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West Coast Region ~ Bay of Islands DistrictHistorical InformationCaptain Samuel Thompson, 1763
The information was read, recorded and transcribed by MICHAEL BARBOUR, July 1999.
While I have endeavored to be as correct as humanly possible, there may be
errors.
"That there are deer in great plenty, all sorts of furs, excellent harbours, vast quantities of cod, fine rivers abounding with salmon and trout, and only one settler in 50 leagues of the coast, that there are no foggs, very little bad weather, a trade wind all the summer, and excellent conveniences for drying fish, that 4 French ships caught and cured their cargoes in ten weeks, one mile only within the limits prescribed by the late treaty; and that the reason the settlers are so few is, the resort of the Indians thither in the winter, where they come so furr and kill deer and succeed so well that one man may make 60 L of his winter hunting and return to the continent early in the Spring." Present text taken from The Legacy of James Cook: The Story of the Bay of Islands by Dr. Brian J.S. Harley. Original text can be found in "A Letter of this Day's Dates from an Officer on Board the Lark." (Nov. 17, 1763). Gentleman's Magazine (Dec. 1763). Vol. 33, p.612.
© Michael Barbour & NL GenWeb
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