The Fishcjy Question. 17 



ing to its ancient limits," and Port Royal, 

 now rechristened Annapolis. Moreover, the 

 French Fishery was not to be carried on 

 within three leagues of the English coasts, 

 and in revenge for their stubborn defence of 

 Acadia, the French were to keep thirty 

 leagues out to sea, south-west of Cape Sable. 



Beside this acknowledgment of fishing 

 claims, the Hudson Bay Company acquired 

 an immense territory and Spain contributed 

 the Assiento contract, whereby to England 

 was assigned the exclusive ri^ht to furnish 

 the Spanish West Indies with slaves. 



The treaty was very unpopular. ^^ France, 

 it was said, ought to have lost the Newfound- 

 land and the entire coast Fishery. French 

 chicane had triumphed in effecting the ex- 

 change of Acadia for Cape Breton and the 

 other islands in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. 

 If the French stations were the best, their 

 retention by commercial rivals must interfere 

 with colonial profits ; if worse, the quarrels 

 would not cease. Queen Anne died of apo- 

 plexy after a stormy meeting of her cabinet, 

 at which the articles of the treaty were dis- 

 cussed. Oxford, whose influence was sup- 

 posed to have been for concession, was im- 



