246 A. D. 1745. 



fufficient land-force to take the ifland of Cape-Breton, which was for- 

 merly yielded to France by the treaty of Utrecht. Thofe forces con- 

 (ifled of 4070 men, exclufive of commiflion-officers, viz. 



from Maflachufet's bay _ - _ 3250 men. 



New-Hampfhire - - _ _ ■504 



Connedicut • - - - - 516 



4070 

 befides the armed floops and failors belonging to thofe three colonies 

 and to that of Rhode-ifland. The importance of Cape-Breton is now 

 well underftood (fays Sir William Pepperell, commander of thofe forces, 

 in his journal of its fiege), or rather of the iflands of Madame and Cape- 

 Breton, which are fo contiguous, that they are by mofl: people fuppofed 

 to be but one ifland, by the name of Cape-Breton. It extends from 

 the gut of Canfo or Canceflb, the eaftcrn boundary of Nova-Scotia, eafl:- 

 north-eaft about 34 leagues, and helps to form the gulf of St. Laurence ; 

 which gulf is full of commodious bays, havens, iflands, rivers ; and at all 

 feafons of the year has great plenty of cod-fifli, and at particular feafons 

 of the year has herrings, mackerel, &c. for bait : but the ice in winter 

 renders its navigation unfafe, if not altogether impracticable, at leaft to 

 make fifliing voyages ; though in the iummer feafon there have been 

 yearly fiflieries carried on at Gafpay, at the entrance of Canada river, 

 and in the little harbours from thence to Bayverte, at the iflands of St. 

 John and Magdalene, at and through the gut of Canfo, and thence along 

 the fliore (to many other places therein named), and from Gafpay round 

 the north fide of the gulf at the feveral convenient ports on the main, 

 quite to the ftraits of Belleifle, and, by an allowance to the French in 

 the treaty of Utrecht, (which they have made the mofl: of) in all the 

 harbours at the northward of Newfoundland that were unemployed by 

 the Englifli. And though, comparatively fpeaking, there was but a 

 fmall number of their fliips that liflied at Cape-Breton itfelf, yet the fi- 

 tuation of that ifle is fuch, that they could all of them at pleafure re- 

 pair thither on any emergency or danger, efpecially thofe that fiflied in 

 the gulf, on the main, or thofe at the north-weft of Newfoundland, who 

 were all within one or two days fail at moft ; and alfo thofe fliips that 

 laded with mud-flfli on the banks : fo that this ifland of Cape-Breton 

 was the key and protection of their whole fifliery ; and for that end it 

 was fortified and garrifoned, and valued by France equal to any other 

 of its colonies ; though the harbour of Louifljourg is not an extraordi- 

 nary good one, and the ifland produces nothing either for food or rai- 

 ment : fo that the fituation and conveniencv of this place (being as it 

 were the center of the whole fifliery, and a cover and command to the 

 whole gulf) was the greateft inducement to France to fortify it. What 

 other ufes it might ferve for, as a port to the Eaft and Weft India fliips, 



