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The New Dominion Monthly 
 
 Vol. III. 
 
 March, 1800. 
 
 No. 6. 
 
 Originnl, 
 GENTLEMEN ADVENTURERS IN ACADIA. 
 
 BY J. (>. BOURINOT. 
 
 I. — Baron de Poutkincourt. 
 
 Those adventurouA tourists who have left 
 the beaten path of American travel, and 
 wandered for some time over Nova Scotia, 
 must have returned home with exceedingly- 
 pleasant impressions of the scenery pre- 
 sented in the western part of that fine pro- 
 vince. There they will not see the wild 
 and picturesque features of the Restigouche, 
 the Si. John, or the Bras d'Or; but a 
 lovely prospect of nature, robbed of its 
 rupgedness and toned down by art. The 
 counties of King's and Annapoliij show a 
 wide expanse of charming orohards and 
 farms, and abound in associations of the 
 historic past. On all oides, we will see tha 
 lands reclaimed from the sea, which swells 
 away beyond and periodically comes rush- 
 ing up its estuaries, as if about to sweep all 
 obstacles before ii and overwhelm the 
 whole country. There to the northward, 
 Is tall dark Blomedou, with its overhang- 
 ing clifi', under which the tumultuous tide 
 struggles and foams. Here, in a large mea- 
 dow close at hand, is a long row of Lom- 
 bardy poplars, speaking eloquently of 
 another race and another century. Here, 
 embowered in trees, is a pile of college 
 buildings, — there a tall white spire rises 
 into the pure blue sky. We see pretty 
 villas and cottages, with their wealth of 
 honey-suckle and grape vine; with their 
 gardens where the rose, the tulip, the dah- 
 lia — a thousand flowers, — bloom in spring, 
 summer, and autumn. This is the garden 
 of Nova Scotia, once the home of those 
 " happy Acadian farmers," who first won 
 the land from " the turbulent tides," and 
 lived quiet pastoral lives, until the stern 
 
 mandate came 
 and wide — 
 
 which scattered them far 
 
 From the cold lakes of the North to sultry Sou- 
 thern Savannas ; 
 
 From the bleak shores of the sea to the lands 
 where the Father of Waters 
 
 Seizes the hills In his hands, and drags them 
 down to the ocean, 
 
 Deep In their sands to bury the scattered bones 
 of the mammoth. 
 
 Delightful as is the scene, we must not 
 linger, but pass from the fertile fields and 
 pretty villages of King's to the adjoining 
 County of Annapolis. If it is in the spring 
 we are travelling, the country is one mass 
 of pink and white blossoms, which load the 
 passing breeze with delicate fragrance ; if 
 it is in autumn, the trees bend beneath 
 their wealth of apples, of a size and quality 
 that cannot be surpassed anywhere. We 
 drive through p . '^rtile valley by the side 
 of a river, which at last empties into a fine 
 basin, communicating with the bay so 
 famous for its tides. We are at last in a 
 quiet old town, whose roofs are verdant 
 with the moss of more than a century ; 
 where the landscape 8how«- a harmonious 
 blending of sky, mountain, and water. 
 Unpretending as is this little tgwn in its 
 external appearance, it has a history of its 
 own ; — for we have ^rived at the spot 
 where the FrerioKt'tiro centuries anda half 
 ago, made their first permanent settlement 
 in America. 
 
 In the year 1604, when Henry of Navarre 
 was King of France, Sieur De Monta, one of 
 his favorites, obtained leave to colonize 
 that large and ilUdeftned territory, then 
 and long afierwardif known as L' Acadia. 
 
30G 
 
 TllR NEW DOMINION MONTHLY. 
 
 l) 
 
 The liohl fishermen of Normandy, Hrptapno, 
 anil tho Biwino country had, iVom a very 
 early periotl, fre<iuentt'd the lisherios of 
 Newfoundland, and home of the more 
 adventurous had now and then visited the 
 eoaslH of Nova Scotia and Cai)e Breton, pre- 
 vious to tiie seventeeth century. * All 
 attempts however, to settle C-.nada and 
 Aoadia before the sailinfr of De Monts' expe- 
 dition, had proved entirely al)ortive. 
 
 Wiien the kin<i and his able minister, 
 Sully, had been once won over to the pro- 
 ject, they willinjily consented to {,'ive De 
 Jlonts and his associates an entire monopoly 
 of the fur-trade throufihoul the wide domain 
 of which he was to be the Viceroy. The 
 expedition was chielly supported by the 
 merchants ol the Protestant town of La 
 Jlochellc, and was regarded with much 
 .jealousy by St. Malo and Dieppe, and other 
 commercial cities. Nor did devout Catlio- 
 lics look very favorably upon an enterprise 
 whose leader was a professor of the hated 
 Galvanistic creed, and whose charter ex- 
 pres.sly declared that the Protestant adven- 
 turers shouM en.joy, in tlie new colony, all 
 tiie privileges they possessed in France. 
 Tlie Catholics were, liowever, propitiated 
 by the stipulation that tiio Iluijuenots 
 should take no part in the work of convert- 
 ing tlie natives, which woulil be reserved 
 especially for tiie priests who accompanied 
 the expeililion. In tho.se days religious feel- 
 ing was carried to extremes. The kinn had 
 long been the champion of the French Pro- 
 testants, and though he had been pursuaded 
 at last to recant and profess the IJoman 
 Catholic faith, yet there was always a 
 latent distrust of his sincerity among those 
 who were the most ardent supporters of the 
 predominant religion. It is not, therefore, 
 surprising tliat the movement of the llugue- 
 
 • Ij'Escarbnt mentions an old flshoriniin at 
 Canseau, In 1607, who Imd been visiting those 
 seas lor 42 siipcesslvo years. When Dc Monts 
 entered the present harbor of Liverpool, he met 
 a fnr-trader by the name of Uosslgonl. Many 
 other facts might be mentioned to show that 
 the French were frequent visitors to the coast of 
 Nova Scotia, previous to Uie expedition of U)l)|. 
 La Roche's expedition, whl.di never went 
 beyond Sable Island, wag In 1098. 
 
 nots to found a new empire on the Americnn 
 Continent should have been watchelwilh 
 suspicion by tliose who had the interests of 
 the Catholic church chielly at lieart. As 
 we shall soon see, religious dilliculties 
 arose to mar llie success of tlie early Aca- 
 dian colonists. 
 
 After a great deal of trouble attd expense, 
 De Monts succeeded in getliiig together the 
 number of men required at that stage of 
 liis enterprise. Some had served their time 
 in the prisons and galleys of France, others 
 were Catholic prie.«ts and Protestant min- 
 isters, others were volunteers of noble birlli. 
 Among the latter class was Jean de Bii'u- 
 eourt, better known in tlie history of the 
 times of which we are writing as Baron 
 de Poutrinconrt. Like the majority of the 
 nol)ility, lie was a .soldier, and hatl distin- 
 gui.slied himself throughout the wars which 
 had ended in placing King Henry IV on 
 the throne of France. His family bdongeil 
 to the maritime province of Picardie, and 
 was possessed of considerable landed estates. 
 A brave soldier, a man of great energy, 
 anl conciliatory manners, ho was well- 
 fitted to a.ssisl in llii' estiiblishmentof a new 
 colony. 
 
 Another distinguished associate of De 
 Monts was Samuel Champlain, whose his- 
 tory is ,so replete with interest to tlie people 
 of the New Dominion of Canada. He, in 
 later times, was to make him.self a famous 
 name in New France ; for he it was who 
 founded the r.ol)le old city on the crest of 
 that lofty promontory, which overloooks 
 the St. Lawrence, and forms, with the sur- 
 rounding landscape, one of the finest 
 panoramas to be seen throughout America. 
 
 De Monts and his associates reached with- 
 out accident the low fir-covered shore of 
 Nova Scotia, visited several of its harbors 
 and bays, and finally .sailed into the Bay of 
 Fundy, which was then called La Bale 
 Fran<;aise, and explored its shores. At St. 
 Mary's Bay, a priest of the .lamo of Aub- 
 rey went ashore and lost himself in the 
 woods, — an incident which led to much 
 wrangling and dispute; for the Catholics 
 charged the Huguenots with having made 
 
OENTLEMEN ADVENTUREUS IN ACADIA. 
 
 307 
 
 Inway with him. Happily, for the peace of 
 
 [tlio expedition, Auhroy turnPvl up a few 
 
 [•weeks afterwards, almost a spectre, after 
 
 lis weary wanderiiifis Ihroujjrh the iiiliospi- 
 
 tal>le wilds of Acadie. 
 
 The expedition discovered the Ouigondi 
 Jiver, which they called St. John, as they 
 iw it first on the festival of that saint, and 
 Visited many other hays and inlets. But 
 le fact most interesting to us at present 
 ras the discovery of the basin and river of 
 mnapolis. So delighted was the Baron de 
 ^Mltrincourt with tlie scenery in that part 
 i>f (lie country, that lie immediately olttained 
 grant of a large district for a Seisjneurie 
 from De Monts, and named it Port Koyal. 
 The place chosen as tlie site of the lirsl 
 [Hettleinent was a barren islet, which tliey 
 [called St. Croix. Champlain has leU 
 lus some quaint drawings and descriptions 
 |of the tirst settlement on this islet, which 
 jtliey cho.se, with sucli singular infelicity, 
 I in preference to the many far more avail- 
 aide places that could have been found 
 in Acadie. I'outrincourt, wliose fortunes 
 we have here chiefly to follow, soon left 
 his companions in their dreary new home, 
 and sailed for France, with tlie object of 
 making arrangements for settling his do- 
 main of Port Royal. lie, however, found 
 his private affairs in such a condition 
 jthat he was unable to leave at the time he 
 wislied. Indeed, very little interest was 
 taken in the new colony, of which very 
 unsatisfactory reports were brought back by 
 Poutrincourt's companions. lie himself, 
 liowever, was very sanguine, as to the 
 future of Acadia, and spoke very eloquently 
 of its varied resources, of the riches in and 
 around its coasts, of tlie furs in its forests, 
 and of the minerals that doubtless lay be. 
 neath its soil. To the King he presented 
 a fine specimen of amethyst, which he and 
 De Monts had picked up in the vicinity of 
 Cape D'Or, in the Bay of Fundy. But this 
 little blue stone was the only evidence Pou- 
 trineourt had to show of the mineral wealth 
 of the country. Many centuries were to 
 pass before the '.-.>' \ Id learn of the 
 existence in A ■ II 1 >.''■ precious metal 
 
 whicii has drawn so many adventurers 
 across the sea since the time of Columbus. 
 While Poutrincourt was still in France, 
 he was surprised to learn of tlie arrival 
 of De Monts with very unsatisfactory 
 accounts of the state of affairs in the infant 
 colony. The adventurers had very .soon 
 found 8t. Croix entirely unfitted for a per- 
 manent settlement, and had removed to the 
 sunny banks of the Annapolis, wliich was 
 Jien known as the Equille,* and subse- 
 quently as the Dauphin. Poutrincourt and 
 De Monts went energetically to work to 
 obtain assistance for the colony, and tliough 
 they succeeded in obtaining the services 
 of all the mechanics and laborers tliey 
 required, tlicirditliculties never ceased until 
 they set sail. Tlie new expedition was 
 necessarily composed of very unruly char- 
 acters, who constantly broke loose, and 
 sadly offended the staid folks of that orderly 
 bulwark of Calvanism, the town of La Ifo- 
 chelle. Many of the men were in the hands 
 of tlie authorities, and then, the " Jonas" 
 — not a very ausjiicious name certainly 
 — a ship of some 150 tons, whicii had been 
 fitted out by two merchants of La Kochelle, 
 went aground in a heavy storm, and could 
 not be got ready for sea until several weeks 
 later than the day appointed for the depart- 
 ure of the expedition. At last, on the 13th 
 of May, 1G06, the " Jonas," with its unruly 
 crew all on board, left for the New World, 
 under the command of De Poutrincourt and 
 L'Escarbot, the latter a Paris advocate, a 
 poet, and an historian, to whom we are 
 indebted for a very sprightly Iii.story of 
 early French settlement in America. De 
 Monts was unable to leave with his friend. 
 The " Jonas" proved false to her name,and 
 took the voyageurs safely across the ocean. 
 Their tirst sight of the land, on the 15th of 
 July, was under circumstances of a very 
 favorable character, for, in the language of 
 L'Escarbot, " the sky began to salute us, as 
 it were, with cannon-shots, shedding tears, 
 
 •Cluvra plain says the river was named ofter 
 a little flsh cauBlit tJiere, "Je la gramleur d' un 
 osplan;" proVmbly the squid which Is used as 
 bait by the tlshermun of the Province. 
 

 l^(l« 
 
 tnB NKW DOMINION MONTHLY. 
 
 h 
 
 as l.oins Horry to have kept uh Ro lonff in I ciate.l l.y the Frendi, lor T;il>^oar1.otspoiik« 
 pain ; but whilst we followed on our conrso | of them in trlowin« tornis. 
 Ihere came from the land odors ineompar- j Tlie fort slood on the north side of iho 
 able for 8weetnes,s, brought with a warm , Eqnille. and was bnilt not only with rr-iinl 
 Ko al)unaantly that all the orient to the security of its inmat-s, but will. 
 
 re;?ard to their eonveuienee and eomfort :is 
 well. It is described iw havinR concisicil 
 of a qnadranfrle of wooden bnildinjfs, snr- 
 roundinf? a fine eonrt. A path led throufjli 
 an arehed gateway at the south-east eorinjr. 
 to the water. The nii»<razine and store- 
 houses stoo<l on tlie east side of the quad- 
 rangle ; the men's quarters on the west 
 
 wind 
 
 parts eould not produce greater abundance." 
 Not till the 27lii of July, however, did the 
 ship enter tlie basin of Port Koyal with the 
 Hood-tide, and see the wooden walls and 
 roof of the French fori, peering above the 
 spruce. They were soon seen from the 
 shore, and a peal from the rude bastion 
 awoke the echoes of the surrounding hills. 
 
 1 gave testimony to tlie .joy of the two t side ; the dining-hall and lodgings for He 
 
 Poutrincourt and his principal associates 
 on the north ; the kitchen, forge, oven, and 
 olliees on the snutli. Four cannon were 
 mounted on a bastion at the sonth-wesl 
 corner ; a row of palisades flanked tite fort. 
 Some patches of ground were cleared abotit 
 the river and in tlie vicinity of tlin fort. 
 As far as the eye could reach was the forest . 
 chiefly spruce, but relieved here and there 
 by groves of maple, birch, and beech, whose 
 lines of crimson, russet, and gold perfectly 
 
 and g 
 
 solitary Frenchmen, who, with a faithtul 
 old Indian chief, were the only inmates, at 
 that time, in the fort. These men, La 
 Taileo and Miquilet, explained tliat Pont- 
 grave and Champlain, with the rest of 
 tlie colony, had set sail for France a few 
 ilays previously, in two small vessels which 
 they had built themselves. But there was 
 no time to spend in vain regrets. IJe Pou- 
 trincourt broached a hogshead of wine, and 
 the fort was soon the scene of mirth and 
 
 festivity. Then, to add to the prevalent I bewitched the French, when they lirst saw- 
 gaiety, Pontgravo re-entered the fort, hav- 1 the American woods in all their autumnal 
 ing fortunately met oft' Canscau with a boat ] glory. 
 
 which had ])een left there by Do Poutrin- ! All the members of the colony had their 
 court, for the purpose of exploring the west. ! time well occupied. I)e Poutrineonrt hini- 
 A few days later, however, Pontgrave and 
 a number of others sailed again for France. 
 
 Much work had to be done in that new 
 eolony before its comfort could be assured. 
 Poutrincourt and his associates set energe- 
 tically to improve the condition of things, 
 by making additions to the buildings, and 
 clearing the surrounding land, which soon 
 gave evidences of the agricultural ability 
 of the apothecary, IL^bert.* As we need 
 nst tell those who have ever visited or read 
 of the western section of Acadia, the soil is 
 exceedingly rich. Besides the fertile up- 
 lands, there are extensive alluvial grounds, 
 the value of which was immediately appre- 
 
 • Mr. Murilock, In his history of Nova Sootln 
 —a laborious compilation from old documents 
 and records-says that this Hebert afterwards 
 went to Quebec, and settled there. Many of the 
 old families of Canada trace their daicent from 
 bim. 
 
 in an exploring voyage as far as Cape Mal- 
 lebanc. lie visited tlie island of St. Croix, 
 and after having met with many niisatlven- 
 tures from storms and shoals, ho finally 
 reached his destination, which is now 
 known as Capo Cod . \V h ilst oft" that place, 
 several of his crew, who had gone ashore, 
 contrary to his orders, were surprised by 
 the savages, and all killed or fatally 
 wounded, with one exception. According 
 to the report of the survivor, the Indians 
 had stolen a hatchet, whereupon the French 
 had fired upon them. The dead were 
 buried near the shore, but no sooner had 
 the crew returned on board than the Indians 
 emerged from the wootls where they had 
 been concealed, tore down the cross erected 
 by the French, dug up the bodies, and 
 treated them with every indignity. Da 
 
OENTLEMEN ADVENTDRER8 IN ACADIA. 
 
 800 
 
 ^'IWarliolsiH-aks 
 
 I ffold perfectly Vl 
 
 outrjnoourt, deBpairinia of fimlins a favor- 
 
 ,ble sito for a new eolony in a country 
 
 injoying a warmer elimate, returneil to 
 
 ort Royal. Ilis crew were sick and low- 
 
 irited, but they soon rceovered their 
 
 ^ealth and spirits when they rejoined their 
 
 (jjDmrades, who listened with wonder to the 
 
 rration of the perils of that unfortunate 
 
 yaffe. 
 
 L'Escarhot appears to have been the very 
 ■(> and soul of the little eolony, for, nalu- 
 llyofaffenial and lively temperament, 
 |e never liked to see anything like ^loom and 
 espondency amonR liis companions. All 
 is efforts were directed to infuse a .spirit of 
 iiully feeling among the little community, 
 f anything occurred to damp their courage, 
 is fertile mind soon devised some plan of 
 basing away forebodings of ill. When De 
 IViutrincourt and his party returned in such 
 11 spirits from Cape Mallcl)ane, they were 
 et by a proce.ssion of Tritons, with Nep- 
 nne at their head, who saluted tlie advcn- 
 urers with merry songs. As they entered 
 the arched gate-way they saw above tlieir 
 heads another happy device of L'Kscarbot, 
 — the arms of France and the King's motto. 
 ''/>«.< pi-otvget uiiiix," encircled with laurels, 
 Under this were the arms of De Monts and 
 De Poutrincourt, with their respective 
 mottos, — '^/Jiiltit dcu.i /lis 1/1101/ lit' Jin flit," and 
 "Invia virtuti ntillu est vi<i," — also surrounded 
 with evergreens. L'Jiscarbot was a man 
 of the world, who well understood the ver- 
 satile character of his countrymen — how 
 much they were affected by surrounding 
 circumstances. 
 
 L'Escarbot sowed crops of wheat, rye, 
 and barley, in the vicinity of the fort ; he 
 worked night and day in a garden ; he read 
 prayers when the priests were unwell and 
 unable to olRciate ; he did more good by 
 his cheery manners and merry talk than all 
 Ihe medicine poured down by the apothe- 
 cary ; he was the pleasantest companion at 
 the festive board ; yet amid the many duties 
 that engrossed him, he found time for study. 
 The inmates of the fort — thanks to tlie 
 liberality of De Monts and his associates — 
 were well provided with everything requi. 
 
 site to make tlium comfortable. But I'lls- 
 carbot's ingenious mind did not fail him, 
 oven in respect to the daily supply of fresh 
 provisions ; for he created a new order lor 
 the especial benelit of the principal table at 
 which Do Poutrincourt, himself, and tliir. 
 I teen others, sat daily. These fifteen gen. 
 j tlemen constituted themselves into I'Ordre 
 I de Bon Temps, one of whom was Grand 
 Master for a day, and bound to cater for the 
 company. Each tried, of course, to excel 
 the otlior in the quantity of game and fish 
 they were able to gather from tlie surround- 
 ing country, and the consequence was, Do 
 Poutrincourt 's tal)lo never wanted any of the 
 luxuries that the river or forest could 
 supply. At tlio dinner hour the Grand 
 Master, with the insignia of his order, a 
 costly collar around his neck, a slalf in his 
 hand, and a napkin on his shoulder, came 
 into the hall at the head of his brethren, 
 each of whom carried some dish. The 
 Indians were frequent guests at their feasts, 
 especially old Mend)crton, a famous Mic- 
 mae or Souriquois chief, who always 
 retained a warm attachment for the pale- 
 faced strangers. iSongs of /,<( /jV/Zc Fniwi' 
 were sung ; many a toast was drunk in 
 some rare vintage, — the llames flew up the 
 huge chimney, — tiie Indians squatted on 
 llie floor, laughing like the merriest French- 
 men. When the pipe went around — with 
 its lobster-like bowl and tube elaborately 
 worked with porcupine quills — stories wen- 
 told, and none excelled the Indians them- 
 selves in this part of the entertainment 
 At last when the tobacco was all exhausted, 
 the (fraud Ma.ster resigned his regalia of 
 olliee to his successor, who lost no time in 
 performing his duties. Thus the long winter 
 evenings passed in that lonely French 
 fort, at the verge of an untamed conti- 
 nent. 
 
 With the coming of spring, the colonists 
 commenced to build a mill, and to culti- 
 vate the little patches of ground they had 
 cleared of the " rest. They also built two 
 barques, using picch made by the gum of the 
 Ar. Well might the Indians look \vith 
 astonishment at the ingenuity of th^sp busy 
 
:iio 
 
 THE NEW DOMINION MONTHLY. 
 
 "it 
 
 Fronchmru; at times coiuiuprins their 
 extreme rrservc ami hrcakinR forth into 
 pxclamations of doliRht, sw thoy saw some 
 now evidence of the superiority of tlie 
 French over themselves. 
 
 All tiiis while, Poutriucourt and his 
 friends were wonderinfj how malwrs were 
 progressing in Franee, and anxiously 
 expectiug the arrival of a ship with news 
 front that eountry. At last, late in the 
 sprimj, old Memberlon, always on tiie alert, 
 came to tell the French at the fort that he 
 had seen a vessel sailiup; up the basin. 
 The cannon thundered iis welcome to the 
 stranger ; a barciue, commanded iiy one 
 Chevalier of St. Malo, and brinjjinf? the 
 bail news from I)e Monts that the colony 
 would have to be broken up, as his charter 
 had been revoked, and tlie company would 
 no longer support I'ort IJoyal. Ti»e Breton 
 and Bas(pie merchants had eombined to 
 break up a monopoly which shut them out 
 of a lucrative trade, and had succeeded in 
 inlluencinp; the fjovernmcnt to wiliidraw its 
 patronage from De Monts and his as.soeiates. 
 De I'outrincourt sadly jirepared, (he had 
 then no other alternative except to obey,) 
 to abandon his new home by the Equille 
 and by the 30th of July, nearly all his, 
 companions left Port lloyal, which never 
 looked more lovely in their eyes, when 
 thoy passed on to the Bay of Pundy and 
 saw the whole country in the jrlory of 
 mid-summer. Poutrincourt and Champ- 
 lain remained a few days behind the others, 
 as the former was anxious to see the result 
 of his agricultural experiments. When the 
 torn was ripe, he pulled up some specimens 
 to show his friends in France the hifrh 
 agricultural capabilities of much-abused 
 Acadia. Then, in the middle of August, he 
 sailed from Port Royal, in a shallop, for Can- 
 soau, where the " Jonas," with L'Escarbot 
 and the rest of the colonists, were awaiting 
 his arrival. The Indians, especially Mem- 
 berton, watched the departure of their new 
 friends with unfeigned regret, and promised 
 look carefully after the safety of ihe foit 
 and its contents. We shall shortly see 
 whether the illiterate savage Indian ful- 
 
 lilled his promise and discharged the triisl 
 tiiat he had voluntarily nndi>rtaken. 
 
 As soon as Poutriucourt reached \m 
 native country, hedid his best to gain friends 
 at the Court, as he was resolved on makiii|{ 
 a lionie in Acadia. But his prospects, for 
 a time, were ex(!eedingly gloomy. De Monts 
 was able to assist iiim very little, and tlic 
 adventurous Baron himself wa.s involved in 
 debt and litigations, but fortune, it is truly 
 said, favors the brave, and ho eventually 
 succeeded in obtaining a renewal of liis 
 grant from the K'ng, and interesting sonio 
 wealthy traders in llie enterprise. Tlien, 
 when about li'aving Franee, some dillioul- 
 ties, not of a pecuniary, but of a religious 
 character, aro.se, aiul threatened to inter- 
 fere with the success of the expedition. 1 lie 
 .Society of Jesuits was, at this time, exceed- 
 ingly inlluential at Court, and in conse- 
 ([uence of their representations and persua- 
 sion", the King ordered that Pierre Biard, Pro- 
 fessor of Theology at Lyons, should aceoiii- 
 pany tlie expedition. Bianl accordingly bus- 
 tened to Bordeaux, whence it was nndersloiHl 
 the ship would sail, l)iit on lii.s arrival lln're. 
 found, to his great surprise, that nobody 
 knew anything about it. It afterwards 
 transpired that Poutrincourt, although ;i 
 good Catholic, mi.stru.sted the Jesuits, and 
 was fearful of the consequences of introduc. 
 ingthem into his colony. Many of his asso- 
 ciates were Huguenots, and he probably 
 thought tiiat the presence of the wily, ener- 
 getic Jesuit, would mar the harmony of 
 the enterpri.se. On this account, he ohangcil 
 ids intention of .sailing from Bordeaux, but 
 loaded a large boat, with a great variety 
 of articles, at his maternal barony of St. 
 Just, in Champagne, and descended the 
 .'Vube and Seine to Dieppe, where his vessel 
 wiis all re.vdy for him. On the 20th of 
 Feliruary, he set sail from Dieppe, whilst 
 Father Biard was angrily wondering at his 
 absence. But the Jesuits, when they ascer- 
 tained the fact of his departure, were ex- 
 tremely angry, and took more energetic 
 steps to carry out their design of gaining a 
 foothold in the New World. In this matter 
 Poutrincourt hardly displayed his tisual 
 
GENTLEMEN ADVENTURERS IN ACAniA. 
 
 311 
 
 taf t — ho must havc! known (ho oonseqnnnoe 
 of (l"(?pivinR so wily an adversary as the 
 Jt'suil. 
 
 Tho sii"Poss of tlio voyji^p to Aoudia was 
 nearly inarreil by a mutiny nmonfr tho 
 orew, whifh was happily qiiollod hy the 
 (locision of llio otlicors, and the ship on'ered 
 Tort Koyal basin, in tiie lipfrinninjr of .Tune, 
 ItilO. Here they were a<rreeably surprised 
 to find the buildings and oontents perloetly 
 safe, and their old friend Memberton, now a 
 eenteuarian, lookinj? as hale as ever, and 
 overwhelmed with joy at the return of the 
 friendly pale-faecs. Anions the lirst thiTi<rs 
 that Poutrineourt did, after his arrival, was 
 to make converts of the Indians. Pere la 
 Fleehe soon eonvince<l Memberton and all 
 his tribe of the truths of ehrislianity. Mem- 
 berton was named Henri, afler the King ; 
 his eh f squaw, Marie, after tlie Queen. 
 The Pope, the Dauphin, Marfruerite de 
 Valois, and other ladies and gentlemen 
 famous in the history of their, times, became 
 sponsors for the Miemae converts who were 
 gathered into Mother Church, on St. John's 
 day, with liie most imposing ceremonies 
 that the French could arrange in that wild 
 country. So entiiusiaslie, indeed, were the 
 new converts, that Meml)erton , it is declared , 
 was quite ready to destroy all the Indians 
 within his reaeii, unless they became 
 Christians like himself. 
 
 Conscious of the influence of the .Tesuits at 
 Court, and desirous of counteracting any 
 prejudice that mig'it have been created 
 against him, Poutrineourt decided to send 
 his son, a fine youth of 18, in the ship 
 returning to France, with a statement show- 
 ing his zeal in converting the natives of the 
 new colony. Poutrineourt himself accom- 
 panied his son for some distance, and on his 
 return in an open boat wa.s blown out to 
 sea, and nearly starved. At last, after 
 nearly a month of Buffering, he succeeded 
 in getting back to Port lloyal. Here we 
 must leave him, for a short time, whilst we 
 follow his youthful ambassatlor to France. 
 
 When Biencourt reached France, Henry 
 of Navarre — who, with all his faults, was 
 certainly the ablest king that ever ruled 
 
 France — iiad perished )iy the knife of 
 Ravaillac, and Mariede Medici was Resent 
 during the minority of her son, Louis XIII 
 The Jesuits wore now all powerful at the 
 Louvre, and it was decided that Fathers 
 Hiard and llainiond Masse should accom- 
 pany Hiencourt to Acadia. The latlies of 
 ilie Court, especially Madame la Marcpiiso 
 do Cucrehevillc, whose reputation could 
 not be a.ssailed by the tongue of scandal, 
 even in a state of society when virtue was 
 too often tho exception, interested theni- 
 selves in the work of converting the savages 
 of Acadia, and Marie de Medici also gave 
 a handsome contribution of money. Whilst 
 these efforts were being used by the devout 
 ladies of the capital for the s])iritual wel- 
 fare of the colony, Biencourt entered into a 
 busine-sH partnership with one Robin de 
 Coloignes, who.se father was a man of con- 
 siderable wealth, who agreed to supply the 
 new settlers for tivc years with funds and 
 neces-saries, in returu for certain specilied 
 prolits and advantages. 
 
 When the expedition was aliout ready lo 
 .sail, didiculties of a religious character 
 again intervened. Two traders, by naina 
 Cliesne and de Jardin, Huguenots, who 
 were pecuniarily interested in the under- 
 taking, objected to tlie departure of the 
 Jesuits, at the same time profe.s.sing their 
 willingness to accept tlie services of any 
 other priests. At this juncture, Madame de 
 Cfuercheville came forward, and bought off 
 the two Huguenot traders, whose interest 
 was made over to the Jesuits. Thus did 
 the indefatigable Jesuits, for the first time, 
 engage in the work of converting the 
 savage in tho American wilderness. His- 
 tory cannot show examples of greater hero- 
 ism and fortitude than was exhibited in 
 after times by the successors ol Biard and 
 Masse in the Far West. 
 
 The vessel which took Biencourt and his 
 friends back to Port Royal did not exceed 
 sixty tons burden, but she completed her 
 trip in four months' time. On the 22nd 
 July, 1611, she arrived off the fort, whore 
 Poutrineourt and hi-, colonists were exceed- 
 ingly short of supplies. He had not only to 
 
.JJJl 
 
 3i: 
 
 TIIK NKW l>OMINntN MONTIII.V. 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 \ 
 
 111; 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 ri 
 
 1 1 
 
 feed Boinp lifiy whilM, but Meinl"'rtoii and 
 his family beside, at leoKi Hixty peisons in 
 nil As the vesMnl last iirrived contained 
 but a small quantity of provisions, he and 
 Father Biard took a trip to the opposite 
 eoast for further supplies. At a liarbor 
 called La I'ierre Blanche tliey found four 
 vessels, one lielouKinn to M. Do Slonts, 
 another to ront}?rav(S and llie others from 
 Rochelle and St. Malo. Poutrincourt suc- 
 ceeded in making them promise to as.iist 
 his son, who was to act as Vice- Admiral, 
 while he himself went on to France with 
 the hope of obtaininR further aid. 
 
 About the middle of July, I'outincourt 
 left Port IJoyal in charge of his son, who 
 appears to have been high-spirited and 
 wanting in thai coolness and tact which 
 come with age and experience of the world. 
 The total number of persons in the colony 
 was twenty-two, including the two Jesuits, 
 who immediately commenced to learn Mic- 
 mac, as the first step necessary to the 
 success of the work they had in hand. 
 Biencoutt appears to have had not only 
 disputes with the Jesuits, but diliiculties 
 with traders coming within his jurisdiction. 
 At St. John's he took Pontgrave'a son and 
 a number of others, who had built a trailing 
 hut ; he collected tribute from traders at 
 St. Croix and other places on the Acadian 
 coast. This expedition occupied Biencourt 
 until November, and he returned after a 
 profitless voyage, worn-out and dispirited. 
 
 The two priests all the while were suffer- 
 ing many hardships, but they bore their 
 troubles with a patience and resignation 
 which gained them even the admiration of 
 those who were not prepossessed in their 
 favor. Masse, who had gone to live among 
 the Indians, was nearly starved and smoked 
 to death in their rude camps ; but still he 
 appcirs to have persevered in that course 
 of life as long as he possibly could. About 
 this time — soon after the return of Biencourt 
 froKi ihe 7oyage just mentioned — the priests 
 had the consolation of performing the last 
 offices for the veteran Memberton. One 
 hesitates to believe that the old savage had 
 entirely forgotten his heathen superstitions, 
 
 sinoo the historian tells us that on his drnth- 
 bod bo exproshfd a strong desire to be 
 buried wii'liliis forelathers. The arguments 
 of his priestly adviservi, however, overeann' 
 his Huporstition, and the remains of the fine 
 old Indian sagamore were finally laid in 
 I'onsecraletl ground. Mcinl)erton wasalways 
 a stauncli friend of the French, and appears 
 to have iiossessed many noble qualitie.'i. 
 Father Biard, descriliing his person when 
 he was nearly a hundred, said he was 
 extrenu'ly tall, strong-limbed, and bearded. 
 Matters looked gloomy by the beginning 
 of the New Year ; no news had as yet 
 come of the ship that was to bring them 
 supplies from the (lovernor of Port Royal. 
 It was found necessary to place the settlers 
 on rations, which were rarely f upplemented 
 by presents of game from the I.ulians, who, 
 with the exception of Memberton's family, 
 hatl kept aloof from the little community. 
 Ou the third Sunday after Christinas, 
 Patlier Biard called upon Bieneourt to serve 
 out the rest of Mie wine to the men, as he 
 had a presentiment that the long anxiously 
 wished-for vessel was close at hand. The 
 priest happily proved a true prophet, for 
 the vessel arrived on the 23rd of January 
 with a store of provisions which — small as 
 it was — Clime very opportunely. 
 
 Tlie news from Poutrincourt was very 
 discouraging. Unable to raise further 
 funds on his own responsibility, he had been 
 obliged to accept tlie proffer of assistance 
 frOHi Mnie. De Guercheville, who, in her 
 zeal, had also bought from De Monts all his 
 claims over the colony ; and what was still 
 more important, had obtained from the 
 King a grant of all Acadia, with the excep- 
 tion of Port Royal, whicli belonged to 
 Poutrincourt. The society of Jesuits were 
 therefore virtually in possession of Acadia, 
 as far as a French deed could give it away. 
 But the French King forgot when he was 
 making this lavish gift of a continent, that 
 tho British laid claims to the same territory, 
 and had already established a colony within 
 iu limits. After many misfortunes, the 
 little settlement of Jamestown was com- 
 mencing to show some vitality and strength. 
 
OKNri.RMEN ArVENTlllERS IS A<'\DIA. 
 
 313 
 
 The EnjilisU were alrcjidy taking an intcrost 
 ill colonial f'stahlislimcntH, and .Sliivkes- 
 ppttre, then in llm inalurily of his gerius, 
 had Keen in the New World the elements ot 
 an empire to bo founded under the auspices 
 of L.nf? James : — 
 
 ' WlirrevertliP l>rlK)it HutiofhenvcnsliallNhliip, 
 Uls honor nml the RreatnesH of Ills iiiimo 
 Hliall he and niako new nations; Ho shall nou- 
 rish; 
 And, like n mountain ecdar, roaeh his hrauchos 
 To all the plains ahont him." 
 
 But tlie Freneh thought notliingof the fact 
 tliat the British were looking towards the 
 oontinent of Ameriea ; and certainly appro- 
 iiended no danger from the insignificant 
 colony of Jamestown, especially as the two 
 nations were then at peace. 
 
 Such was the position ef aflfairs at the 
 time of the arrival of the new vessel and 
 cargo, which .vero under the control of 
 Simon Imbert, who had formerly been a 
 servant to Poutrincourt. Among the pas- 
 sengers was another Jesuit father, Gilbert 
 Du Thet, who came out as a representative 
 of the interests of Mme. De Guercheville 
 and of his own Order. The two agents 
 quarrelled from the very day they set out, 
 until they arrived at Port Koyal, and then 
 the colony took the matter up. At last the 
 ilifRcullies were settled by Du Thet receiv- 
 ing permission to return to France. 
 
 A few months later, at the end of May, 
 Hi 13, another Freneh ship anchored off Port 
 Koyal. She had been sent out with a line 
 supply of stores, not by Poutrincourt, but by 
 Mme. De Guercheville, and was under the 
 orders of M. Saussaye, a gentleman by 
 l>irth and a man of ability ; but wantingin 
 the qualities necessary to manage the 
 unruly elements around him. Poutrincourt, 
 it appeared, was in prison and ill, unable to 
 do anything whatever for his friends across 
 the ocean. This was, indeed, sad news for 
 Biencourt and his faithful allies, who liad 
 been anxiously expecting assistance from 
 France. 
 
 The new vessel took on board the two 
 priests, Biard and Masse, and sailed towards 
 the coast of New England ; for Saussaye's 
 
 instructions were to found a new colony in 
 Ihe vicinity of Pcnliigoet (Penobscot), at a 
 place called liadcHquit. In consequence of 
 tiir prevalent sea-fogs, however, they were 
 driven to the island of Mount Doserl.s, then 
 ealled Pema(iuid, where they found a har- 
 l)or which, it was decided, would answer 
 all their purposes. A well iiiforniod 
 writer* says that tlie settlement of St. Sau- 
 veur must have been on the western side of 
 Soame's Sf nd, and that on tlie eastern 
 shore there ha., 'en found the signs of an 
 old Indian village, probably that of Asti- 
 con, who was the chief at the time in ques- 
 tion. Bo this as it may, Saussaye and his 
 party commenced to erect buildings for the 
 new colony, when an event occurred which 
 placed an entirely different complexion on 
 matters. 
 
 A man-of-war came sailing into the har- 
 bor, and from her masthead lloated, not the 
 fleur-de-lis, but the blood-red flag of Eng- 
 land. The new-comer was Samuel Argall, 
 a young English sea captain, — a coarse, 
 pa.'^sionatu, but daring man. lie had been 
 for some time a.ssociated with the fortunes of 
 the new colony of Virginia. In the May of 
 the year in question, ho set sail in a stout 
 vessel of 130 tons, carrying 14 guns and fiO 
 men, for a erui.se to the coast of Maine for a 
 supply of cod-fish, and whilst becalmed oft' 
 Mount Deserts, some Indians came on board 
 and informed him of the presence of the 
 French in the vicinity of that island. A 
 man like Argall did noi hesitate long as to 
 the course he would pursue ; he looked 
 upon the French as encroaching upon 
 British territory ; and in a lew hours had 
 destroyed the infant settlement of St. Sau- 
 veur, and taken all the French prisoners. 
 Saussaye was perfectly parylized, and 
 attempted no defence when he saw that 
 Argall had hostile intentions ; but the 
 priest Du Thet did his utmost in rally- 
 ing the men to arms, and was the first to 
 fall a victim to his indiscreet courage- 
 Fifteen of the prisoners, including Saussaye 
 and Ma8.se, were turned adrift in an open 
 boat; but fortunately, they managed to 
 
 •Park man. 
 
314 
 
 THE NEW DOMINION MONTIII-Y. 
 
 crosH tlio B:iy ami roauh tlin coast of Nova 
 Scotiii, where llioy met with some trailinj: 
 vessels belonsinc; to St. Malo. Father 
 
 quostionalile, however, if he left a Finfrle 
 huililinnr staiidinfr, for we arc told to sueh 
 an extent did ho show his enmity, that he 
 
 Biard and the others were taken to Virprinia: even erased the fleur-de-lis and initials of 
 
 by Arffall. Be Monts and others from the massive stone 
 
 But how prospered the fortunes of Pou-' in which they had hi-en carved. Bioncourt 
 
 trincourt whilst the fate of Port Koyal was nnd nearly all the inmates of tlie fort wer« 
 
 hanging in the scale ? As we have pre- ent some distance in the country, and 
 
 viously stated, he had been put into prison j returned to see the English in complete pos. 
 
 by his creditors, and had there lain ill for session. A parley was held between Bien- 
 
 Bome months. When he was at last court and Argall ; but it resulted in no 
 
 liberated, and appeared once more among satisfactory i-ssue. The French wore much 
 
 his friends, he succeeded in obtaining some incensed at the appearance among the 
 
 assistance and fitting out a small vessel, ' English of Father Biard, wlio, according to 
 
 with a limited supply of stores for liis a dechiration subse(iueiitly made before the 
 
 colony. His prospects appeared brightening. Admiralty of Guienne, wished to persuade 
 
 and he set sail in the spring of 1614 for his his compatriots to desert Biencourt, and 
 
 domain in Acadia, where was now all his enlist in the service of Argall. One of the 
 
 worldly wealth— where he had expended so Frenchmen is represented to have made 
 
 large an amount of money. When his for- the very conclusive reply to this attempt to 
 
 tunes looked the darkest,— when his enemies pander with his loyalty : " Begone, or I will 
 
 were in the ascendant— he was buoyed up split your head with the liatehet.'" Tiie 
 
 by the hope that he might yet overcome his same Jesuit hsi-s also been charged with 
 
 difficulties, and pass the remainder of his having been instrumental in pursuading the 
 
 life in his Seigneurie, on tiie banks of the iJriiisli to destroy the fort at Port Boyal. 
 
 beautiful Equille, amid the lir forests of Nq doubt Biard was little di.sposcd lo bo 
 
 Acadia. But none of his name or lineage | fri,.„dly to Biencourt, with whom he had so 
 
 were destined to live in that Acadian land. :,„;„,y disputes during his residence in 
 
 Poutrincouvt entered tlie B;i,sin of Anna-] Acadia. Tlie fa.-t is, Biard-indeed he 
 
 polis for the last time, to lind liis son and : acknowledges it himself in the account he 
 
 followers wanderers in the woods, and only , i,.a behind-was mistrusted by botii 
 
 piles of ashes marking the .site of the build- 1 French and English, wlio were more ready 
 
 ings on which he and his trierds had \o think evil than good of him. * 
 
 expended so much time and money. The The destruction of Port lloyal by Argall 
 
 fate of Port Royal may be very briefly told. ; e„as u.^ f.rst era in the liistory of Acadia 
 
 The Governor of Virginia, .Sir Thomas 
 
 as a French colony. Poutrineourt bowed 
 
 Dale, was exceedingly irate when he heard to the relentless fate that drove him from 
 of the encroachments of France on what he Uie shores l>e loved .s„ well, and returned 
 considered lobe Britisli territorv bv ri"ht ... \?.. i ■ - ■ 
 
 ' ' ^'-''^to l'ran<'e, where lie took employment in 
 of prior discovery, and immediately sent .i„. „„v,-;.,. ^r .1 t- h 1, 
 
 ,,,,,,.' . ,, ' "I llie service ol tlie hing. lie addressed a 
 
 Argali.after his return fromSt.Sauveur.on ' „.... . .• . • , ., . . 
 
 ' .,. , , , "'^' "" I statement ot Ins wrongs to the Admiralty of 
 
 an expedition to tlie nortliward. Argall 
 
 first touched at f^t. tSauveur, and completed 
 ihe work of destruction, and next stopped 
 at St. Croix, wiiere he also destroyed the 
 half-rotten deserted buildings. lie finally 
 reach d Port Royal, and lost no time in 
 burn.ng the fort and all its buildings, 
 though .some autiioritics declare he spared 
 the mill and barns on the river. It is very 
 
 Guienne, but the time was unfavorable for 
 tlie consideration of his case. The country 
 j was then greatly agitated on account of the 
 aversion of the people in general to the 
 ■Spanish marriages whicli had been arranged 
 
 • Hlnnl subsp(|nontly reachcfl KiiRland, iiiul 
 was allowed to return homo. All the rest of the 
 prisoners taken at 81. fSauvcur also reached 
 France. 
 
 \ 
 
OKNTLEMEN ABVENTUREIIS IN ACADIA. 
 
 315 
 
 throuf^li Mario do Medicis and her Italian 
 fiivorile, Coneini, otherwiso the Marquis of 
 Anac. Tlie Court ilseU' was excited by 
 quarrels and intrigues of the mostconiemp- 
 tihle character. At last, Condi', himself a 
 Bourbon, took up arms, and was supported 
 by the Duke of Vondome and other pro- 
 minent notal)les. Mario de Medicis at first 
 attempted her usual intrigues, with x view 
 of bringing about a reconciliation with the 
 clisafTeeted ; but, finally, the political ditfi- 
 eulties resulted in a civil war, which la-ted 
 for a considerable period. 
 
 There is on the Upper Seine a little town 
 of the name of Mori. Here tho insurgents 
 had established themselves in the autumn 
 of 1615, and Poutrincourt was ordered to 
 reduce the town, as he held a prominent 
 position in the King's army. He succeeded 
 in the attempt, but at the cost of his own 
 life. An epitaph inscribed on his tomb at 
 St. Just, in Champagne, states that " he 
 was slain by Pi.sander, who wickedly moved 
 a eaiapult, and struck him on the heart, in 
 liio month of December, 1615, in the 58th 
 year of his age." On the same autliority 
 we learn that there was also an epitaph of 
 Poutrincourt cut into the trees and marble, 
 on the coast of New France : — 
 
 "Chara Deo soboles, neopliytl mel, 
 
 Novn' Kranolie Incolie, 
 
 chrlHtlcoliB 
 
 ()Uos ego, 
 
 Ulo ego sum mngnus Mai^amu uester 
 
 Potrliicurtiiis, 
 
 super letliera natus 
 
 In quo olim,i»pes vcstrii. 
 
 VosHl fofollttinvhlia 
 
 lugotc, 
 
 Virtus moa me penlliJU; vol)ls 
 
 glorlam menm alterl dnro 
 
 nequlvl. 
 
 Itcrum lugete." 
 
 Freely translated : — 
 
 " Ye progeny so dear to OotI, 
 
 Inhabitants of New France, 
 
 whom I brought over to tho 
 
 Fiilth of Christ. I am Poutrincourt, your 
 
 great chief, in wliom was once your liope. 
 
 If envy deceived you, mourn 
 
 for me. My courage 
 
 destroyed me. I could 
 
 not liand to another 
 
 the glory that I won 
 
 among you. Cease 
 not to mourn for mc." 
 
 Baron de Poutrincourt may justly be 
 considered tho founder of Port Royal, for 
 tliough Do Monts was at first the leader in 
 the Acadian expedition of 1604, yet ho 
 virtually abandoned it after a short struggle 
 against the diirieultios that surrounded him, 
 and yielded all the responsibi)ity to his 
 friend. Garneaii, indeed, says that he may 
 be regarded as " the real founder of A.^adia 
 itself, as a French colony ; for the destruc- 
 tion of Port Royal did not cause the aban. 
 donment of the province, which ceased not 
 to be occupied, at some point or other, by 
 tlie remaining colonists, whose number was 
 augmented from time to time l)y other im- 
 migrants."* 
 
 Poutrincourt's conduct tliroughout the 
 difliculties which met him in attempting to 
 establish Port Royal is certainly entitled to 
 our admiration. In his courage, energy, 
 and perseverance, he was a type of a class 
 of which the history of America ad'ords 
 many examples. The perils of unknown 
 seas and illimitable forests were not the 
 cliief dilUeullies that the pioneer of civiliza- 
 tion in America had to encounter. A thou- 
 sand obstacles, arising from commercial 
 jealousies anil rivalries, and from religious 
 dissensions, had to be met and overcome. 
 We have seen how often Poutrincourt's 
 success was marred by these dirticuliies, 
 and how bravely he .struggled against them, 
 thougli, unliap]nly, all in vain. 
 
 Port Royal, in later years, arose from its 
 ashes, and the llour-dc-lis, or the rod-cross, 
 lloated from its walls, according as tho 
 French or tho English were tho victors in 
 the long struggle that ensued for tlie pos- 
 se,ssion of Acadia. With tho foundation of 
 Halifax, however, Port Royal became a 
 place of little importance, and sank into 
 obscurity. Notiiing now remains to tell of 
 its former French owners. Tho scene that 
 now moet,^ tlie eye of tho tourist is very 
 diflorent from what it was in tho days of 
 
 • After the destruction of Port Royul, Hlon- 
 eourt niid a low others remained among the 
 Indians In Acadia, but we possess no accura(o 
 Information respecting his future career. He 
 is sujiposod to have died in 1623. 
 
■^[WSS^TT" 
 
 316 
 
 THE NEW DOMINION MONTHLY. 
 
 which I'Escarbot has written so pleasantly. 
 The country watered by the Annapolis and 
 its tributaries is one of the most highly 
 cultivated sections of the province of Nova 
 Scotia, and is the abode of a large popula- 
 tion, whose industry and prosperity are 
 proved by the character of their farms and 
 orchards. When we look at the beauty of 
 the scenery and the fertility of the soil, we 
 do not wonder that Poutrincourt should have 
 been so charmed with his now seigneurie, 
 and should have so reluctantly given up all 
 hope of making his home on the banks of 
 the Equille. 
 
 vnginnl. 
 
 IMPRISONED.— A CANADIAN SPRING 
 
 MELODY. 
 
 HV 11. n. M., HAMILTON, ONT. 
 
 Thou art bound with Iron, oh, river ! 
 
 Icy mall thy breast doth case; 
 Steel blue lights about thee quiver, 
 
 Frost mists shimmer o'er tliy face. 
 Tail and stark thy shores enfolding 
 
 Stand the trees, like spectres dread, 
 Thronged In serried numbers holding 
 
 Vigil o'er the silent dead. 
 
 Wintry death and silence reigning, 
 Soul and sense oppress and chill ; 
 
 (When a sound of drear complaining 
 Sudden through the scene doth thrill ; 
 Weird as music in a vl.sioii. 
 Fitful, melancholy, drear. 
 Like the wall of souls in i)rlson,— 
 So it smites the startled ear. 
 
 Dost thou marvel, listening stranger? 
 
 'TIs the sad voice of the wind. 
 Late a wild, free forest ranger, 
 
 Now in icy cell confined ; 
 By the Brigand Winter taken. 
 
 Doomed In caves submerged to roam, 
 Hapless, wailing, and forsakon- 
 
 Until Spring, deliverer, come. 
 
 Wlien he cometh— oh, the ringing ! 
 
 Crash and crack of breaking chains ! 
 Soar the winds, their glad way winglng,- 
 
 Wlld birds freed, o'er streams and plains; 
 Singing freedom songs, unsealing 
 
 O'er the world, life's frozen springs, 
 
 Bearing light and warmth and healing 
 On their soft ambrosial wings ! 
 
 Soft auspicious winds awaking 
 
 All sweet voices of the woods, 
 Out the forest tresses shaking, 
 
 Scattering wealth of bells and buds 
 Bearing joy for human bosoms,— 
 
 Unto youth, of liope ye slug. 
 Unto age— of fadeless blossoms 
 
 Of the near eternal spring. 
 
 Winds unto your sphere ascended 
 
 Paint the moral of my psalm : 
 Know I spirits hfavon-descended 
 
 Prisoned in an icy ealm— 
 Calm of death— upon their nature 
 
 Sin lialli twined bis letters dread, 
 Spreaillng blenk and wintry feature; 
 
 .loy is silent, love is Med. 
 
 From thnt frozen realm there wendoth 
 
 Ufl a wailing wild and low, 
 Not uniieanl, to heaven aseendelb 
 
 This the soul's bliml cry of woe; 
 Not unmarked Its fond deslriiigs 
 
 Mid lis chains for Ireeilom dear ; 
 Not \innoted its asiiirings 
 
 For lis radiant native sphere. 
 
 /Iraitli !>/ (foil vouchsafed from heaven 
 
 Hearing spring untotlie soul ! 
 Lo! the icy bolts are riven, 
 
 And the bursting fountains roll ! 
 Upwards on rejoicing pinions 
 
 Springs tile captive freed, to rove 
 Fartlirougli limit les.s dominions, 
 
 Spheres of liglii and warmtli and love. 
 
 Love ofOod ! oil, liigh and holy. 
 
 Sweet and pure, with joy'.s full range ; 
 Thirsting heart that lllleth wholly,- 
 
 liove that knows no end or cliangc. 
 Loveof nniii, wiiieli blessing giveth, 
 
 Scattering bounty where it goes ; 
 Scattering' sunshine, and recolveth 
 
 More of bliss than It bestows. 
 
 But of all the Joy and glory 
 
 Of those freed ones to rehearse, 
 And to tell the wondrous story 
 
 Faileth thought and faitereth verse. 
 I siiall 1)0 tlie theme cle.seribing, 
 
 When witl> Ihein Ijoln the psalm. 
 Through Eternal Courts nscribing 
 
 All the praise to Uod's dear Lamb ! 
 
 J'4,. 
 
QUI8TI0NS. 
 
 117 
 
 at farm-hoiiseH, whowe inmates were rather 
 p:ruffatthe rude awakening. About day- 
 light we reached Chaffey's, the lirst house 
 in Berkshire, Vermont, about one hundred 
 rods outside of Canada, which I entered 
 Avith the lirst feeling of security I had 
 known for some time. I was now free. 
 Hardly was I seated wiien my host brought 
 a Montreal newspaper, and, pointing to a 
 proclamation offering two thousand dollars 
 reward for my apprehension, inquired if I 
 was the man ? I told him I was, ami that 
 the information might have been valuable, 
 had he found me a few minutes earlier, — a 
 few hundred yards farther north. 
 
 The last nine days had been long, but I 
 cannot say they were unpleasant, for there 
 is cheerfulness under any circumstances, if 
 one is buoyed up with hope and determi- 
 nation. 
 
 Note. — In my Inst communication X named 
 Mr. "Charland," prICNl of St. Hcuoit. It should 
 have beau written "Chartier." 
 
 Original. 
 UU EST ION S. 
 
 IIY NORMAN BRONTE, ESQ, 
 
 A perfect winter night ! How peaceful 1 y 
 Kests on the rounded bosom of the snow, 
 The pale and coldly sympathizing moon, 
 Which, like a fair and loyiil waiting slave, 
 Devotes her beauty to set forth the Queen, 
 And breaks her splendor Into gems to deck 
 The wealthy veil which wreathes the royal 
 
 Karth. 
 So muse I, wand'rlng lone along the road 
 That runs by Melbourne's clustered cottages. 
 More lonely here than in the growling wild, 
 When coming tempests fret the chafing trees. 
 Whose marshalled Infantry awaits the trump 
 Of battle ; while the feathered, hill-born pines, 
 On picket duty on the windward brow, 
 Croon coro lacbs and snuff the coming war. 
 For here, 'oeath every roof there struggles forth. 
 Through curtains closely drawn, that cheery ray 
 Which says, " This Is a home— not thine. Here 
 
 dwell 
 " A love-bound family of thine own sort, 
 " Who know thee not; hero hearts beat time 
 
 with thine; 
 " Here thoughts that rust with thee, find voice 
 
 and annwer. 
 
 " lioth meet and kind ; here, too, perchance, 
 
 abide 
 " Hehlnd which Jealous curtain who can tell ? 
 " Ears unto which thy tuneless voice were 
 
 music; 
 " Eyes that would tune thy Joyous thought to 
 
 song; 
 " Ijii>s that would All thy soul with melody;— 
 " And yet thou art without and these within." 
 
 The curling smoke hath also words for me. 
 Which, like an airy spirit, bears to heaven 
 The Incense of the love which warms the home. 
 The eaves of graceful curve, tlietrallissed bower 
 I would myself have made, all speak to me 
 Impassioned words that make my breast to 
 
 heave. 
 Which tingle through my veins with deeper flow, 
 Tnan when Cralgneish's wild artillery 
 Breaks and hurls back the charge of Ocean's 
 
 waves, 
 And all his serried ranks of pine howl triumph ; 
 As louder spsaks the touch of one we love, 
 Than words of patriot or man of Ood ; 
 As louder than His earthquake or His whirl- 
 wind, 
 Elijah heard the still small voice of Uod. 
 
 Yea, all these well-disposed trees and shrubs. 
 With every branch up- pointing to a star. 
 And downward tdthe place man chose for them ; 
 And all the harmonies with which the moon 
 Doth play, and which her wand calls Into life. 
 Tell me these unknown people are my kin. 
 And bid me love them with a brother's love. 
 What i» it thus thuts out the joy of love f 
 To-day I called upon a former friend. 
 Who had a child, that she would have me see. 
 I had been proud myself to show those cheeks, 
 Those bright black searching eyes, though 
 
 none of mine. 
 I looked upon the baby In her cot. 
 And loved her; and she, gazing In my face, 
 Uegan to cry. What matle the baby cry f 
 
 And now I sit within the homeward car. 
 Alone amid a crowd of mine own people, 
 Whose every face Is for the most like mine. 
 Though each one bears his several mark of sin, 
 And every mind thinks thoughts like those In 
 
 me. 
 Some wiser In this thing and some In that. 
 None but hath some rich goods to Inter- 
 change;— 
 WTty tpeak I nought to them, they nought to me t 
 

 118 
 
 THE NBW DOMINION MONTHLY. 
 
 •5 H^l\ 
 
 I 
 
 V. 
 
 GENTLEMEN ADVENTURERS IN 
 ACADIA. 
 
 BY J. a. BOV'RINOT. 
 II.— CHARLKS UK LA TOUH. 
 
 Among the adventurers whose names are 
 intimately tissociated with the history of 
 early colonization in Acadia, no one occu- 
 pies a more prominent position than Charles 
 de St. Etienne, Seigneur de la Tour. His 
 perseverance and courage, amid the dilli- 
 culties that surrounded him in the Ameri- 
 can wilderness, entitle him to a place by 
 the side of the bravest pioneers of civiliza- 
 tion in the Acadian land. Like many 
 others in those days, it was the object of his 
 ambition to win for himself and family a 
 name in the new world, and how far he 
 sncceeded in it, will be seen in the course of 
 the following pages. As we review the 
 incidents of his eventful career, perhaps no 
 feature of his character will prepos.se8s us 
 more strongly in his favor than the devotion 
 -which he displayed when the most resolute 
 attempts were made to win him over lo the 
 hereditary enemy of his beloved France. 
 Looking back to the century when he lived, 
 we can see him often a wanderer with the 
 savages in the depths of the forests, — anon 
 determinedly defending the French po.sts 
 on the Atlantic coast, and on the River St. 
 John, — anon exerting all his art of diplo- 
 macy among the stern-faced Puritans of 
 Massachusetts, — anon arraying his retainers 
 and battling for his rights, like some bold 
 chief of the feudal times. In the old coun- 
 tries of Europe, such qualities as he pos- 
 sesaed must have gained him fame and 
 wealth; but his patient endeavor in tlie 
 Acadian wilderness was ill-requited. In 
 those days there was little reputation of an 
 enduring character, and but little wealth 
 to be won by the pioneer who ventured into 
 those countries, which are now the home 
 of a wealthy and enterprising people. The 
 fisherman on the banks, or the munur 
 des bois, ranging through the forest, miglit, 
 in the course of years of (oil. acquire a 
 
 I 
 
 moilest competency; but for the "gentle- 
 man a«lvenlurer," who would win an em- 
 pire for France, there was too often nothing 
 but hardship and neglect. The King and 
 ministers only saw in Anadia a befogged, 
 Hlerile country, which had neither gold nor 
 .silver mines, and would never repi^y them 
 for the expense of colonization. In the 
 course o: time, they opened their eyes to 
 the importance of the magnificent coun- 
 try watered by the St. Lawrence and the 
 great lakes ; but, with an unpardonable 
 want of foresight, they never saw till it was 
 too late that the possession of Acadia, with 
 its noble Atlantic frontage, was indispen- 
 sable to a power which vould grasp a con- 
 tinent, and perpetuate the language and 
 institutions of France in the western world. 
 Had tlie French Government energetically 
 seconded the efforts of tl ose enterprising, 
 courageous men who devoted their lives to 
 the work of reclaiming Acadia for France 
 and civilization, England could never have 
 made so easy a conquest of the northern 
 part of the oontinent. Three or four insig- 
 niftc8(ht l5rtfi, for a long time, gave the only 
 evidence of the French occupation of 
 Acadia; and it was not till far into the 
 eighteenth century that French statesmen 
 saw the mistake they had made in not 
 having taken a stronger position on the 
 Atlantic coast of New France ; and, at last, 
 built up the formidable fortress of Louis- 
 bourg, at the entrance of the Gulf of the St. 
 Lawrence. But tlxn it wsvs too late to 
 retrieve the mistakes that had been made 
 in the previous century. England had, 
 long before, seen the importance of Nova 
 Scotia; whilst the British colonies, which 
 *ere rapidly growing in wealili and popu- 
 lation, could never agree to allow the 
 French to take a firm foothold in a country 
 occupying so important a position in refer- 
 ence to the rest of the continent. 
 
 Of the boyhood of Charles de la Tour, we 
 know little or notliing. His father belonged 
 to a noble family of the Province of Cham- 
 pagne, so famous for its vine-dad hills ; but 
 to so low an ebb had his fortunes fallen by 
 the comniencement of ti.e seventeenth cen- 
 
 • JH 
 
OENTLEMEN ADVENTURERS IN ACADIA. 
 
 119 
 
 or the "geiule- 
 >1'1 win an om- 
 00 often nothing 
 The Kin<( und 
 lia a liefrtjffrecj, 
 i«ilher .roM „or 
 vor repiiy them 
 ation. In tho 
 their eyes to 
 niticent coiin- 
 rence and the 
 unpardonable 
 saw till it was 
 Acadia, with 
 was indispen- 
 
 il grasp a con- 
 language and 
 (western world, 
 energetically 
 enterprising, 
 their lives to 
 
 ia for Franco 
 
 d never have 
 the northern 
 
 or four insig- 
 
 ?ave the only 
 
 'cupation of 
 far into the 
 
 h statesmen 
 
 lade in not 
 
 ition on the 
 
 an'l, at last, 
 
 « of Louis- 
 
 ulfoftheSt. 
 
 too late to 
 heen made 
 
 Sfland had, 
 
 -0 of Nova 
 
 I't's, which 
 
 I and popu- 
 
 allow the 
 
 I a country 
 
 n in refer- 
 
 iTour, we 
 r belonged 
 ofCham- 
 *'«H» ; but 
 fallen by 
 enth ceii- 
 
 f: 
 
 ■^n 
 
 tury, that he left France with his only son, 
 Charles, then fourteen years of age, and 
 •settled at Port Royal. In the various vicis- 
 situdes of the little colony, the father and 
 son participated ; and, after it had been 
 ■ destroyed by Argall, they remained with 
 ' Biencourt, among the friendly Indians, in 
 '■ sight of the ruins of the fort. It was not 
 ' long before they regained their courage and 
 : commenced to rebuild on the site of the 
 former settlement. With tho assistance of 
 some others who came out from France, 
 they erected not only a number of buildings 
 at Port Koyal, but another fort, which they 
 called St. Louis, in the vicinity of Cape 
 Sable. Biencourt appears to have had 
 much confidence in the younger La Tour, 
 for, when he was on his death-bed, he made 
 over to him all the rights which the Pout- 
 rincourts possessed in Acadia. In order, 
 however, that he should be able to enjoy 
 this legacy, it was necessary that he should 
 receive assistance from France ; and, ac- 
 cordingly, in the summer of 1627, his 
 father went across the Atlantic with a 
 letter to Louis XIII., in which the king 
 was asked to appoint the son his lieutenant 
 over his possessions in Acadia. No doubt 
 La Tour was greatly influenced in taking 
 this step by the rumor which had come to 
 his ears that the people of New England 
 were becoming already jealous and fearful 
 of the presence of the French, and were con- 
 certing measures to drive off neighbors who 
 were likely to prove so troublesome to the 
 British colonies. 
 
 And here we must pause for a moment, 
 to survey the state of the several colonies 
 that were scattered over the continent, at 
 the time of which we are writing. The 
 colony of Virginia,— the old Dominion, — 
 was making steady progress, and growing 
 in public estimation among the English. 
 Every year witnessed a considerable infliix 
 of new settlers. All classes of the popula- 
 tion wore happy and prosperous. James- 
 town, the oldest settlement in America, 
 was rapidly increasing in size : the plan- 
 tations of tobacco that surrounded it indi- 
 cated the chief source of the wealth of the 
 
 inhabitants. In the present State of New 
 York, the Dutch had made a few settle- 
 ments, exhibiting the thrift and industry 
 of old Holland. The colony of Plymouth 
 had taken deep root, and was sending out 
 its branches in all directions. Boston was 
 already becoming the chief town of New 
 England : it " was thought, by general 
 consent, to be the fittest place for public 
 meetings of any place in the bay." The 
 dwellings of the citizens were, however, 
 yet of the rudest description : the first 
 meeting house had only mud walls and a 
 thatched roof. The spirit of commercial 
 enterprise was exhibited in tho establish- 
 ment of trading-houses on the Penobscot 
 and Kennebec to the northeast, and on the 
 Connecticut to the south-west. On all sides, 
 even in these days, all classes of the people 
 showed that indomitable spirit of indepen- 
 dence, and that ardent desire for self-govern- 
 ment, which led to such important results 
 in another century. 
 
 Throughout the wide extent of territory 
 now known as British America, the French 
 had only a few insignificant posts. Quebec 
 had been founded, during the first decade 
 of tiie century, by the adventurous, saga- 
 cious Champlain ; but it was still a place 
 of exceedingly limited dimensions. Twenty 
 years had passed since its foundation, and 
 yet itstotal population did notexceed 105per- 
 sons, — men, women, and children, — nearly 
 all of whom were dependent on supplies 
 brought out from France. The chief trad- 
 ing-places, besides Quebec, were Trois 
 Rivieres, the Rapids of St. Louis, and, above 
 all, Tadousac, where the ships from France 
 generally came to an anchorage, and met 
 the batteaux and small craft used for the 
 purpose of transporting the cargoes to 
 Quebec* Of the state of things in Acadia, 
 we have already written, — the fort at Cape 
 Sable, and a few Frenchmen at Port Royal, 
 or on the sea coast, were the only evidences 
 of French colonization in that country. 
 
 Such, briefly, was the condition of the 
 settlements in America at the commenoe- 
 
 • I'lirkman'B Pioneers of France In the New 
 World. 
 
120 
 
 HE NEW DOMINION MONTHLY. 
 
 n^ent of the perio.1 during which occurred j pany. which comprised a hundred associate 
 The events we are about to relate. Behind amon« whom wore nuvny men ot rank and 
 these adventurous Kcttlers was the illimit- 
 able forest, with its liordes of wild Indians ; 
 before them was a wide waste of waters 
 
 preat wealth. When we read their patent, 
 we cannot but wonder at the audacity witli 
 which the European Princes of those day> 
 
 only whitened at distant intervals of time I could divide a whole continent a.no.iR the.r 
 oniywumui..v I .,:.... . ,,yj ii^py yf^jc to hnd that 
 
 IS'ew 
 France wasileclared to extend from Floritlii 
 to the Arctic Circle, and from Newfound- 
 land to the headwaters of the St. Lawrence 
 and itx tril)utaries. The company received 
 
 by the sails of some lisherman, trader, or subjecU ; but they were to . 
 
 bold aclventurer. As we glance back to "/V,„».«,. }»■.,„..■ .t lM,u ,,.sp,.e. 
 
 those times, we see that the elements of very 
 
 many years of strife on this continent were 
 
 being formed in the foundation of colonies 
 
 composed of two antagonistic races. But , , . , ■ 
 
 we can also see in the little sotllements } a perpetual monopoly of llie lur-trade,an.l 
 
 scattered over this continent, the germs of certain other commercial privileges waich 
 
 future empires :- were to last for fifteen years 
 
 "The rudiments of empire here 
 
 Are phistlp, still, iiml warm; 
 The chaos of ii mlshty world 
 
 Is rounding into form." 
 
 Tlie trade ot 
 the colony was declared free, for tlie same 
 period, from all duties. The company 
 bought a number of ships, and tlie kim: 
 himself, to give additional i>roof of hi> 
 Whilst the elder La Tour was absent in i interest in the enterprise, presented them 
 France pleading his son's cause, the alten- 1 with two men-of-war, fully equipped. In 
 tion of the English was being directed to | return for the concessions they received, 
 the fact that the French were attempting | they were bound to send out a specified 
 
 to establish themselves in the New World. 
 Sir William Alexander, afterwards the 
 Earl of Stirling, had received from James 
 I. a grant of Acadia, which he proposed to 
 colonize, and named Nova Scotia. When 
 Charles I. ascended the throne he renewed 
 the grant, and also created an order of 150 
 men who were to be called Baronets of 
 Nova Scotia, provided ihey contributed to 
 the aid of the settlement of the country. 
 Sir William Alexander, however, does not 
 appear to have succeeded in making any 
 settlement in Nova Scotia, or to have taken 
 any decided steps to drive out the French 
 from the country, until about the time 
 Claude dc la Tour was engaged in obtain- 
 ing assistance for his son. 
 
 Claude de la Tour arrived at an oppor- 
 tune time in France, and met with an 
 amount of success that he could hardly have 
 anticipated when he left the shores of 
 Acadia. Cardinal Richelieu had com- 
 menced to take considerable interest in the 
 colonization of America, and a company 
 had been formed, with the title of the 
 " Company of New France." The eminent. 
 
 number of artisans and other emigrants in 
 the course of several years. The very terms 
 of the agreement showed the bigotry of the 
 age. for the colonists had to be all of the 
 Koma.. Catholic religion. In the month of 
 April, 1628, four armed vessels and a num- 
 ber of transports, containing emigrants and 
 supplies for the relief of (Quebec and Port 
 Royal, sailed from the port of Dieppe, and 
 among the passengers was Claude de la 
 Tour, no doubt elated at the tiuccess that 
 had so far attended his mission. 
 
 But an adverse fate seemed to dog the 
 footsteps of the men who were laboring to 
 establish a French colony in Acadia. About 
 the same time that the French lleet left 
 Dieppe, the English were preparing for an 
 attack on the settlements of France in the 
 New World. The citizens of Rochelle had 
 defied the king, the Hu;](uenot8 were every- 
 where in arms, and Richelieu was resolved 
 on crushing them. When Charles of Eng- 
 land declared himself on the side of the 
 French Protestants, many of the Calvanists 
 took arms in his service, and among the 
 umber was David Kirk or Kertk, a native 
 
 11.- 
 
 in 
 
 ithe 
 
 statesman was himuelf the head of the com- 1 ol Dieppe, who had been expelled from 
 
GENTLEMEN AEVENTUttERS IN ACADIA. 
 
 121 
 
 assoeiaiiv., 
 '*' >"!ink ami 
 '«'>'• patent, 
 "■•^'ly Willi 
 tliose (lays 
 
 l'"'l thai 
 New 
 I" Floridji 
 «^wibmi,i. 
 iiwroiice 
 received 
 a<Io, and 
 r«N whicli 
 ' trade ol 
 tlie same 
 pomjiaiiy 
 
 tl»e ki|l;r 
 
 i' of hi.s 
 e<l them 
 ned. In 
 
 eceived, 
 ipecified 
 rraiits in 
 ■y terms 
 y of tlie 
 1 of the 
 lonth of 
 a num- 
 its and 
 iJ Port 
 'P, and 
 de 1;, 
 s that 
 
 France ■with liis two brothers. With the 
 assistance of Sir W. Alexander and others 
 in England, ho fitted oui an armament with 
 the object of driving out the French from 
 Acadia, and other "^rts of the New World, 
 •where they were MHing to make a foot- 
 
 ■ inpr. He succeedec^ apturing Port Royal, 
 ■only defended by a handful of Frenchmen ; 
 and, it is said, he left several Scotch 
 families at that place, as a nucleus of the 
 colony which Sir W. Alexander proposed 
 to establish. Kirk then sailed for liuebee, 
 where Champlain was anxiously expecting 
 assistance from France ; and, on the way, 
 met with the French fleet, under the com- 
 mand of Koguemont. A few weeks after 
 the capture of the fleet. Kirk took the 
 capital of Canada. 
 
 Claude de la Tour was sent to England 
 along with the other prisoners, and as he 
 was a Protestant he was well received. It 
 was not long before he married one of the 
 C^ueen's maids of honor, and pledged him- 
 self to the service of the king. Both he 
 and his son were named Baronets of Nova 
 Scotia, and the elder La Tour asireed to 
 return to Acadia for the purpose of persuad- 
 ing his son to accept the honors which the 
 King of England was desirous of conferring 
 upon him. 
 
 In the meantime, Charles de la Tour was 
 doing his best to strengthen himself in his 
 little fort, and anxiously looking for assist- 
 ance from across the ocean. When the 
 news reached him of the capture of the 
 transports which were intended to relieve 
 him, he might well have despaired of his 
 ability to hold the country ; but he was not 
 the man to be daunted by any difliculties 
 however great. Suddenly, two English 
 ships appeared off the fort, and his father 
 presented himself as an envoy from Eng- 
 land. Every argument that the elder La 
 Tour could invent (the king appears to have 
 given him carte blanche), was used to wile 
 the son from his fealty to France ; but no fact 
 shows more clearly the nobility of the younger 
 man's character than the firm resistance 
 he made to the persuasions of one to whom 
 he was bound by the ties of filial affection. 
 
 When Claude de la Tour returned from 
 his fruitless mission, the British ships at- 
 tempted to take the fort by force of arms ; 
 l)ut they met with so much resistance that 
 they abandoned the siege. Unwilling to 
 return to England under these circum- 
 stances, the elder La Tour was forced to 
 throw himself oi his son's clemency, and 
 was eventually allowed to live in the vici- 
 nity of the fort, where he and his wife 
 were provided with a comfortable residence. 
 Soon after the occurrence of these events, a 
 vessel belonging to the new Company 
 arrived with supplies, and a letter from a 
 prominent associate holding out much en- 
 couragemevt for the future. At this time 
 there wer3 several Scots and other 
 British subjects at Port Royal, who had 
 formed the resolution of surprising and 
 attacking Port Louis ; but the design ap- 
 pears to have been frustrated through the 
 elder La Tour, who was now quite desirous 
 of keeping the English out of the country. 
 When reinforcements had arrived from 
 France, it was decided to build a new fort 
 on the river St. John, which would answer 
 the double purpose of strengthening the 
 French in Acadia, and driving the British 
 out of Port Royal. Whilst this work was 
 in course of construction, another vessel 
 arrived from France with the welcome 
 news that the loyalty of Charles de la Tour 
 was appreciated by the King, who had 
 appointed him as Lieutenant-General over 
 Acadia, Fort Louis, Port la Tour, and de- 
 pendencies. 
 
 Whilst Charles de la Tour was becoming 
 more confident that he would be able to 
 establish himself in Acadia, matters were 
 taking a turn somewhat adverse to the 
 interests of the bold adventurer. By the 
 Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye, signed 
 in the month of March, 1632, the 
 French regained their possessions in 
 America, and were able to pay more atten- 
 tion to the work of colonization. Richelieu 
 sent out an expedition to take formal pos- 
 session of New France, and gave its com- 
 mand to Isaac de Bi'ili, a Knight of Malta, 
 and a relative of h.j own, who had distin- 
 
122 
 
 THE NEW DOMINION MONTHLY. 
 
 guished himHell at Roehelle. It wiih but 
 tl 16 to Cliarlos tie St. Etiomio that he nhonl('. 
 have been appointed to the cniof command 
 in Acadia ; but, unfortunately for him, he 
 had little influence at the Court. I)e Razili 
 was appointed Governor-in-Chief of the 
 French colonies, and under him were |>laced 
 Charles de la Tour and Charles de Menou, 
 otherwise the Chevalier d'Aulnay Char- 
 nisay.* All Acadia was divided between 
 these three gentlemen. Besides a consider- 
 able grant of land in the peninsula of Nova 
 Scotia, La Tour succeeded in obtaining 
 letters-patent from the French King, re- 
 cognizing the validity of the concessions 
 on the St. John, which had been originally 
 given to his father by Charles I. of Eng- 
 land. 
 
 The younger La Tour's fortunes were 
 apparently flourishing, and might have 
 continued to prosper, had not the death of 
 Do Razili been followed by dissensions in 
 the colony. By the decease of the chief, 
 all his property fell to his brother, Claude 
 de Razili, who subsequently made it over 
 to M. d' Aulnay, who was one of the Lieu- 
 tenant-Govcnors of the colony. Then occur- 
 red disputes with La Tour, who looked 
 upon D'Aulnay as his rival. Of the exact 
 causes of the di.spute, in the first instance, 
 we have only very confused accounts ; but 
 it is easy to see that diificulties were likely 
 to arise in a country where there was no 
 central authority to decide between dispu- 
 tants, and where the rights of the respective 
 seigneurs were very imperfectly defined. 
 D'Aulnay, however, had a great advan- 
 tage over his opponent, for he had powerful 
 influence at the French Court, whereas La 
 Tour was comparatively unknown, and 
 regarded with some suspicion on account of 
 his Huguenot education. 
 
 The French Government attempted, at 
 first, to decide between the claimants, and 
 
 • Both Garneau und Hallburton f.Ul Into the 
 error of menUonlng M. Denys, instead of 
 
 '^.nf^'ifT"""^'''*' Lieutenants under M. de 
 Kazll M. Denys held no such position until 
 after the death of the Governor, when he was 
 given large rights In the eastern part of Tl^ 
 province, and in Cape Breton. 
 
 to settle tiie dispute; but it was not long 
 l)efore D'Aulnay made his influence predo- 
 minant, and ol)tained an order to seize the 
 person of his rival. La Tour refused to 
 obey the warrant for his arrest, on the 
 ground that it had been ol)taiiied by fals" 
 representations, and retired to his fort, 
 wliere with his retainers, largely made ui> 
 of Indians, he set D'Aulnay at di-fiance. 
 The latter did not fail to make these fuet« 
 known at Court, and the result wius that 
 orders came out autliorizing him to seize tiie 
 forts and property held by La Tour. In 
 this emergency La Tour resolved to obtain 
 assistance from Boston, with which place 
 he had considerable dealings since his resi- 
 dence in Acadia. 
 
 La Tour appears to have fully appre- 
 ciated the commercial enterprise of his neigh- 
 bors, and to have concluded that the best 
 way to obtain their sympathy and aid was 
 by appealing to their pockets ; for he first 
 approached them with a i)ropo8ition for free 
 trade between 'the New England and Aca- 
 dian porte. The New Englanders gladly 
 accepted the commercial arrangements ; 
 but when La Tour asked for assistance 
 against his rival, they hesitated, and finally 
 refused. Matters soon began to look very 
 gloomy for the adventurer, for he wa« 
 blockaded by D'Aulnay at St. John for some 
 weeks, and there was every probability of 
 his being forced to surrender to his rival ; 
 but fortune favored him, and enabled him to 
 escape at night, and find his way to Boston. 
 Considerable sympathy \^ ffiUjor La Tour, 
 especially as he was bem^lJU be still a 
 Huguenot ; but nevertheless the New Eng- 
 landers hesiUted to meddle in the quarrel 
 with D'Aufnay. The desire to encourage 
 one who premised to become a good customer 
 of their own, however, finally prevailed 
 over their scruples, and th j 'cute Puritans 
 decided that though the colony could noi 
 directly contribute assistance, yet it was 
 lawful for the private citizens to charter 
 their vessels, and ofl-er their services as 
 volunteers in aid of La Tour. No doubt 
 the colonists were very desirous of punish- 
 ing D'Aulnay for the injury he ha<l done 
 
 Ithel 
 
 ]r»J 
 
 Scha 
 
 ;v an< 
 
 ^if.ca, 
 
 ':}-{Y^ 
 
 "tlH 
 
 %oi 
 
 M'^"' 
 
 J| ]>a' 
 
 ■^ ow 
 
 ;S pre 
 
 '!■ ^^ 
 
 ^ ^'^ 
 
 m ^^' 
 
 ''8 ai 
 
 'H >i» 
 
them a few years previously. Wl'cn De 
 Kazili was still alive, D'Aulnay was in 
 charge of the diviHion west of the St. Croix, 
 ?Jand (luring the month of August, 1632, he 
 1^ came hv sea to the Plymouth House on the 
 ifjJl'cnobscot (I'entapoit), helped himself to 
 the goods there deposited, with a promise 
 of future payment at his own valuation, 
 warned off the Plymouth traders as tres- 
 passers, and occui>icd tiieir house for his 
 own residence. The intelligence of this 
 proceeding, saysaNew England historian,* 
 naturally ocoa..40ned great exasperation at 
 Plymouth. The Magistrates in vain soli- 
 cited the Government of Massachusetts for 
 aid to recapture the fort ; the Bay Exche- 
 (luer was too empty. The most they could 
 obtain was permission to engage at their 
 own cost one Girling, master of a ship then 
 lying at Boston, to undertake the conquest. 
 The enterprise miscarried through his lack 
 of competency, which he refused to have 
 supplied by the superior courage and 
 energy of Standish, who had been sent 
 along with him. It had cost too much to 
 be renewed, and the Penobscot remained 
 for some time in unfriendly hands. 
 
 The Massachusetts merchants, under 
 these circumstances, providetl La Tour 
 with four staunch vessels and 70 men ; and 
 a few weeks after they sailed from Boston, 
 —in the middle of August, 1642,— they 
 came to an engagement with D'Aulnay, 
 who was worsted, and forced to retire. 
 Whilst La Tour was strengthening himself 
 once more in Acadia, D'Aulnay went to 
 France, where he made strong representa- 
 tions respecting the conduct of his rival. 
 During his absence, his fort on the Penob- 
 scot was destroyed by La Tour, and his pro- 
 perty carried off. 
 
 From his wife, then in London, La Tour 
 received the unwelcome news that his 
 opponent was on his return to Acadia with 
 an overwhelming force ; and, therefore, he 
 presented himself again in Boston with an 
 appeal for further assistance. On this 
 occasion he brought forward evidence in 
 
 • John Oorham Palfrey. 
 
 OENTLEMIN ADVENTURERS IN ACADIA. ^\, tf-t/T^^' ^23 
 support of his clattni which had consider 
 
 able weiglit with the Puritans. He adduced 
 proof, says Winthrop, that the place where 
 the fort was built hiul been purchased by 
 his father from Sir William Alexander, 
 and that he had a free grant of that part 
 of New Scotland under the great seal of 
 Scotland. When this fact became known 
 to them, the Boston Magistrates seriously 
 reflected whether it was not their duty to 
 grant him still further aid, "both in point 
 of charity as a distressed neighbor, and also 
 in point of prudence, as thereby to root out 
 or at least weaken an enemy, or a danger- 
 ous neighbor." Several meetintrs were 
 held before any decision was arrived at. 
 Their records afibrd a very curious insight 
 into tlie character of the Puritan rulers. 
 At one of the meetings the Governor put 
 the case this way : — 
 
 " 1. Wliether it was lawful for true 
 Christians to aid an Anti-Christian ? (for La 
 Tour had professed himself a Catholic some 
 time previously.) 
 
 " 2. Whether it was safe for us in point 
 of prudence ?" 
 
 It was finally resolved that the Council 
 should do nothing more for the present than 
 remonstrate with D'Aulnay, and demand 
 satisfaction from him for his hostile be- 
 haviour and language, and the malpractices 
 of his oflicers towards Massachusetts and her 
 confederate States ; but at the f;ame time 
 they announced their intention of continu- 
 ing their commercial arrangements with 
 La Tour. The latter was treated with the 
 most punctilious courtesy when he left the 
 town. He was escorted to the wharf by 
 the Deputy-Governor and the train bands, 
 and as he sailed out of the port the Boston 
 ships saluted him with three "eces. No 
 doubt he would have cheerfully dispensed 
 with these honors in exchange for two or 
 three vessels. 
 
 Now La Tour's wife appears for the first 
 time on the scone. This lady proved her- 
 .self throughout a fit helpmate for her hus- 
 band, since she exhibited an amount of 
 courage and determination not often found 
 in her sex. She had gone to England some 
 
124 
 
 THE NEW DOMINION MONTHLY. 
 
 h 1 
 
 lime in the year IfiM, to week somf assist- 1 numlter of his men, and was oIjUroiI io 
 auce lor La Tour, and when she ha.l fnl- 1 retire witli his ship exceedinKly aanuiR.'.! 
 filled her mission,— slie met with little On \m return home he took off the Now 
 oncoura<fempnt, it sopms,— slio took passapre ! Ennlanders from the island where thoy li;i<l 
 on a vessel lielonjriufj to Boston ; but the { hecii exposed, and sulmequently sent th.'iii 
 master, instead of taking her to .St. John I to Boston, where their story created a deep 
 within a specified time, spent nearly six feelinp of indijjrnation a<iainst the treaeher- 
 months in tradiuft on the St. Lawrence, ous and cruel Frenchman. IVAulnay wii^ 
 and then carried her to Miussaehusetts. On evidently delermineil at this time to carry 
 
 i 
 
 her arrival at Boston, she i)roujfht an action 
 
 matters with a hi<'h hand, for he refused to 
 
 against the master and consignee of tlui ! ratify tlie agreement maile by his messeii- 
 
 vessel, and after a full hearing of the cause, 
 the Court gave her a verdict of .€2,000. 
 After considerable difficulty, she succeeded 
 in obtaining a large portion of this sum, 
 with which she hired three veasels, and 
 then sailed to rejoin her husband on the St. 
 John. But before she had left the colony 
 she had learned that her husband could not 
 r«ily any further on the friendship of the 
 people of Massachussetts. A few days after 
 Madame La Tour arrived in Boston, an 
 envoy from D'Aulnay presented himself to 
 the Mas-sachussetts Council. lie remon- 
 strated against the course pursued in refer- 
 ence to La Tour, and proffered terms of 
 peace and amity. The Council, after some 
 consideration, agreed to a treaty of peace 
 with Charnisay's agent, but it was not rati- 
 fied by his principal until some time after- 
 wards. 
 
 La Tour's prospects now appeared exceed- 
 ingly gloomy, and his rival's star was 
 clearly in the ascendant. Encouraged by 
 the success of his envoy, D'Aulnay prepared 
 to attack La Tour in the spring of 1645. 
 On the way he met with a New England 
 vessel carrying supplies to his enemy, and 
 after he had seizeil her, he turned all the 
 crew upon a desolate island, where they 
 had great difficulty in preserving their lives, 
 for the season was very inclement, and they 
 had only a portion of their clothes allowed 
 them by their captors. D'Aulnay soon 
 found himself off the fort, which he expected 
 would soon fall into his hands, as La Tour 
 himself was absent at the time ; but he cal- 
 culated wrongly. Madame la Tour rallied 
 the defenders, and conducted the defence 
 80 energetically that D'Aulnay lost a large 
 
 ger Marie : but, a few months later, he re- 
 considered the matter, and came to teriu'^ 
 with the British colonies. Tliese term- 
 were afterwards ratified by the Conimih 
 sioners of the Confederate colonies of Mas- 
 saehusett-s, Connecticut, New Haven, ami 
 I'lymouth. 
 
 Having succeeded in ensuring the neu- 
 trality of tlie New Englanders, D'Aulnay 
 once more turned his attention towards the 
 fort still occupied by La Tour. The latter, 
 in the spring of 1647, again left his fort in 
 charge of his wife, whilst he went away on 
 a trading voyage or forsupplies. D'Aulnay, 
 always watcliing for his opportunity, imme 
 diately laid siege to the fort, and was again 
 met with the most determined resistance ol 
 the garrison, nerved and stimulated by the 
 voiee and example of the heroic lady, who 
 was present at every vulnerable point. Tlie 
 besiegers were on the point of giving up the 
 contest, when a traitor within the walls 
 — one of those mercenary Swii'S who have 
 been ever ready to sell themselves to the 
 highest bidder, — gave them information 
 which determined them to renew the 
 assault. D'Aulnay and his men again 
 attempted to scale the walls, but were 
 forced to retire with a considerable lo.ss. 
 Unable to accomplish his. object by force of 
 arms, D'Aulnay had recourse to an infamous 
 stratagem : he offered fair terms if the gar- 
 rison would capitulate. Madame La Tour, 
 anxious to spare the lives of her brave gar- 
 rison, which was rapidly thinning, agreed 
 to the proposal, and surrendered the fort ; 
 but the sequel proved the falsehood and 
 treachery of D'Aulnay, and gives us addi- 
 tional reason to sympathize with La Tour 
 
GENTLEMEN APVENTURERS IN ACADIA. 
 
 125 
 
 •laniasred. 
 the New 
 ">oy lijKl 
 ••lit tluMll 
 It'll a (li'ep 
 treai'luT- 
 J'lajr ^v;^^ 
 to L'arry 
 e'li.sed (0 
 iiipssf'n- 
 r, ]i(> r<>- 
 to term*^ 
 fi*' tPriiis 
 Coiiiiaih 
 s of Ma.s- 
 ^■f", ami 
 
 in this contest for the mastery of Acatlia. 
 Instead of fultillinjr his pledfte like an 
 honorable man, he hanged all tlie defenders 
 with the exception of one person, whose 
 life was spared on his consenting to act as 
 executioner. Even at that moment his 
 liard, false heart could not feel pity for the 
 unfortunate lady, who had been so credulous 
 as to believe in his plighted word, for he 
 forced her to stand by, with a rope round 
 her nock, and witness the murder, — for it 
 was nothing elae under the circumstances, 
 — of the brave men who had so nobly 
 assisted her in defending her husband's 
 rights. This terrible tragedy so preyed on 
 the poor lady's mind, — already wrecked by 
 the excitement and trials she had undergone 
 for many months, — that she became almost 
 insane, and died a few weeks after the 
 occurrence of these events we have narrated. 
 Madame La Tour appears to have been 
 naturally of a loving, gentle disposition ; 
 beneath her quiet exterior was the spirit of 
 that Spanish maid whose name must ever 
 live in the annals of her coontry.* 
 
 Bereft of wife and estate. La Tour gave 
 up the unequal contest for the present. lie 
 went to Boston, and subsequently to New- 
 foundland, where Sir David Kirk was the 
 governor at that time ; but in neither place 
 could he obtain the assistance he needed, 
 ile then resolved on a trading voyage, and 
 after some delay obtained a vessel and 
 freight through the means of Major Gibbons, 
 a Boston merchant, with whom he had had 
 considerable dealings since his residence 
 in Acadia. One account of this voyage re- 
 presents him as having acted dishonorably 
 towards his creditors ; but the writer ap- 
 pears to have been misled by the reports of 
 prejudiced witnesses, and we are unwilling 
 to believe, that a man who had previously 
 given evidence of the possession of so many 
 
 • The wives of the French commanders, in 
 America, seem to have been very often women 
 of more than ordinary streuKth of character, 
 Wiien Louisburg was attacked by the Brltisli 
 for tlio second time. In the year 1758, Madame 
 (ie Drucour, lady of the governor, flrod a cannon 
 with her own hands, and did all she could to 
 animate the soldiery. 
 
 manly qualities wouhl have descended to 
 the level of a mere trickster. 
 
 La Tour, in the year 1648, presented 
 himself at Quebec, where ho was received 
 with the most gratifying demonstrations 
 of respect by his countrymen, who admired 
 the heroic fortitude he had displayed in the 
 Acadian struggle. Of his history for some 
 years wo are comparatively in the dark. 
 It is stated that he visited the regions of 
 Hudson's Bay, as a fur trader, and met with 
 considerable success. In the meantime, 
 however, his rival, D'Aulnp-y,* died, leav- 
 ing a widow and several children ; and as 
 soon as La Tour ascertained this fact, he 
 went to France, where he met with a most 
 satisfactory reception. The French Govern- 
 ment acknowledged the injustice with 
 which it had treated him in the past, and 
 appointed him Governor and Lieutenant- 
 General of Acadia, with enlarged privileges 
 and powers. The next step he took was 
 also calculated lo strengthen his position, 
 and that was his marriage with D'Aulnay's 
 widow, Jeanne de Molin, some time in the 
 latter part of February, 1663. This was 
 clearly a manage de convenance on both sides, 
 but it was the best means that could be 
 devised lo save Acadia from becoming once 
 more the scene of discord and strife ; for 
 the widow of the deceased D'Aulnay had 
 many powerful friends in France, who 
 weie quite ready to assist her in sustaining 
 all her rights in the new world. Peace 
 then reigned for some months in Acadia, — 
 many new settlers came into the country, 
 the forts were strenpthened, and the people 
 were hoping for an era of tranquility and 
 prosperity. But there was to be no peace 
 or rest for the French in Acadia. 
 
 As the number of the French increased, 
 the jealousy of the British colonies in New 
 England was excited, until at last they 
 ordered that any one who carried provisions 
 to the Acadian settlements, should for- 
 feit both vessel and cargo. La Tour, ever 
 
 • IJoth Garneau and Ferland agree in repre- 
 senting D'.\ulnay as a rapacioiis, grasping 
 tyrant, who did everything he could to prevent 
 any extensive settlement in the province. 
 
126 
 
 TUB NIW DOMINION MONTHLY. 
 
 anxionH to propiliftto hiw neiRhbors, knowing 
 how necessary it was to rotiiiii their frieml- 
 
 heheaded, and Cromwell become Lonl-Pro- 
 lector of the commonwealth. In the eounw 
 
 ship, approached them with amicable over- ! of 1653 very strong reprcsenUtions had been 
 
 tur>'J, and finally succeeded in obtaining a 
 pa-tial revocation of the obnoxious order. 
 But other dangers and difliculties soon pre- 
 sented themselves. 
 
 It would ajipear, a** fur as we can judse 
 from" the aullinrities at hand, that La Tour 
 had still mimv enemies in France, wlio 
 
 made to the Protector by the Now Ennlanl 
 colonics, resjiectinjr the movements of tlip 
 French in America, and the necessity ol 
 immediate steps bcinj? taken to reduce Iho 
 country to the dominion of (rreat Britain 
 Peace then nominally prevailed belween 
 the two countries, but we liave seen in the 
 
 were indn.siriou-ily cnjiairod in working his j case of Argall that such a fact made little 
 
 ruin. Amon<f liic numl)er must be placed 
 
 one La Borj^ne, a creditor of D'Aulnay, 
 
 who had been deeply incensed at the mar- 
 riage of the widow with La Tour. He 
 
 determined on making an effort, not only to 
 
 obtain possession of Charnisay's property, 
 
 but to usurp the position he had held in 
 
 Acadia. A man of large wealth, he had 
 
 no difficulty in engaging the services of a 
 
 large force, with which he sailed to America 
 some time during the year 1654, and imme- 
 diately commenced operations against M. 
 Denys, who had been in the country ever 
 since he accompanied De Razili to Acadia 
 in 1632. lie had been industriou.sly engaged 
 in trade, at different places on the eastern 
 coast of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton (Isle 
 Royale). At the tinie of La Borgne's expe- 
 dition "he was on a visit to his post at St. 
 Anne's (Port Dauphin) on the island, but 
 
 difference in America— that there matters 
 were carried with a high hand, and with- 
 out reference to international obligations 
 A fleet, which had been sent out by Crom- 
 well, to operate against the Dutch colony 
 of Manhattan, arrived at Boston in June, 
 1654, but the news came a few days 
 afterwards, that peace had been proclaimed 
 belween England and Holland. Thereupon 
 the fleet was secretly directed against the 
 French in Acadia ; and as La Tour was not 
 in a position to make any resistance, he 
 soon capitulated. A few weeks later all 
 Acadia was in the hands of the English. 
 
 We have now very little to add to this 
 historical sketch. Both La Borgne and 
 Denys were almost ruined by 4he events 
 1 that followed the fall of Acadia, and obliged 
 to retire for a time from the country ; but 
 La Tour appears lo have been more forlu- 
 
 before he could make any preparations for ' nate than the rest of his countrymen. He 
 
 his defence he was surprised, and sent a 
 prisoner to Port lloyal, where his enemy 
 
 was now far advanced in years, and unable 
 to resist the evil destiny that seemed to 
 
 already held possession. M. Denys appears follow all the efforts of 7rance to establish 
 to have been treated with great harshness } herself in Nova Scotia. He saw the folly 
 
 by his captor ; but after some months' im- 
 prisonment he was allowed his liberty, and 
 enabled to go to France, where he laid his 
 case before the King, and succeeded in 
 obtaining a recognition of his rights in 
 Acadia.* 
 
 Whilst La Borgne was preparing lo attack 
 la, 'Tour, another parly appeared on the 
 scene of action. By this time the civil 
 war had been fought in England, the king 
 
 •It was from Nicolas Denys, Sleurde Fronsac, 
 that the Strait of Canso received Its former 
 name of Fronsac. He was of a very enterpris- 
 ing character. 
 
 of resisting the English, and bowed to the 
 inevitable logic of events. No doubt the 
 injuries he had received from bis own coun- 
 trymen, together with the apathy which 
 the French Government displayed in the 
 affairs of Acadia, induced him to place him- 
 self under the protection of the English. 
 The representations he made to the Protec- 
 tor met with a favorable response, and 
 obtained for him letters patent, dated Aug. 
 9, 1656, granting to him. Sir Charles La 
 Tour, in conjunction with Sir Thomas 
 Temple, and William Crowne, the whole 
 territory of Acadia— the mines and mine- 
 
 |icn.i 
 
 I'll 
 irll 
 
 tbl 
 bpciJ 
 kblid 
 
LAIIAVE. 
 
 127 
 
 hoin;? alone n'Morvcd lor tlii* uhp oI" the ' 
 
 ivprnmont. Sir ThomaH Toiiiple Huhsp- 
 
 icnlly bought up La Tout'h nliaro, ami 
 
 ried on the tmheriofi, tlie fur Irado, and 
 
 t>r undertakinKH, willi (•onsidorablo huc- 
 
 ». Acadia rt-inainod in tlio handH of 
 
 rrland until the treaty of Breda, whioli 
 
 concluded in the July of \H(i7, between 
 
 rlen II, of P^ngland, and LouiH XIV, of 
 
 nco. 
 
 (' iiave no details of the life of Charles 
 la Tour after Sir Thomas Temple entered 
 the possession of Acadia. lie does not 
 ipear to have taken any active part in 
 blic affairs, or in commercial enler- 
 ses ; but to have passed the remainder of 
 life quietly in the country in which he 
 [1 suffered so many misfortunes, and led so 
 'entfnl a career, lie is believed to have 
 id sometime in the year Hifili, al tlie ripe 
 t||e of 74. lie left several descendanti-, 
 Mt none of them played an important part 
 ill the future of Acadia, althoufili their 
 names are frefjuently mentioned in the 
 lory of the times in whicii tliey lived.* 
 La Tour's name still clings to a little 
 rbour, in the vicinity of Cai)e .Sable, and 
 is even yet possible to trace tlie position 
 the fort in which he resisted the f^nglish 
 successfully in H)30, when they came, 
 iuider the directions of his father, to seduce 
 l|^i from his allegiance to France. The 
 
 fOry of his tnetnorable career, however, is 
 ttle known, except to a few students of 
 tile historic past of Acadia. His life, we 
 have seen, presents a strange contrast of 
 light and shadow. Time and again he has 
 apiiarently overcome his diflicultics, when 
 suddenly misfortune overtakes him, and 
 he, once more, is a wanderer and an exile. 
 No obstacles, however, appear to have ever 
 
 • Diirmg the year 18S6— when a census was 
 Itiikun by M. de Meulles— there was living at 
 Iport Royal, Marie tie St. Etlenne, wife of le 
 |8ieur Alexandre le Borgne, the eldest of tha Ave 
 |ohlldren of La Tour, by Madame D'Aulnay. At 
 I Cape Sable, Juciiues La Tou-, Sleur de Etlenne, 
 I born In 1661; and Charles La Tour, born in 1U65. 
 I At St. John, .feanne La Tour, the wife of a gen- 
 Itleman, named Martin d'Aprendlstlgue, and 
 ■ supposed to be the daughter of Im Tour by his 
 Iflrst wife.— JIfurdoc/i, Vol. I, pp. WH, 170, SOI el seq. 
 
 daunted him — on the contrary, they only 
 stimulated him to renewed exertions. In 
 the pea(!eful close of his career he was more 
 lortunate than the lion-hearted Poutrin- 
 court, for he at least liad the consolation of 
 dying where ho could see the foam-Aecked 
 W'lters that bathed the shores of Acadia, 
 anil could breathe the aromatic fragrance 
 of the lir forests that then stretched far and 
 wide. Poutrincourt had not even the poor 
 reward of having his name perpetuated on 
 some headland or bay of the country, where 
 he laboured so earnestly to found a state in 
 the closest connection with France. 
 
 Orioinal. 
 LAIIAVE. 
 
 IIV W. ARTmiK CAI.NKK, AN.SAPOLIH, M.S. 
 
 In the forest, on the mountains, 
 Welling up In Joyous fountiilns, 
 
 From the water-crypts below, 
 Whore a Naliul nymph enfiirces 
 Fresh supplies to fill the sources, 
 
 Whence thy silver waters flow ; 
 Lo! from thence unto the valley,— 
 Where a thousand stroumlets rally 
 
 To lncrea.se thy laughing wave,— 
 Comesi thou the vale adorning, 
 Charm of ev'nlng, grace of mt.. ruing, 
 
 Uontle river, () LaHavi>. 
 
 Onward, onward, and forever. 
 Halting, hesitating never. 
 
 In thy progress to the sea ; 
 And the festoons, and the arches. 
 Formed by elm-trees and by larches, 
 
 Sylvan passaae give to thee. 
 And the wild flowers, as In duty. 
 Clothe thy pathway with their beauty,— 
 
 All the beauty thou could'st crave,— 
 And with odorous balm, the essence 
 Of their charming eftlorescense, 
 
 liatho thy bosom, O LaHave. 
 
 Over rocks, upon whose shoulders 
 Stand miijcstlc whlnstone boulders, 
 
 Rolls thy current evermore ; 
 And the clay-slates acd micaceous. 
 To its ceaseless lavlngs gracious. 
 
 Bare tbelr quartz- veins on thy shore;