APPENDIX.

No. 1.

LETTERS PATENT TO SIEUR DE MONTS,

LIEUTENANT GENERAL OF ACADIA AND THE CIRCUMJACENT COUNTRY, NOVEMBER 8, 1603. [Translated from L'Escarbot's History of New-France.]

HENRY, by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre:To our dear and well beloved the Sieur de Monts, Gentleman in ordinary of our Bed-Chamber, Greeting.-As our greatest care and abor, since our accession to this Crown is, and always has been, to maintain and preserve it in its ancient dignity, greatness and splendor; to extend and enlarge, as far as lawfully may be done, the boundaries and limits thereof; We, being long informed of the situation and condition of the country and territory of Acadia; -moved hereunto above all things by a peculiar zeal, and a devout and firm resolution, which we have taken with the aid and assistance of God, the Author, Distributor and Protector of all Kingdoms and States; to cause to be converted, brought over and instructed in Christianity, and in the belief and profession of our Faith and Religion,-the people who inhabit that country, at present a barbarous race, atheists, without Faith or Religion; and to draw them from the ignorance and infidelity wherein they now are. Having also from the reports of Captains of vessels, pilots, merchants and others, who a long time ago have visited, frequented and trafficked with the people who are found there, long understood how profitable, convenient and useful may be to us, to our States and subjects, the possession, residence and occupancy of those places, for the great and apparent benefit which will accrue from the great frequentation and connection with the people there, and the traf fick and commerce which may by this means be safely carried on and negotiated.-We, for these causes, fully confiding in your great prudence, and in the knowledge you possess of the quality, condition, and situation of the said country of Acadia; from the divers voyages, travels and visits you have made into those parts, and others, neighboring and circumjacent,-assuring ourself that this our resolution and intention being made known unto you, you will be able attentively, diligently, and not less courageously and valorously to execute, and bring to the perfection we desire; we have expressly appointed and established, and by these presents

signed with our own hand, we do appoint, ordain, make, constitute and establish you, our Lieutenant General, to represent our person in the country, territory, coasts and confines of Acadia, from the 40th, to the 46th degree, and within this extent, or any part thereof, as far inland as may be practicable, to establish, extend and make known our name, power and authority, and thereunto subject, cause to submit and obey, all the people of the said land, and circumjacent country; and by virtue hereof, and by all other lawful ways, to call, instruct, move and stir them up to the know!edge of God, and to the light of the christian faith and religion; to establish it there, and in the exercise and possession of it, to maintain, keep and preserve the said people, and all others inhab iting said places; and in peace, quiet and tranquillity to command there, as well by sea as by land; to order, determine and cause to be executed every thing which you shall judge can and ought to be done to maintain, keep and preserve the said places under our power and authority, by the forms, ways and means prescribed by our ordinances. And for your assistance in the premises, to appoint, establish and constitute all necessary officers, as well in affairs of war, as in justice and policy, in the first instance, and from thence in future to nominate and present them to us for our approbation; and to give such commissions, titles and grants as shall be necessary.

And as circumstances shall require, yourself, with the advice of prudent and capable persons, to prescribe under our good pleasure, laws, statutes and ordinances, (conformable to ours as far as may be) especially in such matters and things as are not provided for by these presents; to treat, and effectually contract peace, alliance and confederation, good friendship, correspondence and communication with the said people, and their princes, or others having power and command over them; to maintain, keep and carefully observe the treaties and alliances you shall stipulate with them, provided they on their part faithfully observe them; and in default thereof to make open war against them, to compel and bring them back to such reason as you shall judge fit for the honor, obedience and service of God, and the establishing, upholding and preserving our said authority among them; at least to visit and frequent them by yourself and all our subjects, in all security, liberty, frequentation and communication; to negotiate, and traffick there, amicably and peaceably; to grant them favors and privileges, and bestow on them employments and honors. Which entire power above-said, we also will, and ordain, that you have over all our said subjects, and others

who shall remove and inhabit there, to traffick, and trade, and reside in the said places; to hold, take, reserve and appropriate to your self what you shall wish, and shall see to be most convenient and fit for your rank, condition and use. To parcel out such parts and portions of said lands, to give and attribute to them such titles, honors, rights, powers and faculties as you shall see fit, according to the rank, condition and merits of the people of the country or others; especially to people, cultivate, and cause the said lands to be settled the most speedily, carefully and skilfully that time, places and conveniences will permit; to this end, to make, or cause to be made the discovery and examination, of them, along the extent of the seacoasts, and other countries of the main land, that you shall order and prescribe, within the said limit of the 40th degree to the 46th or otherwise, as far as may be done along the said seacoasts, and into the main land; carefully to search after and to distinguish all sorts of mines of gold and silver, copper and other metals and minerals; to dig for and collect them, and purify and refine them for use; to dispose of, as we have directed in the edicts and regulations that we have made in this kingdom, the profit and emolument thereof, by yourself, or by those you may appoint for that pur pose,-reserving unto us only the tenth part of the produce of the gold, silver and copper,-appropriating to yourself our portion of the other metals and minerals, to aid and relieve you in the great expen ses, which the said charge may bring upon you. Meantime, for your safety and comfort, and for that of all our subjects, who shall go to those parts, and shall dwell and traffick in the said lands, as generally all others, who shall place themselves under our power and protection, we authorize you to build and construct one or more forts, places, towns, and all other houses, dwellings and habita tions, ports, havens, retreats and lodgements that you may consider proper, useful and necessary to the execution of the said enterprize { to establish garrisons, and soldiers to protect them; and to employ, for aid in the aforesaid purposes, vagabonds, idle and dissolute persons, as well from the towns as from the country,—and also those condemned to perpetual banishment or for three years at least, beyond our realms-provided this be done by the advice and consent, and by the authority of our officers.

Besides the preceding (and that which is elswhere appointed, directed and ordained to you by the commissioners and authorities given you by our very dear cousin the Sieur de Danville,* Admiral

* Anville is an error in Hazard's copy--for it appears from history, that Charles Montmorenci, Duc de Danville, was at that time Admiral of France.

of France for that which expressly concerns the admirality in the achievement, expedition and execution of the said things)-to do generally for the conquest, peopling, settlement and preservation of the said land of Acadia, and of the coasts, circumjacent territories, and of their appurtenances and dependences, under our name and authority, all we ourselves could do, or cause to be done, if we were there present in person, even in cases requiring more special direction, than we have provided for by these presents; to the contents of which we direct, ordain, and expressly enjoin all our justices, officers and subjects to conform themselves, and obey you,and give attention to you in all the said things, their circumstances and dependencies.

To give you also in the execution of them all aid and comfort, main strength and assistance of which you shall have need, and shall be by you required,-all under the pains of rebellion and disobedience. And in order that no one may pretend cause of ignorance of this our intention, and be disposed to intermeddle in whole or in part, with the charge, dignity and authority, that we give you by these presents; we have, of our certain knowledge, full power and royal authority, revoked, suppressed, and declared null and of no effect, henceforth and from the present time, all other powers and commissions, letters and despatches given and delivered to any person whomsoever, to discover, people and inhabit said lands, in the said extent contained within the said 40th degree, to the 46th degree, whatsoever they may be.

And furthermore, we direct and command all our said officers, of whatever rank or condition they may be, that these presents, or a certification thereof duly compared herewith, by some one of our beloved and faithful counsellors, notaries and secretaries, or other royal notary, they the said officers cause, at your request, application and suit, or at the suit of our attornies, to be read, published and registered in the registers of their several jurisdictions, authorities and districts, preventing as much as shall belong to them, all troubles and hindrances contrary hereunto. For such is our pleasure. Given at Fontainbleau the eighth day of November, in the year of Grace, one thousand six hundred and three, and of our reign the fifteenth.

[And lower down-by the king, POTIER.-And sealed upon a simple label, with yellow Wax.]

No. 2.

SIR WILLIAM ALEXANDER'S PATENT OF NOVA SCOTIA, SEPT. 10, 1621. [From John Palairet's Description of the English and French possessions in North America.]

JAMES, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.-To all the Clergy and Laity of his Dominions-Greeting.

Be it known, that we have ever been careful to embrace every opportunity, that offered, for the honor and advantage of our kingdom of Scotland, and that we think there is no acquisition more easy and more innocent, than those which may be made by carrying new colonies into foreign and uncultivated countries, where are the necessaries of life; especially if such lands are either uninhabited or occupied by unbelievers, whom to convert to the Christian faith, is a duty of groat importance to the glory of God, &c.

For these causes, as well as in consideration of the good, faithful, and acceptable favors, which have been already and hereafter to be performed to us by our trusty and well beloved Councillor, SIR WILLIAM ALEXANDER, KT. who is the first of our subjects of Scotland, that undertook to carry over this foreign colony at his own expense, and has desired leave to cultivate lands and countries included within the limits undermentioned:--We therefore, from our royal intention to extend the Christian religion, and to promote the wealth, prosperity and peace of the natural subjects of our said kingdom of Scotland, have, by the advice and consent of our cousin and councillor, John, Earl of Mar, &c. and of the other Lords-Commissioners of the said kingdom of Scotland, given, granted and transferred, and by virtue of this present, issuing from us,We do give, grant and transfer to the said William Alexander, his heirs, or all claimants by right of inheritance from him, all and singular the lands of the Continent and Islands situate and lying in America, reckoning from the cape or promentory called Cape Sable, at 43° or thereabouts, from the equator towards the north, that is to say, from the said promontory along the seashore that runs from the west, as far as St. Mary's bay, and stretching from thence to the north, in a straight line, to the entrance or mouth of that great bay which washes the eastern coast, between the countries of the Souriquois and of the Etechemins, as far as to the river of St. Croix, and to the farthest source or spring, which first comes from the west to mingle its waters with those of that river; from thence by a straight imaginary line, crossing the lands or running towards the