stanced the surrender of Port Royal in the Utrecht, she engaged to transfer that very year one thousand seven hundred and ten, same country as Acadia, which France has in which Acadia is described with the same always asserted and possessed, and Great limits with which France had received it in Britain now claims, as such. Should the the years one thousand six hundred and crown of France, therefore, be ever willing thirty-two, and one thousand six hundred to decide what are the ancient limits of and sixty-seven. And further to ascertain Acadia, by her own declarations so frethe sense of both crowns, even at the treaty quently made in like discussions upon the of Utrecht itself, they produced the queen same point, by her possessions of this counof Great Britain's instructions to her ambas- try for almost a century, and by her descripsadors in the year one thousand seven hun- tion of Acadia, during the negotiation of dred and eleven, in which they were direct- that very treaty upon which this doubt is ed to insist, "That his most Christian ma- raised, she cannot but admit the claim of jesty should quit all claim or title, by virtue Great Britain to be conformable to the of any former treaty, or otherwise, to the treaty of Utrecht, and to the description of country called Nova Scotia, and expressly the country transferred to Great Britain by to Port Royal, otherwise Annapolis Royal." the twelfth article of that treaty. There is To these they added a manifest demonstra- a consistency in the claim of the English, tion, founded on indisputable facts, proving and a completeness in the evidence brought that the recital of the several sorts of right in support of it, which is seldom seen in which France had ever pretended to this discussions of this sort; for it rarely happens, country, and the specification of both terms, in disputes of such a nature between two Acadia or Nova Scotia, were intended by crowns, that either of them can safely Great Britain to obviate all doubts which offer to have its pretensions decided by the had ever been made concerning the limits known and repeated declarations, or the of Acadia, and to comprehend with more possessions of the other. To answer the certainty all that country which France had force of this detail of conclusive historical ever received as such: finally, to specify facts, and to give a new turn to the real what France considered as Acadia. During question in dispute, the French commissathe treaty, they referred to the offers of ries, in their memorial, laid it down as a that crown in the year one thousand seven distinction made by the treaty of Utrecht, hundred and twelve, in which she proposed that the ancient limits of Acadia, referred to restrain the boundary of Acadia to the to by that treaty, are different from any river St. George, as a departure from its with which that country may have passed real boundary, in case Great Britain would under the treaties of St. Germain's and restore to her the possession of that country. Breda; and then endeavored to show, upon From all these facts it plainly appeared that the testimonies of maps and historians, that Great Britain demanded nothing but what Acadia and its limits were anciently conthe fair construction of the words of the fined to the south-eastern part of the pentreaty of Utrecht necessarily implies; and insula. In support of this system, the that it is impossible for anything to have French commissaries had recourse to anmore evident marks of candor and fairness cient maps and historians, who, as they asin it, than the demand of the English on serted, had ever confined Acadia to the this occasion. From the variety of evidence limits they assigned. They alleged, that brought in support of this claim, it evidently those commissions of the French governresults, that the English commissaries as- ment over Acadia, which the English cited signed no limits as the ancient limits of as evidence of the limits they claimed, were Acadia, but those which France herself de- given as commissions over Acadia and the termined to be such in the year one thou- country around it, and not over Acadia sand six hundred and thirty-two; and which only: that the whole of the country claimshe possessed, in consequence of that deter-ed by the English as Acadia, could not posmination, till the year one thousand six hun- sibly be supposed ever to be considered as dred and fifty-four; that in one thousand six such, because many parts of that territory hundred and sixty-two France claimed, and always did, and still do, preserve particular received in one thousand six hundred and and distinct names. They affirmed New sixty-nine, the country which Great Britain France to be a province in itself; and arnow claims as Acadia, restored to France gued, that many parts of what we claim as by the treaty of Breda under that general Acadia can never have been in Acadia, bedenomination that France never consider- cause historians and the French commised Acadia as having any other limits than sions of government expressly place them those which were assigned to it from the in New France. They asserted, that ne year one thousand six hundred and thirty- evidence can be drawn of the opinion of two, to the year one thousand seven hun- any crown, with respect to the limits of any dred and ten; and that, by the treaty of country, from its declaration during the ne gotiation of a treaty; and, in the end, re- commission in the year one thousand six lying upon maps and historians for the an- hundred and fifty-five, assigned the same cient limits of Acadia, they pretended that northern and western limits to Acadia which the express restitution of St. Germain's and they did; and that Escarbot, another of their the possession taken by France in conse- historians, as far as any evidence can be quence of the treaty of Breda, after a long drawn from his writings, agrees entirely discussion of the limits and the declaration with the former two. They observed, that of France during the negotiation of the all these evidences fall in with and confirm treaty of Utrecht, were foreign to the point the better authorities of treaties, and the in question. In refutation of these maxims, several transactions between the two crowns the English commissaries proved, from an for near a century past; and that the French examination of the maps and historians commissaries, by deviating from treaties, cited by the French in support of their and the late proceedings of the two crowns, system, that if this question was to be de- to ancient historians and maps, only made a cided upon the authorities which they them- transition from an authentic to an insuffiselves allowed to belong, and to be appli- cient sort of evidence, and led the English cable to this discussion, the limits which commissaries into an inquiry, which proved, they assigned were utterly inconsistent with that both the proper and the improper, the the best maps of all countries, which are regular and the foreign evidence, upon authorities in point for almost every part of which this matter had been rested, equally the claim of Great Britain. They showed, confuted the limits alleged by the French that the French historians, Champlain and commissaries as the ancient limits of Acadia. Denys, and particularly this last, with his NOTES TO CHAPTER VIII. 1 These expenses were defrayed] by a continuation of the duties on malt, &c. a land-tax at three shillings in the pound; a duty on licenses, to be yearly paid by pawnbrokers and dealers in second-hand goods, within the bills of mortality; the sum of one million four hundred thousand pounds advanced by the bank, according to a proposal made for that purpose; five hundred thousand pounds to be issued from the sinking fund; a duty laid on gum senegal; and the continuation of divers other occasional impositions. The grants for the year amount. ed to something less than four millions, and the provisions made for this expense exceeded it in the sum of two hundred seventy-one thousand twentyfour pounds, ten shillings, and sixpence halfpenny. 2 Among the proceedings of this session, it may not be improper to mention a new act for the prevention of murders, which i had been shockingly frequent of late, importing, that every criminal convicted of this horrid crine should he executed in one day after his sentence, and his body delivered to the surgeons for dissection-an expe. dient which had been found productive of very salutary consequences. 3 Several duties on salt, as well as on red and white herrings delivered out for home consump 4 By the new law the clerk of 5 Several other bills were passed the avenues and streets of that 6 The library of Sir Hans Sloane CHAPTER IX. Ambitious Schemes of the French in North America-Rise and Conduct of the Ohio Company-Letter from the Governor of Virginia to the French Commander at Riviere-au-Beuf-Perfidious Practices of the French in Nova Scotia-Major Laurence defeats the French Neutrals—British Ambassador at Paris amused with general Promises-Session opened-Supplies granted-Repeal of the Act for Naturalizing Jews-Motion for Repealing a former Act favorable to the Jews-East India Muliny Bill-Case of Le.......-Session closed-Death of Mr. Pelham-Change in the Ministry-New Parliament assembled and prorogued-Disputes in the Irish Parliament-Transactions in the East Indies-Account of the English Settlements on the Malabar and Coromandel Coast-Dispute about the Government of Arcot Mohammed Ali Khan supported by the English-Mr. Clive takes Arcot-And de feats the Enemy in the Plains of Arani, and at Koveripauk-He reduces three Forts, and takes M. d'Anteuil-Chunda Saib taken and put to Death, and his Army routed-Convention between the East India Companies of England and FranceGeneral View of the British Colonies in North America-New-England and NewYork-New-Jersey—Pennsylvania—Maryland—Virginia—The Two CarolinasGeorgia-The French surprise Logs-Town, on the Ohio-Conference with the Indians at Albany-Colonel Washington defeated and taken by the French on the Ohio-Divisions among the British Colonies-The_hereditary Prince of HesseCassel professes the Roman Catholic Religion-Parliament of Paris recalled from Exile-Affairs of Spain and Portugal-Session opened-Supplies granted Bill in Behalf of Chelsea Pensioners-Oxfordshire Election-Message from the King to the House of Commons-Court of Versailles amuses the English Ministry -Session closed. AMBITIOUS SCHEMES OF THE FRENCH. onists had ever attempted to penetrate. The WHILE the British ministry depended tract of country lying along the Ohio is so upon the success of the conferences between fertile, pleasant, and inviting, and the Inthe commissaries of the two crowns at Paris, dians, called Twightees, who inhabit those the French were actually employed in exe- delightful plains, were so well disposed tocuting their plans of encroachment upon the wards a close alliance with the English, that, British colonies in North America. Their as far back as the year one thousand seven scheme was to engross the whole fur-trade hundred and sixteen, Mr. Spotswood, govof that continent; and they had already ernor of Virginia, proposed a plan for erectmade great progress in extending a chain ing a company to settle such lands upon of forts, connecting their settlements on the this river as should be ceded to them by river Mississippi with their possessions in treaty with the natives; but the design was Canada, along the great lakes of Erie and at that time frustrated, partly by the indoOntario, which last issues into the river St. lence and timidity of the British ministry, Lawrence. By these means they hoped to who were afraid of giving umbrage to the exclude the English from all communication French, and partly by the jealousies and and traffic with the Indian nations, even divisions subsisting between the different those that lay contiguous to the British set- colonies of Great Britain. The very same tlements, and confine them within a line of circumstances encouraged the French to their drawing, beyond which they should proceed in their project of invasion. At neither extend their trade nor plantations. length, they penetrated from the banks of Their commercial spirit did not keep pace the river St. Lawrence, across lake Chamwith the gigantic strides of their ambition: plain, and upon the territory of New-York they could not supply all those Indians with built with impunity, and, indeed, without the necessaries they wanted, so that many opposition, the fort of Crown Point, the of the natives had recourse to the English most insolent and dangerous encroachment settlements; and this commerce produced that they had hitherto carried into execua connexion, in consequence of which the tion. British adventurers ventured to travel with RISE, &c. OF THE OHIO COMPANY. merchandise as far as the banks of the river GOVERNOR SPOTSWOOD'S scheme for an Ohio, that runs into the Mississippi, a great Ohio company was revived immediately way on the other side of the Apalachian after the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, when mountains, beyond which none of our col- certain merchants of London, who traded to Maryland and Virginia, petitioned the sent a Mr. Gist to make a clandestine surgovernment on this subject, and were in-vey of the country, as far as the falls of the dulged not only with a grant of a great river Ohio; and, as we have observed above, tract of ground to the southward of Penn- his conduct alarmed both the French and sylvania, which they promised to settle, but Indians. The erection of this company was also with an exclusive privilege of trading equally disagreeable to the separate traders with the Indians on the banks of the river of Virginia and Pennsylvania, who saw Ohio. This design no sooner transpired, themselves on the eve of being deprived of than the French governor of Canada took a valuable branch of traffic, by the excluthe alarm, and wrote letters to the governors sive charter of a monopoly; and therefore of New-York and Pennsylvania, giving them they employed their emissaries to foment to understand, that as the English inland the jealousy of the Indians. traders had encroached on the French terri- The French having in a manner comtories and privileges, by trading with the menced hostilities against the English, and Indians under the protection of his sovereign, actually built forts on the territories of the he would seize them wherever they could British allies at Niagara, and on the lake be found, if they did not immediately desist Erie, Mr. Hamilton, governor of Pennsylfrom that illicit practice. No regard being vania, communicated this intelligence to the paid to this intimation, he next year caused assembly of the province, and represented three British traders to be arrested. Their the necessity of erecting truck-houses, or effects were confiscated, and they them- places of strength and security, on the river selves conveyed to Quebec, from whence Ohio, to which the traders might retire in they were sent prisoners to Rochelle in case of insult or molestation. The proposal France, and there detained in confinement. was approved, and money granted for the In this situation they presented a remon- purpose; but the assembly could not agree strance to the earl of Albemarle, at that about the manner in which they should be time English ambassador in Paris, and he erected; and in the mean time the French claiming them as British subjects, they were fortified themselves at leisure, and continued set at liberty. Although, in answer to his to harass the traders belonging to the Britlordship's memorial, the court of Versailles ish settlements. Repeated complaints of promised to transmit orders to the French these encroachments and depredations being governors in America to use all their en- represented to Mr. Dinwiddie, governor of deavors for preventing any disputes that Virginia, he, towards the latter end of this might have a tendency to alter the good very year, sent major Washington with a correspondence established between the two letter to the commanding officer of a fort nations; in all probability the directions which the French had built on the Rivieregiven were seemingly the very reverse of au-Beuf, which falls into the Ohio, not far these professions; for the French command- from the lake Erie. In this letter Mr. Diners, partisans, and agents in America, took widdie expressed his surprise that the French every step their busy genius could suggest, should build forts and make settlements on to strengthen their own power, and weaken the river Ohio, in the western part of the the influence of the English, by embroiling colony of Virginia, belonging to the crown them with the Indian nations. This task of Great Britain. He complained of these they found the more easy, as the natives encroachments, as well as of the injuries had taken offence against the English, when done to the subjects of Great Britain, in open they understood that their lands were given violation of the law of nations, and of the away without their knowledge, and that treaties actually subsisting between the two there was a design to build forts in their crowns. He desired to know by whose aucountry, without their consent and concur- thority and instructions his Britannic majesrence. Indeed the person whom the new ty's territories had been invaded; and recompany employed to survey the banks of quired him to depart in peace, without furthe Ohio concealed his design so carefully, ther prosecuting a plan which must interand behaved in other respects in such a rupt the harmony and good understanding dark, mysterious manner, as could not fail which his majesty was desirous to continue to arouse the jealousy of a people naturally and cultivate with the most Christian king. inquisitive, and very much addicted to sus- To this spirited intimation the officer replied, picion. How the company proposed to settle that it was not his province to specify the this acquisition in despite of the native pos- evidence, and demonstrate the right of the sessors it is not easy to conceive, and it is king his master to the lands situated on the still more unaccountable that they should river Ohio; but he would transmit the letter have neglected the natives, whose consent to the marquis du Quesne, and act accordand assistance they might have procured at ing to the answer he should receive from a very small expense. Instead of acting that nobleman. In the mean time, he said such a fair, open, and honorable part, they he did not think himself obliged to obey the VOL. III. 47 PERFIDY OF THE FRENCH. summons of the English governor; that he obedience. At his approach they burned commanded the fort by virtue of an order their town to ashes, forsook their possessions, from his general, to which he was deter- and threw themselves under the protection mined to conform with all the precision and of M. la Corne, who, thus reinforced, found resolution of a good officer. Mr. Dinwid- himself at the head of fifteen hundred men, die expected no other reply, and therefore well provided with arms and ammunition. had projected a fort to be erected near the Major Laurence being unable to cope with forks of the river. The province undertook him in the field, demanded an interview, at to defray the expense, and the stores for which he desired to know for what cause that purpose were already provided; but by the French inhabitants of Nova Scotia had some fatal oversight, the concurrence of the shaken off their allegiance to the crown of Indians was neither obtained nor solicited, Great Britain, and violated the neutrality and, therefore, they looked upon this mea- which they had hitherto affected to profess. sure with an evil eye, as a manifest inva- The French officer, without pretending to sion of their property. account for their behavior, gave him to understand in general terms, that he had orWHILE the French thus industriously ex-ders to defend his post, and these orders be tended their encroachments to the southward, was determined to obey. The English major they were not idle in the gulf of St. Law- finding himself too weak to attack their rence, but seized every opportunity of dis- united force, and having no orders to comtressing the English settlement of Nova mit hostilities against any but the Indians Scotia. We have already observed, that the and their open abettors, returned to Halifax, town of Halifax was no sooner built, than without having been able to fulfil the purthey spirited up the Indians of that neigh- pose of his expedition. Immediately after borhood to commit hostilities against the in- his retreat, the French Neutrals (so they habitants, some of whom they murdered, were called) returned to the habitations and others they carried prisoners to Louis- which they had abandoned; and, in conjuncbourg, where they sold them for arms and tion with the Indians, renewed their depreammunition, the French pretending that dations upon the inhabitants of Halifax and they maintained this traffic from motives its dependent settlements. The English of pure compassion, in order to prevent the governor, justly incensed at these outrages, massacre of the English captives, whom, and seeing they would neither submit to the however, they did not set at liberty, without English government themselves, nor allow exacting an exorbitant ransom. As these others to enjoy it with tranquillity, resolved skulking parties of Indians were generally to expel them effectually from the country directed and headed by French command- they so ill deserved to possess. Major Lauers, repeated complaints were made to the rence was again detached with a thousand governor of Louisbourg, who still answered, men, transported by sea to Chignecto, where that his jurisdiction did not extend over the he found the French and Indians intrenched, Indians, and that their French conductors in order to dispute his landing. Notwithwere chosen from the inhabitants of Annap- standing this opposition, he made a descent olis, who thought proper to remain in that with a few companies, received and returned country after it was ceded to the English, a smart fire, and rushing into their intrenchand were in fact the subjects of Great Brit- ments, obliged them to fly with the utmost ain. Even while the conferences were precipitation, leaving a considerable number carried on for ascertaining the limits of killed and wounded on the spot. The fugiNova Scotia, the governor of Canada de- tives saved themselves by crossing a river, tached M. la Corne, with some regular on the farther bank of which la Corne stood troops, and a body of militia, to fortify a post at the head of his troops, drawn up in order on the bay of Chignecto, on pretence that to receive them as friends and dependants. this and a great part of the peninsula be- He had by this time erected a fort, which he longed to his government. The possession denominated Beau Sejour; and now the of this post not only secured to the Indians English built another on the opposite side of the continent a free entrance into the of the river, which was called after its peninsula, and a safe retreat in case of pursuit; but also encouraged the French inhabitants of Annapolis to rise in open rebellion against the English government. founder Saint Laurence. This being provided with a good garrison, served as a check upon the French, and in some measure restrained the incursions of their barbarians. Not that it effectually answered this purpose; for the Indians and Neutrals still IN the spring of the year one thousand seized every opportunity of attacking the seven hundred and fifty, general Cornwallis, English in the interior parts of the peningovernor of Halifax, detached major Lau- sula. In the course of the succeeding year rence with a few men to reduce them to they surprised the little town of Dartmouth, MAJOR LAURENCE DEFEATS THE |