SECTION IL., 1902 [W7 98] Trans. R. S. C. 
ILI.—The Old Basque Tombstones at Placeniva. 
By Rr. Rev. Bishop How ey. 
(Read May 27, 1902.) 
In the primitive old wooden church (Anglican) at Placentia, the 
ancient French capital of Newfoundland, are still to be seen the 
disjecta membra of a few tombstones of the seventeenth and eighteenth 
centuries, relics of the Old Basque and French settlements. 
These interesting old monuments were rescued a few years ago 
by order, if I mistake not, of the late Governor Glover, from the 
graveyard, and placed within the church for safety. But even there, 
so badly had they suffered from the ravages of time, they are fast 
crumbling to decay, being in a much worse and less legible condition 
now than they were the first time I examined them about twenty 
years ago. 
Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to decipher these 
inscriptions, but as far as I am aware, the first attempt at reproducing 
a fac-simile of them, was made by the present writer. I had them 
engraved and published in my “ Ecclesiastical History of Newfound- 
land.” I have several times since then examined the stones. I 
found that my original copies though fairly exact were not altogether 
correct. In December last (1901) I made a final and most careful 
study of them, spending part of two days at the work, and I am now 
prepared to present to the readers of the “ Transactions,” copies as 
near to fac-similes as can be cbtained without the aid of photo- 
graphy. I have also been fortunate in obtaining a correct interpre- 
tation of the inscriptions which have hitherto puzzled completely all 
historians, antiquaries and philologists. 
The engravings here presented have been made from my own 
drawings by our talented young fellow-townsman, Mr. D. Carroll. 
Since my last inspection of the stones an attempt has been made to 
photograph them by Mr. Figary, photographer, Placentia. They were 
not quite a success, on account of the stones being in such a dilapidated 
condition. 
There are altogether five stones or fragments of stones bearing 
inscriptions. Of these, two (which afterwards will be shown to be 
parts of one inscription) are in French, and three in Basque. These 
latter are the most interesting, and have been undeciphered up to 
the present time. In my “History,” page 144, I stated that “ The 
language is distinctly Latin, though one or two of the words are 
unintelligible.” 
