Denys, Nicolas (1672) (Entrepreneur in Acadia). Description geographique et historique des castes de l’Amerique Septentriona/e, avec l’Histoire nature/le du Pals. [Re-published 1908 by the Champlain Society (with an English translation) as: The Description and Natural History of the Coasts of North America (Acadia), ed. by W. F. Ganong — this was reprinted (1968) as a facsimile edition by Greenwood Press, New York.]

From his own account Nicolas Denys lb. 7598, d. 1688) landed on lie Saint-Jean at least once — the time when he entered what appears to have been Cascumpec Bay. However, he must also have seen it from a ship often enough as he sailed between the various parts of his wide/y scattered entrepreneurial domain, comprising the southern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence from Cape Breton to the Bay of Cha/eur - he had acquired this by purchase from the Compagnie de la Nouvelle France in 7 653. For a time the island was in fact part of his domain, though it was never of any commercial importance to him. However, when at the age of 70 he turned from a business career plagued by bad luck and damaging conflicts with rivals, to the task of writing an account of the parts of North America with which he was familiar, he included a brief description of lie Saint-Jean. In it he does not hide the fact that his knowledge of the island is very limited. This also applies to his description of the trees: he records that firs [sapins] (presumably softwoods in general) predominate — and this would have been the impression from much of the coast — but he also knows that there are hardwood species. It is a limited description but as good as anyone could give who had visited the island perhaps only a few times and who would not have penetrated far beyond the shoreline.

REFERENCES:

Clark, A. H. (1959) Three Centuries and the Island. University of Toronto Press. p. 16.

Ganong, W. F. (1908) Description and Natural History . pp. 208-09 (footnotes).

Harvey, D. C. (1926) The French Regime in Prince Edward island. Yale University Press. pp. 8—9, 29. MacBeath, G. (1966) Denys, Nicolas. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, I: 256-59.

Cette isle [est] a peu prés de la figure d’un Croissant, & pointué des deux bouts: le costé

qui regarde la Terre ferme est bordé de rochers, il y a deux ances ou deux ruisseaux

viennent se décharger dans la mer, des barques y peuvent entrer y ayant dedans des

especes de petits havres, de ce costé-la [i. e. the southern coast] les bois y sont tres beaux, Tree Species ce qu’il y a de terre y paroist assez bonne: cette isle n’est couverte presque que de sapins mélez de quelques hestres & bouleaux. Du costé qui regarde la grande baye [Gulf of St. Lawrence] il y a aussi deux havres d’ou sortent deux petits ruisseaux, mais les entrées sont fort plattes, il y a assez d’eau dedans, j'ay autrefois entré dans celuy qui est le plus proche de la pointe de Miscou [Cascumpec Bay?] pour des orignaux il n’y a point, il y a des cariboux qui est une autre espece d’orignaux, ils n'ont pas les bois si puissant, Ie poil en est plus fourny & plus long, et presque tous blancs, ils sont excellents a manger, la chair en est plus blanche que celle d’orignac, H y en a peu, les Sauvages les trouvent trop bons pour les y Iaisser croistre.

Caribou on the island.

[Ganong (1908) p. 501 (from Book I, Ch. VIII, pp. 200-03 of Description geographiques ...); some of that in parentheses l ] is from Clark (1959), p. 16.]

This island is almost the shape of a crescent, and is pointed at the two ends. The side

which is opposite the mainland is bordered with rocks. There are two coves, through which

two rivers pass to discharge into the sea. Longboats are able to enter, for within are a kind Tree species. of small harbours. On this side [i.e. the southern coast] the woods are very fine. Such land as it has seems rather good. This island is covered with nothing but firs mingled with some beeches and birches. On the side that faces the Great Bay [Gulf of St. Lawrence] there are also two harbours, from which issue two little streams, but the entrances are very shallow, (though) there is water enough within. I once entered that which is nearest to the point of Miscou [Cascumpec Bay?]. As for moose there are none of them. There are caribou which are another species of moose. They have not such strong antlers: the hair is denser and longer, and nearly all white. They are excellent to eat. Their flesh is whiter than that of the moose. Few of them are found there; the Indians find them too good to let them Increase.

Caribou on the island.

[Ganong (1908) pp. 208—09 (from Book I, Ch. VIII, pp. 200—03 of Description geographiques ...); some of that in parentheses [ ] is from Clark (1959), p. 16.]

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