The Republican journal., 1883-02-15

in Acadia We have no accurate histor-
lcal description OF the appearance OF this
lady, called the Dame Mathilde in the
parish registers, but LOngfelloW has
thrown around her figure that charm
with which he has surrounded Eyange-
line and all the creations Of his poetic
fancy
"a form of beauty underlined
\ lOyelness without name,
Not of degree, but more Of kind;
Nor bold nor shy, nor short nor tall
But new mngling of them all.
Yes, beautiful beyond belief,
Iranstigured and transfuScd he sees
The lady of the PyreneeS,
The daughter of the Indian chief.
Perhaps if we knew more about this lady,
she would be found quite as interesting a
character as POcahontas, who has had
more than her due share Of fame. What
ever were the faults Of this youth, st.
Castin appears to have settled down
after his marriage. and to have become
model man IN some respects The Bar
on st. ElOntan, who visited him towards
the close Of the seventeenth century, ad
mitted that "he never changed his wife,
by which means be would give the say
ages 10 understand that God does not
love ;Dconstant folks. Could the old
Barol say as much for the people OF New
England in these degenerate days when
divorce has become a popular institution
among the descendants Of the old Pur-
tans?
For some years ST. Castin traded large
" with the Indians, and succeeded in
amaSsing a fortune of two OF three hun
,1,ol ~
gold" His success in this way appears
to have brought on him the enmity Of
Perrot, the Governor of Acadia, who
wished to have so profitable field to
himself But all accounts agree as to st.
Castln's readiness to assist his country
men whenever they called on him for aid.
He was much feared hy the New Eng
landers, for he was one Of those impetu-
Gus, daring spirits, ever ready to resent
anything like an insult or an iniury-ever
ready to take up the sword and hayasS
his English neighboIs. The first blow ST
Castin received was directed against his
traffic by the New England Government
During the ear loss, Governor Andres
arrived off st. Castn's house il the Eng
| lsh tIigate Rose, but the French fled
precpitately into the woods and left the
English to take possession OF all the pro
pcrty within their reach. This eXpedi-
tion was considered as very i'll ll-adyised by
many people in New England, who fear
ed the reprisals that were sure to follow
Increase Mather, With more emphasis
than elegance, asked at the time: "Wh hat
good did that Frigot do New England
| Unless this were 50, that il fetched home
the P.under Of Castaine, upon which be
gan the Bloody War"
The result was st. Castin took an act
i've part in the series of attacks that We're
made On the New England settlements
by Canadian Frenchmen assisted by their
Indian allies The inhabitants Of sever
al villages were either massacrcd or tax
en- prisoners. and New England did not
forget those raids for many year
"Children as they gamholed on the
beach reapers as they gathered the har-
vest: mowers as they rested from using
the scythc; mothers as they busted them
/ selves about the household, Were victims
to an enemy who disappeared the mo-
ment the blow was struck, and who was
ever present where 4 garrison or tanli-
| ~ ceased It's vigilance"
- -N-NN clit't ~ III i'l tttllNN III ny ~
St Castin was engaged was the attack
made by the French in 1896 upon the
| fort which had been built not long before
at Pcmaqud strongest work of the
kind then possessed by the English IN
America. The French expedition was
commanded by NJ. d'Ibervile, one Of the
most distinguished Canadians Of those
times-whose name is indeibly Imprint
ed on the pages of the early history Of
our country Colonel Chubb made a gal
LIANT defence. and when called upon to
surrender replied that ''though tue sea
was covered with French vessels, tie
| land With Indians, he would not surren-
/ der until forced to do So. Brave words
III the face of the Tremendous odds
against him. He was at last forced to
give up the fort which was RACED to tie
/ ground.
| This was the last event Of Importance
/ in the career Of St. Castin. 1t is believed
he visited Europe towards the close Of
the century for the purpose Of taking
possession Of his ancestral estate in Beam.
| LOngtellOW. again with poetic license
4 represents him returning amid the re-
i0icings Of the Old retainers and friends
Of his family -
The choir is singing the matn song;
/ The doors of the church are open wide;
| The people crowd and press and throng
| 70 see the bridegroom and the bride
They enter and pass along the nave;
| They stand upon the furthest grave;
! The bells are ringing soft and slow:
| The living aboYe and the dead below
Give their blessings on one and twain
| The warm wind blows from the hills of Spain
l hIl..ts l,iI
| The Baron Ca>tin of St. Casin
! Hath come at last to his own again.
But we know tnar 81. Castin had been
married many years before he returned
to the Pyrenees. and that he was then
no longer a young man. We would like
to believe with the poet that st. Castin's !
last years were passed in peace and hap
/ pincss on the patlimonial acres within
sight of the hills of Spain. But the fact
is We know nothing Of his life after the
capture Of Pemaquid- he disappears sud
/ denly from the history of Acadia. 1t is
/ thought that he was robbed OF his prop
| erty III Bealn and actually returned to
! the country where he had prospcrcd and
welded an Influence among the Indians
| just as powerful in its way as that enjoy
| ed 10y some European lord among his
| fcudatOries. If he did come back, then
4 there would be truth in the graphic de
scription which Whittier has given us OF
this picturesque figure of The old Acadan
/ times:
.. lone whose bearded check
J And white and wrinkcd DroW beSpeak
A wandercr from the shores of France
/ A few long locks of scattering snow
/ Beneath battered morton flow