Page:1898 NB Magazine.djvu/329

stocks (of birch and white maple), and ton timber, the whole to be delivered at the mast pond near Fort Howe by the end of May, 1782.

In order to carry on their operations to advantage, supplies were sent up the river to Maugerville and St. Ann's in small sloops of about ten tons burden, such as were commonly employed on the river. Three of these little vessels bore the then popular feminine names of "Polly," "Sally" and "Lucy." The first of the trio had long been in the service of Hazen, Simonds and White, and her name will be familiar to the readers of these papers. The "Sally" was navigated by William Simpson, and Daniel Leavitt was master of the "Lucy." The supplies required for the business seem to have been not inconsiderable. Goods to the value of £1,430 (nearly $7,000) were sent to the care of Samuel Peabody on board the "Sally", October 23, 1782, and other consignments were forwarded from time to time.

The masts, spars and timber prepared in the woods by the workmen were usually hauled to the water by oxen during the winter. In the month of March the King's purveyor was permitted to certify the number and sizes of the sticks that had been brought to the river's banks "trimmed four-square and fit for rafting," and upon receipt of his certificate Colonel Francklin was at liberty to draw a portion of the money, due on fulfilment of the contract, from the naval storekeeper at Halifax. The masts were rafted and then floated, or towed by sloops, down the river to Fort Howe where they were stored for shipment in the "mast pond." The mast pond was a little cove a short distance to the westward of Portland Point that had been closed and fenced in for the purpose of receiving the masts at the expense of the British government.^[1]