BRETON, or Cape Breton, an island near the eastern side of the continent of North America, situated between forty-five and forty-seven degrees of north latitude. It is separated from Nova Scotia by a narrow strait called Canso, and is about a hundred miles in length by fifty in breadth. It is surrounded with little sharp-pointed rocks, separated from each other by the waves, above which some of their tops are visible. All its harbours are open to the southeast. On the other parts of the coast there are but few anchoring places for small vessels. Except in the hilly portions, the surface of the country has but little solidity, being everywhere covered with a light moss, and with water. The dampness of the soil is exhaled in fogs, without rendering the air unwholesome; but the climate is very cold, owing either to the number of the lakes, which cover more than half the island and remain frozen for a considerable period of the year, or to the extent of the forests, and the fogs that totally intercept the rays of the sun.

Though some fishermen had long resorted to this island every summer, not more than twenty or thirty ever settled there. The French, who took possession of it in August 1713, were properly the first inhabitants. They changed its name to that of Isle Royale, and fixed upon Fort Dauphin as their principal settlement. This harbour was two leagues in circumference, and might have been rendered impregnable at a trifling expense; but the difficulty of approaching it occasioned it to be abandoned, after great labour had been bestowed upon the undertaking. The settlers then turned their views to Louisbourg, the access to which was easier; and convenience was thus preferred to security. The fortification of Louisbourg, however, was not begun till the year 1720.

In the year 1714 some fishermen, who till then had lived in Newfoundland, settled in this island. It was expected that their number would soon have been increased; but these hopes were disappointed. Some distressed adventurers from Europe, however, came over from time to time to Cape Breton, and the number of inhabitants gradually increased to four thousand. They were settled at Louisbourg, Fort Dauphin, Port Toulouse, Nerucka, and on all the coasts where a proper beach was to be found for drying cod. The inhabitants never applied themselves to agriculture, the soil being wholly unfit ŕòr it. They frequently sowed corn, but it seldom came to maturity; and when it did thrive sð as to be worth reaping, it degenerated so much that it was unfit for seed next harvest. In a word, the soil of Cape Breton seemed calculated to invite none but fishermen and soldiers.

Though the island was entirely covered with forests before it was inhabited, its woods scarcely ever became an object of trade. The peltry trade was a very inconsiderable object. It consisted only of the skins of a few lynxes, elks, musk-rats, wild cats, bears, otters, and foxes of a red and silver-gray colour. Some of these were procured from a colony of Mickmac Indians who had settled on the island with the French, and never could raise more than sixty men able to bear arms. The rest came from St John’s, or the neighbouring continent. Greater advantages might possibly have been derived from the coalmines, which abound in the island. The strata lie in a horizontal direction; and being only about eight feet below the surface, they may consequently be worked without digging deep or draining off the waters. But notwithstanding the prodigious demand for coal from New England between the year 1745 and 1749, these mines would probably have been forsaken, had not the ships which were sent out to the French islands wanted ballast.
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The people of Cape Breton did not send all their fish to Europe. Part was exported to the French southern islands, on board twenty or twenty-five ships of from seventy to a hundred and forty tons burden. Besides the cod, which formed at least half their cargoes, they exported to the other colonies timber, planks, thin oak-boards, salted salmon, and mackerel, train-oil, and sea-coal, which were paid for in sugar and coffee, but chiefly in rum and molasses. The island, however, could not consume all these commodities, and as Canada took but a small part of the overplus, it was chiefly bought by the people of New England, who gave in exchange fruits, vegetables, wood, brick, and cattle.

This island, which may be considered as the key of Canada, was attacked by the English in 1745. The plan of the invasion was laid at Boston, and New England bore the expense of it. A merchant named Pepperel, who had excited, encouraged, and directed the enterprise, was intrusted with the command of an army of 6000 men, which had been levied for the expedition; and these forces, convoyed by a squadron from Jamaica, brought the first news to Cape Breton of the danger that threatened it. But although the advantage of a surprise would have secured the landing without opposition, and the invaders had to encounter but 600 regular troops and 800 inhabitants hastily armed, still the success of the undertaking was precarious. Little could be expected from a militia suddenly assembled, who had never seen an enemy, and who were to act under the direction of sea-officers only. But an incident, fortunate for the invaders, neutralized even this insufficient force.

The construction and repairs of the fortifications of Louisbourg had always been left to the care of the garrison, and the soldiers were anxious to be employed in these works. But when they found that those who should have paid them appropriated to themselves the profit of their labours, and when the justice they demanded was denied them, they determined to assert their rights, and their indignation rose to such a height that they despised all authority. They had in fact been in open rebellion for six months, when the British appeared before the place. This apparition, however, did not produce the union which was so necessary for the common defence. The soldiers indeed made advances; but their commanders, mistrusting a generosity of which they themselves were incapable, kept their men in a manner prisoners, till an ill-managed defence had reduced them to the necessity of capitulating. The whole island shared the fate of Louisbourg, its only bulwark.

This valuable possession, restored to France by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, was again attacked by the British in 1758. On the 2d of June, a fleet of twenty-three ships of the line and eighteen frigates, having on board 16,000 troops, anchored in Gabarus Bay, within half a league of Louisbourg. It had been attempted to render the landing impracticable near the town; and in the prudent precautions 1 which had been taken, the beśiegers saw the dangers and difficulties they had to expect; but, far from being deterred by these, they had recourse to stratagem, and, extending their line so as to threaten the whole coast, they landed by force of arms at Cormorant Creek. This place was naturally weak. The French had fortified it with a good parapet planted with cannon, behind which they had posted 2000 soldiers and some Indians, while in front they had constructed with felled trees an impenetrable abbattis.

But these and other precautions that had been taken were rendered abortive by the impetuosity of the French. The English had scarce begun to move towards the shore, when their enemies exposed the snare they had laid for them. By opening a brisk but hasty fire on the boats, and still more by prematurely removing the boughs that masked the forces, the English, apprised of their danger, immediately turned back, and the benefit of these preparations was entirely lost. The situation of the English, however, was still sufficiently critical, especially as they saw no other place to effect a landing on except a rock, which had always been deemed inaccessible. But General Wolfe, while occupied in reirnbarking his troops, and sending off the boats, ordered Major Scott to repair thither; and that officer immediately proceeded towards the spot with his men. The Major’s own boat approached first, but sinking at the very instant he stepped ashore, he climbed up the rock alone, in hopes of meeting with a hundred of his men who had been sent to attempt a landing at another point. Instead of this number, he found only ten; but with these few he gained the summit of the rock, where ten Indians and sixty Frenchmen killed two of them and mortally wounded three. But notwithstanding this loss he stood his ground under cover of a thicket, till the troops, regardless alike of the raging surf and the fire of the cannon, came up to him and put him in full possession of that important post, the only one that could secure the landing. The French, as soon as they saw that the enemy had got a firm footing on land, betook themselves to the only remaining refuge, and shut themselves up in Louisbourg. But the fortifications were in a bad condition; the revêtements of the several curtains had entirely crumbled away; there was but one casemate and a small magazine that were bombproof; and the garrison consisted only of 2900 men. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, however, the besieged made an obstinate resistance; and it was only on the eve of an assault, which it was impossible to sustain, that they talked of surrendering. An honourable capitulation was granted them, and the possession was confirmed to Great Britain by the peace in 1763, after which the fortifications were blown up, and the town of Louisbourg dismantled.