The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1860-02-15
THE WIZARD OF ANTICosTI.
BY CHARLES LAsMHN.

Lonely and desolate are the shores Of
Anticosti. In winter they are blocked up
with ice and whitened with snow, and in
summer almost continually enveloped in
fogs. To all mariners who have occasion
to sail the Gulf Of St Lawrence, they are
a perpetual terror, and the many ship.
wrecks occurring there have given to the
island o mournful celebrity. Two light
houses, lighted from March TO December,
and two provision depots are the only 10.
oalities on the island where those who
may have escaped watery grave can OBJ
tain succor from famine and cold, and the
most noted Of these is the Bay of Ga
mach. IT. is about five miles in circum
ference, the only really secure harbor in
the region, and derives its name from the
strange man who there first made himself
a home. From Quebec to Gaspe, from
Gaspe to Pictou, not q name for many
years was better known, and the manifold
stories picked up by the writer (during
his Canadian and New Brunswick wan.
dorings, respecting him would fill vol
ume. They were extravagant, made up
Of fact and fiction, representing him as a
kind Of ancient mariner, pirate, being
half savage and half OGRE and enjoying
the special protection Of Satin himself
But the simple story Of his actual life,
well worth recording, is as follows:
Louis Oliver Gamache was born in
Lower Canada in 1890 When a mere
boy he left his home and obtained sail.
ors berth on board an English frigate, in
which capacity he spent about twenty
years of his life, roaming over the world.
On his return he found his parents dead,
and himself friendless and poor. Having
strayed into the little port of Remouski,
he tried his hand at business and failed.
Disguised with people generally, and
somewhat so with life, he resolved to set
tie on the island of Anticosti, whose lone
ly shores had taken his fancy captive,
when last returning from his ocean wan
derings. Determined as he was to spend
the remainder Of his days in the peaceful
enjoyments Of hunting, fishing, and sail
ing, his sagacity led him to the bay al
ready mentioned. He built himself
rude cabin, and then visited the main
shore to obtain o wife, in which effort he
was successful She was all he hoped
for, but the loneliness and cold of Anti
cost were more than her nature could
bear, and she died during her first spring
upon the island. Summer came, and
Gamache sought for peace Of mind by
sailing in his schooner among the ice
bergs of the North, and slaughtering the
grey seal and walrus. With the money
thus made he erected some new buildings,
and gathered about his home few of the
comforts of an ordinary farm, such as
horses, COWS, and sheep. He married
second wife, with whom he spent the
seven happiest years of his life, but, on
returning home from one of his winter
hunts, he found her frozen to death, and
his two children SO nearly !amished, that
they soon followed their mother, and he
was once more alone A kind of gloom
now settled upon his spirit and, though
leading an active life, he became misan-
thropic. He cared not to have any inter-
course with his fellow.men, and his only
companion and con6dant was halEbreed
Indian; but If revenue officer, a pro-.
fessional fisherman, or party of sporting
characters happened to make him visit,
they we're sure to be treated with kind
ness. He felt that death had robbed him
of all that he most dearly cherished, and
how did he know, was his mode Of reas-
oning, but some Of his Indian neighbors
would prove treacherous, and take his own
life without warming some band Of pirates,
moreover, might hear ofhis forlorn condi-
tion and sweep away his property and
murder him in cold blood. Those we're
impending calamities and something must
be done for protection. Hence it was
that he resolved to adobt series Of
measures that would inspire dread Of
his person and name. He fully sue
ceeded in all his romantic efforts, and the
following are few Of the many with
which his name is associated:
On the occasion, having been wind
bound for several days, he anchored his
vessel in one Of the ports of Gaspe, and
making his way to the village inn ordered
sumptuous supper for two persons.
The truth was, he was nearly famished,
and having caused his man Friday to be
supplied on board the vessel, he had
determined to have good feast and any
fun that might follow. Before sitting
down TO his repast he gave special direc-
tious that the door Of the dining-room
must be locked, and that it would be
dangerous to have him disturbed. He
devoured nearly every thing on the table,
and finally, falling into deep sleep, did
not awake until morning. The host and
some Of his inquisitive neighbors were
moving about soon after dsybreak, and a
number of them declared that they had
heard some mysterious noises during the
night, and when the unknown guest
stepped out of the dining-room into the
sunshine, and while paying his bill with
American gold talked incoherently about
the gentleman in black, the people who
hung about the house were amazed; but
when the Landlord told them Of the empty
plates and platters, and they saw the
stranger embark without uttering a word,
they were all confounded, and felt certain
that the devil and an intimate friend had
visited their town.
On another ooccasion, while spending
. day or two in Quebec, an officer Of the
law boarded the schooner Of our hero for
shs purpose of arresting him for debt
Gamache suspected what was in the wind,
and as the autumn was far advanced, and