We need to get to Canada.
We are ready. We’re going to start the renovation of Venatura. The problem is that at the moment we are in Cork, Ireland, and she is on Prince Edward Island, Canada. More precisely, in the charming town of Souris. So, the first part of our quest to bring the old lady back to the oceans is to get there to see her face to bow. But first, we need to get to Souris.
And we wouldn’t be ourselves if we didn’t use this opportunity (or any opportunity, for that matter) to break into a story, now would we?
Mice Haven
Some time ago, in the early 1720s, a French vessel was mapping the southern parts of Prince Edward Island. They reached the estuary of a small river that formed a picturesque bay. When they got closer, they noticed that the water in the bay was fully covered by tiny mouse carcasses. With disgust, the captain of the ship noted the place on their maps as Havre à la Souris (Mice Haven).
What the captain didn’t know is that the mouth of the tiny river was already settled by Acadians. Who were basically French, but French who settled in the new world. And they were quite an independent bunch even before good old George Washington made being independent in Americas so fashionable. Therefore, they didn’t really tell anyone where they settled.
The mice were quite a big problem for the Acadians, as they ate through food supplies and wheat on the fields. However, the Acadians survived. When they were finally acknowledged by the world, their village was given the name Souris, and the river next to it was called the Souris River. Which proves once again, that naming places should not be done by explorers.
Souris
The Acadians didn’t stay in Souris for long, as they were soon expunged by the Brits, and the place was colonized by Scots and Irish. The place became a hub for fishing and whaling and has remained as such up to this day. Well, for fishing, not whaling, as whaling is a barbaric activity and is rightfully forbidden. The mouse problem didn’t plague the city anymore, and, nowadays, the mouse is made into a town mascot. I wonder what the first settlers of Souris would have to say about that. An animal that caused the famine for them is now their descendants mascot.
But enough about that. We have a train to Dublin to catch and start our journey toward Canada. And a tall task ahead of us to bring Venatura back home.
