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The strategic importance of having military protection at Tatamagouche had long been recognized. Governor Shirley, during the Seven Years War, had recommended that* a fort be built on Tatamagouche and sufficiently garrisoned. And now that the supplies for the new Province were to pass through Tatamagouche, the Council in Halifax at Francklin’s request, decided that without delay a blockhouse should be built on the Harbor and garrisoned with King’s troops. Francklin correctly pointed** out that via
Tatamagouche was the direct and shortest route between the two capitals
and that its whole distance by land and water was not more than one
hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty miles. He drew attention to the
fact that about one hundred families were already settled at Cobequid, who
were capable of supplying some, at least, of the provisions for the new
settlement on the Island. A glance at the map will show that Francklin was
right, for Halifax, Cobequid, Tatamagouche and Charlottetown lie in about
a straight line. The previously used routes were two: one by way of Canso;
the other by way of Bay Verte and of fort Cumberland. The former was a
voyage of two hundred and forty miles and required two different winds. By
Bay Verte and Fort Cumberland, the route was one hundred and seventy-five
miles with three embarkations, the first from Charlottetown to Bay Verte,
the second from Fort Cumberland to Minas and the third from Minas to Fort
Edward (Windsor). From Minas to Fort Edward the route of twenty miles was
supposed to have been hazardous because of the height and the rapidity of
the tides. Back |
