134 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Historic Sites. 



situation east of it on this shore would be practicable for an early 

 settlement because of the immense shoals which render landing 

 extremely difficult, nor is there any equally good situation to the 

 westward. All considerations appear to unite to locate Denys estab- 

 lishment here. The ruin may represent the corner of a fortified 

 "habitation," while his gardens and the other parts of his establish- 

 ment no doubt occupied the open fields behind and near it. 



299. St. Simon. The attractive Inlet of St. Simon is the seat of an event 

 about which cluster confused local traditions, the historical basis of 

 which has been hitherto obscure. Happily I have been able to clear 

 up the subject in great part, if not entirely. The local tradition in 

 brief is this. St. Simon was named for a French war-ship run in 

 here and sunk to escape the pursuing English at the time of the naval 

 events in Bay Chaleur (viz. in 1760) ; her crew wintered on the shores 

 of St. Simon, and afterwards settled at Lower Caraquet and became 

 the ancestors of the principal settlers of that place. This is in part 

 confirmed by Cooney (180) who says the place (which he spells St. 

 Simoi), " is said to have derived its name from that of a French 

 Corvette, sunk there after the conquest of Canada, " and again (287). 

 he speaks of Byron's fleet taking in 1760 a French ship in Gaspê Bay 

 and another in Saint Simon, the latter statement, however, being 

 erroneous, as will be shown below. Locally it is agreed that the vessel 

 was sunk some 300 yards off Birch Point in about the position shown 

 upon the historical map (Map No. 33), and it is also said that some 

 of her timbers can still be seen projecting from the mud at very low 

 tides. The place where her sailors wintered is also well-known locally, 

 and I have visited and examined the place and have seen some ot 

 the relics found there. Just west of Birch Point is a cove into the 

 head of which slopes an open swale, once no doubt the valley of a 

 little brook. On the west bank of the swale, a little distance from 

 the shore, (Map No. 34), in a line between two newly built houses. 

 is the camp site. It is a flat place now in a field, and here have 

 been dug up from lime to time for many years past various relics 

 of a military sort, bayonets, bullets, knives, cooking utensils, etc. 

 The ground was cleared for the first time about 1902, when additional 

 relics, now preserved by the residents near by, were found. There can 

 be no question that this place was once occupied by Europeans, and, 

 since there are no cellars, such as would mark an ordinary Acadian 

 settlement, it is extremely probable the local explanation is correct. 

 Further, there is a certain documentary confirmation of the tradition. 

 On Ferguson's map of St. Simon of 1820 (the basis of Map No. 33) 

 occurs this inscription: — "Anno 1760 here Capt. St. Simon a french 

 Officer wintered with a small party from this event these two inlets 

 are named after that gentleman. " This plan, it is true, applies the 

 inscription on the point just east of Rivière Brideau, and as a conse- 

 quence that point is called on some early plans Captain St. Simons 

 Point. But in view of the universal local tradition and of many relics 

 found on the site above described, I think there is no question the local 

 tradition is correct as to the precise site. There is, however, another 



