THE THIRD ANGLO-FRENCH DUEL 155 



drove off rivals in trade. The staple of the colony rose in 

 price. In the eighteenth century cod-fish sold at los. to 14^. 

 a quintal, and in still earlier times IO.T. and a quintal were 

 synonymous. In 1814 the quintal brought in 20^. to 32.,. 1 

 It was almost as if the currency of the colony had undergone 

 twofold appreciation, while the currency elsewhere stood still. 

 Wages trebled, and 70 was mentioned as the minimum wage 

 for the season. 2 Although bread and meat, which came from 

 Canada, were dear, the cup of prosperity overflowed. In 

 1815 the cup was empty; the price of cod-fish was once 

 more los. to 14^. a quintal, bankruptcy was universal, writs of 

 execution fell like leaves in Vallombrosa, and starvation was 

 imminent. Peace, which brought ease, plenty, and blessing 

 elsewhere, brought hardship, penury, and despair here. Nor 

 was peace unattended by misery, even in Europe. The 

 industrial revolution, new machinery, and the end of the long 

 wars flooded European markets with superfluous labourers, 

 some thousands of whom poured into Newfoundland and 

 added to the agony. 



Nature by a ' pathetic fallacy ' sent the coldest winters on 

 record as a suitable environment. Gangs of hungry wretches 

 extorted or plundered at every store. On February 12, 1816, 

 one hundred houses were burnt at St. John's, and the English 

 Government spent 10,000 on the relief of the homeless. 

 For the first time in history we read complaints that the 

 population of Newfoundland was ' superfluous and excessive' ; 3 

 suggestions were made that some 5,000 Newfoundlanders 

 should be shipped off elsewhere, and 1,100 persons or so 

 were actually shipped off to Ireland and Halifax (Nova Scotia). 

 In October 1816 the Governor became ' resident' Governor, 

 and being ' resident ' his salary was raised ; 4 and as a sign 



1 Comp. post., p. 208. " Comp. ante, p. 118. 



3 Report of House of Commons' Committee on Newfoundland, 1817, 

 No. 436 (in collected ed., vol. vi, p. 465), evidence of G. Garland, 

 J. Preston, &c. 



4 Accounts and Papers, 1824, No. 71 (in collected ed., vol. xvi, 



P- 4 r 5)- 



