^>. a^ .^«< «# IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) f/j 1.0 I.I '^' 1^ 12.2 12.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► r^ ^/\ e. ^]. ^^/"^^^^ '^ > /A yw/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716) 872-4503 y^TSf N? ^.W &. fA :\ \ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical MIcroreproductions Institut Canadian de microreprcductions historiques 1980 Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a it6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m6thode normale de filmage sont indiquis ci-dessous. D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I 1 Covers damaged/ D D D Couverture endommagde Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaur6e et/ou pelliculie I i Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La reliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intirieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 film6es. n n n n n Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommag^es Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurdes et/ou pelliculdes Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolordes, tachetdes ou piqu^es Pages de\''ached/ Pages dd^achdes Showthrough/ Trannparence Quality of print varies/ Quality in^gale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel supplementaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcius par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 filmdes d nouveau de fapon d obtenir la meilleure image possible. n Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppl6mentaires; This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmd au taux de reduction indiqud ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X SOX 7 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grflce d la g^ndrositi de: Bibliothdque nationale du Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettet6 de l'exemplaire film6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimde sont fiim6s en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmds en commenpant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol — ^ (meaning "CON- TINUED "), or the symbol V (meaning "END "), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole —^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent 6tre film6s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmd d partir de I'angle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 b 1 2 3 4 5 6 f } O -^ '-' , \ 1 •— ' • (I pr ■ 1 1: Lxj I c w^~tr ■ r^ \ ';i 4.' ■' / 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 BY - . - ... \- -' • 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 V 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. * 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. h 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 OF 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. 3] 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 6] 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 11 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. 12 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- 13 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 ; 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 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. 1 * Admiral Ver- non with a cnnsiderable English fleet attacked Cart- agena un- auccesBfully in 1740. -Ed. 30 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 i > 1 Son noin annonce son usage : Elle eat destinee a eclairer lea vaisseaux, Sc I'on y allume un feu tous les soirs. i 31 / i 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 * 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« 4 ] 36 * 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 ] 36 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. • 87 f i? 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^ 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. 42 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. i 43 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 44 :^ 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 17 *1! 46 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, 46 4 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. 47 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 T 48 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 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 < 50 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 4tart 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 i\ 58 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 ■ \ 59 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, 27 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 r ti^ 60 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 P 61 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 62 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 63 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. t •III! Ill i ' nil I 64 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. 65 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 5 !!! ^ »'! I •l; 1 66 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 07 if 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 ' i ji 'I 68 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