One of my more favorite legends of the Magdalen Islands is the story of James Cassidy and his Newfoundland dog, during the August Gale of 1873. The story is true and is written up in the Canadian archives in Ottawa, as the dog hero who saved the seamen from sure death.

As it was told, a young man named James Cassidy once lived in Amherst, Magdalen Islands. He had a Newfoundland dog whom he adored and rarely went anywhere without. The dog would swim in the roughest of seas to collect sea ducks brought down by the hunter. He never failed to find his target.

The large fishing fleets of the world came to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to harvest the bountiful seafood which used the Gulf for feeding and breeding. They would fish for mackerel, cod, fall herring and halibut the entire season before returning to their native lands.

During the summer of 1873, on August 24^th, the American fleet was enjoying a great bounty of fish. Their holds were full and they were preparing to return to the mainland, when word came that a gale wind was coming down from the north-west. Rather than be caught out to sea, the captains decided to take shelter on the Magdalen Islands. The Pleasant Bay on the south-eastern corner of the islands was large enough to accommodate the entire anchored fleet as well as fishing schooners from other nations. The islands protected the fleet well as the wind roared around the capes, that day. The anchors held, keeping the ships from drifting out into the Gulf.

The wind did not ease up coming into nightfall and all the crews of the ships hunkered down for a fitful sleep as the whistle of the wind blew through the masts of their schooners. A minimum number of watchmen were left on duty, believing that the ships would be safe from thieves and marauders because of the uncooperative weather.

Midnight came and wind died down. The sailors were left to a peaceful sleep. Three a.m. came and the wind ‘turned’. It raged into the bay from the north-east. The ships pulled and heaved at their anchor ropes until finally one, two, three, all the fleet either drug their anchors into the shore or they broke their attaching ropes and the ships were flung up onto the cliffs of ‘Les Demoiselles’ and Cape Gridley. The ships that made it to shore were crushed by other ships following them in.

The alarms went out and all the islander men from the vicinity went out to aide in the rescue the crews of the forsaken fleet. James Cassidy and his dog were there too. The dog went out to sea, grabbing one after another, victims of the hurricane gale winds and towing them ashore through the violent crashing waves. Men held on to his fur and tail as he swam. He saved many men that night and morning. The dog pulled the victims into the cape and the two men; James Cassidy and Amie Nadeau scaled the cliffs and pulled the men to safety. In total, survivors from three of the ships owed their lives to the dog, his master and one other villager, all of whom were credited and honoured.

It has been indicated that the winds exceeded 117 Km/hr. Eighty-three fishing schooners of multiple nationalities took shelter in the Pleasant Bay. A full twenty-six ships were pounded into the inside Amherst harbour and ran aground, beat to pieces. One of those ships, a barque, E.S.Smith, was carrying 130 fishermen when it ran up on a sand bar at the harbour entrance when it lost its anchors.

Only 14 schooners remained at anchor in the bay. Incredibly though only three sailors left their lives on our shores that night, much to the thanks of a large Newfoundland dog who was born to risk his life in service to humans.

Credit: Word of mouth by the elders and Labourers du Golf par Frederic Landry

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