THE BIG POND TIMES

FEBRUARY 2001              VOLUME VIII No.2

BIG POND WINTER CARNIVAL 17-24 FEBRUARY

COMMUNITY NOTES

WINTER CARNIVAL schedule is inside. Check the SKI BEN EOIN page in this issue for a great deal on Thursday evening, 22 February. Also, note that the skating surface at SKI BEN EOIN is now open.

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The Regional Library Bookmobile is in Big Pond on Friday, 20 February at11:15 and Irish Cove at 1:15.

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As of press time the Big Pond Volunteer Firefighters responded to a single car accident in Big Pond Center c. 6:00 p.m. on 11 January. The single occupant was bruised, and suffered a separated shoulder. On 22 January, c. 6:00 a.m. they responded to a vehicle fire in Ben Eoin. It was quickly subdued.

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The Big Pond homepage is located at:

http://bigpond.bizland.com/

COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Community Council Meeting January 2001

Thirteen persons present. Financial Report given by Treasurer Gordie MacDonald.  $4,641.64 remaining in chequing account.  A thank you card was received from Gillis Building Supplies for our patronage over the past year. There were no committee reports.

Discussion took place concerning the Big Pond Restaurant.  It was moved by Ronnie McCarron and seconded by Norma McDonald that proposals for leasing the restaurant must be received no later than January 31^st. To date several individuals have expressed an interest.  A Committee has been set up to review proposals received and it is hoped a decision will be made fairly quickly after proposals are received.

The cost of Fireworks for Halloween was $300.00.  The Community Council will cost share this with the Big Pond Volunteer Fire Department.

It was suggested that the Department of Transportation be contacted to request better service on our highway re: plowing and salt distribution.  It was also noted that tenders are out for work on the section of highway from Loch Lomond Rd. to Glen Albert Drive.

Big Pond’s Winter Carnival Week  Committee consists of Melvin White, Norma McDonald, Joe Donovan and Pat MacKillop..

The next meeting of the Community Council is Wednesday,
7 February, 7:30 at the Fire Hall.

LOCAL HISTORY

The MacNeils  declined Noah's invitation to board The Ark: " No, thanks, " they said,  "The  MacNeils have a boat of their own."

Not surprising!  Living so far out in the Atlantic and on such a small island, how could the people of the Western Isles have been  anything else but sea people? And since these islands and their inhabitants were overrun by the Vikings, wouldn't  they  have had some  blood of the "dark pirates of the North" flowing in their veins?

"The MacNeils were pirates," our host in Barra told Father Everett MacDow and me, shortly after he met us at the ferry at Castlebay; and later we would be told about  the exploits of  Roderick MacNeil, Rory the Turbulent, chief of the clan at the time of James V1.

Those thoughts came to mind when Helen LeBlanc  showed me a little notebook that belonged to her grandfather  Roderick MacNeil (Rory Iain), who was also  grandfather of Kitty_Anderson, Roy MacNeil and Brian MacNeil, among  many others.  I read the following poem in the notebook. It is written in a good hand, but there are a couple of words that I cannot make out.

Another version of the poem, having  roughly the same story line but quite different details, can be found on  the internet . I did not learn who the author was. (Thanks to Helen LeBlanc for the poem and for internet references. Jack MacNeil.)

The Flying Cloud

Come all you rambling sailor boys|
And listen unto me
I'm heavy bound in iron strong
To die for piracy
With eighteen more I am condemned
In sorrow to complain
For plundering and burning ships
Down on the Spanish Main. 

When I was young and innocent
My heart it knew no guile
In happy home I lived content
My parents on me smiled
But drinking and bad company
Have made a  wreck of me
Take warning all by my downfall
-Beware of piracy. 

My name is Edward Anderson
As you may understand
I belong to the town of Waterford
In Erin's lovely land
My parents reared me tenderly
In fear of God likewise
But little thought I'd die in scorn
'Neath Cuba's sunny skies.

I happened in Valparaiso
To fall in with Captain Moore
He commanded the clipper Flying Cloud
Sailing out of Baltimore.
I hired for to sail with him
On a slaver's voyage to go
To the burning shores of Africa
Where the sugar cane does grow. 

The Flying Cloud was a clipper barque
Of five hundred  tons or more
She could easily sail around any ship
That sailed out of Baltimore
I've often seen that goodly ship
With wind abaft the beam
With her royal and stunsails set aloft
Taking sixteen from the __ 

Her sails were white as the driven snow
On them there was no speck
She had seventy-five brass-mounted guns
She carried on her decks
With iron chest and magazine
All safely stored below
She had a long tom between her spars
On a swivel it did go. 

We soon tossed over the raging seas
And landed on the shore
And 500 of those poor souls
From their country home we tore.
We dragged their bodies to our ship
And stowed them down below
And eighteen inches to a man
Was all we had to stow. 

We then weighed anchor, put to sea
Our cargo all of slaves
It had been better for those men
To have gone to their graves
The plaque and fever came on board
Swept half of them away
We dragged their bodies to the deck
And threw them in the sea. 

It was in a short time after
We reached the Arabian shore
We sold them to a planter
They were slaves for evermore.
To toil in rice and sugar fields
Beneath a burning sun
And drag away their wretched lives
Till their career is run. 

But when our money was all spent
We went on board again
When Captain Moore called us on deck
And said to us, his men
There's gold in plenty to be had
Far over on the Main
If you'll agree, my bully crew
I'll tell you how 'tis gained. 

We have as fast a sailing ship
As ever skimmed the seas
Or as ever spread a main top sail
Before a heavy breeze
Now if you agree, my bully boys
And with me do remain
We'll run aloft a pirate flag
And scour the Spanish Main. 

We all agreed but five bold youths
Who told us them to land
Two of them were Boston men
And two from Newfoundland
The other was an Irishman
Belonging to Tramore
I wished that I had joined those men
And landed safe on shore. 

We robbed and plundered many a ship
Down on the Spanish Main
Left many a widow and orphan child
In sorrow to complain.
We caused the crew to walk the plank
Which hung out over the rails
For the saying of our captain was
That dead men tell no tales. 

We were often chased by men-o'-war
And oft by frigates too
But to overhaul our goodly ship
Was a thing they could not do
Still all in vain astern of us
Their cannon roared aloud
They never could by any means
Overtake the Flying Cloud. 

Till at length a Spanish man-o-war
Dungeons hove in view
They fired a shot across our bows
A signal to heave to
We made to them no answer
But stood before the wind
When a chain shot struck our mizzen mast
Then we soon fell behind. 

We cleared our decks for action
As they ranged up along side
And soon upon our quarter deck
There rolled a crimson tide
We fought till Captain Moore was killed
With thirty of our men
A bomb shell set our ship on fire
We were forced to surrender then 

Then we were taken prisoner
And into prison cast
Were tried and found guilty
Have to be hanged at last
Just see what I have come to
By my unlucky hand
For it's on the gallows I must died
By the laws of the Spanish land. 

So fare you well, Sweet Waterford
And the girl I loved so dear
Her voice like music soft and sweet
I never more shall hear
I shall never kiss her rosy lips
Nor press her lily-white hand
For on the gallows I must die
By the laws of the Spanish land.

 

WINTER CARNIVAL

Sat. 17 February: X-Country Skiing

Pub, Big Pond Fire Hall

 Sunday, 18th: 10:30-12:00 Breakfast, Fire Hall; 1:30- Coasting (Joe Donovan’s Hill)

 Monday, 19^th: Senior Cards, Fire Hall

6:30- Skating (Mary Clory’s Pond)

 Tuesday,  20^th: 8:00-Tarabish, Fire Hall

 Wednesday, 21^st: 6:30-Skating ???

 Thursday, 22^nd: 5:00 PM on-Ski Ben Eoin

See voucher on back page. Have a delicious meal at the Broken Buckle.

  Friday, 23^rd: Darts, Fire Hall, 8:00PM

 Saturday, 24^th: 9:00AM, Fishing (Frank’s Pond); 10:00AM, Glengarry Walk;

1:30, Sleigh Ride; 5:00PM, Pot Luck Supper, Fire Hall (Make your favourite dish. Children are very welcome).

7:00 PM, Adult Sleigh Ride; 9:30, Men’s Fashion Show (Please drop any cute fashions off at Norma McDonald’s house).

BIG POND TIMES is financially supported by the Big Pond Community Council. Contact Don MacGillivray, 7271 East Bay Hwy, Big Pond, Cape Breton, B1J 1V2.  dmacgill@uccb.ns.ca “It is a newspaper’s duty to print the news and raise hell.”-