The finest masts at Savage Harbour.

A contract for cutting masts.

The problem of getting the men to the sites.

Extra soldiers for cutting masts.

The masts cut on lle Saint—Jean.

Their quality.

Future mast supplies possible.

Problems of access to the timber sites.

a thirty ton vessel could enter. There are quite fine masts there, but nothing equalling the harbour called Cadocpichs at the top of the portage from the river of Port La-Joie going to Saint-Pierre on the north coast, where I went through the woods with Monsieur Le Normant Demezy, and where we found the finest masts on the island. I had one of them cut to determine their quality. We had three charpentiers [carpenters/Shipwrights] with us, who had orders to carry out the inspection. I have attached a report about it, which I have the honour Monseigneur to send to you, as written proof, and on the basis of which, Monsieur de Mézy doubtless has drawn up a contract for cutting some masts, about which apparently he reports to your honour. Monsieur de Saint—Ovide gives me orders to assist the undertaker of these contracts in everything that depends on me and to give him soldiers when he will need them, to which I will conform with pleasure. [fols. 253v—254v]

and even if there would only be the concern of the masts that are going to be cut — how will we get up the river to send soldiers there to assist the contractor and carry their supplies. I view it Monseigneur such an absolute necessity, that there is no choice but to purchase a shalop and a vessel of twenty tons to be delivered to me next May, in the hope that Your Excellency will accept my proposal, putting the vessel in the Royal Accounts, and will proceed to arrange the upkeep of it with Monsieur de Mézy. [fols. 255-255v]

The continuation of the poor weather has held me here He at Louisbourg] for two weeks with part of the supplies for the garrison and some additional soldiers that l have been given to cut masts. [fol. 257]

[PAC, AC, CHB, Vol. 9, fols. 253V-257]

1728: 31 October

last year He in 1727] l was ordered to examine with Monsieur Le Normand and two charpentiers [carpenters/Shipwrights] , the quality of the wood that was on ile Saint-Jean, concerning which I have had the honour of making to you the most exact account possible — I reported the same to Monsieur de Saint-Ovide.

[fols. 157—157vi

Monsieur de Mézy has had some masts transported here which were cut this winter on ile Saint-Jean, with the small masts [matereaux], spars and the planking, in accordance with the contract of Sieur LeComte, with the reservation of about forty masts which will be left for lack of sufficient carriage. The masts are of very good quality. They are not perfect on account of many knots, which however I assure you are not bad. The small masts [matereaux] and spars are good, the planks are very fine — if they are found so, as I believe (at Rochefort), it will be easy to get from ile St-Jean, the amount that one will wish.

If the masts are not as fine as they ought to be, the said Sieur LeComte has not been able to get others on account of the difficulty of getting them out of the woods. I have been on the sites this spring after the operation was carried out, I saw that where he would have been, it was not possible for him to do otherwise. This summer I have had a certain amount of wood cut to open up a track for the detachment and to cover several impassable swamps/bogs [mo/ieres?] which will lead to more easy extraction in future, although farther inland. I hope that Your

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