IAN

Donald Macleod

Description

In the summer of 1725, two fishermen from the Isle of Lewis––young Ian MacLeod and his uncle Hector MacKenzie––set sail from Le LeHavre for Louisbourg and Île Royale on a newly christened merchant ship.
For Ian, it will be his first time experiencing the world beyond the rugged shores of the Outer Hebrides, and what he will discover in the New World will change the direction of his life forever.

Sujets

• Donald Macleod
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 26 juillet 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798369403914
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

IAN
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DONALD MACLEOD
 
Copyright © 2023 by Donald Macleod.
Library of Congress Control Number:
2023913839
ISBN:
Hardcover
979-8-3694-0393-8
 
Softcover
979-8-3694-0392-1
 
eBook
979-8-3694-0391-4
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rev. date: 07/26/2023
 
 
 
 
Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
849255
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For the inside cover
The crest on the cover of this book was painted by my talented and beautiful daughter. A professional highland dancer as well as a gifted artist. Tara Lenore MacLeod is and always will be my most wonderful angel. WE LOVE YOU TARA
DAD
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Bras d’Or Lake—the beautiful tidal lake the Mi’Kmaq called Pitu’pok, which, roughly translated, means “long salt water.”
CONTENTS
Chapter 1     A Walk in the Wilderness
Chapter 2     Trois-Rivières
Chapter 3     Le Sirène
Chapter 4     Montreal
Chapter 5     Lima and Danial
Chapter 6     Fort Frontenac and Back
Chapter 7     Winter 1728
Chapter 8     Springtime
PART 1

CHAPTER 1

A WALK IN THE WILDERNESS
1727
I an was up early; he walked around the town of Quebec looking for a suitable place for his morning meal. It was August, and Ian had still not made up his mind. He had stayed here longer than he had expected. The Emily R , his uncle Hector’s ship, had departed Québec for Scotland around June 1. Ian was lonely; he had never been alone. He realized he had seen a member of his family every day of his life. Until now. In this place, all he saw were strangers. He almost changed his mind and started to look for a ship going east. Since it was still August, there were ships making their way down the St. Lawrence River and would do so until the threat of ice became a hazard.
Ian had to convince himself he had made the right decision. He really did not know what was on his mind; he only knew he was not ready to settle down for the rest of his life. The parts of this country he had seen so far had sparked his sense of adventure. He hoped not just a figment of his imagination.
Artus, the census taker he had met in Louisbourg, called Québec the capital of New France, the Gibraltar of the New World. The city was set on the mighty St. Lawrence River, and from the time the river was free of winter ice, the port was a bustle of activity. Ships carried goods from every direction. Furs were the main trade commodity; but the export of grain, peas, and wood was beginning to take hold.
Ian spent a lot of time at the wharves. He listened to the tales the old salts would tell, and he wondered if the sea was where he belonged. He had to get away from the sea; every one of the old sailors brought back memories of his time on the Emily R , his close friends, George, Harold, Grant, Merf, and of course Hector.
He was sitting at an outside table on the waterfront one afternoon. Ian looked toward the end of the quay; he noticed something that attracted his attention. A tall man who looked to be in a great hurry was hustling down the wharf; Ian saw something that seemed familiar. In an instance, Ian realized it was Father Henri; what other priest stood that tall? When Father Henri saw Ian, his bearded face broke into a broad smile. The priest was elated to see his friend. The two shook hands, sat, and began to catch up. Father Henri was surprised to hear Ian had left the ship. He sensed Ian was not happy. The two chatted about the recent past. Father Henri had been to Paris. He had canvassed many of the upper class for funding to help with the establishment of schools in New France. The previous October, Sister Marguerite Roy and two assistants, all of the congregation of Notre Dame, had started a school in Louisbourg. The word was they had nearly twenty students enrolled, mostly young girls. The boys were too valuable to their families as workers; school would take away from their work time. Ian knew not everyone was as open minded as his own father, when education was involved.
Father Henri had returned to Île Royale in late June, then made his way to Quebec on a freight ship, arriving earlier in the week. He remarked that the ship he had arrived on was by no means like the Emily R . The food was terrible, the crew was not friendly, and the captain seemed to be drunk most of the time. He said to Ian that the experience he had with Hector, Ian, and the rest of the Emily R crew had spoiled him for further ocean trips. They spent the afternoon together. When it was time for evening prayers, Father Henri stood. He did not ask Ian to accompany him. Ian, as a Protestant, had learned to become invisible at this time of day. The Jesuits in town were not as forgiving as Father Henri and could be very rude in the name of religion. Father Henri did not make judgments based on a person’s religious upbringing. He would say it was more important who the person was, not who others wanted them to be. Did this thinking come from being a Récollet, not a Jesuit; or was it because he was Canadian, with a more open mind than the European-educated priests?
Ian found a place on the waterfront where he would not be noticed as he waited for Father Henri, and after mass, the two met for dinner. They chatted about many things from the past to what the future may hold. Father Henri listened to the young man; he realized Ian was having a hard time deciding his future. The priest could understand Ian’s dilemma since it was what had faced him not so many years ago.
Father Henri and Ian walked together along rue du Petit Champlain; Ian had an upstairs room, above a storeroom, on Place Royale. The priest had friends in the Séminaire de Québec and always had a cot when needed. The two parted ways at rue Notre Dame with plans to meet after morning mass at the same tavern.
 
The next morning broke with bright sun; the temperature was on the rise when the two met for breakfast. Father Henri told Ian that he was to go to Trois-Rivières, for the bishop had summoned him. The priest asked Ian if he would be interested in being his traveling companion. The priest hoped Ian would agree. He felt a certain responsibility to the young man. He would feel guilty if he left Ian behind.
“We will carry on to Montreal,” said Father Henri, “after the business in Trois-Rivières is completed.”
Ian had nothing to hold him in Quebec. He had been working a few hours a week for the local cooper making barrels but had no contract to hold him. The two discussed the route. The priest said it would take more than a week to make the trip to Montreal. The Chemin du Roy—a road that had been in the planning stages for some time—was far from completion. The 170-mile-long, 24-foot-wide road connecting Quebec City and Repentigny near Montreal was stalled; and Father Henri speculated that at the rate the road building was progressing, it would take many years to complete. Father Henri knew the building of a road would involve many bridges across some very large rivers—rivers like the Batiscan, which would be very hard to span.
Father Henri had made the trip between the two growing communities many times. He was known to the local natives as Les Habitants, the name French Canadians had given themselves. Because Father Henri was born and raised in Canada, the settlers accepted him as a peer and welcomed him into their homes. For their kindness, Father Henri would see to the Habitants’ religious needs, marriage, baptism, last rites, Christian burials, as well as saying mass. Some would not see a church or priest for up to a year or more.
“The church tried to charge a levy. The clergy called it a religious contribution. The people called it a tax,” Father Henri explained. “This caused a rift with the church in some cases.”
Ian had a flash memory of his family home on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland—politics versus people. Father Henri felt he had been able to remove himself from the politics. He offered the settlers spiritual guidance. After all, that was what they were in need of and what they expected from him.
 
The next morning, Father Henri was waiting for Ian at the tavern. The table had a brass ewer of water, some bread, and cheese. The two made small talk while they ate. Once finished, Father Henri was ready to get under way. Ian noticed the priest was carrying a leather bag hung over his shoulder. Ian looked at the large sea bag he had dragged to the quay.
The priest smiled and shook his head. “Walking to Montréal is not the same as going to sea.”
Ian understood immediately. The walk would not be a stroll; the trail was in various states of construction. The French may ha