Masts to be 
     
     drawn from 
     
     the island. 
     
    
   
   
    
     A new survey to 
     
     be carried out. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Are there any 
     
     entrepreneurs 
     
     who might supply 
     
     the masts? 
     
    
   
   
    
     The masts cut 
     
     previously for the 
     
     Company of f/e 
     
     Saint-Jean. 
     
    
   
   
    
     A report on the 
     
     wood requested. 
     
    
   
   
    
     report that has been made that they have been found of bad quality which is 
     
     attributed to the fact that they were cut six years ago. After this inspection the said 
     
     Sieur Fleury sent me a memorandum on the masting that could be got from this island 
     
     — you will find a copy attached. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The difficulty of getting masts from Canada along with outlays that would increase 
     
     the price considerably will lead me to get them from ile Saint—Jean. There is standing 
     
     [timber] there and if there be the means of transporting them to the places where 
     
     they can be embarked — it is this that it is necessary to look at in depth. I will give 
     
     an order to this effect to Monsieur de l’Etenduere who is to command the flute the 
     
     Dromadaire to release during the stay that he will make at ile Royalle the master 
     
     charpentier [carpenter/shipwright] in order that he join with the people that Monsieur 
     
     de Mezy will judge appropriate, and who will have expertise, to make an inspection 
     
     of the woods of Tie Saint-Jean and to draw up the most exact report on it that will be 
     
     possible. Monsieur de Saint-Ovide will give an order to Sieur de Pensens, who must 
     
     be now on that island, to assist with these inspections and give on his part all the 
     
     clarifications both on the quality of the masts and their dimensions, as well as on the 
     
     other woods that can be drawn from this island. You will then send to me all the 
     
     memoranda and reports that will have been made on the nature of the masts and 
     
     other woods as well as on the prices that they might cost delivered to the 
     
     embarkation point. Monsieur de Saint-Ovide will add the knowledge that he will have 
     
    
   
   
    
     been able to gather in the journey that he has reported to me that he intends to make 
     
     to this island next month. 
     
    
   
   
    
     If there are any people at ile Royale or even on ile Saint-Jean who might wish to 
     
     undertake these supplies, Monsieur de Mezy will send me their proposals. l will then 
     
     make known to you the intentions of His Majesty by the first vessels that will depart 
     
     next year. 
     
    
   
   
    
     If before the arrival of the Dromadaire you will be able to have this inspection made 
     
     by persons who would have knowledge of woods and on whose report you can rely, 
     
    
   
   
    
     I give you the freedom to do it in order to speed up the sending of the memoranda 
     
     and reports. 
     
    
   
   
    
     | make the observation to you that the masts that the late Sieur Aubert was exploiting 
     
     on ile Saint—Jean, where they are still, being of old cuts, must be rotten or will be 
     
     before they can be carried back to France. Besides they belong to Monsieur the 
     
     Count of Saint-Pierre. Thus it is not at all proper to touch them. However you will 
     
     have them inspected and will send me the report on them along with your opinion. 
     
    
   
   
    
     [PAC, AC, Series B, Vol. 49, fols. 698-699] 
     
    
   
   
    
     1726: 2 July — (at Versailles) to Saint-Ovide (Governor at Louisbourg) 
     
    
   
   
    
     l have received the letter that you have written 18 December of last year. With 
     
     respect to the masts and building wood that they claim to be abundant on this island 
     
    
   
   
    
     I have written jointly to Monsieur de Mezy and yourself on this subject by the frigate 
     
     Nerei'a'e and I await your reply. 
     
    
   
   
    
     From the journey that you had planned to make there last month you would have 
     
     been able to know for yourself whether all that they told you about the woods, the 
     
     cultivated land and the other advantages of this island is well-founded. I trust that 
     
     you will send me a full and exact report. 
     
    
   
   
    
     [PAC, AC, Series B, Vol. 49, fols. 721—722] 
     
    
   
   
    
     67