50 ‘The French in Prince Edward Island 
     
    
   
   
    
     leave to retire on account of ill health and on Febru- 
     
     ary 3, 1722, Sieur Dubois Berthelot de Beaucours 
     
     was nominated as his successor ; his appointment was 
     
     to date from his arrival and his services were to be 
     
     required for two years. Curiously enough through 
     
     some strange confusion de La Ronde was appointed 
     
     to the same position on February 23, but as de Beau- 
     
     cours, who had been Lieutenant de Roi in Ie Royale, 
     
     promptly repaired to his post de La Ronde took a 
     
     holiday in France. De Beaucours remained only one 
     
     year in Isle Saint Jean, and in 1723 returned to Ie 
     
     Royale as Lieutenant de Roi.** The Comte de Saint 
     
     Pierre’s recommendation of de Beaucours speaks 
     
     very highly of his qualifications. He had served in 
     
     Canada for thirty years, was a wise man who knew 
     
     local conditions, was much revered by the people and 
     
     “aman well calculated to attract Acadians. Further, 
     
     as an engineer he could draw up plans for the forti- 
     
     fications and supervise their execution. On the whole, 
     
     his appointment would assure the success of the 
     
     colony.” 
     
    

    
     But there were dishonest men in those good old 
     
     days who sought security in out-of-the-way places. 
     
     Complaints came to the Governor of Ile Royale that 
     
     habitans of his jurisdiction were running off to Isle 
     
     Saint Jean to escape their creditors, and finding 
     
     sanctuary among the fishermen of the north shore. 
     
     To put an end to this practice the Governor and 
     
     Council issued an ordinance forbidding any sailor 
     
    
   
   
    
     16 C11 VI, Vol. 12, p. 188. 
     
     17 C11 IV, Vol. 6, p. 107.