Rebirth of the French Colony 123 
     
    
   
   
    
     Royal of the French, and no adequate attempt had 
     
     been made to take effective possession of the land by 
     
     colonization. At the same time the small garrison had 
     
     been so badly neglected that at times it was on the 
     
     verge of starvation. This had been a great oppor- 
     
     tunity for French intrigue with the Acadians and 
     
     had enabled them to procure considerable supplies 
     
     for Louisburg and Isle Saint Jean. There were three 
     
     main routes by which these supplies were obtained: 
     
     one overland from ‘Annapolis and Minas to Che- 
     
     bucto, another from Cobequid to Tatamagouche, and 
     
     a third from Beaubassin to Bay Verte; thence by 
     
     water from all three to their destination. In this way 
     
     practically all of Acadia was under tribute to Ile 
     
     Royale, while the new rulers could not be sure of 
     
     supplies from their own subjects. In addition to 
     
     exploiting Acadian trade, the French, through their 
     
     priests and missionaries to the Indians, were able to 
     
     keep alive and foster among the Acadians the hope 
     
     that they would soon see the fleur-de-lis waving over 
     
     Annapolis once more, especially as the British placed 
     
     so little value upon it. As late as 1739 Hocquart 
     
     wrote the Minister that the English had not been 
     
     strengthening Port Royal and probably intended, 
     
     as was being said by several English officers, to give 
     
     it back in some exchange; that they had sent all their 
     
     heavy cannon to Boston and had a garrison of only 
     
     200 men and that the English settlers numbered only 
     
     forty families, whereas the Acadian population had 
     
     increased to 5000 souls.* But in the War of the Aus- 
     
    
   
   
    
     4Ci1 A, Vol. 71, June 4, 17389.