278 DEFENCE OF QUEBEC. [1690. 



of their entire ignorance of discipline, and be- 

 cause they were exhausted by the fatigues of the 

 voyage." Of Phips he speaks with contempt, and 

 says that he could not have served the French 

 better if they had bribed him to stand all the while 

 with his arms folded. Some allowance should, 

 nevertheless, be made him for the unmanageable 

 character of the force under his command, the 

 constitution of which was fatal to military sub- 

 ordination. 



On Sunday, the morning after the re-embarka- 

 tion, Phips called a council of officers, and it was 

 resolved that the men should rest for a clay or two, 

 that there should be a meeting for prayer, and that, 

 if ammunition enough could be found, another land- 

 ing should be attempted ; but the rough weather 

 £>revented the prayer- meeting, and the plan of a 

 new attack was fortunately abandoned. 



Quebec remained in agitation and alarm till 

 Tuesday, when Phips weighed anchor and disap- 

 peared, with all his fleet, behind the Island of 

 Orleans. He did not go far, as indeed he could 

 not, but stopped four leagues below to mend rig- 

 ging, fortify wounded masts, and stop shot-holes. 

 Subercase had gone with a detachment to watch 

 the retiring enemy ; and Phips was repeatedly 

 seen among his men, on a scaffold at the side of 

 his ship, exercising his old trade of carpenter. 

 This delay was turned to good use by an exchange 

 of prisoners. Chief among those in the hands of 

 the French was Captain Davis, late commander at 

 Casco Bay ; and there were also two young claugh- 



