another went on board, and the
vessel returned to Halifax with only the two families.

In fact the French government had not been inattentive to the views
of the British, nor insensible to the crisis. They saw the danger of
permitting five or six thousand of the best seamen existing, to be
transferred by a single stroke to the marine strength of their
enemy, and to carry over with them an art which they possessed almost
exclusively. The counterplan which they set on foot was to tempt the
_Nantuckois_, by high offers, to come and settle in France. This was in
the year 1785. The British, however, had in their favor, a sameness of
language, religion, laws, habits, and kindred. Nine families only, of
thirty-three persons in the whole, came to Dunkirk; so that this
project was not likely to prevent their emigration to the English
establishments, if nothing else had happened.

France had effectually aided in detaching the United States of America
from the force of Great Britain: but as yet they seemed to have indulged
only a silent wish to detach them from her commerce. They had done
nothing to induce that event. In the same year, 1785, while M. de
Calonne was in treaty with the _Nantuckois_, an estimate of the commerce
of the United States was submitted to the Count de Vergennes, and it
was shown, that, of three millions of pounds sterling, to which their
exports amounted, one third might be brought to France, and exchanged
against her productions and manufactures, advantageously for both
nations; provided the obstacles of prohibition, monopoly, and duty, were
either done away, or moderated as far as circumstances would admit. A
committee, which had been appointed to investigate a particular one of
these objects, was thereupon instructed to extend its researches to
the whole, and see what advantages and facilities the government could
offer, for the encouragement of a general commerce with the United
States. The committee was composed of persons well skilled in commerce;
and after laboring assiduously for several months, they made their
report: the result of which was given in the letter of his Majesty's
Comptroller General, of the 22nd of October, 1786, wherein he stated the
principles which should be established, for the future regulation of the
commerce between France and the United States. It was become tolerably
evident, at the date of this letter, that the terms offered to the
_Nantuckois_ would not produce their emi