Small ships and tough people
History, without focus, is the core of our myths. But, when you take a particular incident, and you attach a date and names, then you move into a more personal space. My ancestors, at least some of them, came to this area about two and a half centuries ago. I have the dates, and the names, and the ship (the Alexander) and the tales, due to substantial effort by a local history group.
And so do our neighbours, over in Nova Scotia. The Hector (which some describe as their Mayflower moment), also sailed here in the same time frame. A difference of a year, which means nothing when trying to imagine what the journey must have been like.
This evening, I watched an excellent docu-drama on their arrival, in the summer of 1773. For those that wonder, our group arrived one year earlier. And the two sites are almost within view on a really clear day, which allows me to project that my ancestors had a similar itinerary, with parallels that prove one thing; they were all tougher than I.
This was no voyage on a grand ocean liner. The Hector measured about 85 feet. In modern terms, the length of two city buses, parked in a line. There’s a replica, moored in the harbour in Pictou, NS (and I have visited their display). Let the record show that the passengers had simple food, rough bunks and little warmth. And storms. I’m not going to retell their tale. If you are interested, check out the video that is available on a number of websites. About people that wanted new homes, and were willing to gamble everything to get one.
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