336 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



the designs of the French armada ; and those 

 cf their ships, that escaped destruction by the 

 storms and seas, returned singly to France, 

 without having made any attempts upon the. 

 Enghsh colonies. When the alarm occasioned 

 by the French fleet had subsided, and it became 

 Icnown that it was nearly destroyed, and was at- 

 tempting to return to France, Mr. Shirley's 

 hopes revived that he might still effect some- 

 thing against the enemy. So much was he 

 engaged in the business, that he proposed to 

 make the attacks upon the enemy in the midst 

 of winter ; that the New-Hampshire troops 

 sliould proceed by the way of Connecticut riv- 

 er, to the Indian village of St. Francis, and lay 

 it waste ; and that the Massachusetts, Connec- 

 ticut, and New- York troops, at the same time 

 should move on throi^gh lake George, and at- 

 tempt the conquest of Crovyn I'oint. Such 

 was Mr. Shirky's influence at that time, that 

 all the provinces which had raised, troops for 

 the expedition, agreed to his proposal of a win- 

 ter campaign, except Connecticut, To that 

 colony, such an experiment appeared too dan- 

 gerous and uncertain ; and it was owing to 

 their refusal to join in it, that the winter expe^ 

 dition was given up.* 



On Connecticut river, the most advanced 

 settlement at that time, was at a place called 

 Number Four, now Cliarlestown in New- 

 Hampshire. A fort had been built there some 

 years before, which was designed to protect the^ 

 settlements and forts in the vicinity. From the. 



*- Belknap's Hist. New Hami^hire, Vol. a, p. 2^4. 



