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they throw light on the experiment of governing a French population by a handful of Englishmen, and the tenacity with which this corner of the continent was held for the empire.
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The plan of the fort at Annapolis Royal was enlarged by Mr. Harry Piers, the present Curator, from a map of the town and district in MS. 7½, an uncatalogued volume, added to the collection since 1886. The index states that it was "copied from the original on file in the Public Record Office—London." In one corner is an "Explanation of the Figure," which runs as follows:—"Plan of Annapolis Royall and fort the principall place of Strenght in Nova Scotia in America, its Situation is upon a tongue of land formed on the North East Side by the River Dauphin, and on the South East by a large Morras in 44 Degrees 25 Minutes North Latitude Surrendered to Her Majesties armes under the Command of the Honourable Collonel Francis Nicholson after Eight dayes Siege in October 1710." Enquiry at the Record Office as to the age, history, etc. of the map proved fruitless; but it is clearly to be dated about the time of the capture. The "Explanation" has references to the place "Where we landed our Cannon & ammonition" and "The Incampment of the Serverall Regiments."
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The tracing shows the Vauban system of fortification, and preserves the original contour, before the ravelins were added to the south and east.
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The abbreviations "A. A." and "N. S. Archives" in the notes both refer to Akins's volume of selections mentioned above.
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The index has been made full in the hope of lightening the labour of other students of history, who may consult this volume.A. M. M.
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