Crest of Clan MacIvor

Chapter V

Title

It is said that a change is as good as a rest: and by way of a change, let me tell the possible reader a little about the old settlers' neighbours, the Mic-Mac tribe of Indians. They were quite friendly, and came around the shore in summer, men, squaws, and papooses, selling baskets made from thin strips of ash wood, big half bushel ones for pitching potatoes in, and other kinds and sizes, beautifully trimmed in many different shades and colours; also birch bark boxes, axe handles, butter tubs, etc., which they would exchange with the farmers for flour, butter, eggs, clothes, or anything they could use.

Today they are scarce as hen's teeth. Many of the younger folks have never seen one. 'Tis a well known matter of history that the French occupied a great part of this country only a few miles from here, in Fox Harbour around which is salt marsh. The French at our time had this place settled, but I suppose they got scared away at the time the British and French were at war in this country, for when the European emigrants came in, this place was grown up again with trees and was a forest. History does not tell us anything of this.

At any rate, the marsh was in great part dyked, and the remains of the dykes can be seen to this day. Wells have been found and remains of houses and apple orchards. One of the new settlers named Dougald Campbell was chopping down in winter what he supposed was some kind of wild trees when a man came along and asked him what he was doing. He said: "I am clearing my land."

"Well," said the stranger, "you are cutting down apple trees." He had them all cut down but a very few, and I heard my father say he often ate the apples of those remaining trees; and I remember when a boy going to school in Fox Harbour seeing the still standing dead and dry remains of those same trees.

There is also a story told. I can't say if it is true as what I have just told you. That part of the French fleet wintered in this harbour, and in the spring when the ice melted, they were so water logged, those wooden ships, that to get out anchors and everything which could be spared were dropped to lighten the ships; but when they got out and well down the strait they sighted the British warships coming, and the admiral, whose name (the story says), was Fox or Faux, realizing that it was useless to face the British in battle and not wishing to fall into the hands of the British, took some small cannon balls in his pockets and jumped overboard. But before doing so, he told them to call the place after him, and so we have "Faux Harbour." Of course, I can't vouch for the truth of this until now, unwritten history.

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