OUR ISLAND STORY 21

France. Nevertheless De Roma’s activities and expenditures were unabated. Continued progress was reported by him, and hopes were held out that therewould eventually be an abundant return of the money invested by the company. But in the year 1745 there was a sudden stop to all the company’s work; and all the hopes of those connected with the company were dashed. A warship from New England, said to have been a privateer, appeared at the harbor’s mouth. Everyone on the company’s premises at once “took to the woods.” The hostile ship came to anchor opposite Brudenell Point. Part of her crew were im- mediately put ashore “on plunder bent.” They gathered to— gether everything of value that they could find, sent their booty on board their ship, and set fire. to every building on the premises. Literally they left “not a rack behind."

From the woods in which they were hidden, De Roma, his family and servants could see the ruin of all their works and the dissipation of all their hopes. They made their way through the woods to St. Peters and thence took ship to Quebec. Afterwards they went to the West Indies, and eventually they reached France. ,

During the French occupation of this Island successive misfortunes occurred. In the year 1738 a great fire swept the Eastern country destroying much valuable timber. By three successive incursions of mice, bred in the forest, their growing crops were between the years 1724 and 1758, overrun and de- voured: In 1749 a cloud of locusts passed over the land and completely destroyed their crops of grain. Added to the dangers of wild animals in the wilderness there was the dread of invasion by hOstile British cruisers. In the whole course of the war between England and France the settlers were in continual suspense.

The men who ravaged the settlement at Brudenell Point and Three Rivers made haste to set sail for Port La Ioie. There were then in the garrison, only fifteen soldiers and a sergeant under the orders of an ensign. What became of these soldiers has not been stated. According to the record, “before the last war all the country to the left of the entry of Port La Ioie was cultivated ;” now it is not cultivated.