226 Notes upon the Dark Days of Canada. 



The third narrative is as follows : 



" On the 2d instant, (July 1814) being off Cape Chat, the sun 

 assumed a very bright blood colour, and at half-past two^ a total 

 darkness ensued. This continued till about sunset, when the ho- 

 rison somewhat cleared, but, at nine o'clock, it became so dark, 

 that it was impossible to observe any object, however near, 

 without the help of lanterns. The ship laid-to till two a. m., 

 when the obscurity disappeared. It is difficult to account for 

 this phenomenon, as it was not observed beyond fifteen leagues 

 on either side of the spot where the ship lay. For three days 

 previous, some ashes and smoke had been observed ; but, on the 

 second, no symptoms of burnt wood were felt. It may be pre- 

 sumed, that some volcanic eruption has taken place in a north- 

 easterly direction, which caused total darkness in a breadth of 

 about fifteen leagues from each side of Cape Chat *." 



The fourth narrative is in these words : 



" ^dJuly 1814 — Sunday. — A most extraordinary day. In 

 the morning, dark thick weather, and fog of a deep yellow co- 

 lour, which increased in density and colour until four o"'clock 

 p. M., at which hour the cabin was entirely dark, and we dined 

 by candle light ; the binnacle also was lighted shortly aften 

 In the evening, at twenty minutes after sunset, there was total 

 darkness, so much so, that on deck a man could not see another 

 at three feet distance : this continued until the moon arose, when 

 there was some little appearance of light, but very little ; it gra- 

 dually went off, until it disappeared in the morning of the 4th 

 of July. The wind, during this extraordinary obscurity, was 

 westerly.^ with some northing, and the Phcenix was in latitude 

 45' 50'' north, and longitude 58' 12' west. 



The relative positions of the ship in which Captain Payne 

 was embarked, the Sir William Heatlicote, with her associate 

 transport, and of the Phcenix, may be readily seen upon refe- 

 rence to a map of the Gulf of St Lawrence ; and from inspec- 

 tion, it will be perceived, that the northerly wind which blew 

 on the 2d of July carried the clouds of ashes, dust, sand, smoke, 

 and vapour, across the river St Lawrence, in a line from the 

 Bay of Seven Islands to Cape Chat ; and that by the westerly 



• Quebec Gazette, 28th July 1814. 



