“I stood up and threw out a herring. In a moment it was grabbed. Then the baited hook went over, was seized in a trice, and once more we had a fish. This second fellow was even more lively than the first, and his rushing and jumping was something wonderful to witness. He began pulling us off at once. To make his speed less we crossed our oars and held back water, which acted like a drag. Suddenly like the other, he turned at right angles and led us off in the new direction, fully ten minutes. Then he headed for the boats—mischief in his eye. We were now threatened with mishap worse than before, for the boats were by this time deeply loaded. What was to be done? He made another leap at this juncture, falling more clumsily than before. He was weakening! The men in the boats were now gesticulating and yelling for us to set him free. But we were growing hopeful as the speed of the boat grew perceptibly less. Soon we were able to gather in line to within a few fathoms of him. Within 150 yards of the boats he stopped short. We hauled up. What a beauty! Ten feet long, and weighing over 600 pounds. Three cheers were given as with a rope through his gills we towed him to the beach. We gave him to the men whose herrings we had spilled. Surely a royal sport. The equal of any fishing on the Pacific Coast.”
Port Morien is reached by the Sydney and Louisbourg Railway, a line running east to the coast, and then south to Louisbourg. The little town on the coast has a harbor, breakwater, excellent beach, and a considerable fish industry. It also has valuable coal deposits.
The Mira River district, half-way down the coast towards Louisbourg, abounds in picturesque views; and a journey over the beautiful river, with its remarkable clear water, is a veritable treat. An old French shipyard was once here, some remains of which are still visible; and the hulls of many small craft may be seen below water. The course leads through a ravine that is sheltered from the sun for most of the day, the coves and small headlands of which give many pretty views. Pleasant fishing streams and brooks empty themselves along the course of the Mira River, and numerous evidences of the early French days are seen as the upper waters are reached. Pleasant islands, also, vary the way, some of them in picturesque clusters. A number of inviting-looking bays and several villages are passed, and as Marion Bridge is gained the country becomes more hilly and varied. Salmon River, which empties into the Mira, is a favorite fishing stream, and, in addition, it offers many beautiful views. Near the head of Mira River is Victoria Bridge, from which pleasant drives may be taken to Gaberouse on the bay of that name, to Framboise, and to Fourché, all quiet fishing villages remote from travel highways, and on that account interesting to see.
When the Treaty of Utrecht gave France the right to hold and fortify Cape Breton, the name of the Island became L’Isle Royale, and choice of a place was soon made for the erection of a stronghold or fortress to maintain possession of this commanding approach to her vast inland territory. Havre a l’Anglois was the place selected, and its name was changed to Louisbourg in honor of the French monarch of that time, Louis XIV. The history of this interesting place was for many years the history of the whole island.
Work on the fortifications of Louisbourg was commenced in the early part of the eighteenth century. It continued for over twenty years, and the whole defensive system was planned by Vauban, the great French engineer. So strong was the place made that it became known as the Dunkirk of America. Towards the middle of the century the population of Louisbourg had increased to 4000, and it was rapidly becoming a place of great importance. Islands in the harbor were strongly fortified to command the water approach, while on the land the solid fortification walls, over ten feet thick and more than thirty feet high, protected by a great ditch with earthworks, glacis, bastions and citadel, all united to form an almost impregnable position. The approaches could be swept by gun fire from nearly 150 cannon.
It was not long before the British colonists of New England took alarm at the construction of such formidable works in a place where they could be used as a basis of operations against them; a plan for attacking the fortress by volunteers from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire was agreed upon, and a strong expedition left Nantasket for Cape Breton waters.
From the very first, success attended the efforts of the Colonials; and after many spirited attacks, the place, though ably defended by the French, fell before the continued assault. This was in 1745. Three years later Cape Breton and its great fortress of Louisbourg were given back to France by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
But there were to be other struggles between France and England for supremacy in North American waters, and it was inevitable that Louisbourg would again be attacked; and so in another ten years a British fleet assembled in Gabarus Bay to the south of Louisbourg, and another great struggle ensued. Boscawen, Amherst and Wolfe took part in this assault; and the place was again ably defended by the French, this time under the gallant de Drucour, who was able to direct the fire of over two hundred cannon against the invaders—so much had the defenses been strengthened. The formerly successful plans of the Colonials were again followed, and, as before, success came to the invaders, and Louisbourg fell with immense stores and munitions of war. A strong naval station being in existence by this time in Halifax, it was decided to totally destroy the fortifications of Louisbourg, and accordingly the whole of the defenses were demolished by an engineer corps from England, sent out for this purpose. Shortly before the opening of the American War of Revolution, Britain’s conquest of all Upper Canada was confirmed by treaty, and peaceful development of Cape Breton has since ensued.