82 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
Mr. Saul’s flour vessels from New York.' The destruction of Braddock’s 
army rendered the condition of affairs very serious from the British 
standpoint. Lawrence dreaded its effect upon the Acadians. It 
seemed not improbable that an attempt would now be made from Louis- 
bourg to reconquer Nova Scotia. The New England troops had only 
been enlisted for one year and would not remain long. Whatever was 
to be done by them must therefore be done speedily. On receiving 
the tidings of Braddock’s defeat, Shirley wrote to Lawrence:—“ This 
is undoubtedly an heavier stroke than ever the English upon this 
Continent have met before.” He hoped the effect would be “to raise 
the spirit and resentment of the several colonies against the French,” 
and he asked Lawrence to consider “whether the danger with which 
His Majesty’s interest is now threatened will not remove any scruples 
which may heretofore have subsisted with regard to the French Neutrals, 
as they are termed, and render it both just and necessary that they 
should be removed.’’” 
The fate that was now to befall the unfortunate Acadians was 
all the more sorrowful in that it was on their part so unexpected. They 
had been warned and threatened repeatedly by the English governors, 
it is true, but as no serious consequences had ever followed in the wake 
of these warnings they were satisfied that they might follow the same 
policy that they had followed in the past.* At this time they occupied 
nearly all the cultivated lands in Nova Scotia. The lands were fertile 
and easy of access. They governed themselves, for the most part, 

' Collections of the Nova Scotia Hist. Society, Vol. XII, p. 42. 
* Murdoch’s History of Nova Scotia, Vol. II, p. 286. 
' That the Acadians believed that the English would never really banish them 
is quite evident. Lawrence wrote to Winslow in August 1755, that no danger need 
be apprehended at Grand Pré, for the people (notwithstanding the fact that they 
had been threatened with expulsion for refusing the oath of allegiance) imagined 
themselves to be living in great security. Lawrence also wrote to Murray that 
the Acadians should “be kept in the dark as to their destination, as much as may 
be, for should they be of opinion Privatly (and I believe they certainly are) that 
the Government will not after all remove them from their Possessions, they have 
the Less temptation to be Doing Mischief whilest the Transports are getting round.” 
On the 5th of September Winslow notified the people of Minas, in the presence 
of his soldiers, that they were to be removed from the province and their lands, cattle 
and effects forfeited to the Crown; but in a letter written to Lawrence twelve days 
later he says: ‘‘I believe that they did not then, nor to this day do imagine that they 
are actually to be removed.” Even after another month had expired we find this 
entry in his journal: “October 6th, with the advice of My Captains made a Division 
of the Villages and Concluded that as many of the Inhabitants of each as Could be 
Commoded should proceed in the same Vessel & That whole Familys go together, 
and sent Orders to the several Familys to hold themselves in readiness to embarke 
with all their Household Goods, &e, but even now Could not persuade the People 
I was in Earnest.” 

