284 WHALE ISLAND — FRENCH FORTS. 



island. The highest point on the hump of the back of this marine 

 granite monster was carefully measured and found to be about three 

 hundred and forty-five feet above the sea level. It would be a 

 curious fact if the supposed basaltic prisms of Castle island should 

 prove to be only a peculiar formation of rocky cliffs similar in origin 

 with the other rock formations about this part of the coast, but 

 close investigation seems to show this to be the case. The crouch- 

 ing figures represented in profile near this place are truly remarka- 

 ble ; they are figures of men, and could hardly bear a closer 

 resemblance to the real objects if they were indeed genuine. One 

 of them, especially, so nearly resembles a person in a crouching 

 attitude as to deceive the keenest eye if watched in the most favor- 

 able light, and well do these stony sentinels maintain their ceaseless 

 vigil, year by year, century by century. 



The forts, located here, — reirmants of the old wars which exter- 

 minated the Indians and Esquimaux residing on the coast, with the 

 white settlers then temporarily residing here also, — are objects of 

 great interest. At one time their outlines were quite distinctly 

 traceable, and even their internal structure well planed out, but 

 time has effaced nearly everything but the merest outlines of their 

 positions, which are now barely sufficient to enable one to deter- 

 mine their site. The fort at Henley seems to be the larger, more 

 important, and more distinctly outlined of the two ; the one at 

 Temple bay the more accessible. At the latter place we dug up 

 canister and grape shot in abundance and could undoubtedly have 

 procured a large variety of articles had we spent some time there. 

 The situation of this fort was the summit of a huge hill the basal 

 point of which was the separating line between Temple and Cha- 

 teau bays. On the southeastern side of the slope we found and 

 examined three caves, or rather clefts in the rocks, of which local 

 tradition, told startling stories of robbers, fierce animals and money, 

 which were said to exist there. We found no difficulty in " find- 

 ing bottom, " and saw no cause for alarm, whatever others might 

 have feared. Superstitions are abundant everywhere on the coast and 

 there were undoubtedly those who believed the various stories of 



