[ganonqJ origins OF SETTLEMENTS IN NEW BRUNSWICK 41 



at French Bidge (near French Lake, Oroinoeto), and at Butternut Ridge. 

 On the repatriation they took up the low uplands around the harbours of 

 the North Shore. 



d. Locations of trading centres. Next in importance to the farm- 

 ing settlements came the trading stations which naturally stood in those 

 foci of travel near the centres of the river basins, and, as these contained 

 goods of much value, they were commonly fortified. Such stations 

 existed more or less constantly through this period in all of the geograph- 

 ical foci. At the mouth of the St. John was Fort La Tour with other 

 forts later; fortified habitations were established by Nicolas Denys at 

 Miscou and Nepisiguit, by his son, de Fronsac, at Miramiclii, by de 

 Ohauffours at Richibucto and Jeniseg, by St. Aubin at Pasxamaquoddg, 

 by La Yallière near Beauscjoiir, and a few of minor importance existed 

 elsewhere. 



e. Locations of fishing and hunting centres. Thcso were of very 

 minor importance in determining the locations of settlements of this 

 period, for there was little export of fish and the French did not hunt 

 furs for themselves but bouglit them from the Indians. There were early 

 fishing establishments on Miscou, and one form of fishing, that for the 

 sea-cow or walrus, determined certain settlenients near their favourite 

 haunts, so^ich as that at Grande Flame on Miscou, and very likely it 

 helped to fix the position of Fronsac on the Miramichi, for Portage 

 Island abounded in them. The French were not themsslves hunters, 

 except incidentally, and hence hunting located no settlements. 



f. Locations of water powers. The Acadians built mills for 

 grinding their grain, but these were so small that only the smalU'r 

 brooks, or in siome cases the tidal creeks in the marshes, could 1)0 utilized. 

 As such powers are everywhere abundant they did not influence the dis- 

 tribution of settlement of this period. 



g. Mineral resources. These appear to have had no efl'ect upon the 

 settlements of this period. 



/'. Positions of great natural charm. Probably in no case was the 

 site of any settlement of this period at all determined by any aesthetic 

 considerations. But tlio general situation having been determined by 

 the larger factors we have noted it seems clear that the precise positions 

 were often selected with an eye to their beauty of outlook. Thus, at 

 Chignoeto, Shepody, and elsewhere, the sdtcs of Acadian bouses occupy 

 the summits of the gravel hills or knolls which afford the most extensive 

 views. Probably the Acadian, who"" must have shared somewhat in the 

 artistic temperament of his ]-ace, was more susceptible to sudi influences 

 than the more practical and less impressionable New p]nglander wlio fol- 

 lowed in the next period. 



