50 Field and Forest Rambles. 



a farmhouse, where we stopped to dine and change horses ; 

 and the story of a pursuit after his crew who had deserted him 

 in Miramichi Bay a few days previously, together with many 

 other incidents of travel which occurred under anything but 

 pleasant circumstances, are all duly chronicled in my remem- 

 brance ; alloyed with the kindness and hospitality of my friend 

 Dr. Benson, of Chatham, to whom I am further indebted for 

 his able report on the lepers, and much valued information 

 in connection with the interior economy and condition of the 

 Tracadie asylum. Although prevented from making a personal 

 inspection of the hospital, I must not leave the subject without 

 some further notice of the establishment, and therefore tran- 

 scribe the following excellent description by the late Governor, 

 the Hon. Sir Arthur Gordon, already published in " Vacation 

 Tourists" for 1863. Talking of the origin of the leprosy, Sir 

 Arthur says : — 



"There is an obscure and doubtful story that, some eighty or 

 a hundred years ago, a French ship was wrecked on the shore 

 of the county of Gloucester or Northumberland, and that some 

 of those who escaped from the crew were sailors of Marseilles, 

 who had caught in the Levant the true eastern leprosy, the 

 terrible Elephantiasis Grcecorum. However this may be, there 

 is no doubt that for many years past a portion of the French 

 population of these counties has been afflicted with this fearful 

 malady, or one closely allied to it — probably that form of 

 leprosy which is known to prevail upon the coast of Norway. 

 About twenty years ago the disease seemed to be on the in- 

 crease, and so great an alarm was created by this fact, and by 

 the allegation (the truth or falsehood of which I have never 

 been able satisfactorily to ascertain) that settlers of English 

 descent had caught and died of the disease, that a very 

 stringent law was passed, directing the seclusion of the lepers, 

 and authorizing any member of a local Board of Health con- 

 stituted by the Act, to commit to the Lazaretto any person 

 afflicted with the disorder. After being for a time established 



