LETTER FROM GOVERNOUR SHIRLEY TO M' BEAUHARNOIS

Boston, the 81st July, 1747.

Sir,

Captain Bedgood whom I have commissioned to transact on my part the exchange of prisonners between us, will have the honour of delivering this packet to you, in which are inclosed the copy of a letter which I sent

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you by Captain Legros and an original letter which I received from Mr Caylus governour of Martinique, about three weeks after Captain Legrois had sailed from hence.

The first of these T inclose, least by any accident, the original, which was intrusted to the care of Capt. Legrois should have failed of reaching your hands, and as I must beg leave to refer you to the contents of it upon this occasion ; and the other as it will save to show you what has been the settled rule and practice for the general release of prisoners on both sides between His Britannie and His Most Christian Majestys Governours in the West Indies during the present war ; and { cant entertain the least doubt but that you will be of opinion to observe the same rule which Mr Caylus insists in his letter to be the law of arms in such cases and that I have the same right, to expect it from you that he had to insist upon it from me ; especially since I have actually conformed to it with respect to the french prisoners, that have fallen into my hands ever since the commencement of the war ; notwithstanding the failure which happened on the part of the late french governour of Cape Breton in this point which T mentioned to you in my former letter (and for which I contended myself with a slight excuse sent me by the late Mr, Duchambon before the expedition) and have since discharge so large a number of french prisoners of war, over and above What has been returned in exchange for ‘em ; not to repeat the great number of french prisoners taken in these seas, which I observed to you in my former letter has been immediatly released by two commanders of english ships of war soon after the present rupture between the two crowns happened,

As to the Captain Lagroix, who, I perceive by M. Caylus’'s letter and one from a french oflicer at Chiguiecto, to M. Mascaren at Annapolis Royal has complained of his confinement at Baston. I must more particularly observe to you than I have done in my former letter ; viz : that when he was à prisoner on board one of the ships in Louisbourg harbour at his request applied to admiral Warren for his liberty to go at large in Louisbourg upon his parole to confine himself within the limits of it, which Mr. Warren before my arrival at Louisbourg indulged him with as also

other civilities.

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ut upon his being apprised some time after that he was to be soon sent to Boston, he attempted to make his escape from the back part of the island in a small sloop for Canada and was taken by a party which F sent after him, as he was concealed in the vessel and very near sailing ; and upon his being brought to me and Mr Warren he endeavoured to justifye what he had done upon a pretence that his parole had not been taken in due form.

This shuflling excuse aggravated to us his breach of honour, and he was there upon confined prisoner on board one of the King's ships, till he was sent to Boston, where he was for some time confined in the prison ; till T'allowed him the liberty of the prison keeper's house and F think the prison yard ; and about two months before he was discharged, he was lodged and boarded at a Gentleman's house in the country and had the liberty of walking and riding out.

In the mean time, Mr Warren, whilst he was in the prison keeper's house, gave him a hundred pounds Baston eurreney and upon his leaving Boston, I gave him forty pounds of the same curren:y to equip himself with some conveniences, l'imagined he might want, and particular orders to the master of the vessel which carried him to Annapolis to entertain him in the best manner he could with recommendations of him to Mr Mascarren to be treated kindly—you must be sensible, Kir, that instead of being intituled to this usage he had subjected himself to the extreme rigour of war by the breach of his parole if that had been insisted on.

The pilot mention’d in Mr Caylus’s letter was one Petipas who died before my receipt of it, and as to him he was a native of Accadie and an inhabitant there for several years after the Accadians became subjects to His Majesty by the treaty of Utrecht, in his farthr's family who (?) was a faithfull subject of the crown of Great Britain, and had received marks of favour from this government for his services, and consequently his son, had no right to throw off his allegiance and go into the french King's service, so that I had an undoubted right to detain him, however his death must end any dispute about him.

Inclosed is a certificate of my having discharged one Mr Allard second ‘aptain of merchant vessel in exchange for ensign Newton, who was taken

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