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NOVA SCOTIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. |
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families; all these inhabitants live near the banks of the river and have no settlements back.
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The passages by which they may desert the Colony, and the means of blocking them up.
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1st. The inhabitants of Annapolis have but two ways by water through the Gut of Annapolis to the North Shore — 2 by land. But if they attempt it by land they must first come to Canard, Minas or Pezaquid. One of the sloops in the government service with whale boats, anchored at the mouth of the Basin of Annapolis would effectually prevent their escape by water, and the road by land is almost, if not altogether, impracticable for families and cattle and effects.
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From the Basin of Minas they must pass either thro' the Gut or pass over the River Chignecto on the other side of the Basin, near the Gut, where there is a communication by water by two rivers and a small carrying place into the Basin of Chignecto.
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Another vessel anchored in Cove Sabellist would prevent them going either out of the Gut or into the river — because they must pass near them, and could easily be prevented.* The other passages by water must be into the Cobequid Basin to the river, can soon reinforce them with numbers sufficient to maintain their ground.
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This, therefore, will be the consequence unless timely removed, which can be effected only with a superior force to that which at present is in the colony, for the whole troops together do not exceed 1000 men, and they so separated through the difficulties attending the several parts of the Province, while these traitors are in it, that they cannot be collected and joined without having some or other parts exposed defenceless.
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That whilst it continues in this state the settlers will be obliged to confine themselves within their town lots and piquets, and thus rendered incapable of cultivating and improving their lands, and will be induced to seek, repair to the other lots where they may more easily obtain the necessaries of life, rather than bring themselves and families to be thus inhumanly butchered.
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THE END.
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* This version published by Akins is defective and incomplete from the middle of page 160, due to the copyist's error. The following digitized excerpt provides Abbé Casgrain's transcription of the document previously identified by Andrew Brown and published by T.B. Akins as 'Judge Morris' Remarks concerning the Removal of the Acadians.' Casgrain's version is now acknowledged as complete and accurate; text from the bottom of page 66 to the middle of page 69 provides the necessary remedy.
click to view Casgrain's transcription
Footnote added to online version.
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