natural result of the situation which was similarly viewed by the two experienced military chiefs. Wolfe proceeds: "The enemy can pass that river at low water; and it will be proper to establish ourselves with small entrenched posts from the Point of Levi to La Chaudière. It is the business of our naval force to be masters of the river, both above and below the town. If I find that the army is strong, audacious, and well commanded, I shall proceed with the utmost caution and circumspection, giving Mr. Amherst time to use his superiority. If they are timid, weak, and ignorant, we shall push them with more vivacity, that we may be able before the summer is gone to assist the commander in chief." This last remark is another confirmation of our statement that the reduction of Quebec by Wolfe alone was looked upon as a reasonable contingency. But the next sentence is still more remarkable in connection with the events of September 13, and with the claims that have been made to the plan of attack which proved successful. "I reckon we shall have a smart action at the passage of the river St. Charles, unless we can steal a detachment up the river St. Lawrence, and land them three, four, five miles, or more, above the town, and get time to entrench so strongly that they won't care to attack."

Another reference will be made to this in the proper place. Where Wolfe expected Montcalm and his army to be all this time does not appear, but he may have assumed that they would shut themselves up in the city.

CHAPTER IV.

ON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

R EAR Admiral Durell was despatched from Halifax with ten sail on the 4th of May with orders to proceed up the river and to cut off all succors from France. As already seen he failed to arrive in time to intercept the main fleet from France under Kanon who was bringing out provisions to Cadet with a few recruits for the army, and who succeeded in sailing into Quebec with seventeen vessels to the great joy of the French.

As only three belated vessels were captured later by Durell, Canada received practically all the aid that the mother country intended to give her for this campaign, and Durell failed in his expedition.

However, he found some excellent charts of the St Lawrence in one of the prizes. This fact was of great importance to the British who knew nothing of the dangerous navigation of this river.

He at once tested the charts by soundings and found them accurate.

On the first of June the fleet under Saunders began to depart from Louisbourg and in a few days all the ships had cleared the land, bearing an enthusiastic, shouting,

cheering army. The most popular toast at the officers' mess was, "British colours on every French fort, port, and garrison in America." Knox, whose chronicles are invaluable writes, "I had the inexpressible pleasure to observe at Louisbourg that our whole armament, naval and military were in high spirits; and though by all accounts, we shall have a numerous army and a variety of difficulties to cope with, yet under such admirals and generals, among whom we have the happiness to behold the most cordial unanimity, together with so respectable a fleet, and a body of well-appointed regular troops, we have reason to hope for the greatest success."

As soon as the fleet was at sea, Saunders sent a ship to England with a despatch to the Admiralty. This is printed in the appendix.

Wolfe took occasion at the same time to send his first despatch to Pitt, and as a special interest attaches to his letters and reports on account of his high office, his melancholy end, and his clearness of thought and expression, we insert it in the text to form a part of the narrative. It has already been printed in part in Thackery's Life of Pitt:

"Sir,

"On board the "Neptune ", June 6, 1759.

"By the report") which I have the honour to enclose, you will see the strength of the army under my command,

(1) This report is to be found at the end of this volume.

when they embarked, and when they came to Louisbourg. The fogs on this coast are so frequent and lasting, and the climate in every respect so unfavourable to military operations, that if we had been collected a week sooner, I doubt if it would have been possible to sail before we did. One company of Rangers (the best of the six), is not yet arrived, and a very good engineer, by some mistake, has had no orders to join us. General Amherst forwarded everything to the utmost of his power, and the officers employed by him were indefatigable. Finding that several regiments were weak, and that no recruits were likely to come from the West Indies, I applied to Mr. Whitmore for three companies of light infantry of his garrison :-my letter and the Governor's answer are enclosed. If Brigadier Whitmore did not consent to my proposal, it has proceeded from the most scrupulous obedience to orders, believing himself not at liberty to judge and act according to circumstances. The four new companies of Rangers are so very bad that I expect no service from them, unless mixed with the light infantry; and it was with that view that I applied to the Marshal for a company of volunteers from Louisbourg. Five field-officers of these regiments and several captains are sick or employed upon the continent; forty men of Bragg's regiment upon duty at St. John's. We leave eighty sick at Louisbourg, and an hundred invalids. Several transports have not yet joined us; their provisions and their boats are very much wanted. However, I have taken 3000 barrels of flour and biscuit from the contractor's store at Louisbourg. I writ to General Amherst for money, but he could send me none; this is one of the first sieges,