THE THIRD ANGLO-FRENCH DUEL 137 



inhabited in the early eighteenth century, had suddenly 

 become populous after the conquest of Cape Breton Island, 

 but did not grow more populous until the second quarter of 

 the nineteenth century.^ They never had any strategic 

 significance. During all these wars privateers lost and won 

 much shipping and more money; and Admiral Richery's 

 exploits must be classed with those of privateers, although his 

 designs were the designs of Dumouriez, Pichegru, and the 

 pre-Napoleonic Napoleons. 



The possibility of raising regiments in Newfoundland was Residents 

 a sign that times had changed since the days when Newfound- ^J^^J^J^ 

 land was looked on as nothing but ' a great English ship visitors, 

 moored near the Banks during the fishing-season for the 

 convenience of the English fishermen'.^ Between 1764 and 

 1774 residents for the first time continuously outnumbered 

 visitors. During these years the winter residents, including 

 male hangers-on as well as settlers, averaged 12,340; and 

 visitors, including 'passengers' as well as ships' crews, 

 averaged 11,876; or, excluding male hangers-on from the 

 one side and passengers from the other side, residents 

 averaged 5,660 and visitors 5,435.^ Figures no longer yielded 

 an uncertain sound. The Rubicon was only just crossed, but 

 was indisputably and irrevocably crossed. Thenceforth the 

 living-rooms were larger than the corridors, and political 

 arithmetic pointed at the permanent occupants as the men of 

 destiny. In 1764 the new tilt of the balance struck the law 

 officers of the Crown, who wrote that it was * disgraceful to 

 suffer' the Act of 1699 *to remain in the Statute Book ' as 

 circumstances had so much changed.'* The disproportion 



^ c. 20 settlers with families and servants, say 200 persons, 1715 ; 

 1,600 persons, 1765 ; 1,932 (Anspach), 1778 ; 1502, 1793 ; 2130, 1848. 



* William Knox, in Second Report of House of Commons^ Committee 

 on Newfou7idland Trade, 1793, printed in Parliamentary Papers, 

 vol. xlii of the General Collection, No. 107, p. 16 ; reprinted in Reports 

 from Committees of the House of Commons, 1893, vol. x, p. 413. 



^ Second Report on Newfoundland, 1793, App. 6, H. 



■• J. Reeves, History of the Government of Newfoundland, 1793, 

 p. 123. 



