Captain Glasier served subsequently under Sir Wm. Johnson and Gen’l John Winslow.
The idea of securing large grants of land in Nova Scotia was taken up by officers of the Royal Americans, the 44th foot and other regiments at Montreal early in the year 1764. Among the promoters were Capt. Thos. Falconer, Capt. Beamsley Glasier, Capt. John Fenton, Rev. John Ogilvie, D. D., (chaplain of the Royal American 215 regt.), Major Thos. Moncrief, Capt. Daniel Claus, Capt. Samuel Holland, Brig. Gen’l. Ralph Burton, Lieut. Wm. Keough, Lieut. Richard Shorne and others.
Captain Glasier seems to have obtained am extended leave of absence from his military duties and for three years most of his time was spent in trying to settle the society’s townships. He sailed from Quebec on the 28th of August, 1764, and after exploring the southern coast of Nova Scotia and entering many of the harbors in order to get “the best information of the Goodness of Land, and Conveniency for carrying on the Fishery,” he at length reached Halifax on the 26th of October. The events subsequent to his arrival we shall let him describe in his own words.
“Upon my arrival I waited on the governor, and gave him my letters; he rec’d me with great politeness and ordered a meeting of Council the next day in order to consult where I should pitch upon a tract of land suitable for such a Grand Settlement, for it is looked upon as the most Respectable of any in the province, and I must say that everybody in authority seem’d to interest themselves in the thing and give me all the advice and assistance in their power. Many Places was talked of, but none was so universally approved as the River St. Johns. It was therefore the opinion of the Council, and all that wished well to the establishment, that I should go across the country to Pisiquid (Windsor), and take passage on board a Vessell that was going from thence with Provisions for the Garrison of Fort Frederick, which I accordingly did, and arrived the 18th of November. * *
“As soon as I arrived I procured a Boat and went up the River above the falls as far as where the good land begins to make its appearance; but an uncommon spell of cold weather had set in and frozen over the small rivers leading into the Main River. * *
“Besides what I saw, which answered exactly with the account I had of it before, I had the best information from the Indians and Inhabitants settled 40 miles up the River and the Engineer of the Fort, who had Just been up to take a plan of the River, so that I was not at a loss one moment to fix on that spot for the settlement.”
Capt. Glasier spent about four days in examining the river. It will be noticed he speaks of “an uncommon spell of cold weather;” nevertheless the river was open for a good distance. This goes to show that the winter season did not begin any earlier 140 years ago than it does today.
Judging by the account of his journey from Fort Frederick to Halifax Capt. Glasier was a good traveller. He says, “We breakfasted at the Fort, dined at Annapolis and walked from thence to Halifax 5 days 145 miles in company with a brother of Lord Byron, who made the tour with me to see the country.”
Beamsley Glasier would have made a good immigration agent, for he certainly describes the country in glowing colors, yet his description of the valley of the St. John is in the main quite accurate and it is exceedingly interesting to have a glimpse of that region in its pristine state.
“The entrance of St. John’s River,” he writes, “forms like a Bay between two points[78] about 3 leagues apart from thence it grows narrower gradually up to the Falls, which is 200 yards broad. The Falls, which has been such a Bugbare, is rather a narrow place in the River than Falls, for at half tide it is as smooth as 216 any other place in the River, the tide then just beginning to make and grows gradually stronger until high water, from that till two hours ebb a Vessell of 500 tons may go up or down. I know of very few Harbours in America that has not a barr or some other impediment at the entrance so as to wait for the tide longer than at St. Johns; here if you are obliged to wait you are in a good harbour out of all danger of bad weather.
“On each side the falls the rocks are high and so continue about four leagues, all Lime stone; then begins the finest Prospect in the world, the Land becomes flat, not a stone or pebble for 60 miles * * the banks something higher than it is a little way in; it runs level from six to twelve miles back and some places farther, such land as I cannot describe. The New England People [in Maugerville] have never plowed but harrowed in their grain, such Grain of all kinds, such Hemp, Flax, &c, as was never seen.”
Capt. Glasier’s description of the interval lands in their virgin state, untouched by the white man’s axe, is particularly interesting. It serves to explain why these lands were not over-run by forest fires and were considered so desirable by the early settlers.
“The trees,” he says, “are all extremely large and in general very tall and chiefly hard wood;[79] no Spruce, Pine, Firr, &c. Neither is there underwood of brush, you may drive a Cart and Oxen thro’ the trees. In short it looks like a Park as far as ever your eye can carry you. The pine trees fit for large masts are farther back and bordering on the small Rivers as I am told by the Indians. These fellows are the most intelligent people I ever saw; near 400 live about 60 miles up the River, and seem to be well pleased at our coming here, I saw all their Chiefs at the Fort. The land on the N. E. side the River has been overflowed sometimes, but it goes off immediately and leaves such a manure as you may imagine—tho’ it has not for several years past; the other side is higher, the lands not so good in general. When I said not so Good I would not be understood to mean that they are not good, for even those are as good as any I ever saw in America, with the same kind and quality of wood, but does not run back so far.
“I suppose we shall have the Proprietor’s Town on the west side, tho’ the New England People are all settled on the other side. The whole Country abounds with Game; there is likewise plenty of Moose weighing from 1000 to 1500 lbs. each, fatt and finer than beef, which you may kill every day. Wild fowl of all kinds, cocks, snipes, and partridges are so plenty that the Gentlemen who was with me swore that it was no sport, as we could shoot 3 or 4 at a shot. An Indian made me a present of a pair of horns of a small Moose as he called them, for he assured me that some was twice as heavey. These measured 5 feet and 2 inches and weighed 33½ lb., judge you the biggness of the owner.
“Upon the Interval land you have a long kind of Grass[80] which the Cattle in that country fatten themselves upon. I never in my life saw fatter beef than one I saw killed there, & the New England People vowed that the heiffers of the same breed that had a calf in Boston at 3 years old came in at 2 years at St. Johns, so much they improved in growth and Wantonness as they called it.
“Their Hoggs and Sheep they keep on the Islands, which are overflowed generally when the River brakes up which is commonly about the middle of April. This overflowing leaves these Islands so rich that the Hoggs grow fatt by eating 217 Ground nuts without any other food in summer (in our Grant we have some of these Islands) nor do they put up their Horses in the Winter, except those that work, tho’ you may cut any quantity of Grass. Can I say more of the Soil, Trees, situation, &c.? Be assured it is all True.”
“The fish is the next thing. This River abounds with all sorts of small fry, Trout, Salmon, Bass, Whitefish & Sturgeon. The Bass is ketcht in Wiers just under the Point below the Fort, so that good voyages may be made in that branch; all the expence is in making the Wiers, and as to Sturgeon they are more remarkably plenty than any place upon the Continent, and if there was persons that understood pickling them it would be a very profitable undertaking and fetches ready money in London.”