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and swamp or, more likely, sail or paddle a similar distance to find another settlement. The closest settlements were Bedeque, a mainly Loyalist settlement on the Northumberland Strait side of the Island and Malpeque, an Acadian settlement on the northeast along the bay of the same name.

Who were these Acadians, some of whom settled in the Tignish area in 1799? Where did they come from originally? How did they get their name? As they came to the Tignish area, not just in 1799, but in later years as well, and remained when other settlers had come and gone, it’s essential to know what they were like and what ways of living and attitudes of mind they passed on through the succeeding generations.

All Acadians are descended from French settlers who came to North America before 1750. A significant proportion of them came from the west of France, where the large seaport of La Rochelle often served as point of departure for ships bound for the New World. Much of the land in Poitou, the region around La Rochelle, is marshy, and had been dyked by farmers to produce excellent pasture and cultivable fields, which can be seen to this day. However, in seventeenth - and eighteenth - century France there was no hope of ever being free of a master or landlord, and even less of owning one’s own land. The desire for freedom, together with a love of adventure, is one of the main reasons why so many men (and a few women) left for the New World.

The settlers adapted themselves relatively quickly to their new surroundings in what are today the Maritime Provinces. They had few prejudices with respect to the Mi'kmaq, the original dwellers of the land. In fact, these French colonists learned a great deal from them about