emoire sur l'Acadie_, 1702 (adresse a Ponchartrain).

[99] "Que trois ou quatre amis, honnetes gens, incapables de gauchir en
quoique ce soit, pour n'avoir pas fleche devant la bete, aient ete
qualifies de cabalistes."--_De Goutin au Ministre, 4 Decembre, 1705._

[100] _De Goutin au Ministre, 22 Decembre, 1707._ In 1705 Bonaventure,
in a time of scarcity, sent a vessel to Boston to buy provisions, on
pretence of exchanging prisoners. _Bonaventure au Ministre, 30 Novembre,
1705._

[101] "Ne me fasse a mon tour tourner la cervelle."--_Subercase au
Ministre, 20 Decembre, 1708._

[102] "On a pousse la chose aussi loin que l'enfer le pouvait
desirer."--_Subercase au Ministre, 20 Decembre, 1708._

[103] _De Goutin au Ministre, 29 Decembre, 1708._

[104] _Subercase au Ministre, 20 Decembre, 1708._

[105] _Ibid._

[106] _Villieu au Ministre, 20 Octobre, 1700._

[107] "Il repondit qu'il se soucioit de moi comme de la boue de ses
souliers."--_Bonaventure au Ministre, 30 Novembre, 1705._

[108] These letters of Acadian officials are in the Archives du
Ministere de la Marine et des Colonies at Paris. Copies of some of them
will be found in the 3d series of the _Correspondance Officielle_ at
Ottawa.

[109] _Raudot au Ministre, 20 Septembre, 1709._ The copy before me
covers 108 folio pages, filled with gossiping personalities.

CHAPTER VII.

1704-1710.

ACADIA CHANGES HANDS.

Reprisal for Deerfield.--Major Benjamin Church: his Ravages at
Grand-Pre.--Port Royal Expedition.--Futile Proceedings.--A Discreditable
Affair.--French Successes in Newfoundland.--Schemes of Samuel Vetch.--A
Grand Enterprise.--Nicholson's Advance.--An Infected Camp.--Ministerial
Promises Broken.--A New Scheme.--Port Royal Attacked.--Acadia Conquered.

When war-parties from Canada struck the English borders, reprisal was
difficult against those who had provoked it. Canada was made almost
inaccessible by a hundred leagues of pathless forest, prowled by her
Indian allies, who were sure to give the alarm of an approaching foe;
while, on the other hand, the New Englanders could easily reach Acadia
by their familiar element, the sea; and hence that unfortunate colony
often made vicarious atonement for the sins of her northern sister. It
was from French privateers and fishing-vessels on the Acadian seas that
Massachusetts drew most of the prisoners whom she exchanged for her own
people held captive in Canada.

Major Benjamin Church, the no