[GILPIN] LAND GRANTS IN NOVA SCOTIA 129 



Mira grant may be cited. This was issued June 26th, 1787, to Jotham 

 White and one hundred Loyalists from Xew York State, and embraced 

 100,000 acres on the shores of Mira river. Very few of the grantees went 

 into possession, and the grant was escheated. The Transactions of the 

 Nova Scotia Institute of Science contain a note by the writer on the 

 history of this grant which was made the subject of several legislative 

 enactments, involving Ihe title of the iron ore beds recently discovered 

 on it. 



In 1790, the Secretary of State for the Colonies ordered that no 

 further grants be passed on. The issue of grants already passed on con- 

 tinued up to March 17th, 1S93, when 179 grants had issued. These 

 grants contained the reservations prescribed by the Governor-General, 

 referred to above. 



The conversion of the small holdings of the Scottish Highland 

 estates into grazing grounds, led to an extensive and long continued 

 emigration. This flowed at first to Canada, but in 1802, the pioneer ship 

 of the direct Caj)e Breton immigration arrived at Sydney. The tide 

 reached its height in 1817, and the last ship arrived in 1828. 



With these settlers came many soldiers, disbanded from Scottish 

 and English regiments, all settling in Cape Breton and Eastern Nova 

 Scotia. 



From 1790 to 1811, it would appear that settlers received warrants 

 of survey. Crown licenses, etc., and at the latter date Crown leases at will 

 were issued. For a number of years past and up to 1826, coal was inter- 

 mittently mined under short licenses. 



Upon the re-annexation of Cape Breton to Nova Scotia in 1820, 

 steps were taken to put the Crown lands and grants into better shape, 

 and the Surveyor-General was directed to lay off lands in lots of 100 and 

 200 acres under tickets of location, to be replaced later on by grants if 

 the applicants proved to be boiia fide settlers. 



At this date it would appear that : — 



229,220 acres were occupied in fee simple. 

 98,600 acres were occupied under Crown leases. 

 15,000 acres were taken up under tickets of location. 



342,000 acres were held under warrants of survey, petitions and by 

 squatters. 



After 1820 the Crown lands were issued under the regulations and 

 reservations in force in Nova Scotia. 



The following abstract of reservations may prove of interest: — 



The first grant was issued May 17, 1786, to H. W. Perry, reserving 

 all mines of gold, silver, lead, copper and coals, ( Book A, page 9 ) . This 

 reservation continued down to and including the grant of September 

 10th, 1804 (Book C). 



