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In 1755, the wheat harvest having failed, and the 

 produce of former years having been carried out of 

 Canada or else stored in the magazine of Bigot's ring, 

 the people of Canada were reduced to starvation : in 

 many instances they had to subsist on horse flesh and 

 decayed codfish. Instead of having recourse to the 

 wheat stored here, the Intendant's minions led him to 

 believe that wheat was not so scarce as the peasantry 

 pretended, that the peasants refused to sell it, merely 

 in anticipation of obtaining still higher rates ; that the 

 Intendant, they argued, ought to issue orders for domi- 

 ciliary visits in the rural districts ; and levy a tax on 

 each inhabitant of the country, for the maintenance of 

 the residents in the city, and of the troops. 



Statements were made out, shewing the rations 

 required to prevent the people from dying of hunger. 

 Cadet was charged with the raising of this vexatious 

 impost. In a very short time, he and his clerks had 

 overrun the country, appropriating more wheat than 

 was necessary. Some of the unfortunate peasants, who 

 saw in the loss of their seed wheat starvation and 

 death, loudly complained. A few called at the Inten- 

 dant's Palace, but the heartless Deschenaux, the Inten- 

 dant's Secretary, was ever on the watch and had them 

 questioned by his employes, and when the object of 

 their visit was discovered, they were ushered into the 

 presence of Deschenaux, who insulted them and threat- 

 ened to have them imprisoned for thus presuming to 

 complain to the Intendant. Bigot was afterwards 

 advised of their visit, and when they appeared before 

 him, they were so maltreated and bullied that they left, 

 happy at believing that they had not been thrown into 

 prison : soon, none dared complain. Bread was get- 

 ting scarcer everyday. The Intendant had named per- 

 sons to distribute the bread at the baker's shop, the 

 flour being furnished by Government. The people 

 crowded the bakeries on the days fixed ; the loaves 

 were taken by violence ; mothers of families used to 



