48 ‘The French in Prince Radward Island 
     
    
   
   
    
     Ronde was more concerned with his reputation as a 
     
     colonizer than with strict accuracy and this is not 
     
     the only report of his that must be taken cwm grano 
     
     salis. 
     
    

    
     This settlement of 1720-1721, such as it was, con- 
     
     sisted largely of colonists from France. Though offi- 
     
     cial France had changed its mind and had instructed 
     
     St. Ovide on July 7, 1720, to favor the inclination 
     
     of the Acadians to settle in Isle Saint Jean, he was 
     
     soon to discover that their former avowed preference 
     
     for that island had really been an excuse for not 
     
     going to Ile Royale, preferring as they did to stay 
     
     in Acadia.’ On November 11, 1720, St. Ovide in- 
     
     formed the Council of Marine that a boat had re- 
     
     cently arrived from Isle Saint Jean, by which he had 
     
     learned that Acadians had been there to inspect the 
     
     lands; but that they did not find them as good as 
     
     they had anticipated, being red and dry; and that, 
     
     although there were some natural meadows, he was 
     
     afraid that all his efforts to get them to settle there 
     
     would be vain, as they now preferred Toulouse.” 
     
    

    
     The little colony also suffered from the competi- 
     
     tion of Ile Royale in the fisheries. Apparently de La 
     
     Ronde’s optimism when purchasing supplies at 
     
     Louisburg had created some excitement and, as a 
     
     result, St. Martin and Michel d’Accarette decided to 
     
     engage in the fisheries at Isle Saint Jean. They were 
     
     prosecuted by de Gotteville but the Court of Ad- 
     
     miralty at Louisburg condemned him to damages 
     
    
   
   
    
     11 B, Vol. 42. 
     
     12 C11 IV, Vol. 5, p. 80.