October 1989

ARGONAUTA The Newsletter of The Canadian Nautical Research Society Volume VI Number Four October 1989 ISSN 0843-8544 OCTOBER 1989 ARGONAUTA 1 THE CANADIAN NAUTICAL RESEARCH SOCIETY EDITORIAL (I) Established 1984 Those of us who toil in the vineyards of historical research Honourary President: Niels Jannasch, Halifax know only too well how seldom an important original docu ment is discovered. And those of us familiar with the func Kr:eclItive Officers tions ofbureaucracies are all too aware of the difficulties that can be imposed on the utilization ofsuch sources. It is there President: Barry M. Gough, Waterloo fore a distinct pleasure to be able to tell you not only about Past President: Gerald E. Panting, St. John's how an important historical source for the study of Great Vice-President: Lewis R. Fischer, St. John's Lakes history was discovered but also about how it eventually Vice-President: T.e. Pullen, Ottawa made its way via an American intermediary from the United Councillor: Eric W. Sager, Victoria Kingdom to Canada. Councillor: Eileen R. Marcil, Charlesbourg Councillor: Stephen Salmon, Ottawa The historical source in this case is a map--"Nouvelle Councillor: Thomas Beasley, Vancouver France," as it is usually called. It is one of the earliest seven Secretary: W.A.B. Douglas, Ottawa teenth century manuscript maps of New France in existence Treasurer: Ed Reed, Ottawa and likely the only surviving map of the colony drawn on animal skin. But its importance to maritime scholars is that Liaison Committee it is the earliest map to show something of the existence of all five of the Great Lakes. Later in this issue of Atlantic: David Flemming, Halifax ARGONAUTA, we will let one of the key participants in Quebec: Eileen Marcil, Charlesbourg bringing the map to Canada, Dr. Conrad Heidenreich, tell Ontario: Maurice D. Smith, Kingston you more about it. We will also show you what the map Western: Christon I. Archer, Calgary looks like. Pacific: John MacFarlane, Victoria Arctic: Kenneth Coates, Victoria We are grateful to Mr. Theodore Wakefield of Vermilion, Ohio for making the "Nouvelle France" material available to Mailing us. It is an exciting historical treasure, and we hope that you Address: Canadian Nautical Research Society will share the exhilaration we feel in publishing it. P.O. Box 7008, Station J Ottawa, Ontario K2A 3Z6 EDITORIAL (II) Membership: Individual $15 We would be disappointed if readers ofARGONAUTA did Institution $30 not notice that this issue is extremely late. We apologize for the production delays, which were caused mainly by an acute ARGONAUTA space problem here at Memorial. The lack of space simply Founded 1984 by Kenneth S. Mackenzie meant that we were unable to gain access to much of the material needed to produce the newsletter. Fortunately, Editors: Lewis R. Fischer through the good offices of Dr. Michael Staveley, the Dean Maritime Studies Research Unit of Arts, we now have the required offices. We think that the Memorial University of Newfoundland problems are now rectified permanently and that we will be St. John's, Nfld. A1C 5S7 able shortly to resume our regular publishing schedule. We Phone: (709) 737-8424 (work) expect to submit the January 1990 issue to the printers about (709) 738-2909 (home) 21 February and to publish the April issue on time. Gerald E. Panting We apologize for these delays and thank you for your pati Maritime Studies Research Unit ence. At the same time, we would like to assure readers that Memorial University of Newfoundland we are doing everything in our power to ensure that future St. John's, Nfld. A1C 5S7 issues of ARGONAUTA not only appear at the scheduled Phone: (709) 737-4476 (work) times but also bring you both information and good reading. (709) 726-1475 (home) CALL FOR PAPERS FOR ARGONAUTA Editorial Assistant: Margaret Gulliver We would like to inform readers that we have now just about exhausted our backlog of articles. We would like to thank ARGONAUTA is edited for the Canadian Nautical Research contributors for their patience as we attempted to get sub Society within the Maritime Studies Research Unit at Mem missions into print. The good news is that we are now able orial University of Newfoundland. to offer fairly quick publication of essays and research notes. OCTOBER 1989 ARGONAUTA 2 If you would like to submit an essay or a note on your re those sites having the potential for historic and/or architec search--illustrated or unillustrated--please send it along. We tural significance at the national level. expect in future to be able to publish such submissions within no more than six months of receipt. With specific regard to the Egeria, you will note from the brochure that current Board policy precludes the commemo ration of extra-territorial sites. The Board has given serious LEITERS and thoughtful consideration to this particular policy in re cent months and has re-iterated the fact that our current Sirs: focus on in-situ commemoration does not invite extra-terri torial markings. Further to M.B. Mackay's article on the ten ships of the wooden coaster "Splinter Fleet" in the March 1987 issue of Notwithstanding this policy, I would be pleased to ask the ARGONAUTA ["Preliminary Fleet List: The Splinter Fleet," Board whether it believes it might be appropriate for the ARGONAUTA, IV, No.1 (March 1987), 3], and my amend Canadian Parks Service to take an interest in the Egeria in ment thereto in the June issue [ARGONAUTA, IV, No.2 some manner short of a formal designation. However, as our (June 1987), 3], there is now a rather sad end to that tale as staff resources are extremely limited, and there are a large far as the last known survivor is concerned. number of priority matters that have been awaiting Board consideration for some time, I may not be able to do so Clarenville has been converted into a floating restaurant at before the Spring 1990 meeting. I hope that you will appreci Owen Sound, and as far as we users knew, a successful one. ate our position. In the interim, we would very much appreci But the owner declared bankruptcy last April, abandoned ate receiving a copy of the research on this vessel which has the ship, and departed for B.C. On August the 7th she was been undertaken by Mr. Eric Lawson. reported on lire, being heavily damaged before the blaze was extinguished. Arson is suspected. She sank in about eight feet I will be in touch with you again at my first opportunity to of water, but was to be raised by cranes and demolished on advise you of the Board's deliberations concerning the the jetty alongside on September 20. However, due to the Egeria. weight of water and other damages, she broke up while being lifted and now remains a jumble of planks and gear, which Christina Cameron are to be dredged out piecemeal and removed. A sorry end Director General for a successful vessel. National Historic Parks and Sites Directorate Fraser M. McKee Markdale, Ontario PRESIDENT'S CORNER Members will have received their copy of the Canadian Nau (Editors' Note: As we reported in the June issue of ARGO tical Research Society's Canadian Maritime Bibliography for NAUTA, the annual meeting of CNRS passed a resolution 1987 and will have had a chance by now to peruse its con calling on the federal government to designate the wreck of tents. It is, by any means of measurement, a substantial con the Egelia a national historic site. Below we reprint a re tribution to our labours as keepers of the Canadian maritime sponse dated 25 August 1989 from Christina Cameron, the legacy. Not only does it list the relevant articles in Canadian Director General of the National Historic Parks and Sites published journals, but it also reports on the great maritime Directorate, to CNRS Secretary Alec Douglas concerning journals that lie without our ocean gates. In my own current this resolution.) area of interest--the naval War of 1812--1 unearthed a num ber of articles printed in recondite locations. And I am cer tain that our readers will find something of value that they Dear Dr. Douglas: otherwise could not have found. The bibliographies stand on the reference shelf in my office; gradually the collection is Thank you for your letter of August 8, 1989, concerning the beginning to grow, as year by year Fischer and Salmon and New Brunswick-built ship Egelia, located in Port Stanley, their aides faithfully compile and print the bibliography of Falkland Islands. marine research progression: I cannot begin to think of the hours that went into the 1987 issue; I only hope that the As you know, the Canadian Parks Service of Environment Canadian Historical Association or the Canadian Library Canada can become involved only with those sites that have Association will look at this work as a potential candidate been declared of national significance by the Minister on the meriting a distinction of honour. In the meantime our editor recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board compilers have already begun work on the next edition, of Canada, his advisory board in such matters. The Board which like its predecessor will be published with the assist applies the criteria outlined in the enclosed booklet Recog ance of Memorial Univcrsity of Ncwfoundland. nizillg Calladiall History [Ottawa, 1984] in order to identify OCTOBER 1989 ARGONAUTA 3 On another topic, the Maritime Museum in British Columbia reason for the cure. There were so many possible causes and in Victoria has large plans to energize its activities and to cures for scurvy that mariners of many nations continued to make itself into a world-class treasure house.

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