eee ee TS ee ee eee ee

Rebirth of the French Colony 127

The French are certainly doing everything in their power to excite the Indians to molest us. Not one Indian has appear’d in this Bay for some weeks past. I heard tother day from an Officer (a Settler) at Minas That they are all at Cobequid with Leutre who is sent with the French peasants. Tis firmly my Opinion, My Lords, that if the Indians do begin, we ought never to make Peace with them again. It will be very practicable with an addition of Force by Sea and Land to root them out entirely. This would have another Effect of great Con- sequence. It would take from the French Inhabitants the only pretext they have for refusing to be quite upon the same footing with the English. Could we once de- pend on their fidelity, I take it this would be the Strong- est Colony His Majesty possesses. The French Deputys have been with us this week—they came as they said with their final answer. Your Lordships will see from the Inclosed Copy of their Letter which was Signed by a thousand Inhabitants, that they are, or say they are, resolved to retire rather than take the Oath of Alle- giance. As I am sure they will not leave their Habita- tions this Season, when the letter was read to the Coun- cil in their presence, I made them Answer without changing anything of my former Declaration or saying one Word about it. My View is to make them as useful as possible to His Majesty while they do stay. If after- wards they are still obstinate and refuse the Oath I shall receive in Spring His Majesty’s further instruc- tions from Your Lordships. As they Stay’d to have Copys of my Answer in writing, I saw them afternoon by myself and exhorted them to be faithful to His Majesty, to renounce all Connection with France and give all the Assistance in their Power to this Colony as