30 ~— Historical Guidebook of the Evangeline Region

MA Visit to Egmont Bay in 1825

Célestin Robichaud from St. Mary’s Bay (Nova Scotia) was the first person to provide a detailed description of economic conditions in the Evangeline Region. The following is a translation of an extract from the account of his visit. .

The people in La Roche plant potatoes in newly cleared ground and then good wheat in the second and third years, then oats in the fourth year. Flax grows well as does corn. They also grow peas, string beans, broad beans, cabbage, cucumbers and various types of grain and tubers.

The grass produces a good crop of one or two tons of hay per acre. Potatoes grow well with a yield of about 100 bushels to 1,000 potatoes germs. Wheat yields 20 to 25 bushels per bushel of seed. As for fish, they catch herring, trout and mackerel. No cod is caught on that side of the Island.

There is no resident priest in the parish. There is one that comes twice a year. He stays for two weeks at a time. They collect the tithe, that is to say the 26th. They take 15 shillings for a service; 12 shillings 6 pence for a high mass; and 2 shillings 6 pence for a low mass.

Cloth is very costly. Broadcloth is 40 shillings a yard; indigo is 40 shillings a pound; tobacco, 2 shillings 6 pence; potatoes 2 shillings 6 pence; beef meat is 9 cents a pound; and pork is 6 cents. The rest of the goods are equivalent.

There are a lot of mosquitoes. In the evening, people light a little fire

in front of their doorway to stop the mosquitoes from going in the house.

Centre d'études acadiennes Université de Moncton, CN-2-150