00 
vessels fished and traded around the islaiid, and procured valu* 
able fares a century before any portion of New England was 
settled. 
The resources so abundant around Newfoundland have been 
earnestly prosecuted. During the war with the America^ col¬ 
onies, the British government nearly ruined the fisheries by 
making continual drafts on the fishermen. The Royal Navy 
obtained its best seamen among them, and they were cruelly 
impressed, entailing much hardship and distress among the 
community. The restoration of peace was gladly hailed by the 
“ hardy toilers by the sea,” and they readily embarked again in 
developing the fisheries. Hundreds of traders from Europe lo¬ 
cated along the coast, immense capital was invested, and 
healthy reaction and general progress was visible. The revolu¬ 
tion in France and the wars incident to that fearful commotion, 
created a great demand for fish. In 1814, one million two hun¬ 
dred thousand quintals of dry fish, with salmon, oil and peltry 
amounting to $12,000,000, left the island, the merchants ac- 
cummulating princely fortunes. The business is still success¬ 
fully prosecuted, the past season having been prolific of great 
success. The products of the seas will approach $8,000,000, 
which, for a population under 150,000, speaks volumes. 
The French fishermen operated early in American waters. In 
1534 Jaques Caiten explored the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and 
stimulated the French Government to inaugurate a system of 
emigration to America on a broad scale. . The mokt available 
shores around the Gulf of St. Lawrence soon resounded to the 
hum of the fishermen ; every bay was thronged with boats and 
vessels—immense profits were annually realized, and the French 
shipowners were numbered among the merchant princes in Eu¬ 
rope. u Accounts, which are considered authentic, show that 
they employed nearly 600 vessels, and upwards of 27,000 men, 
and that the annual produce was almost 1,500,000 quintals of 
fish, of the value of more than $4,500,000.”— Sabine. 
Cape Breton Island formed the principal base in prosecuting 
the fisheries ; there they built the city of Louisburg, and forti¬ 
fied it with 200 guns. Commerce and trade flourished, palaces, 
churches, nunneries and fine residences were numerous, which 
were tastefully adorned by surrounding gardens. “ This city 
was named in honor of the King; twenty-five years and 30,- 
000,000 of livres were required to complete it. Tts walls were 
