NOUVELLES DE L'ACADIE, LUES EN CONSEII
Le 29 novembre, 1718.
Monsieur de St Ovide marque avoir a
ppris que le Gouverneur anglois qui étoit attendu à l’Acadie depuis 2 ans y est arrivé depuis 1 mois. Il
veut obliger les habitants de prêter le serment de fidélité, contraindre par violence,
et les y veut
On lui mande aussi que plusieurs de ces habitants se disposent à passer avec leurs effets et bestiaux sur l'Isle St Jean que l’on assure être des plus belles et des plus abondantes en bois et paquage. Il a appris aussi qu'un vaisseau anglois de 50 canons débarque du canon à la Hève dont ils
commencent à fortifier le port qui n’est éloigné du Port Toulouse que d'environ 50 lieues.
ESS re: +
A D D de + me
TESTIMONY OF J. RAWLINGS. Baston, y° 8th December, 1718.
Whereas E y° subscriber hapned to be at Canso in the month of September last past Capt. Thomas Smart arrived there in His Majesties ship the Squirell and on the ninth Day of the said month he tokee me on board the Squirell to go to Louisbourg on the Island of Cape Bretton to be interpretor, and when he arrived, I went a shoar with Capt. Smart to the Governor St Ovide Brouïllan where the said Governor, Capt. Smart & Capt. Southack had conference about the boundarys of Nova Scotia and after a long Dispute that they could not agree, Capt. Smart demanded of the Governor in the King of Great Brittan his masters name that he would immediatly send orders to the French inhabitans and Shipping that where at Canso to withdraw themselves and Eflects, but Governor St Ovide’s answer was thus. I do say in the King my master's name that I cannot give such orders, for If I should give any such orders, I should be broke.
Where upon Capt. Smart openly pretested against the French's proceedings at Canso, and told the Governor that it would be resented by the English Government and that there would be measures taken about it, the Governor assured that he could not help it but that if Capt. Smart would withdraw the English at Canso he would withdraw the French, but Capt. Smart told the Governor he should give no such orders, the Governor then replied be could not give orders to withdraw the French bebore he received orders from the Court of France, so Capt. Smart and he parted, and now knowing that his Eccellency has received a letter from the Governor of Cape Bretton of the 22° of November, 1718 wherein he complains of Capt. Smarts and Capt. Southack and declares that he, Capt. Smart and Capt. Southack parted with a thousand protestations of friendship and with assurances of a good and perfect union, and that Capt. Smart and Capt. Southack in re agreed jointly with himself to waite a full decession from the Courts, since they could not agree of these Bounds of limittes according to the treatty of Peace att Utrech.
To this I answer that it is wholly false for I do atest there was not one protestation of friendship nor assurance of a perfect union nor any agreement of waything a descision from the two courts, but only the common way of civility in complimenting each other at there parting, as for the governor's complaint about La Londe’s treatement on board the Man of Ware La Sonde himself told me that Capt. Smart had treated him with all the civility imaginable, and that he wanted neither for victuals nor drink, all which I do attest to be the truth, for I was Interpretor for the whole proceedings.
JN. RAWLINGS.
ITL8
