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Sessional Papers Province of Canada
Fifth Session of the Eight Parliment

"1866 Report to Commissioner of Crown Lands"

Excerpts from a report to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Ottawa, dated 13 July, 1865, from Pierre FORTIN, Esq, "Stipendiary Magistrate in Command of the Expedition for the Protection of the Fisheries in the Gulf of St Lawrence, on board “La Canadienne”, during the Season on 1865". (Sessional Papers 5th Session of the 8th Parliament of the Province of Canada, 1866 Session)

Fortin wrote: “On the eveing of the 12th we set sail, and next day we entered Bonne Esperance Harbor shortly after eight o'clock in the morning. In that magnificent harbor I found 16 vessels, 12 of which came from different ports on the east coast of Newfoundland, and the remainder from Nova Scotia, principally from the port of Lunembourg; they were all engaged in the cod fishery. The following is a list of them:" Bonne Esperance Harbor, 13th July, 1865:
Vessel Name	Captain	From What Port
Brigatine “Leo”	Jas EPHEN	St. John, Nfld
“Young Newfoundland”	Ed MURPHY	Catalina, Nfld
Brigatine “Charles”	J SNOW	St. John, Nfld
“Dove”	M HORGEN	St. John, Nfld
Brigantine “St. George”	Wm SILBY	St. John, Nfld
“Ariel”	Wm ANDREWS	St. John, Nfld
“Kate”	M POWER	St. John, Nfld
”Perserverance”	Henry PATRICK	St. John, Nfld
“Ann”	Wm CONDON	Catalina, Nfld
“Dart”	J PETER	Catalina, Nfld
Transcriber's note: I only recorded those vessels listed from Newfoundland. They total 10. Two others were listed from “Mahon Bay, Nfld” which I believe is meant to be Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia: “Delight”, Captain James BOURGOIN, Mahon Bay, Nfld; and “Emily”, Captain William RAKE, Mahon Bay, Nfld. This would make up the 12 mentioned by Fortin in his report.

At Salmon Bay, also dated 13 July, 1865, Fortin also noted two Newfoundland Vessels:
Vessel Name	Captain	From What Port
Brigatine “Jessie”	J DODGE	St John, Nfld
“Noel”	Richard JOYE	St John, Nfld

Fortin noted: ...” These vessels had found no cod this spring on the banks which they habitually frequented, and for that reason they had come to our shores, although far from the ports from which they sailed, in the hope of meeting with better success than at home.” On 15 July, 1865 Fortin recorded “...we anchored in Bradore Harbour, which, together with Bradore Basin Harbour, we found quite filled with vessels engaged in the cod fishery”. Those from Newfoundland were:
Vessel Name	Captain	From What Port
Brigantine “Mary Jane”	J CONNORS	St John, Nfld
“Joseph”	John BATES	St John, Nfld
“Sea Slipper”	C LONGMAN	Cape Norman, Nfld
“Nimble”	William LAND	St John, Nfld
“Ready”	R SANES	St John, Nfld
“Trouble”	M KATES	St John, Nfld
“Village Belle”	Wm YOUNG	St John, Nfld

Page Transcribed and Contributed by Linda Elkins-Schmitt (2006 06)

Page Last Modified March 06, 2013 (Craig Peterman)

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