INTRODUCTION xiu 



ranged alongside the two frigates and bombarded 

 them, seeking to disable them. At that moment 

 he perceived the third ship called the Hamp- 

 shire approaching, armed with twenty-six guns 

 on each deck and manned by a crew of two 

 hundred and thirty men. D'Iberville did not 

 shirk the fight, but bore down under full sail 

 and riddled the Hampshire's waterline. 



' He then tacked back and bore down again 

 on the nearest English ship. Just as he was 

 about to board, she lowered her flag. He im- 

 mediately gave chase to the third vessel called 

 the Deringuer, which fled to the north-east, 

 but was, however, obliged to abandon it, 

 because his top hamper was badly damaged, 

 two pumps had burst, his tattered shrouds were 

 entangled, and he had received seven shots on 

 the waterline/ 



This was by no means d'Iberville's first 

 feat of arms. 



In 1686, when he was twenty-five years of 

 age, he was sent from Quebec against the 

 English at Hudson Bay, and boarded and 

 captured a twelve-gun ship with two bark 

 canoes and eleven men. 



Two years later, at the head of fifteen 

 Canadians, he held a little fort against three 

 English ships, repulsed their attacks, and 



b 2 



