138 ‘The French in Prince Edward Island

1749 to pass unhampered, in 1750 sent a garrison to Beaubassin where they had commenced the erec- tion of Fort Lawrence. They also sent cruisers into the Gulf to watch proceedings. This increased the excitement of the French and multiplied the hard- ships of the Acadians. One of the boats, Le Loudon, engaged in carrying despatches and a few Acadian families, was captured by them. The captain, accord- ing to Bigot, lacked the presence of mind to sink his despatches and the latter was afraid that these would be sent to London and might prove embarrassing. However, he sent duplicates of such as he had written to the Minister so that “diplomatic explanation” could be ready beforehand, but he deplored Le Loutre’s lack of caution in trusting his plans to writing.**

As it proved Le Loutre’s indiscretions were not great. He had informed de Bonnaventure that he had sixty families at Beaubassin ready to cross and that if the limits were not soon fixed, 100 families from Cobequid would follow their example and go to Isle Saint Jean. There was also a letter from one Doucette to M. Languedoc stating that if Acadia was not returned to France he would go with his little family to Canada. “I assure you,” he adds, “we are in a wretched state for we are like the savages in the woods.” Such was the condition around Beaubassin in the French stage of the grand dérangement.”

Le Loudon and the St. Frangois, another boat

18 Can, Arch. Report, 1905, p. 815, 19 G, 4, B.T.N.S., Vol. 10.