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A N

ACCOUNT

Of the Island of

NEWFOUNDLAND,

With the Nature of its

• T R A D E,

And Method of carrying on the

F I S H E K -Yi

With Reasons for the great Decreafe of that moft

VALUABLE BRANCH OF TRADE.

By Capt. GRIFFITH WILLIAMS,

Of the Royal Regiment of Artillery,

Who refided in the Ifland Fourteen Years when a Lieu-
tenant, and now has a Command there.

To which is annexed,

A PLAN

'To exclude the F r e n c h from that T r a fi e.

Propofed to the Adminiftration in the Year 1761,
By Capt. COLE.

Printed for Capt. Thomas Cole,
And Sold by W. Owen, near Temple-Baf, m pcc,Lxv,

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AN

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OF TH E • '

Ifland of Newfound jL and;

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The Nature of its Trade, and Me*-
thod of carrying on its Fishery.

: \i v^ WITH •- . _ . ^

Re A SONS for the great Decreafe of that

valuable Branch of Trade. " .

" > • ■ '...■'"■■''■•

TH E Ifland of Newfoundland is not
inhabited any- where, but along the
Sea Shore j and there are but very
few People that know any Thing of the in-
terior Part : Almoft all the Country, for fe-
vcral Miles from the Sea^ is covered with
Woods of different Kinds, very ufeful for

B Ship

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Ship and Boat- building; alfo, for ercding
'Stages and Flakes for curing and drying
Fifh. -•

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I have been t>etween Twenty and Thirty
Mifes into the Country, where t found the
Land clear of Woods, which produced very
good Pafturage. : I faw great Numbers of
Deer, of a prodigious Size, and vaft Quan-
tities of- Partridgesy Wolves, and Foxes;
and in the Lakes and Rivers (which are nu-
merous) there are Bever, Otter, Trout, Wild
Ducks, and Geefe, in great Quantities.

It is very furprifin^, that, for fo many
Years paft, no Care has been taken to im-
prove fo valuable a Brahch of Commerce
as the Newfoundland Fifhery might be to
Great Britain I This Trade, to my certain
Knowledge, for many Years, remitted, in
Specie^ near a Million Sterling, to the Mo-
ther Country : And at this Time, I dare fay,
it does not remit One Sixth Part of that
Sum. / /

The Lords of the Admiralty, and of
.Trade and Plantatbns, did, I fuppofc,

and

and do ftill, think, the Commodores or
Governors of Newfoundland always fend"
them a juft State of the Fifhery, I ;be^r
lieve they wifhed to. have done it; and,
dare fay, they thought it exa<S. The Me.
thods they take are as follovv. • - ■ .* .,

The Commodore or Governor generally
arrives at St. yohn's fome Time in yune, and
fails again in September, or the Beginning of
Odiober, for Europe : Therefore, fuppofe him
to be on thatCoaft three Months, and, con-
formable to his Inftrudions, he is obliged
to have a State of the Fiihery made out,' in
order to be fent to the Board of Trade, &c.
in Confequence of this, his Clerk goes to
one of the Magiftrates on Shore, and defires
him to fend to each of the Harbours, one
of thofe States, ruled and worded, ready to
be filled up (for Example). The Magitlrate
fends one of them to a Merchant at Har-
bour Grace '(v^'hich is one of the Harbours
in Conception Bay), who, in the Hurry of
Bufmefs, fills it up at Random, thinking it
mere Matter of Form, and of little Con-
fequence J for had he been ever fo defiious
of biding exa(St, he could not have been fo

B 2 without

A-y

11

i i

(4)

without a vaft deal of Trouble, as the Bay
is, at leaft, fevent^^^Mjlesj^oimd, and Boats
kept in every Creek and Cove of it. This
State is returned to the Governor, and he
fends it Home to England, taking it for
granted to be right ; by which Method the
Commodore, who is Governor during his
Command there, can know very Httle more
of the Matter than if he had remained at
Fortjmouthy or Plymouth,

I remember one of the above Kind of
Returns being fent to the Governor, with
an Account of the Number of Boats kept,
the Quantity of Fifh and Oil caught, tSc^
&c. Having a Boat and Men of my own,
I had the Curiofity to know how near they
came to the Truth, and therefore began at
Bay VcrdsjnjConception Bay, and went into
cveTy Creek and Cove quite round taPc/:-^
imal Cove, which is the other Extremity
of the Bay, and found they had not got
within a Third Part in any one Account.

I found in that Bay 496 Boats kept, and
computed, on an Average, each Boat caught ,
500 Qmntals of Fifh (tho' many caught

7S^>

:

i(^

(5)

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^50, and feveral, at Trinity Harbour, 990) i ^^^ ^ c
thefe make 248,000 : I allow for the Ship-
ping about 10,000. which make 258,000 ;'i/''T
and allow, for Men. Women, and Chil-
dren, employed in catching and curing the
Fifli of each Boat (as they all equally work),
10 J which will make 4960; and for the
Shipping 300 ', making, in all, 5^260 Peo-
ple. It is not fo eafy to come at the exadt S ^ ^ '■
Quantity of Oil, as fome Years the Livers
of the Fifli yield as much more than in
others ; and fome Years the Cape Cod Men
meet with great Succels in the V/hale Fifli-
ery, and at other Times little or none,
cither in that or the Seal Fiflicry. Some
Years; from the Shore Fifli, you have Three
Hogflieads of Oil to an Hundred Qn^intals :
But from the Bank Fifli you have but a
fmall Quantity ; however, I fliall allow
One Hogfhead to the Hundred Quintals ;
which will be 645 Tuns of Train Oil. I
have known that Oil fell, at Ncwfoiindlandj
.from 8/. to it l. per Tun; and in England y
from 14/. to 36/. />rr Tun, as the Fifliery
-f Conception Bay was reckoned equal to
One Quaiter Part of the whole FiOiery of
JSc^iiJcundhmdsUom the Year 1745 to 1752

(that

It

(6)

(that IS to fay), Trinity, Bonavijiay Cata-
line, with the Creeks thereunto belonging,
One Qudrier ; Bay Verd, Carboneire, Har-
bour Grace, and the feveral Creeks and
Coves thereto belonging, a Quarter ; Tor-
bay, Kidvide, St, John's, and Patty Har-
bour, a Quarter; Bay of Bulls, Firiland^
Firmoves, Trapajfey, and Placentia Bay, an-
other Quarter Part : So that the whole Pro-
duce of Fifli and Oil, for one of the nfore-
faid Years, will be (exclulive of the Whale
and Seal Oil), Fifli, 1,032,000 Quintals}
Oil, 5,160 Tuns.

Fi(h, upon an Average, fell, at foreign
Markets, from Eighteen to Thirty Shillings
per Quintal : But fuppofe it at Twenty, it
will then amount to One Million, and
Thirty-two Thoufand Pounds Sterling. Oil
is often fent to Spain, which, upon an
Average, fells at 18/. per Tun, it will then
amount to Ninety-two Thoufand, Eight
Hundred and Eighty Pounds Sterling,

I fliall make no Calculation on the 'Fur
Trade, which was very confidcrable before

the

i

(7)

the French had fuch vaft Pofleffions to the
Northward.

• ' ■ ' '

The Salmon Filhery is of no great Con-
fequence, there being but few Hands cm-
ployed in it, tho*, before the French were
fo powerful to the Northward, many Hun-
dred Teirces were cured, and fent to the
Italian Markets yearly. . .

Thefe Branches of Trade (both of Cod
and Salmon) were never fo extenfive as
when the Government fhewed a defire of
protcding the Merchants and Inhabitants,
which was in the Year 1745, when that
noble Refolution was taken of augmenting
the Garrifons, with a fufficient Number of
Troops, and eredting Batteries at fuch Places
as appeared then neceffary for the Protedion
of the Merchants and Inhabitants of the
Ifland ; had thofe Forts and Batteries conti-
nued on the Footing then eftabliflied, the

Fifhery would not have dwindled away in
the Manner it has done. It is very true the
Fifh did not come for eight or ten Years pad
in fucli Shoals as they had formerly done ;
therefore fo great a Quantity could not be
caught ; but I dare anfwer, that at leaft as

much

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(8)

much more would have been caught, had
thofe people been prote(5ted, who had always
been concerned in that Branch of Trade.

♦ .- ' -■ ' ' » ' ' ■

An Irifiman can't catch as much Fifh as a
Weft Country or Newfoundland Man, which
is as true, as that a Man who never had an Oar
in his'Hand, cannot row equal to a Wherry-
man, who has been ufed to it all his Life.

I h^ve feen two Boats along Side of each
other riftiing, the one manned by People of
the Weft Country and Newfoundland^ the
other by Irtjh j the former has loaded in
feven or eight Hours, and the latter not able
to load in the Day j the former are People
who were trained up in it from the Time
they were able to walk, the latter feldom or
ever engage in it till they are above twenty
Years of Age ; therefore can never be able
to arrive to the fame Degree of Perfection as
the other j for there is as much Attention re-
quired in catching a Cod, as there is in ftrik-
ing a Salmon or Trout with a Fly.

Unfortunately for the Government, as
well as thofe concerned in the Newfoundland
Trade, foon after the Treaty of Aix la Cha-

peile.

:S !

(9)

pelle, feveral of the Forts were difmantlcdj
and moft Part of the Troops taken from the
other Garrifons, and fent to the Continent of
America. By this Means the Traders and
Inhabitants were left to (hift for thcmfelves
without Troops to fupport the Magiftrates m
the Execution of Juftice. At this Time
great Numbers oi Irijh Roman Catholics vftvQ
in the liland as Servants ; but no fooner had
the Troops been fent away, than they be-
came the moft outrageous Set of People that
everlived ; Robberies were committed almoft
every Day in one Place or other, the Ma-
giftrates infulted in the Execution of their
Office, and the Chief Juftice murdered j
many hundreds of the Weft of England
People were afraid of going over, many of
the Newfoundland Men left the liland, and
the Roman Catholics tranfported thcmfelves
by Hundreds from Ireland: So that at the
Time the French took the Country, the Irijh
were above fix Times the Number of the
Weft Country and Newfoundlanders ; In
fhort, they were in Poftellion of above three
Quarters of the Fifti Rooms and Harbours
of the liland, who confequently received tlie
French with open Arms. And duripg the
Time the French were in Poiiefiion of the

C liland,

It',
i

( 10 )

Ifland, the Merchants and Inhabitants M-
fered more Cruelties from the Iri/Jj Roman
CathoIicSi than they did from the declared'
Enemy.

The Fisheries of Newfoimdland were ori-
ginally carried on by the Ships only, and
none allowed to Fifli but fuch as cleared
out of fonie Port in Great Britain : But, in
Time, thofe concerned in that Trade found''
much greater Advantage by fifliing in Boats
along the Shore ; in confequence of which,
they found it ncceflary for Numbers to re-
main in the Ifland during the Winter, in or-
der to build Boats for the Service of the en-
fuing Seafon, as alfo to get Materials out of
the Woods, for their Filhing Rooms, &c.

" cr-

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,i|'- ^ ?>v«.'-«. C A.

This is a Brar.ch of the Fifhery that
fhould be taken moft particular Notice of,
as it is found to be, by far, the moft advan-
tageous : Therefore great Amendments
fliould be made in the xAdt of Parliament,
Tclative to the FiQiery of Newfoundland -y
the greatefl Encouragement (lioulJ be given
to thole that would refide there in the Winter,
as they are not only ufcful in preparing
i every Thing neceHiiry for the Voyage, but
/SiT^^J.c.jj, alfo

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ired

I, in

(II)

alfo often begin fifhing a Month before the
Ships come from Europe,

A great deal has been faid concerning the
Newfoundland Fifhery, by many of the
News Writers, and others j but I have not
found that any of tb^-m have the leaft No-
tion of it. Some would have it, that the
befl Part of it was given away when the
Iflands of St. Peter and Miquek?i were ceded
to the Trench j others thought, when you
had drove them from Cape Breton^ the
Fifhery was fecured to vs ; fome, again,
would have Canfo to be the beft Part of
the Fifhery ; others pftferred Halifax ; and
even feme went fo far as to think Bc/?c« in
New England a very convenient Place to
carry on the Fifh Trade : But ^ .will take
upon me to fay, that you need not be jea-
lous of all the Cod Fifheries in the World,
had you all to the Northward of Cape Race
ill Neufoimdland. But I am forry to fay,
that the Frejich have, by far, the beft Part
of it. ,

It is very true, that Fi(h are caught, in all
thofe Places I have mentioned, but onlv at

C 2 a cer*

M ■

'f-

I

( J2 )

a certain Time of the Year; feldom or
ever after Mky, There were, fome Years
ago, a Set of Merchants, at Bo/Ion^ who
formed therafelves into a Company, with
great Expedtations. They hii-^d many
of the Newfoundland Mafters of Vef-
fcls into their Service ; but, in about Two
Years, the Company found their Endeavours
of no EfFe(St5 therefore gave over all
Thoughts of purfuing it any longer, as their
LoiTcs were very great.

There are flill Schooners kept, by partis
cular People, to fifli fome Part of the Year
only : No one tool^ more Pains than Mr.
Alderman Janjfeny to pufh the Fifhery at
Halifax, but to no Purpofe : The fame may
be faid of Canfo, &c. &:c.

Many have been the Times when the
Matters of Veffels have left the Banks with
a fine Loading of Fifli ; and, when they ar*
rived at the aforefaid Places, upon opening
their Hatches, found all their Cargo turned
to Maggots.

The great Staple for Fifh, is from Cape
Race, all along the Eaflern Coaft of New-

Joundland

T-VVWll^SWS''*-. «»,itf •.^•^■Ai- W^

( 13 )

foundiand to the Strcights of Bellijle, and
from thence to Point Eiche (the Part inha-
bited by the Englifi), which begins in Pla^
cent/a Bay, and continues all along Shore to
Trapafee, Fermoves, Feriland, and as far
Northward as Cape Bonavijla,

The French, at the Time they were ia
Poffeffion of Cape Breton^ had a fmaltFifli-
ery carried on at Lotiijburgy and at feveral
Creeks and Coves oppofite to the faid Ifland
on the Coaft of Newfoundland^ and fome
within the Gulph of St. Lawrence.-, but
their greateft Refource, was from Cape Bo^
navijia to Point Ric^.

This was the Fifhery we had thenCaufe to
lament the Lofs of; and, indeed, fo we
have to this Day ; the Fiih in thofe Parts
being in greater Abundance, and the Fi(h-
ery carried en at Half the Expence, the
Wpather being much better for curing, be-
cau'fe the Fogs don't go any farther North-
ward -than the great Bank of Newfoundland
(the Northward Point of which runs to
Latitude 48 or 49 Deg.)> which is fomc-
thing to the Northward of Bonavijia,

' n

ll II

#-

f

It

fl'

( 14 )

It may be aiked. Why don't our Fifh-
crmen extend their Fifheries Northward ?
The Reafon is very clear : Tlie Expencc of
building Storehoufes, clearing of Plantations,
and building Fifhing Rooms, Stages, &c.
^c, are very expenfivej therefore none
would erribark in it, without a Certainty of
Pro^edtion, both in Time of Peace and
War J as it takes fome Years to be properly
fixed to carry on the faid Trade. There is
not any Thing fo advantageous and nccef-
fary, as to have Nunnbers of People re-
main in the Country the whole Winter.

If

i

It is very clear, that not a Foot of the
Country from Cape Scili/e^ in the Bay of
Fi!ndy\ to Cape Race, in NewfotindLmdj is
worth One Shilling to England, otherwife
than the Troops you keep there, are a
Check upon the French and Indiajis.

We have now an Opportunity of ^a-
blifliing that mod valuable Branch of the
Fifh Trade ; and there is nothing wanting
but our falling on a proper Method to make
the Returns double to what they ever have
been. '

•

I would

^IH

11

( IS )

. I would therefore propofe, that a Go-
vernor for the whole Ifland fliould refide at
St. Johnny which fliould be the Capital, as it
is the moft convenient Place to make up a
Convoy j and it is likewiCe the nearefl Place
that can be for the Center of Trade, and
alfo the moft Eaftern Part of the Illand j
by which Means, Ships cannot be imbayed j
but, in Half an Hour after they are out of
the Plarbour, they have Sea Room enough,
and can ftand North or South with great
Safety.

St. JohnSy Ferilandy Cai'bo?iierey and Tri-
7iky Harbours, (hould be put on the fame
Footing, they were intended in 1745; and
fuch other Forts and Batteries, fliould be
ereded at fnch Harbours, as fliould be found
ufefu) and advantageous for carrying on the
Fifliery to the Northward.

St. John Sy from 174.5 to 1750, was very
well garrifoned by Four Companies of Foot,
a Captain of Artillery, with about Fifty
Men J it was alfo well fupplied with all
Manner of Stores, and about Forty Pieces
of Cannon,

' I

1 f.a

]ii

( i6>

!»■ ■'■

> I

FerilanJy Carboniere, and trinity Har-
bours, had each an Officer of Artillery,
with about Eighteen or Twenty Men, and
an Officer of Foot and Thirty Men, were
intended for each of thofc Places. There
were as many Cannon, with Powder and
Shot, and in fhort all Manner of Stores, that
were found necelfary for their Defence,
with about 200 fmall Arms at each Place,
for the ufe of the Inhabitants.

r

Had thofe Places remained on the before-
mentioned Footing, I am convinced, that
France could not have fcnt an Armament
again ft it at the Time they did, to meet with
any fuccefs, and indeed the fuccefs they
met with at the Time they took it, was
chiefly owing to the Irlfh Roman Catholics.

lam of opinion, that none but the Inha-
bitants of Qreat Britain, Neiufoundlaiid, with
yerfey and G* ernfey , {bating Protejiants) fliould
have the Privilege of being pofleirtd of any
Fifli Rooms, or Plantations in the Ifland of
Newfoundland, The Irifi Romijii Catholia
are ufeful as Servants, but very dangerous in
that Part of the World, when in Power.

I would

i

re
Ire

. i v/ould propofe, that all Manner of Ne-
ceflaries for the fupport of the Fiflicrmen,
fliould be made as cheap as poffible, pro-
vided you don't hurt the Mother Country.
Every Thing for the carryingon this immenfe
Branch of Trade* is the Produdl of Eng"
lanJ, except Beef, Pork, and Butter, from
Ireland 'y Rum, Sugar, and MelalTes, frorni
the JVeJi-lndies and New-England , as alfo a
good deal of Bread and Flour, from NeiV'
Torkt Philadelphia^ Bofton, 6cc.

We have from Portugal and Spain , Salt
and Olive Oil, and a mere Trifle of Port
and Lijbon Wines j Oil is what the Fifher-
men cannot do v^ithout, to eat with fait Fifli,

both Winter and Summer; and as the Oil
muft firft be brought to England, and then
re-fliipped for Newfoundland, notwithftand-
ing it leaves but the meereft Trifle at the
Cuftom Houfe, yet the double Freight, and
many other Expenccs, make it come ex**
ceeding dear to the Fiflicrmen j therefore
was it allowed to be taken on Board the
Ships that are conflantly returning from
Lijbon, and other Ports, with Salt to NeW"
foundland, the Fifliermen would be able to

D purchafe

\i

(t

III

\ I

-■■'• f ■

vS'ln^

( iS )

purchafe it at 75 per cent, cheaper, than its
coming by the Way of England,

There is an illicit Trade carried on from
Jerfey and Guernfey, that I think hurtful to
the fair Trader, viz. French Brandy, Can-
vas, Cordage, and fundry other Commodi-
ties, not of fo much Confequence as the
Former.

V

Every Two Boats * will require the fol-
lowing Stores and Neceffaries (in order to
iit them out for the Fifhery), nearly calcu-
lated at what they coft in England,

The Boats are always built in Newfound-
hnd»

Two Boats

Two Sets of Sails
Two new Roads
Riggan - - -

- ->C6o

16 o o

- - - 7 12 o

- - 4 13 o

Carried over jC 28 5 o

* My Reafon for calculating for Two Boats, is,
becaufe moft Pcoj)le keep more than Oncj and
many of thole Things that nrg iieccfliiry for one, will
I'trvc both.

Four

ill

'^

( '9 )

Brought over ^28

Four Graplins - - -
Bread Boxes and Keggs
Kettles and Frying Pars -
Six hundred fifhing Hooks
Pewes and Gaft^ - - -
Six Splitters and four Cutters
Two Lanthorns - - -
Two Boats CompaiTes
Gimblets and Files -
Two hundred Weight of Lead
Four dozen long Lines -
Six ditto' Rand Twine
Four Saucepans - - -
Bowles and Platters -
A Mooring and fmall An-
chor - - - - -
Two Hatchets - - -
Squede f looks - - -
Squcde Lines - ^ - -
One Hundred Weight of
forted Nails - - -

I 12

For the Shoremen that catch
the Bait and cure the FiQi, viz.

Bait Boat, with Sails and fun^

dry Materials ---90

Carried over iC 68 ].a, o
D 2 A Laii^c

IS 5

0

\ \

8 4

0

I 4

0

0 15

0

I 16

0

0 6

0

0 10

0

0 7

0

0 8

0

,

0 5

Q

I 16

0

2 8

0

0 9

0

t

0 4

0

1

0 8

0

j

10 0

0

0 4

0

0 5

0

'

0 8

0

!'■■

?? !l

( 20 )

Brought over £ 6S 14. o
A Lance Svvaine - - - i3 o o
Six Herring Nets ---600
Two Coding Nets - - - 2 10. o
Three hundred Weight of

Svvaine L ne - ^ - 5 14 0

Pots, Kettles, Fryingpans,
Saucepans, Bowls, Plat-
ters, Gunpowder, Shot,
Hammers, &c. - - - 8 10 0
Sundry Sprts of Nails - 3 10 o
Four Hatchets -• - f- 080

^ 108 6 o

i;i

li

Suppofe Two Thoufand Boats are kept,
;ind NeccfTaries carried out of England^
yearly, for every Two Boats, at" the above
Calculation (exelufive of the Boats them-
felves), will, in the Whole, make 108,300/.
with Cjoathing, of different Sorts, fcnt from
England for 21,040 People, at Six Pounds
each; will amount to 126,240/. The
Amoant of Proviiions, at Eight Pence per
picm, carried out of EngLind for the above
Number of Men^ for Eight JVfonths (which

o
o
o

o

0
o
o

is the longeft Time they are on that Servlccy
will be 171,125/. 6^. Sd. So that this
valuable Trade will take yearly, from Eng^ ^'
Jandy to the Amount of Four Hundred and 4^^. /'^•>'
tive Thoufand,. Six Hundred and Sixty-five
Pounds, Six Shillings, and Eight Pence,
ISterling, per Annum, exclufive of the Wea^
^nd Tear of Shipping.

I am convinced, was this Trade qarried
on as it ought to be, and proper Settle*
ments made to the Northward, Forty Thou-
fand People might be employed in it ; and,
confequently, the Exports and Returns, tQ
jind from England, would be double.

The yearly Returns"!

for Fi(h and Oil, from t-/i »

. ' 1 ' riih, I,O'2 2,00o/.

745 to 1752, at the)> t^Qo^,

Calculation made on this 1
Account, will be, for j

There is one CIrcumftance more, which
I muft beg Leave to obfcrve, viz. That
I am fure the French would never have
I)>a4e fo great a Point in getting a Foot-
ing

i

( 22 )

ing on the Iflands of St. Peter's and iW/-
quiilon, but with a A^iew of being en-
abled to come at Fifh at a much cheaper
Rate than they could (or can poHibly) catch
it, which is by carrying on an illicit Trade,
^vith the Fifliing People of Newfoundland.
It is inconceivable what Quantities of French
Rum, Melaffes, G?r. they bartered with
the Newfoundland Traders, when they were
in PofTeffion of Cape Breton-, and how
much more will they do fo now, when they
are fo much nearer our Illand of Newfound^
land, I have known them bring Ships
' even into feveral of the Bays of New-
foundland, and Boats and Ships have met
them, without ever coming to an Anchor,
and exchanged with them, to the Amount
of their whole Cargo.

I cannot help again obferving the Ab-
furdity. of a Captain of a Man of War's
being Governor of fo extenfive a Branch
of Trade. It is not in the Nature of
Things, from their fliort Refidence there,
that they can ever arrive to any Degree of
Knowledge of it. I have known them
" give Grants to particular People, that would
have ruined the whole Trade, and coitld

mention

1. 'k

wm

( 23 )

mention the Names of thofe Governors,
but rather chufe to avoid it, as they did it
for want of a true Knowledge of the
Trade, and therefore were liable to be im-
pofed upon by defigning People. Sir George
Rodney y when he was Governor, invalidated
feveral of them, and one, in particular j
which was a Patent for a Man to have the
fole Privilege of drawing Baite at a certain
Beech $ which, had it remained in Force,
would have ruined the remaining Part of
the Inhabitants for Forty Leagues along
the Coaft.

J^^ / /^ » A. 4. -^-1- ^^^'A'-*-* 'V v>'

/

C'-i\. y ' it ft :f '/ Cc* n-tf^...

C 7 ^4f,.

> ^.i /ii

/^ <:/ 7 ^ ;>^-^ * ^' -^ ' ^ ■'«-

V

li ^ *>/*.«, "^

„■*%■ /^

X /^.'

"^ r'} .'i^^^-z-

\\.

THE

y

/ / r/^

. y

i«

THE

STATE

OF THE

Newfoundland Fishery,

W I T H A

N

Propofcd to the

ADMINISTRATION

The 1 2th of Mayy 176 1,

To exclude the French from that Trade.

By Captain T. COLE.

TH E French^ as appears by the Thir-
teenth * Article of the Treaty of
Utrecht, cede the whole Ifland of New^

E fou7idland

* The Thirteenth Article of the Treaty of Utrecht.
" The Ifland called Newfoundland, with the adjacent
Iflands, (hall, from this Tims forward, belong, of

Right,

!!ani

m

I-.' ','

'3

M

if
1 1

, ( 26 )

foundland to the Queen, refcrving only to
themfelves, the Liberty of Fifhing on the
Coaft, from Cape Bonavijla, to the Northern
Point of the faid Ifland ; and from thence
running down by the Weftern Side, ftretch*
ing as far as Point Riche : Alfo, to builci
Stages, made of Boards, and Huts, necef^
fary and ufual for Drying their Fifli ; but

' Right, wholly to Britain ; and, to that End, the Town
and Fortrefs of Placentia, and whatever other Places, in
the faid Ifland, are in Pofleflion of the French^ (liall be
yielded and given up within Seven Months from the Ex-
change of the Ratifications of this Treaty, or fooner, if
poflible, by the Moft Chriftian King, to thofe who have
a Commiffion from the Queen of Great Britain for thgt
Purpofe. Nor fhall the Moft Chriftian King, his Heirs
and Succeflbrs, or any of their Subje£ls, at any Time
hereafter, lay Claim to any Right to the faid Ifland and
Iflands, or to any Part of it, or them. Moreover, it
f})all not be lawful for the Subje£ts of France to fortify
any Place, in the faid Ifland of Newfoundland^ or to eredl
any Buildings there, befides Stages made of Boards and
Hutts, neceflTary and ufual for dryingof Fifli, or to re-
fort to the faid Ifland beyond the Time neceflary for
Fiftiing, and drying of Fifh,' but it (hall be allowed to
the Subjects of France to catch Fifh, and to dry them 04
Land in that Part only, an.i in no other befides that, of
the faid Ifland of Neivfoioidland^ which ftreaches from
the Place called Cape Bonnavifta, to the Northern Point
of the faid Ifland, and from thence running down by
the Weftern Side, reaches as far as the Place called
Point Riche^ ^c ^c"

not

(27)

not to refort thither beyond the Time of
Fifhing, and Drying of Filh.

As it feems clear, by the Terms of this
Treaty, that the French Plenipotentiaries
were better inftrudled than ours, in Re-
gard to the Value of the Fifliery j they
chofe the North Part of the Coaft, where
the Fifh are more plentiful, better in Kind,
and are dried in a great deal lefs Time ;
the Air being clear and dry, during the
Fifliing Seafonsj by which Means, they
cure their Fifh at much lefs Expence, and
get to the Markets fooner than our People
pofiibly can ; and, confequently, carry their
Fifh there in better Condition than we do
ours : Becaufe the South Part of this Coafl,
where our People fifh, is al/»ays covered
with Fogs, and mizzling Rains; which
keep the Fifh fo long in drying, that the
Maggots breed in them, and render them
of lefs Value, at the European Markets.
But within a few Years after the figning of
the aforefaid Treaty, our People became
perfedly acquainted with the DifFe^nce be-
tween the North and South Parts of the faid
Ifland, and how much the North Part was

^ 2 pre-

V

n

( 28 )

preferable to the South in the Expcncc of
catching, curing* and drying of Fi(h ; and,
likewifc, how much fooner the French got
to the Markets than they did, as well as the
Prefc/ence that was given to their Fi{h,which
encouraged our People to make an Attempt
to fifli there al fb ; having, by the Treaty,
more than an equal Right, upon the North
Part of the Coaft of the faid Ifland : Bat
they found, that the French had not only
built Hutts and Stages on all the beft Parts
of that Coaft, but aiTumed an exclufivc
Right of fifhing there : So that in or about
the Year 1742, they fired on our Fiftiing
Veffelb, and deftroyed fome of their Boats.
Complaints of thofe Infults being made to
our then Minifters, a Remonftrance was
made to the Court of France-, but no Sa-
tisfadlion being infifted on, on our Side, the
Englijh Filhermen never ventured to go
there any more, left further Mifchief fliouid
cnfue. The French then fo far fucceeded in
that moft valuable Branch of Trade, as to
get the Preference in moft of the European
Markets J which, at a moderate Compu-
tation, makes a Difference, to this Nation,
in the Sale of Filh, of upv, ards of Two

Millions

( *9 )

Millions Sterling per Atmwn* Befides thte
important Coniideration of thofe Fineries

being their greateft Narfery for Seamen,
the French i of late Years, kaving feldom
fewer than Six or Seven Handred Ships,
moft of which, from Tour to Five Huft
dred Tons Buwlen, and the Icaft cMfyiog
from Forty to Fifty Men each, befid^s fe»-
veral Thoufands of Fifhcrmen, employed -m
that Trade/ . • : . - . » - - '

The above being the true ^tate bf the
'Newfoundland Filhcry before 'the Com-
mencement of this War j and as that Fifli-
cry may be made of greater Coiilequence
to this Nation, than the Mines of Ver'u and
Mexico are to Spain -^ no Time iCems more
proper, than the prefent, for accpmplifhing
this End, left we fhould not fucceed in to-
tally excluding the French from that Trade
by a Treaty j our Ships ot War having al-
ready driven all the French Fifhing VefTels
from thatCoaft, and deftroyed their Hu.ts
an<i Stages : And as we are demolifning the
Fortifications of Loitijburgh ; it is therefore
propofed^ to fend one of the Regiments which
garrifoned that Place, to the North Part of

New-

f 3° )

Newfoundland, together with all the Mate-
rials that may be faved out of the Works
of that Fortrefs, in order to build Forts on
the principal Places where the French had
their Hutts and Stages from Cape Bonnavijla
to Toint Riche 5 all this may be performed
in Six or Eight Months, there being great
Plenty of Timber, the propcreft Article for
building of Forts in that cold Climate ; be-
caufe Brick or Stone- work v/ould be de-
ftroyed by the fevere Frofts, in the Winter
Seafons. There muft alfo be fent, with the
Troops, a fufficient Number of Smiths,
Sawyers, Carpenters, &c. to carry on the
different Kinds of Work -, and fome Ships
.of War, to protedt them till this is com-
pleated.

■I

lip

When the Work is finirtied, it will be a furc
Proteftion to our Fifliermen, and oblige the
Frtiich to keep their proper Diftance, as well
as totally exclude them from filhing on any
Part of that Coaft, and effectually prevent
their ever being able to bring up Seamen to
man their Fleets, H one of thofe Regi-
ments from Louijburgh cannot be fpared,
three or four of the ncw-raifed Independant

Com-

I

f

( 31 )

Companies, together with the Company of
Miners lately fent to Cape Breton, may be .
fufficient for this Service.

The French (by means of their Fifhery
on the North Coaft of Newfoundland) carry
on a great Trade with the Efquameau Indians
that inhabit the vaft Coaft of Labradore,
which is not above Ten Leagues Diftance
from the aforefaid Fi(hery (acrofs the Streights
of Bellei/le) for Furs, Deer, Elk, Buffalo
Skins, (^c, and on the Coaft they have a
great Whale Fifti6ry, and alfo, bring Home
great Quantities of Mafts, Yards, Spars,
Gff. for building Ships of War; and faw
vaft Q^ntities of Plank, from the Red Pine,
for their Ship and Boat-building, being the
beft in the World for that Purpofe : Both
the North Part of Newfoundlattdy and the
Coaft of Labradore, abound with thofc
Materials,

mt. ...

Xfifr

'■' I.

ii

If'

( 30

.POSTSCRIPT.

IT may not be improper to make fome
Apology, to the Reader, for printing
thcfe' Sheets, in the Abfence of Captain
JVilliams. They were wrote laft Year, when
that Gentleman was in England, and a Copy
prefcnted to the Right Honourable the Lords
Comn doners of Trade and Plantations;
alfo a h\ ' them were diftributed amongft
his intimate Friends ; when it was earneftiy
wiihed, that moft valuable Branch of Trade
would have been fcrioufly confidered in the
^oufe of Commons : and at a Time when
the fettling and fecuring of our Colonies,
and Rights of Treaty (fo grofly and fcan-
daloufly abufed, before the late War), ought
to have been the grand Bufinefs of Admi-
niftration : But, by the Inftability o? our
People then employed, who have (ince un-
dergone almoft a total Change, thofc Copies
may have been loft, or mif-laid. Therefore
Captain lVilliams% Friend, with whom he
left the Manufcript, thinking this the moft
proper Time to publifti and difpcrfe it by
way of Pamphlet j hoping, by that Means,
it may fall into fuch Hands as will make a

proper

1^ I

1^'

• ( 33 )

proper * life of it; and efpeclally, as the
&ubjedt is now become, more than ever, an
interefting and a moft Terious Concern to-
wards the Welfare, ' id, I may fay. Safety,
of this Kingdom j the French f\i\\ continuing
to make X Encroachments on our Fi flier ies,
and fpiriiing up the Indians with conlider-
able Prefents, and fair Promifes, of which
we have lately had many publick and pri-
vate Accounts from that Part of the World.
An II Extract of a Letter from a Perfon of
undoubted Veracity, dated at St. John's,
Newfciindland, the 28th of OBober lafl:,
received whilft the above was in the Prefs,
deferves p;irticular Af*^^ention ; and may,
therefore, properly be infcrted here.

Dcceir.ber,

r. c

* The ftriifi Adherence to Truth, in this Work,
will, it is hoped, fufficicntly apologize for Want of the
KmbenKhmenis of an Author, as it is an Afl'air of Bu-
finefs, and not of Party.

X Kncroachmentb, as appears by the Reports of Mr.
Pallifer, ^c. &c.

II This Extract was publifhed in the Gazetteer of
Tliiirfday thi,- 5th Infhint, and in the Craftfinan of the
m\y , bccanfe it was then uncertain in what Time this
j'a.nphlct miijlu appear.

■"?:VW

( 34 )

Extradi of a 'L^iT^'^from St. JohnV, New-
foundland, Odlober 28, 1765.

" Dear Sir,
**T ^^"^^ y°^ Word, fome Time ago, that
J. about 300 of the Nova Scotia or Mick^
mack hidians had got over to this Ifland,
and had landed in the Bay of Defpairy to
the Weftward j and we did fuppofe they
were making the bed of their Way to the
Fre72ch at their two Iflands, Miquelon and
St. Peter\ : Since which, I am informed
that about 150 Acadians, who did not chufe
to take the Oaths, are gone and fettled at
Miquelon — don't you fee what all this tends
to ? Is it not clear that the French are uling
every Stratagem to make the Indians believe
that they will dill be able to fupport them ?
And do they not take every Opportunity of
fiiewing their Men of War as far up the Ri-
ver St. Laurence as polTiblc ? All the French
Men of Wix were loaded with Goods of
various Kinds, fome Part of which was for
Preicnts for the Indians^ and the reft to
faiugglc for our Fifli. Their Men of War
were often fcen on the Banks by our Fisher-
men > then they difappearcd for a Time,

and

v.:*,

V (35)

and nobody could fay where they were goae,
notwithftanding our Men of War did every
Thing that could be done in ferretting of
them from Place to Place.

If proper Care is not taken of us, this
Fifliery muft be loft ; and we, in a little
Time, fall a Sactifice.

I know the Opinion of many of the great
People at Home, that our Men of War will
be fufficient to protc<5t us j but I will venture
to fay, that all the Men of War in England
cannot do it whilft the French Settlements
are fo near us.

The Weather will not permit the Men of
War to keep the Seas late, nor even to lie in
the Harbours in Safety j that is the Time
the French and Indians will make their In-
curfions, and deftroy us : And I fay, that
nothing but refpedable Garrifons with Land
Forces will keep them in Awe : — You know
that thefe have always been my Sentiments.*'

• >