226 J. G. BOUKINOT 



informs us, was promptly kept. The ship Grand Esprit, in the month of September, 

 brought the body to the French port, where it was received with all the honours which 

 weie due to the rank and birth of so distinguished a man. It was buried in the parish or 

 king's chapel, at the foot of the altar in the sanctuary, with all the solemn ceremonial of 

 the Eoman Catholic Church ; and here his dust, in the course of years, mingled with the 

 ruins of the citadel which was levelled to the ground when the fortifications were des- 

 troyed in 1*760. 



But the misfortunes of the French did not cease with the sudden death of the un- 

 lucky duke. His successor, M. d'Estournelle, committed suicide in a fit of despondency, 

 and the remnant of the great fleet which was to restore the fortunes of Franco in America 

 returned home without having even succeeded in capturing the half-ruined fort at Anna- 

 polis. Another fleet under M. de St. George and the Marcjuis de La Jouquière — the latter 

 of whom had accompanied the former fleet and was afterwards governor of Canada — 

 never reached its destination but was defeated, as already stated, off Cape Finisterre by 

 admirals Anson and "Warren, and it was for his services on this occasion that "Warren was 

 made a knight of the Bath. 



VI. Review of events from the restoration of Cape Breton to France in 1748 



UNTIL the second SIEGE AND TAKING OF LOUISBOURG IN 1*758. 



But while storm and battle kept the French from Cape Breton, English diplomacy, 

 careless of colonial interests, restored the island to France by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ' 

 in return for the commercial post of Madras which had been captured by the French in 

 the east where England and France had already obtained a foothold. It is asserted that 

 extremely unfavourable accounts, given of the island by Commodore Knowles," who suc- 

 ceeded Pepperrell and Warren in the government of Louisbovirg, had some influence on 

 the British ministry in inducing them to give it up so hastily ; but in all probability 

 while they attached little importance to a spot which they believed to possess a barren 

 soil and exposed to constant fog and storm, it was the persistency of the French to regain 

 possession of so valuable a bulwark to their great dominion in Canada that forced the 

 English ministry to restore it at a time when the nation was disheartened at the results 

 of the war on the continent and inclined to call a truce. 



It was only a truce in Europe, " a mere pause in the struggle, during which both 

 parties hoped to gain strength for a mightier conflict which they saw impending." * In 

 America it was not even a cessation of hostilities until the war was again formally pro- 

 claimed between France and England in 1*756. If we briefly survey the situation previous 

 to the great contest which ended in the destruction of Louisbourg, and in the loss of 

 Canada to France, we can see that the latter had been steadily aiming for years to attain 

 the supremacy in America. During the two decades which preceded the loss of 



' See App. XVI to this work for text of this treaty so far as it relates to Cape Breton. 



^ This was tlie same Knowles, afterwards Admiral, who on a visit to Boston in November, 1747, sent a press 

 gang ashore to seize men for his ships, in place of a number who had deserted on their arrival. A serious riot was 

 the result, and Knowles was obliged to let most, if not all, of his recruits go, while he sailed off with his squadron. 

 Hildreth, " Hist, of the U. S.," ii. .S99-400 ; Hutchinson, " Hist, of Mass.," ii. 386-388. 



" Green, " History of the English People," iv. 164. 



