Ch.VII. south AMERICA. 379 



bay, with a narrow entrance like that of Louif- 

 bourg, and Cabaru bay : but thefe are all uninhabited, 

 the French having confined their views to the forti- 

 fying of Louifbourg ; as by means of it they hoped to 

 maintain themfclves in thcpoiTefrionof the whole iflandj 

 which being fo very woody, that on whatever part the 

 enemy fhould make a defcent, there was no accefs to 

 it by land ; and experience has demonftrated that they 

 thought veryjuftly, it being impoflfible, without tak- 

 ing the fort, to become mailers of the ifland ; nor had 

 this fort ever been taken, if fuccoured in due time ; 

 or if, from the opinion of its being impregnable, pro- 

 per precautions had not been omitted. 



Most of the trees, of which the thick forefts of this 

 ifland confift, are pines, though not of the fame nature 

 with thofe of Europe. They are of two kinds ; one very 

 fit for boards and fuch like ufes ; the other, being fhort 

 and knotty, is ufed for fuel or making fliort rafters ; 

 and this is called pruche. A decodion of the fprigs, 

 being mixed with a little moloffes, and fermented, 

 makes the ale generally drank at table ; the water it- 

 felf being of fo light and penetrating a nature, that 

 the drinking of it always caufes dyfenteries : but thus 

 corre6led and turned into pruche or fprufs beer, is 

 found very wholefome, and of no difagreeable tafte. 



Thus the French of thefe parts live in the greateft 

 tranquility and comfort ; and their happinefs might 

 * have itill continued had they themfelves not occafioned 

 the interruption of it. For though the two crowns of 

 France and England were at war, and fome of the fub- 

 ftantial inhabitants here, as well as the Englifli at Bof- 

 . ton, had fitted out privateers, the hoftilities were never 

 carried beyond the aft of privateering, without any 

 thoughts at that time of higher enterprizes. It mult 

 be obferved, that before the war betwixt the two 

 powers, at the beginning of this century, France 

 was poflefTed of that peninfula and the lands called 

 Acadia, well of I'lfle Royale : but by the treaty of 



peace, 



