V. CHA P. Axe in his Hand, and fhouting and hollowing in the fame wild Manner the Indians do. This done, he carried his whole Force, which confifted of twelve hundred Men, cross the River, and encamped on the fouth Side, at la Prairie de la Magdeleine, together with a great Number of Utawawas, the Praying Indians, and other French Indians. The famous Therawaet being now entirely gained by the Careffes of the Count de Frontenac, made one of the Number. They encamped round the Fort, which ftood on a steep rifing Ground between two Meadows. Major Schuyler having left forty of his Men to guard his Canoes, which had carried him crofs the Lake, marched on without ftopping. He got into a Hollow, which led into the Meadow, without being discovered; and marching under that Cover, he fell fuddenly upon the Militia, who were foon put into Confufion, and many of them, and of the Utawawas, who were pofted with them, were killed. He purfued them as they fled to the Fort, which he attacked brifkly, but was obliged to leave it, by the Approach of the regular Troops who came to relieve it. He received them however bravely, and, after they had loft feveral Officers and many Men, they retired. Major Schuyler finding the Number of the Enemy much greater than was expected, and being informed that a confiderable Party of the Enemy had marched Southward, he began to apprehend, that this Party was fent to cut off his Retreat, by deftroying his Canoes. It was refolved therefore immediately to follow this Party; he overtook them, and they covering themfelves behind fome large fallen Trees, he attacked them, and made his Way through them, but with confiderable Lofs. In this Attack the Mohawks fignalized themfelves, but the Scakkook Indians did not behave themfelves well. The Mohawks, upon no Occafi VI. on, yielded an Inch of Ground, till the English firft CHA P. gave Way. The French, by their own Accounts, loft, in the feveral Attacks made by Schuyler, two Captains, fix Lieutenants, and five Enfigns, and, in all, three hundred Men, fo that their Slain were in Number more than Major Schuyler had with him. The Mohawks fuffered much, having seventeen Men killed, and eleven wounded. They returned to Albany the eleventh of Auguft. After the English under Major Schuyler had retired, an Owenagunga Indian came from New-England, with an Account of the Preparations made there against Canada, and that they had actually failed. This Fleet, which was commanded by Sir William Phips, was difcovered in St. Laurence Bay, while the Count de Frontenac remained at Montreal; and thereupon he made all poffible Hafte to Quebeck, and carried three hundred Men with him. The Fleet, which confifted of thirty Sail, did not reach Quebeck till the feventh of October. Sir William fpent three Days in nothing but Consultation, while the French made all poffible Preparation for a Defence, and, by this Means, fuffered them to get over the Fright and Confternation, into which the first Appearance of the Fleet had thrown them; for the Place was not in any Pofture of Defence. It gave them Time likewife to draw all the Country round them into the Town. And on the fourth Day Sir William fummoned the Count to furrender, who returned him fuch an Anfwer as his Conduct deferved. The English landed four Miles below the Town, and had thick Woods to march through, before they could come at it, in which Ambufcades of French and Indians were made at proper Diftances, by whom the English were repulfed with confiderable Lofs. They attempted the Wood again the next Day with no better Success. K The CHAP. VI. The French, in their Account of this Action, fay, that the Men, though they appeared to be as little difciplined as Men could be, behaved with great Bravery, but that Sir William's Conduct was fuch, that, if he had been in Concert with them, he could not have done more to ruin the Enterprize; yet his Fidelity was never fufpected. In fhort, this Defcent was fo ill managed, that the English got on Board again in the Night, with the Lofs of all the Cannon and Baggage which they had landed. The French thought themfelves in fuch great Danger at that Time, that they attributed their Deliverance to the most immediate Protection of Heaven, in confounding the Devices of their Enemy, and by depriving them of common Sense; and for this Reafon the People of Quebeck make an annual Proceffion, in Commemoration of this Deliver ance. Sir William cannonaded the Town for fome Time with little Execution, and then returned in Haft, Winter approaching; indeed that Seafon was already fo far advanced, that he loft eight Veffels in his Return. The Five Nations continued their Incurfions all along St. Laurence River, from Montreal to Quebeck, and carried away many Scalps. At one Time a French Officer, with thirty eight Men, surprised fome of the Five Nations in a Cabin, which they had built near Lake St. Piere. Some of them efcaped and informed two other Cabins, which the French had not discovered, and they'returned with their Companions, and killed the Captain and Lieutenant, and one half of the Men. Notwithstanding that the French preferved their Country, thefe warlike Expeditions, and the Neceffity they were under of being on their Guard, prevented their cultivating the Ground, or of reaping the Fruit of what they had fowed or planted. This occafioned occafioned a Famine in Canada, and, to increase the Mifery of the poor Inhabitants, they were forced to feed the Soldiers gratis, while their own Children wanted Bread. In October the Onondagas, Cayugas, and Oneydoes came to Albany, to condole with the English, for the Men loft in the Expedition against Montreal, as they had already done with the Mohawks. They faid it was ever their Cuftom to condole with their Friends when they loft any Number of Men in Battle, though they had the Victory. They at the fame Time, as they had often done before, complained of the Dearness of Powder: Why, fay they, do you call us your King's Soldiers, when you will not fell us Powder at the usual and reasonable Rates? And in answer to a Complaint, of there not being a fufficient Number of English fent against Montreal, the People of Albany upbraided them with a Breach of Promife, in not fending that Party down Cadarackui River which they promifed, which they faid was the chief Reason of the want of Success in that Expedition. CHAP. VII. The French and the Five Nations continue the TH HE old French Governor kept up his Vi-CHA P. gour and Spirits wonderfully, no Fatigue VII. made him ever think of Reft. He knew of what Use it would be to convince the Five Nations, that the joint Attack of the English and Indians had neither weakened him, nor frightened him from carrying on the War with as much Vigour as before. CHA P. It was abfolutely neceffary that the Utawawas and VII. other Western Indians, who came to Montreal to trade, fhould return fafe to their own Country, otherwife there would be an End to the French Trade with those Nations, upon which the Being of Canada depends; for it is only by the Fur-trade with thefe Nations that they make Returns to Europe; and if these Nations did not return in Time, all the Western Indians would look on the French as loft, and confequently would make Peace with the Five Nations, and perhaps join in the Destruction of Canada. Captain la Foreft, with one hundred and ten Men, was fent to conduct the Utawawas Home; he carried with him confiderable Prefents fent by the King of France, to confirm thefe Nations in the French Interest. Two Indian Prifoners, taken at la Prairie, were given to the Utawawas, and carried with them, to confirm the Stories they were to tell of their Succeffes against the English and Five Nations. Thefe poor Men were there burnt alive; and if I fhould add, that it was done by French Inftigation, what I fhall relate by and by will clear me of the want of Charity. I believe it was fo, in Order to rivet the Hatred between thefe People and the Five Na tions. The Five Nations continued their Incurfions all Winter on Canada. Forty of the Mobacks fell upon Fort Vercheres, and carried off twenty of the Inhabitants; but the Alarm reaching Montreal, Mr. de Crizaei, with one hundred Men of the regular Troops, was fent in purfuit of them, who recovered most of the Prifoners. The Count de Frontenac being informed, that a confiderable Party of the Eve Nations hunted Bever on the Neck of Land between Calarackui Lake and Lake Erie, with great Security, refolved to give them |