Acadian Migration 37 
     
    
   
   
    
     corresponded with de Louvigny in regard to his 
     
     grant on the eastern part of Isle Saint Jean. The 
     
     latter reported from Quebec that the Acadians who 
     
     had gone there had asked him for grants of land but 
     
     that he had hesitated to make any lest by so doing 
     
     he should interfere with the official policy in regard 
     
     to Ile Royale. However he would be willing to forfeit 
     
     his concession-in return for a pension or promotion. 
     
     The Council in view of the fact that de Louvigny had 
     
     made no outlay on his concession and because of 
     
     Acadian aversion from feudal tenure, decided to re- 
     
     voke the concession of 1710 and to reunite Isle Saint 
     
     Jean to the Royal domain." This decision was taken 
     
     in May, 1716, but it was too late to hold even the 
     
     Acadians who had gone there; for, according to a 
     
     report of Governor Caulfield at Annapolis to the 
     
     Lords of Trade, dated May 16, 1716, “The Island 
     
     of St. John is completely abandoned by the people 
     
     of Annapolis who went to settle there. The people 
     
     of Minas resolve to remain where they are.”* 
     
    

    
     The return of these prospectors was as discourag- 
     
     ing to official France as the inactivity of Acadians 
     
     on English territory had been. This discouragement 
     
     is expressed by the Council of Marine in a letter to 
     
     the missionaries of Acadia, June 30, 1717, in which 
     
     they say that the King is surprised at the inaction 
     
     of the people of Acadia, after the sacrifices he has 
     
     made to furnish them with provisions for a whole 
     
    
   
   
    
     year at Ile Royale, but that he hopes they will do 
     
    
   
   
    
     7 F3, Vol. 92, pp. 477-478; B1, Vol. 82, 1716. 
     
     8 B, 81, B.T.N.S., Vol. 2.