330 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



Jnand of a large portion of the English and In- 

 dian frontjer. From this commanding situation 

 the French could not only prevent the attempts 

 <j<f the English to penetrate into their own coun- 

 try, but would always have a magazine of armt 

 and ammunition, to supply their own troops and 

 scouting parties ; and an asylum, to which the 

 Indians might readily retreat, from their plun- 

 dering and scalping expeditions against the 

 English frontiers. And by means of the river 

 Sorel, and the lake, it might always be reinfor- 

 ced in three or four days ; or receive any sup- 

 plies, without difficulty or danger. 



The French garrison was at first placed on 

 the east side of the lake, and the settlement was 

 begun, in what is now the town of Addison. 

 On the western side, a more convenient and 

 «afe situation was found ; in which the harbour 

 "was good, and the fortress would be surrounded 

 by v/ater on three of its sides. On this spot, 

 now called Crown Point, the French erected a 

 fort suificiently strong to resist any force, that 

 could be suddenly, or easily brought against it ; 

 and gave it the name of St. Frederick. Th-e 

 land on which it was erected, properly belonged 

 -toi the six nations ; but was claimed by the go- 

 vernment of New York, and had been granted 

 by one of their governors, so early as 1696, to 

 Dellius, the Dutch minister of Albany. The 

 designs of the French, and the dangerous con- 

 sequences attending the erection of their new 

 fort, were well understood in the English colo- 

 nies. The Massachusetts s-overnment was not 

 a little alarmed. Mr. Belcher, their governor, 

 gave the first information to the government of 



