“What Mr. Frontenac observed some years ago to M^r Pontchartrain concerning the french King’s recovering of Accadie & making himself absolute Master of the great Bank [of Newfoundland] as in the inclos’d Extract of his Letter, seems so seasonable to be consider’d at this time, that I would beg leave to observe to your Grace upon it, that his Maj^{ty’s} holding the Possession of Annapolis Royal & Newfoundland (already conceded to his Crown by the Treaty of Utrecht) with his late Acquisition of Cape Breton, will put the whole Cod Fishery more in his Power than M^r Frontenac’s Scheme could have put it into the French Kings, and that besides what M^r Frontenac calls a Commerce more advantageous than the Conquest of the Indies, and computes the Returns of at twenty Millions (I suppose french Livres) per annum, it would furnish his Majesty with as good a Nursery of Seamen for the Royal Navy as the Colliery in England does, not to mention the great consumption of British Manufactures which must be occasioned in carrying the Fishery on;--that the holding of Annapolis 319 Royal in particular will be establishing to his Majesty the Mastery of the Northern Part of this Continent against the French, Secure to him inexhaustible Nurseries of Masts, Yards, Bowsprits & other Stores for his Navy, & Timber for Ship building within his Northern Colonies independent of any foreign State to be purchased with British Manufactures & transported in British Vessels--that the Inhabitants of the Northern Colonies would in time make such an Addition of Subjects to the Crown of Great Britain as would make their number Superior to that of any Prince’s upon the Continent of Europe; and in the meanwhile the Vent of Woolen & other British Manufactures, & all Kinds of European Commodities imported into the Colonies from Great Britain must increase in proportion to the Increase of their Inhabitants: by all which means the main Sources of Wealth, & a larger Extent of Power by Sea & Land than any State in Christendom at present enjoys, seems capable of being secur’d to his Maj^{ty’s} Dominions; But which will in the End otherwise be in all human Probability the Lot of the french Dominions; And I would in particular observe to your Grace the most practicable Step the Enemy can attempt making towards their obtaining that seems clearly to be their rendring themselves Masters of Nova Scotia, the Consequences of w^{ch} would give ’em so strong an hold upon this Continent as would make it difficult to dislodge ’em & put it very much in their Power to harrass & annoy his Maj^{tys} Colonies both by Land & Sea, in such manner as to weaken ’em extremely, if not by degrees finally subdue ’em. “I am with the most dutiful Regards, “My Lord Duke, “Your Grace’s most devoted “and obedient Servant “W. SHIRLEY.”