The Expulsion of 1758 195

consequence and not to have above four or five hun- dred inhabitants; indeed M. Drucour informed me there might be near 1500.’

The preceding chapters adequately dispose of the notion that Isle Saint Jean had ever been a source of supply for Quebec and, with the exception of cattle, for Louisburg. On the contrary, its history had been one long cry of famine and almost every year it had to draw flour and seed from Quebec, Louisburg, Acadia, New England, or even from France. Prior to 1752, Louisburg got its cattle from Acadia and even after the expulsion most of its cattle came from the same place, having, it is true, been picked up there by Acadian refugees on Isle Saint Jean. In 1756 and 1757 a few cattle were shipped from Isle Saint Jean, but that had been done only by the most careful husbanding of resources and to the cruel neg- lect of its own inhabitants. Before that date the sup- ply of cattle had been meager indeed; but it had always been a ground of hope that one day the island would be a source of supply for Louisburg. It can- not be too distinctly emphasized that Isle Saint Jean under the French was never self-supporting.

The scalps alleged to have been found by Lord Rollo have also been a subject of controversy. But there is no reason to doubt the accuracy of his state- ment in this regard as there is ample evidence to prove that the French encouraged the Indians to bring English scalps to them; and there is evidence also that they paid for them. On the other hand these

§C.0O., 412, Vol. 8.