32 ‘The French in Prince Edward Island 
     
    
   
   
    
     investigation of the island and its resources. His let- 
     
     ter is in part as follows: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Since my last letter written to Your Grandeur I have 
     
     had very particular details from people of the country 
     
     in regard to L’Ile St. Jean, situated north-west and 
     
     south-west in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. M. de Coste- 
     
     belle, our Governor, ought to give Captain de La Ronde 
     
     of the garrison and myself an order to explore it. There 
     
     is evidence that this would be not without value inas- 
     
     much as the island is very considerable because of its 
     
     good harbors, its codfish, its land and its good wood, 
     
     and as it has never been well-known I would be honored 
     
     to return a faithful account to Your Grandeur and to 
     
     assure you of the exactitude with which I would acquit 
     
     myself of this commission.* 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Minister intent upon other plans made no 
     
     effort to avail himself of the patriotism and zeal of 
     
     M. Couagne. At this time the fortunes both of Louis 
     
     XIV and of France were at a low ebb. Though the 
     
     throne of Spain had been won it was at the price of 
     
     bankruptcy. It was all that the aged monarch and 
     
     the impoverished nation could do to establish [le 
     
     Royale. Even here some six years passed before a 
     
     final decision was reached as to the headquarters of 
     
     the new colony; and when this decision had been 
     
     reached the opportunity had been let slip to secure 
     
     the transference of the Acadian population en masse. 
     
    

    
     By the Treaty of Utrecht such Acadians as were 
     
     unwilling to become British subjects were granted 
     
     the privilege of removing from British territory 
     
    
   
   
    
     1Ci1 V, Vol. 8, p. 209.