Nicolas Denys, a Forgotten Observer of Birds
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Vol.1939 56'1J ALLEN',OnNicolas Denys 283 NICOLAS DENYS, A FORGOTTEN OBSERVER OF BIRDS BY ELSA G. ALLEN TRE name Acadia, thoughfamiliar to all of us, doesnot conveya very clear conceptionof the region'searly vast extent, and while Longfellowhas memorablypictured for us the grand beauty of Nova Scotia,Evangeline's home, few are aware that in the mid-seventeenthcentury Acadiaincluded, besidesNova Scotia, all of New Brunswickand Prince Edward Island, a portionof Quebecand a largepart of the Stateof Maine. It wasin this generalregion that Johnand SebastianCabot werecruising when they discoveredthe rockboundcoast of Newfoundlandand claimed the country for Henry VII of England in 1497. Along the samecoast, in 1524, cameGiovanni da Verranzanno,a Florentinenavigator in the service of France, and in 1534 came the famousFrench explorer,Jacques Cartier, tighteningthe hold whichFrance had upon this disputedterritory. There followednearly a hundred years during which England and France were competingfor supremacy,and in 1621 the Scot, Sir William Alexander, poet and statesmanand author of 'Encouragementto Colonies'(1625), receivedfrom the King of England a grant of Acadia with permissionto colonize,although at this time it actually belongedto France. He estab- lisheda colonyat Port Royal in 1629,and in 1630a secondexpedition with colonists,inchiding the elder La Tour and his English wife, came to Port Royal to take possessionof the baronetcyof Nova Scotiaunder Sir William Alexanderwho was governorof the whole. This marriagepresupposed allegianceto the British crown,and the youngerLa Tour, holdinganother baronetcyalong the coast,also was expected to givehomage and serviceto the British King. This, however,he refusedto do, with the result that Canadaand Acadiawere restored to Franceby the Treaty of St. Germain in 1632. By this time the Companyof New Francehad becomea powerfulorgani- zation in chargeof French affairsin America,and a very able commander, Isaacde Razilly, wasput at the headof the enterpriseof exploring,coloniz- ing and exploitingthe great countryof Acadia. Alexander'scolony at Port Royal surrenderedto him, and he fixedhis own capital at La Have, a strate- gic locationfor the fishingindustry and a suitableone alsofor colonization. Here the first French families of Acadia were planted, and here Nicolas Denys came in 1632 and eventually made himself a leader in the land. He was born at Tours in 1598, of goodand rather notedparentage, but early in life was apprenticedto the fisherybusiness and in his thirties definitely took up his life in America,engaging in preparingand shippinglumber and fish to France. The vicissitudesof his life duringthe renewedhostilities of 284 ALLEN,On Nicolas Denys [July[Auk the Englishin Acadiaare a longseries of hardshipsand injusticesinvolving the lossof manythqusand francs and unwarranted imprisonment which was renderedmore bitter by the death of his chief and benefactor,Isaac de Razilly, in 1635. For manyyears he lived at Miseouwith hisfamily, includingtwo children, kept severalgardens, and slowlyamassed, through his other businessinter- estsa modestfortune. In December,1653, he went to France and bought from the Companyof New France"a grant (with) the coastsand islandsin the Gulf of Saint Lawrencefrom Cape Cansoto Cape Rosiersin the Gasp4 Peninsula." This gave him a monopolyof the fur trade, and, in 1654, he was made governorof all this territory, including Newfoundland. He controlledalso the "sedentary or fixed fisheriesas far as Virginia." Thus temporarily securingand having accomplishedthe surrenderof previous commandersin theseparts, he was the ranking man of the easternpart of all Acadiaand was made governorof it at the age of fifty-six. After the death of his friend and patron, Razilly, however, and the accessionof D'Aulnay, to whom Denys was then subservient,his careerwas largely frustrated. His gardensat Miscou were seized,and althoughpay- ment for them was promised,the moneywas never received. Denys then movedto Nepisiguit,but theseproperties were likewise seized by Le Borgue, and altogether,through the lossof his fortuneand his discouragementinel- dent to continualinternal strife, Denys was made to appear an incompetent governorin the eyesof authoritiesin the homeland,and he went back to Franceleaving his sonRichard in chargeof his affairsin Acadia. It wassaid that he lived in actual want for many yearsin Paris, but still cherishedan abiding affectionfor his adoptedcountry in America. He returned to Nepisiguitin 1687and diedat his formerhome in 1688,an old and disap- pointedbut loyal subjectof his King at ninety years. During NicolasDenys's residence in Acadia,he wrote his experiencesin a two-volumework, 'Descriptionand Natural History of the Coastsof North America,'which was publishedin Paris in 1672. This is one of the most thoroughearly accountsof the regionof Acadiaand, althoughthe title in mentioning"Coasts of North America" is far too inclusive,it seems strangeit wasnot givenrecognition sooner. It passedunread in America for over a centuryand receivedits first mentionhere in the 'North American Review' for 1816; but not until 1908 was it renderedinto English and re- printed, throughthe instrumentalityof the ChamplainSociety, by a pro- fessorof botanyat Smith College,Doctor William FrancisGanong. Doctor Ganong'sCanadian background and scientifictraining receivedat the University of New Brunswickand elsewhere,made him appreciativeof Denys'sknowledge of the plant and animallife of his domain,and sincehis bird lore has apparentlybeen largely overlooked by ornithologists,I have Vol.1939 56]J ALLEN,On Nicolas Denys 285 goneover his accountof the birds to try to gain someappreciation of his powersof ornithologicalobservation back in the late seventeenthcentury. His longexperience in the fishery,fur and lumbertrades gave him above all elsea love and understandingof businessand his biographercites the man's chief maxim: "Profit, the chief concernof all men." This doesnot point to a great aestheticsense nor doesit connotethe true scientist. We may thereforeexpect his observationson birdsto be a ratherdry unembel- lishedrecord of what he sawas he practicedhis varioustrades--not literary in quality (and of this the author wasaware) but practical,with attention to the marketvalue and gustatorymerits of the variousspecies. Neverthe- less,his descriptionsin mostcases embody a greatdeal of accurateobserva- tion of the habits,particularly of the seabirds,and his observationson the landbirdscontain much of interestto the naturalistas well as manyquaint folk beliefs. BecauseDenys doesnot appearto have gainedrecognition among ornithologistsit seemsdesirable to quote rather fully from his chapterson birds. p. 266. "It is also worth while to know that upon the Bank, which is twenty [49]• five leaguesfrom the nearestland, there are to be seenso great a quantity of birds as to be almost unbelievable,such as Fulmars (Happefoye), Petrels (Croiseurs), Guillemots (Poniesde mer), Great Auks (Pennegoins),and many other sorts. "I shall speakonly of theseparticular ones. The Fulmars (Happefoye) are very gluttonousbirds. They are thus called becausethey live on the liver of the Cod. If they seea ship engagedin fishingthey assemblein very great numbersaround her to seizethe liverswhich fall into the sea. As soonas oneof theseis thrown in, more than fifty of thesebirds pounceupon it, and fight among themselvesto secureit. They comeclose up to the vessel,and sometimesone is able to kill them [50] with a pole. Their gluttony makes them easily taken by meansof hookswhich are attached at the end of a little line, with which the fishermenare furnishedon purpose. This line is supportedupon the water by a pieceof cork, and a fragment of liver is placedupon the hook. This is thrown as far off as possible. Immediately thesebirds fight as to which onewill capture it. After a smart struggle,tinally one seizesit, and is caught by the beak, [and] is drawn on board. It is necessaryto take great care that it does not seizethe hand. Its upper beak is hooked,and passesmuch over the under. If it bites it piercesthe finger or the hand. When it has beentaken from the hook and allowedto go [51] upon the quarter-deck,it doesnot fly away. It doesnot know how to rise, at leastwhen it is not on the water. This fisheryprovides a great amusement. "The Petrels (Croiseurs)are birds which also come to eat the livers, but they do not approachso near. They are called Croiseursbecause they are ever crossingon the seafrom one sideto the other. Their flight is different from that of other birds in this,that they fly, so to speak,crosswise, having one wing up towards the sky and the other towardsthe sea,so that, in orderto turn, they bring the upperwing under- most. It is found always from the time one is at sea a hundred leaguesfrom land as far as New France. [52] A day never passesthat one doesnot see them go crossing from one side to the other. This is in order to find some little fish to eat, of those The reader may disregard these rumbers in brackets which refer to the original French pagination. 286 ALLEN,On Nicolaz Denys [July[Auk which exist between wind and water, such as the Flying Fish, the Herring, the Sardine, and others on which it lives. "The Guillemot (Poule de mer) is thus called for its resemblance to this land animal. It lives also on little fish and livers. It is not gluttonous,but tamer than the others. It is always flying around the ship, and if it perceivesany entrails, it throws itseft upon them." Denys'sremarks on the Great