64 FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 



At the same time that his grant was renewed, Courte- 

 manche was appointed Commandant of the Coast of Labra- 

 dor. 



"His Majesty deeming it necessary that he should have 

 an officer of the army to command on the coast of Labrador, 

 in the country of the Esquimaux, and being satisfied with the 

 reliability of the Sieur de Courtemanche, captain of one of 

 his companies serving in New France, His Majesty wills 



and requires that he command 

 in the said coast of Labrador, 

 and that he rule there and set- 

 tle all differences that may 

 arise between His Majesty's 

 Autograph of Louis XIV subjects in regard to stations 



for the fishery," etc. 



It is surprising to find, from Courtemanche 's report for 

 1713, that there were only three French vessels fishing in 

 the strait one at Forteau and two at Blanc Sablon. It is 

 possible that this was due to the then recent war between 

 France and England. 



A contemporary writer, whose name is unknown, but 

 who is thought to have been a priest who visited the coast 

 during the regime of Courtemanche, has left an account of 

 the coast and of its resources which makes interesting read- 

 ing at the present time, when everything connected with 

 Labrador is attracting so much attention. The following is 

 a translation : 



MEMOIR CONCERNING LABRADOR, 1715-1716. 



"Labrador is all that vast country to the east of Can- 

 ada and north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is a peninsula 

 bounded by the River and Gulf of St. Lawrence on the south, 

 the ocean on the east, Hudson's Straits on the north, and 

 Hudson's Bay on the west. It joins Canada on its western 

 border from the Isles of Mingan to Hudson's Bay. 



"Labrador belonged entirely to France before the Treaty 



