the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第2章

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From　1713　to　1750　was　the　most　prosperous　period　of　the　French　occupation。　The　population　increased　rapidly　for　those　times。　The　market　at　Louisbourg　furnished　an　outlet　for　the　surplus　produce　of　the　soil。　The　wants　of　the　people　were　few。　The　Acadians　were　thrifty　and　frugal；　the　rod　and　gun　supplying　a　large　part　of　the　necessaries　of　life　in　many　a　home。　The　complaint　was　made　by　those　who　at　that　time　were　interested　in　the　circulation　of　the　King's　silver　that　the　people　hoarded　it　up；　and　once　they　got　possession　of　it　the　public　were　never　allowed　to　see　it　again。　The　houses　were　small　and　destitute　of　many　of　the　furnishings　their　descendants　now　think　indispensable；　but　perhaps　they　enjoyed　life　quite　as　well　as　those　of　later　generations。

Bay　Verte　at　this　time　was　a　place　of　considerable　importance。　The　Abbe　Le　Loutre　lived　here　a　part　of　the　time；　and　owned　a　store　kept　by　an　agent。　The　trade　between　Quebec　and　Louisbourg　and　the　settlements　on　the　Isthmus　was　carried　on　through　the　Port　of　Bay　Verte；　and　from　there　the　farmers　of　Chignecto　shipped　their　cattle　and　farm　products。　The　Acadians　were　quick　to　see　the　benefits　that　would　arise　from　reclaiming　the　rich　river　valleys；　and　they　drew　their　revenues　chiefly　from　this　land。　They　did　not　readily　take　to　the　cutting　down　of　the　forests　and　preparing　the　upland　for　growing　crops；　they　were　more　at　home　with　the　dyking…spade　than　the　axe。　A　description　of　their　methods　of　dyking　and　constructing　aboideaux；　written　in　1710；　is　interesting　to　those　who　are　doing　the　same　work　now。

The　writer　of　1710　says：　〃They　stopped　the　current　of　the　sea　by　creating　large　dykes；　which　they　called　aboideaux。　The　method　was　to　plant　five　or　six　large　trees　in　the　places　where　the　sea　enters　the　marshes；　and　between　each　row　to　lay　down　other　trees　lengthways　on　top　of　each　other；　and　fill　the　vacant　places　with　mud　so　well　beaten　down　that　the　tide　could　not　pass　through　it。　In　the　middle　they　adjusted　a　flood…gate　in　such　a　way　as　to　allow　the　water　from　the　marsh　to　flow　out　at　low　water　without　permitting　the　water　from　the　sea　to　flow　in　at　high　tide。〃　The　writer　adds　that　the　work　was　expensive；　but　the　second　year's　crop　repaid　them　for　the　outlay。　This　is　more　than　can　be　said　for　present…day　experience　in　the　same　kind　of　work。

The　land　reclaimed　on　the　Aulac　was　confined　principally　to　the　upper　portion　of　the　river。　The　Abbe　Le　Loutre　saw　that　the　benefit　would　be　great　if　this　river　were　dammed　near　its　mouth；　and　he　was　at　work　at　a　large　aboideau；　for　which　he　had　received　money　from　France；　when　the　fall　of　Beausejour　forever　put　a　stop　to　his　enterprise。

Wheat　seems　to　have　grown　very　abundantly　on　the　marsh　when　it　was　first　dyked；　judging　from　the　census　reports　of　those　days　and　the　traditions　handed　down。

The　old　French　maps　of　1750　and　earlier　show　settlements　at　Beaubassin　（Fort　Lawrence）；　Pont　a　Buot　（Point　de　Bute）；　Le　Lac　（Jolicure）；　We…He…　Kauk　（Westcock）；　We…He…Kauk…Chis　（Little　Westcock）；　Tantramar　（Upper　Sackville）；　Pre　Du　Bourge　（Middle　Sackville）；　We…He…Kage　（Amherst　Point）　and　Amherst　or　Upper　Amherst；　Vill…La…Butte；　and　La　Planche。　There　were　settlements　also　at　Maccan；　Nappan　and　Minudie。　The　statement　that　the　village　of　Beaubassin；　in　1750；　contained　a　hundred　and　forty　houses；　and　a　population　numbering　a　thousand；　seems　improbable　under　the　circumstances。

Fort　Lawrence；　the　site　of　old　Beaubassin；　contains　to…day　less　than　forty　houses；　and　not　more　than　three　hundred　inhabitants；　yet　more　land　is　under　cultivation　now　than　in　any　previous　time　in　its　history。　It　is　highly　probable　that　the　whole　population　on　the　south　side　of　the　Isthmus　was　reckoned　as　belonging　to　Beaubassin。

There　is　good　reason　for　saying　that　the　population　of　the　district　embraced　in　the　parish　of　Westmoreland；　excepting　Port　Elgin；　was　much　larger　from　1750　to　1755　than　it　has　ever　been　since。

The　Seigneur　La　Valliere　was；　no　doubt；　the　most　prominent　man；　politically；　on　the　Isthmus　during　the　French　period。　He　was　appointed　commandant　of　Acadia　in　1678；　by　Count　Frontenac；　and　just　missed　being　made　governor。　He　was　a　man　of　broader　views　than　most　of　his　contemporaries。　He　encouraged　trade；　and　was　willing　that　others　beside　his　own　countrymen　should　reap　the　benefits　if　they　were　ready　to　pay　the　price。　He　anticipated　the　MODUS　VIVENDI　system　now　in　force　between　this　country　and　the　United　States　in　dealing　with　the　fisheries；　and　instead　of　keeping　a　large　fleet　to　patrol　the　coast　and　drive　the　English　from　the　fishing　ground；　he　charged　them　a　license　fee　of　five　pistoles　（about　twenty…five　dollars）　for　each　vessel；　thus　giving　them　a　free　hand　in　the　business。

La　Valliere's　farm　was　probably　on　the　island　marked　on　the　old　maps；　〃Isle　La　Valliere；〃　and　here　he　lived　when　not　in　other　parts　of　the　colony　on　public　business。　He　had　a　son　called　Beaubassin；　who　was　always　ready　to　take　a　hand　in　any　expedition　that　required　courage　and　promised　danger。　In　1703；　this　Beaubassin　was　the　leader　of　a　party　of　French　and　Indians　that　attacked　Casco　and　would　have　captured　the　place　but　for　the　timely　arrival　of　a　British　man…of…war。

On　the　11th　April；　1713；　the　Treaty　of　Utrecht　was　signed。　This　gave　all　Nova　Scotia；　or　Acadia；　comprehended　within　its　ancient　boundaries；　as　also　the　city　of　Port　Royal；　now　called　Annapolis　Royal；　to　the　Queen　of　Great　Britain。　The　English　claimed　this　to　include　all　the　territory　east　of　a　line　drawn　from　north　of　the　Kennebec　River　to　Quebec；　taking　in　all　the　south　shore　of　the　St。　Lawrence；　Gaspe；　the　Island　of　St。　John；　and　Cape　Breton。　The　French　contended　that　Acadia　only　included　the　southern　half　of　the　present　Province　of　Nova　Scotia。　Views　so　divergent　held　by　the　contracting　parties　to　an　agreement；　could　scarcely　fail　to　produce　irritation　and　ultimately　result　in　war。

In　1740；　the　Abbe　Le　Loutre；　Vicar…General　of　Acadia　under　the　Bishop　of　Quebec；　and　missionary　to　the　Micmacs；　came　to　Acadia　to　take　charge　of　his　mission。　It　soon　became　apparent　that　the　Rev。　Father　was　more　anxious　to　advance　the　power　and　prestige　of　the　King　of　France　than　he　was　to　minister　to　the　spiritual　elevation　of　the　benighted　Indians。　The　course　pursued　by　the　Abbe　defeated　the　end　he　had　in　view。　His　aim　was　to　make　Acadia　a　French　colony；　but　in　reality　he　helped　to　make　it　the　most　loyal　British　territory　in　North　America。

The　successful　raid　of　de　Villiers；　in　the　winter　of　1747；　convinced　the　English　that　so　long　as　Chignecto　was　in　possession　of　the　French；　and　was　used　as　a　base　of　operations　to　defy　the　English　Government；　there　could　be　no　lasting　peace　or　security　for　settlers　of　British　blood。　Taking　this　view　of　the　matter；　Governor　Cornwallis　determined　to　take　measures　to　drive　the　French　from　the　Isthmus。　The　unsettled　state　of　the　French　population　through　the　Province　contributed　to　this　decision。

In　November；　1754；　Governor　Lawrence　wrote　to　Shirley；　at　Boston；　that　he　had　reason　to　believe　the　French　were　contemplating　aggressive　measures　at　Chignecto；　and　he　thought　it　was　quite　time　an　effort　was　made　to　drive　them　from　the　north　side　of　the　Bay　of　Fundy。　Col。　Monckton　carried　this　letter　to　Governor　Shirley。　The　governor　entirely　agreed　with　the　suggestion　it　contained；　and　had　already　taken　some　steps　to　bring　about　so　desirable　an　end　to　the　troubles　the　Government　was　experiencing　on　the　Isthmus。

The　matter　was　kept　as　secret　as　possible；　but　efforts　were　immediately　made　to　raise　a　force　to　capture　Fort　Beausejour；　the　new　fort　built　by　the　French　on　the　high　ground　overlooking　Beaubassin；　on　the　north…west　side　of　the　Missiquash。　So　successful　were　they　in　getting　up　the　expedition　that；　on　the　23rd　of　May；　everything　was　ready　and　the　force　set　sail　from　Boston。

The　expedition　numbered　two　thousand　men；　under　the　command　of　Lieut。…　Col。　Monckton；　with　Lieutenants　Winslow　and　Scott　under　him。　They　called　at　Annapolis；　and　were　joined　there　by　three　hundred　regulars　of　Warburton's　regiment；　and　got　a　small　train　of　artillery。　Fort　Lawrence*　was　reached　on　2nd　June；　and　the　next　day　all　the　troops　were　landed　and　camped　around　the　fort。

＇FOOTNOTE：　*The　fort　at　Fort　Lawrence；　was　situate　on　the　high　land　that　separates　the　valleys　of　the　Missiquash　and　La　Planche　rivers；　a　little　less　than　two　miles　distant　from　Fort　Beausejour。　It　was　constructed　in　the　month　of　September；　1750。　Lieutenant…Colonel　Lawrence　arrived　at　the　Isthmus　with　a　strong　force；　consisting　of　the　48th　Regiment；　and　three　hundred　men　of　the　45th　Regiment。　〃The　Indians　and　some　of　the　French　were　rash　enough　to　oppose　the　landing　of　so　formidable　a　body　of　troops；　but　they　were　driven　off　after　a　sharp　skirmish；　in　which　the　English　lost　about　twenty　killed　and　wounded。〃　A　short　distance　from　where　they　landed　Colonel　Lawrence　erected　a　picketal　fort　with　block…houses；　which　was　named　for　himself。　A　garrison　of　six　hundred　men　was　maintained　here　until　the　fall　of　Beausejour。　END　OF　FOOTNOTE＇

Vergor；　the　French　General　in　command　at　Beausejour；　called　on　all　the　Acadians　capable　of　bearing　arms　to　come　into　the　fort　and　assist　in　its　defence。　The　Acadians；　however；　would　not　obey　this　order　unless　Vergor　would　make　a　refusal　to　comply　punishable　with　death。　This　would　given　them　an　excuse　with　which　to　meet　the　English　if　the　fort　were　taken。

On　the　4th　June；　the　English　broke　camp　and　marched　north　from　Fort　Lawrence；　a　distance　of　about　two　miles　along　the　ridge　of　high　land；　then；　entering　the　Missiquash　valley；　they　crossed　over　to　Pont　a　Buot；　or　Buot's　Bridge；　which　spanned　the　Missiquash　River。　This　bridge　was　near　what　is　now　Point　de　Bute　Corner。　Here　the　French　had　a　blockhouse　garrisoned　with　thirty　men。　There　was　also　a　breastwork　of　timber。　This　place　was　defended　for　an　hour　by　the　French；　and　then；　setting　fire　to　the　little　fort；　they　left　the　English　to　cross　over　without　opposition。　The　victorious　force　camped　that　night　on　the　Point　de　Bute　side　of　the　Missiquash　River。

At　this　day　it　is　difficult　to　account　for　the　slight　value　the　Acadian　seemed　to　place　upon　his　home。　He　appears　to　have　been　always　ready　to　set　it　on　fire　at　the　least　danger　of　its　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　English。　The　sixty　houses　that　stood　between　Buot's　Bridge　and　Beausejour　all　went　up　in　flame　that　night；　fired　by　the　French　soldiers　as　they　retired　before　the　English。

From　the　4th　until　the　13th　of　June　the　English　were　engaged　in　cutting　roads；　building　bridges；　transporting　cannon；　and　getting　these　into　position　north　of　the　fort；　on　the　high　ground；　within　shelling　distance。　During　this　time　the　French　had　been　strengthening　their　defences　and　making　other　arrangements　for　withstanding　a　seige　（sic）。　The　Abbe　Le　Loutre　ceased　work　on　his　〃abateau〃　and　set　his　men　to　assist　at　the　fort。

Scouting　parties　from　either　camp　met　once　or　twice；　and　the　Indians　captured　an　English　officer　named　Hay；　who　was　passing　from　Fort　Lawrence　to　the　English　camp。　On　the　13th　the　English　threw　a　few　shells　into　the　fort；　and　continued　to　shell　the　place　on　the　14th；　without　much　apparent　result。　On　that　day　Vergor　received　tidings　that　no　help　could　be　sent　from　Louisbourg。　This　news　was　more　disastrous　to　the　Frenc