3^2 A VOYAGE TO Book IX. 



penetrable fecrccy that the fiift notice of it at 

 Louiibourg muft be the arrival of the fleet before 

 it; and in Europe the account of its furrender: 

 that the fortTcr m'ght be prevented from fending for 

 fuccours to Canada, and that a force might not be 

 fent from France fufficient either to fave or re- 

 cover it. The governor of New-England at that time 

 was Mr. Shirley, a gentleman of great abilities and 

 merit; and the commodore of the men of war on 

 that Gi)ait, was Mr. Peter Vv^arren, a perfon of the 

 like charailer, befides his naval accomplifhments, 

 and an ardent zeal for the glory of his nation ; 

 and who in this arfair had the additional incendvc 

 of felf-intereil, being owner of lands and houfts to 

 a confiderable amount; that he was looked upon as 

 one of the moil opulent inhabitants of Bofton. 

 Thefe two officers, in conjuition with the chief 

 inhabitants, determined to undertake the fiege of 

 Louiibourg, the governor offering to concur in it 

 with a body of land forces, provifions and other 

 neceffaries; whilft the comm.odore, who had figna- 

 lized his courage on feveral occafions, engaged with 

 his fquadron, though conufdng only of three or four 

 large fliips and a fmali frigate, fo to block up the 

 harbour, that no fuccours íViOuld be thrown into it; 

 whilft the land forces befieged it in form. The 

 greateft difHculty was the want of regular troops, 

 and experienced officers capable of condufling a 

 fiege; and the difcipiine of the foldiery, that there 

 'might be fome probability of fucceeding. This em- 

 barraffmcnt was removed by an expedient of Mr. 

 Shirley's, and to which chiefly was owing the 

 happy event of the expedition. There was a gende- 

 inan of the name of Pepperel, one of the iargeil 

 traders in Bofton, v;ho had a general correfpondencc 

 among tiie country people of the colony, both In- 

 dians and Meftizos. He placed an entire contidence 

 in them, and trufted them with whatever goods 

 they wanted i and they were no lefs punflual in 



their 



