Northerly shoreline of Merasheen - part 2
In part 1, we started with the area between Margaret's Point and Pitcher's Point. From there, we'll skip the harbour for now and continue with the area from the Potato Point to the White Point.
Looking East from Pitcher's Point is the Fish Rock (Fish Island on most maps), a craggy rock with little vegetation and almost impossible to access unless it's a very calm day. In from the Fish Rock lies the Potato Point, basically the Eastern limit of Little Merasheen harbour. One of the original homesteads on the Potato Point belonged to Patrick (1837-1921) and Anne (1844-1921 Hennessey) Ennis. The ridges of potato beds are still clearly visible on the point.
A different view from the Fender, past Wilson's, Ennis', and Hennessey's Rocks and the Frenchman, is Judge's Hill on the right (known as the Big Hill to the younger generation) where you can follow a path down to the Potato Point and the Jigging Cove.
There's an interesting rock marking worth seeing if you make the effort to walk down around the hill to the Potato Point on an old path from the inside end (not the one towards the harbour but towards the Jigging Cove). It is pretty well covered with fallen rocks but the Compass Rock is a little over half way up that path. This is Ron and Willie Wilson cleaning up the markings on the rock back in 2009.
As you go around the Potato Point, the next stop is the Jigging Cove. Certainly up until resettlement, it was one of the favourite places for jigging squid! Jukes in 1840 noted that settlers were planting there. You can still see the markings of cabbage squares and potato ridges in the meadows just past this.
The next cove down the shore is the Capelin Cove. A lovely sandy beach that you can imagine the capelin rolling ashore on.
Just past the Fox Point (yes, there were foxes on the island in bygone days) there's Bell Cove, hardly any beach and very difficult to get ashore here but, shown in the centre of this photo, has one very amazing and relatively unknown rock that the cove was obviously named after. It's a lovely pink sand colour and I've heard estimates of it's weight being several thousand pounds.
Over many decades, I've seen the bell move around the beach. It was on it's side for a number of years but on this visit (and no dents in the boat Joe!), it was perfectly placed for this photo.
Moving further down the shore is an area identified on maps as the Friar. Near the top of the cliff, James Cook set up encampment in 1765 to survey Placentia Bay in an area with a rock formation called "The Naked Man". The rock formation in this picture is known as the Friar Rock. Just a few hundred yards off this shore are the Friar Grounds which used to be one of the best fishing spots but there hasn't been anything bigger than a tomcod caught there in years.
And finally, we're at the Wild Cove. Actually there are three coves in the group. The first is the Inside Wild Cove. As a young boy, I remember many wood-cutting trips to this cove - it was easy to access in just about any wind. For those familiar with the Virgin Cove, you can follow the deep woods along the hill for about a kilometer to Fred's Cove on the southwest side of the Virgin Cove.
Leaving the Inside Wild Cove, there's a rock formation known as the Seadog. The picture doesn't do it justice!
Go around the seadog to the Middle Wild Cove with it's interesting cave, just to the right of centre.
Then we have the Wild Cove. In a prevailing high westerly wind, it can be a challenge to land here. I'm giving away secrets but following the brook running down the beach, there's a pond with some very nice trout. This is the area where my father caught a lot of rabbits and cut many a boat timber in across the flats towards the Virgin Cove.
Looking out from the Wild Cove, you can see Margaret's Point in the distance on the top left. It's a rugged shore but representative of the beauty of the far greater bay.
That's the end of the photo tour of the Northerly shoreline of Merasheen as we leave the Wild Cove and head out around the White Point (probably named for the white granite in the cliff face). Off in the distance, you'll see the Ragged Islands including Crane, Jean de Gaunt, Gray Gull and 300 more. From the White Point, there's Breakheart Point and finally Dick's Point before you turn in to the Virgin Cove just a couple of kilometers away. I hope you enjoyed the tour!