Part 49 (1/2)
In December, 1805, a member of the Kendrick family of York was lost in a vessel wrecked on the New York side of the Lake. ”We understand,” says the _Gazette_ of Feb. 15th, 1806, ”that a boat, sometime in December last, going from Oswego to Sandy Creek, was lost near the mouth of Salmon river, and four persons drowned. One of the bodies, and the articles contained in the boat, were driven ash.o.r.e; the remainder, it is supposed, were buried in the sand. The persons who perished were--John McBride (found), John Kendrick of this place (York), Alexander Miller and Jessamin Montgomery.”--In November of this year (1805), Miss Sarah Kendrick was married. It will be observed that her taste, like that of her brothers, of whom more hereafter, lay in a nautical direction.
”Married, on Tuesday, the 12th inst., by licence,” records the _Gazette_, ”Jesse Goodwin, mariner, to Miss Sarah Kendrick.” (This is the Goodwin from whom the small stream which ran into York Bay at its eastern extremity used to be called--Goodwin's Creek.)
In the _Gazette_ of Oct 11th, 1806, it is noted that Governor Gore crossed from York to Niagara in little more than four hours. The vessel is not named. Probably it was the _Toronto Yacht_.
In 1807, Governor Gore crossed from York to Niagara to hold a levee, on the King's birthday. The vessel that conveyed him again is not named.
The following notice appears in the _Gazette_ of May 16th, 1807: ”Government House, York, 16th May, 1807. The Lieut.-Governor will hold a levee at the Commanding Officer's Quarters at Niagara, at 2 o'clock on Tuesday, the 4th of June. Wm. Halton, Secretary.” Then follows a second notice: ”Government House, York, 16th May, 1807. There will be a Ball and Supper at the Council House, Niagara, on his Majesty's Birthday, for such ladies and gentlemen as have been presented to the Lieut.-Governor and Mrs. Gore. Wm. Halton, Secretary.”
An accident to the _Toronto Yacht_ is reported in the _Gazette_ of Oct.
17th, 1807. That paper says: ”The _Toronto Yacht_, in attempting her pa.s.sage across on Wednesday or Thursday last, met with an accident that obliged her to put back to Niagara, which port, we understand, she reached with difficulty.”
The _Gazette_ of October 31st, 1807, speaks of the inconveniences to itself, arising from the irregularity in the communication between York and Niagara. ”The communication with Niagara by water,” it says, ”from being irregular lately, has prevented us receiving our papers this week.
The Indian Express,” the _Gazette_ then adds, ”having commenced its regular weekly route, our publis.h.i.+ng day will be changed to Wednesday.
We have nothing of moment or interest. Should anything occur we will give an extra sheet.” On the 18th of November the _Gazette_ appears printed on blue paper, such as used to be seen on the outside of pamphlets and magazines. An apology is offered. ”We have to apologize to our readers for the necessity of publis.h.i.+ng this week on an inferior quality of paper, owing to the non-arrival of our expected supply.” The same kind of paper is used in a succession of numbers. It is curious to observe that the effect of time has been to produce less disfigurement in the bright appearance of the pages and print of the blue numbers of the _Gazette_, than in the ordinary white paper numbers, which have now a.s.sumed a very coa.r.s.e, dingy, inferior aspect.
In 1808 the important announcement is made in the _Gazette_ of March 16th, that a lighthouse is about to be immediately established on Gibraltar Point, at the entrance of York Harbour. ”It is with pleasure we inform the public,” the _Gazette_ says, ”that the dangers to vessels navigating Lake Ontario will in a great measure be avoided by the erection of a Lighthouse on Gibraltar Point, which is to be immediately completed, in compliance with an Address of the House of a.s.sembly to the Lieutenant-Governor.”
We have understood that a lighthouse was begun at the point of York peninsula before the close of the last century; that the _Mohawk_ was employed in bringing over stone for the purpose, from Queenston; and that Mr. John Thompson, still living in 1873, was engaged in the actual erection of the building. It was perhaps then begun. In 1803 an Act was pa.s.sed by the Provincial Legislature for the establishment of lighthouses ”on the south-westernmost point of a certain island called Isle Forest, situated about three leagues from the town of Kingston, in the Midland District; another upon Mississaga point, at the entrance of the Niagara river, near to the town of Niagara; and the other upon Gibraltar point.” It was probably not practicable to carry the Act fully into effect before 1806. According to the Act a fund for the erection and maintenance of such lighthouses was to be formed by levying three-pence per ton on every vessel, boat, raft, or other craft of ten tons burthen and upwards, doubling the point named, inward bound. That lighthouse duty should be levied at ports where there was no lighthouse, became a grievance; and in 1818 it was enacted that ”no vessel, boat, raft or other craft of the burthen of ten tons and upwards shall be liable to pay any Lighthouse Duty at any port where there shall be no lighthouse erected, any law or usage to the contrary notwithstanding.”
Mr. Cartwright (Judge Cartwright) built in 1808 two vessels on Mississaga Point at the mouth of the Cataraqui, one for himself, the _Elizabeth_; the other for the North-West Company, the _Governor Simcoe_. The North-West Company had previously a vessel on the lake called the _Simcoe_, which was now worn out.
In June, 1808, Governor Gore departs from York for a tour in the western part of the Province. The _Gazette_ seems mildly to rebuke him for having swerved from his first design in regard to this tour. He had intended to proceed _via_ Lake Huron; that is, by the Yonge Street route, but he had finally preferred to go _via_ Lake Ontario. ”His Excellency the Lieut.-Governor left this place, York,” the _Gazette_ announces, ”on the 15th instant, on a visit to Sandwich, etc. We are sorry,” the editor then ventures to observe, ”that he did not, as he originally destined, proceed by Lake Huron, according to his amiable intention and view of promoting the first interests of this province.”
In the _Gazette_ of October 22nd, in this year, we hear once more of the _Toronto Yacht_.--Governor Gore has returned to York in safety, and has left again for Niagara in the _Toronto_. ”On the 17th instant,” the above-named _Gazette_ reports, ”his Excellency the Lieut.-Governor and Major Halton sailed for Niagara in the _Toronto Yacht_. It was his Excellency's intention to have gone there on Monday last.” The _Gazette_ says: ”He embarked for the purpose, and received an honorary salute from the Garrison. Excessive gales and a succession of violent head winds delayed his proceeding until Thursday morning.” (He returned in the _Toronto_ on Tuesday, the 6th of November.)
On the 14th of December in this year, the editor of the _Gazette_ again announces a change in the day of publication, in consequence of the suspension of water communication between York and Niagara. ”The suspension of our water communication with Niagara at the present season obliges us to alter the day of publication, which will now be on Wednesday. John Cameron.”
A postal notice issued in the _Gazette_ of Jan. 4th, in the following year, 1809, is interesting now. It reads thus: ”For General Information.
The winter mail will be despatched from Quebec for Upper Canada on the following days: Monday, 2nd Jan., 1809: do. 6th Feb.: do. 6th March: do.
3rd April. Each mail may be looked for here (York) from 16 to 18 days after the above periods. The Carrier from Kingston (the Indian Express probably of which we have heard already) is to go on to Niagara without making any stay (unless found necessary) at this place; so that all persons will have time to prepare their letters by the time he returns from Kingston again. W. Allan, Deputy P. M., York, 2nd Jan. 1809.” The mail between Montreal and Kingston was carried on the back of one Anderson. Between these two places the postage was nine-pence.
Between 1809 and 1812 we do not light upon many notices of vessels frequenting York Harbour. In 1810, a schooner called the _Lady Gore_ or the _Bella Gore_, commanded by Captain Sanders, and plying to Kingston, was a well known vessel. (It may be noted that in 1811 Governor Gore left York for England, on leave of absence, and was away during the four eventful years that followed.) In 1812, and previously, a sloop commanded by Captain Conn was running between York and Niagara. From some peculiarity in her contour, she was popularly spoken of as ”Captain Conn's Coffin.” Another sloop, commanded by Captain Grace, was plying between York, Niagara and Kingston about the same time.
The Government vessels with whose names we have become familiar were now either unseaworthy or wrecked. The _Mohawk_, the _Onondaga_, the _Caldwell_, the _Sophia_, the _Buffalo_, are no longer heard of as pa.s.sing in and out of the harbour of York. It had been the fate of the _Toronto Yacht_, while under the command of Capt. Fish, to run on the sands at Gibraltar Point through a mistake as to the position of the light. Her skeleton was long a conspicuous object, visited by ramblers on the Island. This incident occurred just before the outbreak of the war.
Most of the vessels which had been engaged in the ordinary traffic of the Lake were, during the war, employed by the government in the transport service. Captain Murney's vessel, the _Prince Edward_, built, as we have already heard, wholly of red cedar, and still in good order in 1812, was thus employed.
In the fleet on Lake Ontario in 1812-14 new names prevail. Not one of the old t.i.tles is repeated. Some changes made in the nomenclature of vessels during the contest have created confusion in regard to particular s.h.i.+ps. In several instances which we shall specify immediately, in the following list, two names indicate the same vessel at different periods of the war. The _Prince Regent_, the commodore's s.h.i.+p, (Capt. Earl), the _Princess Charlotte_, the _Montreal_, the _Wolfe_, the _Sir Sidney Smith_, the _Niagara_, the _Royal George_, the _Melville_, the _Star_, the _Moira_, the _Cherwell_, the _Gloucester_ (Capt. Gouvereau), the _Magnet_, the _Netley_, the _St. Lawrence_; and the gunboats _Cleopatra_, _Lais_, _Ninon_, _Nelly_, _Regent_, _Thunderer_, _Wellington_, _Retaliation_, _Black Snake_, _Prescott_, _Dreadnought_. In this list the _Wolfe_ and the _Montreal_ are the same vessels; as also are the _Royal George_ and the _Niagara_; the _Melville_ and the _Star_; the _Prince Regent_ and the _Netley_; the _Moira_ and the _Cherwell_; the _Montreal_ and the _Wolfe_; the _Magnet_ and the _Sir Sidney Smith_.
The _Moira_ was lying off the Garrison at York when the _Simcoe_ transport came in sight filled with prisoners taken on Queenston Heights, and bringing the first intelligence of the death of General Brock. We have heard the Rev. Dr. Richardson of Toronto, who at the time was Sailing Master of the _Moira_, under Captain Sampson, describe the scene.--The approaching schooner was recognized at a distance as the _Simcoe_: it was a vessel owned and commanded, at the moment, by Dr.
Richardson's father, Captain James Richardson. Mr. Richardson accordingly speedily put off in a boat from the _Moira_, to learn the news. He was first startled at the crowded appearance of the _Simcoe's_ deck, and at the unwonted guise of his father, who came to the gangway conspicuously girt with a sword. 'A great battle had been fought,' he was told, 'on Queenston Heights. The enemy had been beaten. The _Simcoe_ was full of prisoners of war, to be transferred instanter to the _Moira_ for conveyance to Kingston. General Brock was killed!'--Elated with the first portion of the news, Dr. Richardson spoke of the thrill of dismay which followed the closing announcement as something indescribable and never to be forgotten.
Among the prisoners on board the _Simcoe_ was Winfield Scott, an artillery officer, afterwards the distinguished General Scott. He was not taken to Kingston, but, with others, released on parole.
The year following (1813), York Harbour was visited by the United States fleet, consisting of sixteen vessels. The result other pages will tell.
It has been again and again implied in these papers. The government vessel named the _Prince Regent_ narrowly escaped capture. She had left the port only a few days before the arrival of the enemy. The frames of two s.h.i.+ps on the stocks were destroyed, but not by the Americans. At the command of General Sheaffe, they were fired by the royal troops when beginning the retreat in the direction of Kingston. A schooner, the _Governor Hunter_, belonging to Joseph Kendrick, was caught in the harbour and destroyed; but as we have understood, the American commander paid a sum of money to the owner by way of compensation.--At the taking of York, Captain Sanders, whom we have seen in command of the _Bella Gore_, was killed. He was put in charge of the dockyardmen who were organized as a part of the small force to be opposed to the invaders.
We can imagine a confused state of things at York in 1813. Nevertheless the law a.s.serts its supremacy. The magistrates in sessions fine a pilot 2 15s. for refusing to fulfil his engagement with Mr. McIntosh. ”On the 19th October, 1813, a complaint was made by Angus McIntosh, Esq., late of Sandwich, now of York, merchant, against Jonathan Jordan, formerly of the city of Montreal, a steersman in one of Angus McIntosh's boats, for refusing to proceed with the said boat, and thereby endangering the safety of the said boat. He is fined 2 15s. currency, to be deducted from wages due by Angus McIntosh.”