The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-02-06
LETTER FROM WOLfVILLE,
EARLY HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA.
I4o7-I777.

great deal, we reply. Take, for ex-
ample, the name Cabot, for generations
a prominent family name in Boston.
The distinguished Massachusetts, Sena-
tor never omits his full middle name,
but always writes, Henry Cabot Lodge
Those who have trace of the Cabot
blood in their veins are justly proud OF
the fact. And who can blame them?
They trace their ancestry back to the
distinguished navigator John Cabot,
born in Italy, but removed when young
to Bristol, England, and in 1895 per-
suaded Henry VII-already jealous OF
the glory that the Spaniards had achlev-
ed in the new world-the desirabillty OF
undertaking a voyage of discovery un-
der the auspices of the English crown.
He obtained from the king patent for
the discovery of unknown lands in the
western and northern seas. According
". with his son Sebastian, he sailed
from Bristol in May, 1897, over the
broad ocean towards the setting sun.
His expedition resulted in the discovery
of Labrador, Newfoundland and Nova
Scotia.
Jn15aS Marquis De la Roche, French
man. on his way to Nova Scotia, left Az
convicts on Sable Island. Seven years
later he visited them, and found that
os had died of starvation. The remain
ing II he pardoned and took BACK TO
France. Sable-pronounced Sah-ol-
means sand; and this lone isle, with It's
shoal and treacherous waters, has tor
centuries been the graveyard OF chou
sands of unlucky sailors. The little,
hardy Sable island ponies are well
known. Centuries ago, some snip car
rvinp fine horses from Europe to
America was wrecked on these shallow
seas. The vessel went to pieces, ana
no one was left to tell the sad story OF
suffering and death; but the large, stall
wart horses easily swan ashore. Ana
centuries of great exposure, and the
scantv food of coarse grass-the only
food obtanable-have caused the noole
animals of long ago to degenerate into
the little animals, NOW so much ad-
mired, Thus the doctrine of evolution
works both ways.
In16O4. with patent from the French
king. De Monts landed on the south
shore Of Nova Scotia, and then sailed
along the coast and entered the An
napo]is Basin. Charmed with the beau
tlful scenery, he chose a spot for set
Element. and called it Port Royal and
named tile country Acadia. In 1903 he,
with other French navigators, brought
supplies for the infant colony. During
these few years the English were form
ing settlements farther south, their
first colony being established IN 1907 al
jamestown. Virginia. When they learn
ed of tie existence of the French set
Elements farther north in Acadia, with
in the limits of the charter that Henry
VII gave to Cabot, the British colonlsts
from Virginia in 1913 fitted out an ex-
petition under Capt. ArgalI and dlspos-
sessed them. In 1920 the Puritans, on
account Uf the persecution of the eStab-
liehed cuurch of England, arrived in
America and formed the first settle
ment Of New England. IN 1921 Sir
VIM Alexander, a Scotchman, obtain
ed from King James | grant of the
country which the French called AGA
dla. He named the country New Scot
land, only translating it into Latin.
Nova means new, and Scotia means
Scotland. This patent embraced all
the territory east of the river st. Croix
between Maine and New Brunswick
aud a line running north to the st.
Lawrence. Meanwhile the French were
colouizing Canada NOW the province of
Quebec and named it New France.
They also came down and renamed
Nova Scotia Acadia.
In 1927 Sir VIM. Alexander, aided by
Sir David Kirk, sent fleet and recov-
cred possession of Nova Scotia, and on
his way captured is French transports
bringing supplies to the colonists.
Among the prisoners captured from
these transports was Protestant
named Claude De La Tour, who identi-
fled his interests with the English. In
1929 Kirk effected the conquest of Can
ada: and the whole region was now in
the hands of the English from Virginia
to Cape Breton. Bat these were war
like days; and in 1852 Charles | was
obliged to cede the whole of Canada
and Acadia back to France. In 1854
Oliver Cromwell fitted out fleet and
brought the whole country back again
into the hands of the English. The
French, however, still continued to Oc-
cupy many of their old settlements and
carried on an extensive fur trade with
the Indians But in 1867, by the treaty
of Breda, the whole territory went
again into the hands of the French. In
1890 the British Colony of Massachu-
sets sent military expedition under
the command of Sir VIM. PhippS and
took possession of all the French set
Elements in Nova Scotia, and annexed
the province to Massachusetts. The