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Moses Perley pioneers the sporting life with his
aboriginal companions.
 oses Perley (1804-1862),
a Saint John lawyer, businessman, fisheries and immigration officer,
commissioner of Indian affairs, writer, lecturer and naturalist, was
a tireless worker for the development of New Brunswick; he was also
a concerned observer and lobbyist for the wise use of the province's
resources and a strong voice for the welfare of the aboriginal
population.
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Photograph of Moses Perley late in life (detail),
probably from a carte de visite, photographer unknown
(New Brunswick Museum)
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It was the latter cause which may have given him the most
satisfaction. Perley's close ties with both the Maliseet and
Mi'kmaq peoples resulted in a greater familiarity with New
Brunswick's rivers, natural resources and fisheries than any other
person of European descent in the province. His canoe trips with
aboriginal companions in the 1830s and 1840s resulted in several
published articles on the pursuits of the rod and gun and enhanced
his reputation as a pioneer sportsman in New Brunswick.
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Photograph of Maliseet camp,
Tobique River about 1865 from an original carte de visite by
George Taylor
(Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, P5/253)
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Five issues of The Amaranth,
Robert Shives, publisher, Saint John
This monthly literary periodical appeared between 1841 and 1843.
Each of these 1841 issues contain an article by Perley, all based
on aboriginal tales in wilderness settings.
(New Brunswick Museum)
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The flies we found it necessary to use in the bright waters of the
Chemenspeek, were small and neat, and of quiet colours and our finest
and most perfect casting lines were required to ensure success; while
in the brown flood of the Obsache, we had used the largest and
gaudiest flies with the coarsest tackle, and taken any number of fish
we thought proper.
Moses Perley, "La Belle Tolotah",
The Amaranth, Vol. 1, No. 10, 1841, p. 291
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