190 J. G. BOUPJNOT 



island, in the course of years, received sraall accessions of population from Acadie, but, 

 generally speaking, the inhabitants of that country showed little disposition to remove in 

 any number to the island which France now began to value since she had lost so much 

 by the tr.aty of Utrecht. It is interesting to note that in the negotiations that preceded 

 this treaty England was desirous of holding Cape Breton in common with the French, on 

 condition that neither power should raise fortifications on the island. If this proposition had 

 been agreed to, we might have had in these days some such complications as have arisen 

 from the unfortunate clause in the treaty which gives the French certain fishing rights 

 on a portion of the coast of Newfoundland, to the great irritation of the people of that 

 island, who are now suffering from the consequences of the blunder on the part of Eng- 

 lish statesmen, qnite indifferent to colonial interests in those early times. The French 

 government, however, not only succeeded in hampering the future develox^ment of 

 Newfoundland, by obtaining this important advantage for their fishing interests, but they 

 refused to agree to the proposition which was made by Saint John, afterwards Lord 

 Bolingbroke, partly on the ground that as it was desirable " to establish a perfect good 

 understanding " between France and Great Britain, " it was impossible to preserve it in 

 the places possessed in common by the French and English nations ;" but the chief rea- 

 son was no doubt the one also urged that it was prudence on the part of the French King 

 " to reserve to himself the possession of the only isle which will hereafter open an entrance 

 to the river St. Lawrence." In this way, by the foresight of the French, Cape Breton was 

 spared the troubles that might have arisen had the English suggestion been hastily 

 adopted, and the treaty of Utrecht finally provided that this island, " as also all others 

 both in the mouth of the Eiver St. Lawrence and in the gulf of the same name, shall 

 hereafter belong of right to the king of France, who shall have liberty to fortify any place 

 or places there." 



That we may understand the importance of Cape Breton in the contest between 

 France and England for dominion in America it is necessary that we should survey the 

 state of the colonies of the two nations on this continent. The English settlements 

 extended from the Penobscot to the Spanish colony of Florida and were confined to a 

 narrow range of country between the Atlantic and the Appalachian range of mountains. 

 When Greorge the First ascended the throne of England, soon after the signing of the 

 treaty of Utrecht, the total population of these colonies had reached 3*75, YSO white inhabi- 

 tants, and 58,850 blacks ; in all, 434,600 souls, and was increasing with great rapidity. 

 Their commercial activity and industrial enterprise had already created a total annual 

 trade of imports and exports, probably to the value of twelve millions and a half of dollars.' 

 The colonies of Massachusetts (which then included Maine), New Hampshire, Rhode 

 Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the 

 Carolinas (then comprising Georgia) enjoyed representative institutions based on those 

 of England, and local government in a very complete form. New England from its 

 natural situation had, since its early settlement, watched with jealousy and dread the 

 growth of the French settlements in Acadie and Canada, and when their villages were 

 destroyed and their people massacred from time to time by the raids of Indians and 

 French, they were nerved to make powerful efforts to seize Quebec and Port Royal. 

 Phipps made an abortive attack on the ancient capital of Canada in 1690, and Admiral Sir 



1 Hildreth, " Hist, of the U. S.," ii. 278, 329. Bancroft " Hist, of the U. S.," ii. 238. 



