Cape Breton's Magazine

tatoes were kept in the winter. She quick? ly raised the hatch, rushed out, grabbed the dog's body, and dragged it to the hole where she pushed it down, and replaced the cover and rug. She had scarcely removed these signs when the Indians appeared look? ing for the dog. She went on with her work pretending she knew nothing about it, but secretly a little afraid. Eventually the Indians went away mystified at the disap? pearance of the dog and the mysterious mus? ket shot. Later when her husband was home, they came back looking for the dog. She quickly threw a coat over her husband who was lying on the settle, and then cried "Small Pox!" pointing to the reclining fig? ure. The Indians left immediately and did not return for a long time. She frequently carried her loaded musket with her. On one occasion when she was rushing down a wooded trail on her way to a sick call, she met a bear who was about to attack her. Fearlessly, she aimed, fired, and killed the bear instantly. That was not the only bear she killed. A pig-pen had been made of upright poles in stockade fashion. Once a bear got in the pen and attempted to kill the pig. Hearing the uproar, granny rushed out with the fire shovel which had a handle four feet long. She quickly made an end of the bear. Land in the Margaree Valley was rapidly ta? ken up in the closing years of the eight? eenth century and the opening years of the nineteenth. It was the Acadians, who had escaped from the Annapolis Valley at the time of the Expulsion and had gone to the Island of St. Jean, now Prince Edward Is? land, who first settled near the mouth of the Margaree River. It was one of these A- cadians, according to legend, who named the river for his wife. Marguerite. In fact, the district was spelled Marguerite in some of the old records. In other rec? ords we read of it as Margarie, and then later we come to the present spelling, Mar? garee. In 1788 Baptist LeBlanc and George LeBlanc on behalf of themselves and 15 other fami? lies who had come from 50 miles from Char- lottetown applied for land at the mouth of the Margaree. On proof of their loyalty they were given a "tract of land on the said river extending two miles along the bank on each side of the River and two miles back so as to form a square of two miles on each side of the river." The names of many of these French settlers near the mouth of the Margaree and the oth? er settlers further up the valley may be seen in a petition sent to the government at Sydney in 1810. This also shows the pressing need for food and organized ef? forts in the very young community. We read: The petition of the inhabitants of Margaree humbly showeth: That your Honor should be pleased to re? serve a certain piece of land for the use of the public, lying on the south side of the Margaree River, beginning at the point of certain rapids near the forks of said river, from thence to con? tinue the course of the river upstream to a cer? tain bunch of elms standing on the bank of the said river, the distance being seven chains more or less and one chain in breadth, this place being of material consequence to the inhabitants of Mar? garee as it is the only place suitable for the ketching of gasparous on which the inhabitants de? pend for their winter's fish. There were 36 signatures to this document, most of them having been able to put an X Dine in the 18th Century! Dining at Fortress Louisbourg offers a unique experience to turn the clock back several hundred years. Food is pre? pared from authentic 18th Century recipes and served in the atmosphere of that era. L'Epee Royale (Inn) full course meals Hotel de la Marine (Cabaret) light nourishing fare Destouches House (Cafe) pastries and beverages King's Bakery freshly baked soldiers bread The Fortress of Louisbourg is a National Historic Park, open June 1st to September 30th, in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.