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Franquet Makes Plans

COLONEL FRANQUET, an Officer of Engineers, who had been sent from France to superintend the new fortifications of Louisburg, and to devise a Sys- tem of defence for the French possessions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, visited Isle Saint Jean in 1751. He left Louisburg on July 27 and returned on Septem- ber 5. In the interval he had visited the chief settle- ments on the island and had prepared an elaborate report of forty pages outlining its condition and prospects and making recommendations for its future development.* Something of the beauty of the summer entered into his report and inspired an out- look that was not altogether justified by later events, and at the same time lifted him above the petty wor- ries that were causing so much discomfort to the local officials. The climate captivated him and he thought it brighter and less rigorous than Ie Roy- ale. He prophesied that in less than ten years Isle Saint Jean would furnish Ile Royale with all the cattle and grain it could possibly consume.

With each of the grievances and fears of the habi- tans he deals in turn; and recommends, (1) that the four chief ports of the island be fortified and pro- vided with a garrison, and that communication by land be improved; (2) that three additional ecclesias- tical parishes be created; (3) that the decree against

1C11 V, Vol. 9, p. 91.