r prejudices and impressing upon them their duty to George
III. From Quebec, on July 13th, 1775, Nairne was given instructions to
undertake this work for his district. Self-control and cool
persuasiveness fitted him for his task, he was told; his work would be
to visit all the parishes on the north shore, with the aim of winning
the loyal support of the French Canadians during the coming struggle.
Though fifteen years of tranquility under the mild British sway had made
the habitants prosperous and averse to war, it was still possible to get
from them useful military service, under the leadership of British
officers. Nairne was to tell them that the Americans would borrow their
dollars, take their provisions, pay for them only in worthless letters
of credit upon the Congress, and even make free with their lands. He was
to show, also, how bitterly the Protestant English colonies hated the
Roman Catholic faith of the Canadians. A British fleet, he was to add,
would soon arrive and, if the Canadians joined the revolt, the second
British conquest would be shorter and not quite so gentle as the first;
for "a fair and open enemy is a different thing from a rebel and a
traitor."

Fifteen years earlier the Canadians had borne a heavy part in defending
their country against the British assailant; now they were to fight in
his interests. Whenever possible Nairne was to employ the same old
Captains of militia who had fought the battles of France against the
British; he was to make a roll of those fit to bear arms, and to report
the number of discharged soldiers in his district. To him were entrusted
commissions for Captains whom he might select; the inferior officers he
might also name. The Church aided his work as much as possible, the
Vicar-General sending to the priests instructions to this effect.

On taking up his task Nairne found that at Murray Bay there were
thirty-two men between the ages of 16 and 55. When summoned to meet him
they were respectful, but showed fear of having to serve in the army and
pleaded that they were only a new settlement. Had there been, as is so
generally supposed, many disbanded soldiers among them we should have
had a different tale but, already, in 1775, most of the people at Murray
Bay were French. Neither they nor their neighbours showed any zeal for
the upholding of British rule in Canada. At Les Eboulements and Baie St.
Paul, whither Nairne went, the inhabitants were respectful, as at Murray