The wreck of the Auguste / Issued by National Historic Sites. : R64-191/1992E

For three days, the November gale had been raging out of the east-northeast, heaping up the sea and driving great combers onto the desolate beaches of Aspy Bay on Cape Breton's coast. Out of the grey murk and flying spume came a lurching ship with the torn remnants of sails flapping on all masts. Suddenly it ran aground about 40 yards from shore. The year was 1761 and this was the Auguste, one of Canada's most famous, and tragic, shipwrecks. Of 114 passengers and crew on the voyage to disaster, only seven survived. But there was one fortunate outcome. Survivor St-Luc de la Corne kept a vivid account of the event. More than 200 years later, divers found the wreck based on his information. The Wreck of the Auguste is also an account of the storms and politics of the time. The ship had set sail for France from Quebec two weeks before. On board were many of Montreal's illustrious fur-trading and military families. Many were native-born Canadians being repatriated to a country they had never seen before.

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Publication information
Department/Agency Canada. Environment Canada. Canadian Parks Service.
Title The wreck of the Auguste / Issued by National Historic Sites.
Publication type Monograph
Language [English]
Other language editions [French]
Format Paper
Other formats Electronic-[English]
Note(s) Contents: Shipwrecked.--The storms of war and politics.--Journey into exile.--A voyage to disaster.--The long march of St-Luc de La Corne.--The life and death of a ship.--Artifacts of the passengers.--Artifacts of the ship.--If you want to learn more.--Appendix: The passenger list.
Publishing information Ottawa - Ontario : Environment Canada. 1992.
Binding Softcover
Description 70p. : figs., illus., references ; 23 cm.
ISBN 0-660-14562-6
Catalogue number
  • R64-191/1992E
Subject terms Canadian history
Ships
Marine accidents
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