INSTRUCTIONS FR0M GOVERNOR WENTWORTH
May 1801
To Mr. Titus Smith Jr.
Sir:
Government having expressed a desire that means should be adopted in this province to encourage the growth of hemp, at the recommendation of a committee appointed for that purpose, I have thought it proper to accept your offer, jointly with Mr. Carter, to make a survey of so much of the peninsula of Nova Scotia, as can be accomplished within the periods herein limited; and you will take the following instructions as your guide.
1st. You will consider your engagement to expire at the end of fifty days reckoning from the day at which you shall set off, unless renewed by an express order, in writing from myself or the secretary of the province; for which service you shall receive eleven shillings and eight pence, Halifax currency, each day for yourself, and eight shillings each day for Mr. Carter, during your actual service; in full for your pay and every contingency. You will contrive to be so situated on or a little before the fiftieth day, as to hear from me, or the secretary of the province.
2nd. Your principal object in this survey will be to visit the most unfrequented parts, particularly the banks and the borders of the different rivers, lakes and swamps, and the richest uplands, for the purpose of discovering such spots as are best calculated for producing hemp, and furnishing other Naval Stores. You will make your remarks on the soil, the situation of the-lands, and the species, quality and size of the timber, the quantity of each sort also, and the facility with which it can be removed to market. The thickness and length of mast timber, you will attend to in an especial manner, and in every place which you shall deem calculated for these purposes, you will as near as possible estimate the quantity of acres, the possibility and means of rendering them fit for cultivation either by banks, drains or otherwise.
3rd. You will receive from the Surveyor General such a map of the province, as our present knowledge of the country can furnish: you will endeavour as far as lays in your power to correct any errors in it, and on your return you will deliver me the same, with another containing these corrections, and the route which you shall have gone distinctly placed on it.
4th. You will in the first instance go to the eastward of this harbour, to the spot from whence issue the heads of the River’s Stewiacke, Musquodoboit and Saint Mary, and wherever else in consequence of the information you may receive, you may be led to suppose the objects of your enquiries are to be found. Having examined the eastern side of the province, from the Shubenacadie, the Dartmouth Lakes, and the Harbour of Halifax, you will proceed to the western side and examine the lands about the River St. Croix, and the land of St. Margaret's Bay and thence along the northern side of Chester, Lunenburg; Liverpool, Shelbourne and Argyle, as far as Yarmouth, and the heads of those waters which empty themselves into the Atlantic. You will endeavour to examine Lake Rossignol, and will consider it to be a very principal object of your tour. You will trace those rivers as far as anything desirable is to be obtained from such an investigation towards their mouths, which empty themselves into the river Annapolis or the Basin of Minas; and if within your power, without losing much time, you will examine the mountains which run parallel to the Bay of Fundy, to the southward of the Annapolis River. The last object of your researches will be the inland country situated between Bram shag and Bay Verte in the NE and the basin of Minas in the SW.
5th. What is expressed in the second and fourth article of these instructions you will consider as your principal objects; but if in the course of your travels, you should meet with any other subjects in Natural History, or find any inducements of importance the investigation of which is evidently for the benefit of the public, you will use your discretion, provided they do not occasion any essential delay, or in any respect draw you away from the main object of your research which must not on any account, be sacrificed or even impeded.
6th. You will not omit to give me any information in your power by the fourth day of June next, after which you will forward your intelligence by every favourable opportunity. In order to facilitate the present design, I have given directions to the Secretary of the Province to deliver you a circular letter directed to all the magistrates and other persons throughout the province to afford you all the assistance in their power, but you will take care not to require anything from them which shall occasion an additional expense to the Government.
7th. Your communications will be in the form of a Journal with reference to notes at the end, which will contain the detail. You will always make use of the names used by the present inhabitants, and refer to a table of Indian and French names and terms with a view of correcting the arbitrary names of late years introduced in the maps of this province.
J. Wentworth
Halifax, Nova Scotia May 2nd, 1801
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE WESTERN TOUR
Near Shelburne the soil is very barren. The large tract of level land between Liverpool and Jordan Rivers contains some valuable meadows, but no upland but what is extremely barren. A great proportion of this land is mostly swamps, which were once shallow lakes and have been filled up with mud.
The large tract of spruce land which lies above the Head of Margaret's Bay, is so mountainous and rocky that it must be extremely difficult to make any carriage road through it, but I do not think there would be much difficulty in making winter roads as there are a great number of lakes on the streams which run through it. There is on this land a very great quantity of excellent timber and a considerable number of spars suitable for mast timber, although there are not many of a large size We observed near the large lake on the head of Liverpool River, plants which grow in the Southern States, and we have not in any other part of this Province. The wild fruit was ripe about 3 weeks sooner than near Annapolis River.
On 27th of August when we passed the streams which form fart of the Eastern Branch of La Have River we saw considerable quantities of hardwood land on the hills which lay by the sides of the brooks, and I think it most probable that it continues down to where we passed the river on the 15th August
On 4th September when we passed this river (Port Midway) there was a hardwood hill on the west side of it as far as we could see.
On the Tuskets and along our track from the 9th to the 19th of September - a considerable quantity of softwood land.
There is abundance of good timber almost everywhere upon this land. There are many groves of fir near the Tuskets, "which have uncommon quantity of balsam upon the trees, a general indication of good land."
"It (balsam) is a good remedy for pains in the breast, internal bruises, and the rheumatism which is the consequence of hard drinking."
Beech forms the greater part of the woods in our best land. what is called hardwood land being generally chiefly covered with beech, with a small proportion of beech, and maple.
In my tour through the Northeastern part of the Province, I have observed that there is a Ridge of high land which runs from Cape Chignect to Pictou.
In the Parsborough district there is a considerable mixture of spruce with the hardwood.
From the head of the Macan to Pictou, the mountain is generally covered with hardwood.
From the mountain to Cumberland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence the land is generally low, but few hills of any considerable height. Considerable tracts of this land are very barren covered with a growth of small spruce. Many small pieces are covered chiefly with beech, birch, and maple and are good, but as much as half of this land is covered with a growth of spruce, fir, white birch and poplar mixed.
The height and steepness of the banks of the Parsborough shore seem to indicate that the water has gained upon the land considerably: the rocks there in many places are of a kind which evidently decays where it is exposed to the air, but I saw but few places where I had reason to think that the bank lost more than a foot annually upon an average.
"It is generally customary here in clearing new land to fall the trees every way as they happen to lean, the branches are cut off, and the body of the tree cut into lengths of about 12 feet: the bushes and logs are then made into piles and burnt. By the following method; which is at present much practised in the United States of America, land is cleared with much less labour, and is in much better order for a crop: The trees should be all girdled by cutting out a single chip all round the tree, so as to cut through the bark or (which is a better method) have the bark stripped off for two or three feet in length, at the season when it parts easily from the tree. The trees are left in this condition for 5 or 6 years, by which time the small roots are nearly rotten: The branches of the trees decayed and the bodies of the trees are partly rotten below where they are girdled, so that they can be felled with very little labour. The underwood is then either cut or grubbed up and piled in heaps, after which the trees are cut down, care being taken to fall them parallel to each other, the branches break to pieces in falling the trees, and require very little chopping.
The logs are not cut but burnt into proper lengths by laying small piles of the dry branches across them which are set on fire in dry weather, in the summer and require to be attended for 2 or 3 days to renew the fires, which after a small notch is burnt in the log only require a single dry stick across the log, as the bodies of the trees are very dry. After the trees are burnt into pieces they are drawn together by oxen and piled; they are much lighter than when fresh cut, and being dry burn with more ease. The land which is cleared in this manner is easily worked as the small roots are chiefly decayed. Trees may be girdled at any season of the year, but as they are much weakened by it, they often blow down, before the branches are sufficiently decayed to break to pieces. Stripping off the bark is not attended with this inconvenience but it can only be performed in the summer, which is a busy season with the Farmer.
"The Moose appear to be almost entirely destroyed in most parts of the Province, the few that remain are chiefly in that of the Province which lies west of La Have River, The Caribou are more numerous than the moose, but are very few compared to what they have been heretofore, owing to the fires, which have burnt over the open barrens and destroyed the white Reindeer moss of which is their principal food. They herd together, and are most numerous upon the hills, South of Digby and the Annapolis River, and upon the mountains between Westchester and Pictou in the summer season, in the winter they usually approach the Southern Sea Coast if the snow should be deep.
The beaver are almost all destroyed, although there is perhaps no country where they have been more numerous heretofore than in the barren part of this Province, as appears from the remains of their old houses, canals etc., which are to be found upon almost every one of the innumerable small lakes in the Rocky part of the Province. I have not seen more than half a dozen inhabited Beaver houses in the whole course of my tour. In consequence of this scarcity of game is that the internal parts of the Province are but little frequented by the Indians in the Winter. In the Summer they take considerable quantities of Salmon, Gasperaux and Eels, in the different Rivers which they frequent. I think a considerable number of them have left the Province, as I have been informed at many different settlements, that there are not half so many Indians about them as there was some years ago. Several of them are employed in the Fisheries, in different places, and a small number as labourers by the Farmers but the greater part choose to follow their ancient mode of living, and make up the deficiency of their hunting by making baskets and other small articles (which they barter for provisions) and by begging. They are so much addicted to drinking, and suffer so much from their own indolence, that I think their number must be decreasing. I have been informed that the French Government formerly allowed a small pension to such of the Acadians as married Indians but that those marriages did not produce the expected effect of making the Indians one people with the French.
The Frenchmen who married Indian Women brought up their children to the same employment that they followed themselves: but the French women who married Indian men were obliged to become squaws, nor did the mixture of French blood seem to affect any change in the manners of their children, who possessed the same gravity and reserve as the other Indians. Notwithstanding the low condition to which the Indians are reduced they still retain a considerable portion of national pride and are many of them, much influenced by their religion: They are extremely indolent and immoderately addicted to intoxication, the consequence of which is that they often suffer extremely with hunger, yet I have never heard an instance of a theft committed by any Indian who had not been very much accustomed to the company of white people. At Tusket there are usually a number of cattle which follow the Rivers up for 20 miles above the settlements and remain there till Fall among the Indians who (though sometimes driven by hunger into the Village) have never been suspected to have killed any of the cattle. I have been informed of several instances of Indians who came of their own accord and paid people for Salmon which they had taken out of their nets, sometime before, when in want. At the close of the American war, a period when the Game was much more numerous than it is now, the Indians had divided all the Hunting grounds among their families, they did not kill more moose than was necessary to supply themselves with provisions as they considered them as their own property. An Indian travelling through the Hunting ground of another might kill any game he met with, if he was in want of provisions, but he usually informed the proprietor of what he had done and offered him the Skin, which the proprietor usually refused of this acknowledgment of his right. If an Indian found a trap set on his land he put a stone in it and sprung it, and if he found any Indians (not travelling) who wore camped upon his land, without his permission, he took away all the undried skins he found in their camp whilst they said not a word to oppose his right. Upon the great influx of inhabitants into the Province after the American War many new settlements being formed and great numbers of moose killed by white hunters, the Indians in general seem to have resolved to destroy the game rather than share them with the whites: In many places they killed ten times as many as they could make use of, and in the course of three or four winters almost entirely destroyed the Moose and greatly diminished the Caribou.
The following names are taken from M. Bellin’s map published in Charlevoix’s History of New France.
French Names Modern English Names
Emchie Ramsheg
Tatamegouche Tatmagouche
Antigoniche Antigonish
Canceau Canso
Paspebia Petpiswick
Sincembre Sambro
Mirligueche Malagash
Port Kaltois Port Midway
Port Mouton Port Matson
Port aux Ours (Bear Harbour) Port Hebert
Port Razoir Port Roseway
Poboneau Pubnico
Riviere Imbert Bear River
Cap Chignitou Cape Chignecto
Riviere de Pigiguit Pisaquid River
I have been informed that the Indian syllable “Che” (which occurs in Chebucto, Chedebucto, Richibucto, Chepody, Chignecto, and many other proper names of places( signifies “great” as, Che-bucto, the Great Harbour.
FINAL REPORT
May it please Your Excellency
The Committee which Your Excellency has been pleased to appoint to take the subject of the culture of Hemp in this Province into consideration, having deliberated on the means, beg leave to report,
That it is their united opinions which they derive from the individual knowledge of some of the members of your committee, and the very positive statements of other persons whom they have consulted on the occasion, that there are large tracts of country, now under culture, on which this article may be produced to advantage, if the means which your committee propose to recommend to Your attention are adopted;- but, as it is an article which the farmers, in general, have been unaccustomed to, there is, at present, very little seed in the Province; and, at this time, it is too late, in the season, to procure it. Your committee, therefore, have in contemplation the promotion of this object in future; and they think the season of 1802 may, with exertion, produce some consequences; - but it is to a progressive attention on which the hopes of an extensive supply must be grounded, - First from those lands which are known to everyone who has travelled through the country - and Secondly from those which have been explored by individuals who have reported what they have seen in the more distant wilderness.
The first of these your committee will reserve for a future report; in regard to the second, as Your Excellency has not confined us to any particular line, but has left us without limitation in the pursuit of the object, we presume to lay before you a plan from which we derive great hopes that the expectations of Government will ultimately be answered, to a considerable extent, and the Province, at the same time, be essentially benefited.
It must be well known to Your Excellency, who has traversed this peninsula in various directions, that it is everywhere intersected by considerable rivers and their various branches, and that lakes of every gradation, from a few acres to a day's journey in length, are numberless. You must have perceived, wherever you have been, that these rivers and lakes, especially the former are usually bounded by interval lands, and marshes which are formed of the richest soil. - The testimony of the Indians, Acadians and others agree in stating these spots to be more extensive and better in quality - abounding more in finer timber, the further they recede from the sea coast, with which, except at the Isthmus of Cumberland, this peninsula is surrounded.
Your committee deem it an object of great importance, that Government should be put in possession of facts, and no longer rely on vague reports which, on one hand, have often depressed the worth of this country below its real value;- whilst others, especially the French writers, have given flattering descriptions above the truth. To this end we recommend that a survey shall be taken, of a nature as extensive as the season, to the end of October, will admit, of those inland parts which have been least visited or are entirely unknown, with the view of discovering those spots which are best adapted to the growth of Hemp, and the furnishing of other naval stores. We presume that if it is in the contemplation of Government or the Legislature ever to promote a more accurate survey of the Province, such a previous tour as the one now proposed, will greatly forward it by directing the more minute attention of the surveyors to the most interesting objects; and, thereby, save much time, trouble and expense.
We, also, flatter ourselves that much of the advantageous side of the character of Nova-Scotia will prove to be well founded. In that case, we hope Government may deem it both for the interest of the mother country and this Province, to encourage the settlement of those lands, by means of the numerous loyal emigrants, particularly the Hollanders, who have no immediate settlements or occupations in England. Your Committee beg leave to point out the rich marsh lands of Cumberland and the Bason-of-Mines, well known to Your Excellency, so exactly similar to those of Holland, and which are of such vast extent, as to promise to become, under the approbation and protection of Government, in the highest degree, worthy the attention of those people.
Mich. Wallace.
J G Pyke
Jonathan Tremain
Law. Hartsborne
William Sabatier
George J. Parkyns.
Halifax
May 5th, 1801.
To His Excellency Sir John Wentworth Bart.
&ca. &ca. &ca.
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