108 FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 



with the aid of Richardson Tardif, Esq., of Perce, to gain 

 access to extracts from the letter books of Charles Robin, kept 

 among the records at the Paspebiac house. The letters of the 

 earliest years of the establishment seem to have been lost, and 

 the first in the book is dated June 5, 1777, just at the com- 

 mencement of his troubles with the Americans. Writing this 

 month to his brother John, at Neirechak, he congratulates him 

 on his narrow escape from capture and his safe arrival. They 

 had apparently both started together on the return from 

 one of many trips to Jersey, each in his own vessel, and the 

 fleet accompanied by a convoy, but they were overhauled by 

 an American freebooter, 'the same that ruined us last year 

 in Neirechak,' and one of the vessels was captured. The 

 sailing masters had been wise enough to take out French 

 papers at Jersey, and with the help of the French flag, com- 

 pleted their disguise and got clear, though his brother was 

 separated from the rest of the fleet during the attack. Just 

 aboat a year after, June 30, 1778, he writes to his brother 

 Philip, at Jersey, an account of the capture of his vessels, 

 the Bee and Hope, at the station at Paspebiac. 'On the llth 

 instant, at about 11 o'clock at night two American privateers, 

 schooners of about 45 tons, 2 carriage guns, 12 swivels, and 

 forty-five men each, put alongside of the Bee and Hope and 

 boarded them. There were but 3 men on board, she being 

 the only vessel arrived for some time, was unloaded in a 

 week, which obliged us to put her guns in her hold, as she 

 would not bear them on deck without we had determined 

 to make no fishing ourselves, an object of 2,000 quintals, which 

 I thought was worth our attention. The Hope has 1,400 

 quintals fish on board, was to take 200 quintals more the 

 next day, and sail for Lisbon in a few days. They (the priva- 

 teers) sent her off on the 13th and began to take everything 

 out of the stores and ship them on board the Bee. She was 

 rigged and was going off the 15th; after which departure 

 the Americans came to our habitation to take me away, but I 

 had fled to the woods the night before, mistrusting it how- 

 ever, that morning three ships appearing, viz., His Majesty's 





