Page 12 - The Drowning of Murdoch MacDonald

ISSUE : Issue 71

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1996/12/1

IVIurdoch l'cDonald then. They had big long oars --eighteen- foot oars. One oar, one man-- that was it. When it would come flat calm you had to row. Well, there'd be three oars in the boat. One of them wouldn't be very big. Oth? er two would be. And then the fish pens, covers for the fish pens-- boards--well, these all floated. Well, Uncle John could swim, but he wasn't going to try to swim from there ashore. They were way off on the bank, on Fourchu Bank. Be over two, three miles off, see? And Murdoch and the other fellow each had an oar. And Uncle John, I guess, had this little oar, and some of the stuff, too. This fellow from Grand Mira, he could swim. And he had the notion that he could make it. So he shucked the oar--he didn't keep the oar--and he started to swim. Now, after I would like to congrat? ulate the management and staff of Cape Breton's MAGAZINE as they celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the magazine's founding. Cape Breton's Maga? zine has contributed a great deal towards the preservation of our multi-ethnic culture here on the Island, and 1 sincerely hope that their work continues long into the future. J ' %'m A ''Wfm A ?? ??16 "11 ' • ? 'itfH Russell MacLellan ' s '''m HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES CANADA RUSSELL MacLellan, m.p. CAPE BRETON-THE SYDNEYS ROOM 574 CB HOUSE OF COMMONS OTTAWA K1A0A6 (613)995-6459 FAX (613) 995-2963 290 GEORGE STREET P.O. BOX 854 SYDNEY, N.S. B1P6J1 (902) 564-4463 FAX (902) 564-3845 TOLL FREE 1-800-833-0530 that big puff that struck, you know, then there was nothing--just a gentle breeze. But they saw him go--Uncle John did. They saw him being got so far, and he went down. Well, Murdoch was there with my Un? cle John. And Uncle John had this other oar and then he got it instead of the boards. And Murdoch had the oar.... Well, there was no sign. There were no boats around them, you see--no other boats handy. There was a schooner picked my Uncle John up in the afternoon, coming down. You know that would be the route for coasting schooners--freighters used to come down. (What time was it when the boat...?) It was in the morning. I don't know--it would be before mid-morning anyway. 'Cause they'd be out there not too long before daylight. They'd row out--perhaps leave at midnight and row out. Wooden oars--they said wooden ships and iron men, but I guess that's what--the wooden oars--a wooden engine and an iron man. (Annie Shepherd. Art's niece: So he drowned when he was with the oar, did he, this Murdoch?) This Murdoch? He just gave up. (Annie: Fagged out, I guess.) Now Un? cle John's talking to him, trying to get him to hang on, you know. But he was los? ing courage altogether. He just gave up-- threw up his hands and went.... That's how Murdoch MacDonald.... It was along in the afternoon, quite awhile after that. Uncle John still hung onto the oar. Along in the afternoon this coasting vessel was coming down, a schoon? er. He was right in their track--they saw --they picked him up. (Annie: Did the boat sink right there?) Oh, the boat sunk--she went complete, yeah. But Uncle John lost another boat. It was a schooner this time, too, coming, winged HORYL'S Suferior Stmsagc Co. jCtd. 5247 Union Hwy. • NEW WATERFORD • B1H 4K4 Phone 862-7177 or 862-7178 SOME OF OUR FINE PRODUCTS INCLUDE: * Polish Sausage .'i'J 'S * Salami * Kolbassa * Garlic Bologna fc'''P*-''' * ''?* Pepperoni * Weiners * White Pudding 4'p''%, * Medium Hot Pepperoni , * Black Pudding '''''y * Sliced Pizza Pepperoni * Cooked Ham * Roast Beef * Italian Sausage We take pride in using only the finest government inspected meats, and the care it takes to make our sausages. When you ask for Horyl's, you get the best. • SPECIALIZING IN QUALITY DELI IVIEATS FOR OVER 60 YEARS • 12

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