Nova Scotia Archives

Au cœur de l'Acadie

Archives concernant la Déportation et le Grand dérangement, 1714-1768

240

NOVA SCOTIA DOCUMENTS.

and establishments contained in your propositions. But I exhort you to be upon your guard against those same proposals, which I attribute only to the desire to gain time. This ruse being similar to that used with our Abenakis at St. François and Bekancourt, who have struck vigorously this summer. The more I become acquainted with this project the more decided I am in thinking that we seould never permit our Abenakis, Malachites and Mickmacks to make peace with the English. I regard these savages as the mainstay of the colony, and in order to keep alive this spirit of hatred and revenge, we must remove every occasion of allowing it to be bribed; and the present position of Canada demands that those nations which are strongly connected should strike with out delay, provided the order shall not appear to come from me, because I have precise instructions to remain on the defensive. Thus I leave you to manage every thing for the peace, which I look upon as a feint for your savages. I have moreover to recommend you, sir, not to expose yourself, but to be on your guard; for I am persuaded that, if the English could get their hands on you, they would destroy you, or at least make your life a very hard one. You will have doubtless remarked, in this scheme of the English, that they wish to confine us in such a manner as to prevent our leaving without being seen by them; this is another very powerful reason to induce you to make use of every means to baffle a project which tends only to imprison us. This increases the necessity of striking with energy, for you know better than I that ten scalps would stop an English army — a very lucky circumstance, because by their large numbers they would soon overrun this country.

Bishop of Quebec to M. Le Loutre.

(Tyrrell's Papers.)

[Translated from the French.]

You have at last, my dear sir, got into the very trouble which I foresaw, and which I predicted long ago.

The refugees could not fail to get into misery sooner or later, and to charge you with being the cause of their misfortunes. It will be the same with those of the island of St. John whenever war breaks out. They will be exposed to the English, ravaged without ceasing, and will throw the blame upon you. The court thought it necessary to facilitate their