the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第2节

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Between　Sackville　and　Amherst　there　is　an　area　of　some　fifty　thousand　acres　of　these　alluvial　lands；　reclaimed　and　unreclaimed。　Some　of　this　marsh　has　been　cutting　large　crops　of　hay　for　one　hundred　and　fifty　years；　and　there　is　no　evidence　of　diminished　fertility；　although　no　fertilizer　has　been　used　in　that　time；　other　sections　have　become　exhausted　and　the　tide　has　been　allowed　to　overflow　them。　This　treatment　will　restore　them　to　their　original　fertility。

Cartier　was　the　first　of　the　early　navigators　to　drop　anchor　in　a　New　Brunswick　harbor。　This　was　in　the　summer　of　1534；　and　the　place　was　on　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence；　near　the　mouth　of　the　Miramich　River。　This　was　on　the　30th　of　June。　Landing　the　next　day　and　finding　the　country　well　wooded；　he　was　delighted　and　spoke　of　it　in　glowing　terms。

The　first　white　men　to　visit　the　Isthmus　with　a　view　to　trade　and　settlement　came　from　Port　Royal　in　the　summer　of　1612。

In　1670；　Jacob　Bourgeois；　a　resident　of　Port　Royal；　and　a　few　other　restless　spirits；　were　the　first　to　make　a　permanent　settlement。　These　were　followed　by　another　contingent　under　the　leadership　of　Pierre　Arsenault。

In　1676；　the　King　of　France　gave　a　large　grant　of　territory　in　Acadia　to　a　French　nobleman；　Michael　Le　Neuf；　Sieur　de　La　Valliere。　This　grant　included　all　the　Chignecto　Isthmus。　Tonge's　Island；　a　small　islet　in　the　marsh　near　the　mouth　of　the　Missiquash　River；　is　called　Isle　La　Valliere　on　the　old　maps；　and　was　probably　occupied　by　La　Valliere　himself　when　he　lived　on　the　Isthmus。

From　this　date　Chignecto　began　to　take　a　prominent　place　in　the　history　of　Acadia；　and　continued　for　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　to　be　one　of　the　principal　centres　of　influence　under　the　rule　both　of　France　and　Great　Britain。

It　was　here　that　France　made　her　last　stand　for　the　possession　of　Acadia。　It　was　here　that　Jonathan　Eddy；　twenty　years　later；　raised　the　standard　of　the　revolted　colonies；　and　made　a　gallant　but　unsuccessful　effort　to　carry　Nova　Scotia　over　to　the　rebel　cause。

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　Go