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A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

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182 ACADIAN CONFLICTS. [1746,1747.was the bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>of</strong> the home government, <strong>and</strong> not<strong>of</strong> the colonies; but as they were deeply <strong>in</strong>terested<strong>in</strong> the preservation <strong>of</strong> the endangered prov<strong>in</strong>ce,Massachusetts gave fiveShirley's call,hundred men <strong>in</strong> response to<strong>and</strong> Rhode Isl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> New Hampshireadded, between them, as many more. Less than<strong>half</strong> <strong>of</strong> these levies reached Acadia. It was thestormy season. The Rhode Isl<strong>and</strong> vessels werewrecked near Martha's V<strong>in</strong>eyard. A New Hampshiretransport sloop was <strong>in</strong>tercepted by a Frencharmed vessel, <strong>and</strong> ran back to Portsmouth. Fourhundred <strong>and</strong> seventy men from Massachusetts, underColonel Arthur Noble, were all who reached Annapolis,whence they sailedfor M<strong>in</strong>es, accompanied by a fewsoldiers <strong>of</strong> the garrison. Storms, drift<strong>in</strong>g ice, <strong>and</strong>the furious tides <strong>of</strong> the Bay <strong>of</strong> Fundy made theirprogress so difficult <strong>and</strong> uncerta<strong>in</strong> that Noble resolvedto f<strong>in</strong>ish the journey by l<strong>and</strong> ; <strong>and</strong> on the fourth <strong>of</strong>December he disembarked near the place now calledFrench Cross, at the foot <strong>of</strong> the <strong>North</strong> Mounta<strong>in</strong>, —a l<strong>of</strong>ty barrier <strong>of</strong> rock <strong>and</strong> forest extend<strong>in</strong>g along thesouthern shore <strong>of</strong> the Bay <strong>of</strong> Fundy. Without apath <strong>and</strong> without guides, the party climbed thesnow-encumbered heights <strong>and</strong> toiled towards theirdest<strong>in</strong>ation, each man carry<strong>in</strong>g provisions for fourteendays <strong>in</strong> his haversack. After sleep<strong>in</strong>g eightnights without shelter among the snowdrifts, theyreached the Acadian village <strong>of</strong> Gr<strong>and</strong> Prd, the chiefsettlement <strong>of</strong> the district <strong>of</strong> M<strong>in</strong>es. Ramesay <strong>and</strong>his Canadians were gone. On learn<strong>in</strong>g the approach

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