from one of the letters of the government purveyor, John Hayes, who
was exceedingly friendly to Hazen & White. He wrote "I am sorry to say
that Lieut. Connor is much atached to Davidson and Andrews,[121] his
orders from Sir Richard Hughes specifying to give Davidson all the
assistance in his power, and on that account Davidson carries much
more sway than he otherwise would."

[121] The reference is to George Andrew, government purveyor, who
surveyed the masts furnished by Mr. Davidson's workmen.

Sir Richard Hughes, it may be observed, was succeeded as Lieut.
Governor of Nova Scotia by Sir Andrew Snape Hamond in 1781. Both
Hughes and Hamond held in turn the office of commissioner of the naval
yard at Halifax. Colonel Francklin had himself been lieutenant
governor of Nova Scotia from 1766 to 1776, and seems to have kept on
excellent terms with his successors. Through his influence at
headquarters the government patronage passed largely to the firm of
which he was the senior partner. Francklin was an adept in the art of
diplomacy. During the Revolutionary war, as we have already seen, his
tact and judgment prevented the Indians from becoming actively hostile
to the English and restrained the New Englanders, settled in
Cumberland and other parts of Nova Scotia, from taking up arms on the
side of the rebellion. A specimen of his diplomacy in small matters is
found in one of his letters to Hazen & White in which he writes:
"However high Indian corn may be, I wish you would send twenty bushels
to Sir Andrew for his poultry, in which Lady Hamond takes great
delight, and pray don't omit getting her some wood ducks in the
approaching season."

Some further light is thrown upon the state of affairs on the River
St. John at this period, and the "modus operandi" of the mast cutters
by the following letter, written by Hazen & White, to Colonel
Francklin:--

"Fort Howe, 23rd March, 1782.

"Dear Sir,--Since our last we have been at Maugerville viewing the
masts, etc, etc. Mr. Peabody has cut down and procured as many
sticks as could be expected under the disadvantage of having the
other contractor at his elbow. You will find enclosed Mr. Hayes
account and certificates of the number and sizes of sticks on the
banks, trimmed four square and fit for rafting. They have about
120 more cut, many of which cannot be got out this season. Mr.
Peabody set off on the 14th inst. to view a glade of Pines on the