44 INTRODUCTION 



one thousand seven hundred and nineteen, when the Company 

 fitted out a ship, called the Albany Frigate^ Captain George 

 Barlow,* and a sloop [xxv] called the Discovery^ Captain 

 David Vaughan. The sole command of this expedition, how- 

 ever, was given to Mr. James Knight, a man of great experi- 

 ence in the Company's service, who had been many years 

 Governor at the different Factories in the Bay, and who had 

 made the first settlement at Churchill River. Notwithstanding 

 the experience Mr. Knight might have had of the Company's 



* Captain Barlow was Governor at Albany Fort when the French went over 

 land from Canada to besiege it in 1704. The Canadians and their Indian 

 guides lurked in the neighbourhood of Albany for several days before they 

 made the attack, and killed many of the cattle that were grazing in the m.arshes, 

 A faithful Home-Indian, who was on a hunting excursion, discovering those 

 strangers, and supposing them to be enemies, immediately returned to the Fort, 

 and informed the Governor of the circumstance, who gave little credit to it. 

 However, every measure was taken for the defence of the Fort, and orders were 

 given to the Master of a sloop that lay at some distance, to come to the Fort 

 with all possible expedition on hearing a gun fired. 



Accordingly, in the middle of the night, or rather in the morning, the 

 French came before the Fort, marched up to the gate, and demanded entrance. 

 Mr. Barlow, who was then on the watch, told them that the Governor was 

 asleep, but he would get the keys immediately. The French, hearing this, 

 expected no opposition, and flocked up to the gate as close as they could stand. 

 Barlow took the advantage of this opportunity, and instead of opening the gate, 

 only opened two port holes, where two six-pounders stood loaded with grape 

 shot, which were instantly fired. This discharge killed great numbers of the 

 French, and among them the Commander, who was an Irishman. 



Such an unexpected reception made the remainder retire with great precipi- 

 tation ; and the Master of the sloop hearing the guns, made the best of his way 

 up to the Fort ; but some of the French who lay concealed under the banks of 

 the river killed him, and all the boat's crew. 



The French retired from this place with reluctance ; for some of them 

 were heard shooting in the neighbourhood of the Fort ten days after they were 

 repulsed ; and one man in particular walked up and down the platform leading 

 from the gate of the Fort to the Launch for a whole day. Mr. Fullarton, who 

 was then Governor at Albany, spoke to him in French, and offered him kind 

 quarters if he chose to accept them ; but to those proposals he made no reply, 

 and only shook his head. Mr. Fullarton then told him, that unless he would 

 resign himself up as a prisoner, he would most assuredly shoot him ; on which 

 the man advanced nearer the Fort, and Mr. Fullarton shot him out of his 

 chamber window. Perhaps the hardships this poor man expected to encounter 

 in his return to Canada, made him prefer death; but his refusing to receive 

 quarter from so humane and generous an enemy as the English, is astonishing. 



