diers who settled at Murray Bay in
Nairne's time. There was no disbanding there of a regiment, as tradition
has it. In time the 78th Highlanders were disbanded, but certainly not
at Murray Bay, and, though hundreds of them remained in Canada, only a
few individual soldiers came to Nairne's settlement. Already when he
arrived French Canadians were there and from the first the community was
prevailingly French and Catholic. In 1784 when joined with Les
Eboulements and Isle aux Coudres under a single priest Malbaie already
had 65 communicants. As likely as not some even of the Highlanders were
Catholics. In any case their children became such and spoke French, the
tongue of their mothers; even Nairne's own children spoke only French
until they went to Quebec to school.

When, from time to time, a missionary priest visited the place he
baptized children of Catholic and Protestant alike, including even the
children of the Protestant family in the manor house. The only religious
services that the people ever shared in were those of the Roman Catholic
Church. Nairne would have wished it otherwise. He held sturdy Protestant
views, and wished to bring in Protestant settlers. On one or more of his
visits to Scotland he made efforts to induce Scots to move to Canada.
But he met with no great success. A Scottish friend, Gilchrist, who had
visited Nairne at Murray Bay, writes, in 1775, to express hope that he
will not encourage French settlers who will rob him, who have
"disingenuous, lying, cheating, detestable dispositions," and are the
"banes of society." He adds, "I am glad you give me reason to believe
you are to carry over some industrious honest people from hence with
you. I am convinced 'twere easy by introducing a few such [to bring
about that] the dupes to the most foolish and absurd religion now in the
world might be warmed out and your quiet as well as interest established
from Point au Pique to the Lake."[7] The Roman Catholic faith had more
vitality than Nairne's correspondent supposed. It was Protestantism that
should in time be "warmed out" of Murray Bay.

To prevent this Nairne did what he could; for a long time he entertained
hopes not only that the Protestants at Murray Bay might be held to their
faith but also that the Roman Catholics would be led into the Protestant
fold. His chief complaint against the Roman Catholic Church was in
regard to education. There was woeful ignorance. Nairne was in command
of the lo