[pattbeson] supplementary NOTES ON SABLE ISLAND 133 



II. 



KOTICES OF THE ISLAND IN THE HtH CeNTURY AND EaRLY PaRT 



OF THE 18th. 



Since my last paper was written 1 have found a few brief notices of 

 the occupation by both EngUsh and French in the 17th century. 



In 1634 the island was granted, along with Port Eoyal and La Heve, 

 by the Company of the Hundred Associates, to Claude de Eazilli, brother 

 of Isaac de Eazilli, Avho had been appointed commander or governor-in- 

 chief of Acadia, and Avho had commenced a settlement at La Heve. He 

 had been largely engaged in the fishing business, and it was probably 

 under his direction, and for his benefit, that the party of Frenchmen 

 established themselves upon the island after the return of Rose, as men- 

 tioned in my paper.^ 



In the following year a small vessel belonging to Sir Richard Salton- 

 stall, which had been sent out to Connecticut, was, when returning to 

 England, wrecked on Sable Island. The French on the island received 

 the shipwrecked company kindly, and with their aid a small vessel was 

 constructed out of the wreck, by which the}" managed to reach the main- 

 land. They reached La Heve in safety, where De Razilli treated them 

 most kindly, giving four of them a passage to France, and furnishing the 

 others, who preferred returning to New England, with a shallop for that 

 purpose. 



Commander De Eazilli died that year or the next, and his brother 

 transferred the rights of both to Charnisa}', and the French seem to have 

 abandoned the island. Fi-om that time we have, in Winthrop's journal, 

 accounts of the visits of the English, but no mention made of any French 

 residents. In 1637 twenty men went from Boston in a pinnace, especially 

 to hunt the walrus on it, but after cruising about for six weeks and not 

 being able to find it, returned home. In September they again set out 

 with some more skilful seamen, intending to winter there. Nothing was 

 was heard from them for nearly two years. In March, 1639, a vessel 

 was despatched to Sable Island to bring them back, but she was wrecked 

 there. Out of her timbers they constructed a small vessel, in which they 

 reached Boston. They reported the climate of the island to be temperate 

 and healthy. During the nearly two years thc}^ had been upon it there 

 had not been a death or case of sickness among them. They had collected 

 a large quantity of seal oil and skins, and some walrus ivory, but the 

 loss of the vessel had destroyed their hope of profit from the venture. 



By the same journal it appears that in the years immediately follow- 

 ing, several parties went out from Boston to hunt or fish there. One 



1 Trans. Royal Society of Canada, 1894, II., 11. 



