HISTORICAL SKETCH. 19 



dreedoni. Tlio coiiliict, however, was very trying and extended 

 .ovt'r one Imndred and tifty years, entailing teriilile sulferings on 

 tlie settlers, who were ke])t outside llie ]iale of law and without 

 i\nx eivilizing intluences. lVrhaj).s tlie worst feature of the mis- 

 rule of tliose days was the government hy Fishing Admirals. It 

 was enacted that the master of the iirst sliip entering a harhour 

 was to he Admiral for the season, and Magistrate of the district, 

 with nnlimited ]>ower to decide all t^uestions regarding jn'operty 

 iind all other ilis])utes. From llieii- decisions there were no ap- 

 ])eals. These rmli- and ignorant >kippers weiv the ser\'ants of 

 the merchant-adventurers and, therefore, personally interested iu 

 .([uestions of ju'operty that arose. They were the enemies of the 

 poor resiilents whom they wanted to tranii»le ont. They took 

 possession of tlie ])f<{ fishing-stations, and frequently drove out 

 the inhaliitants from tlu-ir own houses and fishing gi'ounds. 

 Tliey todk lirilies wlien determining cases and carried on for 

 long years ;i, system nf nililrcry and uppi-i'ssjou. How could the 

 iConntry make any progress under such conditions I The lot of 

 the poor fisherman was very hittei'. In tlieir little wooden ham- 

 lets sprinkled around the sea-margin, they conld liardly oljtain 

 the liarest sulisistiaice. Tlicv had no schools for their children 

 and no ministers of religion among tliem. All around them wei'c 

 the deirse woods extending to the sea-shore with a few paths cut 

 throngh them. Before them the great ocean from which alone 

 lliey wei'e permitted to draw their means of sulisistence. 



DAWN OF BETTER DAYS. 



They lield on, however, and courageonsly resisted their selfish 

 oppressors ; and at last the day of deliverance dawned. The 

 Government and peojjle of England discovere<l at length that they 

 had heen misled and deceived hoth in regard to the country and 

 its fisheries. Hnmane and intelligent men in England came for- 

 wai'il to plead the canse of the poor fishermen. Restrictions on 

 the settlement of the island Avere removed one after another. 

 Ohnoxions .statutes were repealed, Ijut so slowly that it was not 

 till ahout eighty years ago that the last of these unjust laws was 

 remove 1 fiom the statute-book and the people were allowed to 



