A huge ruined settlement in Nova Scotia has been the subject of great controversy. The site is situated on Cape Breton Island, on the far eastern coast of North America, to the north of the Nova Scotia peninsula. We describe the author’s visit to the site, guided by Paul Chiasson who has been researching the ruins for several years. Chiasson’s research has revealed that early Europeans were aware of the settlement, describing it on separate occasions as “a fair and populous city”, “Tartarie” and “the land of the Great Khan”. The ruins consist of a series of stone platforms, each situated in a commanding position as the town slopes down to a river on its northern side. It is clearly a Chinese ruin, quite different in layout from Roman, Arabic or European towns. It is about twice the size of Macchu Picchu and a third of the size of Roman London, capable of housing thousands of people.
In this chapter we also discuss the history of the local native people, the Mi’kmaq. It appears that the first Jesuit priest to arrive in the area found that the Mi’kmaq had a written language which they claimed they were taught by foreign visitors from afar. These foreign visitors taught the Mi’kmaq a civil way of life, how to live in peace under good governance, how to fish with nets and how to navigate by the stars. We are told how they then left to return to “their homes at the far side of the north pole”, travelling in great ships.
Further reading:
Chiasson, Paul. The Island of Seven Cities: Where the Chinese Settled When They Discovered America. Toronto: Random House Canada, 2008.
http://islandofsevencities.com/book.htm
