Nova Scotia Archives

Acadian Heartland

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

ACADIAN FRENCH.

our enemies when occasion serves, by so much; and tho' we may not expect much benefitt from them, yet their children in process of time may be brought to our constitution. And whereas there are several well meaning people among them, We may always guard ourselves from any injury they can be able, if willing, to do us. I have always observed since my comeing here their forwardness to serve us when occasion offered And if some English Inhabitants were sent over, especially industrious labourers, tarr and pitch makers, carpenters and smiths it would be of great advantage to this Colony; but in case ye french quit us we shall never be able to maintaine or protect our English family's from ye insults of ye Indians, ye worst of enemies, wch. ye french by their staying will in a great measure ward off, for their own sakes. Your Lopps will see by ye Stocks of Cattell they have at this time, that in two or three years with due encouragement, we may be furnished with everything within ourselves. The Indians of Pennobscott, St. Johns*, and Cape Sables, trade chiefly on ye several coasts with furrs and feathers, who never come here but when necessity obliges them and ye reasons they assign are that there is noe Kings Magazine here for them, as was in ye time of ye french, or as there is now at Cape Breton, wch: if there was they would bring in all their peltery to us and I believe would prove a great advantage, both in respect of trade, and as well ye. chief means to bring them over to our Interest, by kindly using of them, on wch. foundation their friendship is wholly founded, and great advantages would accrue thereby to ye Crown in particular and country in general. I herewith transmitt Your Lopps. ye. copy of a letter, I received from ye. Savages of Pennobscott, and St. Johns, wrote by their Priests and translated in English with my answer to ye same. *

I am now to inform your Lopps. that upon ye arrival of General Nicholson our late Govr. in these parts, I received several letters from him dated at Boston containing his request of my opinion relating to ye. Garrison and Country wch. I punctually answered. * * * * *

At his arrival here the following Augt. he assured ye. Garrison of his favour and Interest tho' at ye same time he stopt our pay att Home, injured our creditt att Boston by his ordrs obliged some of ye ffrench Inhabitants to quit ye. country. shutt ye gates of the Garrison against those that remained and declared them traytors, tho' he was convinced wee must

* River St. John.