56 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



It affords me a great deal of pleasure to add my own opinion of the work 

 to that of the representatives of the people, who deem it an object of this 

 honourable notice as the production of a native of this province." 



As the first attempt at giving a history of Nova Scotia it is worthy 

 of great commendation, although in the light of manuscripts and material 

 since discovered it is no longer an authority. Not having access to, 

 or not taking the pains to obtain, original authorities, the author did 

 not hesitate to make use of the work of others. For example, his narra- 

 tive of the events of the " Seven Years War," and particularly the 

 account of the second siege of Louisbourg, is taken almost verbatim 

 from Smollett's history. 



Eegarding the expulsion of the Acadians, the author says (vol. 1, 

 p. 196) : " It is very remarkable that there are no traces of this impor- 

 tant event to be found among the records in the Secretary's office at 

 Halifax." Failing in his search in that office, his deduction is that 

 *' the particulars of this affair seem to have been carefully concealed." 

 A little more search would have revealed what was afterwards found 

 stored in boxes in the Province Building. The picture of the expulsion, 

 as painted by Haliburton, possibly gave an inspiration to Longfellow for 

 " Evangeline," and lent colouring to that poem. 



The following criticisms, one contemporary and the other recent, 

 when taken together give a fairly good estimate of the value of the 

 work : — 



" The author of these volumes, we understand, is a citizen of Anna- 

 polis in Nova Scotia, a young lawyer of respectability, and a member of 

 the House of Assembly. He has given us a history and description of 

 his native province, which not only do great credit to himself, and to 

 Nova Scotia, but will safely bear a comparison with any of the works of 

 a similar kind that have appeared in the United States. * * It is 

 written with clearness, spirit, industrious accuracy, and with great can- 

 dour and justice, a valuable work, honourable to its author, and worthy 

 of the thanks of his native province." — The North American Review, 

 January, 1830. 



" A Avork of conscientious and faithful labor, but in its preparation 

 the author was at serious disadvantage from his inability to consult many 

 of the books on which such a history must be based ; and as he was not 

 able to correct the proofs, his volumes are disfigured by the grossest 

 typographical blunders. No one without some previous familiarity with 

 the subject can safely read it, but such a reader will find in it much of 

 value." — Justin Winsor's Narrative and Critical History of America, 

 Vol. TV, p. 155. 



