The  English  also  coveted  the  rich  lands  in  pos-
session of  this  simple,  pastoral  people  (see  Aea-
dians),  and  it  was  determined  at  a  council  of  the
local  government  at  Hali&ix:  to  carr;^  out  the
atrocious  proposal  of  Governor  Shirley,  namely,
to  remove  them  in  a  body  from  the  peninsula,
and  distribute  them  among  the  several  English
colonies.  If  they  were  permitted  to  go  to  Can-
ada or  Cape  Breton,  they  would  thus  strengtheu
the  enemies  of  the  English;  to  distribute  them
would  destroy  their  strength  and  prevent  at-
tempts to  return.  To  accomplish 'this,  a  dis-
graceful artifice  was'employed.  The  English  au-
thorities issued  a  proclamation,  ordering  "  both
old  and  young  men,  as  well  as  all  the  lads  of  ten
years  of  age,"  to  assemble  on  Sept.  5,  1755,  at
designated  places.  They  obeyed.  The  proceed-
ings at  one  place  afford  a  fair  picture  of  those
■at  all  others.  At  6rand-Pr6, 418  unarmed  men
■and  youths  were  assembled,  and  marched  into
the  church.  There  General  Winslow  told  them
they  ■  had  been  called  together  to  hear  the  de-
cision of  the  King  of  England  in  regard  to  the
French  inhabitants  of  the  province.  "  Yonr
lauds  and  tenements,'.'  he  said,  "  cattle  of  all
kinds,  and  live  stock  of  aU  sorts,  are  forfeited
to  the  crown,  and  you,  yourselves,  are  to  be
removed  from  this  his  province.  I  am,  through
his  majesty's  goodness,  directed  to  allow  you
.  liberty  to  carry  off  your  money  and  household
goods,  as  mauy  as  yon  can,  without  discom-
moding the  vessels  you  go  in.  Ton  are  now
-the  TcUtg's  pi-uonera."  Every  household  in  Grand-
Pr^  was  tilled  with  coustemation.  At  Grand-
Pr6  alone  1923  men,  women,  and  children
were  driven  on  board  British  vessels  at  the
point  of  the  bayonet.  Fully  2000  were  thus
expelled  from  their  homes  iu  Acadia.  The
men  and  boys  assembled  at  the  church  went
first ;  the  sisters,  wives,  and  daughters  had  to
wait  for  other  transports.  They  marched  from
the  church  to  the  water's  edge,  some  in  sullen
despair,  others  with  hands  clasped  and  eyes  up-
lifted, praying  and  weeping,  and  others  singing
hymns,  while  on  each  side  of  the  sad  procession
was  a  row  of  women  and  children  on  their  knees,
imploring  blessings  upon  the  heads  of  dear  ones.
