Fort St. John. 47 



their fire. In the laft year, 1748, tvvQ 

 hundred men were in garrifon here j but 

 at this time there were only a governor, a 

 comniiffary, a baker, and fix foldiers to 

 take care of the fort and buildings, and to 

 fuperintend the provifions which are carried 

 to this place. The perfon who now cona- 

 manded at the fort, was the Chevalier 

 de Gannesy a very agreeable gentleman, and 

 brother-in-law to Mr. Ltijignatiy the go- 

 vernor of fort St. Frederic. The ground 

 about the fort, on both fides of the water, 

 is rich and has a very good foil j but it is 

 ftill without inhabitants, though it is talked 

 of, that it fhould get fome as foon as poflible. 

 The French in all Canada call the gnats 

 MarangoinSy which name, it is faid, they 

 have borrowed from the Indians. Thefe 

 infedls are in foch prodigious numbers in 

 the woods round fort St. John, that it 

 would have been more properly called fort 

 de Marangoins. The mardies and the 

 low fituation of the country, together with 

 the extent of the woods, contribute greatly 

 to their multiplying fo muchj and when 

 the woods will be cut down, the water 

 drained, and the countrv cultivated, they 

 probably will decreafe in number, and 

 vanifh at lad, as they have done in other 

 places. 



The 



