over Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and Can- | whenever hostilities should recommence.
ada, and its governors frequently boasted From their centre, Placentia, on the south-
that they would not rest till the "English ern shore, they carried on an extensive
colonists were driven into the sea," and and lucrative fishery around the coasts; in
now again the struggle between England the Gulf of St. Lawrence constant quar-
and France for dominion in the new world rels were rife, and their endeavors to
began in earnest. In this struggle the con- gain possession of the island ceaseless.
quest of Newfoundland was prominently
When war broke out in 1702, a squad-
before the minds of the French command- ron was sent out this time from England
ers. Not only would the possession of that to drive the French out of the island. It
island have enabled them to control its was only partially successful, for though
valuable fisheries, but it would have placed the Island of St. Pierre, off the southern
in their hands the key to their trans-At-shore, was captured and its forts de-
lantic possessions, as it would command stroyed, and also the many settlements on
the narrow entrances to the sea front of the southern coasts, Placentia, their chief
Canada, the most valuable of them. In stronghold, remained to them. Now, in
1635 the French obtained permission from their turn, the French became the aggress-
England to dry fish upon the shores of ors, and assailed for a second time the
Newfoundland, on payment of a duty of capital, St. John's, and obtained posses-
five per cent. of its value. In 1675 the sion of it. Carbonear successfully re-
ascendency which Louis XIV. had ob- peated its former story, and again defeated
tained over the court and mind of Charles every attempt made upon it by the in-
II. induced the latter to relinquish the vader. In the din and confusion of the
five per cent. duty which had been paid naval and military struggles between the
as an acknowledgment of English sover- two nations, and in the triumphs attending
eignty. From that moment the rapacity the English arms, Newfoundland seems
of the French increased, and within a few now to have escaped for some time the
years they established their dominion over attention of the contending parties until,
nearly two hundred miles of the southern in 1713, peace settled down once more in
coast. On the accession of William III. the Treaty of Utrecht. Certain of its
hostilities broke out between the rival provisions marked an era in the history of
nations. In his declaration of war, the Newfoundland.
"The whole country,
royal manifesto speaks of one cause of it, with the adjacent islands, was declared to
Newfoundland, thus: "It was not long be the possession of Great Britain; Pla.
since the French had license to fish upon centia and all other places were ordered
the coast, and paid a tribute for such to be surrendered." A very important
license as an acknowledgment of the sole reservation, however, was made in favor
right of the crown of England to that of the French, which was destined to be
island; but of late the encroachments of the trouble of to-day. By this treaty,
the French had been more like the inva- though the French were excluded from all
sion of an enemy than as becoming friends territorial rights in the island, they were
who enjoyed the advantages of that trade allowed to fish "concurrently with the
only by permission." Newfoundland now English" along more than half the coast,
became the scene of naval battles and and also permitted to use the shore of
military skirmishes. In 1694 Chevalier this portion of the island, so far as it
Nesmond was ordered to drive the En- was needed, in the prosecution of the fish-
glish out of the island, and a large squad-eries. The shore here mentioned ex-
ron was placed under his orders to effect tended from Cape Bonavista to Point
that purpose.
He was repulsed, and fail- Riche. This unfortunate concession led
ing in his effort returned to France. A to endless disputes. The French inter.
more determined attempt was made later preted this, then and ever since, as an
in the same year. The garrison of St. exclusive right to fish on this part of the
John's being weak in numbers offered but coast, and being allowed the use of the
a feeble resistance; the fort and town shore for fishery purposes, it followed that
were burned to the ground. The towns of they could forbid the settlement of such
Carbonear and Bonavista proved too part by British subjects. These interpre-
strong for the invaders, and in the midst tations were repudiated by the Newfound-
of the struggle the Treaty of Ryswick lander, and were never admitted as correct
separated the combatants. The French by the Imperial authorities, but succes-
were not then turned out of the island, as sive governments left the matter unde-
they should have been; the British set- cided, and refused to put the portion of
tlers being thus left open to their attack the coast under local government. The

consequence has been very serious, and greatly detrimental to the growth of the island, as the inhabitants have been practically excluded from half their own territory; much of it is still a wilderness, the 66 squatters "have had no title to their possessions, and have lived outside the pale of the law and of all civilizing influences. It was not till 1878 that magistrates were appointed to these districts, and it was only as recent as 1881 that the local government was empowered to issue grants of land and licenses to erect factories or for mining purposes in these localities. It has been the great stumblingblock to railway extension, and has thus most materially crippled the development of its resources.

The following year witnessed the conclusion of the Seven Years' War, and the Treaty of Paris. Here occurred a proper and fitting opportunity for terminating the fishing privileges, or, in some measure, re-adjusting them, and this latter certainly was attempted; but, unfortunately, instead of securing the island to the Newfoundlander free from any use of its shores by the French, this treaty gave to them the Island of St. Pierre and Miquelon off the southern coast, as a shelter for their fishermen, with the proviso that no fortifications were to be erected on them, and a guard only of fifty men were to be maintained there for police purposes. This concession doubtless had for its object a pacification of the constant embroilments arising between the rival fishermen, but it failed, and instead served only to perpetuate the old jealousies and lead to new mischief.

From the date of the Treaty of Utrecht to that of the Treaty of Paris a period of fifty years elapsed filled with events of the utmost importance to Britain, and affecting in some degree the island of which We may now pass over a period of we are speaking. Wars had been raging twenty years, in which events of great imbetween France and England, and in portance occurred to Great Britain, the 1758 the tide rolled towards Newfound-revolt of her American colonies terminatland. The expedition to the French pos- ing in the Independence of North Amersessions in North America succeeding in expelling the French from their stronghold of Louisberg, in Cape Breton, and in the following year the conquest of Canada broke their power, and their territories passed into the possession of England; but their hopes were yet still centred in regaining possession of Newfoundland, and in 1762 they made a determined effort to seize the island. A strong fleet fitted out at Brest, and, succeeding in eluding the British cruisers, arrived and landed a considerable force twenty miles south of St. John's. By a march overland, the enemy surprised and overpowered the garrison, and set about to strengthen the fortifications and to secure themselves in the possession of the capital. Communications were soon made with Lord Colville, then at Halifax, who immediately sailed, upon receipt of the intelligence, and blockaded the harbor of St. John's where the French fleet then lay. Eight hundred Highlanders were landed at Torbay, about eight miles to the north of the town, and, after struggling through a rugged country, carried the French defences by assault, and the enemy, after a brief opposition, surrendered conditionally that they might be allowed to return to France. Under cover of a friendly fog in this instance, the French fleet escaped the English squadron, and this was the last occupation of any part of the island by the French as an enemy.

ica. Privateers fitted out in the latter ports made sad havoc of poor defenceless Newfoundland, the ports from which she drew many of her supplies and actual necessaries were closed against her, all exports being forbidden to English colonies, and the island tasted the first pangs of famine. Gloom and despondency fol lowed scarcity and want, and a check so severe was thus administered that it required a long period ere she could recover. their combined effects.

With the conclusion of the war in 1782, a change for the better set in, and the Treaty of Versailles, in 1783, effected an important alteration in the boundaries of the coast on which the French and Newfoundlander might concurrently fish. The king of France "now renounced the right of fishing from Cape Bonavista to Cape St. John granted him by the Treaty of Utrecht, and agreed that henceforth the French fishery should commence at Cape St. John, extend around the north by Cape Bauld and down the west shore to Cape Ray." This has ever since been locally alluded to as the "French shore," and it is in prosecuting the fishing off this coast that all the jealousies, rivalries, and disturbances occur; and to settle constant disputes, to smooth the difficulties that arise, the presence of war ships of both nations are each season required; great tact and delicacy on the part of their commanders are demanded, and constant

tance, that is, since the enactment of 1881. This is, of course, a new industry; and was never dreamt of when the treaties we have referred to in our article were drawn up. The lobsters are found principally upon the shore off which the French have fishing rights; they therefore want to annex the lobster, and prevent him going into Newfoundland tins. The origin of the Newfoundland fishing was to capture cod fish; that was the fishery of all the treaties, and the only fishing then in view. The language of the treaties refers to no other, and by its significant terms excludes all others; that of 1713 declares it "to be unlawful for the French to erect any buildings besides stages made of boards, and huts necessary and usual for drying fish; nor were they to resort to the island shores beyond the time necessary for fishing and drying fish; " that of 1763 said it was to be lawful for them "to catch fish and dry them on land," all this evidently applies to cod fishing only.

watchfulness is necessary. By clearly de-
fining the limits within which the French
were to exercise their privileges, a source
of contention was removed from any un-
certainties as to its boundaries, and it
ended the incessant quarrels which had
been going on upon this point. Unfor-
tunately, the ambiguity of the language
used in another part of the treaty gave
rise to even more serious misunderstand
ings, which continue until now. The
stipulation ran as follows: "And that the
fishermen of the two nations may not give
rise to daily quarrels, his Britannic Maj-
esty was pleased to engage that he would
take the most positive measures for pre-
venting his subjects from interrupting the
fishing of the French during the tem-
porary exercise thereof... and that he
would give orders that the French fisher-
men should not be incommoded in the
cutting of wood necessary for the repair
of their scaffolds, huts, and fishing boats."
This is the celebrated section over which
volumes of correspondence have been
written, the French holding that from the
phraseology employed the treaty gave
them an extension of their privileges by
securing to them exclusive and sole right
over the coasts and waters in question.
But never by any home government nor This is the tentative settlement, but is
by any government or legislature in New-not yet ratified by the government of New.
foundland has this claim been allowed. foundland. How is the permanent diffi
England has maintained that her subjects
have a right to fish concurrently with the
French in those waters; that if there be
room for both nations to fish without in-
terfering with each other, this country is
not bound to prevent her subjects fishing
there. She has so far discouraged this
privilege for many years that, as we have
before mentioned, the law refused, until
1881, to recognize settlers upon that part
of the coast as subjects entitled to its
protective powers, or to any representa-
tion in the Newfoundland legislature.

The French have steadily endeavored to suppress this new industry, and, failing in this, their efforts have ended in a modus vivendi, which is that they may be permitted to go on with this industry side by side with the Newfoundlander.

culty to be met? It must be met either in the form of compensation as a direct purchase or by an exchange of something for these treaty rights. They never should have had birth; but they exist, and we cannot repudiate them. The Newfoundlander looks to England, as the party to the making of them, to free him from the disadvantages under which they place him. Any exchange the French are loth to accept, as they advance the main reason why they are so tenacious of this fishing. is that it forms a valuable naval nursery for her sailors, employing as it does such large numbers in the prosecution of it. The only other alternative is the adoption of the most sensible practical working ar rangement of which the circumstances will admit. In justice to both the English peoples and the French workers on the coast, it must be said that great credit is due to the forbearance and avoidance of The renewed vigor with which the violent measures which have, on the whole question has lately been inspired whole, marked the embarrassing situation arises from a quite unforeseen and mod-in which the ambiguities of the treaties ern turn of affairs. Within the last few or their diverse construction have placed years the prosecution of lobster fishing the two countries.

Territorial jurisdiction over the whole island is now conceded to the colonial governor, the power of making land grants and issuing mining licenses is accorded, and representation of the inhabitants in the St. John's Parliament is secured, the French fishing rights being, of course, strictly recognized as interpreted by England and Newfoundland.

and lobster canning has risen into impor

H. C. GOLDSMITH.

THE "GOLD FEVER" IN MADAGASCAR.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Standard, who has returned to Madagascar after an absence of three years, found "gold," and scarcely anything but "gold," the topic of the day. Writing from Antananarivo on February 28, the correspondent says:

country; and I was shown a fine specimen Some enthusiasts are ready to believe that from near Tamatave, on the east coast. the island will prove another Eldorado. People are making large purchases. An Englishman who had just arrived at the capital from the country told me that on his journey up he saw thousands of natives working gold in various parts on account of the government. It is forced labor, and the people have not only to work on weekdays, but on Sundays too.. Children even are taken from the schools for this work. I myself went out to the west of the capital, about fifteen miles, yesterday, to a place where the govern. ment have been working gold-operations are suspended at present- to see where they had been working, and I collected a grain of gold after washing a little earth on a plate in a stream close by. There are signs everywhere of the riches to be gathered from the earth of this fine virgin country. The Madagascar government is bound to open up the island. They are, of course, in much need of money, the French disturbance having impoverished them to a great extent.

I had not been many hours at Tamatave ere I saw practical evidence of the belief in this. I found the town overrun with poor emigrants, chiefly from Mauritius and Bourbon, and every incoming steamer adding to the number. The last French mail arrived ere my departure for the capital, and brought over one hundred and twenty men, women, and children, most of whom were almost penniless. Such a flotsam and jetsam of helpless humanity I have seldom seen. They are under the impression they have come to an Eldorado; but it does not take long after landing here to find out their mistake. Fortunately for these adventurers food is plentiful and cheap, especially in the country, and they can live on very little. On my journey to the capital I passed a poor fellow on the tramp to the gold-fields of Maeratanarivo, I had not been long at the capital ere I on the west coast; he told me he had heard noticed what had similarly struck me on so often the cry of "Gold, heaps of gold, landing at Tamatave-namely, that the being found, and only waiting for the get- French influence is making itself very ting," in Madagascar, he had been tempted strongly felt in those towns, which, after to come and try his luck. He had for- the earnest labors of our English and merly been in the police force of Mauritius, other Protestant missionaries for so many and being out of employment he was ad-years, must be a disheartening spectacle vised to prove what he had heard so much about. I should imagine him to be almost penniless, as he lived just as the natives do, and lodged amongst them in the villages he passed through. He was a fine, good-looking fellow, and I felt sorry for the hardships he was undergoing, and was glad to assist him with some of my spare provisions. But these are not the people required here as yet. What the country greatly needs is a number of experienced Australian and Transvaal diggers, with their strength and knowledge of the situation, to come and make a good headway for others to follow.

Concerning the location and distribution of the gold there are numberless stories floating about. It is being found in scores of places in various parts of the

that

to them. One very noticeable change is in the slave market. Formerly not more than twenty or, at most, thirty slaves were ever exposed there for sale, and transac tions took place in such a quiet way they were not noticed; indeed, the natives appeared ashamed to acknowledge complicity in slave-trading. But when I visited the market the other day over two hundred slaves of both sexes, men, women, and children, were on offer, and there was little or no reluctance on the part of the owners to quote prices. Danc ing, also, in European fashion is now the order of the day. The French resident gives balls, inviting the Malagasy aristoc racy, the prime minister and the queen's ladies-in-waiting taking a very active part, and giving balls themselves in return.

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