Between France and New France is an absorbing look at life abroad the sailing vessels which plied the North Atlantic during the French colonial era in North America. Focusing on the first half of the eighteenth century and the Seven Years’ War period, this book analyses four major aspects of the crossing: martime traffic and the outfit of vessels; the Atlantic course and navigation; the people and their occupations; and life aboard the ship. Together they present a fascinating view of sea life.
Gilles Proulx has used official correspondence between the Minister of marine and the Canadian colonial authorities, and the papers seized on boarded vessels, as well as over one hundred log-books and personal diaries, to obtain a wealth of detail about the rigours of the colonial shipboard experience. In addition, many photographs, both colour and black and white, have been included to illustrate this exciting period in Canadian history.