49

He dropped his head and submitted to his pursers.

With some difficulty they got him into the boat

for he was very large....281

The early French settlers used water as a means of trans— portation. The early French communities.were alWays situated close to water. There was also an old French road along the Southside of the Point. This was known as the Lemon Road. Remains of this old

road can still be seen.282

The early days of Scottish settlement also saw the use of water as the main means of transportation. In the early period West I River, South Lake and North River were all connected.You could travel from the home of Lauchlan MacDonald's at East Point to Baisin Head a distance of eight miles. Dugout Canoes were used. It was also a good harbour. However, later the rivers were separated by sand.283 Later dories replaced the canoes. There were no roads at this time and trails were made through the woods by blazing trees. A lot of travelling was done on foot which exposed the settlers to severe storms and wild animals. Later roads were built. Horses were used as a form of transportation. Someone told me that when a local farmer was taking his goods and livestock (cows) to Souris to be sold. The journey often took two days.284 Bishop MacEachern open~ ' ed the first road to East Point. Before this, the people of St. Columba's had no way of travelling but by water except for a road blazed by the Indians through the forest, from the North shore to the West River.285

Later, however, better roads were constructed by the gov— ernment. In 1840 funds were acquired to repair and straighten a

road from Portage to East Point(South Side). Funds were also ac-

quired to repair a road "lately opened between East Point and