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

184 ACADIAN CONFLICTS. [1747.neglect every precaution, but kept out scoutingpartiesto range the surrounding country, while therest of his men took their ease in the Acadian houses,living on the provisions of the villagers, for whichpayment was afterwards made. Some of the inhabitants,who had openly favored Ramesay and hisfollowers, fled to the woods, in fear of the consequences;but the greater part remained quietly inthe village.At the head of the Bay of Fundy its waters forma fork, consisting ofChignecto Bay on the one hand,and Mines Basin on the other. At the head ofChignecto Bay was the Acadian settlement of Chignecto,or Beaubassin, in the houses of which Ramesayhad quartered his Canadians. Here the neck of theAcadian peninsula is at its narrowest, the distanceacross to Baye Verte, where Ramesay had built a fort,being little more than twelve miles. Thus he controlledthe isthmus, — from which, however. Noblehoped to dislodge him in the spring.In the afternoon of the eighth of January anAcadian who had been sent to Mines by the missionaryGermain, came to Beaubassin with the newsthat two hundred and twenty English were at GrandPrd, and that more were expected.^ Ramesay instantlyformed a plan of extraordinary hardihood,and resolved,by a rapid march and a night attack,to surprise the new-comers. His party was greatly^ Beaujeu, Journal de la Campagne du Detachement de Canada aI'Acadie, in Le Canada Frangais, ii. Documents, 16.