Madagascar

Madagascar was a logical stopover for ships rounding the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. In the period preceding the opening of Gesner’s Museum in 1842, at least five New Brunswick vessels, all whalers, were reported either in St. Augustine Bay, Madagascar, or in the adjacent Mozambique Channel. The vessels were: James Stewart, Margaret (barque), Margaret Rait, Thomas Millidge and Mary, all reported at various times in 1834 and 1835.