The Bee, which conveyed Mr. Galt when on his voyage of exploration along the western coast of Lake Huron, was sold by public auction in 1832. In that year the first great reduction of the naval and military establishment at Penetanguishene took place. Step by step the process went on until the ancient depôt was finally extinguished; and in 1859 the stone barracks were converted into a Public Reformatory.
The enumeration of the stores disposed of by public vendue, on Thursday, the 15th of March, 1830, and six following days, at Penetanguishene, will not be without pathos. At all events, those who have, at any time, made boats and the appurtenances of boats one of their hobbies, will not dislike to read the homely names of the articles then brought to the hammer.
(It will be observed that no mention is made of a certain memorable anchor laboriously dragged from York as far as the Landing en route to Penetanguishene, but taken no further, becoming, when half embedded in the earth there, an object of perpetual wonderment to beholders: a thing too ponderous to be conveniently handled and removed by an ordinary purchaser, let the amount paid for it be ever so trifling.)
The following, then, were the miscellaneous articles belonging to the Crown advertised to be sold to the highest bidder on the 15th and following days of March, 1832, at Penetanguishene, and so, we may conclude, disposed of accordingly:—The Tecumseh, schooner, 175 tons. The Newash, brigantine, 175 tons. The Bee, gunboat, 41 tons. The Mosquito, gunboat, 31 tons. The Wasp, gunboat, 41 tons. Batteaux, three in number. Thirty-two feet cutter. Two thirty-two feet gigs and their furniture. One whale boat One jolly boat. One nineteen feet gig. Twenty-two pounds old bunting. Canvas, mildewed slightly, 366 yards. Canvas, of all sorts, cut from frigate sails, 2170 yards. Old canvas, 491 yards. Packing cases, 23. Iron casks, 12. Iron bound casks, 8. Wood bound casks, 24. Chests, common, 2. Chests, top, 2. Cordage, worn, 988 fathoms. Cordage, in rounding, 318 fathoms. Cordage, in junk, 28 cwt. 20 lbs. Cordage, in paper stuff, 1 cwt. 3 qrs. 1 lb. Covers, hammock, 5. Iron, old wrought, 12 cwt. 3 qrs. 16½ lbs. Rigging, brigantine, standing, complete, 1 set. Running, in part, 1 set. Rigging, schooner, standing and running, complete, 1 set. Rigging, Durham boats, standing and running, in part, 2 sets.—Rigging, boats, standing, worn, 1 set. Sails for a 32 gun ship, 1 set brigantine sails, 1 set schooner sails, 1 set Durham boat sails, 18 in number; boat sails 18 in number; unserviceable stores. Axes, felling, 8. Bellows, camp forge, 2 pairs. Blocks, single, 11 inch, 1. Blocks, double, 10 inch, 1. Brushes, tar, 15. Buckets, leather, 14. Chisels, of sorts, 12. Compass glasses, 1. Cordage, 552 fathoms. Glass, broken, 16 panes. Hammocks, 16. Locks, stock, 1. Mallet, caulking, 1. Oars, fir, 7. Paint, white, 1 qr. 2 lbs. Paint, yellow, 2 qrs. 18 lbs. Planes, 10 in number. Punts, boats, 1. Saws, crosscut, 5; Saws, hand, 6; Saws, dove-tail, 1; Saws, rip, 3. Spout for pump, 1. Sweeps, 4. Shovels, 9. Twine, fine, 3½ lbs. Twine, ordinary, 17¼ lbs. Seines, 1.
The document which supplies us with the foregoing list announces that, "the stores will be put up in convenient lots, and that a deposit of 25 per cent. will be required at the time of sale, and the remainder of the purchase money previous to the removal of the articles, for which a reasonable time will be allowed." The whole is signed—Wm. Henry Woodin, Lieutenant commanding, June 18th, 1832.
We here bring to a close our Collections and Recollections in regard to Yonge Street. That our narrative might be the more complete, we have given a notice of the ancient terminus of that great thoroughfare, on Lake Huron. It will be seen that in Penetanguishene and its environs, Toronto has a place and a neighbourhood at the north abounding with interesting memories almost as richly as Niagara itself and that vicinity, at its south: memories intimately associated with its own history, not alone before the present century began, but also before even the preceding century began, that is, taking into view the local history of this part of Canada prior to the acquisition of the country by the English.
From remote Penetanguishene, dismantled and abolished in a naval and military sense, our thoughts naturally turn to more conspicuous places that have in our day successively undergone the same process: to Kingston, to Niagara, to Montreal, to our own fort, here at Toronto, and finally, in 1871, to Quebec. The 8th of November, 1871, will be a date noted in future histories. On that day the Ehrenbreitstein of the St. Lawrence, symbol for a hundred years and more, of British power on the northern half of the North American continent, was voluntarily evacuated, in accordance with a deliberate public policy.
The 60th Regiment, it is singular to add, which on the 8th of November, 1871, marched forth from the gates of the citadel of Quebec, was a regiment that was present on the heights of Abraham in 1759, and helped to capture the fortress which it now peacefully surrendered.
Is the day approaching when artistic tourists will be seen sketching, at Point Levi, the bold Rock in front of them for the sake of the ruins at its summit, not picturesque probably, but for ever famed in story?