BRETON, or CAPE BRETON, an island lying near the east coast of North America, between and 47° North Lat., and between 50° and 60° West Long. from London. With the islands Newfoundland and St John, it forms the boundaries of the entrance into the Gulf of St Lawrence ; and a narrow passage of about four leagues in length, and half a league in breadth, named the Gut of Canso, separates it from the eastern extremity of No va Scotia. It is about an hundred miles in length, and sixty in breadth, but of a very irregular figure; for it is so much intersected by bays and small rivers, that it has the appearance of a cluster of islands ; and its two.prin cipal parts are joined by a neck of land not more than eight hundred paces in length. It was discovered about the year 1500 by the Normans and Bretons, who navi gated these seas ; and being supposed to be a part of the continent, it was named Cape Breton, which name has been absurdly retained. The French took posses sion of it in 1713, and at a great cxpence erected Fort Dauphin, which they made their principal settlement ; but the harbour having been found to he of very difficult access it was abandoned, and Fort Louisbourg was erect ed in 1720, the fortification of which is said to have cost them not less than one and a half millions sterling. All the harbours of the island are open to the cast and south : the north coast is elevated, and almost inaccessible. The harbour of Louisburg, once among the best in North America, is on the eastern coast. It extends into the country four leagues, in a winding rlirection, and con tains good anchorage, being in all places at least sewn fathoms deep. Its entrance, formed by two small is lands, is four hundred yards wide ; and by means of Cape Lorembic in its vicinity, is discoverable by ships at a considerable distance.
Owing to the number of lakes which overspread one half of the island, and are frozen the greater part of the year, and to the extensive forests which cover the high er grounds, and intercept the rays of the sun, the climate is cold and damp. The soil, which is generally swampy, and covered with a light kind of moss, is but ill adapted Id• cultivation : On the lands, however, towards the south, considerable quantities of corn, hemp, and flax, arc raised ; and the island at present abounds with fine hard wood, and excellent timber.
While the French possessed this island, the number of its inhabitants gradually increased to four thousand, who were composed partly of 1 mlians, and partly of ruin ed adventurers from Europe. They established them selves on all those parts of the coast where they found a proper beach for drying cod, which became the chief object of their attention. As the soil was unfit for agri culture, they did little more than cultivate a few pot herbs for their own sustenance ; and the scantiness of the pasture prevented them from rearing cattle. Al though the island was covered with forests before it was inhabited, the wood was chiefly used for fuel, and very little timber vas exported. An inconsiderable fur trade
was carried on in the export of the skins of elks. bears, otters, foxes, and other wild animals. Greater advan tages might have been derived from the coal mines, which abound in the island, and which could have been wrought at little expellee, as the coal lies in a horizon tal direction, not more than seven or eight feet below the surface. But notwithstanding the great demand for that article in New England, these valuable mines were wrought only for the purpose of supplying with ballast the ships which sailed to the French \ India islands. The attention of the inhabitants was chiefly directed to the fisheries ; the value of which, whi.c the island was in possession of the French, has been estimated at one million sterling. Besides the great export of fish to Europe, part was sent to the French West India islands; in return for which they received sugar, coffee, rum, and molasses. As the islanders could not consume all these commodities, they were allowed to export what they did not need to Canada ; and they received in ex change wood, brick, cattle, vegetables, and various kinds of fruit As it was evident that the possession of Cape Breton must at all times, but particularly in a war with France, be a most valuable acquisition to Great Britain, a plan was laid, and successfully executed, for wresting it out of the hands of the French in 1745. The scheme was planned in Boston, recommended by their general as sembly, and approved of by his majesty. In New En gland a body of 6000 troops was formed, under the con duct of a Mr Pepperel, a merchant of extensive in fluence in that country, who, though unacquainted with military affairs, had taken an active part in proposing and planning the enterprise. While the French garri son at Louisbourg was known to be extremely disaffect ed to the colony,-and to have been for six months almost in open rebellion against its officers, commodore War ren arrived at Canso with ten ships of war, embarked the troops of New England in transports, and lauded them in Cape Breton without opposition. The abandoned their grand battery, which was detached from the town, and the immediate seizure of it contributed greatly to the success of the plan. While the 6000 American troops, reinforced by 800 British marines, carried on their approaches by land the British squad ron, under the command of that ,ble officer, blocked up the place by sea, so that no succours could be introdu ced. The town being considerably damaged by the shot of the besiegers, and the garrison despairing of relief, the governor capitulated on the 17th day of J u nc, and the whole island soon shared the fate of Louisbourg, its only bulwark. A few days after its surrender, two French East India ships, and another from Peru, richly laden with treasure, sailed into the harbour, on the sup position that it still belonged to Fiance, and became prizes to the British squadron.