Acadia

CHAPTER I.

Vague Rumors of Nova Scotia--A Fortnight upon Salt Water--Interesting Sketch of the Atlantic--Halifax!--Determine to stay in the Province--Province Building and Pictures--Coast Scenery--Liberty in Language, and Aspirations of the People--Evangeline and Relics of Acadia--Market-Place--The Encampment at Point Pleasant--Kissing Bridge--The "Himalaya"--A Sabbath in a Garrison Town--Grand Celebration of the Peace, and Natal Day of Halifax--And a Hint of a Visit to Chezzetcook 13

CHAPTER II.

Fog clears up--The One Idea not comprehended by the American Mind--A June Morning in the Province--The Beginning of the Evangeliad--Intuitive Perception of Genius--The Forest Primeval--Acadian Peasants--A Negro Settlement--Deer's Castle--The Road to Chezzetcook--Acadian Scenery--A Glance at the Early History of Acadia--First Encroachments of the English--The Harbor and Village of Chezzetcook, etc., etc. 34

CHAPTER III.

A Romp at Three Fathom Harbor--The Moral Condition of the Acadians--The Wild Flowers of Nova Scotia--Mrs. Deer's Wit--No Fish--Picton--The Balaklava Schooner--And a Voyage to Louisburgh 58

CHAPTER IV.. The Voyage of the "balaklava"--Something of a Fog--a Novel

The Voyage of the "Balaklava"--Something of a Fog--A Novel Sensation--Picton bursts out--"Nothing to do"--Breakfast under Way--A Phantom Boat--Mackerel--Gone, Hook and Line--The Colonists--Sectionalism and Prejudices--Cod-fishing and an Unexpected Banquet--Past the old French Town--A Pretty Respectable Breeze--We get past the Rocks--Louisburgh 77

CHAPTER V.

Louisburgh--The Great French Fortress--Incidents of the Old French War--Relics of the Siege--Description of the Town--The two Expeditions--A Yankee ruse de guerre--The Rev. Samuel Moody's Grace--Wolfe's Landing--The Fisherman's Hutch--The Lost Coaster--The Fisheries--Picton tries his hand at a Fish-pugh 102

CHAPTER VI.

A most acceptable Invitation--An Evening in the Hutch--Old Songs--Picton in High Feather--Wolfe and Montcalm--Reminiscences of the Siege--Anecdotes of Wolfe--A Touch of Rhetoric and its Consequences 121

CHAPTER VII.

The other side of the Harbor--A Foraging Party--Disappointment--Twilight at Louisburgh--Long Days and Early Mornings--A Visit and View of an Interior--A Shark Story--Picton inquires about a Measure--Hospitality and the Two Brave Boys--Proposals for a Trip Overland to Sydney 133

CHAPTER VIII.. A Blue-Nosed Pair of the Most Cerulean Hue--Prospects of a Hard

A Blue-Nosed Pair of the most Cerulean Hue--Prospects of a Hard Bargain--Case of Necessity--Romantic Lake with an Unromantic Name--The Discussion concerning Oatmeal--Danger of the Gasterophili--McGibbet makes a Proposition--Farewell to the "Balaklava"--A Midnight Journey--Sydney--Boat Excursion to the Micmacs--Picton takes off his Mackintosh 154

CHAPTER IX.. The Micmac Camp--Indian Church-Warden and Broker--Interior of a

The Micmac Camp--Indian Church-warden and Broker--Interior of a Wigwam--A Madonna--A Digression--Malcolm Discharged--An Indian Bargain--The Inn Parlor, and a Comfortable Night's Rest 176

CHAPTER X.

Over the Bay--A Gigantic Dumb Waiter--Erebus--Reflections--White and Black Squares of the Chess-Board--Leave-taking--An Interruption--The Aibstract Preencipels of Feenance 185

CHAPTER XI.

The Bras d'Or Road--Farewell to Picton--Home, Sweet Home--The Rob Roys of Cape Breton--Note and Query--Chapel Island--St. Peter's--Enterprise--The Strait of Canseau--West River--The Last Out-post of the Scottish Chiefs 196

CHAPTER XII.

The Ride from West River--A Fellow Passenger--Parallels of History--One Hundred Romances--Baron de Castine--His Character--Made Chief of the Abenaquis--Duke of York's Charter--Encroachments of the Puritans--Church's Indian Wars--False Reports--Reflections 212

CHAPTER XIII.. Truro--on the Road to Halifax--Drive to the Left--a Member of the

Truro--On the Road to Halifax--Drive to the Left--A Member of the Foreign Legion--Irish Wit at Government Expense--The first Battle of the Legion--Ten Pounds Reward--Sir John Gaspard's Revenge--The Shubenacadie Lakes--Dartmouth Ferry, and the Hotel Waverley 224

CHAPTER XIV.

Halifax again--Hotel Waverley--"Gone the Old Familiar Faces"--The Story of Marie de la Tour 237

CHAPTER XV.

Bedford Basin--Legend of the two French Admirals--An Invitation to the Queen--Visit to the Prince's Lodge--A Touch of Old England--The Ruins 251

CHAPTER XVI.

The Last Night--Farewell, Hotel Waverley--Friends Old and New--What followed the Marriage of La Tour le Borgne--Invasion of Col. Church 258

CHAPTER XVII.. A Few More Threads of History--Acadia Again Lost--the Oath of

A few more Threads of History--Acadia again lost--The Oath of Allegiance--Settlement of Halifax--The brave Three Hundred--Massacre at Norridgewoack--Le Pere Ralle 269

CHAPTER XVIII.. On the Road to Windsor--the Great Nova Scotia Railway--a Fellow

On the road to Windsor--The great Nova Scotia Railway--A Fellow Passenger--Cape Sable Shipwrecks--Seals--Ponies--Windsor--Sam Slick--A lively Example 279

CHAPTER XIX.. Windsor-Upon-Avon--Ride to the Gasperau--the Basin of

Windsor-upon-Avon--Ride to the Gasperau--The Basin of Minas--Blomidon--This is the Acadian Land--Basil, the Blacksmith--A Yankee Settlement--Useless Reflections 293

CHAPTER XX.. The Valley of Acadia--a Morning Ride to the Dykes--an Unexpected

The Valley of Acadia--A Morning Ride to the Dykes--An unexpected Wild-duck Chase--High Tides--The Gasperau--Sunset--The Lamp of History--Conclusion 302

Appendix 317

ACADIA.

CHAPTER I.

Vague Rumors of Nova Scotia--A Fortnight upon Salt Water--Interesting Sketch of the Atlantic--Halifax!--Determine to stay in the Province--Province Building and Pictures--Coast Scenery--Liberty in Language, and Aspirations of the People--Evangeline and Relics of Acadia--Market-Place--The Encampment at Point Pleasant--Kissing Bridge--The "Himalaya"--A Sabbath in a Garrison Town--Grand Celebration of the Peace, and Natal Day of Halifax--And a Hint of a Visit to Chezzetcook.

It is pleasant to visit Nova Scotia in the month of June. Pack up your flannels and your fishing tackle, leave behind you your prejudices and your summer clothing, take your trout-pole in one hand and a copy of Haliburton in the other, and step on board a Cunarder at Boston. In thirty-six hours you are in the loyal little province, and above you floats the red flag and the cross of St. George. My word for it, you will not regret the trip. That the idea of visiting Nova Scotia ever struck any living person as something peculiarly pleasant and cheerful, is not within the bounds of probability. Very rude people are wont to speak of Halifax in connection with the name of a place never alluded to in polite society--except by clergymen. As for the rest of the Province, there are certain vague rumors of extensive and constant fogs, but nothing more. The land is a sort of terra incognita. Many take it to be a part of Canada, and others firmly believe it is somewhere in Newfoundland.

In justice to Nova Scotia, it is proper to state that the Province is a province by itself; that it hath its own governor and parliament, and its own proper and copper currency. How I chanced to go there was altogether a matter of destiny. It was a severe illness--a gastric disorder of the most obstinate kind, that cast me upon its balmy shores. One day, after a protracted relapse, as I was creeping feebly along Broadway, sunning myself, like a March fly on a window-pane, whom should I meet but St. Leger, my friend. "You look pale," said St. Leger. To which I replied by giving him a full, complete, and accurate history of my ailments, after the manner of valetudinarians. "Why do you not try change of air?" he asked; and then briskly added, "You could spare a couple of weeks or so, could you not, to go to the Springs?" "I could," said I, feebly. "Then," said St. Leger, "take the two weeks' time, but do not go to the Springs. Spend your fortnight on the salt water--get out of sight of land--that is the thing for you." And so, shaking my hand warmly, St. Leger passed on, and left me to my reflections.

A fortnight upon salt water? Whither? Cape Cod at once loomed up; Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard. "And why not the Bermudas?" said a voice within me; "the enchanted Islands of Prospero, and Ariel, and Miranda; of Shakspeare, and Raleigh, and Irving?" And echo answered: "Why not?"

It is but a day-and-a-half's sail to Halifax; thence, by a steamer, to those neighboring isles; for the Curlew and the Merlin, British mail-boats, leave Halifax fortnightly for the Bermudas. A thousand miles of life-invigorating atmosphere--a week upon salt water, and you are amid the magnificent scenery of the Tempest! And how often had the vague desire impressed me--how often, indeed, had I visited, in imagination, those beautiful scenes, those islands which have made Shakspeare our near kinsman; which are part and parcel of the romantic history of Sir Walter Raleigh! For, even if he do describe them, in his strong old Saxon, as "the Bermudas, a hellish sea for Thunder, and Lightning, and Storms," yet there is a charm even in this description, for doubtless these very words gave a title to the great drama of William of Stratford, and suggested the idea of

"The still-vexed Bermooethes."

Ah, yes! and who that has read Irving's "Three Kings of Bermuda" has not felt the influence of those Islas Encantadas--those islands of palms and coral, of orange groves and ambergris! "A fortnight?" said I, quoting St. Leger; "I will take a month for it." And so, in less than a week from the date of his little prescription, I was bidding farewell to some dear friends, from the deck of the "Canada," at East Boston wharf, as Captain Lang, on the top of our wheel-house, shouted out, in a very briny voice: "Let go the starboard bow chain--go slow!"

It would be presumptuous in me to speak of the Atlantic, from the limited acquaintance I had with it. The note-book of an invalid for two days at sea, with a heavy ground swell, and the wind in the most favorable quarter, can scarcely be attractive. As the breeze freshened, and the tars of old England ran aloft, to strip from the black sails the wrappers of white canvas that had hid them when in port; and as these leathern, bat-like pinions spread out on each side of the funnel, there was a moment's glimpse of the picturesque; but it was a glimpse only, and no more. One does not enjoy the rise and dip of the bow of a steamer, at first, however graceful it may be in the abstract. To be sure, there were some things else interesting. For instance, three brides aboard! And one of them lovely enough to awaken interest, on sea or land, in any body but a Halifax passenger. I hope those fair ladies will have a pleasant tour, one and all, and that the view they take of the great world, so early in life, will make them more contented with that minor world, henceforth to be within the limits of their dominion. Lullaby to the young wives! there will be rocking enough anon!

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