140 THE FRENCH BLOOD IN AMERICA 



Settlement 

 Abandoned 



Attempt at 

 Revival 1699 



New Industry 



one and all aroused to the danger which threatened them. 

 A body of troops was sent out from Worcester, supported 

 by forty friendly Indians, and for many days the neigh- 

 bouring woods were scoured for traces of the mui-derers, 

 but none of them were ever brought to justice. 



The feeling of insecurity that had been gaining ground 

 in Oxford was so heightened by the killing of the Johnson 

 children that with one accord the refugees decided to 

 abandon their settlement. Sigourney, Germon, Johonnot, 

 Boutineau, Dupeul Cassaneau, Grignon, Barbut, Montier, 

 Canton, Maillet, and Mousset retired to Boston. Depont 

 found a new home in Milford, Connecticut. Bondet and 

 Martin went to New Rochelle, in the province of New 

 York ; Bureau and Montel to New York. Baudouin 

 made his way to Virginia, where his descendants may 

 still be traced, 



IV 



An attempt to revive the settlement was made three 

 years later, in the spring of 1699. The refugees who had 

 gone back to Boston returned to Oxford and reclaimed 

 their abandoned farms. It is probable that the energetic 

 Bernon was the prime mover in this endeavour at reset- 

 tlement, for he had expended a large sum of money in 

 developing his Oxford property and in providing for the 

 common welfare. The greatest loss, therefore, resulting 

 from the abandonment of the project fell upon his shoul- 

 ders. As soon, however, as the colony was revived he 

 proceeded to invest more capital in its interests, and to- 

 gether with Rene Grignon and Jean Papineau established 

 a wash-leather manufactory on the banks of the river that 

 flowed through the town. This new industry gave em- 

 ployment to many of the villagers in hunting and trap- 

 ping the game that abounded in the surrounding forests, 

 and proved itself a decided advantage to the refugees. 

 Loads of dressed skins were carted down to Providence 

 and thence shipped by water to Boston and Newport, 



