Page:The history of Grand-Pre by Herbin, John Frederic.djvu/17

Rh befell them, and that their removal from the country was a political necessity. Had all the facts been known, much of it would not have been written. Haliburton, in 1829, only seventy-four years after the French were taken away, wrote a history of Nova Scotia. At that time men were alive who had lived through the scenes of the expulsion. Richard, in 1895, published "Acadia: Missing Links of a Lost Chapter in American History," with the aid of everything that could throw light on the subject. To-day Acadian history is practically reconstructed; and only within a few years has it been possible to give all the facts in regard to that much-mooted question, The Expulsion of the Acadians. Records were lost or destroyed; facts favorable to the people were made to appear against them; and that evidence was sought which would condemn the people forever. Between Haliburton and Richard is a host of writers whose efforts have tended to perpetuate the error that has so darkened the memory of an unfortunate people.

The portion of Acadia about Grand-Pré first occupied by the Acadians, known in earlier history as Mines or Minas, is noted both for the richness of its soil and the loveliness of its farms and orchards. It is also remarkable for its geological formation, having been visited by eminent geologists, while specimens of its curious mineral crystalizations enrich the collections of many colleges and museums. Longfellow's glowing description of its features of varying beauty does not usually disappoint the stranger who comes to Grand-Pré with the lines of the poem still fresh in his memory. Wolfville, only