|
Governor's Letter-Book, Annapolis, 1713-1717. |
53 |
|
|
nos Maisons au premier Jour ayant ésté menacez cydevant En cas qu'on ne put pas trouver d'autres Moyens, Nous Sommes prets de prester Serment comme quoy Nous ne prendrons point les armes ny contre Sa Majeste Britannique ny contre la France, ny contre aucun de leurs Sujets ou de leurs Alliez Ainsi Monsieur voila (?) Ie dernier Sentiment que lee Habitans prennent la liberté [beginning of line] presenter á vostre Excellence ne pouvant faire autres choses [beginning of line] ur Ie present Signed by all the Inhabitants in this Neighbourhood."
|
|
|
|
Arrived here Oct. 28; has no instructions: hopes that what he has done will not be taken amiss. Assembled the French to sign paper (details as in previous letter to S. of S.) "in answer to which they Drew up [leaf torn] other Paper Inclosed and signed it in this Dirty manner, that I blush [leaf torn] send your honour and Judged I would not have done it, had I more time [leaf torn] gett (?) another Signed, but the Ship that Brought the Provisions being [leaf torn] to Sail, I would upon no account loose the opportunity--" Fort in a very bad state: run to ruin: covered way not much higher than a man's knee: not one palisadoe round in the same or about the fort. The body of the place would be in good order if the wide breaches in two of the bastions occasioned by the rain last winter were made up: "they are perfect roads into the Fort that Several men Might March in a Briest att, and the only high way for our Deserters, and hardly a Carriage upon any Bastion able to beare the Gun that's upon them, the Barracks & houses are very much out of repair and will not keep out the Least bad Weather and what makes this more intolerable to the Poor men is· their want of Bedding which they have been without these five years." No surgeon's chest; the last sent for this garrison was detained at Placentia: the men so disgusted that they cannot get their account for "Subsistance" settled with their officers, that "wee doe not trust them with theirs arms but when they mount
1. Direction at beginning of Letter reads: "The Right Honoble James Cragg's Esqr Secretary att Warr."
|
|
Nov. 5.
Annapolis. |
|