314 Discoveries SErtLEMENTs Book f. 
fomuch tliat it was extremely difEcuIt to procure Men in 
France to proceetl on fo dangerous a Navigation, fmce 
almoft every Year they fuffered Shipwreck. Thus it ap- 
peared how things had been mifreprefented in Great Bri- 
tain^ by thofe who pretend to aver that Fleets of Ships 
might fafely proceed up the River to F^ehec •, and it was 
demonflrable that the People of Bojion knew not any 
thing of what they propofed, when Schemes were laid 
for fuch an Expedition. After this unhappy Difafter, and 
when Sir Hovenden Walker had plied two Days with very 
frefli Gales, betv/een the Weft and the South, to fave 
what Men and other things he could, he called a Council 
of W ar, and upon enquiring of the Pilots (who had been 
forceci on board the Ships by the Government of New 
England) and duly examining into every Circiimftance, 
it was judged impradticable for a Fleet to get up to 
Fluehec^ fince there were fo many apparent Dangers, and 
no Pilots qualified to take the Charge ; befides it was 
the Opinion of them all, both Englijh and French^ that 
had the Squadron been higher up the River, with the 
hard Gales they met with, all the Ships would have 
been inevitably loft. At this Council of War there were, 
befides the Rear Admiral, Captain Jofeph Soames^ Cap- 
tain John Mitchel^ Captain Robert Arris^ Captain George 
Walton^ Captain FLenry Gore^ Captain George Paddon^ 
Captain John Cockhurn^ and Captain Augufiine Pwufe. 
The Confultation being over, the Saphire was fcnt to 
BoJlon, with an Account of the Misfortune, and the 
Montague., to find, out the Humber tccA Fevonjhire, and 
to flop all Ships bound up to ^ebec ; and the Leopard 
being left with fome Sloops and Brigantines, to take any 
Men from the Shore that might be faved, and to en- 
deavour to weigh fome Anchors left behind, he pro- 
ceeded to Spanijh River, in the Ifland of Breton, the Ren- 
dezvous he had appointed, there to be perfedfly inform- 
ed. of the State of the Army and Fleet, and to fettle 
Matters for their farther Proceedings. 
But all the Ships did not join till the 7th of September ; 
the Day following, by confent of the General, he called a 
Council of W ar of Sea and Land Officers, where it was 
confidered, whether under their prefent Circumftances it 
was pradlicable to attempt any thing againft Placentia, 
which all of them very much inclined to but upon ex- 
amining into the State of the Provifions on board the Men 
of War and Tranfports, it was found there was but ten 
Weeks Provifion, at fhort Allowance, in the former, 
and in the latter much lefs, fo that it was unanimoufly 
agreed not any thing of that kind could be undertaken ; 
but that it was neceffary the Squadron and Tranfports 
ftiould proceed to Great Britain, fmce they had but barely 
Provifions fufficient for the Voyage, and that there was 
not any Profpedt of a Supply trom New England, and 
the Seafon of the Year being too far advanced for naviga- 
ting fafely in thofe Parts of the World. At this Coun- 
cil of War there were, befides the Sea Officers of the laft. 
General Hill, Colonel Charles Churchill, Colonel William 
Wtndrejfe, Colonel Campenfelt, Colonel Clayton, Colonel 
Kirk, together with Colonel Vetch, and Colonel Walton, 
who commanded the Forces raifed in New England. 
It was in purfuance of this Refolution taken in Spanijh 
River, that he failed on the t 6th of September for Eng- 
land, where he arrived the 9th of October following, and 
not long after his Return, the Edgar, a feventy-gun Ship, 
on board of which he hoifted his Flag, took fire, and 
blew up at Spithead, by fome Accident, the Caufe of 
which was never known ; and thus ended an Expedition 
every Way unfortunate, and which brought nothing but 
Difcredit and Blame upon thofe who contrived, and thofe 
who were concerned in the executing, it, and particularly 
Sir Hovenden. Walker, a very honeft plain-fpoken Man ; 
who, if there was any dark Secret in this Bufinefs, was 
moft certainly ignorant of it. His Opinion always was, 
and he died in the full Belief of it, that though the Ex- 
pedition might be juftly ftiled unfortunate, inafmuch as it 
mifearried, and the Fleet never reached ^ebec j yet it 
would have been much more fo, if they had got up the 
River of St. Laurence, and had aftually landed their Men, 
as they were by their Inftrubtions direfted to do ; and the 
Reafons he gave for it are very v/ell worth the hearing. 
efpecially at this Jundure, when an Expedition of the 
fame kind is faid to be under Confideration. The Rea- 
fons that he gave for it v/ere thefe ; That in Cafe ^^French 
had retired from ^ebec, they would have carried their 
Provifions with them, and have deftroyed what they 
could not carry, fo that the Englijh would have had no- 
thing but a wild, barren, uncultivated Country before 
them, with the Conqueft of which they might pleafe 
themfelves ; but in which, neverthelefs, they would find 
it impoffible to fubfift. 
“ hor, continues he, our Peoples Provifions would 
“ have been reduced to eight or nine (perhaps to fix) 
Weeks, at fhort Allowance j no Relief could poffibly 
“ be hoped for in lefs than ten Months, if fo foon ; the 
Fever Jham, and three Store-ffiips, laden with the Pro- 
“ vifions defigned for their Supply, being caft away in 
their Paffage; fo that if they had efcaped Shipwreck, 
which would have been a very great Chance, between 
ten and twelve thoufand Men muft inevitably have 
“ periffied with Hunger and Cold, and the Ship have 
“ become a Prey to the returning Enemy. On the other 
“ hand, had the Enemy held out till our People had 
“ fpent all their Provifions, they muft have laid down 
“ their Arms, and have furrendered to the French at 
“ Diferetion, to avoid Death in its moft frightful Shape, 
“ Famine ; or if they had taken the Place, either by 
“ Storm or Capitulation, the remaining Provifions of a 
“ fmall Garrifon would not have gone far towards fubfift- 
“ ing fo large a Number ; nor could they, at that Seafon 
“ of the Year, have marched through the Country in 
“ fearch of more : And this would have been the Cafe, 
“ had they afterwards attempted Placentiad^ 
How far this Gentleman might be in the Right or 
in the Wrong, I ffiall not at prefent defire the Reader 
to enquire ; but, moft certainly, what he fays has at the 
firft Sight the . Appearance of Sincerity and Truth, and 
therefore we ought to be very cautious of running any 
frefh Hazards of this Nature ; But the driving the French 
from Canada is moft certainly a Thing very poffible and 
very prafticable, provided the Scheme be laid by thofe 
who are well acquainted with the State and Force of our 
Colonies, the Navigation of the River of St. Laurence, and 
the Condition of the Colony we propofe to difiodge •, and 
if it be executed by Seamen and Officers of Experience in 
their refpeflive Profeffions, and who found the Hopes of 
promoting their private Intereft on the folid Bafis of ex- 
erting their utmoft Abilities in the public Service. 
8. The French, during the whole Courfe of the laft 
War, were particularly attentive to the Prefervation of 
their own Colonies, and annoying of ours, in both which 
Schemes they were but too fuccefsful, which however 
was not owing fo much either to the Wifdom of their 
Councils or the Vigour of their Arms, as to the Faults in 
our Meafures, and the Mifearriages of our Sea Offi- 
cers. I ffiall not pretend to enter into a ftrieft Detail of 
thefe difagreeable Points, but ffiall content myfelf with a 
few general Points which I flatter myfelf will be fufficient 
for my Purpofe. At the very beginning of the War, the 
gallant old Admiral Benbow was facrificed by fome of his 
Officers who had a Pique to him. Fie was a Man of 
great Honour and ftrieft Difeipline, but had fome of the 
Roughnefs of a Tar about him, which rendered him very 
difagreeable to the fine Gentlemen of the Navy, amongft 
whom were three of the Captains that deferted him ; 
their Conduft indeed had the Look of Cowardife, and 
of that they were found guilty by a Court Martial, and 
fuffered Death for it very defervedly but they only adled 
the Cowards and were not fo, for they had behaved gal- 
lantly upon other Occafions, and never Man looked 
Death in the Face with more Intrepidity than Capt. Kirby 
did, which however was fo far from extenuating, that in 
my Opinion it heightened his Offence. 
The executing fevere Juftice upon thofe three Gentle- 
men, which certainly was a very wife and right Step, 
and was taken by the mildeft Government this or per- 
haps any other Nation ever faw, had a very good Effedt, 
and taught People to fear the Juftice of the Nation, in 
cafe they facrificed the- Concerns of the Publio to their 
particular Refentments or private Views but that it did 
not 
