5 



trious or adventurous settlers at many dif- 

 ferent periods. From the time of its being 

 taken possession of by Europeans, the govern- 

 ment and management of the country, under 

 French dominion, was very irregular, and not 

 unfrequently disastrous; being entrusted either 

 to trading companies more eager to extract 

 present profit than prudent in proposing de- 

 signs for the future aggrandisement of an infant 

 colony, or, to daring individuals who had in- 

 terest enough to procure commissions to con- 

 quer and settle wherever their arms could 

 make them masters of the soil. Nor did this 

 system vary much until the year 1663, when 

 the court of France, beginning to entertain 

 more distinct ideas of its importance, thought 

 proper to bestow attention upon the admi- 

 nistration of its concerns, and raised it to the 

 dignity of a royal government. From this 

 period its governors were appointed by com- 

 mission from the king; and the colony, hitherto 

 -but little noticed, became generally known to 

 Europe as Canada, or La Nouvelle France. At 

 this time the population very little exceeded 

 7000 souls: but under the new arrangement 

 and better management, with the advantages 

 derived from its trade, now left almost free, an 

 accelerated progress, from barbarism and po- 

 verty towards civilization and prosperity, be- 



