[cruikshank] from isle AUX NOIX TO CHATEAUGUAY 139 



Regulations were then promulgated by which all American citizens 

 who refused to take the oath of allegiance and bear arms were required 

 to leave the country. 



The exportation to the United States of arms, ammunition, military 

 stores, saddlery, blankets, certain enumerated articles, used in the 

 manufacture of military clothing, and bullion or specie of any description 

 exceeding fifty dollars for reasonable travelling expenses, was prohibited 

 in a proclamation by which the exportation of all other articles was 

 expressly sanctioned on the condition that it was carried on by the road 

 leading through La Prairie and St. Jean to Odelltown.* 



Five other well travelled roads from the United States entered 

 the district of Montreal. The best of these, coming from the east side 

 of Lake Champlain and passing round Mississquoi Bay, followed the 

 Valley of the Richelieu to St. Jean and went on to Laprairie. Another , 

 also l)eginning in the State of Vermont, ran through the township of 

 Sutton to St. Armand and Mississquoi Bay where it joined the first. 

 A third from the east side of lake Magog, passed through Stanstead 

 to Gibraltar point and St. Armand. A fourth led from Gibraltar Point 

 to the Yamaska and a fifth ran to Three Rivers along the St. Francis 

 river from its forks in the Township of Ascot. All of these became 

 channels for smuggling, f 



An advanced line of defence extending from Laprairie on the St. 

 Lawrence to St. Jean on the Richelieu was occupied for the protection 

 of Montreal. A battalion of embodied militia was stationed at La- 

 prairie and another at St. Jean while the flank companies of four regular 

 regiments with six light field guns were quartered at Blairfindie or the 

 Halfway House where there was a fine commanding position which 

 could be easily be made very strong by earth works and abatis as the 

 adjacent country was swampy and covered with impenetrable thickets 

 of cedar and hemlock. From this point roads diverged to Laprairie, 

 Chambly, St. Jean and Odelltown and it naturally became the head- 

 quarters of the advanced force. The third battalion of embodied 

 militia occupied the villages of Longueuil and Boucherville. The 100th 

 Regiment was posted at Sorel with a detachment at Yamaska. The 

 whole number of troops distributed along this line slightly exceeded 

 2,500 of all ranks and arms. | 



Considerable supplies of ordnance and military stores were steadily 

 forwarded from Montreal to Upper Canada guarded by very weak 

 escorts without the least molestation during the month of July, but as 

 a transport which had sailed from Bermuda l)ound for Quebec, with a 



*Regulation, July 10. 



tR^eport of Captain P. Hughes, R.E., Dec. 16, ISOS. 



fBaynes to Brock, July 10. 



