HISTORY OF VERMONT. 519 



and stores required of the colonies, they were 

 culled upon to find provisions for the Enghsh 

 fleet and ctrmy for ten weeks. It must have 

 been known to the British ministry that a com- 

 pliance v/ith these requisitions was impractica- 

 ble. The colonies, from the nature and cir- 

 cumstances of the ministerial manae;ement, were 

 suspicious that nothing would be effected ; and 

 that in such an event, the policy of the British 

 cabinet would be, to iay the blame upon them. 

 Zealous for the expedition, and determined that 

 no fault or blame should attach to them, they 

 made the most vigorous exertions to comply 

 with the requisitions. Troops were raised with 

 the greatest expedition, provi jions were procur- 

 ed v/herever they could be found. In some of 

 the colonies, a price was fixed for them by the 

 acts of the assemblies ; and in others, the own- 

 ers were compelled to part wiih them, or to 

 have them seized by the civil authoritv. The 

 whole country was in motion, to provide for 

 the expedition ; and no other business was 

 much attended to, but the raising of troops, and 

 procuring military stores. 



So general and spirited had been the exer- 

 tion of the colonies, that in little more than a 

 month from the arrival of the fleet, the levies 

 and provisions for the colony army, and for the 

 fleet, were compleated ; and on the thirtieth of 

 July, the whole armament s;iiled from Boston 

 The fleet consisted of fifteen ships of war, from 

 eighty to thirty six guns, with forty transports, 

 and six store ships ; under the command cf 

 Sir Hovenden Walker. The army on board 

 eontained seven regiments fiom the duke of 



