Chapter IX (3)

I arrived here yesterday,--this morning a Sloop arrived from Mr. Hopson, which I am obliged to send to Boston in case any ship should be going thence to England. I would not neglect an opportunity of writing to your Grace. I met the "Fair Lady" storeship at sea the eleventh, after we had been from England four weeks, who told me the Transports arrived at Spithead the day before he sailed, and were to sail in three days after him, we were then off the island of Sable, and except the first eight days had met with contrary winds all the passage, besides we had steered our course for Cape Race but was forced off the banks by a gale of wind from the North West so that I had reason to think the Transports might be soon at Chebucto--we had nobody on board that knew anything of the coasts nor of the Bay of Funday, so were to cruize off the coasts till we met with a pilot, we made the Coast of Acadie the 14th, but met with no pilot till the 20th, when we met with a sloop from Boston to Louisburgh with two pilots on board, for the use of the Governor,--the wind not serving for the Bay of Funday, and the officers assuring me in case of foggy weather (not unusual upon those coasts) we might be a fortnight getting to Annapolis. The wind was fair for Chebucto, so I thought it advisable to go in there rather than risk the being some weeks, perhaps, after the settlers arrived. I could save the garrison of Louisburgh the bad and long navigation to Annapolis, so I sent to Governor Hopson that I was going for Chebucto and desired him to transport the garrison thither, imagining he had transports ready; by his sloop that came in this day I find him in great perplexity, the French arrived, and he no transports.--The Council of War it seems were of opinion that the orders from the Secretary at War did not empower him to hire transports, but to wait my arrival and that I was to send the transports that brought the settlers here. As I cannot know when the transports will arrive, in what condition, nor how many I can spare, I think it absolutely necessary for the service to send the sloop to Boston with orders to Apthorp and Hancock, who Mr. Hopson has recommended as the persons who have been always employed on the part of the Government, to hire vessels with all expedition for the transportation of these troops from Louisburgh to Chebucto. I send a letter by the same sloop to Colonel Mascarene in case he should meet at sea any vessel going to Annapolis. I likewise send a Frenchman that knows the country over land, by Minas to Annapolis. I have ordered Colonel Mascarene to come here with a quorum of the Council as soon as possible that I may open my commission, take the oaths and appoint another Council, according to His Majesty's instructions.

[Footnote 106: The Honorable Edward Cornwallis was fifth son of Charles, third Baron Cornwallis, by Lady Charlotte Butler, daughter of Richard, Earl of Arran, and uncle to the celebrated Duke of Ormonde. He was born 22nd February, 1712-13. He was Member of Parliament for the borough of Eye in 1749, and in 1753, shortly after his return from Halifax, he was elected for the city of Westminster. He married, the same year, a daughter of the late Lord Townshend, but left no family. In 1759 he was made a Major General, and was afterwards the Governor of Gibraltar. General Cornwallis was twin brother of Dr. Frederick Cornwallis, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, and uncle of the Lord Cornwallis who defeated General Gates at Camden, South Carolina, in 1780, and afterwards surrendered at Yorktown, to the Revolutionary General Lincoln.--_Collins' and Debrett's Peerages._]

I can give Your Grace little information as yet as to this country--the coasts are as rich as ever they have been represented. We caught fish every day since we came within fifty leagues of the coast, the harbor itself is full of fish of all kinds; all the officers agree the harbor is the finest they have ever seen--the country is one continual wood, no clear spot to be seen or heard of. I have been ashore in several places--the underwood is only young trees so that with difficulty one might walk through any of them; D'Anville's fleet have only cut wood for present use, but cleared no ground, they encamped their men upon the beach. I have seen but few brooks nor have as yet found the navigable river that has been talked of--there are a few French families on each side of the bay about 3 leagues off; some have been on board. As to the disposition of the French or Indians I can give Your Grace no account till I see Colonel Mascarene, when I shall write more fully and continue from time to time to acquaint Your Grace of our proceedings. I wish the French may not be uneasy at waiting so long on board for the evacuation of Louisburgh as it may be some time before Mr. Hopson will get transports--it will, I fear, retard the settlement.

I am &c.,
ED. CORNWALLIS.

P. S.--I expect the transports daily.
His Grace the Duke of Bedford.

(From the Duplicate.)

We came to anchor in Merliguiche Bay, where I was told there was a French settlement. I sent ashore to see the houses and manner of living of the inhabitants--there are but a few families with tolerable wooden houses covered with bark, a good many cattle and clear ground more than serves themselves--they seem to be very peaceable, say they always looked upon themselves as English subjects, have their grants from Colonel Mascarene, the Governor of Annapolis, and showed an unfeigned joy to hear of the new settlement. They assure us the Indians are quite peaceable and not at all to be feared--there are none hereabouts.

I have, &c.,
ED. CORNWALLIS.

(From the Duplicate.)

This Frenchman will be there in three or four days--'tis 25 leagues from hence to Minas, and the French have made a path for driving their cattle over here.

* * * * *

_Governor Cornwallis to Duke of Bedford._[107]

CHEBUCTO, JULY 23rd, 1749.

MY LORD,--

My last to Your Grace was of June 22nd, a duplicate of which is enclosed,--the 27th, the transports appeared off the harbor and in a few days most of them got in. As their passage had been extremely good and none of them had in the least suffered, I found they would be ready to sail the moment the settlers should be put ashore. I despatched a sloop to Boston to countermand the order I had given, and sent to Mr. Hopson to let him know I would send in a few days transports to bring away his garrison. Mr. Hopson had wrote me that he had agreed with Desherbier, the French Commissary, to make use of the French transports upon condition that in case the English ships should arrive before they were all on board he should be at liberty to disembark them. I sent him one the 1st of July and four more, the largest of the fleet, the 5th. I own I was much disappointed in finding Mr. Hopson unprovided with transports as I never had the least intimation that he was to wait for the ships that should bring the settlers. I have an account from Boston of July 3rd that my second order got there soon enough to prevent all but one from sailing, but as they were all hired this will cause some expense; they write me it will not be much.

[Footnote 107: John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, was appointed Secretary of State in 1747-8 and resigned the office in 1751. He was afterwards Minister Plenipotentiary to France. He died 1771.--_Collins' Peerage._]

July 8, I received from Mr. Hopson copies of letters from Governor Shirley and Colonel Mascarene giving an account of the French having begun a settlement and a fort at the mouth of the St. John River. As my instructions direct me to prevent all such encroachments, and particularly mention that River as of the greatest consequence, I next day sent Capt. Rous of the Albany with a small sloop to attend him with orders to the commanding officers at Annapolis to furnish him with troops if demanded. Copies of my letter to Capt. Rous and one to the commander of St. John's, I send You Grace enclosed. I hope what I have done in this affair will meet with Your Grace's approbation. July 12th I heard from Governor Shirley, that he had sent the Boston to Annapolis to receive my instructions about the affair of St. John's. I sent Capt. Pearse the same directions I had given to Capt. Rous, and a copy of the declaration asserting His Majesty's rights. As to Port Mouton which is mentioned in these letters, I believe it was a mistake occasioned by the French having put in there in their way to St. John's.

I shall now lay before Your Grace our proceedings at Chebucto.

Colonel Mascarene arrived here on the 12th with five of the Council; next day I opened to them His Majesty's commission, and took the oaths; the day following I nominated the members of a new Council:

Colonel Mascarene.[108] Mr. Benj. Green.
Capt. How. Mr. Salisbury.
Capt. Gorham. Mr. Davidson.

[Footnote 108: Col. Mascarene was the Lieut. Governor of Annapolis; Capts. How and Gorham were two of his councillors. Mr. Green was secretary to Governor Hopson at Louisburg. Messrs. Salisbury and Davidson came out with Governor Cornwallis. Mr. Steel, afterwards added to the Council, was one of the settlers from England.]

I have added since, Mr. Steel.

As, perhaps, no copies were taken of the plans sent me of the harbor, I send along with this a copy of Durel's plan. Your Grace will see that the place I have fixed for the town is on the west side of the harbor--'tis upon the side of a hill which commands the whole peninsula and shelters the town from the north-west winds. From the shore to the top of the hill is about half a mile, the ascent very gentle, the soil is good, there is convenient landing for boats all along the beach and good anchorage within gunshot of the shore for the largest ships. In Durel's plan the two points that make the entrance to Bedford Bay are marked as the places proper to fortify, which is likewise taken notice of by Mr. Knowles. Their view must then have been to have the settlement within that bay. This would have been subject to great inconveniences. In the first place, it would be too far up for the fishermen, it being about five leagues from the entrance of the harbor to these points, and the beach all along as proper for curing their fish as can possibly be imagined, so that no fisherman would ever have thought of going within these forts--indeed no ships would choose to go so far, as no finer harbor can be than that of Chebucto, which reaches from these points to Sandwich River,[109] so that notwithstanding of any forts upon these points an enemy's fleet might lie secure and indeed block up all ships within the bay. The proper places to fortify for the defence of the harbor seem to be Sandwich Point and the bank opposite to it. George's Island lies likewise very convenient for a battery to defend both the harbor and the town. It contains about ten or twelve acres. It was there I landed the settlers from on board the ships sent to Louisbourg--I have now a guard there and stores, and propose to build a magazine upon it for powder.

[Footnote 109: North-west Arm.]

As there was not one yard of clear ground, Your Grace will imagine our difficulty and what work we have to do. However, they have already cleared above 12 acres and I hope to begin my own house in two days; I have a small frame and planks ready.

The Indians are hitherto very peaceable, many of them have been here with some Chiefs; I made them small presents, told them I had instructions from His Majesty to offer them friendship and all protection and likewise presents which I should deliver as soon as they should assemble their tribes and return with powers to enter into treaty and exchange their French commissions for others in His Majesty's name.

Three of the French Deputies have been here to know what is to be their condition for the future; I gave them copies of His Majesty's Declaration and copies of the Oath of Allegiance which I told them they must take without any condition or reservation, but in the same manner as His Majesty's English subjects;--they pretend their only difficulty is from fear of the Indians in case of a French war. I have ordered all the Deputies to come here and expect them in a few days. I think 'tis necessary to show them that 'tis in our power to master them or to protect them, and therefore I design to send as soon as possible two companies to Minas with orders to build a barrack and stay there the winter. I shall also send an armed sloop into the Bay of Minas to prevent all correspondence with the French by sea; another company I shall send to the head of the bay where the road to Minas begins. I propose, likewise, a blockhouse half way for the conveniency of travellers, and then to employ all the men I can get together, soldiers and inhabitants, to clear the road from hence to Minas; 'tis about 30 miles in a direct line--whether this can be executed before winter I cannot say. Had the garrison of Louisbourg been arrived, they would have been of infinite advantage; at present I have only one company of Hopson's, one of Warburton's and 60 of Gorham's Rangers.[110]

[Footnote 110: These Rangers came from Annapolis; they had been enlisted in New England and were chiefly composed of Indians of half blood.]

A list of the civil officers I shall be able to send Your Grace by the next ships that sail, with an account of what further progress we shall have made.

I am, &c.,
ED. CORNWALLIS.

To His Grace the Duke of Bedford.

J.

NAMES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SUN FIRE COMPANY OF HALIFAX IN THE YEAR 1819.

John W. Pyke.
John Tremain.
Michael Tobin.
Stephen W. DeBlois.
Charles Hill.
John Owen.
Richard Tremain.
Henry Taylor.
J. E. Butler.
David Shaw Clarke.
James Grant.
James Kerby.
William Bowie.
Alexander Creighton.
John Letson.
Alexander Fiddis.
William Lawson.
Adam DeChezeau, Jr.
Andrew Smith.
John Liddell.
Joseph Dolby.
William Milward, Jr.
Azor Stephens.
Joseph Marchington.
Lawrence Hartshorne, Jr.
Robert Lyons, Jr.
John Howe, Jr.
James T. Alport.
Henry Austin.
John Carroll.
Joseph Allison.
Lewis E. Piers.
W. Bremner.
Samuel Story.
George N. Russell.
James Russell.
E. J. Hopson.
Samuel Cunard.
Enos Collins.
James Cogswell.
James Dupuy.
Lewis DeMolitor.
Temple F. Piers.
Edward Alport.
John Salter.
John Moody.
George Mitchell.
S. Morris.
John Ferguson.
W. N. Silver.
James Bain.
William K. Reynolds.
Charles Boggs.
Miles W. White.
A. McDonald.
H. Ford.
D. McColl.

ABSENT MEMBERS.

P. Sennerats, London.
Mark Etter, Trinidad.
James Barlow, London.
John Telford, Scotland.
G. W. Anderson, Glasgow.
James Walker, Chester.

MEMBERS LATELY DECEASED.

John Henry.
Thomas Leo DeWolf.
James Bell.
Robert Lyon.
Samuel T. Prescott.
Winkworth Allen.
John Buchan.
Thomas Austin, Jr.
Peter Bain.

K.

_From the Gentlemen's Magazine, Vol. 20, 1750. (June.)_

The Town of Halifax is entirely built according to the plan given in our last February number, and many additional buildings are carrying on. The barracks for the soldiers are completed and the fort at the mouth of the harbor will soon be in a good posture of defence.

The story in the papers of the Indians burning a town of 200 houses is without foundation.

Major Lawrence, of Warburton's Regiment at Nova Scotia, appointed Lieut.-Col. of Governor Cornwallis' Regiment and Lieut. Governor of Annapolis Royal. (July number of the Magazine, 1750.)

August, 1750. Halifax, Nova Scotia.--The fishery here is extremely good, one company only having 1400 or 1500 quintals of good dry fish ready to ship for a foreign market, and others also have been very successful. Mr. Brown, gardener to Governor Cornwallis, with his son and four others, going out two or three miles from the town, were beset by the Indians, who killed him and his son; the latter they buried, but the other body was found on the ground scalped, and brought hither and buried; the four others, it is feared, are killed or carried off. The Indians have also attacked and scalped seven men that were at work on the other side of the harbor. Parties are gone out to repel them.

L.

RETURN OF THE 1ST COMPANY OF HALIFAX VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY, UNDER THE COMMAND OF CAPTAIN RICHARD TREMAIN, 6TH JULY, 1812.

Peter Robb, Sergt. Major.
John Brown, }
Wm. Forsyth, } Sergeants.
Thos. Fenerty,}
John Rogers, }
Charles Dunbrack, }
Thomas Nelson, } Corpls.
John D. Scott, }
William Rudolf, }
David Muirhead, }
William Story, Jr., } Bomb'rs.
Martin Piazza, }
John Tremain.
Frederick Major.
William Gorham.
James McAllen.
John Miller.
William Bond.
John Peeples.
William O'Brien.
Alexander Smith.
George Morin.
Francis Story.
George Nock.
Samuel Lydiard.
Benjamin Marshall.
Benjamin Kingston.
Peter Hay.
Frederick Kringle.
John Henry.
William Smith.
Martin Gay Black.
Leslie Moffatt.
John Phillips.
Frederick Runvell.
Francis Muncey.
Robert Grinton.
George O'Brien.
Morgan Doyle.
Daniel Fraser.
Alexander May.
Thomas Gentles.
John Pendergrass.
William Stairs.
John N. Ford.
Nicholas Wright.
Samuel Black.
Azor Stevens.
Henry Monson.
Dennis Connor.
Paul Cermanatti.
Henry Wright.
Abner Stowell.
William Schwartz.
Peter McNab.
Thomas Muirhead.
Alexander Fiddis.
Herven Cameron.
Thomas Simmons.
William H. Barry.
John Hussey.
Thomas Richey.
John McPherson.
Fred'k John Knight.
John Cobb.
Thomas Smith, Jr.
Daniel Ferguson.
Charles W. Hill.
William Murray.
Thomas Beamish.
Nicholas Vass.
Alexander Clarke.
Joseph Lordley.
Henry Boyer.
John Bonnell.
Henry Warner.
David Hutton.
Ralph Turnbull.
Donald Fraser.
James Wilson.
John Forrest.
John F. Salter.
John Fillis.
Richard Scott.
William Strachan, Jr.
John Simpson.
Robert Fraser.
James Cogswell.
John Buchan.
Wyndham Madden.
James Leishman.
Hugh Gall.
Alexander Smith.
Joshua Lee.
Robert Field.

Halifax, July 6th, 1812.

Sgd. RICHARD TREMAIN,
_Capt. H. V. A._

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcriber's Note:

Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without note.

Inconsistent hyphenation, spelling, and capitalization have been left as in the original. Except for obvious errors (e.g. missing, extra, or transposed letters), incorrect and obsolete spellings have also been retained. Mathematical errors have not been corrected.

In the plain-text versions, two oe-ligatures were changed to oe.

The following changes were made to the text:

p. 4: indispensibly to indispensably (indispensably necessary to the support)

p. 8: De Anvilles' to D'Anville's, to correspond with the same passage quoted later in the book (D'Anville's Fleet have only cut wood for present use)

p. 15: Grande to Grand (quartered at Grand Pre)

p. 15: Footnote marker with no note attached removed (after "hired at fair wages to assist in the work.")

Footnote 16 (originally on p. 15): Note. to NOTE.

p. 26: embarassed to embarrassed (was continually embarrassed)

p. 44: Surveyers to Surveyors (Surveyors of Pickled Fish)

p. 45: Exellency to Excellency (his Excellency the Lieutenant Governor)

p. 51: 6. to 6d. (for the Church L.350 18s. 6d.)

p. 56: subscripton to subscription (A subscription was set on foot)

Footnote 48 (originally on p. 86): extra "of" removed (the accommodation of the people)

p. 60: parochials to parochialis (notitia parochialis)

p. 82: $ to L. (The highest prize was L.2000.)

p. 90: extra "in" removed (prisoners, six in number)

p. 96: comformity to conformity (in conformity with the Act)

p. 97: "Royal Gazette:" to "Royal Gazette":

p. 97: Prince William Henry to "Prince William Henry" (The brig "Prince William Henry,")

Footnote 55 (originally on p. 98): Crdnance to Ordnance; Oonnors to Connors

Footnote 58 (originally on p. 106): Footnote marker was originally between dash and "Uncertain" instead of before "NOTE."

p. 107: genera to general (as a general)

p. 109: Hemmiongton to Hemmington (J. Hemmington, Grocer)

p. 117: conmiseration to commiseration (commiseration of their countrymen)

p. 118: pproaching to approaching (On his approaching near)

p. 118: dist nguishes to distinguishes (so often distinguishes)

p. 119: Halibur on to Haliburton

p. 124: fvaourite to favourite (a favourite resort)

p. 128: Beaujoile to Beaujolie (Count Beaujolie)

p. 132: inh is to in his (in his 83rd year)

p. 139: extra "the" removed (appeared in the Gazette)

p. 150: extra "and" removed (and all the other decimal parts)

p. 153: ballotted to billetted (billetted for service)

Footnotes 74-80 (originally on p. 165): "NOTE.--" removed; these notes were originally grouped together into one paragraph

p. 168: suing to using (using these small boats)

p. 175: extra "to" removed (to the Bishopric)

Footnote 84 (originally on p. 188): Parado to Parade (The Grand Parade)

p. 190: Admirality to Admiralty (Admiralty Records)

p. 192: eollege to college (erecting the college)

p. 193: delapidaated to delapidated (old and delapidated)

p. 197: neucleus to nucleus (nucleus for loungers)

p. 205: aids-de-camp to aides-de-camp ( with his aides-de-camp)

p. 206: asssembled to assembled (assembled under the portico)

p. 211: woooden to wooden (old wooden fortifications)

p. 214: Dorie to Doric (Doric pillars)

p. 216: erecteed to erected (erected there a large stone warehouse)

p. 218: stork to store (present stone store)

p. 222: pretentions to pretensions (his pretensions to skill)

p. 225: were to where (where he received his education)

p. 229: a to as (as Judge of the Supreme Court)

p. 231: Abbe to Abbey (Abbey of St. Matthew)

p. 234: Storkkeeper to Storekeeper (Naval Storekeeper)

p. 234: 1659 to 1759 (bears date August 16th, 1759)

p. 237: Carles to Charles (Charles Mason)

p. 239: seamen to seaman (private soldier or seaman)

p. 242: off to of (Shipping of the settlers)

p. 245: seige to siege (accurate account of the siege)

p. 246-261: all repeated headings in tables removed (e.g. NORTH SUBURBS.--(CONTINUED.))

p. 247: Rodoph to Rodolph (John Christopher Rodolph)

p. 248: La renz to Laurenz (Laurenz Busgler)

p. 248: E izabeth to Elizabeth (Elizabeth Werner)

p. 248: U rich to Ulrich (Ulrich Seeger)

p. 249: Johanues to Johannes (Johannes Hoaif)

p. 268: soonas to soon as (should deliver as soon as)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

End of Project Gutenberg's History of Halifax City, by Thomas B. Akins