“Official” Government Documentation Concerning the Mixed-Bloods of Caraquet 1888

327. Further Historical “Official” Government Documentation Concerning the Mixed-Bloods of Caraquet, New Brunswick: This folder contains a copy of James M. Mulhall’s 1888 publication entitled, “Tourists’ Guide to Saint John and the Province of New Brunswick: Containing Maps, Illustrations, Hack Fares, Railroad and Steamboat Lines, Lists of Offices, With Their Location; Places of Interest, in City and Vicinity, Etc., Etc., Etc. And All Other Information Useful to Men of Business, Tourists & Travellers.” According to the title page of this document, it was “published by the Canada Railway News Company Limited.” The title page also states that this publication was “entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year 1888, by the Canada Railway News Co. (Limited), in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture, Ottawa.”
Unfortunately, I was unable to locate any biographical information concerning the Author of this document, James M. Mulhall therefore, I’m unable to provide you with any biographical information concerning him in the current summary.

That being said, I’ll now provide you with a bit of background information concerning “Tourists’ Guide to Saint John and the Province of New Brunswick: Containing Maps, Illustrations, Hack Fares, Railroad and Steamboat Lines, Lists of Offices, With Their Location; Places of Interest, in City and Vicinity, Etc., Etc., Etc. And All Other Information Useful to Men of Business, Tourists & Travellers.” This information can be found on page xi in the “Introductory” section and is as follows:

“THIS book is published for the purpose of affording to tourists and others reliable information with regard to the country of which it treats: such as will render it valuable for reference, not only for the moment, but for all time. The compiler has been influenced by no other motive than that of affording to its readers such information as they will find most valuable.”

Based on this information, I believe it appropriate to conclude that James M. Mulahll’s 1888 publication entitled, “Tourists’ Guide to Saint John and the Province of New Brunswick: Containing Maps, Illustrations, Hack Fares, Railroad and Steamboat Lines, Lists of Offices, With Their Location; Places of Interest, in City and Vicinity, Etc., Etc., Etc. And All Other Information Useful to Men of Business, Tourists & Travellers.”
That being said, it’s now time to begin our discussion concerning “Tourists’ Guide to Saint John and the Province of New Brunswick: Containing Maps, Illustrations, Hack Fares, Railroad and Steamboat Lines, Lists of Offices, With Their Location; Places of Interest, in City and Vicinity, Etc., Etc., Etc. And All Other Information Useful to Men of Business, Tourists & Travellers.” Although this document provides a great deal of interesting and important historical and current facts (at the time of its publication in 1888) concerning the Saint John, and other regions of New Brunswick, I’ve chosen to discuss only one brief excerpt. This excerpt can be found on page 72 and concerns the origins of a European presence in Caraquet. This excerpt is as follows:

“… Caraquette was founded in 1768 by a colony of Bretons, and owed a part of its early growth to intermarriages with the Micmacs. It is a long street of farms in the old Acadian style, and is situated in a fruitful and well-cultivated country. The view from the hills over the village, and especially from the still venerated spot where the old chapel stood, is very pleasant, and includes Miscou and Shippegan, the Gaspe ports, and the bold Quebec shores. The Jersey house of Robin & Co. has one of its fishing establishments here, and does a large business…”

The importance of this excerpt lies in the simple fact that it is asserted by James M. Mulhall in it that “Caraquette was founded in 1768 by a colony of Bretons, and owed a part of its early growth to intermarriages with the Micmacs.” There really isn’t much to say about this assertion other than it’s similar to those made by the Authors of other documentation concerning Caraquet, New Brunswick that we’ve discussed throughout this collection.

In conclusion, although James M. Mulhall’s “Tourists’ Guide to Saint John and the Province of New Brunswick: Containing Maps, Illustrations, Hack Fares, Railroad and Steamboat Lines, Lists of Offices, With Their Location; Places of Interest, in City and Vicinity, Etc., Etc., Etc. And All Other Information Useful to Men of Business, Tourists & Travellers,” which was published in 1888, doesn’t contribute any “new and exciting” evidence to this collection, it’s still a very welcome addition.
I state this because this document was created with the intent to serve as a “Tourists’ Guide” to the Saint John, New Brunswick region, and to the Province of New Brunswick as a whole. This is very important because it was intended to provide tourists with legitimate and valid information concerning the areas it discusses, which increases the validity of Mr. Mulhall’s assertion that the region of “Caraquette was founded in 1768 by a colony of Bretons, and owed a part of its early growth to intermarriages with the Micmacs.” This is especially important when one factors in that 1888 wasn’t a time when people freely and openly, for the most part disclosed having First Nations ancestry.