SATURDAY
DECEMBER 31 1932
LABRADOR
Labrador Matters In Brief Survey
Some Statics and Details Regarding the Great Northern Dependency of
Newfoundland With Reference to Past and Present Titles and a Historical
Data in Connection With The Labrador Award.
During the last few months of 1932 the Coast of Labrador, has once
again been brought prominently before the world, and this time because
of the reported discovery by D. S. Bondurant of gold bearing quartz and
slate in the vicinity of Lake Wakunich on the headwaters of the
Ashuanipi River which empties in Hamilton River. The reported
discovery is in 57.5 Lat and 67 Long. On October 5th last Captain
Bonduant signed agreement with the Government under certain
conditions. Since that date 11 or 12 applications for 100,000
square miles each have been approved by the government on the same
terms as granted in the original applicant and it may be presumed that
any further areas to be approved will be along the similar lines.
In short form the terms are as follows.:-
The concessionaire is given for a term of three years the exclusive
right to prospect over the area of land included in his
agreement. He shall yearly pay to the Crown the sun of $1,000 and
expend on actual prospecting the sum of $5,000 yearly expense to use
such reasonable water power within his area. He may cut on the
land such timber as is actually required for building and mining, and
shall pay neither rent or royalties for it. He is permitted to
import free of duty during the term of the agreement-three years all
mining equipment for prospecting and exploration.
At the end of the three years the concessionaire may select such potion
of the area held by him, and stake and take up such portion under the
provisions of the Crown Lands Act.
He shall pay as royalty , on coal, 15 1/2 cents per ton; Copper 4 cents
and ____ (unreadable) that is one per cent of copper are smelted, lead
2 cents per unit, figured as above; Iron 5 cents on every ton sold or
smelted.
A tax on net profits he shall pay a 5 per cent on annual net profits in
excess of$10,000 up to $5,000,000; (b) and a 6 per cent on annual
net profits in excess of $5,000,000 up to $105,000,000 (c) 7 per cent
on annual net profit in excess of $10,000,000 up to $15,000,000; (d) on
the excess above $15,000,000 a proportional increase of 1 per cent for
each additional $5,000,000.
These agreements between the concessionaire and the Government of
Newfoundland are subject to ratification at the next session of the
Legislature.
CONCESSIONS DISCRIMINATORY
The question may well be asked, "If we have Crown Lands Act," and that
act dose not cover all the conditions in the original agreement, made
with Bondurant , why not amend the Act, instead of making special
agreements? The answer is that it has become "the custom of the country
to give a charter to anyone who seeks, if the concessions required are
not met with in existence Acts of the Legislature."
In connection with the concessions already granted, there is this point
also, which discriminates against any future prospecting parties.
Under the agreement signed, all prospecting materials comes into
Newfoundland duty free. This applies to the concessionaires
only. Prospectors who may enter the Coast of Labrador after
January 5th, will pay duty on their equipment.
Those entering by means of airplanes, will take off from Seven Islands,
Quebec province. There is no Newfoundland Customs there and duty
, it is presumed , will have to be collected, after the arrival in
Labrador.
The Government in November of 1932 after it had issued minerals
licences to some 30 or 40 prospectors and whilst they were on their way
to St. John's from Labrador Coast, having spent a couple of months
prospecting, issued a proclamation reserving from the operation of the
Crown Land's Act, all minerals on the Labrador. On November 15th
of this year, after certain areas were approved the Government issued a
proclamation rescinding the reservation, except in as far as it applied
to such areas as are held under any grant, lease or licence, or are
reserved by agreement with the Governor in Council. On December
5th, a notice was published that on and after January 5th1932 the
staking of mineral areas on the Labrador under the provisions of
the Crown lands Act ,shall again be valid.
MODE OF GRANTING TITLES
UNFAVOURABLE
The prolific tinkering with rights and be granted under the Crown Lands
Act in the past brought the country into disrepute amongst many
reputable mining engineers. They have felt that it is not safe to
take prospecting seriously because, overnight the area that they have
been examining may be reserved from the operation of the Act. It
is presumed, that on and after January 5th next, when the Labrador
Coast is thrown open for staking, that the granting of 100 square miles
reservations will be abandoned , and that the prospectors who actually
dose his work on the ground will be left to prospect and stake, under
the provisions of the Crown Land Act as it is.
These reservation for the exclusive right to prospect, have not
established a precedent however. Chapter 47 of the Consolidated
Statutes of of Newfoundland (First Series) passed in 1872, contains
amongst other these sections.
The Governor in Council may grant an exclusive right of searching for
minerals and mines to any person for any period not exceeding three
miles, and he shall have the right to grant any quantity not exceeding
one square miles, if applied for with the said two years.
The Governor in Council may issue grants in fee or leases of one square
mile of land, with the mines and minerals therein to any person
applying for same. The conditions were that the lessee must expend the
sum of $20,000 in and about the working of minerals within a period of
eleven years. On expenditure of this sum he was entitled to a
grant in fee simple. The cost of the licence not to exceed $50.
When section is made or patent issued for part of the land under
license the residue shall, before being granted, be put up to public
auction in lots , as the governor in Council may direct after three
months notice in the Royal Gazette, and the highest bidder, being
qualified as by law required, shall on payment of the purchase money,
be entitled to a grant, subject, however, to the provisions of this
chapter.
Another blanket reservation of indeterminate boundaries was made in
favour of Charles Fox Bennett, in the years 1851, 1852 and 1853.
He was given by the government, mining rights over 1,000,000 acres on
the West die of Placentia bay, the Burin Peninsula, and extending West
to Bay D'Espoir, with no boundary inland. In 1904 by arrangement
with the executor of the Estate, fee simple mining grants for 50 square
miles were issued because of the question of validity of the former
title.
PROVIDE FOR INTENSIVE PROSPECTING
the method of dealing with such portions of the 100 square miles
reservations on the Coast of Labrador, as may not be taken up under the
Crown Lands Act., as the expiration of three years might well be the
same as that under Chapter 47 quoted. It will be impossible to
thoroughly prospect the whole 100 square miles in the time set.
Then at the expiration of the three years, the area not staked should
be advertised in the Newfoundland Gazette and sold to the highest
bidder, and a title issued under the Crown Lands Act. This would
make for intensive prospecting on the part of the concessionaires.
All or any portion of any 100 squares miles , which may be selected and
staked under the Act, will carry the timber and water claims, (if any)
which may be included within the boundaries of the mining claims.
The Crown Lands Act of 1930, is based on the Ontario Act. In the
Ontario Act a special section is inserted, providing that any water
power, that may be capable of developing 100 horse power and upwards,
shall be reserved from the mining claims. The Newfoundland Act
dose not carry this reservation. Where the timber rights are in
the Crown , the mining lease will also carry the right to this timber,
and both water power and timber, without renter royalty. Hesketh
Prichard F F. R. G. S. published in 1911 "Through Trackless Labrador."
In the preface he sums up in a few sentences just what Labrador has
been, and is ; and goes further and suggests the only remedy. He
writes "The life of the Labrador is entirely predatory. it never has
been anything else north of latitude 54, and unless mineral discoveries
are made new can be. The bear, the caribou, the birds, the seals,
the salmon, the trout, and the cod form the capital of the country and
the problems is solved by successful destruction."
A. P. Low, of the Canadian Geological Department, in his reports of
1883 , 94 and 95 makes the reference to the result of his exploration
of the Hamilton River.
ECONOMIC MINERALS
Gold. This metal was not observed in any of the rocks, along the
routes followed, but it may occur the numerous small quartz vain that
cut the Huronian rocks, carrying iron and copper pyrites. The
most promising localities for future investigation are along Koksoak
River, especially in the vicinity of the Manitou Gorge a few miles above
Stillwater River.
Copper pyrites was met with in quartz veins.
Iron. The immense deposits of magnetite, hematite and siderite in
the Cambrian formation, and their widespread distribution may at some
future date be of economic importance especially those containing a
large percentage of manganese. The ore are always associated with
cherry limestone, and this carbonate of lime is very wide-spread, being
met with at Lake Mistassini and along the Koksoak River and Hamilton
River.
REPORT OF J. P. HOWLEY FOR 1832
Tin-1.20 per cent of oxide of tin was found to be contained in a
specimen of Columbite, from Labrador. Molybdenite- Good specimens
have been exhibited from Hamilton Inlet, Labrador.
LORD STRATHCONA AND MINERALS
Mr. Smith afterwards Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, was for a number
of years chief factor at Labrador for the Hudson's Bay Company , and
Beckles Wilson in his published work on this great man says.
"On August 1st 1866, Mr. Smith left on the Company's (Hudson's
bay Company) steamer Ripple for Esquimaux Bay, and on August 8th
arrived at Rigolet . After the labour incidental to loading of
the homeward bound steamer, and packing of salmon had been disposed of
the Chief Factor left for North West River.
He returned to find that in on sequence of his many representations, a
competent mineralogist, Mr. Bauerman had arrived in the company's new
ship, the Labrador, and was now spending the summer in surveying all
that part of the coast supposed to contain minerals. The
expedition was of value, but some of the shareholders expressed
themselves as disappointed because no gold mines had been found."
The first forest fire proclamation that we have a record of was put up
along the Coast of Labrador in 1767 and reads as follow:-
ORDER AGAINST FIRING THE WOODS ON THE COAST
OF LABRADOR
By His Excellency Hugh Palliser
Whereas the woods are frequently set on fire upon this coast by the
crews of whaling vessels from the plantations and the same in an
offence against the Statute of the 10th and 11th of William III, and is
equally prejudicial to the public whether done wilfully, maliciously or
negligently. Notice is hereby given that if any person by any
ways or means whatever, shall set on fire any of the woods within my
Government they will be apprehended and sent to me at St. John's to be
tried for such offence against the Statute.
N. B. Copies of this Order are put up along this coast where whaling
vessels resort.
N.B. No fires must be made on shore where there is a possibility of its
communicating fire to the adjoining woods.
By Order of His Excellency,
Sgd. John Horsnall.
Given at Pitts Harbour, Labrador,
July 23rd, 1767.
HISTORY OF LABRADOR
In reply to a communication from the Governor General of Canada when
the question of Newfoundland's right to the Coast of Labrador was first
questioned by Canada, the Government of the drafted a minute of
Council. It was signed by R. Bond, Colonial Secretary , and
approved by Cavendish Boyle, Governor, and dated July 24th 1903.
It gives briefly and clearly the history of the Coast of Labrador as
follows :
"By the Royal Proclamation of 1768 the River St. John was made the
Eastern limit of the Province of Quebec on the North Shore of the St.
Lawrence, and all the rest of the shore and the Atlantic Coast of
Labrador, to Hudson Strait with Anticosti and other islands in the Gulf
of St. Lawrence, were annexed to Newfoundland.
Eleven years later , in 1774 the Labrador, the North Shore of the River
and Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Islands in the Gulf were all
transferred to Quebec by the Quebec Act. They remained part of
Quebec until 1791 and part of Lower Canada until 1809, in which year
the Imperial Parliament passed an Act which re-annexed to Newfoundland
all that had been added to it by the proclamation of 1763, with the
exception of the Magdalene Islands. In the year 1825 the Imperial
Parliament passed an Act which restored to Lower Canada part of what
had been taken from it in 1809, namely so much of the Coast of Labrador
as "lies to the Westward of a line to be drawn due north and south from
the Bay or Harbor of Ance Sablon , inclusive as far as the fifty
second degree of North Latitude with the Island of Anticosti and all
other Island adjacent to such part as last aforesaid of the Coast
of Labrador.
FIRST TITLE ISSUED
The first title to be issued for the mines and metals on the Coast of
Labrador was to John Agnew and his associates in 1773 and this provide
that one tenth of all minerals gotten from the earth shall be the
property of His Majesty the King. As a matter of interesting
reading the following extract is given. This extract shows that
in 1773, the copper Mine at Shoa Bay, near Petty Harbour was being
worked.
Privy Council order for instrument granting mines and minerals to John
Agnew and his associated
At the Council Chamber, Whitehall, the 3rd day of July 1773 by the
Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation
Affairs.
In a report of the Lords of Trade on petition of several London
merchants for an exclusive right to trade in perpetuity upon the Coast
of Labrador, the following appears:-
Whereas there was this day laid before their Lordships a report from
the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations dated the 3rd of June
1773 upon the petition of John Agnew of Shecuan and associates in the
county of Wigtown North Britain , humbly praying that His Majesty would
be graciously pleased to grant unto them all mines and minerals already
discovered in the Island of Newfoundland or on the coast or country of
Labrador, between the river St. Lawrence and Hudson's Straits, at a
certain limited distance, not exceeding sixty miles from the sea or
flowing of the sea water or any part of the said coast of Labrador,
under such reservations and restriction as have been usual on like
occasions:
REPORT RE AGNEW GRANT
They seen objection to advising your Majesty to grant to the
petitioners all mines and minerals, that have been or shall hereafter
be discovered by them or their associates within the said Island of
Newfoundland and upon the coast of Labrador, between the River St.
John's and the south limits of the territory granted to Hudson's Bay
Company ; provided a such grant be accompanied with the following
conditions and restrictions viz:-
First .That the
petitioners shall annually lay before your Majesty in Council an
account, attested upon oath, of the state of the works, the number of
persons employed therein, the quantity of ore, mineral, and metal dug
up, and to what place exported.
Second. that in
case the petitioners shall not lay before your Majesty in council,
satisfactory proof of their within seven years from the date of their
charter caused diligent search for, and used their endeavours to
discover some mine or mines, and shall not within fourteen from the
said date, lay full evidence, if required before your majesty as
aforesaid, or their having opened, dug and effectually worked some mine
or mines or extracted some mineral or metal, then and in either case
upon an order or declaration of your majesty in council the Letters
Patent shall cease, determine and become void.
Third. that
there shall be reserved to your Majesty , your heirs and as successors
one tenth of all ores, minerals and metals that shall be discovered,
dug up or extracted by the petitioners.
And your Majesty's Attorney and Solicitor General having accordingly
prepared a draught of a grant to pass the Great Seal, of such mines,
minerals and ore, and of a license to dig and search for the same for
the term of 999 years.
Tuesday, January 27th 1778.
The secretary laid before the Board of commissioners for Trade and
Plantation certain papers relating to a grant to John A. Agnew, and
others of mines which they shall discover and work within the Island of
Newfoundland and such parts of the sea coat of Labrador as lie within
sixty miles of the low water mark.
Also a report of the state of the copper mine at Shoal Bay. A
letter from Mr. Dunn to Governor Montagu respecting the Kings tenth.
ACTUAL POSSESSION IN 1586
In a report of the Lords of Trade on petition of several London
Merchants for an exclusive right to trade in perpetuity upon the Coast
of Labrador, the following appears :
1752. The country called Nova Brittania or Terra Labrador , and
by some ancient geographers Estoitland and Terra Corteralis.
The first authentic account we have of a discovery of this country was
of that made by Sebastian Cabot in the year 1497, who had a commission
from Henry VII to make discoveries to the Westward. In the first
voyage he made in consequence of this commission he fell in with land
in Latitude 67 North, from whence he continued his cruse southward
along the coast of Labrador, to Newfoundland and the Baccalaos Islands,
and from thence down to Florida. At his return to England he
brought with him three savages whom it is said he took in Newfoundland;
but as that Island is only visited by the natives from the continent at
certain seasons of the year, and then only on the western coast, it is
most probable that he brought them from the coast of Labrador, and
there is the greater reason to believe this as Gaskar Corterealis who
is said to have visited this coast in the year1500, and from whence it
has the name of Terra Corterealis, brought from thence a gilded sword
and saw amongst the natives several toys and other evident vestiges of
Europeans having been lately amongst them.
After this several voyages were made by the English to these Northern
parts of America, particularly by Martin Frobisher, John Davis, George
Weymouth and James Hill in the years from 1576 to 1605. But as
the object of these navigators was to discover a passage to the
westward it dose not appear that any of them visited the coast of
Labrador, except John Davis who in 1586 landed in a harbor in latitude
56, where he stayed trafficking with the natives for several days and
this is the first authentic account we have of any actual possession
being taken of that country on the eastern side.
(Report of Lords of Trade on petition of several London merchants for
an exclusive right to trade in perpuity upon the coast of Labrador)
DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATION
As a conclusion a list, chronologically of early discoveries and
exploration in this cost ay be given.
The first European authentically know to have visited the Eastern
shores of America was Biarne, the Norseman who in , in 990, sailed
southeast from Greenland, and skirting the shores of Labrador and
Newfoundland, proceeded southward..
In 1000, Lief, the son of Eric the Red, the first settler in Greenland,
followed Biarne's track, and landed on the coast of Labrador, which
from it desolate rocky coast he called Helluland, "Strong Land".
According to Humboldt, Szkolney, a Pole, is said to have made a voyage
to Greenland and Labrador in 1476.
About this time or shortly afterwards, the Basque fishermen in search
of whales, crossed the Atlantic to the shores of Labrador, and
Newfoundland, and appear to have been met there by the Cabots and
Cortereal.
A Portuguese map of 1520 has the name "Lavrador" applied to Greenland
while the unseparated coast of Labrador and Newfoundland are called
"Bacalhaos" or codfish in the Basque tongue.
In 1586, John Davis passed along the Labrador coast and discovered two
openings, Davis Inlet, and Ivutoke (Hamilton) Inlet.
In 1770 the Moravian Missionaries first settled among th Eskimos on the
Atlantic coast.
In 1777 the first English entered Hamilton Inlet for purposes of trade
with the natives, and found there the remains of posts erected by the
French.
In 1814 the Rev. Mr. Steinhaur published in the Transaction of the
Geological Society a short description of the Atlantic coast, with
notes on the various rocks found about the Moravian Mission stations.
In 1824 the governor of Newfoundland was empowered to institute a court
of civil jurisdiction along the coast of Labrador.
In 1833 John McLean, then in the charge of Fort Chimo, crossed overland
to Hamilton Inlet, where the Hudson's bay Co. had established posts in
1837, passing the way Lake Michikamau.
In 1839 McLean again started across to Hamilton Inlet with canoes, but
reached only the Grand Falls on the Hamilton River, and thus had the
honour of being the first white man to view this mighty cataract.
In 1860 an expedition was sent by the United States Government and a
station was established at Eclipse Harbour to observe a solar eclipse.
Note on the geology of the northern coast of Labrador were made by
Oscar M. Leiber.
In 1862 Henry Yule Hind ascended the Mosie River and wrote two volumes
on the interior of Labrador , which is still regarded as the standard
authority.
In 1860 and 1864 Dr. Packard visited the Atlantic coast, and published
a paper dealing with the natural resources.
In 1873 the Moravian Missionaries published two maps of the Atlantic
coast.
In 1887 F. R. Holmes attempted to reach Grand Falls but only reached
Lake Winokapau. He made a map of the river to that point.
In 1891 two separate expeditions from the United States ascended the
Hamilton River, and visited Grand Falls.
In 1893, 1894 and 1895 A. P. Low of the Canadian Geological Department
spent these years on the Hamilton River and his geodetic and geological
data, has still to be relied.