Nova Scotia Archives

Footprints in the Sand

Pre‐1867 Government Records for Sable Island

Affadavit from both Martin Clye, James Clye and Donald Gillis sworn to Joseph Darby

1848. — 4 pages : 30 x 48 cm.

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Crowells vessel to see if he had got on board of her, and hunted him high and low but could not find him, in the course of the day Mr Darby siezed his things and lock'd them up, and that act has effectively silenced all their grumbling, and has partly broke up the combination, and there is perfect peace and quiet up here ever since. About the 4th of October Stevens brought Nichols up here on a horse he said that he walked to the east end on the 30th, which is a good walk for any man, and that there was a house at something more than half the distance. If he was not able to go so far, Mr Darby gave him oat meal for food instead of salt provisions whilst his blood was in such a bad state, with a pound of bread per day, there was plenty of nice mackeral in an open shed within thirty yardds of his door; and a nice garden of potatoes, now just fitt to dig about sixty yards from him where he could, and did, help himself to what he pleased, after a few days Mr Darby gave him meat & bread as much as he needed and he cooked for himself, and done nothing else, and be it remembred that all this time he was not sick, but could eat as much as any man on the Island, so he had bread meat, fish and potatoes, as much as he could destroy, looked when he went away fatter and better than he had done all summer, and left two or three peices of beeff that he had more than he could consume; - and we understand he has said that he had to go to the East End a second time to look for food; This is absolutely false, but one Sunday afternoon after he was well and hearty and tired of laying about he took a walk as he told us to the West end house, which is but a short distance, and where he knew there was no provisions, and we positively assert that he was not long enough out of the house, to go one third the distance to the East End and return; and we also declare that Mr Darby to our knowledge never gave an ill word, or a curse, or threat, or kick, or blow, to him, or any other person, belonging to the Establishment during the whole time that he has been here, but that he has done every thing in his power to render every person as comfortable as he can. It is true he laid on the beach, but he might have lain in the vessel if he chose, or gone home, but it was too far to walk five and a half miles to the house, some of us was sea sick on board the vessel, and we preferred laying on the beach under a boat with a fire. And Mr Darby went home late every evening, and returned early in the morning, bringing clean straw, about 30 soldiers coats, fresh water;


4 pages 30 x 48 cm

Date: 1848

Reference: Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 volume 425 number 52f

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

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