54 SCRAPS OF LOCAL HISTORY, 



ing up five of the heavy boxes filled with silver specie. Among 

 the wreckage were silver plate, church ornaments, cases of costly 

 wine, silks, massive furniture, besides heaps of wreckage that had 

 once formed part of the fittings of the ship. The season was far 

 advanced and the shores of the Bale de Chaleur were then much 

 more difficult of access than they are to-day. Some of the wreck- 

 age was disposed of for the benefit of the owners or the insurers, 

 but probably the greater part was taken posse8^ion of by the 

 people of the locality and turned to their own use. This was 

 especially the case with respect to such articles as furniture, and 

 to-day along the coast in the neighbourhood of L'Anse-au-Gascun 

 and Harrington Cove, can be found in the humble cottages of 

 fishermen, massive oak sideboards and chests of drawers, beauti- 

 fully carved and mellow wnth time. They came out of the Cul- 

 borne and were part of the wreckage. It is related that some 

 l^ersons on the spot, claiming authority, set out to count the 

 silver in the chests cast ashore by the waves or fished from the 

 hold of the wreck. The coins, it is said, were counted several 

 times, but, strange to relate, the amount grew smaller each time 

 the specie was counted. As soon as the Government at Quebec 

 heard of the disaster, an officer and guard were sent down to 

 Harrington Cove with orders to stop the counting and bring the 

 money chests up to the Capitol. Such in outline is the tragic 

 story of the Colborne, a dark enough story to be sure, and yet it 

 is lightened with one bright gleam of romance. In the brave little 

 band of fishermen, who, on the morning after the wreck, pushed 

 out and brought safely to shore the longboat and its half perished 

 passengers, was a man named Chedor. Acteson was cared for at 

 Chedor's house and came to look upon the place -ris home, and the 

 head of the household as. the man who saved his life. Chedor 

 had a daughter. Let the sequel be told in- Acteson 's own words : 

 'I am now 57 years of age (in 1871) and have resided on the coast 

 ever since, having married Isabella Chedor, the daughter of the 

 man who rescued me the morning after the wreck . ' The ship- 

 wrecked Engli?hman became the son-in-law of his rescuer, cast in 

 his lot with the wife's people, and spent the remainder of his 

 many years near the scene of the tragedy of the sea tbat changed 

 the whole current of his life. He was long one of the most prom- 

 inent and highly respected members of the community and many 



