96 EEV. GEOEGE PATTERSON ON 



Scotia. (Reg. Mag. Sig. lii, 228.) For some time several Ayrshire landowners had sought 

 to improve their shattered fortunes by acquiring lands in Ulster, and had been engaged 

 in forming plantations there. Now it occurred to Sir William that his intended port 

 might be rendered profitable in shipping men and goods to that province as well as to 

 Nova Scotia. In this scheme he had been much encouraged by James Stewart, fifth Lord 

 Ochiltree, who had taken an active part in the colonization of Ulster. In the hope of 

 retrieving his shattered fortunes, he now consented to join Sir William Alexander, the 

 younger, in his expedition. In May, 1629, Charles I. authorized =€500 sterling to be bor- 

 rowed for his Lordship's use, " in his present expedition to Cape Bretton for planting of a 

 colony there." (Reg. of Letters.) In June he sailed with three vessels, carrying a band of 

 settlers. He arrived in safety and entered the small harbour Baleine, some six miles to 

 the east of Louisburg, where he erected a fort and two of his vessels were sent forward to 

 Port Royal. They commenced fishing and regarding the island as belonging to the 

 British, treated foreigners as intruders, and attempted to collect tribute from them, when 

 Captain Daniel, of Dieppe, with two vessels armed with siege material, swooped down 

 upon the new colony, claiming the country in the name of the Company of New France. 

 He destroyed their fort, captured their vessel and took the whole band prisoners. Soon 

 after he sailed for home, taking with him the whole band of Scottish settlers, whom to use 

 the quaint language of Lord Ochiltree, " he enclosed in the hold of the schippe in so little 

 bound, that they were forced to ly upon other as they haden beein so many fisshes lying 

 in their awin fillthe, and fed upon bread and water." About forty of them were allowed 

 to land at Falmouth, but Lord Ochiltree himself and seventeen others were taken as 

 prisoners to France, where they were subjected to harsh treatment till the January follow- 

 ing, when they were released through the interposition of the English ambassador. Lord 

 Ochiltree reckoned his losses at X20,000, for which he received no compensation. 



To carry out farther the colonization of Nova Scotia, it appears by a letter from the 

 king, dated the I'Zth November, 1629, that Sir William had " agreet with som-e of the heads 

 of the Cheef Clannes of the Highlands of that our kingdome, and with some other persones 

 for transporting themselves into New Scotland," in regard to which proposal His Majesty 

 says, " we doe very much approve of that course for advancing the said plantatione, and 

 for debordening that our kingdome of that race of people, which in former times hade 

 bred soe many troubles ther," and " since that purpose may very much import the piiblick 

 good and quiet thareof," he urges a voluntary contribution for the object. How little 

 could he have imagined the part that the people whom he was thus so willing to trans- 

 port beyond seas as a nuisance, would afterward act in the support of himself and family. 

 Nothing, however, came of the proposal. 



During this time the calls for money were incessant Sir William had received more 

 than one office of emolument, yet still was becoming involved. More than once a royal 

 letter was issued for the payment of the c£6,000 allowed him for expenses, but it still 

 remained unpaid. All the influence of the king was employed to promote the object. 

 Much reliance was placed on the baronetcies. They were pressed upon the attention of 

 parties likely to accept them. In 1629 six were created, and thirteen in the two following 

 years. To induce persons of wealth to seek the honour, the commissioners were 

 empowered to fill up the dates of patents at their discretion, so that those unwilling to 

 occupy a lower place on the rolls might be reckoned amongst the earliest creations. All 



