40 THE MAGDALENE ISLANDS — PATTERSON. 



next, till it ivached the end of the line. Away from the water 

 they were comparatively helpless, and fell an easy prey. 



From the number of tusks that have been found, I am inclined 

 to believe that for some time they were not valued as an article 

 of trade. Some time ago a trader on the islands offered to pur- 

 chase from the people all that they could bring to him. The 

 result was that he collected quantities, it is said some tons, wdiich 

 he exported. They are still occasionally found, as the beaches 

 are moved by sea and storm, and are used by the inhabitants as 

 marlingspikes, or cut up for various purposes about their houses 

 or their vessels. 



During the American revolutionary war, the property of Mr- 

 Gridley and his associates w^as destroyed by American privateers. 

 From the slaughter of the walrus it was almost driven from the 

 vicinity, though a few continued to be taken till sometime in the 

 present century. The seals, too, did not come in such large num- 

 bers, nor were they so easily captured, though the taking of them 

 has continued to be one of the resources of the people to the 

 present day. These pursuits having decreased in importance, 

 the people were led to give more attention to the taking of cod 

 and herring, which then came in enormous quantities, and also 

 to attend to the cultivation of the soil, which, as I have said, is 

 of excellent quality. 



In the year 1798 the whole islands, w^ith the exception of one- 

 seventh reserved for the support of the clergy, were granted to 

 Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin, in free and common soccage, as a re- 

 ward for his services in the American war. The story is that on 

 his voyage homeward, when passing these islands, he requested 

 of Lord Dorchester, who was a fellow passenger, a grant of these 

 islands, some say indeed all the islands in the gulf. At all 

 events he obtained a grant not only of these, but of our own 

 Pictou Island. On the latter his rights were sold out to the 

 settlers, but the Magdalene Islands are still held in the family ; 

 having descended to his nephew, Admiral John Townshend 

 Coffin, whose son, Isaac Tristram Coffin, is now the proprietor. 

 They have refused to sell, but grant leases, of two kinds, long- 

 leases on fixed terms not exceeding 99 years, and leases without 



