Between France and New France: Life Aboard the Tall Sailing Ships

172 Pages·1984·14.099 MB·English

by  Gilles Proulx

Between France
and
New France
Life Aboard the Tall Sailing Ships
by Gilles Provdx
Published by Dundurn Press Limited
in co-operation with Parks Canada
and the Canadian Government Publishing
Centre, Supply and Services Canada
Dundurn Press Limited
Toronto and Charlottetown
1984
Copyright © Minister of Supply and Services Canada - 1984
Catalogue number - RG62-129/1984E
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except brief
passages for purposes of review) without the prior written permission of the Minister of Supply and Services
Canada.
The publication of this book was made possible through the assistance of Parks Canada
and the Canadian Government Publishing Centre, Supply and Services Canada. The
publisher also wishes to acknowledge the ongoing support of the Canada Council and
the Ontario Arts Council.
J. Kirk Howard, Publisher
Copy editor: Elaine R. Beemer
Design and Production: Ron and Ron Design Photography
Typesetting: Q Composition Incorporated
Printing and Binding: Marquis Printing, Canada
Dundurn Press Limited
P.O. Box 245, Station F,
Toronto, Canada
M4Y 2L5
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Proulx, Gilles
Between France and New France
Translation of: Entre France et Nouvelle-France.
Published in collaboration with Parks Canada.
Includes index.
Bibliography: p.
ISBN 0-919670-81-4 (bound). - ISBN 0-919670-80-6 (pbk.).
1. Sailing - North Atlantic Ocean - History - 18th
century. 2. Ocean travel - North Atlantic Ocean -
History - 18th century. 3. Sailing ships — France —
History: 18th century. 4. Sailing ships - Canada -
History - 18th century. 5. Seafaring life - North
Atlantic Ocean - History - 18th century. 6. Canada -
History - To 1763 (New France).
I. Parks Canada.
II. Title.
VK18.P7613 1984 910'.091631 C84-099216-5
Between France
and
New France
Life Aboard the Tall Sailing Ships
by Gilles Proulx
This page intentionally left blank
Acknowledgements
This book is based on research undertaken to develop Battle of the Ris-
tigouche National Historic Park and broaden our understanding of the
maritime background to the 1760 event. Thanks to the support of Parks
Canada and my colleagues, the results of this research are now available
to a wider public.
In gathering information from various archives in Canada, France
and Great Britain, I was greatly aided by the co-operation and advice of
staff members of the following institutions: the Archives nationales and
the Bibliotheque nationale in Paris, the Archives maritimes de Paris
(Vincennes), the Archives maritimes de Rochefort, the Bordeaux and La
Rochelle departmental archives, the Musee de la Marine in Paris, the
National Maritime museum in Greenwich, the Public Record Office in
London, the archives of the Monastere de 1'Hotel-Dieu in Quebec City,
the Musee de Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre and the Public Archives of Canada.
I am particularly grateful to professors Lucien Campeau of the Uni-
versity of Montreal and Jacques Mathieu of Laval University, as well as
to my Parks Canada colleagues - Michel P. de Courval, Marc Lafrance
and Louis R. Richer - who agreed to read my manuscript and suggested
a number of corrections. I would also like to mention the help of Professor
James Pritchard of Queen's University and of Real Boissonnault of Parks
Canada; these gentlemen graciously provided many references. Sincere
thanks also go to Noella Gauthier and Judith Labbe, who had the difficult
task of transcribing my manuscript.
Finally, I am greatly indebted to my wife, Cecile Bilodeau, for her
understanding.
G.P.
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
List of Illustrations 10
Preface 12
Abbreviations and Monetary Unit 12
Introduction 13
Maritime Traffic and Outfit of Vessels
The French navy 17
The merchant marine 21
Maritime traffic 25
Operations of the French royal navy 32
Port activities 42
The Atlantic Course
Courses and markers 47
Speed and distances 54
Climate and averages 59
Dangers and safety measures 71
Travelling up the St. Lawrence 76
The People and their Occupations
The crew 81
The passengers 87
Crew members' duties 93
Life Aboard Ship
Routine and sleeping quarters 100
Diet 106
Illness and medical treatment Ill
Religious practice 117
Insubordination and discipline 123
Recreation 125
Conclusion 129
Appendices 132
Notes 153
Bibliography 167
Index of Tables 170
Index of Names 171
9
List of Illustrations
1. King's vessels 19
2. The Alcide 22
3. TheArethuse 23
4. The Chameau 30
5. Rig of merchant vessels 31
6. Careened vessel 34
7. Stem of the Machault 35
8. Pulleys from the Machault 38
9. Deadeye of the Machault 39
10. View of the Prudent and the Bienfaisant 40
11. Courses followed by the King's frigate Diane 48
12. "West-Indische Paskaert", Pieter Goos 50
13. New scaled-down chart of the Spanish Seas,
Gerard Van Keulen 55
14. Capture of the Alcide and the Lys in 1755 56
15. Map of the eastern portion of New France, or Canada,
Nicolas Bellin 60
16. View of the town of Louisbourg 62
17. Part of the St. Lawrence River with the passage through
the traverse and nearby islands, Nicolas Bellin 63
18. Plan of the drydock in the port of Louisbourg 65
19. "A general view of Quebec from Point Levy", Richard Short 66
20. View of the port of Rochefort 68
21. View of the port of La Rochelle 69
22. View of the port of Bordeaux 70
23. Sea astrolabe 74
24. Hadley's octant 75
25. View of the port of Brest 88
26. Men-of-war sailing from the Toulon roadstead 91
27. Planes from the Machault 94
28. Chinese porcelain bowl from the Machault 96
29. Rafts used during the siege of Quebec City 98
10
30. View of cross-section of a three-decker man-of-war 105
31. Model of a 50-gun man-of-war 116
32. Votive offering 119
33. Pewter tableservice from the Machault 120
34. Pump from the Machault 122
35. Pump's piston from the Machault 126
11