“Upon the whole the sickly State of the French Fleet, w^c. is extremely ill mann’d, the hurry & Uneasiness they discover’d upon 331 seeing the Contents of the Packets which fell into their hands, & precipitate departure from Chebucto, with their detaining the Flag of Truce & English Prisoners ’till they were got 30 Leagues from Chebucto, & then dismissing ’em with a Notion that their Fleet was going up the Bay of Fundy to Annapolis (instead of carrying ’em up there with ’em to prevent that’s being known to us) makes it seem probable that the Enemy is making the best of their way to France or the West Indies, & was afraid of even M. Townsend’s following ’em. “I am with the most dutiful Regard “My Lord Duke, “Your Grace’s most Devoted “and most Obedient Servant “W. SHIRLEY.” SHIRLEY TO NEWCASTLE, BOSTON, 21 NOV. 1746. (_Extracts._) “MY LORD DUKE, “I am afraid your Grace will think, from my incessant Representations of the State of Nova Scotia, that I imagine that Province should be the sole Object of your Attention: Nothing could induce me to be so importunate with your Grace upon this Subject, but the fullest perswasion of the very great Importance of that Place to the Crown, & the British Subject, of the immediate bad Consequences of the Loss of it to his majesty’s Service, & the imminent danger of its being lost, unless something is forthwith done for the effectual Security of it. “The inclos’d Extract from M^r Mascarene’s Letter & Copy of Lieut^t Colonel Gorham’s will disclose in a great Measure to your Grace their Apprehensions, & the Condition of the Province: The number of the Enemy, are increas’d at Menis; they have again stop’t all Communication 332 between the Inhabitants & the Garrison, & are likely to keep footing there this Winter; and particularly from Col^o Gorham’s Letter your Grace will perceive what Pains the Canadeans and Malcontents among the Inhabitants take to prevent my Letter lately dispers’d among ’em, in order to setle the Minds of the Inhabitants, (a Copy of which I have before sent your Grace) from having its proper Influence; & how the Nova Scotians are alarm’d at the Rumour of a design to remove ’em from their Settlements; And it appears to me by what I farther learn from Captain Fotheringham to whom M^r Mascarene refers me in his Letter, that unless something vigorous, as that Letter intimates, is done by the Middle of April at farthest, the greatest Part of the Province at least will be in the hands of the Canadeans, and it will be too late then to attempt to reclaim the Inhabitants. * * * * *