Baechler has an explanation for every feature on the mountain that Chiasson maintains is Chinese. “The courtyards are actually areas that were cleared off for the test drills,” she says. “The remains of the wall are most likely related to a 1952 fire road.” Pictures she took in 1989 show that the road up the mountain was clearly built that year. A team of archaeologists led by David Christianson of the Nova Scotia Museum has also been to the top of Kelly’s Moun-tain. They confirm that all the man-made features there are of twentieth-century origin.
Chiasson is unwavering in his faith, though. When I asked him via email about the contradictory evidence, his response was, “You have seen the stone features on the site and the mason marks on the stone tiles. When I started this project, I realized that I would have to trust journalists to answer [such] reasoning.”
The more I looked at the photos I had taken of the stone tiles and marked-up rocks, though, the more natural the objects seemed to me. I had come to Kelly’s Mountain expecting to see ruins, but ultimately the hilltop was simply a particularly amazing spot on a beautiful stretch of Cape Breton.
What stood out most from the tour was not the idea of ancient Chinese settlement in Canada. Rather, it was the memory of our descent. As we made our way down the mountain, Chiasson spoke not of the Ming Dynasty, but instead of sites he had seen on a 2000 trip to the Middle East. We talked about the great Crusader castles, especially the massive Krak des Chevaliers in Syria. His description of the castle was vivid and rich, his passion palpable.
But soon his brisk pace left me breathless, and I had to slow down, along with his family. Chiasson continued down Kelly’s Mountain, leaving the rest of us far behind.•
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Ming, eh?
« page 2 of 2 »
Claims of a pre-Columbian Chinese settlement in Cape Breton Island raise eyebrows
by Eric Powell
photograph by Lynn Baechler
Published in the October 2006 issue. » BUY ISSUE
For more on this and other articles in the October 2006 issue, click here.
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Comments (6 comments)
bailey: Very intriguing.
The 1952 road would certainly follow a previously cut road as this is the only place one can reach the pond and fire. Also the 1989 road would have reached the higher heights and followed along to the city site via the easiest route. Chinese would have brought their supplies up the hill next to their sight from below pathway along St Anns Bay; using previous road across peninsula only at beginning. November 25, 2006 08:41 EST
bailey: Very intriguing.
The 1952 road would certainly follow a previously cut road as this is the only place one can reach the pond and fire. Also the 1989 road would have reached the higher heights and followed along to the city site via the easiest route. Chinese would have brought their supplies up the hill next to their sight from below pathway along St Anns Bay; using previous road across peninsula only at beginning. November 25, 2006 08:43 EST
Mikmaq: Ahhhh...A Chinese settlement in Cape Breton? This would be intriguing and possibly a threat to Canada's history... I can understand why the government would feel this historical possibility can change the face of North American History...If this is so, than the Chinese and Mi'kmaq MUST of been ALLIES with the largest tribe in the world. It is possible that our government may want to cover up these facts for whatever reason... As a Mi'kmaq, I have never heard of such stories in our oral history BUT that does not go to say it has never happened. The fact is our culture "Pre-Columbian" has always thought us that we always knew that the world was circular and not flat, that the world consisted of four major tribes, The Black, red, white and yellow tribes. We of course are the red tribe and the Chinese are the yellow tribe. We knew this fact even before contact! It was also prophecized we would encounter these four tribes and that harsh times would follow for several generations. That it did. So harsh, we consider it GENOCIDE. The fact is , in the last 500 years we have not only lost over 90% of our tribe - in culture, blood, language, land, in numbers, we even lost a GREAT DEAL of history and ancient ways of life with every death that has fallen upon our peoples.
When I was a child I can recall a legend which is still a part of our oral traditions, story telling. In this story, Kelly's Mountain was a part of this story and on this mountain was an indian village...yes thats right, an indian village by glooscaps cave. At this time, our tribal villages were great in numbers and we had to be on high ground due to the circumstances of the day.
Just the tip of the iceburg here people. Anyone ever consider the first people of the land may have settled here and that it is possible we were not just "savages" but always have been an innovative and adaptable tribe that society still not fully understand. April 17, 2007 20:06 EST
Lisa: Mikmaq...I invite you to read Basket Stories by John Bear MacNeil so you will know there are many from the white tribe who love and respect you :)
http://www.thelibraryofhope.com/basketstories2.htm
December 07, 2007 11:54 EST
M Thompson: Mr Chiasson has long been looking for allies in anyone willing to truly stretch the imagination. Unfortunately, he chose to write and stand behind a book based more on internet research than actual facts. PLEASE check out the website www.1421exposed.com for factual information based on scientific evidence and conclusions drawn by intelligent and educated people who specialize in this area. It is unbelievable to me that Mr Chiasson could spend 2 years researching a book and not find out the following facts which he completely missed.
1 The 'chinese road' was built to reach a fire burning on the mountain in the 1950's
2 There was a quarry on the exact site he claims is part of a 'city'
3 The soil on the top of the mountain is very poor quality and would never have been adequate for farming
4 The 'sites' he claims are foundations are on the north side of the mountain which was completely exposed and would have made for horrible living conditions while there are many other areas much more protected and much more suitable than the mountain top
Mr Chiasson has worked hard to sell books and controversy is great for that so congrats on the sales, Paul but it's time to quietly slip into oblivion and let this go. December 26, 2007 20:26 EST
Anonymous: do you believe that the government is trying to cover something up. June 08, 2008 16:56 EST