Fortress of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia

Louisbourg, on the north east coast of Nova Scotia is an amazing visit and was the highlight of our trip to Cape Breton, last week.

The Frederic gate is the entrance to the town from the sea. What an amazing harbour this was in 1730, with ships coming from France, Quebec, New England and the Caribbean.

We walked to the Kings Bastion Barracks and Governors Apartments.

At the barracks we met a soldier who told us his sad tale. He had been enlisted into the army from the streets of Brest, promised a secure job, good pay, food, a bed to sleep in and a roof over his head. All this in an exciting new country! He grabbed this opportunity and signed up for 6 years. After a stormy crossing he arrived in Canada and found that the reality was not what he’d hoped for.

He had to stand on guard at this guard house for 24 hours – non stop, with no sleep. Anyone caught sleeping was punished. Usually made to sit astride a wooden horse, with weights attached to their feet. Beds were shared by 3 soldiers, 2 sleeping while the other was on duty.

The pay was good, 9 livres a month, but after money was taken for his food and bed, he was left with only 1 1/2 livres a month. What was there to do, but drink that away to console himself. This poor soldier was only 30 years old, but looked much older. He did not think that he’d ever marry as the few women in the town preferred fishermen who made a lot of money and could support them.

As for getting out of the army, that did not seem possible as he had no money and was already in debt, so would be forced to sign up for another 6 years. It was all very depressing, yet he still managed to give us a smile. I hope he was not punished for speaking to us!

The Fortress – a fortified town with civilians, like any other town – was founded by the French,  in 1713.

The main reason for this settlement  was the cod fishing on the Grand Banks. Cod fishing was so lucrative that it brought in more money in one year than all the years of fur trading! The fish was salted and laid on stages to dry, before being exported.

The harbour was well defended, but on the landward side, there was little defence. The story goes that a British officer was being held prisoner at Louisbourg, but was allowed to roam free, as was the custom. He saw all the weaknesses in the landward side and when released back to New England told them how to attack. His information was actioned and led to the first fall of Louisbourg in 1745. This officer was deemed not to be a ‘gentleman’ for telling and was expelled from the army.                                                 Three years later the town was restored to the French, but was besieged a second time, in exactly the same manner as the first! The French had learnt nothing from the first attack!

Opposite the Frederic gate is the Hotel de la Marine. This was where the soldiers, sailors and townspeople spent their money on food drink and entertainment.

There we had a very good meal of pea soup, followed by haddock and vegetables, served by costumed servers. We ate from pewter dishes and had only a pewter spoon to eat with.

A juniper branch was used above the signs for ale houses and eating places as the towns people could not read.

Further along the waterfront is the home of the Commissaire Ordonnateur. This was the person who kept all the accounts, paid the colony’s bills, compiled statistical accounts, and had a hand in local justice. Francois Bigot was the Commissaire Ordonnateur from 1739 to 1745 and was the sole resident of this huge house with 6 female servants. The system allowed Bigot to misuse funds and build up his own fortune. This was his eventual downfall. He was tried, confiscated of all his property and exiled from France, in 1763.

The next photo is of the home of Joseph Lartigue. He came to Louisbourg with the first settlers, from Newfoundland. He was a fisherman and trader, but because he could read and write, he became the town magistrate. Part of the house was used as a courtroom. Lartigue and his wife had 12 children and several servants in this house and were thought to be well off in their day.

The Dauphin Gate was the main land entrance to the town. It was manned around the clock by an officer and thirty soldiers.

You can walk around the ruined part of the town and see where the hospital, convent, mass graves, and breweries used to be.

Parks Canada has certainly done an impressive job of reconstructing Louisbourg and anyone who gets the chance should pay it a visit.

 

Shark Week in Lockeport, Nova Scotia

This was meant to be a fishing Blog telling about our trips fishing for mackerel and striped bass.

However, last week-end we headed to Lockeport to fish for mackerel, to find that the local Sea Derby was in progress. We fished for a short time at our usual pier, but nothing was biting, so we went over to the Government wharf to see what was being brought in.

Several fishing boats were waiting to land their catch. One boat had a long look-out platform for spotting sword fish. I liked her name.

Some cod had been landed and were being weighed and measured. There doesn’t seem to be a limit to the size taken, but there is a maximum of 10 rule.

The Governement body, the Department of Fisheries, was present to check what was being landed.

The sharks had to be winched from the boats up into a shed where they were weighed and measured and the contents of their stomachs examined.

The Porbeagle looked viscious, although they seemingly don’t attack humans.

The blue shark weighed about 350lb! I thought it was a beautiful colour.

We had a very exciting day and might go fishing at the Sea Derby next year.

 

Lunenburg Fish

One of the sights of Lunenburg is the metal sculptures attached to the electric poles along the streets of the town.

Like this shark.

The  Fish Project was commissioned by the Town of Lunenburg in 2002. The plan was to replace the flower baskets decorating the town utility poles with something low maintenance.

This idea developed and the the town now has a very enjoyable public art exhibition.

As well as the shark, I think every species of fish must be represented – cod, mackerel, plaice, ling, squid, flounder, monkfish, herring, mussels, lobster, even swordfish.

Boats went out off Cape Breton to fish for these swordfish. I met one old local man who was the cook, at 10 years old, on a fishing boat that went after the swordfish!

The tuna fish was a very important fish for Nova Scotia. Huge tuna were caught just off the coast.

I have scanned some photos from  ‘A Pictorial History of the Aspotogan Peninsula’ to show the size and volume of tuna caught off these shores.

These photos were lent by Ned Norwood of Hubbard’s Heritage Society and were taken about 1947.

The 44 hand-painted aluminum sculptures were designed and painted by Laura Fisher.

Interesting Weather Vanes

In the UK, we were used to seeing the traditional weather ‘Cock’ on the top of a church spire.

But here in Lunenburg, there is a much more significant shape on the top of the spire of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Lunenburg became famous for boat building and cod fishing . Fishing schooners, fished on the Grand Banks and the largest cod brought in to Lunenburg was 211 pounds. So it is only fitting that one of the churches here in Lunenburg should have a weather ‘Cod’.

Today we walked at Indian Point and saw an assortment of weather vanes. Common birds, like the heron

and goose/swan?

Various forms of sailing schooners, from copper,

to painted,

to black,

to white.

The whale, like the cod is pretty unusual.

And I’m not sure what inspired the Flying Pig, but it looks fun.

The last photo is not a weather vane, but is on the roof of a house in Lunenburg. Does anyone know the inspiration? It’s not the Owl and the Pussy Cat, but is probably from some children’s story.