392 FRENCH AND ENGLISH RIVALRY. [1697. 



rior region, a strong effort was now to be made for 

 its recovery. Iberville took command of the " Peli- 

 can," and his brother of the " Palmier." They 

 sailed from Placentia early in July, followed by 

 two other ships of the squadron, and a vessel car- 

 rying stores. Before the end of the month they 

 entered the bay, where they were soon caught 

 among masses of floating ice. The store-ship was 

 crushed and lost, and the rest were in extreme 

 danger. The " Pelican " at last extricated herself, 

 and sailed into the open sea ; but her three consorts 

 were nowhere to be seen. Iberville steered for 

 Fort Nelson, which was several hundred miles dis- 

 tant, on the western shore of this dismal inland sea. 

 He had nearly reached it, when three sail hove in 

 sight ; and he did not doubt that they were his 

 missing ships. They proved, however, to be Eng- 

 lish armed merchantmen : the " Hampshire " of 

 fifty-two guns, and the " Daring " and the " Hud- 

 son's Bay " of thirty-six and thirty-two. The 

 " Pelican " carried but forty-four, and she was 

 alone. A desperate battle followed, and from half 

 past nine to one o'clock the cannonade was inces- 

 sant. Iberville kept the advantage of the wind, 

 and, coming at length to close quarters with the 

 " Hampshire," gave her repeated broadsides be- 

 tween wind and water, with such effect that she 

 sank with all on board. He next closed with the 

 " Hudson's Bay," which soon struck her flag ; while 

 the u Daring " made sail, and escaped. The " Pel- 

 ican " was badly damaged in hull, masts, and rig- 

 ging ; and the increasing fury of a gale from the 



