Page 30 - Remembering Life on Scatari Island

ISSUE : Issue 14

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1976/8/1

they finally buried her there. Couldn't keep her any longer. There was a baby buried there • Eastern Harbour. And there is a baby buried at the light. And there are three fellows drifted ashore • they were torpedoed in the First World War. The lightkeeper heard somebody hollerii'. It was dark, you know. And the next raorning when they got up there was a lifeboat a- shore on a little island. Outside the light. And they went off there. There were three raen on the beach. One fellow was as far up as 8 feet clear of the water. He was dead. They're buried on Scatari. Ihe governraent keeps their graves up. But they would bring the most of the dead over here to Main-a-Dieu, raost of them. Abbie Spencer: There was a French burying ground, under our house. When we'd wake up in the morning the bed would be shaking, just going like that. Every morning the bed would be shaking. For no reason. Be going to talk on the telephone some days, the telephone'd be shaking in your hand. This kind of stuff. Then we'd hear oil barrels roll. Edgar Spencer: Oh, yeah. We were sitting down one time • she was up at Main-a-Dieu • and everything upstairs was cleaned up. And it was just as though somebody tipped an oil barrel on its side and rolled it across. And there was two women there talking to me. I said to one, "What was that?" When they left I went upstairs. There wasn't a dust moved. We knew it must be a French burying ground because it was a clear place where I built the house. The French lived out there on Scatari. You go over on the hills, you see the stone foundations where they had their houses. Scatari was a good harbour. There's a place off Scatari called Hay Island. There's a bar that ran across. Well that was all land when the French were here. When you came in the harbour you came straight in • beautiful harbour. And Powers Island • there's a pond and there was an island and the beach ran a- long this way. And there was an old tree on this island--standing up • a dead tree. And one day when brother Willy • he's 12 years older than rae • he was just a little fellow • he saw a French shallop come in • you know what a French shallop is • 3-mas? ter like. She came in and she anchored in the harbour. And they carae ashore in a boat. And they brought an old raan ashore. And they led hira up to this island. Power's Island. And they went back and went aboard. Next raorning when the people got up that tree was torn down. Big hole dug under the tree. The ship was gone. A Neighborhood Store in a Beautiful Village Neil's Harbour CO-OP THE , STUDIO in Big Bras d'Or Off Highway 105 where the view Is magnificent QUILTS, HAND-WEAVING OIL PAINTINGS - OF LOCAL SCENES Cards for All Occasions The Card Shoppe Sydney Shopping Centre MR. TIRE LTD. 267 Prince Street Sydney The Radial Tire People Specializing in '' l.'H4!NIIJI and the World Famous Bandag Re-treading Fully Equipped Mobil Unit PHONE: 539-5670 ast proaram offers a I | /i Cape Breton's Bed & Breakfast "prograni offers a unique and interesting experience in overnight ac? commodations. Every season those in the program, displaying the above sign, open their doors to greet visitors with courtesy and warmth. WATCH FOR THE BED & BREAKFAST SIGN -OR- contact the Cape Breton Tourist Association for a list V'of Bed & Breakfast participants

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