|
46 |
NOVA SCOTIA DOCUMENTS. |
|
|
|
|
they lye dry on a bank of mud which stretches five or six miles before it meets with low water mark. This place might be made the Granary not only of this Province but also of the neighbouring Governments. There is a plat of Meadow, which stretches along for near four leagues, part of which is dam'd in from the tide, and produces very good wheat and peas.
|
|
|
|
The rest of the Meadow might be with some labor dam'd in also, and if peopled by industrious Inhabitants, might be of very great advantage, not only in regard to this Province, but as is mentioned above, for the supply of the neighbouring Goverments.
|
|
|
|
The houses which compose a kind of scattering Town, lies on a rising ground along two Cricks which run betwixt it and the meadow, and make of this last a kind of Peninsula. This place has great Store of Cattle, and other conveniencies of life, and in the road they catch white porpoises, a kind of fish, the blubber of which turned into oil, yields a good profit.
|
|
|
|
The Inhabitants of this place and round about it are more numerous than those of the British River, besides the number of Indians which often resort here, and as they never had any force near them to bridle them, are less tractable, and subject to command. All the orders sent to them if not suiting to their humors, are scoffed and laughed at, and they put themselves upon the footing of obeying no Government. It will not be an easy matter to oblige these Inhabitants to submit to any terms which do not entirely square to their humours unless a good force be landed there, and a Fort or redoubt of earth be thrown up, well ditched friezed and pallisaded, till a more durable may be built; this redoubt must have four pieces of cannon (sakers) and command the meadow, which is their treasure. The force sent for that purpose must be three or four hundred men, the reason of which will appear, when it is considered, when the wildness of the harbor will not make it safe for any Ship of force to remain there to give countenance to such an. undertaking, and that even if she could anchor safely, it must be at the distance of near twelve miles from the place where the said redoubt is to be built and that any other vessels, which must be employed to carry the troops, and workmen must lie ashore dry, sixteen hours at least of the twenty four, and may be liable to be burned, and thereby cut off the retreat of those employed in this work unless they are able to defend themselves and to make head against the Inhabitants and the Indians i who will never suffer it to go on,
|
|