Bp NATURAL AND GIVIL 



niand of colonel Easton to the mouth of the 

 river Sorel, to intercept them. The American^ 

 armed the point, and secured the passage on the 

 river St. Lawrence with a number of cannon, 

 an arrried gondola and boats, and several com- 

 panies of musketeers, in such a manner that 

 vessels could not pass without extreme difficulty 

 and danger. General Prescot, with one hun- 

 dred and twenty British officers and privates 

 fell into the snare, and were oi^liged to surren^ 

 (Jer,, N^ovember the seventeenth, widi eleven sail 

 of armed vessels, loaded with provisions and 

 military stores,- and a great variety of other very 

 valuable articles, which the British were en- 

 deavoring to transport to Quebec. This ileet, 

 with its cargo and crew, were captured by Eas- 

 ton and his troops, without any loss to the 

 Americans. 



The situation of general Carleton, and the 

 safety of the whole province of Canada, was 

 now in the most critical and dangerous state. 

 After his defeat by Warner, and the surrender 

 of St. Johns, he hod no other prospect of safety 

 but to retreat to Quebec ; nor did he dare to 

 venture upon this measure, but in disguise, and 

 with the utmost secrecy. The day before 

 Montgomery took possession of Montreal, he 

 left that cit}^ ; and the night before Preston was 

 obliged to surrender, he was conveyed by a 

 boat, with muffled paddles, by a secret passage 

 to the Three Rivers ; and from thence, made 

 his way through much difficult}^ and danger t© 

 Quebec. 



^. And there, another and very serious difticulty 

 awaited him. General Washington h;-i(] formed 



