rand of
Beaubassin. La Jonquiere says that he could only be resisted indirectly,
because he was on the English side of the river. This indirect
resistance was undertaken by Le Loutre, who had thrown up a breastwork
along the shore and manned it with his Indians and his painted and
be-feathered Acadians. Nevertheless the English landed, and, with some
loss, drove out the defenders. Le Loutre himself seems not to have been
among them; but they kept up for a time a helter-skelter fight,
encouraged by two other missionaries, Germain and Lalerne, who were near
being caught by the English.[111] Lawrence quickly routed them, took
possession of the cemetery, and prepared to fortify himself. The village
of Beaubassin, consisting, it is said, of a hundred and forty houses,
had been burned in the spring; but there were still in the neighborhood,
on the English side, many hamlets and farms, with barns full of grain
and hay. Le Loutre's Indians now threatened to plunder and kill the
inhabitants if they did not take arms against the English. Few complied,
and the greater part fled to the woods.[112] On this the Indians and
their Acadian allies set the houses and barns on fire, and laid waste
the whole district, leaving the inhabitants no choice but to seek food
and shelter with the French.[113]

[Footnote 109: La Jonquiere himself admits that he thought so. "Cette
partie la etant, a ce que je crois, dependante de l'Acadie." _La
Jonquiere au Ministre, 3 Oct. 1750_.]

[Footnote 110: It has been erroneously stated that Beaubassin was burned
by its own inhabitants. "Laloutre, ayant vu que les Acadiens ne
paroissoient pas fort presses d'abandonner leurs biens, avoit lui-meme
mis le feu a l'Eglise, et l'avoit fait mettre aux maisons des habitants
par quelques-uns de ceux qu'il avoit gagnes," etc. _Memoires sur le
Canada, 1749-1760_. "Les sauvages y mirent le feu." _Precis des Faits_,
85. "Les sauvages mirent le feu aux maisons." _Prevost au Ministre, 22
Juillet, 1750_.]

[Footnote 111: La Valliere, _Journal de ce qui s'est passe a Chenitou_
[Chignecto] _et autres parties des Frontieres de l'Acadie, 1750-1751_.
La Valliere was an officer on the spot.]

[Footnote 112: _Prevost au Ministre, 27 Sept. 1750_.]

[Footnote 113: "Les sauvages et Accadiens mirent le feu dans toutes les
maisons et granges, pleines de bled et de fourrages, ce qui a cause une
grande disette." La Valliere, _ut supra_.]

The English fortified themselves on a low h