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F¢;ri‘MLa Joie

A Gay Centre

f In Early Days 4

The most. interesting relic of French occupation in Prince Edward Island is

doubtediy Fort La Joie. situated at the mouth of the Oharlottetnwn harbour on the farm property oi’ Mr. .10. Hyndman. Although the surrounding land has been carefully cultivated. the Fort itself has been left intact, with its deep most all around which. in early days, was kept full of water. with a draw-bridge at the south end. The cellars of the French houses within ,the Fort are still to be seen, together with huge trees to which the late Robert Harris referred in his descriptive poem; "In the old Port, on trench and

mound 'I‘he clover "pink and daisies grow, Where grim stockade and cannon frowned

Two Hundred distant years ago.

Tree branches o'er the moat are met, - V. ‘

While roses on the rampart blow

That spreading hawthorne tree was

set Two Hundred distant ‘years ago!" Old French Road

Even the old 1“i'enc.h road is tracable leading from the place of debarkation: also the evidences 01‘. a secret under- lrround passage way which led from the shore to the interior of the Fort. Such relics of its wornout pasf.._a‘s cannons. uzlirol-m buttons, etc., are carefully pre- served by the owner.

From a booklet on Fort La Joie issued I ten years -ago through the courtesy of Mr. Hyndman. we quote the follow- ing interesting passage:

Abbe Brealay’a Minion V ‘The history of the Fort starts when

-. first missionary, Abbe Brainy came -r wvri:unongthoindlansottl-leMlc-

mac tribe who were living on the shores hunting the woods and fishing in the streams which

surrounded the Fort. He was a gentle- man of quality and address. And had been attached to the personal service 01 the “Grand Mcnarque”; had seen life in courts and palaces and at Versatile had been one of the throng of nobles and high dames about the king. Some- thing of the indoor of the intrepid Bre- beuf and heroic Jogues burned in his veins and had caused him eagerly to seek work amongst the savages in the new world. He had been cure at Mon- treal and missionary among the indians of St. Louis, when he went to Fort La Joie in l77i. The church Registers there, established by him, are still in existence, and give some valuable clues as to who filled life's busy round in this remote corner oi the earth, when Louis XV, was King.

Colorful scenes

1722,‘ a

'‘On the fourteenth of July. ceremony

striking and characteristic

took place in the wilderness at Fort In

Joie that displayed at once the zeal oi.’ the church and the methods of colonial- tion. About twolyelus before a clear- ing had been made ‘in the green woods sloping to the wi1ter's'~edge by a ,cm'n- parry organized by unt De St. Pierre, to whom his majes y had granted "lsie de St. Jean," andcther territories. Pre- parations had been made to start a. Trading Post for..fish and furs. A Governor's House, barracks for a com- pany of Marine. store I-louses, Church named after St. Jean the Evangelist, had been erected in accordance with the old saying that the French started coloniza- tion with a guard house and a stat.istica.l office.

"rhere was 9. Governor and an at- tendant as at Quebec, having supervi- sionover finance, justice and police. At ﬁle time above mentioned beside the rough buildings above enumerated, a

collection of micmac wigwams were pitched near the shore which, with the smoke from their camp fires and the dogs and children play__lng among the stumps, lent variety to the scene. A couple of vessels were moored close to the shore discharging horses and cattle. provisions and implements, for the set- tlers. The place was alive with un- wonicd activity. The micmac warriors were stalking around in all the glory of fresh paint and feathers. While the French officers appeared above the little church in lace cuffs and ruffles, short breecha and scarlet stockings and cock- ed hats and swords. The ladies were few, but one can imagine when sedately gathering in the sacred edifice in gala dress with high Normady caps and lace iappets, red and blue corsets, scarlet pet- ticoats and silver crosses.

An Important Occasion

"The occasion of the unusual stir was the baptism of an infant of M. Lou‘s de la Ponde Denis, Chevalier of the Royal Order of St. Louis, Captain of the Ma- rines and Lieutenant of the Kind of St. Jean, and his wife Louise Chartier de Lothmiere. The Governor, M. Gotte- viile de Belle Isle. was present and served as god-father and the Countess de St. Pierre, lady of honour to the Duchess of Orleans was god-mother. There were also present M. Robert P01‘- tier de Buisson, sub-delegate of the in- teildant of New France to Isle st. Jean; M. Aubert sieur de Manse of the superior council at Quebec, M. Pierre de Grand- pre surgeon-Major; M. Gabriel de la Bonne, second surgeon; M. Louis de la Bretesche, office of Marine and Major of’-court; M, Francois Pastereau, com- rnissariat officer; M. du Bullion, Cadet of the Oompany of Gotterville; M. Thom- as. Master of the Port, and others. The enume «tion of these names shows the curious mingling here of court and sav- age life; the fashion and culture of Paris jostling with the wild and rough aboriginal existence shows life in vivid

' cont: ast.

Friendship With Mic-macs

"At a later christening. De Chevalier de Mezillac acted as a. god-father to a micmac, while a. dsuky beauty 0! the woods was god-mother. The policy that dictated such acts. readily accounts for the close brotherhood be’.I.veen the French and the Indians, a conectlon that British power was never able to break. It has been said that while one nation present- ed the point of a sword to the savages of the New World, the other upheld in

. Crown in dealing with indinn

, j The Britis]z‘Con3mon:ruealth7. stands -firm for PEACE, sT;~4lBIL1iTrr and FREEDOM ' GOD SAX/El THEiR MAJESTIES

HYIVDMAN & co. LIMITED’

‘* I939

Montague

them the virtues of the cross. It may Rive one a. better idea of human nature when it is remembered that the mic- mac savages never betrayed those who they C°nsidered their friend; a genera- tion later a. reward was set on the head 0’ 19-1-oulre. yet he travelled the wilds of Nova Scotia in perfect safety with Indian guides and companions.

In 1723 Abbe Bresley was removed Irom Port La Joie and his - place was taken by members of the Fl-lmclsclm Order, some fathers of which have just founded a. house at Laulsburg. Brothel- Dulmlion, animated by ‘a brilliant zeal in the service in his church and order- illerved under severe conditions, with ra- gfns 01 8 Soldier, sandals instead of

oes and clothed in a. gown of mam, grey druggetins. slithered at the waist by a coarse leather thong. -

“In 1728 the first census was taken. all that date there were 336 whites on, e Island, 14 families being of port 1.9, .7019. A second census took place in 1735. when the population of Port La $124134! increased to M4 and the Island

Subsequent History

“The commercial company organized by Count St. Peter expended large sums gftrfoney in developingthelr property, to nstead of enriching them their ven. me was unfortunate; the Company was broken up and in 1730 the Crown of France resumed direct control or their grants. A new Governor took charge and the work of settling and developing “'9 Island W35 silng forwnrd surely but 51°“"Y “M9!” the French flag, until 1774. When Enzland taking a hand in the war of the Austrian Succsssion, hostilities be- tween France and England were resumed and after a number of years of gorilla “”“'f‘“e the Fremh power in America 1611 when Quebec and Lr isbul'g fell. At this time there were about 3000 French inhabitants on Prince Edward Island and‘about_one-half of them returned to France, the remainder being dispersed _thl'0l18hout Acadia or finding an asylum in Quebec.

"Mr. Michael Francklin, whcsc con- Splcuous atillty wlls ofgl'cst.<el'\=lcc to the ni'l"."lil's, ﬁllllolntcd Isaac dc Chalnps as 5.ll[)."l‘1n- telldant of the Island in 1768, lillil later he and ii. number of other oific"l1ls ar- rived at‘ Port La Joic with l'!lflb£‘lli\.l3 and mecllanics to erect lotlgmcnls for the new ru‘.el‘s. In Allgllst of the same year Mr. Franckiin became Governor snd in the next year Mr. Walter Patter- son became C'zOVEl‘li0l‘.—-the Island being then made into a separate province"