1833

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From The Story of Dartmouth, by John P. Martin:

The stagecoach from Pictou on August 24th, 1833, carried among its passengers a man whose name is still familiar to thousands of bird-lovers throughout North America. He was John James Audubon, famous ornithologist and artist.

We learn from his diary that the distinguished naturalist spent at least forty-five minutes at or near the ferry in Dartmouth, because the stagecoach seems to have arrived there just at the time when Captain Hunter and the crew of the “Sir Charles Ogle” were off to their midday meal.

Audubon was making his first visit to Nova Scotia. He had been in Labrador, and afterwards went to Pictou where he was presented with several specimens of stuffed birds and sea shells from the collection of Dr. Thomas McCulloch. The latter had accompanied his guest as far as Truro.

We append the portion of the diary dealing with his impressions of Dartmouth. The party had left Truro at 11 p.m., and breakfasted at Grand Lake:

The road from that tavern to Halifax is level and good, though rather narrow, and a very fine drive for private carriages. We saw the flag of the garrison at Halifax, two miles before we reached the place, when we suddenly turned short, and brought up at a gate fronting a wharf, at which lay a small steam-ferry boat. The gate was shut, and the mail was detained nearly an hour waiting for it to be opened.

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