Chapter 1812.

Navigating the Lower Saint Lawrence in the 19th Century.

Quebec Gazette #2455 02/04/1812 Page 2, Col. 4B


	Extract of a letter from Carleton, Chaleur's Bay, dated January 11, 1812.
	On the night between the 20th and the 21st November, I believe the same time that so much damage was done by a storm at Quebec, the wind, which had also been very strong here, came round, suddenly, to the northwest, and continued to blow, with great violence, till daylight. During the whole night, horrid bellowing and howling were heard, a thing without example in these part. The darkness of the night, the fury of the tempest, the roaring of the sea, and the melancholy noise of the conflicting waves, joined with these extraordinary howling, had a wonderful effect on many of the good people of Bonaventure. Several old ladies took refuge in their cellars; others whose minds were already agitated by the appearance of the comet, were persuaded that they were now arrived at the period of the final destruction of the world. Next morning, the beach was found strewed with an unknown fish, which were at first thought to be young whales. One hundred and seventy-two of them, were found, from the middle of the parish of Bonaventure to New Carlisle. The sight of so rich a prize soon dissipated the remaining fears of the inhabitants, who, each armed with his axe and knife, half clothed, half awake, fell to work upon the stranded fish. In the course of the day, a large one was discerned at about 20 or 30 arpents from the shore, bellowing as if in extreme pain, and to the astonishment of all present, instead of following the course of the wind & tide, making straight for shore, on which he threw himself high and dry, and was immediately dispatched. Another, which had only its head on the bank of a river, and the rest of its body afloat, let itself be killed without making any attempt to escape. No one can tell what fish these are; none similar having ever been seen on the coast. They are of the cetacean species; the largest are about twenty feet in length, with a proportionate thickness; the head, which is as large as tierce, is rounded at the top and covered with a lump of fat, of about ten or twelve inches in diameter; it has a blow hole like that of a whale; the lower jaw resembles that of the hog. The back and sides are as black as those of the whale, the belly white. The blubber or fat is between three and four inches thick, and of a firm texture. Excellent oil, of an unusual transparency was made of it. The blood of these fish is uncommonly warm. I could not discover the nature of its food; the stomach of all those that I saw opened being empty. Where can these fish have come from? None of the kind have ever been known in these seas. I am inclined to believe that they are a species of sea hog, which earthquakes, the tempests, &c, have frightened from their abodes, and that afterwards they have been attacked by some terrible enemy. Several of them appeared off Paspibiac, and were apparently insensible to the shot and nails which were fired at them, and even undismayed: lead and nails were however found in the lump of fat on the top of the head, of those which were found on the other side of the bay. At Nipiscicuit, 14 large ones were found. This affair, upon a moderate calculation, has been worth upwards to £900, divided amongst only a few of the inhabitants.

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Chapter 1812