GH ALP Th Ry bX 
     
     Rebirth of the French Colony 
     
    
   
   
    
     THE War of the Austrian Succession came to an 
     
     end in 1748. Preliminaries of peace were arranged 
     
     on April 30, and a treaty was finally concluded at 
     
     Aix-la-Chapelle on October 18. On June 3, the Comte 
     
     de Maurepas notified La Galissoniére and Hocquart, 
     
     the Governor and Intendant of New France, of the 
     
     suspension of hostilities and informed them that Le 
     
     Royale and Isle Saint Jean would be restored to 
     
     France. He suggested that the interval between the 
     
     suspension of hostilities and the conclusion of peace 
     
     would be a favorable opportunity for attracting 
     
     Acadians, particularly to Isle Saint Jean; and he 
     
     gave the Governor a free hand to take such measures 
     
     to that end as should seem good to him, as one in 
     
     close touch with local conditions.* 
     
    

    
     La Galissoniére immediately arranged to send 
     
     Captain Benoit with a detachment of twenty-five 
     
     troops to Port La Joye, ‘tas much to succour the 
     
     inhabitants who were on the point of abandoning the 
     
     island from lack of food as to facilitate the retreat 
     
     and establishment of Acadians there.”? Bigot, who 
     
     arrived at Quebec on September 1, to replace Hoc- 
     
     quart as Intendant, sent by the boat which took the 
     
     troops some provisions to sustain the disheartened 
     
    
   
   
    
     1Can. Arch. Report, 1905, Vol. II, App. N, p. 282. 
     
     2Ci1 A, Vol. 90, p. 113.