Conserving the forest.

The island has lots of fine wood.

Oaks at Three Rivers.

Also pine masts.

A useful source of masts and building wood.

400 to 500 mast trees out two years before.

All of red pine.

1732: 18 November [signed jointly by Saint-Ovide and Le Normant, acting commissaire]

Nous avons I’honneur de répondre a la depeche du 19 juin dernier qui concerne l'isle 8‘. Jean. Nous assurons, Monseigneur, que nous aporterons toute nostre attention pour la conservation des Bois de cette isle, ainsy qu’il nous le recommande.

[fol. 21o]

la despence de ces deux Batiments ['le magasin dans lequel on met les vivres’ et 'logements pour l’officier’] en les faisant de charpente ne seroit pas considerable attendu que les Bois sont a ban marché dans cet endroit. [fo|. 212]

[PAC, AC, CHB, Vol. 12, fols. 210-212]

1719: 4 October

It is pointed out to me that several of its inhabitants lie. of Acadia] are disposed to cross over with their belongings and animals to lie Saint-Jean which I am assured is very beautiful and very abundant in fine woods and in pasture.

[PAC, AC, C”B, Vol. 4, fol. 181]

1725: 18 December

lle Saint-Jean reveals itself more from day to day particularly from people who live there . It has a lot of fine oaks and particularly in a place called Trois Riviéres that l have been assured is a very good harbour where all ships, almost of every size, are able to enter. I have also been assured that in one of its three rivers there is a lot of pine masting; there is also everywhere considerable amounts of meadows.

[fo|. 201]

It is of the utmost importance, as much for the benefit of the government as for that of this colony, that this island be reunited to the domain of His Majesty, from which he will be able to gain in future very great advantages from the amount of masting and building timber that is on it.

Sieur Aubert, before now director of this company, two years ago had about four to five hundred masts cut of which two hundred were debarked and put in the workyards; in length they were fifty to seventy-five feet and in diameter up to twenty-four inches. l have spoken with Monsieur de I’Etenduere’s1 master charpentier [carpenter/shipwright] who cut some of the masts, who has assured us to be all of red pine and of a very liante quality [i.e. strong and flexible]. It would be easy, Monseigneur, to bring down to Port La-Joie next summer an amount sufficient to load one or two ships. It would be necessary that your Excellency give your orders next spring to have this pile at the place of embarkation so that the ships that should load them would have no delay. [fols. 201v-202]

[PAC, AC, C”B, Vol. 7, fols. 200-203] 1726: 18 September l was on lle Saint-Jean at the end of June last ; I examined as much as I

could the soils and the bays of this island, and had with me experienced and able people, especially concerning the soils; I dare assure Monseigneur that they appeared