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96 ‘The French in Prince Edward Island

here until I were assured of lodgings that could at Cage

least shelter me from the insults of the weather.” ‘ he hoped to rent a couple of rooms in the house of habitan so as not to put the King to too much ex- pense. The risks in the state of his health were great but “nothing in the scale with obedience to the King’s orders.” In addition to this, the surgeon was on strike, and could not be induced to join him as the inhabitants could pay nothing for either services or drugs, while the beggarly pittance of 300 livres which he received could hardly keep his own body and soul together.*

On his arrival in Isle Saint Jean, this time in his own boat, he found little change in the general con- dition of the inhabitants. A few Acadians had ar- rived and three soldiers had decided to settle in accordance with a plan adopted on his advice of granting discharges to as many as eight soldiers a year who should wish to leave the garrison at Louis- burg and take advantage of three years’ pay, rations, and clothing. It was hoped that these soldiers besides being good laborers would retain their willingness to fight in case of emergency. In one respect a distinct improvement had been made during his absence. To provide for the necessities of communication by land with the new settlement at Three Rivers, a rough road had been opened by Roma which made the jour- ney possible in a day and a half. He himself had orders to open another from Port La Joye to Mal- peque making communication possible in one day,

411 IV, Vol. 14, p. 210.