298 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



On the eighth of October, the ti-oops were 

 landed, amounting to between twelve and thir- 

 teen hundred men, and advanced towards the 

 town. The next day the ships were drawn up 

 before it, and cannonaded with all. their force. 

 They did but little damage to tlie enemy, but 

 v/ere much shattered bv the cannon from their 

 batteries. On the eleventh, the troops were re- 

 cmbarkcd. They had advanced, and maintain- 

 ed their ground with s}3irit, but -they received 

 such an account of the strength of the French 

 from a deserter, as discouraged tiiem from any 

 further attem]:>t. Nor was there any prospect 

 that they could succeed, when they had to op- 

 pose the whole force of Canada, under so able 

 a commander as Frontcnac. In a few davs tern- 

 pcstuous weather came on, which drove sorae 

 of the vessels from anchor, and scattered the 

 whole fleet ; and they made the best of their 

 way to Boston, where Sir William Phips arrived 

 on the nineteenth of November.*" 



Such was the fate of the first attempt of our 

 ancestors for the conquest of Canada. From the 

 ill success which attended it, it has been cus- 

 tomary for the Englisii and French ^vritcrs to 

 speak of it in the language of derision and con- 

 tempt. With the multitude, success generally 

 passes for wisdom, and misfortune is esteemed 

 to be folly. The 'p.'an of the expedition was 

 the same, that was twice afterwards adopted by 

 the statesmen and generals of the British nation. 

 Its success depended on the joint operation of 

 the forces under the commai"Lcl of Winthrop and 



* Hutchinson's Hist, of Massachusetts, Vol. I. p. 4C0. Trumbull's 

 Hist, of CoBnecticJt, p. 402. 



