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Cape Breton Island

,APE BRETON ISLAND, lying at the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, has been termed the ” front door ” of Canada; a distinction that should properly be shared with Newfoundland; for the naval power that holds these Atlantic outposts could destroy or dominate the whole maritime trade of the great river.

If the Norse voyagers discovered North America, and sailed into the Gulf of St. Lawrence a thousand years ago, as many believe, they must have passed by and seen

Cape Breton; and, in all probability, they must have been the first Europeans to land upon its shore.

The first name of the Island, Baccalaos, is held by some to indicate an early visitation of the Portuguese, much earlier than (‘abot’s time; for Baecalaos is a Portuguese word meaning Hcod fish,” and it is well known that early European fishermen frequented these waters, and engaged in the cod fishing. The Portuguese are believed to have made some attempt to found a settlement at or near the present village of Ingonish. It is not certain whether (‘abot landed here on his voyage of discovery in the year 1497; nor has it been established that Verazzano, the Florentine navigator, landed at or near Cape Breton in the year 1524. It is not even certain that jaeques Cartier landed on the island in any of his three American voyages, although he is thought to have given the old French name of Loreine to a cape at the northern end of the Island.

In the reign of Queen Elizabeth a British mariner is said to have visited Cape Breton. His name was Richard Strong, and he came in his little bark, the Marigold, of 70 tons. He is supposed to have landed near where the town of Louisbourg now is. About this time fur-trading conunenced to attract European sailors, and by the close of Queen Elizabeth's reign fully two hundred English vessels were engaged in bartering for furs, and fishing for cod and other fish in upper North American waters.

Cape Breton received its present name from the Breton fishermen who either ”discovered ” the Island, or, what is more likely,

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