Chapter XLV

Contents—​The “Big Bay”—​Musketoe Bay—​Mohawk Bay—​Hay Bay—​“Eastern Bay”—​Site of Ancient Kentes—​The Name—​Old Families—​An Accident, 1819—​Eighteen Drowned—​Extract from Playter—​Searching for the Bodies—​Burying the Dead—​Picton Bay—​Appearance—​The “Grand Bay”—​Upper Gap—​Lower Gap—​Kingston Bay—​A Picture—​Recollections—​A Contrast—​Ship Yards—​Extract from Cooper—​Inland Lakes.

THE SEVERAL BAYS.

In looking at the main channel, we have mentioned several indentations, which have, from their size, received distinct names. We will now examine these more particularly.

About twenty miles from the Carrying Place, and eight miles east of Belleville, is Big Bay, meaning, originally the big part of the Bay. As before stated, its size does not appear so well marked as it otherwise would, from the existence of a large island which lies in the south part of the Bay, and which is, seemingly a part of the main land. To the north is a small bay, where the Salmon River empties. Between Mississauga point, which forms the western boundary of Big Bay, and Huff’s Island, is another inlet from Big Bay, which is called by the inhabitants Musketoe Bay, or sometimes, erroneously, “Miscouter” Bay. It is, mainly, but a marsh, in which the Muskrat finds a home, the wild duck a safe retreat, and where myriads of musketoe may, in their season, be found. This last mentioned fact explains the origin of the name. It is stated that, before the adjacent land was cleared, the swarms of insects was so thick as to actually cloud the air.

At the junction of the western and middle portions of the Bay is the Mohawk Bay. This name is derived from the residence here of the Mohawk Indians, who came in 1784, and consequently is of no older date than the settlement of Upper Canada. The original name was Ganeious. The Bay is about five miles in length, and a mile wide at its mouth; it gradually lessens until it forms the mouth of the Napanee river. In summer the scenery along this Bay is very agreeable, and in some places really beautiful. The second flouring mill having been built in 1785, Mohawk Bay and the Napanee River were well known by early settlers, and along these shores, now well cultivated fields, there have passed many a time the batteau laden with grain, or the canoe with a bag of gristing; or along the shore trudged the pioneer with a bushel of corn on his back, or in winter hauled it upon a hand sleigh.

396Hay Bay.—​From the entrance of Mohawk Bay southward, along the reach about seven miles, is another inlet. This is Hay Bay, and, by far, the largest of the several Bays. By looking at the map, it will be seen that this indentation is somewhat divided into two almost equal portions by a narrow channel; and that the eastern part is considerably broader than the western. This narrow channel was originally called, according to an old map of Fredericksburg, dated 1784, the “Long Reach,” and the east end, the “Eastern Bay.” This was then regarded as the real end of the Bay Quinté. The “North Channel,” leading to the Mohawk settlement, was but little known, and not taken into consideration. It must be remembered that the names originally given to the several portions of the Bay were such as the circumstances of the settlers would be likely to suggest. The soldiers who settled on the front of the third township soon learned that in the rear was a Bay, by which they could reach the back concessions. Some crossed the peninsula, while others reached their lots by making a circuit of the Fourth Town shore. The distance to them as they toiled in the batteaux, seemed a long stretch, and hence it was called the “Long Reach,” while the wider portion, at the end of the Bay was named Eastern Bay, or the most eastern bay. Here, as we have seen, dwelt the ancient Kentes. The name of Hay Bay must have been given to this sheet of water about 1786. In the absence of any certain knowledge of the origin of the name, we have concluded that it was so called, out of respect to his memory, after Lieut.-Governor Hay, who died at Detroit, 29th August, 1785, “after twenty-nine years service.” This was the year previous to the time of the first settlers locating here. The name was, most likely, given by the Surveyor, who, in accordance with the custom, named everything after some influential or prominent person, or friend. While advancing this theory of the origin of the name, we must not omit to mention, that when the country was opened up there was, growing in some places upon the bay shore, wild hay. This may possibly have given rise to the name; or the name may have been taken from Chief Justice Hay. Hay Bay, although possessing no particular features of beauty, has a charm peculiarly its own, as being the original Kente Bay. It is not wanting in historic interest. Along its shores, now so fertile, for long years existed abundant game; a fact well known to all the neighboring tribes. Although no settler took up land here until 1786, there were among them individuals 397who took no unimportant part in the war against rebellion. Upon the south shore lived and died some families who acted more than ordinarily venturesome parts during the contest, as the Huycks, Miss Loyst, who married a Diamond, and whose two brothers were with Sir John Johnson at Hungry Bay. Here settled three Embury’s, David on the north shore, who was brother of Philip Embury, the first Methodist Preacher in America. On the south side lived Andrew, and John Embury, and the first family of the Bogarts of Canada, descendants of the first Moravian minister, to America. Also, here lived Judge Fisher, Squire Beegle, James Knox, the first Quaker Preacher in Canada. Upon the north bank, while the colony was yet in its infant days, was committed, probably, the first act of suicide in the country. An event even yet remembered by some. And, more than all, it was upon these waters where occurred an accident, which filled the whole Bay country with horror; and awakened emotions of the keenest sympathy, which produced an impression throughout the whole Province, exceeded only by the loss of the schooner “Speedy,” with all on board.

The accident on Hay Bay took place on a Sunday morning, 20th August, 1819. On the south shore of the bay, in the Methodist meeting-house, was this day a Quarterly Meeting. Quarterly meetings, in the early days of the country, were always largely attended, persons coming from a considerable distance. On this occasion there were present many from the adjacent townships. Not a few came from the banks of the Napanee. Those living to the north of the bay had to cross to the place of meeting by boat. It was a bright sunny Sabbath morning, and already had many crossed and were joining in the religious services, when there put off from the north shore, a short distance from Casey’s Point, a boat load, consisting of eighteen young men and women, most of whom lived along the bay. They were all dressed in good and modest apparel as befitted the day, and the house and worship of God. Buoyant with the cheerfulness of youth, and the emotions of piety, they sang as they stepped into the boat, and as they made progress to the other shore. The boat being rather leaky, and so many, pressing it too near the water’s edge, the water came in and increased fast, and they had no vessel to bail with. Unhappily, the young men did not think of bailing with their clean hats, or did not like to do so, until it was too late. The boat filled and sank, when near the other shore, and these eighteen young men and women, crying and shrieking, went down into the deep water. 398At the time of crossing, there was a prayer meeting proceeding in the chapel. One of those present was now engaged in prayer, and had just uttered the petition that “it might be a day long to be remembered,” when a shriek was heard, another, and another. The prayer was stopped, and some ran up to the pulpit to look out, and saw the youths struggling in the water. All ran to the shore, and some plunged in to render assistance. Eight were taken to the shore. Ten bodies were yet in the water. A seine was prepared, and so the bodies of these unhappy youths, a few hours ago so blythe and cheerful were brought dripping to the land. One was not recovered till the next morning. Two young men were drowned, and eight young women. Two were of the German family, two Detlors, one Bogart, one Roblin, one McCoy, one Clark, one Madden, and one Cole. The grief of the families, so suddenly bereaved, gathered together on the shore, gazing at the loved bodies, may be better imagined than described. The grief, too, was shared by the large congregation assembled, and by the minister. No public worship was attended to, but preparations for the solemn funeral.

Monday was a day of mourning. News of the disaster soon spread far, and a great congregation was assembled. Nine coffins were laid in order outside the chapel. One of the corpses was buried in another graveyard. Mr. Puffer took for the text, Job xix. 25–27, “I know that my Redeemer liveth,” &c. He stood at the door and tried to preach to those within and without, but was so affected by the catastrophe, the weeping congregation, and the coffined dead before him, that he confessed he could not do justice to the subject, or the occasion. But he offered consolation from the gospel to the stricken families mourning. Next, the coffins of the youthful dead were opened, that friends and neighbours, and young acquaintances, might take a last look and farewell. Six of the graves were in rotation, and the coffins were placed in the same manner. The others were near departed friends in other parts of the ground. After the reading of the burial service, the graves, one after another, received the dead, and then were closed up again, until the day when “the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.”—​(Playter).

The writer has often heard his father relate the touching circumstances here told. He was then at home, his father being a resident of the south shore, and was an eye witness of the scene. His father’s steelyards were used, the hooks being attached to a pole, to grapple for the bodies.

399Picton Bay.—​Where the eastern portion of the Bay Quinté and the Long Reach unite, the waters are comparatively wide. This was at the first called the Grand Bay. The south side of the Grand Bay forms the mouth of Picton Bay, which stretches southward some five miles, and which has at its head the town of Picton, after which the bay has been named.

The view presented upon passing up this indentation of the Bay, and as well in returning, and looking up the long reach, is one of the most attractive perhaps in all Canada. As the tourist approaches the head of the Bay he will be struck with the extraordinary beauty. To the left are two picturesque buildings, one the Ontario College. Rising up majestically at the very head of the Bay, is an almost precipitous mountain, whose gray sides, and wood-crowned summit, gives a grand, though sombre appearance. Nothing seems to be wanting but the crumbling walls of an old castle to make the picture complete.

When the refugees first came to the Bay, the inlet, now called Picton Bay, was regarded with some degree of aversion. The high barren-looking shores, covered with dwarf firs and cedars, offered no inducements to the settler. During the first two or three years a party of three or four ascended to the head of the Bay, but observing the thick cedars and firs on either hand, and withal suffering much from the musketoes, they returned and reported that no man could ever inhabit it, that it was fit only for the musketoe. But before many years the Congers, the Johnsons, Washburns and Steeles, had taken up their abode here.

We have seen that this Bay constituted a part of an Indian route from the west to the south shores of Ontario.

To the east of “Grand Bay,” the peninsula of Adolphustown is indented by two bays.

Between the extremity of Prince Edward Peninsula and Amherst Island, where Lake Ontario joins the Bay, at a point which formerly was regarded as the mouth of the Bay of Quinté, is a space nearly a mile. This is called the Upper Gap. Between the eastern end of Amherst and Grape Island is the Lower Gap which is something more than a mile wide. Directly to the north of the east end of Amherst Island, upon the coast of Ernesttown is an indentation where empties a small stream, this is called Collins’ Bay, after Deputy Surveyor Collins.

The only remaining bay of which we shall specially speak, is the Kingston Bay.

400Perhaps no piece of water can be found in Western Canada possessed of more natural beauty than the Bay of Kingston, during the season of navigation by water. Whether one enters it from the Great Lake with its rough swell, or the quiet waters of Quinté, or the bright St. Lawrence, whose waters are beautiful with a thousand isles; or whether he gazes from the curving shore at the City’s front; or from the Cataraqui Bridge; or instead, takes his stand at the point of Frederick or Fort Henry, there is spread out the same pleasing view; one upon which the eye can long gaze with admiration. Encircled by a border of green clad islands, with the massive city upon one side, the waters of the harbour are peaceful and secure. The former beauties such as Champlain and Frontenac looked upon, have passed away. There is less of the natural beauty entering now into the view, but art has taken the place. The barracks at the Tête du Pont, the buildings at Navy Yard, the strong fort, the warlike martello towers, and the city of solid stone, give a different, but yet a pleasing picture. Kingston Bay affords a safe place for boating in summer, and in winter, its coating of ice is the theatre of attraction for the joyous skater.

Respecting the events which have come to pass by the Bay of Kingston in the early history of the country, the reader is referred to the history of Kingston. We will only add that the “ship-yards and marine railways at Kingston, Garden Island, and Portsmouth, have launched on the inland seas the greatest in number and largest of tonnage of Canadian vessels in Canada West; Kingston being second only to Quebec in the extent of its ship-building.”

Here in 1814 was built the three decked ship of war “Saint Lawrence,” at a cost of £500,000. The chief cause of this enormous cost was the expense of transportation of stores and equipments from Montreal. In 1853, the aggregate tonnage of the vessels built at the ship-yard in Kingston alone, apart from those built at Portsmouth and Garden Island, amounted to 2,500 tons; the cost of these vessels was £26,000, of which £14,000 was paid for labor.

We will here introduce an interesting notice of the several lakes lying north of the Bay in the adjacent townships, from Cooper. “Through the whole tract of country lying north of the Township of Kingston, and in these and the neighbouring counties, are a multitude of lakes of various sizes, from that of a mere pond up to that of a lake twenty miles in extent. The water of these lakes is extremely pure and clear, and they are furnished with 401abundance of fish; they are mostly connected by streams of water, and are navigable, and the streams are capable of floating canoes or small boats. Through these lakes and streams are annually floated immense quantities of lumber and timber, and in the absence of the roads now in course of construction, they have been the highway to the city from many a fine farm on their banks. Around them, in some places, the land is much broken, rocky and waste, but between such broken and rough tracts are lands of great richness and fertility, and of the first quality. The scenery throughout this tract of country, and in the neighbourhood of these lakes and rivers is extremely picturesque, and in many places even grand, varied with rock, valley, streamlets and wood. When as the country gets older, localities are sought not only with regard to their flat unvaried richness of soil, but with some consideration of their beauty of location and scenic charms; there is little doubt that many a romantic glen here will have its accompanying cottage, hamlet or mansion, and that many a pretty homestead will be empowered among these woods and water-falls; even now, many a good farm is being brought under cultivation in these parts. If any surpass the rest in picturesque beauty, we should incline to give the palm to Buck Lake and its vicinity. The neighbourhood of these lakes abound in deer.”

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