14 TRANSACTIONS. 1906-7. 



consequently flagged, and the time thus lost was never regained, 

 because the affairs of Napoleon in Europe were turning out badly, 

 and upon him, as we shall shortly see, they were mainly depending 

 to keep Great Britain on the strain. 



It may be new to some readers of this paper if I say that 

 Napoleon was associated with the Americans in this matter, and 

 even that without the hopes reposed in him the war would never 

 have taken place. This must now be explained; and we shall 

 see further that the Avar in Canada came to an end because of his 

 defeat. 



After the decree of 1806 the whole of Europe was practically 

 closed to British trade, and it was a subject of surprise to find 

 that England nevertheless continued to receive her supplies much 

 as usual. It was some time before it was recognized that the 

 source of supply was Canada. It was difficult indeed for France 

 to realize that a colony, which in her hands had been, commercially 

 speaking, so insignificant, should now be playing so important a 

 part in a great crisis. When the fact forced itself on general 

 attention, Napoleon had all his plans made for a campaign against 

 Russia. He knew the disposition of the American people towards 

 England, and he at once conceived the possibility of giving the 

 British troops so much to do in Europe — England being allied 

 with Russia — that the defence of Canada against an American 

 attack would be impossible; and the cabinet at Washington fell 

 in with the scheme. The declaration of war was signed by the 

 Emperor of the French on the 18th June 1812, and on the same 

 day President Madison signed a similar document addressed to 

 the British government. 



The force at the disposal of General Prevost was so small that 

 it was out of his power to assume the offensive; he therefore 

 simply awaited attack. On the other side, however, there was no 

 army in readiness, and it took months to organize one and render 

 it in some small measure effective. General Brock, in command 

 in Upper Canada, took the bold step of marching to Detroit, 

 which he captured together with the much superior army, in 

 point of numbers, of the American General Hull. A little later 

 the Americans invaded our territory, and were defeated by Brock 

 at Queenston Heights on the 13th of October, 1812, though the 

 day was marred for the British side by the death of that brave 

 and capable general. By that time the news from Europe showed 

 that the French army under Napoleon had fallen into a trap, and 



