to fortify himself.  The village of Beaubassin, consisting, it is said, of a hundred and forty houses, had been burned in the spring; but there were still in the neighborhood, on the English side, many hamlets and farms, with barns full of grain and hay.  Le Loutre’s Indians now threatened to plunder and kill the inhabitants if they did not take arms against the English.  Few complied, and the greater part fled to the woods.[112] On this the Indians and their Acadian allies set the houses and barns on fire, and laid waste the whole district, leaving the inhabitants no choice but to seek food and shelter with the French.[113]

[Footnote 109:  La Jonquiere himself admits that he thought so.  “Cette partie la etant, a ce que je crois, dependante de l’Acadie.” La Jonquiere au Ministre, 3 Oct. 1750.]

[Footnote 110:  It has been erroneously stated that Beaubassin was burned by its own inhabitants.  “Laloutre, ayant vu que les Acadiens ne paroissoient pas fort presses d’abandonner leurs biens, avoit lui-meme mis le feu a l’Eglise, et l’avoit fait mettre aux maisons des habitants par quelques-uns de ceux qu’il avoit gagnes,” etc. Memoires sur le Canada, 1749-1760.  “Les sauvages y mirent le feu.” Precis des Faits, 85.  “Les sauvages mirent le feu aux maisons.” Prevost au Ministre, 22 Juillet, 1750.]

[Footnote 111:  La Valliere, Journal de ce qui s’est passe a Chenitou [Chignecto] et autres parties des Frontieres de l’Acadie, 1750-1751.  La Valliere was an officer on the spot.]

[Footnote 112:  Prevost au Ministre, 27 Sept. 1750.]

[Footnote 113:  “Les sauvages et Accadiens mirent le feu dans toutes les maisons et granges, pleines de bled et de fourrages, ce qui a cause une grande disette.”  La Valliere, ut supra.]

The English fortified themselves on a low hill by the edge of the marsh, planted palisades, built barracks, and named the new work Fort Lawrence.  Slight skirmishes between them and the French were frequent.  Neither party respected the dividing line of the Missaguash, and a petty warfare of aggression and reprisal began, and became chronic.  Before the end of the autumn there was an atrocious act of treachery.  Among the English officers was Captain Edward Howe, an intelligent and agreeable person, who spoke French fluently, and had been long stationed in the province.  Le Loutre detested him; dreading his influence over the Acadians, by many of whom he was known and liked.  One morning, at about eight o’clock, the inmates of Fort Lawrence saw what seemed an officer from Beausejour, carrying a flag, and followed by several men in uniform, wading through the sea of grass that stretched beyond the Missaguash.  When the tide was out, this river was but an ugly trench of reddish mud gashed across the face of the marsh, with a thread of half-fluid slime lazily crawling along the bottom; but at high tide it was filled to the brim with an opaque torrent