“This fluctuating State of the Inhabitants of Accadie seems, my Lord, naturally to arise from their finding a want of due protection from His Majesty’s Government; and their Apprehensions that the French will soon be Masters of the Province, which their repeated Attempts every year for the Reduction of His Majesty’s Fort at Annapolis Royal, and the Appearance of the late Duke D’Anville’s Squadron from France upon their Coast with that View strongly Impress upon ’em, as does also the Residence of the Enemy in the Province, and the Sollicitations of their own Priests; and to this, I believe, may be added some Jealousy, which the Enemy and Priests are for ever instilling into ’em, that the English want only a safe Opportunity of driving all the French 347 Inhabitants off their Settlements; which tho’ M^r. Mascarene assures me that his communicating to ’em my printed Letter promising ’em His Majesty’s protection, had so far allay’d as together with the Arrival of the late Detachment of Soldiers sent from hence in the Winter for the Defence & protection of the Province, to disappoint M^r. de Ramsay’s Attempt upon the Inhabitants of Minas for bringing ’em to an open Revolt, and to make him retire from Minas to Schiegnecto, yet as the hopes my Letter may have made ’em entertain have not been yet Confirm’d by Assurances of His Majesty’s Royal protection directly from England I cant but think, there is a most apparant danger of Nova Scotia’s being soon lost, if the Expedition against Canada should not proceed this year, nor any Measures be taken, or particular Orders be sent by His Majesty for Securing the Province against the Enemy & strengthening his Government among the Inhabitants, For I perceive that the General Assembly of this Province, from whence only the Succours & Support which His Majesty’s Garrison at Annapolis Royal has hitherto received for the Protection & Defence of Nova Scotia, have been sent, are tir’d of having ’em drawn wholly from their own people, and despair of its being effectual without His Majesty’s more immediate Interposition for the protection of that province; And I look upon it as a very happy Incident, that I had it in my power to send M^r. Mascarene the Support, I did the last Winter, and beginning of the Spring, out of the Levies rais’d for the Expedition against Canada, which I insisted upon doing as they were in His Majesty’s Pay (tho’ rais’d for another Service) but should not have been able to do it (I believe) had it depended wholly upon the Consent of the Assembly, tho’ generally well dispos’d for His Majesty’s Service.” NEWCASTLE TO SHIRLEY, 30 MAY, 1747. 348 (_Extract._)