332 J. C4. BOUEINOT 



" Journal of Visitation in Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, and along the eastern shore of New Brunswick in tho 

 summer and autumn of 1843," by Rt, Rev. Joiin Inglis, liisliop of Nova Scotia (London, 1844). The author, who 

 gives some interesting details of Cape Breton, was a son of the first bishop of the Church of England appointed in 

 the British colonies in America (in 1787), and who had lieen previously rector of Trinity Church, New York. 



In "Our Own Country, Canada, Scenic and Descriptive, being an account of the extent, resources, physical 

 aspect, cities and chief towns of the provinces of Nova Scotia, etc.," by Rev. W. H. Withrow, D.D., F.R.S.C. (Tor- 

 onto, 1SS9), we have a description of tlie scenery of Canseau, He Madame, Bras d'Or, Sydney, Louisbourg, with 

 views of a iishing village, of Lonisliourg, and of modern aspects of life and industry in the island. 



" liaddeck and that Sort of Thing " (Boston, 1874) represents the humour of Charles Dudley Warner, to whom 

 the pretty village on the Bras d'Or owes its present fame. The historian, like the tourist, will find the little volume 

 a source of amusement in summer days, when he and all the world seek relief from the ordinary vocations of life, 

 and have no desire to take books and things too much mi sérmu;. 



" Picturesque Canada" (Toronto), edited by Very Reverend Principal Cirant, and illustrated under the super- 

 vision of the Canadian artist, L. R. O'Brien, Près. R.C-A., contains, towards the close of the second volume (pp. 

 841-852), a brief description of tlie island, its history, scenery and resources, and several illustrations of North 

 Sydney, of Caledonian mines, of the ruins of Louisbourg, of the new town near the railway pier, anil of Lake 

 Catalogue. A sketch of the Tantramar marshes in Cumberland Co., N.S., however, is misplaced in a sketch of 

 Cape Breton. The writer suggests a memorial on the site of Louisbourg to commemorate the achievements of 

 1745-1758. 



In 1873 a committee of the House of Commons of Canada was appointed (see Jour., App. No. 5) to report on 

 the shortest route for mails and passengers between America and Europe. Tables of distances are given between 

 points in Europe and the ports of Louisbourg and of Shippegan on the eastern coast of New Brunsw ick — a place to 

 which attention was being drawn at that time with a view of creating tnido for the Intercolonial railroad. Tlie 

 committee were in favour of Louisbourg, which " has the great advantage of being reported to be open and access- 

 ible throughout tho entire winter season ; of being from sixty to one hundred miles nearer Europe than Shippegan, 

 in the direct line of ocean travel between Europe and the northern ports of the United States, and of possessing 

 large and valrable coal fields in its immediate vicinity where coaling could be effected at a lower rate than any 

 j)lace in Britain or America." 



An illustration of the efforts of the people of the almost forgotten island, many years ago, to compete for a 

 space of the great European traflln is a little pamphlet before mo with the title : "European and American Rail- 

 way Terminus— Sydney, Cape Breton, the nearest [wrt in British North America to Europe," printed in 1S51, on 

 very common paper, at the oflice of the Cape Brdon Nervx, for many years the oidy paper published in the ishind. 

 It represents the advantages of tlie noble port of .Sydney as a railway terminus compared with Louisbourg and 

 other places in Eastern America, but forty years have passed since the pamphlet was printed, and of the com- 

 mittee of twenty-five gentlemen appointed to draft a report only two have lived to see a railway in 1890 opened to 

 Sydney. In fact, of the 125 persons who signed the requisition to call the public meeting from which the report 

 in the pamphlet emanated only thirteen remain. The following are the names of the committee, with those living 

 in italics: Hon. Mr. Justice Dodd, Hon. J. McKeaguey, M.E.C., M.P.P., W. H. Munro, M.P.P., James McLeod, 

 M.P.P. ; C. E. Leonard, Custos ; P. H. Clarke, agent for Lloyds ; Richard Brown, agent for the Mining Association 

 (the historian of Cape Breton); T. D. Archibald (afterwards Senator), J. Bourinot (afterwards Senator), E. P. Arch- 

 hold, P. Moore, G. H. Gesner, Cajit. Ouseley, H. Davenport, E. Sutherland, H. IMunro, N. H. Martin, Wm. Gammell, 

 Thomas Brown, D. N. ISIcQueen, A. F. Haliburlon, L. Robertson, John Ferguson, D. B. McNab and J. Robertson. 

 The High Sheriff at the time was Richard Giljbons (now dead), a grandson of the first chief justice of the island, 

 and president of the first council under DesBarres. Several of the persons named, like Leonard, Brown, Moore, 

 Gesner, Gammell, were descendants of New England families. 



Few romances have had their scenes in Cape Breton. W. C. McKinnon, a relative of the W. JMcKinnon 

 who was provincial secretary and clerk of the council in 1792, wrote several remarkably hysterical books: 

 " St. Castine : a Legend of Cape Breton" (Cape Breton, 1850); "Frances ; or. Pirate Cove " (Halifax, 1851) ; "St. 

 Cieorge; or, the Canadian League" (Halifax, 1852). See Morgan's "Bibliotheca Canadensis." Mr. McKinnon 

 subsequently atoned for his youthful vagaries in writing such tales of murder, rajiine and intrigue by becoming a 

 clergyman of the Melho<list Church. C. W. Hall, a memlier of the Massachusetts bar, who was horn in Prince 

 Edward Island, wrote "Twice Taken: an historical romance of the INIaritime I'rovinces" (Boston, 1867). It 

 records the fall of Louisbourg, and is an improvement on the former works. See ibid. 



In the ' Canadian Archives ' for 1891 there is a list of loyalist fandlies who wished in 1784 to emigrate to Cape 

 Breton (p. 21). Also several letters from Lieutenant-Governor JMacarmic:k with reference to the defenceless state 

 of the island in 1790-93 (pp. 41-44). 



