An extract from the diary of Philip DesBarres, (1844 to 1875) a Minudie resident and teacher at the Minudie school, describing the Saxby Gale in October 1869.The Great Flood – October 4, 1869Taken from the diary of Philip DesBarres (1844-1875)At about eleven o'clock in the evening the highest tide that ever was known or heard tell of in the present age in this province and which caused the amount of damage to property not known in the history of our country. The dykes in Minudie Big Marsh were nearly all swept away by the devastating element and about four fifth of the hay was washed away to sea, the barns were also all floated from their original site and landed on the remnants of the dykes, or on the old dykes inside of the Marsh.Philip DesBarres went around Black Point in a birch bark canoe with Larney Nocode (Indian), went over the Marsh and saved eight horses, and one two year old heifer. Six of the horses were taken from on top of the dyke back of the "Mard de la Pass" and the others belonged to Dr. R. Mitchell and the heifer were taken from the "Vernon Barn".This great event will for years be memorable to the inhabitants of Cumberland County. A large number of cattle were drowned or missing from Minudie including nineteen horses, hundreds of sheep and numbers of horned cattle.We ourselves lost a fine three year old horse, twenty-two head of mutton, one steer and about thirty T hay.