556 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



wished should remain in a state of tranquility'i 

 and be considered as a place of trade and com- 

 merce. Nor could any of them be persuaded to 

 join the British troops,' in their passage through 

 their country^ Embarrassed with such difficul- 

 ties, it was not till the twenty first of August 

 that Shirley arrived himself at Oswego. He 

 had scarcely one half of the batteiiu men which 

 had been engaged for the service ; and on that 

 account, the transportation of provisions had 

 been so retarded, that he was in no condition to 

 imove his army from Oswego. 



A LARGE convoy with provisions being ex- 

 pected every hour, on September the eighteenth 

 the general called a council of vvar, and com- 

 iiiunicated to them the intelligence he had 

 procured relating to the French forts and forces 

 at Niagara, and Frontenac ; with an account of 

 his own force and situation. He informed 

 them that the number of effective men in his 

 three regiments, and independent companies, a- 

 mounted to thirteen hundred and seventy six ; 

 and that the irreo^ulars, consistins: of men from 

 Albany and the Indians, were only to the num- 

 ber of one hundred and twent}-. At the same 

 time he announced to the council that as soon 

 as the expected convoy should arrive, it was 

 his intention to embark for Nia":ara with six 

 hundred regular troops, the Albany irregulars, 

 and Indians, with the necessarv artiilerv ; lea- 

 ving behind seven hundred of his troops to pre- 

 t;erve the camp and stores at Oswego. Tlie 

 council were ot opinion that the expedition to 

 Niasrara was advi':;abie ; and that the works of 

 Oiwcgo ought to be ealarg;ed and strengthened 



