ON CAPE BEETON. 317 



The Reverend Thomas Prince was a memorable figure in the history of those times. He was a vohiminous 

 author besides an eminent if prolix preacher. (See "Mem. Hist, of Boston "for an account of his writings and 

 service-s ii. 401, •10',), 42.") ; portrait, ii. 221 ; his " Chronological Hist, of N. E.," i. xviii ; ii. 426 ; his library, ii. 221, 

 426. Also " Nar. and Crit. Hist, of Am.," v. 121, 107, 103, etc.) Another of his sermons is : ''The Salvations of 

 God in 1746, in jiart set forth in a sermon at the South Church in Boston, Nov. 27, 1746, being the day of the 

 Anniversary Thanksgiving in the Province of Massachusetts in N. E., wherein the most remarkable Salvations of 

 the year past, both in Europe and North America as far as they come to our knowledge, are briefly considered" 

 (Boston, 174G). In this last sermon he makes special mention of the providential interposition which saved the 

 English colonies from the threatened attack by the Duke d'Anville's fleet (See .fitpra, sec. VI.) In the first sermon 

 of 1745, Mr. Prince narrates the leading events from the commencement of the N. E. expedition until the capture 

 of Louisbourg, to show tliat '' no one in common reason can deny a particular Providence in this great affair." His 

 closing words are that '' as 'twas one of the chief disgraces of Queen Anne's reign to resign thin Island to the Fnnch, 

 it is hap))i!y one of the glories of King George the Second's to recover it to the British Empire." I have not come 

 across any sermon of this divine, explaining the giving up of Cape Breton in 1748 by tiio same George II., on 

 whose glories he expatiated in 1745. 



"A voyage to South America describing at large the Spanish CitieSi Towns, Provinces, etc., in that extensive 

 continent, undertaken by command of the King of Spain," by Don George Juan and Don Antonio de Ulloa, both 

 captains of the Spanish navy, fellows of the Royal Society of London ; members of the Royal Academj- of Paris, &c. 

 Translated from the original Spanish, (3rd. éd., London, 1772, 2 vols.) The translation in my possession is by Mr. 

 .lohn Adams of WaUham Abbey, "who resided several years in those pans." Thiswork is cited becauseit contains 

 an interesting " account of the harbour and town of Louisbourg and the taking of it by the English (1745) ; together 

 with some particulars relating to the French fishery, and the trade carried on there." (See vol. ii. cap. 7.) The 

 rcmplete work in the original Spanish is relatively expensive, 100 fr. in Dufosse's Cat. ; it is in 5 vols. 4to., (Madrid, 

 1748) — the fifth volume being now rare. The author gives an account of the capture of the Délivrance, by the 

 English fleet in 1745. 



In "The Works of .lames Houston, M.D., containing memoirs of his life and travel.s in Asia, Africa, America 

 and most parts of Europe, from the j'ear 1090 to the present time " (London, 1753), there is a letter from a corres- 

 pondent of the author, written at LouLsbourg, Nov. 20, 1745, and giving a short account (pp. >')57-385) of the taking 

 of tlie fortress in that year. The name of the writer is not mentioned, but the style of the narrative is that of the 

 author himself, and we have still more reason to believe that the correspondent is imaginary when we read the 

 closing pages which refer to the value of Cape Breton to England and the necessity of retaining it in her posses- 

 sion. The arguments have a striking resemblance to those we find in the pamphlets which were issued after the 

 taking of Louisbourg, and to which reference has just been made. In all probability the author compiled this 

 part of tlie book from the current pamphlets of the day. (See infra, App. XVIII.) The writer, in showing the 

 importance of Cape Kreton, states that at least 3,400 men, 5O0 shallops, GO brigantines, schooners and sloops were 

 employed annually in the fisheries from the Gut of Canso to Louisbourg, and thence to the northeast part of the 

 island. The annual catch of fish is estimated at 186,000 quintals, and the trade required ninety-three ships, with 

 an aggregate of 1,800 men. Other statistics are given to show the great importani'e of Cape Breton as an entre- 

 pot for the fisheries of the gulf Houston was a Scotch adventurer who received a good medical education, and 

 passe<l most of his life as surgeon to the Aspiento company, and as a trader and negotiator in Central America and 

 the Spanish main. In addition to the memoir cited here there were two i^revious editions of his memoirs pub- 

 lished in London in 1747, one under the title of ''The Memoirs of the Life and Travels of James Houston," with 

 the name of Jacob BickerstatT, and the other, " Dr. Houston's Memoirs of his own Life-time." (See Sabin's Dic- 

 tionary, viii. 407.) 



In the fourteenth volume of the voluminous collection of voyages, known as " Histoire Générale des Voyages 

 etc.," by the Abbé Prévost, the author of "Manon Lescaut" (Paris, 1740-1789), there is an .account of the " Etab- 

 lissement des François dans l'Ile Roïale, autrefois le Cap Breton," extending over twelve pages (671-684). It is 

 borrowed almost entirely from Cliarlevoix and De Ulloa — the errors of the latter Iieing reproduced. The author 

 was a mere compiler and editor in the case of this collection of voyages. He does not appear to have availed him- 

 self of the opportunity he must have had of consulting the colonial archives at Paris, which contained abundant 

 material for an accurate description of Louisbourg, and the resources and condition of Cape Breton. Ho does not 

 even give a sketch of the fortress, though his work contains many elaborate plan-s of places in America, Asia and 

 Africa. He has contented himself with a map, by N. P.ellin, of Acadie and He Royale, which is thirteen years 

 later than that given in Charlevoix by the same engineer. Several places are sijelt difl'erently ; for instance Miray 

 becomes Miré, and Gabori is Ciabaru. The strait of Canseau is spelt Fronsae, showing how long Sieur Denys's 

 title clung to this well known "gut." Volumes sii-xv are devoted to America in this collection of voyages, the 



