1S8 RETURN OF FRONTENAC. [1689. 



west would be settled for ever ; the king would ac- 

 quire a means of access to his colony incomparably 

 better than the St. Lawrence, and one that re- 

 mained open all the year ; and, finally, New Eng- 

 land would be isolated, and prepared for a possible 

 conquest in the future. 



The king accepted the plan with modifications, 

 which complicated and did not improve it. Ex- 

 treme precautions were taken to insure secrecy ; but 

 the vast distances, the difficult navigation, and the 

 accidents of weather appear to have been forgotten 

 in this amended scheme of operation. There was, 

 moreover, a long delay in fitting the two ships for 

 sea. The wind was ahead, and they were fifty-two 

 days in reaching Checlabucto, at the eastern end of 

 Nova Scotia. Thence Frontenac and Callieres had 

 orders to proceed in a merchant ship to Quebec, 

 which might require a month more ; and, on arriv- 

 ing, they were to prepare for the expedition, 

 while at the same time Frontenac was to send 

 back a letter to the naval commander at Checla- 

 bucto, revealing the plan to him, and ordering 

 him to sail to New York to co-operate in it. It 

 was the twelfth of September when Chedabucto 

 was reached, and the enterprise was ruined by the 

 delay. Frontenac's first step in his new govern- 

 ment was a failure, though one for which he was 

 in no way answerable. 1 



1 Projet du Chevalier cle Callieres cle former line Expedition pour aller 

 attaquer Orange, Manatte, etc. ; Re'sume du Ministre sur la Proposition de 

 M. de Callieres; Autre Me'moire de M. de Callieres sur son Projet d' attaquer 

 la Nouvelle York; Me'moire d>s Amies, Munitions, et Ustensiles ne'ressaires 

 pour I'Entreprise propose'e par M. de Callieres; Observations du Ministre sur 



