Nova Scotia Archives

Footprints in the Sand

Pre‐1867 Government Records for Sable Island

Report of the aggressions made on the British establishment on Sable Islan by American Citizens in the schooner Alpha

1843. — 4 pages : 30 x 49 cm.

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all night to watch their motions. I Jackson also say that on the 29th of August last I saw the Schnr Alpha laying within 3/4 of a Mile of the shore taking fish very fast both in the Vessel and in her Boat which was a short distance from her
Signed James Jackson Signed Guy Hallett
Sworn to before me this 20th day of November 1843 Joseph Darby S.C. at Sable Island

John Stevens says that I am in Charge of an outpost on Sable Island at the East End of the Lake that five men came on shore from the Sch'nr Alpha on the 12th of September last, where the wreck of the Ship Eagle had just gone to pieces, Two of them landed, one with an Ax, the other with a Club which he was swinging about at a furious rate when I came on the Beach I asked them what they wanted, they said they were looking for a Gaff, spoke a great deal of that Ballahoo of a Steamer coming to take them and firing at them but that they had guns would be heard as far as hers and 15 or 16 able bodied Men well prepared for defence and would not be taken very easy, I also saw where they had cut or knocked out some Copper Spikes on the North Side near the wreck of the [Tomtray?] Signed John Stevens
Sworn to before me this 20th day of Nov 1843 at Sable Island Joseph Darby J.C.

Charles Adams says that I am in charge of an outpost on Sable Island near the East End, that on the 9th day of August last, there was Three American Sch'nrs laying off the North Side, the Crew of one of them came to my house, I think they were from the Alpha, I asked them the name of their Vessel and the Masters name, the Man that spoke said is Vessel had no name and for his name when he was at home they called him William, Bill, or Jack that he supposed the Englishmen thought themselves very cunning about the Island and gave no other information about themselves, they frequently land and shoot seals and crawl about the shores of the Island a great deal, that sometime after this part of the crew of the alpha came to my house, the Master gave me his name [Barrse?] and the name of the vessel, the Alpha of Hull near Boston told me if I had all the fish that they had caught here over three hundred barrels I would have a good summers work, that he knew that Steamer came on purpose to take him, that he expected nothing else but to be taken when he saw her, but on a Second thought he would jump the Sch'nr over the dry bar before he would be taken inside of the limits, that he considered himself a lucky man and would try it again next year, he offered me two dollars to go to the West End and get him some butter, which I declined telling him I knew he could not get any there which he did not seem willing to believe and I thought that his object was to get one from home and then to Steal the Boat or something else; he said also that if a wreck had happened while he was here I would have



4 pages 30 x 49 cm

Date: 1843

Reference: Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 volume 425 number 10

Nova Scotia Archives — https://archives.novascotia.ca/sable/archives/

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