Nova Scotia Archives

Acadian Heartland

Records of the Deportation and Le Grand Dérangement, 1714-1768

ACADIAN FRENCH.

147

As soon as the French and Indians had left our River the Deputies of the Inhabitants came before me in Council and represented the dread they had been kept under by the French Commander, producing his written orders threatening with Death those who should disobey; They assur'd me however that notwithstanding the entreaties and threats of Monsr. Duvivier, none of the Inhabitants could be persuaded to take up Arms and Joyn the Enemy. They Were dismissed with some checks for their remissness in their past, and exhortations towards their future conduct. A few days after came Deputies from Manis, who testified also their having withstood the same entreaties and threats and produc'd the same threatening orders concerning provisions and other assistance requir'd from them, as also a representation made by them to Mons. Duvivier, on his offering to keep one hundred and fifty men with officers at that Place, by which they dissuaded him from it and oblig'd him to leave them, and to go to Chignicto. The Missionaries also writt to me and made their Conduct appear to have been on this occasion farr better than could have been expected from them.

The Deputies from Manis wore no sooner dispatch’t, than I was acquainted early in the morning by one of the french Inhabitants that he had been that night taken out of his bed by a party of french and carry'd in the Bassin on, board a Shipp, which he suppos'd to be of fourty or fifty gunns having in company a Brigantine of about twenty with Officers and Soldiers, which came in the evening before, and took two of our Vessells with Stores for the Garrison from Boston, which enter'd the Bassin the same tide after them. I call'd the Officers together and acquainted them with the information, without telling the way I had it, nor the latter part relating to our two Vessells being taken, and order'd everyone to their charge according to the Disposition I had made for our Deffence.

The French Commander of this Sea armament finding their land force gone did not think themselves strong enough to attack us, tho' a, Sloop which as I hear'd, had three mortars, some canon and other warlike Stores came in the next day. After staying three days without doing any thing else than taking wood and water they all departed witb their two prises and once more left us free of Ennemies. I was in no small concern for fear one of the Vessells taken by them should be freighted with the Provisions I expected from the Contractor for the Garrison; but I was taken out of my pain four days