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from Maugerville, Mr. Simonds wrote to Hazen and White as follows:—
"Gentlemen,—The morning after I wrote you last I had determined to have come down with Dr. Sharman the Thursday following, as I mentioned to Mr. Peabody just as he was setting out, but being attacked the next night by a company of ruffians was obliged to give over all thoughts of leaving my family exposed to the abuses of those worse than savage barbarians. Dr. Sharman not going down as soon as he had appointed, it is probable that Mr. Peabody will have finished his survey before this comes to your hands. The land you mention lying to the eastward of the two grants is promised to Mr. David Fletcher (by the Governor's approbation of his memorial, now in the Secretary's office) as a reward for his services as a subaltern officer in the late war, so that a tract of land can be obtained at that place only through his pretensions, which I have purchased, . . but shall have no objections to your becoming interested on equitable terms. . . . If Mr. Hazen should think proper to apply for the warrant of survey when he is in Halifax on the business of our lands in the several Townships, I will pay my share of his trouble and expence with thanks."
In a subsequent letter Mr. Simonds explained that he was willing Hazen and White should have two-thirds of the lands that were to be conveyed to him by David Fletcher in exchange for an equal number of acres of their lands at Rushagonish, on the Oromocto. This proposal was promptly rejected by Hazen and White who expressed indignation and resentment at Mr. Simonds' proposition, declaring themselves to have quite as good a right as he to the lands lying to the eastward of the second grant, more particularly as the survey of Samuel Peabody, just completed, had con-clusively shown that the largest and best part of the marsh—on which principally their improvements had been made—lay to the east of and therefore outside the bounds of the first two grants. Here was the point of departure for all the heart burning and litigation that ensued; a little forbearance and it might have been avoided.
It is not clear that James Simonds knew that the tract he expected to obtain through Lieut. Fletcher would comprehend that part of the marsh on which