158 ‘The French in Prince Edward Island 
     
    
   
   
    
     Early on the following morning nearly all the settlers 
     
     from both sides of the river were collected to represent 
     
     their views and hear Franquet’s decision respecting the 
     
     site of the proposed church. With regard to expenses 
     
     and other details perfect unanimity prevailed in the 
     
     meeting, the only point in dispute was on which side of 
     
     the river the church should be built. Franquet, having 
     
     heard the arguments of either party, called to the 
     
     notice of the meeting the fact, that were the church to 
     
     be built on the southern bank of the river, only the 
     
     inhabitants who lived on that bank could be reckoned 
     
     upon to attend it, whereas were it built on the northern 
     
     side the settlers around Tracadie which was only two 
     
     leagues distant, would come there to Mass oftener than 
     
     they would go to St. Peters. Besides, said he, Sieur 
     
     Bugeau has generously offered a free gift of land on 
     
     which to build the church, his orchard he offers for the 
     
     site of a Presbytery, and his garden for a cemetery. 
     
     Franquet added yet another consideration which in our 
     
     days may be regarded as trivial, but which possessed 
     
     weight among a people of simple tastes, and easily satis- 
     
     fied with natural enjoyment. At the foot of the slope, 
     
     on the summit of which was the proffered site of the 
     
     church, a spring of water called Bel-air spring, and 
     
     renowned all over the district for its purity and fresh- 
     
     ness, gushed from the yellow sand in cool abundance. 
     
     There, continued Franquet, those who come from a dis- 
     
     tance can rest and refresh themselves after their long 
     
     journey. The cogency of these reasons healed all differ- 
     
     ences, and it was agreed to build the church on the site 
     
     offered by Sieur Bugeau, and to call the new parish 
     
     that of St. Louis. It was further stipulated that for the 
     
     accommodation of those residing on the opposite side of