HISTORY OF VERMONT. 39 



ined sloop which lay at St. Johns, at the north' 

 end of the lake. To effect this purpose, it was 

 determined to man and arm a schooner, which 

 lay at South Bay. Arnold had the command 

 of the schooner, and Allen took the command of 

 a number of batteaux, and both sailed for St. 

 Johns. The wind being fresh at the south, Ar- 

 nold soon passed the lake, surprised and captur- 

 ed the armed sloop in the harbor of St. Johns : 

 In about an hour after he had taken her, the 

 wind suddenly shifted to the north, and Arnold 

 made sail with his prize, and met Allen with his 

 batteaux at some distance from St. Johns.* 



Surprised that the Americans should thus 

 dare to defend and secure their country, gener- 

 al Carleton, the governor of Canada, endeavored 

 to avail himself of the powers which had been 

 assigned to him by the Quebec bill. He had 

 not enough British troops in Canada, to venture 

 to draw any of them oat of their garrisons ; but 

 he expected to be able to engage a large body ■ 

 of Canadians and Indians in the British service. 

 Twenty thousand stand of arms had been sent 

 to him by the British minister, for that purpose ; 

 and that he might be able to compel the Canadi- 

 ans to enter into the w^ar, martial law was pro- 

 claimed in the province. Contrary to all ex- 

 pectiition, the Canadians, almost to a man, re- 

 fused to interfere in the business of war. Hav- 

 ing found the benefits of the English forms of 

 government, they were very generally opposed 

 to tlie alterations proposed by the Quebec bill ; 

 and none of the Inhabitants seemed to view it 



* Gordon's Hist. American War, Vol, I. p, 335, 



