10/14/06

Lettre et rapport de Joseph Bouchette, Écuyer, Arpenteur-général du Canada, à Sir Georges Prevost, Gouverneur général, à Québec, le 30 juin, 1814.                                

Source: Document de Bibliothèque et archives Canada,  RG8, séries C, volume 621, pages 18-25, microfilm (bobine) C-3158.  Photocopie et retranscription: Benoît Long.

Le document qui suit est d'une importance importante pour l'histoire de la famille de Philip Long.  Les références sur le document sont connues depuis plusieurs décennies mais pour une raison qui échappe l'auteur, aucune transcription ou mention du contenu de ce document n'a jamais été réalisé.

Le rapport mentionne Philip Long à quelques reprises.  En premier lie, sa ferme est mentionné comme "Long's place" à au moins deux reprises.  Philip est aussi mentionné comme un inspecteur possible pour revoir aux travaux sur la route du Portage.  Il clair que Bouchette avait une bonne opinion de Long pusiqu'il réfère à celui-ci comme un homme qui

"Intelligent Inspectors, one of which may be Long being a very useful man, ....

Grâce à sa capacité d'écrire et de lire, Philip aurait été d'une grande utilité pour ses supérieurs.

Bien sûr, son âge avancé aurait aussi été un atout car il aurait donner l'allure d'un homme de confiance et d'une grande loyauté à la couronne.

Bonne lecture!

Source: Library and Archives Canada,  RG8, Series C, Volume 621, pages 18-25, Microfilm C 3158.  Photocopy and transcription Benoît Long.

This document and its place in our ancestor's life and story is interesting for a number of reasons.  The full title of this report is "The Surveyor General's Report upon his return from settling the Veterans and families upon the Portage between Lower Canada and New Brunswick, 30th June 1814" and its existence has been known to researchers at the National Archives for over seventy years. 

It is not known how long the library card has been in the card index.  This index shows all of the known (at least to the National Archives) related to Philip Long but it could be for quite some time (perhaps as much as fifty years - the archivists at National Archives could not tell me definitely). And yet, with all of these known sources, I do not recall ever seeing a copy or transcript of what this report describes, or mentions of the signficance of the report for Philip Long and his farm.  It is also an obvious precursor to Bouchette's full Topographical Report and I think quite interesting for that reason alone.  Perhaps this is the source of the confusion - the dates are close enough that people may have confused the two.  This seems like the most plausible explanation for the fact that everyone, including Mgr. Lang, seems to have missed this document.  Mgr. Lang followed the materials provided him by the researchers when he wrote to the archives in 1975, and inexplicably, they did not include this document in their list of sources. However, I know for a fact that it is in their files since I received a copy of the complete fonds on Philip Long enquiries in the Spring of 2006.

As well, the mention of Philip Long as a possible "inspector" under the Grand Voyer to repair and maintain the route of the Portage again demonstrates the complete confidence the government and military leaders of the time had in Philip Long.  In 1815, legislation was created to authorize the Grand Voyer to create local "Commissionaires" who would supervize the work in local areas to maintain key roads.  The search is on to determine who had that role in the Riviere-du-Loup, Temiscouata and Madawaska area.  As Patricia Kennedy, an archivist at the National Archives who I had a long conversation with recently, mentioned, her view was that fidelity, trustworthiness, and the ability to write would have made Philip Long an exceptional choice for the role that Murray and Finlay ultimately created for him and his family.

There are a couple of additional mentions of Long and his farm.  In his writing, we can imagine that Bouchette was developing an attachment for the area that would lead him to secure nearly a quarter of Alexander Fraser's Seignory and plan the development of a new town to be called "Kent" exactly on the border of the Lake adjacent to Long's farm and hotel.

From Bouchette Esq.

The Surveyor Genl’s report upon his return from settling the Veterans & families upon the Portage between Lower Canada and New Brunswick, 30th June, 1814

Page 18

To His Excellency Sir George Prevost Baronet Captain General & Governor in Chief in and over the Province of Upper Canada, Lower Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick & their dependencies, Vice Admiral of the Same, etc., etc., etc.,

Report

In Obedience to your Excellency’s Commands by Military Secretary “Brenton’s” letter to me of the 5th may last, I Repaired on the route leading from the Escoumins to Frederikton New Brunswick for the purpose of fixing landing stations and laying out the Lands of the Settlers of the 10th Royal Battalion now established on the Portage the purpose of keeping up that line of communications.

In the execution of that Service I thought it advisable for your Excellency’s information, as for the benefits of His majesty’ Provincial Government

Page 19

to apply myself as much as circumstances would admit, in making out improved plans of the whole of that communication, especially as far as I have some namely Salmon River on the River St. John aided by former surveys & by postal arrangements here have together with the Coté’s Settlers I have taken eight along, I am enabled to lay before your Excellency the accompanying plans to the Report.

On the 18th June Embarked on Board the Government’s schooner and on the 21st arrived at River du Loup, made some observations in respect to the Navigation of the River in going down, and acquired a tolerable knowledge of the portion of the Rock ours such that if Sir George Prevost was stranded last year from was not known but by that Rock from called the Rock, Sir George Prevost is on the easterly extremity of the middle Bank opposite to Brandy Pott and … there from J Ef’s E about 3 1/2 miles at Ebb? Lake there are only 8 feet water overts? Therefore My concern as Buoy would be in his hensately? necessary at that place, however therefrom

Page 20

laying it down conspicuously on the Map of the Province.

Previous to entering the portage I waited on Alexander Fraser Esquire Seignory of River du Loup and examined his Settlers in order to ascertain his Exact depth of his Seignory. Entered the Portage on the 25th and reached the River St Francis early in the next day selected my conveying porter out … detachment in the charge of Captain Bejan and laid out the lands for the … settlers who were with me at the time; on the 27th in the Afternoon set out for Longs Place at Lake Temiscouata except Sergent Smith or have his … as he was directed to …. In charge of the stores at the Entrance of the Portage; Reached White … on the 31st, and after having laid out the…. I continued on the Salmon River leaving behind the settlers and part of any surveying party to … them passed the Madawaska settlement which extends from the Mouth of the River Madawaska down the River St John about 30 miles Settlers …. On each side of the River exactly

Page 21

resembling the Canadian settlements in that Province; got down to the Military post at the Great Falls, measured across the Portage, proceeded immediately to Salmon river which place I found highly advantageous for the settlers with tolerable clearing which happens to have fortunately fallen to the lot of his large families at the most helpless; in respect of this clearing (more parts exactly mentioned in my returns of Survey) it is necessary Great respectfully state to your Excellency that it originated from an old Canadian who at one time had settled there and afterwards was told his clearing by a man by the name of King who… in the habit of …ing, for that place every year whom enquiries I found he held the kind of title from Governments, however I made it a point to write to Mr. Sproule, Surveyor General at Fredericton on the Subject. Received no answer, therefore in obedience to your Excellency’s Instructions, I have to Report that those two last families are settled on government land within the Province of

Page 22

New Brunswick, and that the other Four Families are considered to be within the Limits of the United States, if the Height of Land, and the line “Expressing” astronomically really North from the Sound of the St-Croix exist as the Boundary between these Provinces and the States of America pursuant to the treaty of peace of 1783 which I am sorry to say must have been founded on a most erroneous map of that part of the Country and consequently the locality of the courses of the River perfectly unknown, by which means there can be no direct communication between the Province of New Brunswick without crossing over an extent of about 85 miles of American Territory; there is a circumstance which is already known to Your Excellency and which sincerely hope will appear most striking to His Majesty’s Ministers, and that shortly a more just and satisfactory Boundary line will be placed and established, not only in respect to the part attended to, but also in regard to the Extensive Frontiers of His Majesty’s

Page 23

British American colonies, more especially the Canadas.

Having laid down on the plans accompanying the Report, References and …, respecting the whole of the communications from the entrance of the Portage to Lake Temiscouata and then to Frederiktion, I shall confine this report to a few general observations in regard to the ameliorations of that route.

The length of the portage is 36 ¾ miles, out of which one fourth of the Total distance may be considered practicable for “carty” the norm have gone beyond and the River du Loup as yet, who Canadian by the name of Cote settlement in which place a Bridge might be made over the River a small distance above his house opposite to a small Island, that is not immediately required at the … of the Road, from the circumstances that when the water are low during the Summer a … can walk across the River, and on

Page 24

the Spring and Fall of the Year when the waters are high Coté must be bound? To have one on the canoes for the conveniency of travelers especially if he receives any allowances from Governments. Therefore I am of the opinion that the Grand Voyer (underwritten … trans having a … of the Portage) with three …. Intelligent Inspectors, one of which may be Long being a very useful man, and one hundred and twenty Canadians the Portage Road in less than one month may be rendered very good and practicable for wheel carriages, it may be proper to observe that the Land of the mountain of … Canadian particularly good Calculated for Settlers, it is about half way between the River Francis and Lake Temiscouata.

From the Extrordinary rise of the water in the River Madawaska river …in the Spring and Fall of the Year, and the inability of the current rapids … added to the difficulties which the Cau.. yearly experience just be … after the breaking of the Ice win the Spring, it would be very necessary to have as soon as possible… traces out and opened from Long’s place, to River Ristook, where two Families might be placed to advantage, and … great a.. distance to the … in regard of … the river, I am informed that this proposed Road might be easily erected by following the Ridges of Mountains which stretches the Entrance of the Lake.

All of which is most,
Respectfully submitted,

Jos. Bouchette
Surveyor-General

Surveyor General’s Office
Quebec, 30 June, 1814.