“... Having lately procur’d from Fort Major Phillips of Annapolis Royal the late Lieutenant Governour Armstrong’s Original Instrument mention’d in my late State of the Province of Nova Scotia to be given by him to the French Inhabitants of that Province, by virtue of which and of another of the same tenour given ’em by him in 1730, they claim an Exemption from bearing Arms in defence of his Majesty’s Government, I inclose your Grace a Copy of it. Mr. Phillips in his letter inclosing this Instrument to me observes that the ‘Inhabitants of Nova Scotia at the first news of Louisbourg’s being surrendred were in great Consternation and at Minas in particular they appear’d in Tears in the Publick Places, where nine months before they had assisted in singing Te Deum, on a false report that Annapolis Royal was surrendred to Monsieur Duvivier.’ He goes on to say that a report was spread there that Monsieur Duvivier was arriv’d at Canada with rigging for two Men of War, and the Renommée a French thirty gun Ship with two 313 Prizes at Quebec. And all the Nova Scotia Priests were gone to Canada for Instructions; and give out that there are 2000 Canadeans at Chignecto waiting ready for another attempt against his Majesty’s Garrison. To which I would beg leave to subjoin that it seems to me far from being improbable that the French will Attempt the reduction of Nova Scotia early in the Spring, by gaining which they will have a fine provision Country to assemble 8 or 10,000 fighting men and all the tribes of Indians ready to join in an attempt against Louisbourg at a few days Warning as I observ’d to your Grace in a late Letter; But if they should not attempt Louisbourg they would irresistably break up all the Eastern Settlements of this Province and I doubt not the whole Province of New Hampshire it self, which would make ’em masters of all Mast Country and Naval Stores and of a rich Soil for Corn as well as Cattle and this would also enable ’em to make deep impressions on all the Western frontier of this Province, New York and Connecticut, and, how far they might penetrate is not Certain but so far at least as might make it very difficult to dislodge ’em and give ’em such an hold of the Continent as to make ’em think in time of pushing with the assistance of the Indians for the Mastery of it, which is richly worth contending for with all their might as it would in their hands lay the surest foundation for an Universal Monarchy by Sea and Land that ever a people had. This train of Consequences from the Enemies being Masters of Nova Scotia may seem remote, my Lord, but they are not impossible, and it may be very difficult for the French to regain Louisbourg at least without being Masters of Nova Scotia, and that seems under the present Circumstances of the Garrison where no recruits are yet Arriv’d from England and the Inhabitants of the Country Surrounding it are Enemies in their hearts no difficult