360 NATURAL AND CIVIL. 



amount of four thousand men, for the defence 

 of their northern colonies. These troops sailed 

 from Brest early in the spring, with a large quan^ 

 tit}'- of warlike stores, and a fleet of twenty five 

 sail of the line. Eight companies of these 

 troops had been captured, with t^vo French 

 men of war, off the banks of Newfoundland, by 

 the British jfleet under the command of admiral 

 Boscawen. One thousand were landed at Lou- 

 isburg, for the defence of tliat place. The re« 

 mainder arrived at Quebec, with M. de Vaudri- 

 eul, governor general of Canada, and barron. 

 Dieskau, commander in chief of the troops. The 

 • French court wished to reduce Oswego, and 

 thus secure the command of the lakes. With 

 this view Dieskau pushed up to Montreal ; from 

 whence, he detached seven hundred of his troops 

 lip the river, to fort Frontenac ; intending to 

 join them himself with the remainder, as soon 

 as circumstanoes would permit. Just before 

 lie had compleated his preparations, Montreal 

 was alarmed \y\ih aceounts that an English ar- 

 my was assembled near the lake St. Sacrament ; 

 which was represented as being nunierous, and 

 designed to effect the conquest of Crown Point, 

 and then penetrate into the country towards 

 Montreal, A council of war was called on the 

 occasion, and Dieskau was urged to omit the 

 expedition against Oswego, and proceed to 

 Crown Point, for the defence of the forts in that 

 part of the country against the attempts of the 

 English army. It vv'as not without much per- 

 suasion and reluctance that the baron consented 

 to alter the plan of his opei'ations, and proceed 

 to fort St. Frederick. 



