FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 103 



liberty to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, har- 

 bours, and creeks of Nova Scotia and Magdalen Islands. As 

 soon as the same or either of them shall be settled, it shall not 

 be lawful for the said fishermen to dry or cure fish at such 

 settlement without a previous agreement for that purpose with 

 the inhabitants, or possessors of the ground." 



LYMBURNER AND THE LABRADOR COAST. 



According to Cartwright, already referred to, the first 

 English-speaking trader to enter Hamilton Inlet was a Que- 

 becer, the well-known Lower Town merchant, Adam Lym- 

 burner, of the firm of Lymburner and Grant. This firm ap- 

 pears in the returns of the seal and salmon fishery on Lab- 

 rador for 1784-5, as having sealing posts from Little Mecatina 

 to Black Bay, employing 100 men and taking 13,425 seals. 

 Mr. Lymburner was again mentioned in connection with his 

 business on the coast in 1806. He was a prominent resident 

 of Quebec prior to the American invasion of 1775, and in 

 1791 was sent to England to suggest amendments to the pro- 

 ject of the constitution to be promulgated by the home auth- 

 orities. 



In 1807 Lymburner and others acquired by purchase 

 the right to the so-called Seigniory of Mingan, referred to 

 elsewhere in this work, he and his associates, with their suc- 

 cessors, continuing to be known as "The Labrador Com- 

 pany." For many years the fishery, chiefly for seals, was 

 carried on with great success. Then came a period of failure, 

 and finally the company was obliged to sell out. This was 

 in 1820, since which time there has been a gradual, if slow, 

 increase in population on the coast. In 1835 the value of 

 the fishery, which was but 2,000 a year, on an average, in 

 the time of the company, had increased to 20,000. 



A number of Jersey fishing firms, prominent amongst 

 which were DeQuetteville and Co., and LeBoutillier Brothers, 

 were contemporary on the coast with Lymburner and Grant. 

 Tn 1806 the following Jersey firms were also reported amongst 

 the fishermen operating on the Labrador coast : Robert Bert- 



