THE FALL or LOUISBURQ AND QUEBEC. [3

of the island, says that the population was stated tobe at '- this time ten thousand, but an old Acadian living when he wrote informed him that it could not have exceeded six thousand. A little over four thousand seems to have been the number of inhabitants at this period.* The expulsion ' of the Acadians from Nova Scotia took place in 1755, and many of them having escaped to the island in that year, its ' population must have been nearly doubled by'the influx of fugitives.

The fall of Quebec followed that of Louisburtr g, and by the treaty of Fontainebleau, 1n 1763‘, Cape Breton, the Island of Saint John and Canada were formally ceded to Great B1itain, Cape Breton and the Island of Saint John being placed unde1 the Govel nment of Nova Scotia.

In the year 1764 the B1itish Government 1esolved to have a survey of North America executed, and with that Viewr the continent was divided into two districts,—a northern and southern,— and a Surveyor General appointed for each, to act under instructions from the Lords’ Commissioners for Trade and Plantations. Captain Samuel Holland was ap‘- pointed to superintend the survey of the northern district, which comprehended all the territory in North America, “ lying to the north of the Potowmack River, and of a line drawn due west from the head of the main branch of that river as far as His hIajesty’s dominions extend.” Captain Holland received his commission in March, and was in- structed to proceed immediately to Quebec, in order to make arrangements for the survey. He was instructed to begin with the Island of Saint John. ‘ The governmentvcssel in which Captain Holland had left sighted the Island of Cape

* The Rev. Mr. Snlherland, in his Geography, estimates the population at about four thousand, which corresponds with the estimate of the writer. See History of Nova Scotin, page US.