118 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Historic Sites. 



There was also a small French settlement in 1771 or earlier, a 

 short distance up Coverdale Creek, as shown by the Calhoun diary 

 published in the Chignecto Post, Dec. 7, 1876. He described a visit 

 to an Indian settlement apparently at the head of tide, (which is at 

 or near Salisbury), and then clearly describes going- to Coverdale 



Creek "on the south side near the line of Hillsboro Township 



We travelled up this creek for a mile and a half after going to 



the east side of the creek we saw some of the French Pirate houses. 

 I was informed the French took a large schooner once into this bay 

 and ran her so far up this creek in the time of spring tides that she 

 never was got out again. " A sloop and schooner which the French 

 had taken to " two different creeks near the head of the river," are 

 mentioned by Moncton in his Report of 1758 (in the Collections N. 

 B. Historical Soc, H, 172, 173) though these were brought out. 



Another French settlement in 1771 mentioned by Calhoun as 

 somewhere lower down the River, was very probably at Tillage Point, 

 above Salt Creek. 



A MS. history of Hillsborough, sent me by Mr. G. D. Steeves 

 of that place, contains this statement about the French settlements 

 there; — "Major Frye of the Garrison at Fort Cumberland was sent 

 with a vessel and several hundred men to take the Acadians dwelling 

 along the Petitcodiac River. The expedition came to anchor at Gray's 

 Island. The French fled to the woods, and unable to capture them, 

 Frye was forced to content himself with burning their houses and 

 razing everything to the ground, including the chapel that stood very 

 near the site of the present new Temperance Hall. " This agrees 

 fairly with the account in Murdoch's Nova Scotia, II, 295. 



In the Calhoun Diary of 1771 Gray's Island is called Delatongs 

 Island, — apparently its French name. 



282. I. Shepody. Since the " Historic Sites " was published I have been able 

 to visit and examine with some care the remains of French occupation 

 at Shepody, in which work I have had the advantage of the aid of 

 Hon. A. R. McClelan who knows that region so thoroughly. The 

 various localities, as identified on the spot, are shown upon the accom- 

 panying Historical Map of Shepody (Map No. 25). The site of the 

 French Church is pointed out by residents with great positiveness, 

 and I have no doubt with perfect correctness; the local name of the 

 brook beside it, Church Brook, is the best evidence, the more espec- 

 ially as no church has existed in this vicinity since the first permanent 

 settlement. The church is said to have stood just to the east of 

 Church Brook (which runs in a deep ravine or "vault"), and south 

 of the road, on a site now occupied by a house belonging to Mr. John 

 Moore, and the old cornerstone of the church is said to be built into 

 the cellar wall. Just behind or to the south of it is the reputed site 

 of the old French burial ground, and certain hollows are pointed out 

 as the sunken graves, and other graves are said to have been found 

 under the present highway. Farther^ south, a little east, on the margin 

 of the upland near the marsh is a fine spring, locally called the " Holy 

 Spring. " The situation is a charming and commanding one, on the 



