122 HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF NEWFOUNDLAND 



or infamous by his surrender of his post to the enemy in 

 1705. The peaceful pioneer of this new movement to the 

 north of Bonavista Bay was the same George Skefiington, 

 who, according to his account, had spent twelve years, between 

 1708 and 1720, and had employed thirty servants from time 

 to time, in improving the salmon-fisheries north of Cape Bona- 

 vista, and clearing some forty miles of wood. Even his 

 peaceful victories over Nature were tainted. He had been 

 recently financed by W. Keen, who joined him as partner in 

 a plan to improve the salmonries at Gander Bay, Dog Bay, 

 and Ragged Bay in 17 18, and Keen persuaded Captain 

 Scott to grant a protection order to Skeffington as trustee for 

 the partners {17 19), immediately after which the trustee dis- 

 claimed his trusteeship and pocketed all the profits (1720). 

 There were no Frenchmen in the neighbourhood, but there 

 were other dangers and annoyances. In 1724 one of 

 Skeffington's men was killed by Boethics ; in 1725 Captain 

 Bowler caused Englishmen who disturbed the salmonry to be 

 whipped — a new, but effectual method of vindicating rights 

 of property; and in 1729 Skeffington sold his concession to 

 an extended partnership. In 1729, out of nineteen magis- 

 trates Bonavista and districts north of it possessed three 

 magistrates, and the northernmost settlers concentrated during 

 winter on the islets of Fogo and Twillingate, which figured 

 in the statistical reports of 1733* for the first time. This 

 northward extension was not only important in itself, but 

 important as having been promoted by a brand-new industry 

 which had nothing to do with the sea. Similarly, salmon- 

 fishing led to the occupation in 1723 of Salmonier and its 

 neighbourhood at the head of St. Mary Bay, so that English- 

 men were beginning to fill up the gap between Trepassey 

 and what was formerly the French zone. 



Residents , Residents grew apace, as the increase of women and 



began to \ ° r > 



balance children from 612 in 17 10 Mo 1,356 in 1738, and to 2,508 in 



denir^^' ^ Dispatch of Lord Muskery, Sept. 29, 1733. 2 ^^/^^ p, 103, 



