14 



" La Perouse's Voyages," publisluHl in Paris 1788, he writes 

 that he had with him the " Sceptre, carrying 74 guns ; 

 the Astarte and the Engageante, carrying each 86 guns ; 4 

 tield guns, 2 mortars and ^^00 bombshells." They sighted the 

 fort on the evening of the 8th vVugust, and anchored in eigh- 

 teen fathoms of water. An officer sent to reconnoitre the 

 approaches to the fort reported that the vessels could be 

 brought to bear on it at a very short distance. La Perouse, 

 tliinking that the Sceptre would not easily subdue the enemy 

 if they resisted, prepared to make a descent during the night, 

 and without difficulty the boats landed about two n\iles from 

 the fort. La Perouse seeing no preparations made for defence, 

 although the fort seemed to be in a good state, summoned the 

 enemy, the gates were opened, and the Governor and garrison 

 surrendered at discretion. Thus it will be seen tVom an 

 account written by the French, that the Company's people 

 surrendered without tiring a sliot. The (lovernor at that 

 time in charge of the fort was Samuel Hearne, and it is ex- 

 ceedingly strange that he, who had amply proved his personal 

 bravery during his Arctic journeys when he discovered the 

 Coppermine River in 1772, should on this occasion show such 

 a cowardly front to an enemy. Umfreville, who was taken 

 prisoner at the capture of the fort, wrote a full account of the 

 atFair to the English papers in April, 1783, and it agrees with 

 the account given by La Perouse. Umfreville was disgusted 

 with the cowardice shown by Hearne, and says that the 

 French were weak and reduced in health after a long sea 

 voyage, most of them poorly clad and only half of them had 

 shoes. Hearne was taken as a prisoner of war by the Admiral 

 to France. ' <!. S. 



