214 ‘The French in Prince Kdward Island

presents to 289 Indians, bearing arms, from six vil- lages of Acadia and Ile Royale. Apart from the fact that his report shows that a beginning had been made in getting the Indians to choose a permanent home for winter at least, the list itself is interesting. On this occasion he distributed 1200 pounds of powder, 1500 pounds of shot, 20 guns, 2000 flints, 25 blan- kets, 40 axes, and 60 mattocks, the whole valued at almost 2000 livres. T’o the Indians who came from Miramichi and Bay Chaleur he gave four barrels of powder and six quintals of shot.* Though he does not mention the number of families thus supplied it is probable that they were not more than half the num- ber of those who received presents in English Acadia, as the latter received 12 quintals of shot.

In 1722 a census of the Indians of Acadia and [le Royale was made by Pere Gaulin. This shows that the Indians were grouped around ten centers and that the entire population was only 838: 164 heads of families, 101 boys from 12 to 25 years of age, 147 boys under 12, 160 women, 216 girls, and 50 widows. The extraordinary number of widows bears mute testimony to the toll of war and of the wander- ing life.

A report made by St. Ovide to the Minister on November 20, 1727, illustrates the anxiety of the French to prevent the Indians from making friends with the English, the rather ill-concealed violation of neutrality in dealing with those on English terri- tory, and the increasing importance of Isle Saint

8 C11 B, Vol. 5, p. 147.