal, a Portuguese, and Cartier, the French navigator, who reported most favourably on the abundance and excellency of its cod fishery (owing to which it was called Bacalao, the Indian name for that fish), soon attracted fishermen from European nations to visits its coasts; still no permanent settlement was made, and the fate of the early attempts at this object were such as, for a length of time, to deter future adventurers. Besides several others, Mr. Hoare, a merchant of London, fitted out a ship, and attempted to pass the winter there in 1536, but the crew, to avoid starvation were obliged to resort to the most horrible expedients, and indeed would all have perished had they not luckily found a French ship, in

* Some years ago a party of settlers proceeding up a river which falls into Conception Bay, observed at a distance of six or seven miles above the bay the appearance of stone walls rising above the surface; on removing the sand and alluvial earth, they ascertained these to be the remains of ancient buildings, with oak beams and millstones sunk in oaken beds; inclosures resembling gardens were also traced out, and plants of various kinds, not indigenous to the island, were growing around. Among the ruins were found different European coins, some of Dutch gold, considered to be old Flemish coins, others of copper without inscriptions. According to a paper by Capt. Hercules Robinson, obligingly lent me by the urbane Secretary to the Royal Geographical Society, doubts are endeavoured to be thrown on the antiquity of the buildings, and although the finding of coins of virgin gold is admitted by Capt. R. he asserts that the ruins are probably not older than the settlement of Lord Baltimore. I see no reason to agree with Capt. Robinson's apparently hastily founded opinions.

SIR HUMPHREY GILBERT'S UNFORTUNATE efforts. 457

which the emaciated survivors returned to England, giving deplorable accounts of their sufferings. Not deterred by this failure, however, and his own first attempt in 1578, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, the enterprising half brother of the famous Sir Walter Raleigh, having obtained a patent from Queen Elizabeth for six years, granting him possession of 200 leagues round any point he chose to settle on, sold all his estates in England, and fitted out five small vessels, in which he embarked with 200 people in 1583. Sir Humphrey landed in the Bay of St. John's, and took quiet possession of the country, in the presence of a vast concourse of fishermen, being the crews of thirty-six vessels of different nations. This unfortunate adventurer was, however, not destined to realise his hopes; being anxious to take possession of as much country as possible, before the expiration of his patent, he proposed to prosecute his discoveries to the south; but his crews mutinied, and part of them returned home of those who followed him above 100 were lost, in a gale, on board of one of the ships, off the Sable Island, or bank, and disheartened by their adverse circumstances, the others insisted on his steering homeward, which Sir Humphrey reluctantly consented to, remarking that he had but suspended his scheme until the next spring, 'when he would fit out an expedition royally.' His ship, however, foundered in a storm on the passage home and thus ended this disastrous expedition.*

In 1585, according to our next accounts, a voyage was made to Newfoundland by Sir Bernard Drake, who claimed its sovereignty and fishery in the name of Queen Elizabeth. Sir Bernard seized several Portuguese ships laden with fish, and oil, and furs, and returned to England; but, owing to the war with Spain, and the alarm caused by the Spanish armada, several years elapsed before another voyage was made to the island.

A fresh attempt was made at a settlement in 1610, but this

Sir Humphrey Gilbert is represented as a man of engaging manners, courage and learning, and much esteemed by Queen Elizabeth.

4.58

CHANCELLOR BACON'S NEWFOUNDLAND scheme.

was also abandoned, as well as several subsequent ones,t and what may be considered the first permanent colony, was established in 1623 by Sir George Calvert, afterwards Lord Baltimore, in order that he might enjoy the exercise of his religion, which was Roman Catholic. The settlers fixed their head-quarters at Ferry Low, spreading by degrees over all the bays in the south-eastern peninsula. Lord Baltimore made his son governor over the colony, which he called Avalon, and soon after proceeded thither himself, and it increased and flourished under his management :-how his Lordship contrived to set aside the former patentees is not known.

So important did the settlement of this colony now appear to the authorities at home, that we find the commissions directed to the Lord Treasurer, and others, to erect a common fishery, as a nursery for seamen;' and the first regula

• The attempt in 1610 was made by virtue of a patent granted by James I. to the Lord Chancellor Bacon, Lord Verulam, the Earl of Northampton, Lord Chief Baron Tanfield, Sir John Doddridge, and 40 other persons, and under the designation of the "Treasurer and Company of Adventurers and Planters of the Cities of London and Bristol for the Colony of Newfoundland." The patent granted the lands between Capes St. Mary and Bonavista, with the seas and islands lying within ten leagues of the coast for the purpose of securing the trade of fishing to our subjects for ever. Mr. Guy, an intelligent and enterprising merchant of Bristol, who planned this expedition, settled in Conception Bay, remained there two years, and then returned to England, leaving behind some of his people to carry on the fishery, the attempt at planting being laid aside.

↑ In 1614 Capt. Whitburn was sent out with a Commission from the Admiralty to empannel juries, and investigate the abuses complained of by the fishermen ; he held a Court of Admiralty on his arrival, and immediately received complaints from the masters of 170 vessels. In two years from this period Whitburn was appointed Chief over a little colony of Welshmen, formed by Dr. William Vaughan on the south part of the island, named by him Cambriol (now Little Britain), and which he purchased from the patentees mentioned in the text.

Avalon was the ancient name of Glastonbury in Somersetshire, where it is said Christianity was first preached in Britain: Lord Baltimore transferred the name to his new colony under the idea that it was the first place in North America where Christianity was established.

LORDS BALTIMORE AND FALKLAND'S COLONIES. 459

tion for "governing of His Majesty's subjects inhabiting in Newfoundland, or trafficking in bays," &c. (a very interesting document) was issued by Charles I., and bears date 1633, about which time, Lord Falkland sent a colony from Ireland to Newfoundland.

In 1654, Sir David Kirk obtained a grant from parliament of certain lands in Newfoundland, and proceeded thither with a few settlers; at this time, notwithstanding the constant bickerings between our people and the French, who had established a colony at Placentia, there were settlements effected in fifteen different parts of the island, altogether amounting to 300 families: yet, strange to say, that for many years after this the Board of Trade and Plantations did everything in their power to prevent any settlers colonising on the island, and authorised the commission of various acts of cruelty on those who had settled!

Shortly after the accession of King William III., on war breaking out with France, one of the causes for which was set forth that, "of late the incroachments of the French upon Newfoundland, and His Majesty's subjects' trade and fishery there, had been more like the invasions of an enemy than becoming friends, who enjoyed the advantages of that trade only by permission." The French settlement was attacked, in September, 1692, by Commander Williams, but owing to the spirited conduct of the French Governor, the expedition succeeded in doing no more than burning the works on Point Vesti. On the other hand, in 1696, the Chevalier Nesmond with a strong squadron of French ships, aided by the force on the island, made a descent on the town and harbour of St. John; but having totally failed he returned to France. Before the close of that year the French were, however, more successful, for another squadron arriving, under Brouillan, he, in concert with Ibberville, attacked St. John's, which being now short of military stores, and in a very defenceless state, was compelled to surrender. The French,

• See conclusion of the section for an exposition of the exclusive right of fishing now claimed, and strange to say, exercised by the French.