Nova Scotia Archives

Acadian Heartland

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

224

NOVA SCOTIA DOCUMENTS.

three hundred Indians were come to the Country with no good Intention, that they were resolved to kill any body I should send Courier, and as both he and the Inhabitants had a great personal regard for me, intreated I would take care of myself. I asked him if they had such a regard for me, why they had taken such a Step as they had done, and disobeyed my Orders; as for that he said he could not answer, as he was ignorant of the Representation till Monday morning, but that I had taken a very wrong Step in not consulting him before I acquainted You with it, which if I had, he would have brought the Inhabitants in a very submissive manner to me, but instead of that, I had sent a Detachment to Colonel Lawrence who was a man the Inhabitants personally hated, and disliked his Government so rnuch, they could never be easy under it, he having treated them so harshly when amongst them. I asked him where all the Inhabitants were that few or none came to the Fort as usual. Sir says he, they are assembled together and consulting Mischief against the English, they are three Thousand in number, and tho' they have not all Arms yet they have Hatchets, they are so irritated against Colonel Lawrence and the Government, their Grievances being so great, that God knows what they may do. I asked them what these were, he said they ought to have been contracted with for the Wood, and not to have treated a People who were free, as Slaves by forcing them to provide it, they were likewise refused Passports to go to Beaubassin, and a liberty to carry the Corn where they pleased. I ordered him to go away and mind his ecclesiastical charge only. All this you may depend on, for as the Priest speaks so fast I did not care to trust to my own knowledge of the French Language therefore had Mr. Deschamps to interpret betwixt us and the Officers present, lest he should deny any thing that past. "

If the Couriers do not go down this Week you may depend on it, it is by his means they are prevented, as all the Affair of the Indians or the Inhabitants taking up Arms is false, for Mr. Deschamps told me this morning that in Conversation with some of them, he told them what the Priest had said, they were astonished and declared they had no Intention ever to take up Arms, for if at the Return of the Party from Halifax they were ordered to bring in the Fuel notwithstanding their Representation, they were resolved to obey."

(Signed) A. MURRAY,

CHAS. LAWRENCE.

JNO. DUPORT, Sec. Conc.