GABRIEL BERNON 



145 



He was so successful in this that he engaged the interest Navai stores 

 of a government agent who had been sent to Massachu- 

 setts to learn what means were to be found in America for 

 supplying the royal navy with such articles. By the ad- 

 vice of this agent, Bernon took a trip to London in the 

 year 1693 to inform the admiralty of the opportunities 

 for producing naval stores on a large scale in America, 

 and also for the purpose of secui^ing a patent on their 

 manufacture. He was very favourably received by Lord 

 Portland and other high officials, and succeeded in se- 

 curing a contrtict from the government to supply a quan- 

 tity of stores for a term of years. 



Thi-ee years later he again made a visit to England on 

 the same errand, returning to Boston with Governor Bello- 

 mont. To the governor Bernon unfolded his schemes for Developer oj 

 developing the manufactures and produce of the colony, ^^^^^ 

 and Lord Bellomont was greatly taken with his ideas, 

 even recommending the royal council to appoint the 

 refugee superintendent of naval stores in America. But 

 it was the government's policy, at that time, to discourage 

 colonial industries even in a case where they would mani- 

 festly benefit the public interests, and nothing ever came 

 of Bernon' s efforts in that direction. 



But during these years Bernon' s activities were not 

 confined to endeavouring to overcome British insularity. 

 His energy found vents for itself in a hundred other direc- Large Enter- 

 tions. Besides retaining an active interest in the Oxford ''"^^^ 

 settlement he joins the Faneuils and Louis Allaire in trad- 

 ing with Virginia and Pennsylvania; he becomes a 

 prosperous exporter to England and the West Indies ; 

 trades in furs with the Nova Scotians ; invests considera- 

 ble capital in shipbuilding; sets up salt-works, and 

 undertakes the manufacture of nails. Indeed, there was 

 hardly a department of colonial enterprise to which Ber- 

 non did not turn his attention. He did not put business Religion First 

 first, however, but was always scrupulous to discharge his 

 obligations as a Christian and a member of the state. He 



