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miles distant. The warriors of that mission were in the 

 first skirmish at Beauport ; and two of them, running 

 off in a fright, reported that the enemy were carrying 

 everything before them. On this the villagers fled to 

 the woods, followed by Father Germain, their mis- 

 sionary, to whom this hasty exodus suggested the flight 

 of the Holy Family into Egypt. The Jesuits were 

 thought to have special reason to fear the Puritan sol- 

 diery, who, it was reported, meant to kill them all, after 

 cutting off their ears to make necklaces." 



Seldom was a military expedition worse planned and 

 less efficiently carried" out. Parkman affirms that the 

 troops were composed of undisciplined Massachusetts 

 fishermen and farmers, ill-supplied with ammunition 

 and worse-off for artillerists to point their guns. After 

 a whole week of ineffective siege and furious cannona- 

 ding, the luckless fleet, on Tuesday, the 23rd October, 

 1690, disappeared behind Point Levis and set sail for 

 Boston. The flag of the Admiral's ship, captured by 

 Maricourt's boatmen, was borne in triumph to the 

 Cathedral, where it remained until the great siege of 

 1759 ; Bishop St. Valier sung a Te Deum ; and, amid 

 the booming of the city guns, the image of the Virgin 

 Mary was paraded from church to church, followed by 

 priests, citizens and soldiery. The auspicious day closed 

 with a grand bonfire in honour of Frontenac, the Saviour 

 of Canada, who was more than ever idolised. 



