THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY QUESTION* 1 77 



These two islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, ceded to France by 

 England more than a century ago, are all that now remains to France 

 of her once valuable possessions on the continent of North America. 



The isle of St. Pierre is in reality but a rock, beaten by all winds, 

 without vegetation, and culture, hidden under the snow during the 

 winter, and lost in the fog during a great part of the summer. 



The greatest width of St. Pierre does not exceed 7 kilometres, or 

 4}^ miles, and upon the eastern portion of the island it has a natural 

 harbour, safe-guarded from the winds, and in that sheltered position 

 is built the little town of St. Pierre. 



Its population has no other occupation than that of the fisheries ; 

 «ach one mingles in it, without distinction of age or of sex, and even 

 •children who can scarcely walk wield the " turlutte," the fishing line 

 peculiar to St. Pierre. 



The isle of Miquelon, its neighbour, is larger, and less barren ; but 

 is far from an assured refuge against bad weather, for it is a 

 dangerous rock, where shipwrecks frequently occur ; without light- 

 houses, and fog signals, it is "d bon droit Vipouvante " for the hapless 

 ships of all nations, and it is therefore called " le cimetiire des 

 i&timens." 



The French colony of St. Pierre and Miquelon consists of about 

 ■6,000 souls, who live a melancholy life, for the winters are interminable, 

 and the cold rigorous. Great storms follow one another, with tre- 

 mendous violence, shaking the houses, and beating on the countenances 

 of those exposed to the storms, an icy rain, a sort of hoar frost, well- 

 known in the island under the name of "pundrin." 



In this inclement season, not a vessel is seen in the bay, all is 

 mournful and silent, so that one may suppose the people are asleep 

 under the snow. 



The communication with the mother country France takes the 

 route by the way of Halifax, but it is slow and often interrupted, and 

 but for the submarine telegraph whjch unites the island to Newfound- 

 land, the inhabitants would live at St. Pierre and Miquelon during 

 the entire months of the winter in a profound oblivion of the outer 

 •world. 



THE SHOALS. 



To the south of Newfoundland, starting from 50° 40 west of the 

 meridian, are a succession of shoals, over and around which the 



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