Page:1898 NB Magazine.djvu/330
The mast ships usually sailed from Fort Howe to Halifax under convoy. In the spring of the year 1782 the Atalanta and another war vessel were assigned to the special duty of protecting the Bay of Fundy.
The rapid development of the masting industry is shown by the report of Captain John Munro on the state of settlement of the St. John river in 1783, sub-mitted to General Haldimand in the fall of that year, in which he says:
On the river St John's are the finest Masts and Spars that I have ever seen. I saw at Fort Howe about six thousand pounds worth. Two ships were loading when I left that place [the 26th September], I suppose there were masts sufficient there to load ten ships. * *The proprietors of the lands sell the Pines standing for 8 dollars each tree."
During the year 1782 there was considerable friction between the rival contractors on the St. John, and William Davidson with his purveyor, George Andrew, on several occasions came into collision with Samuel Peabody and his purveyor, John Hayes. The fact that Mr. Davidson was the first in the field gave him some local advantages which were increased by the predilec-tion in his favor manifested by Lieutenant Constant Connor and his small garrison at the Oromocto block house. John Hayes observed in one of his letters to Hazen and White, "I am sorry to say that Lieut. Connor is much attached to Davidson and Andrews, his orders from Sir Richard Hughes specifying to give Davidson all the assistance in his power, and on that account Davidson carries much more sway than he otherwise would."
However the local advantages that were Mr. Davidson's were more than counterbalanced by the powerful influence of Michael Francklin at headquarters as will presently appear.
The new company were soon vigorously employed and their progress is recorded in the letters Hazen and