4

The French merchant schooner came into the lake to trade goods.14

From 1744 to 1748, Isle St. Jean was in the hands of the English. The Treaty of Afx-la—Chapelle returned the lands to France in 1748. Between 1749 and 1752 huge migrations of Acadians came to Isle St. Jean due to the founding of the Bri- tish Halifax. The Acadians were expected to take an Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown and so many left the mainland.

The four families at Pointe de 1‘ Est in 1752 had fled from Nova Scotia.15 The population of Pointe d' 1e Est

16 This could be due to the

increased from 22 to 55 in 1755. fact that four hundred Acadians crossed over to Isle St. Jean because the English were building Fort Lawrence and.Fort Edw- ard on the Isthmus of Chignecto. Fort Beauséjour was in dan— ger. The following except from the census of 1752 dealing with East Point reveals much about the dire situation which many Acadian s faced.

In the years 1755, 1754 and 1755 many Acadians cross~ ed to Isle St. Jean to escape deportation only to be deported in 1758. On Isle St. Jean crops failed and near famine condi— tions prevailed. .

However with all these difficulties, the Acadian peo— ple were described as honest, industrious, sober and virtuous

people. A description of them as portrayed in Longfellow‘s

Evangeline follows:

Thus dwelt together in love these simple Acadian

farmers, dwelt in the love of God and of man.