Online Introduction to
Acadia, or A Month with the Blue Noses
by
Frederic S. Cozzens.
Frederic S. Cozzens, is one of my all-time favorite authors. After reading and putting up his The Sparrowgrass Papers; The Sayings of Dr. Bushwhacker and Other Learned Men; Sayings, Wise and Otherwise; his hysterically funny A California Ballad; Captain Belgrave; and Bunker Hill: An Old-Time Ballad, of course I couldn’t stop there. Here is his account of his trip to Nova Scotia for a month, in the middle of the 19th century.
His descriptions, his characterizations and his impassioned account of the tragic history of the Acadians, thanks to American brutality, is told powerfully and well. Not only is he still one of my all-time favorite authors, after reading this book, but I like him far more. Although he is a true-blue American patriot, he does not hesitate to speak of the times when our forefathers were not-so-great. His disapproval of such tactics is clearly stated, as is the regret he feels at facing the ugly side of U. S. history. A good and wise man, Frederic believes that citizens of a country (including its historians and teachers) should not gloss over, or suppress, their nation’s atrocities, along with touting its advantages and innovations. If not, how can advancements in true civilization occur?
As this is a travelogue, and includes his emotional responses, as well as the facts of his visit, it is easy to see Nova Scotia as he saw it. He writes so well that I felt like I was in his pocket throughout the trip.
The pictures at the front of the book are called ambrotypes by him, which is a curious tidbit. What that means, exactly, is on my to-discover list. It might also interest some to know that the copy of the book that I used was once the property of the Young Men’s Library Association, of Palmer, Massachusetts.
Nova Scotia, thanks to this book, is now higher up on my list of places to visit.
Susan
Okey-dokey: let’s get started:
Title Pages with Ambrotypes, of
Acadia, or A Month with the Blue Noses
by Frederic S. Cozzens