Reflections
It is September 15 and we have been in Lewisporte for twelve days. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll died on September 8 and much of the world is in mourning, but also in deep reflection, as are we.
My blog posts have been delayed since we arrived, as we work on preparing the boat for haul out and its winter here. I also take a few moments each time I’m in the clubhouse, checking the television, to watch the proceedings in the UK as the Queen lies in state and her family greet mourners.
Many new sailing friends have been met, the area has been explored and the to-do list is tackled a bit at a time. We are grateful for the small cottage we have rented for ten days so we can enjoy the comforts of land life without having to live on the boat while we pack up, wash everything from jackets to linens and ensure all are stored dry in sealed bags.
The marina is the largest in Atlantic Canada and the staff and fellow club members are friendly and helpful when needed.
I must, however, take you back to our last two stops on this year’s journey.
Laying Off Galespie Island
Two Days of Calm
After leaving God’s Pocket at Seal Bay, we travelled two short distances to Fortune and Exploits Islands.
Anchoring behind Gillespie Island found us in a very quiet place, with the town of Fortune Harbour less than two miles away. Only one local boat swings by, on our second evening, passing with a wave as they motor by on their relaxing tour of the bay.
Large mussel farms sit nearby but other than their large coloured canisters, all there is to see where we sit, is the reflections of the shoreline in the very flat water, a lone golden eagle (need to confirm this as they are rare in this area) and the rising and falling of the shore as the tides change.
The water is pleasant for swimming, which we relish during this second week of warm weather. Five hours of rain, the second night, with distant lightening, doesn’t continue into the morning and we depart for our last stop under a sunny sky.
Fortunately, the two to three metre swells mentioned in the Environment Canada Marine Forecast must be off shore as we have a very pleasant nine mile cruise to the Lower Harbour at the Exploits Islands. This is not to be confused with the Upper Harbour which is actually to the south; the Lower Harbour to the north. (There must be an explanation for this but it has not been made known to us yet.)
The two harbours are connected by a 30-foot wide passage, which according to some in the area, is navigable with great care, at high tide by vessels drawing less than eight feet. Others declare, it isn’t worth trying to pass between the two harbours….so we have no plan to do so.
Exploits Entrance Hazards
The Exploit Islands sit in the Bay of Exploits, which extends from the Exploits River in the west, 1000 square kilometres within Notre Dame Bay. There are more than 30 islands within the Bay of Exploits.
The recorded history here goes back to the late 1700s when it was believed a fort was constructed here by a shipmaster who was later killed by visiting indigenous people, The Beothuk. They are part of the reason we want to visit this place, after reading Michael Crummey’s “River Thieves”. We know that John Peyton and his son, John Peyton Jr., are buried here, so we anticipate getting to shore to find their grave.
The Bay of Exploits is known as the last refuge of the Beothuk Indians, believed now to be extinct. They tried to avoid contact with the Europeans who were establishing settlements along this coast. These indigenous people were forced away from the coast during the summer months when they needed to gather food critical for winter survival. The most tragic encounter being on Red Indian Lake in 1819.
John Peyton Jr and his father were sent by Governor Hamilton to locate and retrieve personal items believed to be stolen by a Beothuk raiding party. This exchange resulted in the death of one of the natives and his wife, Demasduwit, being taken back with John Peyton with whom she shared a very warm and gentle relationship until she died at the age of 24, from what was believed to be tuberculosis. During her short time amongst the English, she was renamed Mary March.
I invite you to investigate the rest of this story as it is very well-documented by Crummey and others.
Both Peyton men were buried in the cemetery in the Lower Harbour, where a large granite slab now marks their grave.
As many as 20 fishing schooners could be seen in the harbour during the most prosperous time between 1860 and 1910 - fishing, lumber and shipbuilding were most important in the booming economy.
Today, this is a resettled community, with summer homes, stages and wharfs along the rugged, mountainous shoreline. It is the weekend and many people are in their boats, on their “bridges” (porches), there is laundry blowing in the afternoon breeze and the sun is beckoning us to shore.
We drop our anchor before 4:00pm and head to shore, rowing our dinghy toward a rock-free area not far from the cemetery. A local calls out to us suggesting we could have used his floating wharf - we try not to make assumptions about any of these places we visit - at least not until invited.
The climb is not easy but well worth the effort as the views of the bay below and the ocean to the north are extraordinary. We find the Peyton grave and also those of many children, including four from one family.
Once back at the boat we are visited by the man who offered us his floating dock. He and his wife have just returned from an hour of fishing mackerel. Their large 5 gallon bucket is filled to the brim and he happily cleans five of the fish for us, which I put in the freezer for another day. (Our ginger beef stir fry is already in the pan)
A father and his two young children from the cabin nearest us, come by in their kayaks late in the evening for a chat. His wife’s family were some of the original settlers of the bay and he tells us she has been coming every summer since she was a very young child. (He has also come to apologize for yelling at us from his wharf when we arrived yesterday. Apparently, there is a water line crossing the bay, right where we had originally dropped the anchor. I suggest they post signs onshore to avoid any further problem and provide him with the address of the federal department responsible for the updating of charts. )
The night is quiet and the moon bright when we settle in for our last night on the water.
Saturday September 3rd is another sunny and warm day. The water is calm in the bay but, once again, we are warned of potentially higher seas once we leave the bay and head west and then south around Surgeon Cove Point.
I am removing the enclosure and preparing for our departure when the family from the kayaks now come by after their early morning cod-jigging. We are offered a cod too large for our refrigerator, share contact information and promise to be in touch before we come back to this delightful and historic place next summer.
