On the Eve of Conquest: The Chevalier de Raymond's Critique of New France in 1754

Notes

46 On The Eve ofthe Conquest Even as an adjective, britannique was reserved by the French for formal use, as in treaties. While the noun Anglais can correctly be translated as "Englishman;' "Briton," or "Britisher" in the singular, and "English(men)" or "British" in the plural, and the adjective anglais as "English" or "British," I have for the most part used the words "English" and "Englishmen" thoughout this book in order to be consistent with Raymond's usage, perception , and time frame.2 Boldface type is used in the translation where Raymond used bold letters . The original spelling of place names and of individuals' names has been retained for the most part. The first time used, however, they are followed by brackets containing alternate eighteenth-century French spellings and the modern English equivalent. Surlaville (or perhaps Raymond) underlined six lengthy portions of the denombrement. It appears that these sections were to be limited to Surlaville's eyes only, not to be presented to the new minister of Marine, Jean-Baptiste Machault d'Arnouville. These marked pages reveal the dishonesty , self-seeking, or poor administration on the part of various officers , government officials, or members of the clergy in New France. The underlining is not reproduced in the translation, but the beginning of each such section is marked with a single boldface asterisk (*) and the end of each is marked with double boldface asterisks (**). The six sections are as follows, identified by their original folio page numbers and, in parentheses , by their NAC transcript page numbers: Folio pages 139 verso - 140 verso (NAC 2907-9) Folio pages 148 recto - 150 recto (NAC 2928-33) Folio pages 159 recto - 160 verso (NAC 2954-58) Folio pages 163 recto - 164 recto (NAC 2964-67) Folio pages 165 recto - 166 recto (NAC 2970-72) Folio pages 169 recto - 169 verso (NAC 2980-81) NOTES 1. Copies of Moodie's translations are in the Library of Michigan in Lansing, the Burton Historical Collection of the Detroit Public Library, and the University of Chicago Library. 2. Linda Colley examines the "profound uncertainty about the workings of the imperial relationship" between the Thirteen Colonies and the mother country in her Britons: Forging the Nation 1707-1837 (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University About the Translation 47 Press, 1992). She posits (135) the "conflicting images" of "Americans as colonists subordinate to the mother country [and] Americans as Englishmen abroad and consequently brethren if those at home . .. [emphasis added]." She cites (136) John Adams's 1775 statement that "The two realms of England and Scotland were, by the Act of Union, incorporated into one kingdom by the name of Great Britain; but there is not one word about America in that Act." If on the eve of the Seven Years' War many Anglo-Americans thought of themselves as English rather than as British, it is reasonable that their Franco-American neighbors thought of them as English as well. Although a case can be made for the use of "British" for Anglais in the present study, I prefer the use of "Englishmen." In the same way, I have translated Raymond's Franrais as "Frenchmen" even though one might say that he was writing about Canadians. ...