HISTORY OF VERMONT. 295 



that purpose assembled at the city of New York, 

 May 1, 1690 ; it was their unanimous opinioa 

 that there would be no permanent peace in the 

 English colonies, till the French in Canada were 

 subdued ; and that the only effectual measures 

 would be, to engage upon an expedition for that 

 purpose. To effect the conquest of Canada, 

 they agreed upon this ,plan of operations ; that 

 eight or nine hundred Er'glishmcn, with five or 

 six hundred Indians, should proceed by way of 

 lake Champlain, and make an assault upon 

 Montreal ; while a fxeet and army of eighteen 

 hundred or two thousand men, should go up 

 the river St. Lawrence, and make an attack up- 

 on Quebec, at the same time. By thus }:)ene- 

 trating into the heart of the country, and carry- 

 ing the operations and ravages of war to their 

 two capital cities, it was supposed that the for- 

 ces of the enemy would be. so divided, and their 

 councils so perplexed, as to afford a fair pros- 

 pect of success to the English armaments ; and 

 might probably terminate in the cor^quest, or at 

 k\o.t in preventing any fiu"ther insults from 

 Canada. 



A small vessel had been sent express to Eng~ 

 land in the beginning of i\pril, v/ith a represen- 

 tation of the exposed state of the English colo- 

 nies, and the necessity of reducing Canada ; 

 earnestly requesting a supply of arms and am- 

 munition ; and that a ^^itiii^ber of the kings fri- 

 gates might be sent to triake tlie attack by sea, 

 while the colony forces, should invade the coun- 

 try by land. The English nation, involved in 

 a war with France, was in no situatioii at that 

 time to afford any assistance to the expedition ; 



