P. R. 0.— Colonial Records.— Am. & W. L Vol

180 LS CAKADA-FBAKÇAIS

Ens'' Wroths proceedings up THE Bay. 1

To the Hon*>*« Lawrence Armstrong Esq' Lieu* Gov"^ and Commander in Chieflf, of Hîs Majestye Province of Nova Scotia, and Lieti* Cott To His Excellency Cott Philipp's Régiment of Foot.

Annapolîs Royall Nov' the 13*»* 1727.

Honwe S'

The foUowing parragraph's isr a just Report of my Transactîon's, in the Severall Ports, in the Bay of Fundy in this His Majestys Province of Nova Scotia, according to Your Honor's Orders, incerted att the Bottom of my Instructions.

Having Proceeded to S* John's with the first fair wind, on Wednesday mornlng, being the fourth of October 1727, I Proclaim'd his Sacred Majesty King George the Second in the présence of those, that accompanied me, three of which were Indians of that River, as the Inhabitant's of that place are f^omewhat distant wee were but few to solemnize so Gloriou's a Ceremon'y, but ail présent shewed their utmost Joy, Loyalty, and affection to their King and Country, by sincère Hussas, Volly's of small arms and Gun's from the Vessell, the three Indian's by their own Request, signed the Proclamation & then took their leaves assurîng me, they were thoroughly, sensible of the Friendshîp of the English ; and they would make it their Business to convince their Brethren of the same ; Mepomoit, their Chief took me by the Hand at Parting, and told me, that the French were great obstacles, to their Happines's, that they were continually Insinuating story's in their Êars, which they Really believed were false ; and that they were now resolved to maintain the Peace they had made with us.

The wind coming fair the next day, I Embraced the Opertunity, and arrived att Chiconectoo the sixth about Two oClock, I went on shoar, was handsomely Received att the water side, by three of the Deputy's, and other Chief of the Inhabitants, that cohabited near ; my Requesting a House for my self, and people, they readily conducted me to the Vicoridge; after supper wee parted, without entring upon any further Business,

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then Requiring to see them Early, the next morning. They came accordingly, and made an apology for Fier Ybere, the other Deputy, that as his Habitation was four or five Leagues Distant he could not possibbely corne till the next Day ; being unwilling to loose any time, I acquainted those présent with theDeath of His Late Majesty of Glorious Memory, and Reqvdred their Assembling the Inhabitants, as soon as possible ; in order to Proclaim, the accession of the High and Mighty Prince George ; Prince of Wales, to the Impérial Crown of Great Britain, & Suprême Dominion of Nova Scotia, &c, I question'd not their Bedyness to assist at so Glorious a Solemnity which I design^d to be perform the munday foUowing ; They Humbly Requested, if I had any Oath to tender them, but haveing Desired ail the Deputys & Chiefs to dine with me, the next day, I deferred letting them know any more till then ;

Being Sunday, the Deputys and Chief of the Inhabîtants Dined w'** me. So soon we had Drank the Kings, Queen's, and other Royall & Loyall Healths, I began my discourse in the ffollowing manner.

I question not my Friends, but you are throughly advertised of what brought mee hère, that by the Death of my late master of Glorious Memory, Divine providence hath meraculously given you an opertunity of Retreaving the false steps; you hâve heretofore made, you cant but be sensible of your Enjoying now a fair opertunity to Reconcile your selves from Impending Ruin,

They gave due attention jbo ail I said and assured me of their Endeavour's, to bring their Brethren the Populice to a through sence of their Duty ; they acquainted me at the same time that the major Part of the Inhabitants was then in Town, that the rest would not faile, of makeing ail the Dispatch they could, in order to be ready, at solemnising the Proclamation of His Sacred Majesty, King George the Second, and they did not any way's doubt of their Intirely convincing me of their Loyalty and aflFection, to the King my master, and they were ready to acknowledge, His Supream Dominion over them. My countenance soon shewed my satisfaction, and I assured them of the Priviledges, they were intituled too, so soon as they should comport themselves, to the Obédience required, not only from True Subjects, but ail Honest men.

Pier Ybere, one of the Deputy's entreated me permitting, his informing me, that as the Inhabitants were a great distance,

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one from the other they could not possibly be aseembled before Tuesday ; and hoped I would favour them bo farr as to deferr the Proclamation till then, His neighbours had sent him before, they Relyed much upon his Brotherhood, and Integrity, and as it was naturall for them to be very inquisitîve, after what, so nearly concernd them, he beged I would advise him of the Oath of Fidelity, they were required to take, in order to dispatch Business the sooner, which on corse, would be agréable, to Every Body. Upon which Judged proper, to give them a copy of the same, and pitched upon Tuesday, to Proclaim the Eang, they Returned me thanks for my Patience, assuring me Every one should be présent at the solemnity and so took their Leave»

This same morning, an Inhabitant (appointed by the Rest to Read Prayer's, came to me and requested they mîght hoist a small Dirty White Ragg as a signall to the Inhabitants, to attend Divine Service, I Emediately Replyed, I was not come to obstruct their Religion and that he might Proceed, as usuall,. on such occasions.

The next Day, was employed in making the necessary Preparation's, for the Proclamation.

This morning being Tuesday, I hoisted the Kings Coulor's, on the Staff, att the Church, about Ten I Recieved a message^ from the Inhabitants, that they were ail Assembled, and attended my further Order's. I lett them know by the messenger, I was ready to Receive them between Eleven & Twelve. I Proclaim'd King George the Second, In the présence of the Inhabitants, which were more than a Hundred in number, The Four Deputys headed about Eighty under arm's (having before asked permition to bring their arm's with them) and Requested some powder for Fieu de Joyes, the Solemnity was as décent, as the Country, and People could possibbely admitt off, Every one shewing their Loyalty, & Affection ; in Low'd Husas, of God Préserve King George the Second, frequently Drinking to His Royall Health, and fireing severall Vollys of small arm's, We fired three Round'e from the Scooner, which was seconded by Volly's from my Command, The Proclamation being Ended with ail the Exactness I was capable off, I required the Inhabitants to signe the same, acquainting them, at the same time that it was a Duty incumbant on ail True Subjects to subscribe the same, otherwise they could hardly be said to hâve Joyned with me, in Proclaiming or acknowledging, the King, my Mas. ter's Title or Sovereignty.

The Deputys Emediately Proceeded to sîgn and ahewed they did it wîthout reluctancy, severall others foUowed their Examples, Pier Ybere, one of the Deputys intreated, I would let one Vero (who is the only Pellow amongst them, that can write or Read) Read the Proclamation once more to the Inhabitants, that they were poor Ignorant People, and confided much in that man, I wîUingly granted, what he desired, but the Inhabitants continued still signing, the tlme it was reading ; having been Preinformed of the contanerous Disposition of 'Vero, I Demanded what he had to alledge to the people, and since he was 80 good a Scholler, he had no more to doe but to sign the same, upon which with a low chîcanning Voice, he said, he was ready to sign as a Wittness, and required the same, being inserted in the Proclamation, I Emediatly Replyed I know him to be a Disaffected Person, that such opiniated Poor Banditts, as he was, who had not a Poot of Land in the Country were always Ready to Incite séditions, that I did not Design such wretches as he, to sign the same it was an Honour only due to the Chieff off the Inhabitants and then addressing my self, to ail of them hoped they would guard themselves from such male-contents, that such only enveyed their approaching Happiness, and that he was made use of as a Tool to their Ruin, and Distruction, for the proof of which, they were not ignorant off, for they knew the very samefellow was the Person thât formd and wrote last spring that Insolent and seditious Letter to the Governor. The Deputys Emediately replyed, they were too sensible of what I was taking off, ffor Vero, with the assistance of their Priest, took the Opertunity, when the Heads of them were absent to form the same ; I assure'd them t'was in their Power to retrive the false steps they had made, I then shet ^ up the Proclamation, and desired the Deputys & Chieffs to Dine with me, & Divided the Rest, in Houses provided for that pur pose.

So soon as wee had Dined and Drank the necessary Healths on such occasions, the Deputys acquainted me in the name of the Inhabitants, that as their Habitations wereatgreat Distance from Each other and the season requiring the tillage of their Land, they Requested my Dispatching them as soon as possible, upon which I tendred them the Oath of Fidelity, they having a

1 Sic.

copy of the same Deaire'd leave to Retire, in Order to Consalt one another, giveing me some assurancy's of Returning aud answer to my satisfaction.

Âbout sun-sett they Retnrn'd, but instead of submitting themselves, as they ought, by taking the Oath of Fidelity the aforeaaid Vero, in the name of ail the Inhabitants, presented me with the Copy of the Oath I had given them before ; makeing a Demand Underneath the same, consisting of three articles, ^nd tho it was begun by the words, Wee the Underwritten &c., Yet it was signed by nobody I Emediately shewd ail the Resentment, I was capable off and Demanded to know, Who made him a Représentative of the Rest, The Deputy Ybere, replyed as he was the only Person would Write, or Read, they had Requested him to write the same, and that they accordingly was Ready to take the Oath, Provided their said Demands could be granted, I turn'd my selfe at once upon my Heel, telling them, that the most favourable construction I could conceive was the Lyquor had prompted their Imprudence, in daring to propose any conditions, to so Indulgent an Oath, I hoped after they had slept they would be sensible of their bad conduct & therefore Expected their answer in the morning.

They accordingly came, and still insisted upon the same Demands, and after haveing seriously weigh'd them, and not judgingthem Répugnant to Treatys, Acts of Parliament and Trade I Granted them, as an Indulgence and by Reason of their DiflSdence, of my authority I was obliged, to Certifye the same in the Body of the Oath.

On Tuesday, the Seaventeenth of October, I arriv'd at Menis and there tooke the necessary measures to assemble the Inhabitants as the Weather was bad & Inhabitants as Distant, from one another as at Chiconecto, I Pitched upon the munday foUowing to Proclaime the King, the Inhabitants asked leave to bring their arm's which I agree'd too, as I had don before, Munday being come I was informed, the Inhabitants wated my Time for the solemnity which was performed withe same Exactness as before ; The Inhabitants behaved themselves very well, and gave the like marques of their Loyalty and affection, The Deputys with the Chief of the Inhabitants, chearfuUy proceeded to sign the Proclamation, Which when Performed, We went to Dinner, and concluded the Day with ail the mirth, wee were capable off, and at parting at night, I required their attendance

the next xnorning to take the Oath of Fidelity, but Baisihg objection's, amongst themselves they Requested the next day to bave more time, I was not wantîng to Inform them of the adrantages they would Reap in becomeing Subjects, but seterall of the Inhabitants being gone to their .Homes, oblidged my sendind necessary Orders to Reas^^emble them in order to take the Oath of Fidelity, They accordingly came the 26 but required conditions, much to the same sence as the Inhabitants of Chiconectoo had done before ; haveing somewhat corrected them, I had the same Reason to Grant them, and then expected to proceed Emediately to Tender the Oaths, But the Major Part objected much against the Word Obeyeray which Gave me no Concern, the English being what I had to govern my self by; and finding by advice, the same might be Translated, in a manner more agréable to them, and at the same time as conformable to the English and as Binding; I thought proper to aliter the same, as appears by the Oath they took.

Haveing Proceeded as far as I could hère I went to Pisigitt, haveing informed them by a Letter, I would perform the Cerimony there on Monday ffoUowing, every thing being Ready and the Inhabitants assembled, I proclaimed the King, in as Ample a manner as at Menis they signed the Proclamation, and after Dinner, Requested to take the same Oath of Fidelity, as the Inhabitants of Menis had done, I likewise agreed, and they were swom accordingly.

On the Tuesday : I Returned to Menis where I found Monsieur Brault, a secular Priest, arrived with two of the Inhabitants of Chiconectoo, he Informed me, hehad left a worthy Priest at that place, and that the Inhabitants there requested mv authorising his stay there ; till the Spring, for as he was old, and Infirm, he intreated the Government would Deferr, his paying his submission till then, I authorised him accordingly, being conformable to one of the Articles, I had granted them. by Way oflf Indulgence.

Having Recievd non answer to my Letter from the Inhabitants of Cobîgett I judg'd proper to inclose a copy of the Proclamation, with Order's, to naile it up at the Church door (being What I had done at Every place) and to hold themselves in Readyness, to take the Oath of Fidelity, by the First proper Opertunity.

I mett with some few stragling Indian's, at Each place, they

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were Intirely satisfyed with the Additional article of Peace, and parted with me, very Friendly.

Hon*>ï« Sr

Tbis is the full purport of my Proceedinge ha^eing managed to the utmost of my Endeavour and Capaeity, and I doe assure You that I am with ail the Respect Imaginable

HonW« S' Your Most Obedient and

Devoted Hum*>^ Serv*

ROBEftT WrOTH

To The HonWe Gov^ Armstrong Signed by me Robert Wrotk

Endoreed : In Col» Armstrong's of Nov. 17*»* 1727.

Signatures du Serment de Fidélité. ^

I do Sincerly Promise and Swear that I will be faithfull and bear True Alledgiance to His Majesty King George the Second, So help me God.

Je Promet et Jure de bonne Foy que ie seray sincère & Fidèle a sa Majesté Le Roy George le Second.

Ainsy Dieu me soit en aide '/•

françois Landry marque de x charles dupuis

Jacques terriot jean Dupuis

Jean terriot germain landry

Claude babin rené 0 granger le jeune

marque de rené x leblanc fils rené x Somie

de Jacques leblanc jean x braux

"marque de martin x aucoin marque de xjeanbaptiste landry

Joseph Babin marque de 0 germain terriot

marque de x pierre leblanc le vieux

fils de Jacques pierre granger

marque de x Jacques Somie jean doucette