154 THE FEENCH BLOOD IN AJMEEICA 



too, filled the busy minds of the settlers ; among them 

 being the planting of mulberry trees upon which to breed 

 silk- worms. In this eifort to establish a profitable indus- 

 try they hoped to be aided by further accessions of their 

 countrymen, and the prospect seemed good that within a 

 few years Ehode Island would be the home of a large 

 number of Huguenot silk producers. 

 Land Claimed gi^f thouffh the futuTC prospcct of the settlement seemed 



bythe English *= f. -, ^tt-^i • -c v -a. 



bright, it was never realized. Within five years of its 

 establishment only two families out of the forty-eight 

 remained on the land they had improved and rendered 

 fertile. For by the decision of the court it was made 

 apparent that the refugees had been innocently occupying 

 lands to which other parties held prior claims, and that 

 the "Atherton Company" had deluded them with spe- 

 cious pretenses. In the summer of 1691 the settlement 

 was broken up and the various families sought homes for 

 themselves in more hospitable localities. Dr. Ayrault 

 gives the following account of the troubles which beset 

 the refugees : 



The protecting of us in our liberty and property was continued not 

 two years under said Government, before we were molested by the 

 vulgar sort of the people, who flinging down our fences laid open our 

 Pitiable Plight lands to ruin, so that all benefit thereby we were deprived of. Ruin 

 of the Victims i^^j-^jj on ^g in a dismal state ; our wives and children living in fear 

 of the threats of many unruly persons ; and what benefit we expected 

 from our lands for subsistence was destroyed by secretly laying open 

 our fences by night and day ; and what little we had preserved by 

 fllying from France, we had laid out under the then improvements. It 

 looked so hard upon us, to see the cryes of our wives and children, 

 lamenting their sad fate, flying from persecution, and coming under 

 his Majesty's gracious Indulgence, and by the Government promised 

 us, yet we, ruined. And when we complained to the Government, we 

 could have no relief, although some would have helped us, we judge, if 

 by their patience they could have borne such ill treatments as they must 

 expect to have met with by the unruly inhabitants there settled also. 

 Many of the English inhabitants compassionating our condition, 

 would have helped us ; but when they used any means therein, they 

 ■were evilly treated. So that these things did put ua then upon looking 



