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UNIVeiMPr OF TORONTO STUDIES

S, VOL I./

HISTORY;

/• C e^7^r^Mi^

■I /

11?.^

LOUISBOURQ IN I745

;•■: '.v., A ■ '

\
' •" , •;. THE ANONYMOUS

^ LETFRE D'UN HABITANT DE LOUISBOURG

- . . (CAPE BRETON)

" ■■ ■*' •

Containing a narrative by an eye-witness of the siege in 1745

<•>

w-t

EDITED WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

- . - ... \- -' •

GEORGE M. WRONG, M.A.

Profetior of History in the Univertity of Toronto

' - -. : ♦ ■■■

,j,\ • . •

PRINTED FOM THE UNIVERSITY
1897

•'■>> .

f. V

•1

REVIEW OF

HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS

RELATING TO CANADA

Edited hy Geobgb M. Wjiono, li.A., Profeaeor of History vn.
the University of Toronto

VOLUME I Publications of the tear 1896 (mc5lit7Dlw&

SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS OF 1895)

The first number of this Review (krge octavo, 7i x lOJ, pp,
200), is Volume I of the University of Toronto Studies in His-
tory, First Seriea The Review is published annually in Febru-
ary. It is a complete bibliography as well as a critical review
of all the historical publications of the previous year relating to
Canada. Among the Contibutors are the Reverend Abb6
H. R. Casgbain, of Quebec ; J. G. Boubinot, C.M.G., Clerk of
the House of Commons of Canada ; James Bain, Jr., Librarian
of the Toronto Public Library^ and many other*

"A 8^ of Borpriamg aciavity of research and a symbol of Canadian
vadbf^—BoBton Literary World.

*<The b^(iiming of anew and fruitful era in hii[rt;orical criticism."—
Montreal waetU.

Price, in paper cover $1 00

" bound in cloth. .... ..v? i • • • • ♦ 1 26

WILLIAM BRIGGS

29-33 IlicHMOND St. West,

Toronto.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO STUDIES

HIBTOEY; SECOND SERIES, VOL. I., PP. 1-74

LOUISBOURG IN 1745

THE ANONYMOUS

LETTRE DUN HABITANT DE LOUISBOURG

(CArE liRETON)
Containing a narrative by an eye- witness of the siege in 174.5

EDITED WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

r.v
GEORGE M. WRONG, M.A.

Professor of Hittorii in the University of Toronto

PRINTED FOE THE UNIVERSITY

1S97

roRoxro
WARWICK BROS & RUTTER,

im.

^ 2,

INTRODUCTION

The sie^e and capture of Louisbourg in Cape Breton in 1745
by New England militia, supported by a British fleet, was the
first important event in America in the renewed war between
Great Britain and France after the long peace which Walpole
had succeeded in maintaining. On May 13/24, 1744,^ the
French seized the fishing station of Canso, opposite to Cape
Breton on the Nova Scotian coast, and this was the first inti-
mation which the English colonies received that war had
broken out. They were greatly stirred by the news. French
privateers soon made their commerce unsafe, and the bold plan
was conceived of sending a militia force in the early spring of
1745 to attack the French fortress of Louisbourg.

Louisbourg was regarded as the strongest strategic point
which France posse.' ?ed in America. When forced to yield
Newfoundland to Great Britain in 1713, the French had
retained the two islands, Cape Breton (Isle Royale), and Prince
Edward (Isle St. Jean), to serve the double purpose of providing
a refuge for the French inhabitants forced to leave Newfound-
land, and of securing to France tlie possibility of erecting a
strong military and naval post in the North Atlantic, which
should command the approaches to the St. Lawrence and Can-
ada, still held by her, and serve also as a protection to French
commerce in more southern seas. After much deliberation the
stronghold had been erected near the south-eastern extremity
of the Island of Cape Breton. The situation had many advan-
tages. There was a good harbour, easily defended, and the fort-
ress, now only a ruin, was built on a peninsula difficult of access
from the landward side. Louisbourg cost the French Court enor-
mous sums. It lodged in 1745 between three and four thousand

^ Collection de Manuterils III : 201 (Quebec, 1884).

people. The British held the mainland (called by them Nova
Scotia, by the French, Acadia) lying across the Strait of
Canso, and it was almost inevitable that this proximity should
result in conflict. The English colonies had been very nervous
when they saw France menacing them from Louisbourg, and
the proposal to attack the place appealed to a strong instinct
of self-preservation.

The present narrative is the only unofficial account of the
siege, from the French standpoint, that we possess.* The
writer is unknown to us. Although the structure and the
language of the Letter alike show that he was not a literary
man, his style is often striking and vigorous. He was at
Louisbourg througliout the seige and, when the fortress fell,
he was among those sent to France by the victoriotis British.
Shortly after his arrival he completed this Letter, and it was
soon pul)liHhod, no doubt in France, either by him.self or by
the friend who is nominally responsible for printing it. The
statement on the titlo-pago that the 1xx)k was printed " A
Qui^'lioc, Chez Guillaume lo Sincere " is entirely misleading. No
books, or even newspapers, were printed at Quelxic until after

* ( )tHci;il rc[)t>rtH woro made hy the French (lovernor Du Chimibon,
;uhI ))y the Comptroller Bigot. Tlie report of tlie fomier is printed in Col-
lection de Maniutcrita III : '237-257 (Quebec, 1884) juul in Parknian, Half
Ctuhn-ij <>t Coiifirt, II : 299-320 (Boston, 1892). Some of the New Eng-
land force kept diaries, wliich have been preserved. Copious bibliographies '
relating to the siege of Louisbourg in 1745 will be found in The Ncnrative J
and Criticcd Ilistunj of America, edited by Justin Winsor, Vol. V., pp.
434-448 (Boston and New York, 1887), and in J. (i. Bourinot's Cajie "
Breton i}\). 140-152 (Montreal, 1892). The notes in Parkman's Half Cea- "
turij of C<»ijlict (II : 78-KUj are a useful bibliographiod guide. The '^
Report on Canadian Arehiren, lt-8(), l)y Douglas Brynnier, (Ottawa. 1887),
contanis a large map of Louisbourg from (Jridley's plan, and the li^portH
for 1887 and 1894 contain Calendars of many documents relating
to the events of 1745 in Cape Breton. The recently tli.scovered Jonriial
of Captain William I'otc, Jr., (New York, 189<)). is a highly interesting |
narrative of events in Nova Scotia contemporaneous with the siege "
of Louisbourg.

the British conquest (1763). The Letter is a strong imlictuient
of French colonial policy, and the printer was anxious that
his identity should be concealed. Perliaps the author was
eijually anxious to be unknown to the public, and the initials
" B. L. N." appended to the Letter nmy be fictitious. On the
other hand, the author may have been known to the Minister of
Marine, Maurepas. Otherwise probably he would not have
been at such pains to defend and flatter him (p. 71).
The writer says that he had seen other French colonies and
had noted evils there similar to those in Cape Breton. He
was himself, apparently, a merchant and he condemns with
much bitterness the small salaries paid by the French Court
to those in its employ, and the consequent temptation to en-
gage in trade which this involved. We know that in Canada the
Governor, Intendant, and other oflicials frequently eked out
their pay by commercial enterprises. They were, in con-
sequence, too likely to make their mercantile undertakings
and not the interests of France the paramount consideration.
At Louisbourg the selfish conduct of the trading oflBcers helped
to cause a mutiny among the men, and one of the causes that
contributed to the French failure was the consequent distrust,
which the officers felt, of the regular troops under their
command.

The present author writes of course from a French stand-
point. He exaggerates the numbers on the British side, and
also the friction between Warren the naval connnander and
Pepperrell the leader of the New England militia force. The
British losses during the siege are also greatly overstated.
Though he admires the English love of liberty, he is unable to
understand the self-government of the colonies, which he
regards as a fantastic feature of the English system. The
commercial rivalry between the French and the English is
much in his mind and he is conscious of France's decline as a
naval power, the results of which became so conspicuous in

the course of this nnd succowling wars with Great Britain.
Unlike Enj^lish writers of the periiKl he gives the Indians a
high character for unselfish devotion.

Printed copies of the Letter are extremely rare. There is
one in the Bibliotlu'cjue Nationale at Paris. Parkman was
unable to find a copy in the British Museum or upon this side
of the Atlantic, and had the Paris volume copied for his use
in writing A Half Century of Conjiict. He printed copious
extracts from the letter in the appendix to this work, but
necessarily omitted much that ii of interest. An exemplar of
the original edition is in the Library of Parliament at Ottawa,
and Dr. J. G. Bourinot, Clerk of the House of Commons, also
possesses a copy. The volume (4xG) contains eighty -one pages,
and is printed in large, clear type, on thin, but good, paper. It
has numerous typographical errore. The most obvious of
these have been corrected in the present edition, but otherwise
the original text has been exactly reproduced. The spelling
and the use of accents are very capricious. An English trans-
lation has been added for the convenience of many interested
in the sources of colonial history and yet without facility in
reading French.

The Editor desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to the
Reverend Abb6 H. R. Casgiain, Professor of History in Laval
University, Quebec, who has kindly furnished him with a
copy of his MS. made from the original edition of the Letter
in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris ; to Professor Squair,
of University College, Toronto, for suggestions and corrections
in regard to the translation ; to Dr. J. G. Bourinot for the
use of his copy of the original edition to correct the proofs ;
and to the Honourable G. W. Ross, Minister of Education for
the Province of Ontario, for provision for publication.

University of Toronto,
May, 1897.

LETTER OF AN INHABITANT

LOUISBOURG

CONTAINING A HISTORY

EXACT AND CIRCUMSTANTIAL OF THE TAKING OF

CAPE BRETON BY THE ENGLISH

Imanire if nil est '/

QUEBEC

PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM THE SINCERE AT THE SIGN OF TRUTH

MDCCXLV

LETTRE DUN HABITANT
DE
LOUISBOURG,

^ CONTENANT UNE RELATION

EXACTE ET CIRCONSTANCIEE DE LA PRISE DE
L'ISLE-ROYALE, PAR LES ANGLAIS.

Insanire quid eat /

A QUEBEC,

CHEZ GUILLAUME LE SINCERE, 1 l'iMAGE DE LA Ytunt

M.DCC.XLV.

ADVERTISEMENT OF THE PRINTER.

This letter having fallen into my hands, I have thought it
a duty to print it because of the service which it ought to
accomplish for the other Colonies which have the same abuses.
When the Court learns the truths contained in the letter which
I now publish it will, doubtless, put their affairs in order and save
other establishments, not less useful to the French than the one
which the English have just seized, from meeting with a similar
fate. It is to be feared that unhoped for success will lead the
English on to further ventures. Already the trade which makes
France so prosperous has suffered much ; renewed losses would
ruin it utterly. What more powerful motive could we have to
weigh all these things ? It is this that has led me to have no hesi-
tation in printing this truthful letter. Some persons may take
offence because their reputation or that of their relatives is not
spared. But why did they not discharge their trust better ?
The justice due to those who know how to fulfil their duty
would then have been rendered to them.

AVERTISSEMENT DE L'IMPRIMEUR

Cette lettre m'^tant tomb^e entre lea mains, j'ai crft la devoir imprimen
par I'utilit^ qui en doit r^jaillir sur les autres Colonies. Lea abus y sont les
memes : La Cour dtant inform^e des v^rit^s contenues dans la Lettre que
je donne au Public, y mettra sans doute ordre, & empecheni par- la (|i'.'il
n'en arrive autant k d'autres dtablissemens, non moins utiles aux Frangais,
que celui dont les Anglais viennent de s'emparer. II est a craindrc (ju'un
succes inesp^r^ ne les porte d'entreprises en entreprises. Le Commerce
de la France, qui la rend si florissante, a deja beaucoup souffert : De
nouvelles pertes le ruineroient entierement: Quel plus puissant motif
pourrions-nous avoir pour passer sur toutes ces considerations ! C'est ce
4] (lui m'a determines a ne point balancer sur riniprcsi|sion de cette
Lettre Veridique. Quelques personnes pourront s'ofl'enser de ce que
leur reputation, ou cello de lours parens, n'y est point ni^nag^e. Mais
pourquoi n'ont-elles pas mieux fait lour devo.i I On leur eftt rendu la
justice que Ton rend a (jui squ le remplir.

*The French
victory of
Fontenoy, on
May 11th.
1745, and the
subsequent
capture of
Toumay,
Ghent, Bruges
and other
places. -Ed.

LETTER OF AN INHABITANT
OF LOUISBOURG

I thank you, Sir and very dear friend, for the interest you
take in the misfortune which has happened to me. If it
liad come upon myself alone I should feel it much less. I have
not so much to complain of as have a multitude of miserable
people, stripped of everything and without resources, who
will be obliged to beg for a living if the Court does not pro-
vide for them, — sad results of a war in which we appear to
be the only unfortunates! The first news of the conquests of
our August Monarch* which we learn as we disembark are in
truth well fitted to fill the whole kingdom with pure and
ecstatic joy. But how can we share it without alloy, over-
whelmed as we are with the most terrible reverses and despoiled

LETTRE D'UN HABITANT
DE LOUISBOURG

Je V0U8 remercie, Monsieur & tres-cher ami, de la part que vous prenes
au malheur qui m'est arriv^. S'il ne retomboit que sur moi seal, j'y serois
beaucoup moins sensible. Je ne suis pas tant k plaindre qu'une foule de
miserables, denu^s de tout & sans ressource, (jui, si la Cour n'y pour-
voit, vont etre contraints de mandier leur subsistance : Tristes effets d'une
guerre qui semble n'etre malheureuso que pour nous ! Les premieres
nouvelles des Conquetes de notre Auguste Monarque, que nous apprenons
en debarquant, sont, a la v^rit^, bien capables do combler tout le Royaume
6] d'une joye pure it excessive. Mais comment la pou||vons-nous gouter
sans melange, accables des plus affreux rovers, et depoiiilles doa bions qui

of the possessions whicli were the fruit of many years' labour ?
We are unfortunate in tliis respect, that the English, who up
to present time have not been able to succeed against the
French, have made a beginning with us. May our loss mark
the only progress which they will make this year ! It is not
the least vexation felt by subjects as zealous as we are.

The first cause of our misfortune is, no doubt, the weakness
of our wretched colony, but one cannot help admitting that
the numerous mist.akes which were made may have contributed
as much or more. I recommend you to keep secret what I am
going to unveil to you ; in any case I beg you at least not to
reveal my name. It is often unsafe to tell the truth, and
especially with the artless candour which will guide my pen.
For a long time we were not unaware that a secret enter-
prise against us was in preparation in New England.* Every

' \A hat is called New England \i a country of Southern America (sic). It is
hounded on the north by New France, on the south by New York or the New
Netherlands, on the ea«t by the North Sea or the ocean. The aborigines of New
England are the Almouchiquois. Boston is the capital.

etoient le fruit du travail de plusieurs annees ? Nous sommes malheureux
au point, que les Anglois ont commence par nous, & qu'ils n'avoient jusqu'a
present pft reussir contrc les Francjois. II faut que notre perte soit peut-
6tre les seuls progr^s (ju'ils feront de cette annee ! Ce n'est pas le moindro
chagrin que ressentent des sujets aussi zel6s que nous le sommes.

La source de notre infortune est, sans contredit, la foiblesso de notre
deplorable colonie : mais on ne pent s'empecher de convenir, (jue les fautes
nonibreuses ciui ont ete connnises, n'y ayent autant ou plus contribue.

Je vous recommande le secret sur tout ce que je vais vous devoiler, ou
je vous prie, du moins, de tiire nion nom. Tl est souvent dang^reux de
dire la verity, & de le faire avec cette candeur ingunue qui va diriger ma
plume.

Nous n'ignorions point depuis long-tems, qu'il se tramoit une entre-
7] prise secrette contre nous, h, la II Nouvelle Awjleterre. ' Tons les joura

1 On appelle Nouvelle Angleterre, une Contrive de I'AnK'riqne Mt'ridionale.
Elle est born^e on Nord par la Nouvelle-France, au Midi par la Nouvelle York, ou le
nouveau Fais-Bas, & au Levant par la Mer du Nord, ou I'Ocean. Les habitant
naturela de la Nouvelle Angleterre sont les Almouchiquois. La Capitate est
Baaton.

day we were in receipt of information that they were arming

along tlie whole coast, and we were certain that this could only

• The author uiean some design upon Cape Breton.* There was then abund-

ases invari- . a t i

ably the ant time to take measures for protection against the threatened

French name, x o

J$ie Royaie. danger; something wtis done, but not all that should have been.
-—Ed.

Our situation, on the verge of a pressing danger, was indicated

to the Court by what happened regarding the vessels Ardent

and Caribou. We were seeking prompt succour. Even if we

had not asked for this, our weakness, obvious and faithfully

explained to the Minister, ought to have procured it for us.

Our colony was sufficiently important ; without it Canada is

exposed and difficult to hold.

The two ships of war of which I have just spoken ought
to be blamed in the first instance. If their commanders would
have consented to aid in an easy expedition against Acadia we
should have ruined the English in that country and made it
impossible for them to plan the project which they have accom-
plished. But an abuse prevails in the Navy of France against
which it is difficult to protest too much, though the pro-
tests are always in vain. Most of the officers of the King's

nous recevions de secrets avis qu'on armoit le long de la Cote : Cela ne
pouvoit regarder que VIsle-Royale nous en etions certains. On eut done
tout le loisir de prendre des precautions, pour se mettre h I'abri du peril
qui nous nienaijoit ; on le fit aussi ; mais on ne prit pas toutes celles qui
convenoient.

La situation ounous etion?, k la veille d'un danger pressant, fut mar-
quee a la Cour par I'occasion des Vaisseaux V Ardent & le Karibou. Nous
sollicitions un promt secours. (Juand nous ne I'aurions pas fait, notre
foiblesse apparente & tidelement exprimee au Ministre, devoit nous le
procurer. Notre colonie etoit d'une asses grande importance : sans elle,
le Canada est expose, & il n'est pas aise de le conserver. ||

8] La premiere faute doit etre attribute aux deux Vaisseaux de guerre
dont je viciis de parler. Si leurs Commandans eussent voulu se preter k
une expedition f».ni\e sur VAcadu; nous ruinions les Anglois de ces cantons,
& les mettionr '^tat de songer au projet qu'ils ont execute. Mais il

regne un abus , la Marine de France, contre lecjuel on ne sqauroit trop
crier, et contre loi}uel on crie toujours vainenient : la plftpart des Offi-

ships, induced by the love of gain, carry on trade operations,
although this is forbidden by the ' dinances of His Majesty,
It is impossible to conceive how greatly commerce suffers from
this, nor does the service gain anything. Presumably, all this
is unknown to the Minister, who has only the glory of his
master in view; persons who are near him, liowever, have
quite different motives, for a share in this base traffic gives
them a pretext for self -justification and for concealing it from
him.

It was only necessary to appear before this English colony,
the neighbour of our unhappy island, and to land a few men.
But, while this was being done, the trade ventures would have
been neglected and the general welfare, that of the State,
would have interfered with individual interests,^ and this
would have been contr-^' „o received usage in a corps whicli,
far from working .am the merchants, ought to protect
them. Forgive these strong expressions ; although har.sli
they are true.

'' This example has become contagious in all our colomcs, where the Reneral*,
far from protecting commerce, are the first to injure it. They enrich themselves
chiefly in the foreign trade which is so injurious to that of the subjects of the
King. I speak here as an eye witness.

ciers ilea Vaisseiiu-x du Rf>i, livres a I'ivpiuis du gain, font le metier
de Miirchiinds, (iuoi(|ue cola leiir suit interdit par les Ordonuances do
Sa MA.iKsTt: On n'iniagineroit jamais cumliion le conmierce en soullre,
le service n'y gagno pas davantage. II esi hien a pre.sunier <)uo c'e.st a
rins(;u du Ministro, (jui n'a (|ue la gloire do sun maitro en vue : d'autres
motifs animent les porsonnes ((ui Tapprfichent, dent la part dans ees
honteux tratics, sert k les autori.ser, & k lui en derolier la connoi.ssance.

II ne falloit (pie se presenter devant cotte colonie Angk)ise, voisino do
9] notre mallieurouse Isle, i^i: y dthaniner pen do mtmde. Mais, dunuit p
ce terns, les pacotilles auroient ete negligees, t^- I'interet general, eelui de
I'Etat, TeAt emporte sur le particulier :" ce ((ui auroit ete cuntraire a
I'usage roQU dans un C(>r])s, (jui devniit i)niteger les Negocians, loin de
travailler a leur mine. Passes-moi <piel([Ues traits de eette force ; ils .«ont
vrais, <iU()i(|ue diirs.

" Get example est devenu conlagieux dans toutes nos ColDnies ofi les Gendr-
aiix, loin de soutenir le commerce, sent les premiers h lui porter prejudice : lis
B'enrichissent pour la plilpart dans le commerce ecranger, qui est si nuisible ;i celui
des SujetB du Roi. Je parle ici comme tumoin oculaire.

In place of tliis expedition, which would have protected us
from a misfortune that the State oui^ht to feel no less than
we, they amused themselves by wastincr time in useless dis-
putes. These resulted on the part of the captains of the royal
ships (MM. Maichin and de la Sauzai) in persistence in their
refusal and on that of our Governor ("M. du Quesnel) in a
complaint aojainst their conduct, which indeed it would not be
easy to justify.

In seizing Acadia we should have freed oursiilvcs from the
menace of enemies dangerously near and det-troyed a con-
siderable portion of the facilities which they made use of
against us. The naval commanders argued that they had not
the orders of the Court, — as if it was necessary for all the sub-
jects of the King to have special orders before keeping his
enemies from doing him injury, when it was so easy to take
from them the means. M. du Quesnel could not induce them
to support the enterprise; in vain did he assert his official
authority. It was necessary for him to think of carrying
throuorh the matter alone. Would to God that he had aban-
doned this mad undertaking or that he had never thouo-ht of
this or of the preceding one, of which I shall speak presently.

Au lieu de cette expedition, qui nous eftt mis a couvert d'un malheur
auqucl I'Etat ne doit pas Stre moins sensible que nous, on s'amusa a
perdre du terns en disputes inutiles : elles aboutirent de la part des Capi-
taines des Vaisseaux du Roi (MM. Maichin, tO de la Sauzai) k persistcr
dans leur refus, et de la part de notre Gouverneur {M. dn Quesnel) k se
plaindre de leur procede ; qu'il ne seroit pas en effot, bien aise de justifier.

10] En enlevant I'Acadio aux enne||mis, nous nous otions I'inquiotude
d'un dangereux voisinage, & nous detruisions une grando partie des
moyens dont I'ennemi s'est servi contre nous. Ces Messieurs se retran-
choient sur ce qu'ils n'avoient point les Ordres de la Cour, conime s'il en
falloit de particuliers h tous les sujets du Roi pour empecher ses ennemis
de faire du mal, en leur en otant les moyens, lorsque la chose est si facile.
Mr. du Quesnel ne put les engager i\ appuyer son entreprise ; en vain
reclama-t-il I'autorit^ dont il etoit depositaire. II lui fallut penser a se
tirer seul d'affaire. Plut k Dieu ! qu'il eftt renonce a cette folle entre-
prise, ou qu'il n'y eftt jamais songe, non plus qu'k cello qui I'avoit precedee,
& que je raconterai bien-tot.

■f

The ill-success which followed . this enterprise is rightly
regarded as the cause of our loss. The English would perhaps
not have troubled us if we had not first affronted them. It is
our love of aggression which has cost us dearly ; I have heard
more than one of our foes say this, and it seems to me only too
likely. It was the interest of the people of New England to
live at peace with us and they would undoubtedly have done so
if we had not been so ill-advised as to disturb the security
which they felt in regard to us. They expected that both sides
would hold aloof from the cruel war which had set Europe
on fire, and that we, as well as they, should remain on the defen-
sive only. Prudence required this, but that she does not always
rule the actions of men we, more than any others, have demon-
strated.

As soon as our Governor learned of the declaration of war he
formed vast projects which have resulted in our present
misfortune. God keep his soul in peace ! Poor man, we owe
him little ; he was whimsical, changeable, given to drink, and
when in his cups knowing no restraint or decency. He had
affi'onted nearly all the officers of Louisbourg and destroyed

Le mauvais succ^s dont cette entreprise a et^ suivie, est envisage, avec
raison, commo la cause de notre perte. Los Anglois ne nous auroient
peut-etre point inquiet^s, si nous n'eussions ^te les pi'emiers a les insulter.
Notre <jualite d'agresseurs nous a ete funeste ; je I'ai oiii conter a plus
d'un ennemi, & je n'y vois que trop d'apparence. II

11] Les habitans de la nouvelle Angleterre etuient interesses k vivre en
paix avec nous. lis I'eussent sans doute fait, si nous ne nous etions point
avisos mal k propos, de les titer do cette securite ou ils (Jtoient a notre
egard. Ils coniptoiont quo de part Sc d'autre, on ne prondroit aucun parti
dans cette cruelle guerre (jui a mis I'Europe on feu, it que nous nous tien-
drions comme eux, sur la soule defensive. La prudence le dictoit ; niais
elle n'est pas toujours la regie des actions des homnies : nous I'avons plus
eprouv(5 (jue qui que co soit.

D6s quo notre Gouverneur eut squ la declaration de la guerro, il forma
de vastea projets, qui ont abouti au malheur qui nous est arrive. Dieu
garde son ame en paix ! c'6toit un pauvre Sire, a (jui nous n'avons gueres
d'obligation : homme capricieux, inegal, sujet k boire, et ne C(jnnoissiint
dans le vin ni niesures ni bienseances. II avoit choque presque tous les

'■y

their authority with the soldiers. It was because his affairs
were in disorder and he was ruined that he had been given the
government of Cape Breton. The foolish enterprise against
Canso, which I shall describe presently, and from which they
tried in vain to dissuade him, is the first cause of the loss of
a colony so useful to the King.

How different was M. du Quesnel from his predecessor !
•M. de Forant This was M. Forant,* the son of a vice-admiral and the irrandson

died in 1740. , ^

—Ed. of an admiral of Denmark. His grandfather migrated very

young on account of his religion. M. Forant had entered the
navy when young and knew his profession. By his kindness
and humanity he deserved to lead men. They feared liim
because they loved him. When he came from France he had
great plans for the development of the colony of which the
King had made him Governor. He died, however, at the end
of nine or ten months, and wlien he died he left a sum of
thirty thcjUKund livres for educating and bringing up young
ladies, daughters of otficers dying at Louisljoiu'g. This sum is
in Paris and only the income from it is used. It is said that
a sister of this charitable Governor will attempt to overturn
this good settlement, but it is to be lioped that she will fail

Ofticicrs de Lonisbonnj, & lus muttdit en eoniproinis jivec les Kuldats. Le
12] desurdre de ses aflhires lui nvoit f;iit donner le Gouvernejlment de
risle Ituy.ile. II etoit riiiiie. Lii folle entreprise de Cinccav.>; ijue je vais
tiiiit-i'id'heiire decrire, et dent on voidut envain le detoui-ner, est la pre-
miere cause de la perte d'une Colonie si utile an Roi.

Que M. Du (JiiuHiii'l ditleroit deson preilecesseur I M. Forent, auquel
il avoit succede, etoit tils dun C'hef-d'Eseadre, \- petit-tils d'un Amiral de
Danneniarc. Son grand-jiere y avoit i)asse fort ;eune, jji^ur cause de
Religion. M. Forent avoit commence a servir jeune dans la Marine, it il
sijavoit son metier. II meritoit, par sa douceur et son humanite deconduire
les hommes. On le craignoit i)aree <iu'on I'ainioit. En partant de France
il avoit de grandes vfies pom- faire fleurir la Colonie dont le Roi I'avoit
nonnne Gouverneur. Mais il mourut au bout de neuf ou dix mois. II
legua en mourant une sonnue de trente mille livres, pour instruire it
clever de jeunes Demoiselles, tilles d'Officiers morts a Lonisbourg. Cette
somme est a Paris, et Ton n'en prend (|ue le revenu. On dit ((u'une
i;i] Sieur de ce charitable Gouverneur va ten] ter de detruire un aussi bel

in a design ho contrary to the well-being of the State and of
Religion, which are ecjually benefited.

Too nmch prudence can not be shown in the choice of
Governors for the colonies. As they are the soul of these
establishments it is of infinite consequence that their senti-
ments should correspond to the dignity of the Prince whom
they represent. But it is obvious that too many of them act
from unworthy motives. In the proper place, how many
things would I have to say on this point! Some day, perhaps,
I shall have occasion to make public what I have learned
in the course of my journeys to several of our colonies.

The ambition of M. du Quesnel WJis to distinguish himself May 10
against the English. To realize this noble and daring design
he armed a schooner (goelette ') of fourteen guns, and a bateau *,
upon which he put about six hundred men, soldiers and sailors,
to go first and seize the little island of Canso. This was to be
the signal of a breach with our neighbours, the English. His

'•^ A speciea of »hip of peculiar construction, with raking maats which help her
speed.

* A little ship with one mast, much used in America.

etablisseniont ; mais il eat k souhaiter (ju'elle echouii dans un dessein si
contraire au bien de I'Etat & a la Religion, (jui y trouvent un ^gal
avantage.

On ne s^auroit apporter trop de sagesse dans le choix des Gouveniours
que Ton donne aux Colonies. Comme ils en sont I'ame, il est d'une con-
sequence infinie que leurs sentiniens repondent a la dignite du Prince {ju'ils
representent. Mais on n'en voit que trop se conduire par les plus indig-
nes motifs. Que j'aurais de choses a dire la-de.ssus, si e'en ^toitici le lieu !
J'aurai peut-etre occasion quehjue jour de rendre public ce ({ue je serais k
cet egard, recueilli de mes differens voyages dans plusieurs de nos
Colonies.

L'envie de M. Du Quesnel etoit de se distinguer centre les Anglais. 10.
Pour ^fectuer ce noble & hardi projet, il arnia une Goualette" yr^^
14] de II quatorze canons, & un Batteau,* sur lesquels il mit environ
six cens hommes, soldats et mattelots, pour s'aller d'abord emparer de la
petite Isle de Canceaux. Ce devoit etre le signal de rupture avec les

' Eapece de Navire d'une construction ainguli^re, & d'une mature renvers^e,
qui contribue a le faire bien marcher.

* Petit Navire qui n'a qu'un rndt, & dont on ee sert beaucoup dans i'Amerique.

* April 11th,
1718.-ED.

force Boon came back victorious. The enterpris'!, so much
belauded, was in truth not worthy of our attention ; we did not
gain what it cost. The English established upon this little
island were, indeed, without the least defence. They did not
know that we were at war with their nation, for we had been
the first to hear of the declaration ; they did not even suspect
that they might be attacked. The island, moreover, was not lor-
titled, England having never taken any trouble to strengthen it.
Some of her subjects had built a wretched town, which we burned.

This is how that expedition resulted for which its author
would have believed himself to deserve the honours of a
triumph ! Encouraged by this feeble success, our Governor
aspired to a more substantial victory. Unable to get help
from the commanders of the Ardent and the Caribou he was
still not disconcerted, but resolved alone to attain the success of
taking Acadia. He even appeared pleased that his glory
should be shared by no one else.

You are aware, Monsieur, that Acadia formerly belonged to
us, and that we ceded it to the English by the Treaty of
Utrecht.* It is even yet peopled by the old French inhabitants

Anglais, nos voisins. Son armee rovint bientot victorieuse. Cotte entr^-
prise, qu'on a tant fait sonner, ^toit en verite peu digne que Ton s'y
arr^tat : On auroit d<i regretter jusrju'aux frais qu'elle nous a cofttes. En
effet, les Anglais ^tablis sur cette petite Isle etoient sans la moindre
defense ; ne songeant pas mSme qu'ils dussent etre attaquez, parce qu'ils
ignoroient que nous fussions en guerre avec laur nation. Nous en avions
^t^ les premiers instruits : D'ailleurs, cette Isle n'etoit rien moins que
fortifi^e ; I'Angleterre ne s'en etant jamais mise en peine. Quelques-uns
de ses Sujets y avoient forme un miserable Bourg, que nous brMames.
Voilk k quoi se termina cette expedition, pour laquelle celui qui en 6toit
15] I'Auteur auroit || crd devoir meriter les honneurs du triomphe.

Ce foible bucc^s encourageant notre Govemeur, il aspira k une Victoire
plus solide. Ne pouvant obtenir de secoura des Commandans de I'Ardent
et du Karibou, il ne se deconcerta point ; mais resolut de venir seul k bout
de prendre I'Acadie. II paroissoit meme flate de n'en avoir k partager la
gloire avec personne.

Vous sqavez, MoN.siEUK, que TAcadie nous a autrefois appartenu, & que
nouB I'avons ct^dee a I'Anglais, per la paix d'Utrecht. Elle est m^me

]

who occupied the country. It was upon tiiis fact that M. do
Quesnel baaed his plan, and he certainly made no niiHtake. We
r^ have experienced that they are still French at heart. Would

* not this fact cause our concjuerors to desire that not a

Frtiuclunan should remain in Cape Breton ? It is, indeed,
extremely difficult for a people to renounce allegiance to a
power such as France, where reign monarchs whose virtues are
so famous and who know how to secure the atlection of their
.subjects.

In July M. du Quesnel sent M. du Vivier, a company captain,

with orders to go by land to Baie Verte. This officer had two

others with him from the garrison of Louisbourg, and he took

also two more at St. John Island.* These five officers had a band 'Now Prince

Edward

of only ninety regular soldiers, but on their way they Wand.— Ed.
collected from three to four hundred Indians and arrived
before Annapolis+ (Port Royal *) with their little army. Their +The English
camp was well situated. It was placed upon a hill, high I'ort Royal
enough to be able to command the town, to which they were so and it was

henceforth

called
' This i« the name of the Fort which is the one defence that Acadia has. It Annapolis by
was built by us. them.— Ed.

encore peuplee des ancions habitana Francois, qui roccupuient. C'est sur
quoi SB fondoit M. du Quosnol, il est. stir qu'il ne s'abusoit point. Nous
avons 6prouv(5 qu'ils conservont encore un cceur Fran^ais. No seroit-ce
point ce qui auroit oblij;5e noa Vainqueurs, k ne vouloir pas (ju'aucun de
nous soit demeuri^ dans I'lsle-Royale ? II est elfectivement bien difficile
de renoncer k une domination comrae celle de France, oil regnent des
Monarques, dont les vertus eont si connuijs, & qui s^avent s'aciju^rir la
16] coeur de leurs Sujets. II

Au mois de Juillet, M. du Quesnel fit partir le sieur du Vivier,
Capitaine de Compagnie, avec ordre de se rendre par terre jusqu'kia Baye
Verte. Get Officier en avoit deux autres avec lui, de la gamison de Louis-
bourg ; il en prit encore deux k I'lsle de St. Jean. Ces cinq Otficiers
n'avoient que quatre-vingt dix homnies de troupes reglees : mais ils
rassemblerent sur leur route environ trois k quatre cens Sauvages, & se
rendirent devant le Port- Royal', avec cette petite armee. Leur camp
fut tr^s-bien assis. lis le placerent sur une coline, assez 41ev^e pour

° Ainsi s'appelle le Fort, qui est la seule defense qu'ait I'Acadie; C'eit doob
qui ravoDB oonstruit.

near that tliey could alinoHt see and speak witli those inside
the fort. The French' subjects of Great Britain received them
with demonstrations of sincere joy, and thnni^'hout rendered
whatever services were in their power. M. du Vivier had
caused them to make bidders, to V)e ust^d on the walls of
the fort in case there was a thought of entering it by assault,
and they worked at these with all the zeal that one could
expect from the most faithful subjects.

As orders had been given to treat them with great consiflera-
tion, and they deserved it, they were carefully paid for
everything. The Governor of the Fort, after our force had
retired, told them that since France had paid them for the
lad<lers which they had made it was proper that England should
pay them to destroy them ; and in fact they were employed to
do this.

The appearance of the French before Annapolis so frightened
the Governor that he promised to surrender the Fort, without
firing a shot, as soon as he should see appear the two vessels, with
the coming of which they had menaced him. We were a long
time before the place without anything happening on the one

" This is to speak improperly, the French of Acadia being rather neutrals.

pouvoir commander au Fort, dont ils etx)ient hI pr^H (ju'cn pouvoit prosque
80 voir & se parlor. Los Frani^ais " sujets de la Grrtndo-Br^ltagno, les
roQurent avec des demonstrations d'une joye sincere, & lour oiit toujours
17] rendu les services qui II ont pft depondro d'oux. Lo Sieur du Vivior
leur a fait faire des {^chelles pour appliquer k la muraillo du Fort, au cas
qu'il f (it (juestion d'en venir k I'assaufc ; & ils y ont travaill^ avoc tout le
z^lo (ju'on pout attondre du plus fidele sujet. Commo on avoit recom-
mando de les traitor avec de grands egards, (ju'ils le meritoient, tout leur
a ^t^ exactemont pay6. Lo Gouvernour du Fort, apr6s la retraite des
notres, leur dit k cetto occasion, (jue, pnisque la France les acoit payds
pour les echclles qn'ils avoK.tt faites, il e'toU naturel qne I'Angleterrc lea
paydt pour les defaire. On les y occupa en effet.

L'arrivee des Fran^ais devant lo Port-Royal intimida tellement le
Gouvernour, qu'il i)romit do reniettre le Fort sans tirer, des qu'il verroit
pai'oitre doux Vaissoaux dont on I'avoit nienac^. Nous fumes longtems en

/*.

" Cast parler improprement, les Fran(;aia de I'Acadie ^tant pltttdt neutrea.

...

side or the otluT. Our people ^ot rejidy to attack an Hoon as
the Hhips HhouM appear, and, in c»iHe the eneniy Hhonld attcnjpt
a defence, tht-y had caiwed the HettU'rs to pn-pare for tlietn
arrows, provided with an artifice for i;;nitini,' fire, of whicli they
had already made trial. M. du Vivier was relieved of the
command by M. de Oanas, another captain of a free company,
who had left Lonishour;,' later. This second commnntler
mano'uvred hadly. < )ut of patience Ijecause the ships for wliich
he was waitinij did not come, he imprudently ahaiKloned the
investnjent and retired more than fifty leagues inland. It wjw
this that caused the expedition to fail.

The cause of the delay of the two ships intended for this
entei-prise, was, at first, the dispute of the Governor with the
commanders of the Ardent and the Caribou. M. du Quesnel
always Hattered himself that he should fjain them over. S»\'ing
that they were infiexihle, he took his own course, which was
to arm a merchant ship of La Rochelle, named the Atlan, to-
tfether with a brigantine,^ the Tempest. But he had not the satis-
faction of seeing them sail, for he died suddenly, in the mtmth

^ Light ship, fit for racing, and either rowed or sailed. It has no deck.

presence, sans qa'il se pasB&t rion do part ni d'autre. Nob gens se din-
posoient h attaquor, aussi-tot (lue les Vaissoaux paroltroient : it en chh que
lea ennemis voulussent se d^fendre, ils avoient fait preparer, par les
18] habitans du Pays, des fltJches armies II d'artifico pour mettre le feu.
Lessai en avoit deja ete fait. Le sieur du Vivier venoit d'etre relev«S par
e Sieur de Ganas, autre Capitaine de Compagnie franche, parti depuis lui
de Louisbourg. Ce second Commandant manoeuvra mal : impatient de
ne point voir arriver les Vaisseaux qu'il attendoit, il leva imprudemment
le blocus, & se retira k plus de cinquante lieuiis dans les Terres. C'est Ik
ce qui a fait manquer I'expMition.

Le sujet du retardement des deux Navires destines pour cette entre.
prise, avoit d'abord ^t^ la dispute du Gouvemeur, avec les Commandans
de I'Ardent et du Karibou. M. du Quesnel se flatoit toujoura de les
gagner. Voyant qu'ils 6toient infl^xibles, il prit son parti, qui fut d'armer
un Navire Marchand de la Rochelle, nomm6 I' Atlas, avec le Brigantin'
19] la Tempete. Mais il n'eut pas la satisfaction de les voir mettre II k la

7 Bdtimenb I^ger, propre pour la coarse, & qui va h la rame k h la voile : il
est sans pont.

*1744.— Ed.

of October * regretted as little as he deserved to be. Of any
one else it would be said that death was caused by chagrin, but
that could not rightly be imputed to him.

M. du Chambon, Lieutenant of the King, having taken com-
mand, caused the expedition to set out on the twenty-third.
This new commander could not do otherwise. The situation
was such that it was absolutely necessary to send this help to
the troops which were supposed still to be encamped before
Annapolis, where, in fact, they no longer were, as the two
vessels perceived when they arrived before the fort. They were
obliged to turn back. This armament was a loss, for although
some prizes were taken on the return voyage, they were not a
sufficient compensation. If the commanders had wished they
could have taken a ship with a rich cargo, but they lost their
heads ; sad forecast of what was to happen during the siege !

Although it was to be expected that our expedition against
Acadia would succeed, because the enemy were very ill equipped
to resist us, it failed, and this led them to the conclusion that we
were either afraid or weak. They appear to have decided from
this that they ought to take advantage of so favourable a cir-

voile, ^tant mort aubitement, au mois d'Octobre, peu regrette & meritant
peu de I'etre. On diroit de tout autre qu'il seroit mort de chagrin, mais
on le lui imputeroit k tort.

M. t/it Chfcmbon, Lieutenant du Roi, ayant pris le commandement, les
fit partir le vingt-trois. Ce nouveau Commandant ne pouvoit faire autre-
ment ; dans la situation oil etoient les choses, il falloit necessairement
envoyer ce secours aux Troupes que Ton supposoit encore camples devunt
le Port-Royal, oh. oUes n'etoient plus, ainsi que les deux Vaisseaux s'en
apper(jurent en arrivant sous le Fort. II fallut s'en retoumer. Get arme-
ment fut perdu ; quoiqu'il fit (juelquea prises au retour, elles etoient
incapables d'en dedommager. On auroit pft prendre, si Ton eftt voulu, un
Navire richement charg6, mais on perdit la tete : triste presage de ce qui
devoit arriver pendant le Siege !

L'expedition de I'Acadie mamju^e, quoiqu'il y eftt tout k parier qu'elle
20] reuBsiroit par le peu de forces que les ennemis avoient pour l| nous
rosister, leur fit faire de serieuses reflexions sur notre crainte, ou notre
foiblesse. Selon toutes les apparences, ils en conclurent qu'ils devoient

.^.

cumstance, since from that time they worked with ardour upon
the necessary military equipment. They did not do as we did
they helped each other. They armed in all their ports, from
Acadia along the whole coast ; they applied to England ; they
sent, it is said, even to Jamaica, in order to secure all the help
possible. The enterprise was planned prudently and they
laboured all the winter to be ready at the first fine weather.

These preparations could not be kept so secret that something
did not become known. From the first moment we had infor-
mation about them, and in abundant time to be able to warn
the Court by means of the two ships of war which had been
of 80 little service to us, for it is well to record that they
lay peacefully in port and did not deign to go out and give
chase to certain privateers which often cruised so near that
they could have landed men, if they had so wished. I was
many times astonished that our ships did nothing, and was not
the only inhabitant to grumble at this strange inaction. Indeed,
it appears that this is common m all our colonies in America
where 1 have heard it said that there were the same causes of
complaint,

profiter d'une aussi favorable circonstance, puisque dis-lors ils travaillerent
avec ardeur k I'armement qui leur ^toit necessaire. lis ne firent pas comme
nous : ils se prSterent un secours mutuel : on arma dans tous leurs Ports,
depuis I'Acadie jusqu'au baa de la Cote : on depficha en Angleterro, it on
envoya, dit-on, jusqu'k la Jamaiqiie, afin d'en tirer tous les secours qu'il
seroit possible. Cette entreprise fut concert^e avec prudence, & Ton
travailla tout I'hiver pour 6tre pret au premier beau terns.

Les pr^paratifs n'en pouvoient etre si secrets, qu'il n'en transpirAt
quelque chose. Nous en avions 6te inform^s d^s les premiers instans, it
astoz k terns pour en pouvoir donni.r avis k la Cour, par les deux Vaisscaux
de guerre qui nous avoient si peu servi ; car il est bon de dire, quo tran-
quilles dans le Port, ils n'ont pas daign^ sortir pour donner la chasse k
21] quelques Corsaires, qui venoient II souvont croiser jusqu'k mettro du
monde k terre, s'ils I'eussent juge k propos. Je me suia plusieurs foia
4tonn6 de ce qu'ilsne le faisoient point, & n'ai pas iti le seul habitant qui
a niurmure de cette Strange inaction. Au reste, il semble que cela aoit
commun k toutes nos Colonies de I'Amerique, oh j'ai entendu dire qu'on
y avoit les m6mos sujets de plaintes.

We had the whole winter before us — more time than was
necessary to put ourselves in a state of defense. We were, how-
ever, overcome with fear. Councils were held, but the outcome
was only absurd and childish. Meanwhile the time slipped
away ; we were losing precious moments in useless discussions
and in forming resolutions abandoned as soon as made. Some
things begun required completion; it was necessary to strengthen
here, to enlarge there, to provide for some posts, to visit all
those on the island, to see where a descent could be made most
easily, to find out the number of persons in a condition to bear
arms, to assign to each his place ; in a word, to show all the
care and activity usual in such a situation. Nothing of all
this was don(i, and the result is that we were taken by sur-
prise, as if the enemy had pounced upon us unawares. Even
after the first ships of the enemy which blockaded us had come
we should have had time enough to protect ourselves better
than we did, for, as I shall show, they appeared slowly, one
after the other. Negligence and fatuity conspired to make us
lose our unhappy island.

I will now describe its geographical situation. Formerly it

Nous eumes tout I'hiver k nous, c'^toit plus qu'il n'en falloit, pour nous
mettre en ^tat do defense ; mais la terreur s'etoit empar^e des esprits : on
tenoit des conscils, dont le r^sultat n'avoit rien quo de bizarre & de
puerile ; cependant le tems s'^couloit, nous perdions de precieux momens
en deliberations inutiles, & en resolutions presque aussitot d^truites (}ue
prises. Quelques ouvrages demandoient qu'on les parachevat : il en falloit
renforcer quelques-uns, augmenter quelques autros, pourvoir h des postes,
visiter tous ceux de I'lsle, voir ofi la descente etoit plus facile, faire le
d^nombrement des personnes en ^tat de porter les armes, assignor k II
22] chacun son poste ; enfin se donner tous les soins et les mouvemens
ordinaires en pareil cas : rien de tout cela ne se faisoit ; de sorte que nous
avons 6ti surpris, comme si I'ennemi fftt venu fondre sur nous k I'irapro-
viste. Nous aurions eu meme assez de tems pour nous pr^cautionner mleuz
qu'on ne I'a fait, depuis le jour oh nous vimes paroitre les premiers Navires
qui nous ont bloqu^s ; car ils n'y sont venus que les uns apr^s les autres,
ainsi que je le dirai dans la suite. La negligence & la d6raison avoient
conjure la perte de notre malheureuse Isle.

Je vais vous en faire la description Geographique. EUe portoit

25
was called Cape Breton* — a name given it by the Bretons who * The author

^ n t/ himself, as

first discovered it, and the Encjlish and Dutch still call it by ?'ready noted,

'^ •' invariably

this name. It lies in north latitude 45° 40' and about 377° or calls it i$k

Royale. — Ed.
37<S° of longitude. It is about one hundred leagues in circum-
ference and is everywhere intersected by great bays. This
Island is now the most considerable of those which remained
to us about the Gulf of St. Lawrence^ since Louis XIV gave
up Newfoundland to the English by the Treaty of Utrecht in
1714 {sic). Their wish to secure Newfoundland, on account of
its fisheries, was so great that it was one of the chief motives
which led them since 1713 to abandon the Empire and Holland,
and this movement, as is well known, was the salvation of
France. All this great Island was almost wholly wild and
uninhabited. We used it only to provide a place for the
settlements which we were giving up (in Newfoundland). Wo

^ The Gulf of St. Lawrence is the entrance to the River of that name which
leads to Canada. It is the largest river in the world, there being places where it
is upwards of five hundred leagues wide.

[The Gulf is not so wide, and the longitude is reckoned incorrectly. Gape Breton
lying between 317" and 319°. From P»ri8, as now reckoned, the Island lies be-
tween 46" 30' and 47" 2' N. Lat., and between 62° 4' and 64° W. Long. ; from Green-
wich, between 46° 27' and 47° 3' N. Lat. and between 59° 47' and 61° 32' W. Long.
-Ed.]

anciennement le nom de Cap-Breton, que lui donnerent ceux (jui en
firent la d^couverte, qui ^toient des Bretons. Les Anglais & les Hol-
landais ne la nomment point autrement. Elle est situ^e par les quarante-
cin(| d^gr^s, quarante minutes de latitude septentrionale, & environ par
trois cens soixante et dix-sept, ou trois cens soixante et dix-huit de longi-
tude. Son ^tendue est de pr^s de cent lieues de tour, toute travers^e II
23] de grandes Bayes. Cette Isle est k present la plus considerable de celles
qui nous sent rest^es vers le Golfe de S. Laurent,^ depuis I'abandon
que Louis XIV. a fait de I'lsle de Terre-Neuve aux Anglois, par le Traits de
paix conclu avec eux k Utrecht, en 1714 (sic). lis avoient un si grand d^sir
de posseder Terre-Neuve, a cause de la peche, que ce fut un des princi-
/ paux motifs qui les engagerent h. abandonner, d^s 1713, I'Empire «S; la

■ Tr ♦ HoUande, ce qui a ^t^, comme on le SQait, le salut de la France. Toute

cette grande Isle ^toit presque inculte & d^serte : nous ne rhabitdmes que
pour nous tenir lieu des ^tablissemens que nous abandonnions ; alors elle

' Le Oolfe de S. Laurent est I'entr^e du fleuve de ce nom, qui conduit au
Canada : C est le plus graud fieuve du monde, y ayant des endroita oil il a juequ'k
600. lieues de large.

gave it then the name Isle Royale and the town built there
was called Louisbourg. The island lies but two leagues distant
from Acadia, from which it is separated only by the Strait of
Canso. The nearer the English were to us, the more reason
was there that we should fortify this new establishment to
protect it from attack, for the English are so jealous that they
are impatient of our being near them. They wished to
have a monopoly of the cod fishery, which is a most import-
ant trade, as experience should have convinced us.

This was not all. It was necessary that we should retain a
position that would make us at all times masters of the entrance
to the River which leads to New France." Our considerable
settlements in Canada imposed this law upon us ; besides, it is
absolutely necessary, in those dangerous waters where the
storms are very wild, to have a port of refuge.

The Court, seeing the force of these reasons, neglected
nothing to make the Island formidable to any one who should
wish to attack it. The outlay was enormous and there is

* New France simply tnean'4 the sum of all that we hold in Canada. We hare
been in posseasion for nearly two hundred years.

prit le nom d'lsle-Royale, <.t la Ville qu'on y Mtit, celui de Louisbourg.
Elle n'est situee qu'k deux lieues de I'Acadie, dont elle n'est separ^e que
24] par le d(5troit de Canceaux. Plus lea Anglois II ^toient pr^s de nous,
& plus il nous fallut sonnor k fortifier ce nouvel ^tablissement, pour le
mettre k couvort d'insulte ; car telle est la jalousie des Anglais, qu'ils
suportent impatiemment notre voisinaj;e. lis voudroient joiiir seuls de
la pecho de la morue, dont le Commerce est d'une extreme importance,
comme I'experience a dft nous en convaincre.

Ce n'etoit pas tout. 11 fnlloit penser k nous conserver un poste, pour
etre en tout terns, les maitres de I'entree du fleuve qui m6ne k la NoiiveUe
France'^ Les etablissemens considerables que nous avions au Canada,
nous imposoient cetto Loi : C'est d'ailleurs une ndcessit^ indispensable
d'avoir ou reiacher dans des Mers dang^reuses, qu'habitent les vents les
plus impetueux.

La Cour entrant dans ces considerations, n'a rien neglige pour rendre
25] cette Isle formidable k cjui voii||droit I'attaquer. Elle y a fait des

° La NoiiveUe France n'eat autre chose que la reunion de tout ce que noui
poset^dons dans le Canada. II y a prea de 200. ana que noua en sommea en poa-
eesaion.

„

scarcely a place which has cost the Court so much. It is
certain that more than twenty niillions were spent upon it.
This was not, assuredly, because of any return from the colony,
which is much more a burden than a source of profit ; but its
usefulness to us is so great that France should sacrifice every-
thing to gret it back aijain out of the hands of the Eni^lish*
It protects our whole commerce in North America, and is also
not less important for that which we carry on in the South,
for, if the French held no place in this part of the North,
vessels returning from Saint Domingo or Martini(jue would
not, even in time of peace, be safe upon the Banks of New-
foundland. It is well known what the practice of the English
is ; the majority of them are engaged in pii'acy and the
colonies most diflScult of access are always for them the resort
of sea-robbers and thieves, who plunder all the more securely
because they receive underhand encouragement from their Gov-
ernors. These have no scruple that restrains the wish to eiu'ich
themselves quickly, and in this they surpass even our Governors.
Louisbourg is built upon a tongue of land which stretches
out into the sea and gives the town an oblong shape. It is

depenses immenses, it n'a gueres de places (jui lui aient nutant coute. II
est constant (ju'elle doit y avoir employe plusde vingt millions. Ce n'est
pas assurement ijue cette colonie soit d'aucun rapport : elle est beaucouj)
plus k charge qu'a prt)tit ; mais elle est d'une si gi-ando utilit6, (jue la
France doit necessairement tout sacrifier pour la rctirer des mains des
Anglais. Elle protege tout notre C(jmnierce dans rAmeri([ue Septentrion-
ale, & n'est pas moins de constHjuence pour celui que nous faisons dans
la Meridionale, parce <|ue les Frani,'ais n'ayant plus rien dans cetto partie
du Nord, leuri Vais.seaux revenant de saint Domingue ou de la Martini-
que, ne seront plus en surete sur le banc de Terre-Neuve, meme en terns
de paix. On s(;ait assez quelle est la coutume des Anglais : Adonnes la
plftpart a la Piraterie, les colonies du plus ditHcile acces sont toujours
pour cux des repaires de forbans it de voleurs, qui pillent d'autant plus
surement, qu'ils sont appuyes sous main par les Gouverneurs, qui n'ont
26] pas tous le scrupule de se refu 'ser au desir de s'enrichir prompte-
ment ; en quoi ils I'emportent sur les notres.

La Ville de Lo\iishotir<j a ete batie sur une langue de terre, qui
s'avance dens la mer, et la rend de figure oblongue Elle pent avoir

}

ahowt half a league in circumference. The land is marshy.
Tht.' houses are, for the most part, of wood ; those of stone
have heen built at the King's expense and are designed to
lodge His Majesty's troops and officers. To understand what the
place juust have cost one need only know that it was necessary
to bring from France all the material lor these houses, as
well as that for the works of the place, which are considerable.
The Dauphin's Bastion is very fine, as is also the King's.
There is, too, a work called the Battery la Grave and a
crenellated wall dominated by two cavaliers, with a wide view
and a long range. Besides this, all around the town at the
projecting and re-entering angles, are a variety of batteries of
three or four guns, which were very efi'ective during the
siege. The King supports the greater part of the inhabi-
tants ; the remainder live by tisliing, and there are few well-
to-do amoncr them. On the Island are a number of vil-
lages in which a good many poor people, chiefly fishermen,
are established.

It would not be difficult to improve tliis colony. It is only
necessary that His Majesty should begin ship-building. Timber

demie-lieue de circuit. Son terrein est marecageux. Les maisons y sont
pour la plftpart de bois, celles de pierres ont ^te construites aux depens
du Roi, & sont destinees pour loger les troupes & les OfBciers de Sa
Majesty Pour comprendre combien cela a dd couter, il ne faut que
8(javoir qu'on a ete oblige de transporter de France tous les materiaux
qui ont servi k leur construction, de menie qu'aux ouvrages de la place,
qui sont considerables. Le Bastion Dauphin est fort beau, aussi bien
que celui du Roi. On y voit encore un ouvrage appelle la piece de la
Grave, & un mur cr^nell6, sur lequel regnent deux Cavaliers dont la vue
eftt tr^s ^tendue, et qui peuven'; battre loin. II y a outre cela, tout au
tour de la Ville, dans des Angles saillans & rentrans, diverses batteries de
27] trois ou quatre canons, qui n'ont pas laisso II de faire un grand effet
.') 1, ;,<: lo .::6g3. Le Roi nourrit la plus grande partie des habitans Le
'sti Pubs' 1.1 par la Peche, & il y en a fort peu de riches. L'Isle con-
i ;nc pl.'.sieurs bourgades, oil une multitude de pauvres gens s'est ^tablie,
picsnue tous pechours.

r. *iL 'it pas bien difficile de rendre cette colonic meilleure, Sa
Majesty n'a pour cet ett'et, qu'a y faire construire des Vaisseaux. Les

for the purpose is abundant ; all the inhabitants would have a
yseful occupation, and the advantage to the state would be
that we should no longer have need to buy timber at great
cost from the peoples of Northern Europe. It was shown in
the case of the Caribou,^'' a vessel built in Canada, that the
woods of Northern America are lighter and therefore better
for the speed of a vessel. It is for this reason that the people
of New England have such fast ships. Would it be less po-ssible
for us to succeed in this ? We could even make the pieces
necessary for the construction of a vessel and take them to
France numbered. The English, more ingenious than we,
have adopted this plan and it works well. Why do we not
imitate them ? Our navy would soon be equal to theirs and
we should no longer see them so arrogant in their pro.sperity ;
but we let them take advantage of our weakness, and, while we
check them upon land, upon the sea they avenge themselves by
destroying our commerce. Where is the navy of Louis the Great ?

' " The Karibou or Caribou is an animal of North America very similar to the
deer, having the same swiftness and agility. Like the deer, it has horns upon the
head, but these are dififerent from those of the|European animal ; it is covered with
long hair.

bois de construction n'y sont jioint mrcs : tout le nionde s'occuporoit
utilement, & I'Etat y gagneroit que nouH n'aurions plus besoin des bois
que fournis.sent a grands frais les peuples du Nord du I'Europe. On a
eprouv^ dans le Karibou,'^^' VaLsseau construit au Canada, quo les bois
du Nord de rAuierif[ue, sont beaucoup plus legers, & par con.se(iuent
28] plus propres jxiur la inarehe II d'un Vaisscau. Cost par cetto raison,
que les habitans de le nouvelle Angleterre ont des Navires (pii marchent
si bien. Nous seroit-il moins j)o.ssible d'y reussir ? On pourroit encore
y faire travailler toutes les pieces essentielles a la C( nstruction d'un
Navire, <t on les apporteroit en France luuuerotees. lies Anglais, plus
ingenieux que nous, se servent de cette niethf>de, et s'en sjnt bien trouves.
Pourquoi ne les iniitons-nous pas. Notre Marine repondnnt bien-tot a la
leur, it nous ne les verrions })lus si arrogans dans la prosperitc. Mais on
les laisse abuser de notre foiblesse ; it tfindis que nous reprinioiis leur
orgueil sur terra, ils s'en vengent sur la mer, en desolant notre commerce.
Oil est la Marine du regne de Louis le Grand ?

^° Le Karibou, ou Caribou, est un animal de rAmurique Septentrionale,
semblable Jv peu-pres au Cerf, dont il a la vltesse & I'agiliti' : 11 porte un bois sur
la tete, comme le Cerf, inais different de celui de cet animal d'Europe ; il est
couvert de grands poils.

* Admiral Ver-
non with a
cnnsiderable
English fleet
attacked Cart-
agena un-
auccesBfully in
1740. -Ed.

The outworks of Louisburg are not inferior to those witliin.
A place so important, had it been well supplied and defended,
would have broutjht to the English the smne humiliation tliat
they found before Cartagena.*

The Royal Battery is about a quarter of a league distant
from the town. This battery had at first forty pieces of
artillery, but the em])rasures being too near to one another, M.
du Quesnel very wisel}' had it rebuilt, and the number of
pieces reduced to thirty, of which twenty-eight are thirty-six-
pounders ; two eighteen-pounders command the sea, the town,
and the head of the bay.

The Island Battery, at the entrance, protects the harbour,
and as it was trained at the level of the water no ship could enter
without being sunk. It is placed opposite the Lighthouse Tower,"
which is on the other side, on the mainland. This battery has
thirty- six twenty-four-pounders.

The entrance to the harbour is further protected by a Cava-

1^ Its name indicates its use. It is intended to give light to vessels, and a fire
is lit there every night.

Les ouvrages du dehors de Louisbourg ne sont point inferieura a ceux
du dedans. Une Place de cette importance, bien pourvde et bien
defendue, auroit fait cssuyer aux Anglais, le niOnie affront que devant
Carthagoie,

La Batterie Royale est a environ un quait de lieue de distance de la ||
29] Ville. Cetto batterie etoit premierenient de quarante pieces de
canons ; mais les embrasures etant trop proches les unes des autres,
M. du Quesnel, bien conseille, I'avoit fait rebatir, & reduire a trente,
dont vingt-huit sont de 30. livres de balle, & deux de 18. elle commande la
IMer, la "Ville «S: le fond de la Baye.

La Batterie de I'lsle de VEntre'e defend le Port, et battant a fleur
d'eau, ne permet pas qu'il y puisse entrer de Batiment sans etre coule k
fond. Elle est placee vis-a-vis la Tour de la Lanteme,'* qui est de
I'autre c6t6 sur la Grand'terre. Cette Batterie est de trente-six canons,
du calibre de 24 livres de balle.

L'Entree du Port est encore protegee par un Cavalier, nomme le

> 1 Son noin annonce son usage : Elle eat destinee a eclairer lea vaisseaux, Sc
I'on y allume un feu tous les soirs.

Her, called the Maurepas Bastion, which has twelve enihrnsures,
but no cannon had been placed there, either because it was not
thought to be needful, or because it was regarded as wasteful to
multiply the possibilities of a too-rapid consumption of gun-
powder, of which a deficiency was feared.

Such were the fortifications of Louisbourg, upon which
M. de Verville, an able engineer, had coninienced to work, but,
being appointed Chief Engineer at Valenciennes, he was suc-
ceeded by men who had never been engaged in war and were
rather architects than engineers.

Let us look now at the forces in the town. First of all was
the Garrison composed of eight companies of seventy men each,
including, it must be admitted, the sick, who were very num-
erous. In the second place, five or six hundred militia taken
from the settlers of the neighbourhood were brought in, and
these, added to the force in the town, made up from thirteen to
fourteen hundred men. The militia could have been increased
by three or four hundred men who were at Niganiche* and in the * The modern

• 1 1 1 1 1 • 1 • • Inflranish.

neighbourhood, but action was taken too late; communication -En.
was cut oflf by the time it was decided to send for them.

Cavalier de Maurepas, qui a dou7.e embrasure.s ; nmis on n'y avoit point
mis de canon, soit que Ton crftt n'en avoir pas de besoin, soit que Ton
30] regardat comme inutile de II multiplier ce que pouvoit aider a une
trop prompte consommation de la poudre, dont on craignoit de manquer.

Voila quellea, ^toient les fortifications de Louisbourg. auscjuelles Mr.
de Verville, Ingenieur habile, avoit commence de faire travailler ; mais,
ayant it6 nomm^ Ingenieur en Chef a Valenciennes, on mit en sa place
des gens qui n'avoient jamais ete a la guerre, et <iui etoient plus Archi-
tectes qu' Ing^nieurs. Voyons maintenant quelles en etoient les forces.

Premierement la Gamison etoit composee de huit Compagnies de
soixante & dix hommes chacune, y compris, a la verity, les malades, qui
Etoient en fort grand nonibre.

En second lieu, on fit venir cinq a six cens Miliciens ou Habitans des
environs ; ce qui, avee ceux de la Ville, pouvoit former treize a quatorze
cans hommes.

On auroit pu grossir cette Milice de trois ou quatre cens hommes, qui
Violent k Niganiche & aux environs : mais on s'y prit trop tard ; les
31] passages se trouverent bouches, lors!|qu'on se determina a les envoyer
chercher.

The aupply of munitions of war and of food in the place
was greater than has been made known, especially of food,
of which there was enough to enable us to hold out longer
than we did. I will give proof of this if it is demanded. More-
over, who kept any deficiency from being remedied in good time ?
The munitions of war were in like case. Since we were long
threatened with a siege it was neccsstiry to retrench in every-
thing and to live as if scarcity already existed. Powder should
not have been wasted in enterprises the more foolish
because, even when accomplished, they would not have made
our condition less serious ; besides these deprived us of
what might have been our salvation. A prudent conmuinder
before undertaking anything would have weighed the matter
carefully, but our commander was the very one that did not do
this. Nevertheless we had .still powder enough to last a long
time, if they had known how to economize. From what I am
about to narrate it will be seen how it was wasted.

Although we had some regular troops we had little reason to
depend upon them. An incident which happened on December

Les munitions de guerre et cle bouche y ^toient en plus grandc (}uan-
tit^ (ju'on ne I'a public, surtout les deniieres, dont il y avoit une provision
Buffisante pour tenir plus tong-tems ((u'on ne I'a fait. J'en donnerois la
prouve, si j'en ^tois reijuis. Au reste, (jui empechoit qu'on n'y eftt
rem^di^ de longuu main ? Les munitions de guerre sont dans le mcme
cas : des ([ue nous otions depuis long-tems menaces d'un siege, il falloit
se retrancher tout, it vivre comme si des-lors nous eu-ssions et6 en disette.
A regard de la poudre, il ne la falloit point perdre dans des entreprises
d'autant plus folles, (jue (|uand nous en serious venus a bout, elles no nous
seroient pas moins devonues funestes, puisiju'elles nous privoient de ce
qui pouvoit faire notre conservation. C'etoit h un Commandant i)rudent,
avant que de rien entreprendre, de so livrer a d'utiles reflexions : mais
notre Goaverneur etoit le seul qui n'en lit point. Malgro cela, nous
32] avions encore de la poudre pour long-tems, || si Ton efit squ la menagcr.
On verra, par ce (jue je vais niconter, de quelle maniere elle etoit
prodiguee.

Quoiijue nous eussions des troupes reglees, nous n'avions pas sujet de
compter sur elles. Une certaine avanture, arrivee le vingt-sept du mois de

■J

27th was well fitted to lessen our confidence if we had had
any. I will tell what it was. I am not too well posted as to how
the Court would have taken the outburst, but it is certain that
so bad an example remaining unpunished was fitted to have
dangerous consequences. The Swiss who are in our Colonies
would not fail on occasion to take advantage of the precedent.

Military discipline and the subordination that soldiers owe to
officers had been so badly maintained by our late Governor that
the most mischievous results followed. The day after Christ-
mas, that of the festival of Saint Stephen, the Swiss revolted
and had the insolence to come out without officers, drums beat-
ing, bayonets fixed, and swords in hand. The officers who tried
to restrain them were bitterly enraged at this, and the matter
reached such a point that those who wished to approach them
were aimed at and very nearly lost their lives ; they would
certainly have done so if prudence had not been used. The
French soldiers were as bad and mutinied also; it went so far
that the whole town was in alarm, not knowing where the
revolt would end. The greatness of the peril (for it is certain
that they would have sjicked everything if they had only

Decembre, etoit bien propre a diniinuer notre confiance, si nous en avions
eue. Voici co ijue c'est. Je ne s^ais trop comment la Cour aura pris cetto
incarfaule ; mais il est certain qu'un tel exeniple pourroit otre d'uno
dangereuse consequence, demeurant impuni. Les Suisses qui sont dans
nos Colonies, ne man(juer()ient point de s'en autorizer (juelciuefois.

La discipline militaire A: la subordination que les Soldats doivent aux
Officiers, avoient ete si mal maititonues par notre defunt Gouvorneur, (ju'il
en resulta le plus fachoux inconvenient. Le jour de la Fete de S. Etionne,
lendemain de Noel, les Suisses se revolterent, it ayant pris les arines,
eurent I'insolence de paroitre sans Officiers, tambours batbins, la l)ayon.
33] nete au bout du fusil & I'epee a la main. Les Of||ficier8 ({ui se
presenterent pour les retenir, en furent cruellment offenses, jusques-li
que ceux (jui voulurent avancer sur eux, penserent y perdre la vie, ayant
ete couches en joue ; ce qui seroit infailliblement arrive, si Ton n'avoit use
de prudence. Les Soldats Franqais en firent autant, & se mutinerent
aussi ; de fa^on (jue toute la Ville etoit dans I'allarme, ne s<jachant point a
quoi aboutiroit cette revoke. La grandeur du peril (car il est assure (ju'lls
auroient tout saccage, s'ils avoient seulement blesse I'un de leurs Officiers ;

woundud one of their ofRcoi'H ; they have had the eflVontery to
boast of this Hince) h'd to conciliation which cahned the niuti-
neerw. It wa.s pronuHcd that their grievances should l)e
removed. These were that the best thinj^s were sold to the
settlers. It was a (iuesti(jn of the butter and bacon which
the King furnishes; — behold the object of the mutiny! The
mutineers did not complain of the bread nor of any other pro-
visions." Possiljly they had some cause of comj)laint," but
their bad conduct ought nevertheless to have been punished.
Their offence is too striking to be overlooked." Presumably
they would have been punished if it could have been done with
safety, but their judges were none of the bravest. In the end
they were induced to lay down their arms. The incident cost
the King seven or eight thousand livres. The rebels, taking

^ * Some Bay that they complained also about the beans ;— but their greatest

grievance was about the codfiah, taken as booty at Ganso, which M. du Quesnel
had promised to them, and which the officers had appropriated to themselves, for

Some of these knew now to enrich themselves by

* Three were
executed and
others pun-
ished. Collec-
tion lit Manu-
scrits. III :
262 (Quebec,
1884).-Ed,

lad promised to them, and which the officers had appropriated to themselves, for

a low price at long credit.

trade.

i ' It is certain that the officers treated the soldier badly, reckoning his pay
fraudulently, and often making a profiQ out of his work. These soldiers worked
upon the fortifications and ought to have been paid.

' * I learn at this moment that orders from the Court have oome, and that the
guilty will be arraigned. They will be severely punished.*

ils ont eu Teffronterie de s'en vanter depuis) fit recourir k dos voyes de
douceur, qui ramenerent ces Mutina : on promit de faire cesser leurs
plaintes, qui consistoient a dire que Ton vendoit ce qu'il y avoit de
meilleur aux habitans ; il s'agiasoit du beurre & du lard que le Roi
foumit : Voilk I'objet de la rebellion ; les Matins ne se plaignoient ni du
pain ni d'aucune autre foumiture'*. lis pouvoient peut-etre II avoir
34] raison" niais leur demarche n'en ni^ritoit pas moins d'etre punie.
Ce crime est trop interessant pour etre oublie.** II est a iiresumer
qu'ils eussent ete chaties, si on I'eftt pft en sftrtito ; mais leurs Juges
n'(5toient pas les plus forts. On parvint enfin a leur faire poser les amies.
II en couta au Roi sept a huit mille livres. Ces Rebelles se prevalant de

'* Quelques-uns disent qu'ila se plaignoient ausai des fSves ; mais leur plus
Krand grief t^toit la moruii pillea h Canceaux, qui leur avoit ^ct^ promise par M. du
Quesnel, & que les Offlciers s't^toient fait adjuger pour un prix modique &,h,de
longs termes, II y en a qui ont sA s'enriohir dans ce commerce.

^° II eat certain que le^ Officiers traitoient durement le Soldat, ne lui
rendant qu'un compte infidi^le de sa solde, & profitant souvent de son travail : Ce
Bont les Soldata qui travaillent aux fortifications, & qui doivent utre pay^s.

>* J'apprens dana le moment, qu'il eat arriy^ des ordres de la Cour, & qu'on
va instruire le prods des coupables. On les deoimera.

* l«

]

* i<

advnntatjc of th»' tour in which they wore held, proceeded the
next day to tlie connni.ssary'H floor and under frivolous pretexts
such as that their money had Iteen previously kept hack,
caused themselves to l)e j)aid all that they wished and to l>e
reimhursed even for their clothinj,'. So ended the nuiltor
without the hloodshed that had heen feared.

Troops with so little discipline were scarcely able to inspire
us with confidence; we therefore did not think it well to make
any sorties, fearinj^ that such men mi^jht range themselves on
the side of the enemy.* If anything can justify us, certainly * Tw° »* **J®
it is the foresight that we showed in this connection. In to the English
justice to them, indeed, it ought to be said that they did Biegs. CoiUe-
their duty well throughout the siege; but who knows whether geriti. III:
they would have still done this if an opportunity had offered ib84)^!^d.
to escape from the punishment of a crime which is rarely
pardoned ? I confess that I thought it only natural to distrust
them.

The enemy appeared in March, a month usually ex- 1745
tremely dangerous in a climate which seems to confound
the seasons, for the spring, everywliere else so pleasant, there

ce qu'on les sppr^hendoit, reparurent le lendemain k la porte du Goinmis-
35] sairo ; et sous des pr^textes || frivoles, d'nrgent qu'on leur avoit,
disoient-Us, autrefois retenu ; ils se tirent payer tout ce qu'ils voulurent,
et rembouraer jusqu'k leurs habits. Ainsi finit cette 8c6ne, sans qu'il y
e6t eu de sang r^pandu, quoiqu'on I'eftt craint.

Des Troupes si peu disciplinees n'tStoient gueres capables de nous
inspirer de la confiance : aus.si ne jugeames-nous point k propos de faire
des sorties, par la crainto (jue de tollos gens ne se rangeassent du cote de
nos ennemis. Si (juehjue chose peut nous justitier, c'est certainement la
sagesse que nous avons montr^ en cette rencontre. On leur doit, k. la
v(5rit^, la justice d'avouer qu'elles ont bien fait leur devoir pendant le
si^ge ; mais (jui s^ait si elles en eussent use de nieme, trouvant I'occasion
de se soustraire au chatiment d'un crime qui se pardonne rarement ? Pour
moi, je decidai qu'il 6toit naturel de s'en d^fier.

Les Ennemis parurent en Mars, mois qui a accoutum^ d'etre ,».-
trfes critique, sous un climat qui semble confondre les Saisons ; car
36] le Printems, si agreable par-tout ailleurs, II y est aflfreux. Mais les

]

is frightful. The English, however, appeared to have enlisted
Heaven in their interests. So long as the expedition lasted
they enjoyed the most beautiful weather in the world, and
this greatly favoured an enterprise against which were heavy
odds that it would fail on account of the season. Contrary to
what is usual there were no storms. Even the winds, so unre-
strained in those dreadful seas (Parages^) in the months of
Mnich, April, and May, were to them always favourable ; the
fogs (Brumes^^) so thick and frequent in these months
that ships are in danger of running upon the land without
seeing it, disappeared earlier than usual, and gave place to a
clear and serene sky ; in a word, the enemy had always
beautiful weather, as fine as they could desire.
March On the 14th March we saw the first hostile ships. There
14 were as yet only two, and at first we took them for French
vessels, but the manoeuvres soon undeceived us. Their num-
ber increased day by day and ships continued to arrive
until the end of May. For a long time they cruised about
without attempting anything. The general rendezvous was

' '' Parage nsed in a nautical sense means a certain extent of sea.
1" Brume in a nautical sense is what is called Brouillard on land.

Anglais paroissoient avoir mis le Cicl dans leurs int^rets, Tant qu'a dure
leur expedition, ils ont joui du plus beau terns du monde : c'est ce qui a
favorise leur entreprise, dans laquelle il y avoit tout k parier qu'ils echoiie-
roient, par raport h la saison. Point de tempetes, contre I'ordinaire ; lea
vents nieme, si dechaines dans ces horribles parages, ' " au mois de Mars,
d'Avril & de Mai, leur ont toujours ^t6 favorables ; les brumes'" si
epaisses & si frequentes en ces mois-lk, qui exposent les Navires k se
briaer contre la terre sans la voir, s'etoient retirees plutot que de coutume,
pour faire place a un Ciel clair & serain : enfin I'ennemi a toujours eu un
terns a souhait, & aussi beau qu'il I'ait pu desirer.
|ur Ce fut lo quatorze, que nous vimcs les premiers Navires ennemis :

11 37] ils n'etoient encore que deux, et nous II les primes d'abord pour
des Vaisseaux Franqais ; maia nous fumes bien-tot detrompes par
leur manoeuvre. Le nombre en augmentoit de jour a autre, il en arriva
jusqu'Ji la fin de Mai. lis croiserent long-terns, sans rien tenter. Le
rendez-vous general ^toit devant notre Isle, oh. ils arrivoient de tons

1" On appelle Parage, en terrae de Marine, une certaine dtenduu de Mer.
^^ Bnimc, en terme de Mer, est ce qu'on nomme Brouillard sur terre.

•

before our island, and they came in from every direction, for
Acadia, Placentia, Boston, and all English America, were in
arms. The European contingent did not come until June.
The enterprise was less that of the nation or of the King than
of the inhabitants of New England alone. These singular
people have a system of laws and of protection peculiar to
themselves, and their Governor carries himself like a monarch.
So much is this the case that although war was already
declared between the two crowns, he himself declared it
against us of his own right and in his own name, as if it was
necessary that he should give his warrant to his master. His
declaration set forth that for himself and all his friends and
allies he declared war against us ; apparently he meant to
speak for the savages subject to them, who are called
Indians, and whom it is necessary to distinguish from
those obedient to France. It will be seen that Admiral
Warren had no authority over the troops sent by the Governor
of Boston and that he was merely a spectator, although it
was to him that we finally surrendered, at his own request.
So striking was the mutual independence of the land army
and the fleet that they were always represented to us as

cotez ; car on avoit arm^ k I'Acadie, Plaisance, Bastou, & dans toute
I'Amerique Anglaise. Les secours d'Europe ne vinrent (ju'en Juin.
C'etoit moins une entr^prise formeo par la Nation, ou par le Roi, que par
les seuls habitans de la nouvelle Angleterre. Ces peuples singuliers ont
des Loix & une Police qui leur sont particulieres, et leur Gouvemeur
tranche du Souverain. Cela est si vrai, que, quoiqu'il y eftt guerre
deciar^e entro les deux Couronnes, il nous la d^clara lui de son chef
et en son nom, comnie s'il avoit fallu qu'il eftt autorise son maitre.
Sa declaration portoit, (ju'il nous declaroit la guerre pour lui, & pour tous
ses amis & allies ; il entendoit parler apparemnient des Sauvages qui leur
sont soumis, qu'on appelle Indiens, & que Ton distingue des Sau.
38] vagea II qui obeissent h la France. On verra que I'Aniiral Warren
n'avoit rien k commander aux troupes envoyees par le Gouvemeur de
Baston, & que cet Amiral n'a 6ti que spectateur, quoique ce soit k lui que
nous nous soyons rendus II nous en avoit fait solliciter. Ce (jui mar<iue
bien I'independance qu'il y avoit entre I'Arm^e de terre & celle de mer,

of different nations. What other monarchy waa ever gov-
erned in such a way ?
May The greater part of the transports having arrived by
11 the beginning of May, on the eleventh we saw them, to
the number of ninety-six, coming in order of battle from
the direction of Canso and steering for the Flat Point of
the Bay of Gabarus. We did not doubt that they would land
there. Then it was that we saw the need of the precautions
that we ought to have taken. A detachment of one hundred
men from the garrison and militia was sent thither quickly
in command of M. Morpain, port captain. But what could
such a feeble force do against the multitude which the enemy
was disembarking ? The only result was that a part of our
force was killed. M. Morpain found about two thousand men
already disembarked. He killed some of them and retired.

The enemy took possession of the surrounding country and
a detachment pushed forward close to the Royal Battery.
Now terror seized us all. From this moment the talk
was of abandoning the splendid battery, which would have
been our chief defence had we known how to make use of it.

que Ton nous a toujours distingu^es, comme si elles eussent ^t^ de diff^r-
ent«s Xations. Quelle Monarchie s'est jamais gouvem^e de la sorte 1
^g\ La plus grande partie des B&timens de transport ^tant arrives dans
11 le commencement de Mai, nous les apperqumes le onze en ordre de
bataille, au nombre de quatre-vingt-sei/.e, venant du cot^ de Canceaux
& dirigeant leur route vers la Poinfe plate de la Baye de Gabarus, Nous
ne doutames plus qu'ils n'y fissent leur descente. C'est alors qu'on vit la
n^cessit^ des precautions que nous aurions d^ prendre. On y envoya k la
h&to un d^tachement de cent hommes, tires de la garnison & des Milices,
39] sous le commandement du sieur Morpain, Capitaine de Port. Mais II que
pouvoit un auBsi foible Corps, centre la multitude que les ennemis d^bar-
(juoient ! Cela n'aboutit qu'k faire tuer uno partie des notres. Le sieur
Morpain trouva deja pr^s de deux mille hommes debarques ; il en tua
quelquos-uns, & so retira,

L'ennemi s'empare de toute la campagne, & un detachment s'avance
jusques aupr^s de la batterie-Royale. Pour le coup, la frayeur nous
saisit tous : on parla d^a I'instant, d'abandonner cette magnifique batterie,
qui auroit ete notro plus grande defense, si Ton eftt squ en faire usage. On

Several tumultuous councils were held to consider the situa-
tion. Unless it was from a panic fear which never left us
again during the whole siege, it would be difficult to give any
reason for such an extraordinary action. Not a single musket
had yet been fired against this battery, which the enemy
could not take except by making approaches in the same
manner as to the town and besieging it, so to speak, in the
regular way. A reason for our action was whispered, but I
am not myself in a position to speak decidedly. I have, how-
ever, heard its truth vouched for by one who was in the
battery, but, my post being in the town, it was a long time
since I had been to the Royal Battery. The alleged reason
for such a criminal withdrawal is that there were two breaches
which had never been repaired. If this is true the crime is
all the greater, for we had had even more time than was
necessary to put everything in order.

However this may be, the resolution was taken to abandon
this powerful bulwark, in spite of the protestations of some
wiser heads, who lamented to see such a stupid mistake made.
They could get no hearers. In vain did they urge that w^e
should thus proclaim our weakness to the enemy, who would

tint tumultuairement divers Conseils Ik-dessus. II aeroit bien didicile de
dire les raisons qui portoient k uii auwi Strange proc^d^ ; si ce n'est une
terreur panique, qui ne nous a plus quitte de tout le Sii^e. II n'y avoit
pas eu encore un seul coup do fusil tir^ sur cette batterie, que les ennemis
ne pouvoient prendre qu'en faiaant leurs approches comme pour la Ville,
& I'assi^geant, pour ainsi dire, dans lea regies. On en a dit sourdement
une raison, sur la<}U8llrt je ne suis point en etat de decider ; je I'ai pourtant
40] entendu assurer par II une personne qui etoit dans la batterie ; mais
mon poate etant en Ville, il y avoit long-tems que je n'^tois all^ k la bat-
terie-Royale : C'est que ce qui determina k un abandon si criminel, eat
qu'il y avoit deux breches qui n'a''ci;-ut point et6 repareea. Si cela est, le
crime eat encore plus grand, parce que noua avions eu plus de loisir qu'il
n'en falloit, pour mettre ordre a tout.

Quoiqu'il en aoit, la resolution fut priae de renoncer k ce puiaaant
boulevard, malgr^ lea repreaentationa do queUjuea gens sages, qui g^mis-
soient de voir commettre une ai lourde faute. lis ne purent ae faire
ecouter. Inutilement remontrerent-ila que ce aeroit temoigner notre

(

ill

III

not fail to profit by such huge recklessness, and would turn
this very battery against us ; that, to show a bold face and not
reinforce the courage of the enemy by giving him from the first
day such good hope of success, it was necessary to do all that
we could to hold this important post; that it was quite clear
that we could hold it for more than fifteen days, and that this
delay could be utilized by removing all the cannon to the
town. The answer was, that the council had resolved other-
13 wise; and so on the 13th, by order of the council, a battery of
thirty pieces of cannon, which had cost the King immense sums,
was abandoned without undergoing the slightest fire. The
retreat was so precipitate that we did not take time to spike
the guns in the usual manner, so that on the very next day the
enemy used them. Meanwhile, some deluded themselves with
a contrary hope; I was on the point of getting a wager accepted
that they would make almost no delay in attacking us. So
flurried were we that, before the withdrawal from the battery,
a barrel of gunpowder exploded, nearly blew up several per-
sons, and burnt the robe of a R^collet friar. It was not from

foiblesse aux ennemis, qui ne manquaroient point de profiter d'une auasi
grande etourderie, & qui tourneroient cette meme batterie centre nous :
que pour faire bonne contenance, & ne point r^hauaser le courage k Ten-
nemi, en lui donnant d^s le premier jour, une si grande esp^rance de
r^UBsir, il falloit se maintenir dans ce poste important le plus que Ton
41] pourroit : qu'il dtoit Evident qu'on s'y || coMte'veroit plus de quinze
jours, & que ce ddlai pouvoit etre employ^ k retirer tous les canons dans
la Ville. On r^pondit que le Conseil I'avoit r^sola autrement ; ainsi done,
_ par ordre du Conseil, on abandonna le 13. sans avoir essuy^ le moindre
feu, une batterie de trente pieces de canon, qui avoit cout^ au Roi des
Bommes immenses. Cet abandon se fit avec tant de precipitation, qu'on
ne se donna pas le tems d'enclouer les canons de la maniere que cela se
pratique ; aussi les ennemis s'en servirent-ils, d^s le lendemain. Cepend-
ant on se flatoit du contraire : je fus sur le point de gager qu'ils ne tarde-
roient gu^res k nous en battre. On etoit si peu k soi, qu'avant de se re-
tirer de la batterie, le feu prit k un baril de poudre, qui pensa faire sauter
plusieurs personnes, & brdia la robe d'un Rcligieux R^colet. Ce n'etoit

this moment, however, that imprudence marked our actions ;
for a long time we had yielded to it.

What I had foreseen liappened. From the fourteenth the 14,
enemy greeted us with our own cannon, and kept up a
tremendous fire against us. We answered them from the
walls, but we could not do them the harm which they did to
us in knocking down houses and shattering everything within
range.

While they kept up a hot fire upon us from the Royal Bat- 16
tery they established a mortar platform upon the Rabasse
height near the Barachois" on the west side and these mortars
began to fire on the sixteenth day after the siege began. They
had mortars in all the batteries which they established.
The bombs annoyed us greatly.

The same day the tardy resolution was taken to send to
Acadia to summon to our help a detachment which had left
Quebec to act in concert with us in the enterprise against Anna-
polis. The late M. du Quesnel, enamoured of this expedition,

had given notice of it to M. de Beauharnois.* This Governor was •Governor of

Canada from

>^ Barachois is a lake into which the sea comes. 1726 to 1747.
; . Ed.

pas de ce moment que I'imprudence caracterisoit nos actions, 11 y avoit
long-tems qu'elle s'^toit refugi^e parmi nous.

Ce que j'avois prevu, arriva. D^s le quatorze, les ennemis nous 14
42] aaluerent avec nos propres Canons, dont II ils firent un feu epouvent-
able. Nous leur r^pondimes de dessus les murs ; mai!^ nous ne pouvions
leur rendre le mal qu'ils nous faisoient, rasant nos maisons, et foudroyant
tout ce qui ^toit k leur portee.

Tandis que les Anglais nous chauffoient de la batterie-Royale, ils 16
^tablisBoient une Plate-forme de Mortiers sur la hauteur de Rabasse,
proche le Barachois^^ du c6t6 de I'Ouest, qui tirerent le seize, jour ou a
commence le bombardement. lis avoient des Mortiers dans toutes les
batteries qu'ils ^leverent. Les bombes nous ont beaucoup incommode.

Ce meme jour on prit une resolution tardive, qui fut d'envoyer k
I'Acadie, pour faire venir k notre secours un detaohement parti dc Quebec,
afin de concourir avec uous a I'entreprise sur le Port-Royal. Feu M. du
Quesnel, entet^ de cette expedition, en avoit donne avis k M. de Beau-
harnois. Ce Gouverneur, plus prudent, voulut avoir la-dessus des II

^^ Barackois est un Lac od la Mer entre.

more prudent and wished to have the authority of the Court
which they wrote in concert to secure. M. du Quesnel
took it upon himself to proceed with the enterprise, while M.
de Beauharnois waited quietly for the orders of the Couit.
Meanwhile, as it we^ necessary to have everything ready, in
case the Coi rt 8.. Id think it well to approve of the expedi-
tion, the Governor-General of Canada sent a company lieu-
tenant, M. Marin, with two other oflBcers and two hundred and
fifty men, both Indians and French. Acadia is on the main-
land,*^ and on the •^>:^ir.'^ continent as Quebec. This detach-
ment, however, vrm nai <^'iAq to arrive as soon as ours. We did
not learn of its arriv il uj > ,i, the month of March of this year.

The messenger whom M. lA. vi n s^mt to us asked on his part for
provisions ai:-'^. mun".',Ion. of w V7c should have sent back
the same messenger to urge ti.JK oJ-.^r to come to our help,
but we were without forethought and were so far from such wis-
dom that steps were taken in the month of April to comply
with his requests; we did not send provisions, however,

'^ It IB claimed that it is the larffeat continent in the world. It ia easy to go
from Canada to Acadia, but there are several rivers and lakes to cross. The
Canadians often make the journey.

43] ordres de la Cour. On avoit 4crit de concert pour en obtenir. M. du
Quesnel prit sur lui de commencer I'entreprise, au lieu que M. de Beau-
harnois attendit tranquillement ce qu'il plairoit h, la Cour d'ordonner ;
cependant comme 11 falloit Stre pret, en cas qu'elle trouv&t bon d'approuver
cette expedition ; le Gouvemeur General du Canada fit partir le sieur
Marin, Lieutenant de Coinpagnie, & deux autres Officiers, avec deux cens-
cinquante hommes, tant Sauvages que Fran^aia. L'Acadie est en Terre-
Ferme,'" & dans le meme continent que Quebec ; mais ce d^tachement
n'avoit pA arriver aussi-tot que le notre. Nous n'apprimes son arriv^e
qu'au mois de Mars de cette ann^e.

L'Expres que le Sieur Marin nous avoit envoys, demanda de sa part
des vivres & des munitions do guerre. II falloit renvoyer le meme ||
44] Expres pour engager cet Officier a nous venir secourir ; mais on ne
songeoit k rien : loin de saisir un parti si sage, on se disposa dans le moia
d' A vril k satisfaire a ses demandes, en retranchant toutef ois les vivrea, cet

^ ** On pretend que c'eat le plus (prand Continent qui aoit au monde : On va
facilement du Canada h I'Acadie ; mais il y a quBlques Rivieres & Lacs k traver-
ser. Cost un voyage que font souvent les Canadiens.

for he let us know that he had recovered some. He
was urgent in requesting powder and balls, and in granting his
wishes, we made two irreparable mistakes. In the first place,
we deprived ourselves of the help which this oflacer was able
to bring us ; instead of explaining our situation, as we should have
done, we gave him to understand that we were strong enough to
defend ourselves. In the second place, already short of ammuni-
tion, especially powder, we further diminished our supply.
There was some still more uselessly wasted.

It is necessity that makes men reflect. In the month of
May we began to be anxious about the mistake we had
made ; then, without thinking that, with the enemy extending
all along the coast and masters of the surrounding country,
it was impossible for M. Marin to penetrate to the place, two
messengers were sent, beseeching him to succour us. Both had
the good fortune to pass out, but they were obliged to make bo
wide a circuit that they took nearly a month to reach him«
The Canadian oflBcer, learning from them the extremity in
which we found ourselves, collected some Indians to strengthen
his detachment, being resolved to help us if he should reach us.

Officier nous ayant fait 8(^voir qu'il en avoit rocouvre. II inaistoit pour de la
poudre et des balles ; en lui accordant cet article, nous fimes deux fautes
irr^parables : La premiere, nous nous privions du aecours que cet Officier
pouvoit nous donner ; au lieu de le mander, comme on I'auroit dft, nous
lui faisions connoitre que nous etions assez forts pour nous d^fendre nous-
meniea : La f econde, nous diminuions la quantity de nos munitions, d^ja
courtes, surtout la poudre. 11 y en a eu encore do plus inutilement
r^pandue.

La necessity amene la reflexion. On commen^a dans lo mois de Mai
k songer k la faute qu'on avoit faito ; alors, sans penaer qu'il ^toit impos-
sible que cet Officier pftt penetrer dans la Place, les ennemis bordant la
Cote & ^tant maitres de la Campagne, on fit partir deux Exprea pour le
46] prier de nous secourir. Ces II deux hommes eurent le bonheur de
passer ; mais il lour fallut faire un ai grand circuit, qu'ils mirent pres d'un
mois a se reudre. L'Officier Canadien, ayant s^ft d'eux I'extrdmit^ ou
nous nous trouvions,a88einbla plusieurs Sauvages & en augmenla sonde-
tachement, reaolu de bien faire, s'il parvenoit jusqu'a nous. Aprfea s'etre

I V

After a fiorht in crossing the strait, he had the chagrin to learn
that he had arrived too lite, and that Louisbourg had surren-
dered. The bro ve fellow had only time to throw himself into the
woods with his five or six hundred men, to get back to Acadia-
17 The enemy appeared to wish to press the siege with vigour.
They established near the Brissonet Flats a battery, which
began to fire upon the seventeenth, and they were at work
upon still another to play directly upon the Dauphin Gate,
between the houses of a man named LaRoche and of a gunner
named Lescenne. They did not content themselves with these
batteries, although they hammered a breach in our walls, but
made new ones to support the first. The marshy flat on the
seashore at White Point proved very troublesome and kept
them from pushing on their works as they would have wished ;
to remedy this they dug several trenches across the flats,
and, when these had been drained, they set up two
batteries which did not begin to fire until some days after-
wards. One of them,' above the settlement of Martissance, had
several pieces of cannon, taken partly from the Royal Battery
and partly from Flat Point where the landing was made-

battu en traversant le Cana], il eut le chagrin d'apprendre qu'il arrivoit
trop tard, & que la Place ^toit rendue. Ce brave homme n'eut que le
teniB de se jeter dans los bois, avec ses cinq k six cens hommes, pour
regagner I'Acadie.

Les ennemis paroissoient avoir envie de pousser vigoureusemont lo
Si^ge. lis ^tablirent une batterie aupr^s de la Plaine de Brissonnet, qui
commenija k tirer le di-x-sept, & travaillerent encore a une autre, pour
battre directement la Porte Dauphine, entre les maisons du nomme la
Roche & Lescenne, Canonier. lis ne s'en tinrent point k ces batterii s,
quoiqu'elles nous battissent en breche ; mais ils en dreaserent de nouvelles
46] pour soutenir les premieres. La Plaine marecageuse du bord de II la
Mer, a la Pointe blanche, les incommodoit fort, & empechoit qu'ila ne
poussaasent leurs travaux comme ils I'auroient souhaite : pour y r^medier,
ils pratiquerent divers boyaux, afin de couper cette Plaine ; etant venus
a bout de la desaecher, ils y firent d'eux batteries, qui ne tirerent que
quelques jours apres. II y en avoit une au-dessus de I'habitation de
Martissance, composee de sept pieces de canon, prises en partie de la
Batteric-Royale & de la Pointo plate ou s'etoit fait le debarquement. On

*1!

They intended it to destroy the Dauphin Bastion, and tliese
two last batteries nearly levelled the Dauphin Gate.

On the 18th we perceived a ship carrying the French flag, is
and trying to enter the Port. It was seen that she was really a
French ship, and to help her to come in we kept up a ceaseless
fire upon the Royal Battery. The English could easily have
sunk the ship had it not been for the vigour of our fire, which
never ceased, and they were not able to keep her from entering.
This little reinforcement pleased us. She was a Basque vessel,
and another had reached us in the month of April.

We were not so fortunate in regard to a ship of Granville,
which tried to enter a few days later, but, being pursued, was
forced to run aground. She fought for a long time. Her
commander, whose name was Daguenet, was a brave man, and
surrendered only in the last extremity and when overwhelmed
by numbers. He had carried all his gims to one side, and kept up
such a terrible fire with them that he made the enemy pay dearly
and they were obliged to arm nearly all their boats to take him.
From this captain we learned that he had met the Vigilant,

la destiuoifc a ruiner le Bastion Dauphin ; ces deux dernierea batteries ont
presque rase la Porte Dauphine.

Le dix-huit nous viines paroitre un Navire, avec Pavilion Fran^ais, j^
qui cherchoit h, donner dans le Port. II fut reconnu pour etre effectivc-
ment de notre Nation, & atin de favoriser son entree, nous finius
un feu continuel sur la Battorie Royale. Les Anglais ne pouvant resistor
a la vivacite de notre feu, qui ne discontinuoit point, ne purent empecher ce
Navire d'entrcr, qu'il leur eut ete facile sans cela de couler a fond. II
47] Ce petit rafraichissement nous fit plaisir ; c'etoit un Navire Basque : il
nous en etoit venu un autre d.wis le courant d'Avril.

Nousn'eumes pas le memebonheur pour un Navire de Granville, quise
presenta aussi pour entrer, quolijuos jours apres; mais qui ayant ^te pour-
suivi, fut contraint de s'echouer, et se battit long^tems. Celui (lui le com-
mandoit, nomm6 Dafjuenet, etoit un bravo homnie, lequol no se rendit
qu'k la derniere extremite, & apres avoir ete accable par lo nombre. 11
avoit transporte tous aes Canons d'uninome cote, & on fit un feu si terrible,
que les ennemis n'euront pas bon marche de lui. 11 fallut armor presque
toutes leurs Chaloupes pour le prendre. Nous avons s^u de ce CapitaLne,

and that it was from that unfortunate vessel that he heai*d of
the blockade of Cape Breton. This fact has a bearing upon
what I am about to relate.

In France it is thought that our fall was caused by the loss
of this vessel. In a sense this is true, but we should have been
able to hold out without her if wc had not heaped error upon
error, as you must have seen by this time. It is true that,
thanks to our own imprudence, we had already begun to lose hope
when this powerful succour approached u.s. If she had entered,
as she could have done, we should still hold our property, and
the English would have been forced to retire.

The Vigilant came in sight on the 28th or 29th of May about
•SoaUri.-ED a league and a half distant from Santarye.* At the time there
28 was a north-east wind which was a good one for enter-
ing. She left the English fleet two and a half leagues to lee-

or
29

ward. Nothing could have prevented her from entering, and
yet she became the prey of the English by a most deplorable
fatality. We witnessed her manoeuvres and there was not one
of us who did not utter maledif^tions upon what was so badly
planned and so imprudent.

qu'il avoit rencontr^ le Vigilant, & que c'etoit de ce malheureux Vaisseau,
qu'il avoit appris que I'lsle-Royale ^toit bloquee. Cette circonatance importe
au r^cit que je vais faire.

VouB etes persuades, en France, que la prise de ce Vaisseau do guerre a
occasionne la notre, cela est vrai en quelque sorte ; mais nous eussions II
48] pu nous suutenir sans lui, si nous n'avions pas entass^ fautes sur fautes,
ainsi que vous avez dft vous en appercevoir jusqu' k present. II est vrai
que, graces k nos imprudences, lorsque ce puissant socours nous arrivoit,
nous commencions k etro sans esperance. S'il fftt entr^, comma il le
pouvoit, nous serions encore dans nos biens, & les Anglais eussent ^ti
forces de se retirer.
no Le Vigilant parut le ving-huit ou le vingt-neuf de Mai, k environ une
(^t lieue & demie de distance de Santarye. Le vent etoit pour lors Nord-
29 Est, & par consequent bon pour entrer. II laissoit le Flotte Anglaise k deux
lieues et demie sous le vent. Rien ne pouvoit done I'empecher d'entrer ;
& c'est par la plus grande de toutes les fatalites qu'il est devenu la proye
de nos Vainqueurs. Temoins de sa manceuvre, il n'etoit personne de
nous qui ne donnat des maledictions a une manoeuvre si mal concert^e &
si imprudente.

This vessel, ccinmandod by M. de la Mainonfort, instead of
holding on her v/ay, or of sending a boat to land for intelli-
gence, as prudf nee demanded, annised herself by chasing a
privateer rigged as a Snow (Senaull *^), which unfortunately
she encountered near the shore. This privateer, wliich was
couunanded by one Brousse,* nianfeuvred differently from the
French vessel, and i-etreated, firing continuously, with all sail
set, and leading her enemy on towards the English scjuadron ;
her plan succeeded, for the Vigilant found herself so entangled
that when she saw the danger it was impossible to save herself.
At first two frigates* attacked her. M. de la Maisonfort
answered with a vigorous fire which soon placed one of them
Jiora de combat. Her mainmast was carried away, she was
stripped of all her rigging, and was compelled to retire. Five
other frigates, however, came and poured in a hot fire from all
sides ; the fight, which we watched in the open air, lasted from
five o'clock to ten in the evening. At length it was necessary
for her to yield to superior force and to surrender. The

* The officer
referred to is
uo doubt Ckp-
tain Rouse,
commanding
the "Shirley,"
a i)rovinciaI
ship. RouM
was sub-
sequently an
officer in the
Royal Navy.
WioBor, Narr
and Grit. Hut.
V : 437, note.
—En.

'* Ship with two masts.

°° The frigate is a swift vessel which goes well and is fit for racing.

Ce Vaisseau, command^ par M. de la Maisanf&H, au lieu de suivre sa
route, ou d'envoyer sa chaloupe k terre pour prendre langue, ainsi ||
49] que le requeroit la prudence, s'amusa k poursuivre un Corsaire mont^ en
Senault*" qu'il rencontra malheureusement sous la terre. Ce Corsaire,
que commandoit un nomrn^ Broiisse, manceuvre d'une autre maniere que
le Vaisseau Fri»n9ai8, il se battit toujours en retraite, for^ant de voiles, &
attirant son ennemi vers I'Escadre Angloise ; ce qui lui reussit : car le
Vigilant se trouva tellement engage, qu'il ne lui fut plus possible de se
sauver, quand on eut vu le danger. Deux Fregates'" I'attaquerent
d'abord : M. de la Maisonfort leur r^pondit par un feu tres vif, (jui enmit
bien-tot une hors de combat ; elle fut deniatee de son grand mat, desem-
par^e de toutes ses manoeuvres, & contrainte de se retirer. Mais il vint
cinq autres Fregates ()ui cliaufferent le Vigilant de toutes parts ; le combat
que nous voyons a decouvert, dura depuis cinq heures du soir jusqu' i dix.
50] Enfin il II fallut ceder a la force, & se rendre. Les ennemis ont beau-

■" Navire k deux mfita.

so La Fregate est un vaisdeaa linger, qui marche bien, &propre pour la course.

I ] ' I I

. I

enemy's Iohh in the fitjht was heavy and tlie French commander
had eighty men killed or wounded ; his ship was very little
damaged.

It is right to say to th(! credit of M. de la Maisonfort that
he showed great courage in the struggle, but the interests of
the King demanded that he should have proceeded to his des-
tination. The Minister did not send hini to give chase to any
vessel ; h's ship was loaded with amnumition and pi'ovisions,
and his one business was to re-victual our wretclied town,
which would never have been taken could we have received so
great a help ; but we were victims devoted to the wrath of
Heaven, which willed to use even our own forces against us.
We have learned from the English, since the surrender, that
they were beginning to be short of ammunition, and were in
greater need of powder than we were. They luid even held
councils with a view to raising the siege. The powder found
in the Vigilant soon dispelled this idea, and we perceived that
after the capture their firing increased greatly.

I know that the commander of this unfortunate vessel will

coup perdu daiiH ce combat, & le Commandant Fran9ai8 cut (luatro-vingts
hommes tues ou blesses; lo Vaisseau n'a etc r[Uo fort peu endonnnage.

On doit dire, t\ la gloire de M. do la Maisonfort, (ju'il a fait prcuve
d'une extreme valeur dans ce combat; mais il auroit mieux valu (ju'il eftt
Huivi sa destination : c'etoit tout ce ((ue les interets du Roi exiyeoient. Le
Ministre ne I'unvoyoit pas pour donner lachasse a aucun Vaisseau ennemi ;
charge de nmnitions de guerre & de bouche, son Vaisseau etoit unique-
ment destine 5, ravitailler notre malheureuse Place, qui n'auroit jamais et^
en effet emportee, si nous eussions pft recevoir un si grand secours ; mais
nous etions des victimes devouees a la colere du Ciel, ([ui a voulu faire
servir contre nous jusqu'h, nos propres forces. Nous avons s^u des
Anglais, depuis notre reddition, qu'ils commen^oient h. mancjuer de muni-
tions de guerre, it (jue la poudre etoit encore plus rare dans leur armee
51] (juo parmi nous. lis avoient II meme tenu ([uelcjues Conseils pour
lever lo siege. La poudro trouvee dans le Vigilant fit bien-t<jt evanouir
cette idee ; nous nous apper^ftmos (jue leur feu avoit depuis beaucoup
augmente.

Je sqai que le Commandant de cet infortune Vaisseau dira, pour se

say, to justify himself, that it was important to capture the
privateer in order to govern himH«'lf by the information that
he hIiouIcI thus secure. Hut tliat does not excuse him ; he knew
that Louisbourg wafl blockaded, and that was enough ; what
more waH it necessary to know ? If he was afraid tliat the
English were mtiaters of the place it was easy to find this out
by sending his cutter or his long-boat and sacrificing some
men for the sake of certainty. The Royal Battery ought not
to have troubled him. We should have done with it what we
did in the case of the Basiiue ship, whose entrance we aided by
keeping up a hot fire. The loss of a reinforcement so consi-
derable caused even those to lose heart who had been most
determined. It was not difficult to suspect that we should be
obliged to throw ourselves on the clemency of the English, and
several thought that it was now necessary t<> isk for terms of
capitulation. We still held out, however, for more than a month
and this is better than one could have expected considering
the prostration to which so sad a spectacle had brought us.

The enemy was busy all the remaind' of the month in cannon-
ading and bombarding us without making any appreciable pro-
gress which could arouse their hopes. Since they did not attack

justifier, (ju'il 6toit important d'enlover le Corsaire, atin do so reglur sur
les nouvelles qu'il on auroit appria. Mais cola no I'oxcuho point ; il scjavoit
que Louisbourg 6toit blocjuo, e'en etoit assez : (ju'avoit-il bescjin d'en
B^AVoir davantago ? S'il craignoit (jue les Anglais n'eussont 6ti niaitres do
la Place, il etoit ais^ do s'en instruire, en envoyant son canot ou sa cha-
loupe, & sacrifiant quoltjues hommea pour sa sftrete ; la batterie Rt)yalo
ne devoit point I'inquietcr, nous en aurions agi comme avec lo Navire
Basque, dont nous facilitamos I'ontreo par un feu excessif. La porte
d'un secours si considerable ralentit lo courage de ceux (jui avoient le plus
conserve de fermete : il n'etoit pas difficile de juger que nous
52] serions contraints d'iniplorer la clemence des II Anglais, & plusieurs
personnes furent d'avis qu'il falloit dfeslors demander a capituler. Nous
avons cependant tenu un mois au-delk ; c'est plus (ju'on n'auroit pu exiger
dans I'abattement o^ venoit de nous jotter un si triste spectacle.

L'Ennemi s'occupa k nous canoner & k nous bonibardor tout le reste
da mois, sans faire des progr^s bien sensibles, & (jui lui pussent donner
de I'eBpoir. Comme il ne nous attaquoit point dans les formes ; qu'il
4

iW <

in form, and, since they had no entrenchments to cover them-
selves, they did not ventm-e to approach too near. All our shots
carried while the greater part of theirs was wasted. Hence we
fired only when v;e thought well. The enemy would fire daily
from five to six hundred cannon shots to our twenty ; in truth
our scarcity of powder caused us to be careful. The musketry
was of little use.

I have forgotten to mention that in the early days of the
siege the enemy had summoned us to surrender, but we
answered as our duty demanded ; the officer who was sent to
make the proposition, seeing that we were rejecting his offers,
proposed that the ladies should be sent out with the guarantee
that they should not be in&ulted, and that they should be pro-
tected in the few houses that were still standing, for the enemy
when they disembarked hid burned or destroyed nearly every-
thing in the surrounding country. We declined the officer's
proposal, for our women and children were quite safe in the
shelter we had mac^e for them. Some long pieces of wood had
been put upon the casemates in a slanting position and this so

n'avoit pratiqu^ aucuns retranchemens pour se couvrir, il n'osoit s'aprocher
de trop pr^s ; tous nos coups portoient, au lieu que la pldpart des siens
^toient perdus : aussi ne tirions-nous que lorsque nous le jugions n^ces-
saire. II tiroit, lui, plus de cinq k six cens coups de canon par jour,
contre nous vingt ; a la v^rite, le peu de poudre que nous avions, obligeoit
h, n'en user que sobrement. La mousqueterie ^toit peu d'usage.

J'ai oubli^ de dire que, des les premiers jours du si^ge, lea ennemis
nous avoien fait sommer de nous rendre ; niais nous r^pondinies selon II
53] ce que le devoir nous prescrivoit : I'Officier, deputd pour nous en faire la
proposition, voyant que nous rejettions ses offres, proposa de faire sortir
les Dames, avec assurance qu'elles ne seroient point insultees, & qu'on les
feroit garder dans les maisona qui subsistoient encore en petit nonibre ;
car I'ennemi, en debarquant, avoit pres(iue tout brftle ou detruit dans la
campagne. Nous remerciames cet Officier, parce que nos femmes & nos
enfans 4t<oient sdrement dans les logeniens que nous Icur avions faits. On
avoit mis sur les casemates dc longues pieces de bois, plac^es en biais, qui,

deadened the force of the bombs and turned them aside that
their momentum had no effect. It was underneath this that we
had, as it were, buried them.

At the beginning of June the besiegers appeared to June
acquire renewed vigour. Dissatisfied with their slight success 6
hitherto, they began new undertakings, and planned to attack
us from the sea. In order to succeed they tried to surprise the
battery at the entrance. A detachment of about 500 men,
transported thither on the night of the sixth, was cut
in pieces by M. d'Aillebout, captain of a company, who
commanded there and fired upon them with grape shot ; more
than three hundred were left dead, and none were saved
except those who asked for quarter; the wounded were taken
to our hospitals. On this occasion we made one hundred and
nineteen prisoners, and on our side had only three killed or
wounded, but we lost a gunner who was much regretted.

This advantage cheered us a little : we had as yet made no
sortie, for want of men, since, as I have obeerved, we did not
depend at a^l upon the regular troops, for the reason stated.
10 was, nevertheless, decided to make one, and for this there

en amortissant le coup de la bombe, la rejettent, & empfichent I'effet de
son poids. C'est Ik-dessous que nous les avions enterr^os.

Au commencement de Juin, les AsBi^geans parurent reprendre Jui^
une nouvelle vigueur ; n'^tant pas contens du peu de succ^s qu'ils
avoient eu jusques-lk, ils s'attacherent k d'autres entreprises, et voulurent
essayer de nous attaquer par le c6t6 de la mer. Pour r^ussir, ils tenterent
54] de nous surprendre la batterie de II I'entree : un D^tachement d'envi-
ron cinq cens homniea s'y etant transport^ pendant la nuit du six au
sept, f ut taille en pieces par le sieur Daillebourt, Capitaine de Compagnie,
qui y commandoit, & qui tira sur eux k mitraille ; plus de trois ccns 7
resterent sur la place, & il n'y cut do sauv^s que ceux qui demanderent
quartier, les blessda furent transfer6s dans nos hopitaux. Nous fimes en
cette occasion cent dix-neuf prisonniore, et n'edmes que trois homnies de
tues ou blesses ; mais nous perdimea un Oanonier, qui fut fort regretto.

Get avantage nous releva tant soit peu le coeur ; nous n'avions encore
point fait de sortie, faute de nionde : car, comme jo I'ai observe, nous ne
comptions du tout point sur les troupes r(5gl^es, par la raison que j'en ai
dite ; il fut pourtant arrets qu'on en feroit une, en quoi il y avoit neces-

G
an

was urgent need. Wishing to possess, at any price, the battery
at the entrance, the assailants commenced to build a fort
opposite this battery, to command it. A hundred resolute men
were chosen to go and dislodge them. M. Kol, a Swiss and a
settler, took command of them, having with him M. Beau-
bassin, a retired oflBcer. In the hands of these two brave men
the sortie could not fail, and it was conducted with all imagin-
able prudence and courage. They went to land at the River
Mira, where they halted some time, sending out a scouting
•The modern party towards Lorembec,* a place three or four leagues from the
town and still untouched ; it was reported to them that about
three hundred men had been seen. They advanced upon them,
but the enemy, seeing them coming, burned Lorembec and retired
to the head of a Barachois, upon the property of M. Boucher, an
engineer. Although they were entrenched there, our party,
reinforced by thirty Indians found at the Mira, attacked them
80 that they lost two hundred and thirty men, of whom a hun-
dred and fifty were killed and eighty wounded. Had not
powder given out the reverse would have been pressed farther.

sit^ urgente, Voulant k quel prix que ce Mt s'emparer de la batterie de
I'entr^e, les Aseaillans coramen9oient k construire un Fort vis-k-vis cette
55] batterie pour la dominer. On choisit cent hommes bien II r^solus
afin de les aller d^busquer : le Sieur Kol, Suisse & habitant, en prit
le commandemeut, ayant avec lui le sieur Beaubassin, Officier retire
du service. Cette sortie ne pouvoit ^choiier entre les mains de ces deux
braves gens, auasi fut-elle conduite avec toute la prudence & la bravoure
imaginables. lis allerent faire leur descente k la Kiviere de Mir^, ou ils
B'arreterent quelque terns, envoyant k la decouverte vers Lorembeck,
Bourg k trois ou quatre lieues de la Ville, encore entier : on leur rapporta
que Ton voyoit environ trois cens homines. lis marcherent k eux ; mais les
ennomis les voyant approcher br^lerent Lorembeck, & se retirerent au
fonds d'un Barnchois, Bur I'habitation du sieur Boucher, Ing^nj«»-ir ;
quoiqu'ils s'y fuasent retranch^s, nos gens s'etant renforc^s de tie.'te
Sauvages trouv(^s k Mire, les attaquerent, & leur mirent deux cens trenhe
hommes hors de combat, dont il y en eut cent cinquante de tu^s & quatre-
vingts de blesses. Get ^chec e<lt ^te pousse plus loin, ei la poudre n'edt

The number of the enemy, however, increasing constantly, it
was necessary to beat a retreat. The Indians returned to
station themselves beyond the river.

These Indians are very brave and warmly attached to the
French. They hate the English as much as they like us, and
give them no quarter. It will be impossible for the English to
quell them, and France, if she ever wishes to recover our
colony by force, will always find in them assistance all the
r"ore invaluable because they are without fear. They are
naturally good tempered, but when irritated are none the less
dangerous. Full of hatred for the English, whose ferocity
they abhor, they dastroy all upon whom they can lay hands.
Their rage against the English nation is so great that it extends
even to its savage allies. We have heard them say that they
would kill every Englishman who should dare to venture into
the forest.

It was our misfortune not to have had any of these Indians,
who would have rendered it possible for us to make frequent
sorties; — or, rather, this ought to be added to the number of the
mistakes that we made, for it would have been very easy to

56] point manque ; d'ailleura le nombre II des ennemis augmentoit sans
cesse, il fallut faire retraite. Les Sauvages retoumerent se poster au-
dessus de la Riviere.

Ces Sauvages sent tres-couragoux & remplisd'air'i-i^ pour les Frangais :
autant ils nous aiment, autant haissent-ils les Anglais, ausquels ils ne font
nul quartier. II leur sera impossible de les dompter : ainsi la France, si
elle veut jamais ravoir notre Colonie par la force, trouvera constamment
en eux des secourt d'aiitant meilleurs, ((ue ces gens-1^ sont intrepides.
Leur naturel est d'etre bons ; mais ils n'cn sont paa moins dan^ereux,
quand on lea irrite, rieius d'animosite contro I'Anglais, dont ils abhor-
rent la ferocite, ils en dotruisent autant ([u'il leur en tombo entre les
mains : lour acharnement contre cette Nation est si grand, qu'il s'utend
jusqu'aux Sauvages qui leur sont allies ; nous leur avons entondu dire
qu'ils tueroient auta?it d'Anglais qu'il en osoroit se ris(juor dans lo bois.
Notre malheur est de n'avoir pas eu do cos Sauvages qui nous auroient
57] mis en etct de faire de frei|quentes sorties ; ou plutot cela doit etre
range au nombre dos fautes que nous avons faites, parce ([u'il nous eflt ete
tres-facile d'en rassembler tel nombre que nous eussions voulu ; mais il

11 ■

bring together as many as we wished, but it would have been
necessary to make this provision before the English arrived or
the siege began. Our commanders' excuse, that one of the
causes of the surrender was that they had not enough men to
make sorties, and dislodge the enemy as they pushed forward
new works, is not valid ; upon them lay this responsibility ;
they were given advice but paid no heed.

An incident happened in the above action which shows the
courage of the Indians attached to our side, and deserves to be
narrated. One of them, called Little John, received a gun shot
in the breast. His companions thought that he was dead and,
having no time to dig a grave, buried him under the thicket.
After three days the poor fellow rejoined them at the place to
which they had retired beyond theRiverMira.and surprised them
very much for they could not believe that he was alive. These
Indians have marvellous vigour, are hardened to fatigue, and
extremely temperate, going voluntarily for several days with-
out food. If, Tvhile hunting, they meet a Frenchman and have
only a little food, they deprive themselves of it, telling him
that, since he does not know how to fast as long as they, he

auroit falln a'en pourvoir avant I'arriv^e des Anglais, ou avant le commen-
cement du siege. L'excnRe de nos Commandans n'eat done point recev-
able, de dire qu'une des causes de la reddition est de n'avoir pas eu assez
de monde, pour faire des sorties, & d^loger I'ennemi k mesure qu'il faisoit
de nouveaux ouvrages ; c'est ce qui avoit d^pendu d'eux : quelqu'un en
donna le conseil, mais on n'^toit point dcout^.

II arriva dans Taction pr^cedente, une chose qui m^rite d'etre
racontee, & qui fait voir le courage des Sauvages qui nous sont attachez.
Un d'entr'eux nomm^ Petit-Jean, requt un coup de fusil dans la poitrine.
Ses camarades le croyant mort, I'enterrerent sous des brossailles, n'ayant
pas eu le tems de lui faire une fosse. Ce pauvre gar9on les rejoignit au
bout de trois jours, dans I'ondroit ou ik s'itoient retires, au-dessus de la
58] riviere de Mire, & surprit fort des II gens qui n'avoient pas lieu de le
croire vivant. Ces Sauvages aont d'une vigueur etonnante, endurcis k la
fatigue, excessivement sobres, & demeurant volontiers plusieurs jours
sans manger. S'ils se rencontrent a la chasse avec un Franijais, & qu'ils
n'ayent que peu de vivres, ils s'en privent, en lui disant qu'il les faut

must keep it for himself. This trait expresses well the gene-
rosity of their character. It was not their fault if they were
of little service to us during the siege. Notice was not given to
them before the means of communication were cut off, and they
were thus not able to lend us the help that we should have
hoped for. Having sought shelter in the woods, they tried
several times to penetrate to the town. Some of the English
who had the temerity to ramble about were massacred and sev-
eral were killed by a band of from twenty to twenty-five Indians
at Gabarus, upon the property of M. Rondeau, pay-master of
the Navy, who wished to cut wood for the use of the hostile
fleet. The English dreaded them so much that, to guard
against surprises, they burned all the woods about Louis-
bourg.

When M. Kol returned and gave an account of his expedi-
tion, and of the manner in which the Indians had supported
him, there was a discussion about sending munitions of war to
them at once, both for themselves and for certain other Indians
who i ' was thought would come from Acadia. A boat carrying
five barrels of powder and thirty hundred weight of ball was sent

garder pour lui, qui ne SQauroit faire dic^tte ausai long-tems qu'eux . Ce
trait exprime bien la bonte de leur caract^re. Ce n'eat pas leur faute,
s'ils ne nous ont rendus que de mediocres services durant le Si^ge. On
ne les avoit point avertis, avant que lea passages fuasent ferm^s ; ils n'ont
done pu nous prater I'appui que nous en auriona dfi esperer. Refugiea
dans les bois, ils ont plusieurs fois cherche a penetrer dans la Ville.
Quelques Anglais qui ont eu la temerity de s'ecarter, en ont etc massacres ;
& vingt k vingt-cincj Sauvages en tuerent plusieurs h Gabaru.s, sur I'habi-
tation du .sieur Rondeau, Tresorier de la Marine, qui vouloit faire du Ijois
pour le service de la Flotte enneniie. Les Anglais les craignent si fort,
59] que pour se garantir de leurs surprises, ils ont II brfile tons les bois (jui
etoient aux environs de Louisbourg.

Le sieur Kol etant de retour, rendit compte de son expedition, & sur
le recit qu'il fit de la mj.nioro dont les Sauvages I'avoient seconde, on
(lelibera de leur envoyer sur le champ des munitions de guerre, tant pour
cux quo pour (juelques autres Sauvages ([u'on s'iniaginoit devoir venir du
cote de I'Acadie. II fut done expedie une chaloupe chargee de cinq barils

■I

ofi and taken through the woods to an island in the River
Mira, where three men remained on guard, but we heard
not a word of the Indians. Here again was seen one of the
mistakes so familiar to us. For a long time the scarcity of
powder had been complained of, yet upon the slightest
pretext and for pure uncertainties we deprived ourselves
of some of our supply. Nothing could better show how our
heads were turned. What could the Indians have done then,
even if they had come? The enemy no longer doubted
about the final outcome; since the Vigilant was taken they
had reason to be convinced that we could not escape and our
loss of this vessel, in reducing us to extremities, placed them
in a position to keep everything waiting upon their initiative.

15 To make things worse, on the 15th a squadron of six war-
ships from London reached the English. These, together with
the frigates, cruised about in view of the town without firing a
single shot. We have, however, since learned that if we had
delayed capitulating, all the vessels would have brought their
broadsides to bear upon us {se seroient embosser''^) and we should

'^ Embosser, a naval term which signifies to make fast; so that a ship
emhossee is a ship at her moorinxB and at anchor.

de poudre, & de trente quintaux de balles, que Ton conduisit dans le bois,
sur un Islot de la riviere de Mire, & trois homines y demeurerent pour
garder ces munitions : mais nous n'avons point oiii parler de ces Sauvages.
C'etoit encore-lii une de ces fautes qui nous etoient si familieres. On se
plaignoit, il y avoit long-tems, que nous manquions de poudre : cependant
nous nous en privions, des qu'il se presentoit le moindre pretexte, & sur
de pures incertitudes. Rien n'est plus capable de montrer a quel point la
tete nous avoit tourne. Qu'eussent pu faire alors ces Sauvages quand ils
60] seroient venus. L'ennemi no balan^oit plus || sur sa destinee & la
notre : depuis la prise du Vigilant, il devoit etre cimvaincu que nous ne
pouvions lui echaper, et ce Vaisseau en nous reduisant ti I'extremite,
r.ivoit mis dans une situation a lui faire tout attendre de son entreprise.
^^y Pour sur croit d'infortune, il arrive aux Anglais le 15. une Escadre
de six Vaisseaux de guerre, venant de Londres. Ces Vaisseaux croiserent
devant la Villo, avec les Fregattes, sans tirer un seul C(jup. Mais nous
avons SQU depuis (jue, si nous eussicms tardc I'l capituler, tous les Vais-
seaux se seroient embosses,"^ & nous auroient fait essuyer le feu le plus

"' Evibosscr, terme de Marine, qui HigniKe Amarrcr ; ainsi un Navire
emboHst^, est un Navire sur ses amarres & a I'aucre.

V'«

ha/e had to undergo a most vigorous fire. Their arrangements
were not unknown; I will report the order that they were to
keep.

The enemy had not yet used red hot bullets, but on the jg
18th and 19th they did so, with a success which would and
have been greater had there not been prompt action on ^'^
our part. Three or four houses took fire, but it was quickly
extinguished. Promptitude in such emergencies was our single
resource.

It was without doubt the arrival of the squadron which
caused this new greeting on the part of the land army, the
General, who wished himself to have the honour of conquering
us, bdng very desirous of forcing us to surrender before the
fleet should put itself in a position to compel us.

The Admiral on his side was anxious to secure the honour 21
of reducing us. On the 21st an officer came to propose, on the
Admiril's part, that, if we must surrender, it would be better
to do so to him, because he would show us a consideration that,
perhaps we should not find with the commander of the land
force. A.11 this shows very little co-operation between the two
generals, and sufficiently confirms the remark which I have

vif. Leun dispositions n'ont point ete ignorees, je rapporterai I'ordre
qu'ils devoiant tenir.

Les eniemis ne s'etoient encore point avises de tirer a boulets is.
rouges ; ils .e firent le dix-huit & le dix-neuf, avec un succes (jui auroit <t
61] ete plus grand, sans le prompt secours (jui y II fut apporto. Le feu !'*•
prita troisoi quatre inaison.s, niais on Tout hicn-tot etcint. La prompti-
tude en ces sortes d'occasions, est la seulo ressource que Ton puisse avoir.

L'arrivee tc I'Escadre etoit, sans doute, r(jl)jet do co nouveau salut de
la i>art do I'Aimee do torre ; .son (Jeneral fjui vouloit avoir I'honnour de
notre comjuett, etant bien aise de nous forcer a nous soumuttre, avant
que I'Escadre st ffit mise en devoir de nous y contraindre.

L'Amiral do son cote songeoit a so procurer I'lionneur de nous o]^
reduire. Un OHcier vint pour cet otFet, le vingt-un, nous proposer do sa
part, que si nous avions a nous rendre, il seroit plus convenable de la
faire a lui, (jui airoit des cgards (jue nous ne trouverions peut-etre pas
dans le Commanumt de terro. Tout cela uiarquoit peu d'intelligence
entre les deux Geieraux, & verifie asses la reman jue que j'ai ci-devant

< I

ill I

already made; in fact one could never have told that these
troops belonged to the same nation and obeyed the sjnne
prince. Only the English are capable of such oddities, wl ich
nevertheless form a part of that precious liberty of which taey
show themselves so jealous.

We answered the oflScer, whom Admiral Warren had sent
with this message, that we had no reply to give him, and that
we shoiild see which party it would be well to avail ourselves
of when we should arrive at such an extremity. This swsgger
would have made any one laugh who had seen our real embar-
rassment. It could not have been greater ; the officer must
have perceived it notwithstanding the bold countenance w^hich
we assumed, since it is difficult for the face to conceal the emo-
tions of the heart. Councils were held more frequently than
ever, but with no better results ; they met without knowing
why, and knew not what to resolve. I have often laughed at
these meetings where nothing happened that was not ridiculous,
and which only revealed confusion and indecision. Care for our
defence no longer occupied us. If the English had known
how to profit by our fright they would soon hwe mas-

faite : on n'eut jamais dit en efFet, que ces Troupes fussent de la raeme
Nation & sous I'obeissance du merae Prince. Les Anglais 8>nt les seuls
G2] peuples capables de ces bisarreries, qui font cependanc II partie de
cette precieuse liberie dont ils se niontrent si jaloux.

Nous repondimes a I'Officier, par qui TAmiral Warren reus avoit fait
donner cet avis, que nous n'avions point de reponse a lui faire, & que
{[uand nous en serious a cette extremite, nous verrions le j)arti qu'il
conviendroit d'embrasser. Cette fanfaronade eftt fait rire (luiconque
auroit ete temoin de notre embarras en particulier : il ae pouvoit etre
plus grand : cet Officier dftt s'en appercevoir, nialgre la bonne contenance
([ue nous affections. II est ditticile que le visage ne d^ceb les mouvemens
du c(eur. Les Conseils etoient plus frequens que jamais, mais non plus
salutairos ; on s'asseinbloit sans trop savoir pourcjuoi, sussi ne sqavoit-on
([ue resoudre. J'ai souvent ri de ces assemblees, ou i.' ne se passoit rien
([ue de ridicule & qui n'annonqat le trouble & I'indejision. Le soin de
notre defense n'etoit plus ce (jui occupoit. Si les Anglais eussent s^u
profiler de notre epouvante, il y auroit eu long-temstju'ils nous auroient

■

tered us, sword in haud. But it must be granted, to their
credit, that they were as much afraid as we were. Many a
time all this htis reminded me of the fable of the Hare and
tlie Frogs.*

The object of our numerous Councils was to draw up
articles of capitulation. This occupied until the twenty-
seventh, when an officer, M. Lopinot,''' went out to carry them
to the commander of the land forces. It was hoped that
the terms would be more agreeable to him than to the Admiral,
but they were of so extraordinary a character that, notwith-
standing the anxiety of this General that we should capi-
tulate to him, he had scarcely the patience to listen to them.
I remember that in one article we demanded five pieces of
cannon and two brass mortars . Such propositions were little
in accord with our situation.

In order to succeed with one side or the other, the same
conditions were proposed to the Admiral. This negotiation
was entrusted to M. Bonaventure, company captain, who
intrigued a great deal with Mr. Warren and, although most of
our articles were rejected, obtained, nevertheless, terms suffi-
ciently honourable. The capitulation was then decided on the

*La Fontaine,
Book II..
Fable XIV.-
£d,

f According to
the Governor,
Du Ghambon,
thig officer was
M. de Laper-
elle. (Coll.de
Afanutjj iii.,
254.)-Bd.

emportes, I'epeo a la main. Mais il faut convenir a, leur louange,
63] qu'ils II avoient autant de peur que nous. Cela m'a plusieurs fois
rappelle la fable du Lievre & des Grenouilles.

Le but de nos frequens Coiiseils etoit de dresser des articles de capitu- 27
lation. On y employa juscju'au vingt-sept, que le sieur Lopinot, Ofiicier,
sortit pour les porter au Commandant de terre. L'on se flatoit de les lui
faire mieux goftter qu' a I'Amiral. Mais ils etoient si extraordinaires, que
malgre I'envie que ce General avoit de nous voir rendre a lui, il se donna
a peine la patience de les ecouter. Je me souviens que nous demandions
par un article, cinc^ i)iece3 de canon, & deux mortiers de fontes. De pa-
reilles propositions ne quadroient gueres avec notre situation.

Afin de reussir d'un cote ou d'autre, on envoya propo.ser les monies
conditions a I'Amiral. Cette negociation avoit ete conliee au sieur Bunnu-
i-cnbirc, Capitaine de Compagnie, qui s'intrigua beaucoup aupr^s de M.
Warren, & (jui, quoique la plfipart de nos articles fussent rejettez, en
obtint pourtant d'asses honorables. On arreta done la capitulation telle

ti^

terms which have been publicly reported. It was announced
to us by two cannon shots from the Admiral's ship as M.
Bonaventure had been instructed. We were reassured a little
by this news, for we had reason to apprehend the saddest fate.
We feared at every moment that the enemy, awaking from
their blindness, would press forward to carry the place by
assault. Everything invited them to do so. There were two
breaches, each about fifty feet wide ; one at the Dauphin Gate,
the other at the Spur, which is opposite. They have since told
us that it had been decided to attempt the assault the next day.
The ships were to support them and to bring their guns to
bear in the following manner: — Four war ships and four
frigates were intended for the Dauphin bastion; the same
number of war ships and frigates, including the Vigilant,
were to attack the La Grave battery, and three other vessels
and as many frigates were ordered to keep close to the Island
at the entrance. We should never have been able to answer
the fire of all these vessels, and at the same time to have
defended our breaches, so that it would have been necessary
to yield,no matter what efforts we made, and see ourselves reduced

64] que les nouvelles publiques I'ont ra]|portee. Elle nous fut annoncee
par deux coups de canon tires h bord de I'Amiral, ainsi qu'on en avo''
donn(5 1'ordre au sieur Bonnaventure. A. cette nouvelle, nous reprimes aii
peu de tranquillite ; car nous aviona sujet d'apprehender le sort lo plus
triste. Nous craignions a tout moment, que les enneniis, sortant de leur
aveuglement, ne se presentassent pour nous enlever d'assaut. Tout les y
convioit : il y avoit deux breches de la longueur d'environ cinquante pieds
chacune, I'une a la porte Dauphine, & I'autre a I'Eperon, qui est vis-.a-vis.
lis nous ont dit depuis que la i-esolution en avoit ete prise, et I'execution
renvoy^e ac lendemain. Les Navires devoient les favoriser, & s'embosser
de la maniere suivante.

Quatre Vaisseaux et quatre Fregattes etoient destines pour le bastion
Dauphin : un cgal nombre do Vaisseaux & de Fregattes, parmi lesquels
etoit le Vigilant, devoit attaquer la piece de la Grave : & trois autros
Vaisseaux et autant de Fregattes, avoicnt ordre de s'attacher a I'lslo de
I'entree. Nous n'eussions jamis pu repondre au feu de tous ces Vais-
C5] seaux, II & defendre en meme terns nos breches : de facon qu'il auroit
falln suGcomber, quelqnes efforts que nous eussions pfi faire, & nous voir

to seeking clemency from n conqueror whose generosity there
was reason to distrust. The land army was composed only of
a crowd brought together without subordination or discipline,
who would have made us suffer all that the most furious inso-
lence and rage can do. The capitulation did not keep them
from doing us considerable injury.

Thus, by the visible protection of Providence, we warded
off a day which would have been so full of misery for us.
What, above all, caused our decision was the small quantity
of powder which we still had. I am able to aflBrm that we
had not enough left for three charges. This is the critical
point, and upon this it is sought to deceive the public who are
ill-informed ; it is desired to convince them that twenty thou-
sand pounds still remained. Signal falsehood ! I have no
interest in concealing the truth, and ought the more to be
believed because I do not pretend by this entirely to justify
our officers. If they did not capitulate too soon, they com-
mitted mistakes enough to prevent their acquittal of the
blame which they incurred. It is certain that we had no more
than thirty-seven kegs of powder, each of one hundred pounds ;
this is trustworthy, as is not all that is told to the contrary.

rcduits k recourir a la clemence d'uu vaiuqueur, de la generosite duquel
il y avoit k se d^fier. L'Armee de terre n'otoit compo8<5e que de gens
ramasses, sans subordination ni discipline, qui nous auroient fait ^prouver
tout ce que I'insolence & la rage ont de plus furieux. La capitulation n'a
point empechd qu'ils ne nous ayent bien fait du mal.

C'est done par une protection visible de la Providence, que nous avons
prevenu une joumee qui nous auroit ete si funeste. Ce qui nous y a le
plus determine, est le peu de poudre qui nous restoit : je puis assurer que
nous n'en avions pas pour faire trois decharges. C'est ici le point critique,
& Bur lequel on cherche le plus h, en imposer au public mal instruit : on
voudroit lui persuader qu'il nous en restoit encore vingt milliers. Faus-
sete insigne ! Je n'ai aucun interet k deguiser la verity ; Ton doit
d'autant plus m'en croire, que je ne pretens pas par-Ik justifier II
66] enti^rement nos Officiers. S'ils n'ont point capitul^ trop tot, ils avoient
commis assez d'autres fautos, pour ne les pas laver du blame qu'ils ont
encouru. II est constant que nous n'avions plus que trente-sept barilf de
poudre, k cent livres chacun : voila ce qui est veritable, & non pas tout

Sl^

ji I

At first even we found only thirty-fivi' ; ])ut our further
Searches procured two others, hid, apparcntl}', by the guiuiers,
wlu), it is known, are everywhere accustonied to this pilferini;.
The articles of capitulation granted Ity Adniiral Warn-n
provided in effect that the Garrison should march out with
arms and flags, which should afterwards be given up, to be
restored to the troops after their arrival in France ; that, if our
own ships did not suflSce to transport our persons and effects to
France, the English would furnish transport as well as the
necessary provisions for the voyage ; that all the commissioned
oflScers of the Garrison and also the inhabitants of the town
should be allowed to reside in their houses, and to enjoy the
free exercise of their religion without molestation, until they
could be removed ; that the non-connnissioned officers and the
soldiers should be placed on board the British ships imme-
diately after the surrender of the town and the fortress, until
they also should be taken to France ; that our sick and wounded
should receive the same care as those of the enemy ; that the
Commandant of the Garrison should have the right to take
out two covered wagons which should be inspected by one

CO qu'on raconte de contraire. Nous n'en trouvions memo d'abord que
trente-cinq ; mais lea recherches qu'on fit nous en procurerent deux autres,
caches apparemment par les Canoniers, qu'on aqait 6tre partout accoutum^s
k ce larcin.

Les articles de la capitulation accord^s par le Chef d'Escadre Warren,
portoient en substance : Que la Garnison sortiroit avec amies & drapeaux
qui seroient remis ensuite, pour 6tre restitues nux troupes apr^s leur arrivee
en Franco : Que si nos propres Vaisseaux ne suffisoient pas pour trans-
porter nos personnes & effets, qu'il en seroit fourni de la part dea Anglais,
ainsi que les provisions n^cessaires pour le voyage : Que tons les Officiers
k Brevet de la garnison & les habitans de la Ville pourroient demeur r
67] II dans leurs Maisons, it joiiir du libre exerciee de leur Religio- mx
qu'il fftt permis de les molester, jusqu' k ce qu'ils pussent etre transj
Que les Bas-OfBciers & les Soldats seroient mis, immediatement ap. la
reddition de la Ville & de la Forteresse, k bord de quelques Vaisseaux de
S. M. Brit, jusqu'k ce qu'ils fussent pareillement transport's en France :
qu'on auroit le mSme soin de nos nialades & blesses, que de ceux des
ennemis : que le Commandant de la garnison auroit la liberty de faire
sortir deux chariots converts, qui ne seroient visites que par un Officier

(

: I

officer only, to see that there wore no munitions of war ; that,
if any persons of the town or jjarrison did not wish to be
recognized hy the English, they should be permitted to go out
masked.

These conditions were assuredly favourable ; more so than
we could have promised ourselves considering the grievous
condition to which wc were reduced. Nothing could show
better that the enemy were not yet cured of their fear. They
dreaded our fortifications and in this had abundant reason to
excuse them. Their mistake was in not having sufficient
insight to detect our want of anununition. An able and
experienced enemy would soon have discovered this.

There were certain other articles added by Mr.Warren; namely,
that the suri-onder and execution of each portion of the things
mentioned above should be done and accomplished as soon as
possible ; that, for guaranty of their execution, the Island
batteiy, or one of the batteries of the town, should be delivered
up, with all the artillery and munitions of war, to the troops of
His Britannic Majesty before six o'clock in the evening ; that
the vessels lying before the harbour should be free to enter

seulement, pour voir s'il n'y avoit aucune munition de guerro : Que si
quel(}ues personnes do la Yille ou de la Gamison, ne vouloient point etre
vftes des Anglais, il leur seroit permis de sortir masquees.

Ces conditions ^toiont assurement favorables, & plus que nous
n'aurions dd nous le promettre de I'^tat fachcux ou nous ^tions r^duits.
Rien n'est plus propre h, prouver que les ennemis n ^toient encore point
68] gueris de leur crainte. lis redoutoient II nos fortitications, & avoient
en cela plus de raison qu'il n'en faut pour les excuser. Leur tort est de
n'avoir pas squ p^n^trer le manque de nos munitions de guerre. C'est ce
qu'un ennemi habile & exp^rinientd auroit bien-tot eu docouvert.

II y avoit quolques autres articles, qui furont ajout(5s par M. Warren ;
s^avoir, (juo la reddition & I'execution de chaque partie des choses ci-
dessus mentionnees, seroient faites & accomplies aussi-tot qu'il seroit
possible : Que pour surety de leur execution, la batterie de I'lsle, ou I'une
des batteries de la Ville, seroit delivr^e avec toute I'artillerie & les muni-
inns de guerre, aux troupes de S. Maj. Brit, avant six heures du soir :
Que les Vaisseauiqui etoient devant le Portauroient la liberte d'y entrer.

•III!

Ill

i '

nil

immediately thereafter, and whenever the Commander-in-Chief
should deem proper ; that none of the officers, soldiers, or
inhabitants of Louisbourg, subjects of the King of France,
should take up arms against England or any of her allies,
during a year, to be reckoned from the day of signing
the capitulation ; lastly, that all the subjects of His Britannic
Majesty held as prisoners in the town or on the Island should
be delivered up.
29 In consequence of this capitulation, signed " P. Warren " and
"William Pepperrell," the war vessels, merchant ships, and
transports entered the harbour of Louisbourg on the 29th.
We have nothing but praise for the polished and engaging
manners of the Admiral, who had his men well under control,
and showed us all the attentions that one could expect from an
enemy, generous and compassionate. Mr. Warren is a young
man, about thirty-five years old, very handsome, and full
of the noblest sentiments. That he sought to gratify us in
everything we had proof at our departure ; we had need of a
surgeon on the Linceaton, the ship which carried us to Roche-
fort, and he obligingly gave us the surgeon of the Vigilant.

immediatement apr^s, & lorsque le Commandant en chef le jugeroit k
propos : Qu'aucun des Officiers, Soldats, ou habitans de Louisbourg,
sujets du Roi de France, ne pourroient prendre les amies centre I'Angle-
terre ou aucun de sea allies pendant un an, k compter du jour de la signa-
69] ture de la capitulajltion : Enfin, que tous les Sujets de S. M. Brit,
detenus prisonniers dans la Ville ou dans I'lsle, seroient delivres.

En consequence de cette capitulation, signee P. fVarref> & Guil-
oi) lanme Pepperell, les Yaisseaux de guerre, ceux de charge & de transport
entrerent dans le Havre de Louisbourg, le vingt-neuf. Nous n'avons que
lieu de nous louer des manieres polies & engageantes de I'Amiral, qui a
scjn contenir les troupes qui lui etoient soumises, & qui a eu pour nous
toutes les attentions que Ton doit attendre d'un enrerai gener^ui & cora-
patissant. M. Warren est un jeune homme d'environ trente-cinq ans,
d'line tr^s jolie figure, & rempli des plus nobles sentimens. II n'a
cherch^ qu' k nous faire plaisir en tout, nous en avons eu la preuve k notre
depart ; il nous falloit un Chirurgien sur le Linccston, •. aisseau qui nous
a amene k Rochefort, & il nous accorda obligeamment celui du Vigilant.

We have, however, much to complain of respecting the com-
mander of the land forces, who had not the same consideration
for us, and allowed us to be pillaged by his troops, in violation
of the good faith due to our capitulation, and of the public
security. What could we expect from a man who, it is said, is
the son of a shoemaker of Boston ? The Governor, whose
favourite he was, had given him this command to the prejudice
of better men, who had murmured loudly about it. The officers
of the men-of-war had only open contempt for him ; those who
served under his ordei's did not respect him more. To punish
us for not surrendering to him, he did not cease to persecute
us ; we can only impute to him all the harm which was done
us. Constantly, inefl[ecti>^e complaints were carried to him
against his men, who, after they were free to enter the town
threw themselves into our houses and took what pleased them.
Our lot was little dili'erent from that of a town given up to
pillage.

We have another grievance against our conquerors. One of the
articles of capitulation provided that we should use our own
vessels to carry us and our effects to France, and that, if these

Mais nous avons beaucoup h nous plaindre du Commandant de terre,
70] qui n'ayant pas pour nous les memos II egards, nous a laisso p'Her par
ses troupes, contre la foi dfte a notre capitulation, & la surety puhliciue.
Que pouvions-nous esperer d'unhommo ijue I'on dit etre fils d'un cordon-
nier de Baston ? le Gouverneur, dont il etoit le favori, I'avoit gratifi^ de
ce Commandement, au prejudice des plus honnetoa gens, (|ui on ont haute-
nient murmure. Les Officiers des Vaisseaux do guerre n'avoient pour lui
qu'un mepris habitant : ceux qui servoient sous ses ordres, no le respec-
toient pas davantage. Pour nous punir de ne nous etre point rendus a lui,
il n'a cesse de nous persecuter : nous no ]K)Uvon8 <[ue lui imputer tout le
mal qui nous a ^te fait. On lui a toujours porte d'inutiles plaintes contre
ses gens, qui, d^s que I'entree de la Ville lour a ete libre, se jotterent dans
nos Maisons, & y ont pris tout ee (Uii les accomniodoit. Notre sort n'a
gueres ete difierent d'une Ville abandonneo au pillage.

Un autre Rrief contre nos Vain(|ueur8. II etoit stipule par un des
articles do la capitulation, ((ue nous nous servirions de nos propres
71] Vaisjlseaux pour nous transpoi-ter en France, avec nos etFets, & ([ue

!!!

»'! I

•l; 1

did not suffice, the enemy would furnish us with ships, as well
as with provisions, for the voyage ; yet, by the most glaring
injustice, they refused us the ships in the harbour, on the
ground that they belonged to some merchants of France, as if
we had not treated for all that was in the place. What was
more mortifying, they had the malice to let us get these ships
ready for sea, and it was only on the eve of sailing that they
committed this unworthy chicanery. Upon this fine pretext,
which was at bottom only the law of the strongest, they seized
the cargoes of some of these same ships, in which we should have
found provisions for the voyage, instead of being compelled
nearly to die of hunger. The captains were compelled to buy
their ships back again.

This strange proceeding, which the Court of France is

interested in avenging, shows how little the word of an enemy

like the English can be depended upon, especially in those

distant countries where honour is among the things unknown.

Here is another proof. There had been a capitulation at Canso,

•Captain Her- j^y which M. Brastrik, the officer in command there,* could not
on was in com- *'

mand at Can- serve before the month of June ; nevertheless, this officer
80, where

hadaahip. ^'^'* ^^ suffisoient pas, Tennemi nous en foumiroit, ainsi que des provisions

CoUeetionde pour faire le voyage ; mais, par la plus criante de toutes las injustices, on

ni""202-3 "°"^ * refus^ les Navires qui se trouvoient dans le Port, sous pr^texte

(Quebec,1884). qu'ils apartenoient k des Negociana de France, comme si nous n'avious pas

aKiSnatrSraB- traite pour tout ce qui etoit dans la Place. Ce qu'il y eut de plus morti-

trick of viola- fiant, on avoit eu la malignity de nous laiaser mettre ces Navires en ^tat

ia'reDeated^by ^^ naviger, & ce ne fut qu'k la veille de faire voile, qu'on s'avisa de nous

the Governor chicanner ausai indignement. Sur ce beau pr^texte, qui n'^toit au fond

?". 267 ^-Ed" 1"® '* ^°^ ^^ P^"^ ^^^^' °" ^^ saiait des cargaisons de quelquea-uns de ces

monies Navires, oh. nous aurions trouve des vivres pour nous nourrir

pendant la travera^e, au lieu que Ton nous a preaque fait mourir de faim.

Les Capitaines ont 6t6 contraints de racheter leurs Navires.

Get etrange precede, que la Cour de France est intereaaee k vanger,
fait voir combien il faut peu compter aur la parole d'un ennemi
72] comme II I'Anglais, sur tout en ces Pays eloigiies, ou I'honneur est au
rang dea choaea inconnues. En voici une autre preuve. II y avoit eu une
capitulation a Canceaux, par laquf lie le aieur Brastrik, Officier qui y com-
mandoit, ne pouvoit servir que dans le nioia de Juin ; cependant cet Officier

n 'ii 'i

ventured to take up ai'ms in the month of May. If the court
acted wisely, it would practice reprisals, and make use at once
of the troops which we have brought home, unless the English
court should give satisfaction for an outrage on the laws of
war recognized by all civilized nations.

Such is the description of the siege of Louisbourg, which,
notwithstanding our fortifications, would not have lasted so
long had we been attacked by an enemy better versed in the
art of war. No complaint can be made of the settlers, who
served with the same precision as did the troops themselves,
and had to bear the greatest fatigues. The regular soldiers
were distrusted ^'^ so that it was necessary to charge the inhabi-
tants with the most dangerous duties. Children, ten and
twelve years old, carried arms, and were to be seen on the ram-
parts, exposing themselves with a courage beyond their years.
Our loss scarcely reached one hundred and thirty men, and it
is certain that that of the English was more than two thou-
sand. Yet their force was so great that for them this loss was
inconsiderable. They had, at disembarking, as many as from

'* A French soldier was hanged during the siege for projected treason ; he was
found with a letter which he was carrying from a prisoner to the Engliah general.

a ose prendre lea armes des le mois de Mai. Si la Cour faisoit bien, elle
useroit de represaillea, & employeroit nos troupes des-a present, k moins
qr.2 la Cour d'Angleterre no lui fasse raison d'un attentat aux loix Mili-
taires reqftes parmi toutes les Nations Policeos.

Telle est la description du Siege de Louisbourg, qui n'auroit pas dure
si long-tems, malgro nos fortifications, si nous eussions ete attaques par
des ennemis plus instruits dans I'Art de la guerre. On ne peut rien
reprocher aux habitans, qui ont fait le service avec autant d'exatitude
que les troupes memes, & surqui ont roule les plus grandes fatigues. On
73] se deficit des soldats,'" ainsi il fal|lloiL que I'habitant se chargeat
de ce qu'il y avoit de plus perilleux. Des enfans de dix it douze ans
avoient pris les armes, & on les a v(\ sur le renipart s'exposer avec un
courage au-dessus de leur age. Notre perte no s'est gueres montee f|u'a
cent trente hommes, it il est sftrque cclle des Anglais va iiplus de 2 mille.
Mais leurs forces etoient si considerables, que cette perte a 6ie mediocre
pour eux. lU avoient plus de huit a neuf mille horn, de debaniucment.

'^' Un Soldat Franc^ais a dtt- pendu durant le si<5ge, pour avoir voulu iioiw
trahir : On le trouvananti d'une lettro qu'il portoit au General Anglais de la part
d'un prifiounier.

1) t

551

w 11 ';

I' 'i '

ji 'I

eight to nine thousand men. We should have done them more
injury if we had been able to make sorties. I have told the
causes which prevented our doing this. The bombs and
bullets of the enemy caused frightful desolation in our poor
town; most of our houses were demolished, and we were
obliged to remove the flour from the general magazine to
expose it to the weather in the King's garden ; we feared that
it might be burned by the enemy, as most of the bombs fell
upon this magazine. More than three thousand five hundred
must have been tired against us. I do not know exactly how
much flour remained to us still, but I know that there was a
large quantity, and there were other provisions in proportion.
These, however, could not take the place of the munitions of war,
which were absolutely exhausted. We had no more bombs, and
if we had had any they would have been perfectly useless, for
our mortars had cracked, after some shots had been fired. All
misfortunes were ours at once.

The enemy caused all to embark and did not wish to allow
any settler to remain upon the island. They would have
driven out even the Indians if that had been in their power.
This conduct proves that they desire to keep it. But if we

Nous leur eussions fait plus de uial, si nous avions p<i faire des sorties ; j'ai
dit les raisons qui nous en ont erapeche. Les bombes & les boulets des
ennemis avoient mis notre pauvre Ville dans une alfreuse desolation : la
pKipart de nos maisons etoient rasees, & nous avions ete obliges de retirer
les farines du Magazin General, pour les expcser a I'air dans le jardin du
74] Roi ; nous apprehendions ([ue Tennemi ne les brulat, la plus grande II
partie des bombes tombaut sur ce Magazin. II faut (|u'il nous en ait ete
jette plus de trois mille cmq cens. Je ne .sqais pas au juste combien il
nous restoit encore de farines, mais je sqais quil y en avoit une grande
quantite, & d'autres vivres a proportion. V ' cela ne pouvoit remplacer
les munitions de guerre, (jui manciuoient absoiument. Nous n'avions plus
de bouibes, & quand nous en aurions eu, elles eussent 6t6 entierement
inutiles, puis(|ue nos mortiers etoient creves, apros en avoir tire quelques
coups. Nous avons eu tous les nialheurs ensemble.

L'Ennemi a tout fait embaniuer, & n'a jamais voulu permettrequ'aucun
habitant demeurfit dans I'lslo. II en auroit cliasse jusiju'aux Sauvages, si
cela eClt etc en son pouvoir. Cette conduite prouve (ju'il a envie de s'y

succeed in taking Acadia* I see no difficulty in our getting 'An expodi-
Cape Breton from them. It appears that the English court is a^'I^J^
sending great forces thither ; this ought to awaken the atten- j^Ffance* at
tion of the French court and to lead it to increase its force on the f Au(m8t*l746).
sea, with a view to opposing the enemy's designs against ~Ed.
Canada. When we came away they assured us that they
would be masters of it next year. We ought to make sure
that they have not a similar success in this enterprise, which
would give the last blow to our commerce. Would it be
possible that it should sustain so great a reverse under the
invincible Louis XV., and that, while so valiant a Monarch
makes the Powers which dare to oppose him tremble, he allows
his subjects in the colonies to be exposed to the violence of his
enemies, and to be the only ones who succumb to the fortune of
war ? Are we less his subjects ? We should be very sorry to
depend upon any other Power.

I will finish this sad and unhappy narrative, which makes
me weep, by saying that the court should extend its charity
to an immense number of unfortunates who, if not succoured,
will die of hunger in France. We, the inhabitants of the town,

conserver : mais, si Ton parvient i\ prendre I'Acadie, je ne fais nulla difli-
culte qu'on vienne h bout de lui enlever I'lsle-Royale. II paroit que la
Cour d'Angleterre y fai: passer de grandes forces ; ce qui doit reveiller
I'attention de la Cour de France, & I'engager k augmenter les siennes II
75] par mer, afin de s'opposer au projet qu'ont forme les ennemis sur le Can-
ada, lis nous ont assures, en partant, qu'ils en seroient maitres I'annee
prochaine. Nous devons fair 3 ensorte qu'ils n'ayent pas le mcme succes
dans cette entrei^rise, (^ui acheveroit de porter les derniers coups a notre
commerce. Seroit-il possible qu'il essuiat de si grands revers sous I'invin-
cible LOUIS XV. Et que tandis iju'un si vaillant Monarcjue fait trembler
les Puissances qui osent lui resister, il souffre quo ses sujets des colonies
soient exposes k la violence de ses ennemis, & les seuls qui succombent
sous la fatalite des Armes ? Sommes-nous moins ses sujets ? Nous
aerions bien faches de dependre de toute autre Puissance.

Je finirai ce triste & malheureux recit (jui m'arrache des larmes, par dire
que laCour doit otendre sa charite sur un nombre infini de miserables, qui
vont mourir de faim en trance, si on ne les secoure. Nous autres habi-

owing to the terms of capitulation, however badly executed, have
still preserved somethinij from the ruin of a fortune sufficiently
limited, but those who dwelt in the country have lost every-
thing, as they were exposed to the first fury of the enemy. I
have seen numerous families (for there is scarcely a country in
the world that we have peopled as we have our northern col-
onies) embark without having anything to cover them, and
wring compassion from even the English themselves. I have
succoured as many of them as my means have permitted, and
several others have followed my example. The court will
not leave those to perish whose fidelity has caused their mis-
fortune.

Our commander, M. du Chambon, behaved very well after
the reduction of the place. He protected us with all his power
against insolence on the part of our conquerors, and he wished
to be the last to leave the colony, but the English forced him
to embark. He left an officer to represent him, and to see that
the settlers were allowed to have what they had a right to
carry off, under the terms of the capitulation.

This, my dear friend, is a detailed narrative of this unhappy

tans de la Ville, nousavons encore conserve quelque chose des debris d'une
76] fortune asses mince, a la faveur de la capitulation, quoique II mal ex6-
cutee : raais les habitans de la campagne ont tout perdu, corame ayant 6t^
exposes a la premiere fougue des ennemis. J'ai vft de nombreuses families
(car il n'est gueres de Pays au monde, o^i Ton peuple t.ant que dans nos
colonies Septentrionales) s'embarquer sans avoir dv3 quoi se couvrir, &
arracher de la compassion aux Anglais memes. J 'en ai secouru autant
que mes faucultes me I'ont permis, «S: plusieurs personnes ont imite mon
exemple. La Cour no laissera point perir des gens dont les fidelit(5 k fait
le malheur.

Notre Commandant, Mr. du Chambon, en a tres-bien agi apr^s la
reduction de la Place. II nous a protege de toutes ses forces contre
I'insolence de partio de nos vaimjueurs, & il ne vouloit quitter la colonie
que le dernier ; mais les Anglais I'ont force de s'embarquer. II a laisse
un Officier pour le representer, & avoir soin qu'on rendit aux habitans
tout ce qu'ils avoient droit d'emporter, en vertu de la capitulation.

Voila, mon cher ami. une relation detaillee de cette malheureuse

affair, of which such diverse accounts are given. I can protest
to you that I have suppressed nothing of all which could come
to my knowledge, and I am inviolably bound to tell the truth,
without wishing to injure anyone through a desire for revenge
or anything else. The same motive compels me to render to
the Minister* the justice which is his due. I hear that he is * The well-

J; ■ p 1 1 1 1 known Oomte

blamed for some of the disaster to our colony, as if he could be de Maurepas,

wno86 loPfiT

responsible for the faults of those to whose care he entrusted official lif«
it. If you share this popular mistake, the detailed account 178I.— Ed.
which I have given can save you from it Can we, indeed,
yield to notions so little in accordance with the foresight of
this great Minister, to whom the navy owes much, and to
whom it would owe still more if he were given the power to
restore it to its ancient lustre? One must be ignorant of what
is going on to make such a mistake. Let him be listened to ;
let him be the only one upon whom depends the strength of
this potent support of our glory and splendour ; let him be
given suflBcient sums to build as many ships as we need, and
let that no longer be regarded by the court as a thing in-
different which deserves, perhaps, the chief and the most

77] affaire d'ont on parle si divereement. D Je voub puis protester que je
n'ai rien td de tout ce qui a pu venir k ma connoissance, que je m'y suia
inviolablement astraint k dire la v^rit^, sans dessein d'offenser personne,
par esprit de vengeance, ni autrement. Le meme motif m'oblige k rendre
au Ministre la justice qui lui est d(ie. J'entens qu'on lui attribue en
partie le d^sastre de notre colonic, comme s'il pouvoit etre responsable
des fautes de ceux k qui il en avoit confie le soin. Si vous etes dans cette
erreur populaire, le detail dans lequel je suis entr^ est capable de vous en
tirer. Peut-on en effet, se livrer k des id^es si peu conformes k la pre-
voyance de ce Grand Ministre, k qui la marine doit beaucoup, & k qui
elle devroit encore davantage, s'il ^toit le maitre de lui restituer son
ancien lustre ? 11 faut etre peu au fait de ce qui se passe, pour donner
dans ce travers. Faites qu'on I'^coute, cju'il soit le seul de qui depende le
nerf de ce puissant soutien de notre gloire & de notre splendeur, qu'on
lui accorde des sommes suffisantes, pour construire autant de Vaisseaux
78] qu'il nous en faudroit, & qu'on ne regarde pas en || Cour, un objet
indifferent, ce qui m^riteroit peut-etre la principale & la plus serieuse

\ !

r !

serious attention. I warrant you that then you would soon
see the navy upon the old footing that it had formerly under
Louis XIV. But as long as his hands are tied and he gets
only small and ineffective grants of money, and attention is
turned away from this motive power of our greatness and
strength, every penetrating and impartial mind will take care
not to blame him for the blows levied at our maritime com-
merce, to which the state is more indebted than is imagined.

Believe it as perfectly true that Louisbourg had been suffi-
ciently furnished with provisions and munitions of war ; that
the Minister had reason to rely upon his own wisdom and care
in this respect, and that the want of economy and the waste-
fulness of those placed in charge are what should be blamed.
Could he foresee that they would foolishly consume ^ the pro-

^' What did moat to conanme our powder were the privateering armaments
which were planned from the time that we knew of the declaration of war. The
ofiBcers were interested in the Privateers and this procured for the settler as much
powder aa he wished. I will say here that trade was controlled by the officers, that
they purchased the carfi^oea as soon aa they arrived, and that they obliged the
inhabitants to buv their goods by their weight in gold. They have, however, an
excuae in the small aalariea which the Court paid them.

attention : Je vous r^ponda qu'alora vous verr^s bien-tot la Marine sur
cet ancien pied, ou elle a et^ quelque terns sous LOUIS XIV. Mais tant
qu'on lui liera les mains, qu'il n'obtiendra que des secours d'argent foibles
et impuissans, qu'on detournera les yeux de dessus ce mobile de notre
grandeur & de notre Puisance : tout esprit clairvoyant & impartial se
donnera de garde rejetter sur lui les coups portes k notre commerce
Maritime, h qui I'Etat est plus redevable qu'on ne pense.

Croyez comme une chose des plus vrayes que Louisbourg avoit ete
suffisamment pourvu de vivres & de munitions de guerre ; que le Ministre
avoit lieu de se reposer sur cette partie de sa sagesse & de ses soins ; &
(jue c'est au defaut d'oeconomie, & k la dissipation de ceux qu'il avoit
charges d'y veiller, (ju'il faut a'en prendre. Pouvoit-il prevoir que Ton
79] consommeroif-' II foUement des provisions consacrees pour les

" Ce qui a le plus aervi h consommer notre poudre, ce sont les armemens en
course, dont on s'avisa dfes qu'on eut S(;u la declaration de Guerre. Les OiSciera
^toient int^resses dans lea Oorsaires ; ce qui en a procure h I'Habitant autant
qu'il a voulu. Je dirai k cette occasion, que les Officiers dtoient lea maltres du
commerce, qu'ila achetoient lea cargaiaons dfes qu'ellea arrivoient, & qu'il falloit
que les Habitans leur payassent les marchandiaes au poids de Tor, Mais ils ont
une excuse dans lea modiquea appointemena que la Cour leur donne.

■I

V II

^ «l

visions devoted to the needs of a useful colony ? And if he had
suspected it, how could he have acted otherwise than as he did?
As soor as he learns that Cape Breton is menaced, and is noti-
fied of its condition, he sends instantly a ship of sixty-four
^uns to carry thither all that would be necessary for the longest
resistance. The event has shown that she could get in ; must
he have divined that imprudence would put her in the power
of the enemy ? It is said that she ought not to have been
sent alone ; it is easy to say this but it was not so easy to do
otherwise. For a long time the condition of our marine has
been such that an expedition could not be undertaken the
instant the occasion offered ; time is necessary to make prepar-
ations, and if the fleet which left Brest under the orders of M.
du Perier was intended, as is believed, to come to our aid, then
it is evident that the Minister neglected nothing to save us
from the misfortune which has overtaken us. It was known
in France that this was merely an enterprise of one colony
against another, that England had not yet sent out any fleet
(for that which went started only very late). One, there-
fore, could not imagine that the Vigilant would be taken and

besoins d'une Colonie si utile ? Et quand U I'auroit devin6, que pouvoit-il
faire autre chose que ce qu'il a fait ? D^s qu'il apprend que I'lsle-Royale
est menacee, qu'il a avis de I'etat ou elle se trouve, il depeche sur le
champ un Vaisseau de soixante & quatre pieces de canon, afin d'y porte r
tout ce qui etoit necessfvire pour la plus longue resistance. L'evenement
a justifie que ce Vaisseau pouvoit passer : Falloit-il done qu'il dovinat
aussi que I'imprudence le mettroit au pouvoir des ennemis ? On dit qu'il
ne devoit pas etre envoye seul : cela est ai.se a dire, mais n'e.st pas
80] aussi II aise k faire ; I'etat de notre Marine ne permet plu.s, depuis
long-tems, d'entreprendre une expedition dans I'instant qu'elle se pre-
sente, il faut du tems pour en faire les preparatifs ; & si I'Escadre sortie
de Brest, sous les ordres de M. du Perier, etoit destineo a nous secourir,
comme on le croit, il est d(jnc evident (tuo le Ministre n'a rien neglige
pour nous garantir de I'infortune (^ui nous est arrivee ? On .s9avoit en
France que ce n'etoit-lk qu'une entreprise de Colonie a Colonie, que
I'Angleterre n'y avoit encore envoye aucune Escadre. (car celle qui y es t
allee, n'est partie que fort tard) On lie pouvoit done s'imaginer, & (jue
le Vigilant seroit pris, & que nous nous rendrions si-tot. Ainsi, pour peu
6

I I

that we should surrender so soon. Thus, on slight reflection,
it is clear that the Minister is not in the least to blame, and
that it is unjust to charge that his prudence deserted him on
this occasion. It is the more blameworthy to think
this of him since the fortifications of Louisbourg are the pro-
duct of his wise insight, and he has always endeavoured to
keep up a colony whose importance he realized. Is it reason-
able to imagine that he has wished to lose the product of so
much care and expense?

In saying all this I have paid only the respect which I owe
to truth.

Adieu, my dear friend ; love me well always, and rely upon
the fondest return and the liveliest gratitude.

I am, etc.

B. L. N.

At . . . August 28th, 1745.

qu'on r^flechisse, il est clair que le Ministre n'a pas le oindre tort ; &
qu'il y a de I'injustice de taxer sa prudence de I'avoir mai servi en cette
occasion. On est d'autant plus blamable d'en avoir la pens^e, quo les
fortifications de Louisbourg sont I'ouvrage de sa sage penetration, qu'il
81] s'est toujours appli(iue k maintenir une Colonic dont il sen||toit
I'importance. Est-il rai.sonnable de pr^sumer qu'il ait voulu perdre le
fruit de tant de soins & de depenses ? C'est I'hommage que je devois k
la v^rite.

Adieu, mon cher Ami, aimez-moi toujours bien, & comptez sur le plus
tendre retour & la plus vive reconnoissance.

Je suis, &c. B. L. N.
A Ce28. Aoiit 1745.