92 EEV. GEORGE PATTERSON ON 



18th of October, 162'7, and the February following, fourteen patents of baronetcy were 

 issued and recorded. The proceeds were applied to chartering vessels ; and further to 

 indicate his earnestness in the undertaking, Sir Willian announced that his son would go 

 out in charge of the expedition. Accordingly, William Alexander, the younger, was in- 

 troduced at court and honoured with knighthood. He was also appointed Knight-Admiral 

 of Nova Scotia, and a seal for his special use prepared by authority of the Scottish Privy 

 Council. 



In command of a fleet of four A'essels he set out for Nova Scotia in the month of 

 March, 1628. Proceeding by Scotland, while moored off the coast, he had to complain 

 that a number of men, after engaging and receiAdng pay, had deserted ; and we find 

 a commission issued on the 20th of April to the sheriff and other officers to apprehend 

 and bring to punishment those who after engaging had abandoned the service. At length, 

 however, in May the fleet left Scotland, carrying upwards of seventy colonists, who 

 were safely landed at Port Royal. They immediately occupied the site of the old 

 French fort, which, as we have seen, was on the north side of Annapolis Basin, about 

 five miles from the present town. Here a fort was built or the old one repaired, though the 

 site has been known as the Scots' fort down to our day. It is said in some accounts that 

 Kirk captured Port Royal at this time, but there was really no capture needed. The 

 fort had never been rebuilt since it had been destroyed by Argall, and the French 

 Government had during the interval maintained no establishment of any kind there, 

 or exercised any authority or any care over the few scattered residents who remained. 

 Not only were no acts of hostility necessary to obtain possession — these parties, deeming 

 themselves forsaken by their king, made submission to the new-comors. In a statement 

 of a convention of Scottish Estates, drawn up by Sir William, His Majesty's commissioner 

 to it, we have the following statement of subsequent proceedings : 



" The remainder of this French collony (after Argall's raid), not having occasion to 

 be transported to France, stayed in the contrie. Yet, they were neglected by the State 

 not owning them any more, and hardly supplied in that which was necessary for them 

 by voluntary aduenturers, who came to trade, in hopes of their commodities, in exchange 

 of what they bought. 



" After that the Scottish Colonie was planted at Port Royall, they and the French 

 who dwelt there hauing met with the Commanders of the nation, called by them 

 Sagamoes, did make choice of one of the cheefe of them, called Sagamo Segipt, to come, 

 in the name of the rest, to his Ma'tie's subjects, crauing only to be protected by his 

 Ma'tie, who did promise to protect them, as he reported to the rest at his return. 



" Monsr La Tour, who was chief commandr of the few French then in that countrie, 

 being neglected (as is sayd) by his own couutriemen, and finding his Ma'lies title not so 

 much as questioned, after their beeing expelled from Port Royall, and the coining in 

 of the Scottish necessary for his security, did along with the same Sagamo, come otTring and 

 demanding the like in the name of the French who line here : so that his Ma'tie hath a 

 good right to Nova Scotia by discouery, by possession of his Ma'ties subjects, by removing 

 of the French, who had seated themselves at Port Royall, and by Monsr La Tour, com- 

 mandr of them there his turning Tenant, and by the volontarie hauing tenents of the 

 rest to his Matie, and that no ob.stacle might remain, the very sauages, by their commis- 

 sioner, willingly offring their obedience vnto his Matie ; so that his Matie now is bound 



