128 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Historic Sites. 



Quebec Ed. of 1856) in describing the place says; — " Miramichy est 

 an lieu fort agréable sur la riviere de Manne, a une lieue de celle de 

 Sainte Croix; il y a un petit fort de quatre bastions formez de pieux, 

 et dans ce fort une maison où Mr. de Fronsac fait sa demeure. Prés 

 de là est un lieu qu'on appelle en language du païs Skinoubondiche, 

 et nous avons pris aux environs les trois lieues que Mr. Denis nous 

 a données pur nôtre Mission. " It would appear from this passage 

 that Skinoubondiche and the Mission grant, and hence Fronsac's 

 establishment were all near together. Yet the locations of the two 

 former seem perfectly plain, and the expression " aux environs " was 

 natural enough when the places were so near together in comparison 

 with the vast stretches of wilderness which separate them from all 

 other inhabitated places. Burnt Church has been from early times 

 a very important Indian settlement. The probabilities therefore 

 seem to me to point strongly to the vicinity of Burnt Church. To 

 try to determine its exact position by tradition or remains, or in de- 

 fault of that to examine the ground for hints of a physiographic sort, 

 I visited the region in September, 1904. Extended inquiries of English, 

 French and Indians in the region yielded no tradition of such estab- 

 lishment, nor could I find any traces or knowledge of the existence 

 of any stone building (Denys' house of freestone) in the vicinity, 

 excepting that the church burnt by the British in 1758 is said to have 

 been of stone. The nature of the country, however, did make one 

 fact plain, that for a long distance up and down this coast, there is 

 no site to compare with the region about the mouth of Burnt Church 

 River as a site for a combined trading, fishing and farming center, 

 natural advantages proven by the fact that to this day the principal 

 settlement and fishing center, as well as the greatest Indian 

 settlement of all this region are situated here. The ground is more 

 elevated and of better quality than for a long distance up and down 

 the coast. The Burnt Church River is very rich in fish and game, 

 making it a favorite center of the Indians, while the Salmon and other 

 fisheries of Miramichi Bay and Portage Island (including the tradi- 

 tional sea cow fisheries of Portage Island) are more accessible from 

 here than from any other point. Further it was the site from early 

 times of the most considerable Indian settlement in this region, and 

 also was situated at one of the great junctions of Indian travel, — where 

 the route along the coast and that up the Miramichi came together, — 

 making it the natural trading center of this section. Every consid- 

 eration derived from natural features would therefore locate it in this 

 vicinity, and this locality is perfectly consistent also with every piece 

 of historical evidence we possess. If in this vicinity, then where 

 exactly? St. Valier tells us it was on the River Manne (presumably 

 Burnt Church .River), and near Skinoboudiche. Since Skinoboudiche 

 was Burnt Church Point where the Indian village now is, this would 

 seem to locate Deny's settlement on the north side of that river. 

 Hence I examined this locality with special interest (Map No. 30). 

 It is now an open common belonging to the Indian reserve; it is as 

 elevated, and as pleasing and extensive in its view, as Burnt Church 

 point itself; it appears to have excellent soil, and is provided with 



