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The Marquis Duquesne, who had landed at Quebec 

 in July, 1751, was not long before setting earnestly to 

 work to carry out his royal master's instructions con- 

 cerning the measures to be taken to eject English 

 traders from the valley of the Ohio. One of his first 

 tasks was to order a general review of the regulars and 

 militia available and to enforce discipline : the country 

 could furnish 13,000 fighting men, it was found. The 

 following year was spent in preparations for the coming 

 campaign. In the spring of 1753, Capts. Marin and 

 Pean were dispatched with men towards the seat of the 

 threatened trouble, in accordance with plans matured 

 the winter previous ; this brings us to the 14th Janu- 

 ary 1753, when His Excellency started by land, of 

 course, to make arrangements at Montreal for the king's 

 service, Col. Franquet will be our cicerone. Franquet's 

 M. S. S., procured, in 1854, from the archives of the 

 war office in Paris, was that year added to the collec- 

 tion of Canadian historical documents. 



It remained for long years ignored, except to a few 

 curious students of Canadian annals. In 1876, it was 

 my good fortune to obtain for the first time access to 

 these instructive memoirs. In 1889, the Institut Cana- 

 dien of Quebec made a selection of their contents for 

 publication in its Annuaire. Under date, 14th January 

 1753, Col. Franquet describes the trip by land, he was 

 invited to take under the considerate charge of Inten- 

 dant Bigot, from Quebec to Pointe-aux-Trembles, to 

 escort the Commander-in-Chief, on his annual voyage 

 to Montreal. 



" Each year," says Franquet, " it is customary, nay 

 necessary, that the General in the colony should go to 

 Montreal in January, returning to Quebec in the 

 ensuing month of August. Among other official business, 

 the following appear to be the principal duties which 

 attract him there. 5 ' 



1st. To select and name suitable officers to command 



