“The French Declaration, of which the inclos’d is a Copy, did not come to my hands till I had finished the letter, w^{ch}. accompanies it: And I send it your Grace, as it may serve to shew the Views of the French with respect to Accadie, the Dependance they have upon the Dispositions of the Inhabitants, what advantage they propos’d to themselves from the New England Levies under the Command of the late 354 Lieuten^t. Col. Noble’s quitting Menis by Capitulation, and the necessity there was of my sending the last Detachment of soldiers to M^r. Mascarene to take repossession of Menis, and make the Inhabitants of it renew their oath of fidelity to his Majesty; which had its desir’d Effect. “I am with the most Dutifull regard “My Lord Duke, “Your Grace’s Most Devoted, “and Most Obedient Humble Servant “W SHIRLEY.” SHIRLEY TO NEWCASTLE, 20 OCT. 1747. (_Extract._) “The general Inclination which, the french Inhabitants of Nova Scotia have to the french Interest, proceeds from their Ties of Consanguinity to the French of Canada, but more especially from those of their Religion, which last seems to put ’em greatly under the Influence of their Priests, who continually receive their Directions from the Bishop of Quebeck, & are the Instruments, by which the Governour of Canada makes all his Attempts for the Reduction of the Province to the french Crown, & Keeps the Indians of Nova Scotia (commonly called the Cape Sable Indians) in their Dependence upon him; particular Instances of which may be given in the first Body of French & Indians, which attack’d the King’s Garrison soon after the Declaration of the present War’s being headed by a Priest of Nova Scotia; and the principal Part in giving Intelligence to the Enemy, maintaining the Correspondence between Canada and Nova Scotia, assembling Cape Sable Indians, & influencing such of the Inhabitants as had joined with or assisted 355 the Enemy, has been manag’d by another Priest of that Province; Other Instances of this Kind might be given, as particularly the Attempt to bring the Inhabitants into Revolt soon after the late Surprize at Menis by endeavouring to influence ’em with the Authority of the Bishop of Quebeck pronouncing ’em to be free from their Oath of Allegiance to his Majesty. But I shall content myself with observing to your Grace only one piece of Policy made use of by the french Priests in Nova Scotia for preserving the whole Body of the People intirely french, and Roman Catholick’s, viz^t. forbidding all Intermarriages with the English under Pain of Excommunication, (of which I am informed there has been one or two late Instances in actual Excommunication upon this Occasion) & which has had so general an Effect as to prevent the Settlement of any one English Family within