NL Day 3

Still more driving …

Left Moncton around 10, arrived Sydney around 5. Was supposed to be 5 hour journey but turned into 7 after a 2 hour stop in Pictou. In the little maritime museum we learned about a the arrival of Scottish settlers in 1773. Here is a short description produced by google’s AI thing, Gemini:

The boat you are referring to is the Ship Hector, a historic vessel often celebrated as Canada’s equivalent to the Mayflower.

The Ship Hector

The Hector was an old, Dutch-built, three-masted merchant ship that was already in relatively poor, degraded condition when it was chartered to transport Scottish passengers. Originally designed for cargo rather than human transport, it lacked proper passenger accommodations.

The 1773 Voyage

• The Departure: The ship departed from Loch Broom, Scotland, in July 1773, packed with 189 Highland crofters and artisans who were fleeing poverty and seeking a new life.
• The Journey: While the grueling trip across the Atlantic was only supposed to last about six weeks, it stretched into a harrowing 11-week ordeal.
• The Hardships: The Hector was hit by fierce gales off Newfoundland that severely delayed its progress. Due to the cramped, unsanitary conditions and dwindling supplies, outbreaks of dysentery and smallpox claimed the lives of 18 passengers during the crossing.
• The Arrival: On September 15, 1773, the battered ship finally dropped anchor in Pictou Harbour, marking the first wave of significant, direct Scottish migration to Nova Scotia.
  Today, the ship’s legacy is preserved in Pictou at the Hector Heritage Quay, where a full-scale replica of the historic vessel stands to honor the resilience of those early Gaelic settlers.