Barkley, Charles William (1759-1832). Served in the East India Company; sailed on a trading voyage for sea-otter skins to the North-West Coast, 1787. Brought his bride with him, the first white woman on the North-West Coast. Discovered and named Juan de Fuca Strait the same year, and carried his cargo of furs to China. In 1792 made another voyage to the North-West Coast, again accompanied by his wife, who kept interesting journals of both voyages. Died at North Crescent, Hartford. Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island, discovered and named by him. Index: D His two voyages to North-West Coast, 23; his wife first woman to visit North-West Coast, 23. Bib.: Walbran, British Columbia Coast Names.
Barnsfare, Captain. Dr Commands battery at Près de Ville, 127.
Baronets of Nova Scotia. An order created by James I, in 1625, for the purpose of "advancing the plantation of Nova Scotia." The scheme, which King James had deeply at heart, was designed to assist Sir William Alexander in his ambitious plans of colonization in the New World, by offering a special inducement to men of position in Scotland to take tracts of land in Nova Scotia, and to bring out numbers of colonists to settle upon them. See also Stirling. Bib.: Duncan, Royal Province of New Scotland and her Baronets; Bourinot, Builders of Nova Scotia; Patterson, Sir William Alexander (R. S. C., 1892); Mackenzie, Baronets of Nova Scotia (R. S. C., 1901); Royal Letters, Charters, and Tracts Relating to the Colonisation of Nova Scotia and the Institution of the Order of Knights Baronet of Nova Scotia; Kirke, The First English Conquest of Canada.
Barré, Isaac (1726-1802). Born in Ireland. Served under Wolfe against Rochefort in 1757, and at Quebec in 1759, being at Wolfe's side when he fell. Entered Parliament, 1761, and a member until 1790. In 1763-1764 adjutant-general and governor of Stirling; in 1764-1768, vice-treasurer of Ireland and a privy councillor; in 1782, treasurer of the navy. Index: Dr On Quebec Act, 67. Bib.: Dict. Nat. Biog.
Barren Grounds. The region of northern Canada, lying between the Mackenzie River and Hudson Bay, and from the northern timber-line to the Arctic. First visited by Samuel Hearne in 1770-1772. Late explorers who traversed portions of the country are Franklin, in 1821; Back, in 1833; Dease and Simpson, in 1839; Richardson in 1848; and Anderson in 1855. Within more recent years, Warburton Pike, J. B. Tyrrell, J. W. Tyrrell, D. T. Hanbury and Caspar Whitney have explored parts of the Barren Grounds. Bib.: Hearne, Journey to the Northern Ocean; Franklin, Narrative; Back, Arctic Land Expedition; Simpson, North Coasts of America; Richardson, Arctic Searching Expedition; Anderson, Descent of Great Fish River, in Royal Geog. Soc. Journal, 1856 and 1857; Pike, Barren Grounds; Tyrrell, Across the Sub-Arctics; Hanbury, Northland of Canada; Whitney, On Snowshoes to the Barren Grounds.
Barrington, William Wildman, second Viscount (1717-1793). Entered Parliament, 1740. Lord commissioner of Admiralty, 1746; a privy councillor, 1755; chancellor of the exchequer, 1761; treasurer of the navy, 1762; secretary of war, 1765-1768; joint postmaster-general, 1782. Index: Hd Informs Haldimand he owes promotion to the king, 83; summary sent him of Haldimand's expenses, 107; compliments Haldimand, 113; promises Haldimand pay as inspector-general, 329. Bib.: Dict. Nat. Biog.
Barron, Commodore (1769-1851). Born in Virginia. In command of the Chesapeake, on board which were some British deserters, 1807. On the refusal of Barron to give them up, the British frigate Leopard attacked and compelled his surrender. Court-martialled and suspended from rank and pay for five years. Fought and killed Commodore Decatur in a duel, 1820. Became senior officer of the navy, 1839. Index: Bk Enlists deserters from British ships on board Chesapeake, 83, 85. Bib.: Cyc. Am. Biog.; Correspondence between the late Commodore Stephen Decatur and Commodore James Barron.
Barter. L Practised in colony in early days, 122.
Barthe, J. G. Member for Yamaska in Canadian Assembly, 1841-1844. Index: BL Takes part in Rebellion of 1837; afterwards edits L'Avenir du Canada; member for Yamaska; offered and refuses seat in Cabinet, 236.
Basques. A pre-Aryan race, occupying the border-land between France and Spain. Assertions have repeatedly been made that they made voyages to America, and discovered the Gulf of St. Lawrence, before Cartier, and even before Cabot, but these have never been substantiated. All the evidence goes to show that they frequented the Newfoundland fisheries in the sixteenth century, but not earlier. Index: Ch Contraband traders, 140; threaten French on St. Pierre Island, 174. Bib.: Dawson, The St. Lawrence Basin; Reade, The Basques in North America (R.S.C., 1888); Howley, Old Basque Tombstones at Placentia.