In the first half of the seventeenth century the islands of Shippegan and Miscou were the common resort of French fishermen, fur traders and missionaries. Often five or six fishing ships anchored in Miscou Bay at one time to dry the cod which their crews caught nearby; when cured this fish was taken to Europe for sale. Several trading companies, including one led by Nicolas Denys, bartered furs here with the Micmac Indians. For many years the Jesuits operated a mission on these islands to serve the fishermen, traders and Indians.