Looking over such a map, we perceive the present characteristics all
gone, and a vast wilderness, full of roaming tribes of Indians,
filling the scene. North of Boston there are a few towns; but beyond
the little town of Falmouth, the English settlements are all called
Fort this and Fort that. Up the valley of the Kennebec is the mark of
a road to Quebec; and about half way, at the head waters of the
Kennebec, a point is marked on the map with these words: "_Indian and
French rendezvous. Extremely proper for a fort, which mould restrain
the French and curb the Abenakki Indians_." And also: "_From Quebec
to Kennebek River mouth, not much above half way to Boston, and one
third to New York, thence by that R. and ye Chaudiere ye road to
Canada is short_."
North of the St. Lawrence is a vast country, which is called New
France. As Old France and Old England struggle for the supremacy in
the old world, so New France and New England struggle for the
supremacy in the new world, and the bone of contention is this very
district alluded to,--this border-ground,--called by the French
L'Acadie, but claimed by the English as Nova Scotia, which bordered
both on New England and New France.
This debatable territory on the map is full of vast waste spaces,
together with the names of savage tribes never heard of before or
since, some of which are familiar names, merely spelled in an unusual
manner, while others owe their origin, perhaps, to the imagination of
the map-maker or his informant. Thus, for example, we have Massasuk,
Arusegenticook, Saga Dahok, and others of equally singular sound.
In this debatable territory are numerous forts, both French and
English. These are situated, for the most part, in the valleys of
rivers, for the very good reason that these valleys afford the best
places for settlement, and also for the further reason that they are
generally used as the most convenient routes of travel by those who
go by land from one post to another. These forts are numerous on the
west of New England; they also stud the map in various places towards
the north. The valley of the St. John, in Nova Scotia, is marked by
several of these. Farther on, the important isthmus which connects
the peninsula of Nova Scotia with the main land is protected by the
strong post called Fort Beausejour.