218 ‘The French in Prince Edward Island

the other hand they reproached him for not provid- ing them with a missionary, and asked him to leave Pere Gelas with them to confess and marry them, as already several of their youths had died like beasts of the field, while the lack of religious marriages was leading to libertinism. He granted their request in view of the fact that those who lived at Miramichi were near enough to Chaleurs where another mission- ary could be had in case of need. |

In 1738 Duchambon reports having distributed at Port La Joye, on behalf of Bourville, 16 quintals of powder, 29 quintals and 65 pounds of shot, 22 guns, 5725 flints, and 38 pickaxes; but the Indians had complained that as their numbers were increasing they each received too small a quantity and that they would go to the English unless the amount were in- creased.‘

The increase in the number of the Indians was due to a temporary cessation of hostilities and freedom from epidemics. Even so, a memoir of 1739 gives only 600 capable of bearing arms. At least 200 of these would be boys from 12 to 25 years of age: computing the total population on the basis of Pére Gaulin’s census of 1722, when 265 bearing arms gave a total of 838, the number of Micmacs in 1739 would still be under 2000 (1897). These were distributed in vil- lages throughout the entire territory from Baye de Chaleurs to Ile Royale as follows: Restigouche, Miramichi, Richibuctou, Shediac, Beaubassin, Shu-

7F, Vol. 153, p. 166.