that riding the wooden horse had a tendency to injure the men, and induce rupture; it was in consequence abolished. The last reminiscence of this durance vile was to be seen on the parade-ground at Portsmouth in the

year 1780.

.1758.

On the 27th of April, to the great mortification and annoyance of all, orders arrived that three companies from Annapolis, with three from Fort Edward, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel James, were to relieve the 28th Regiment at Fort Cumberland, in lieu of proceeding to Louisbourg. Instructions from England desired that one entire regiment might garrison Annapolis Royal and the other forts in Nova Scotia. His Excellency made choice of the 43rd for this service, as being the most complete in numbers, and the youngest corps in the province.

On the 7th of December news of the fall of Louisbourg reached the garrison, which event they celebrated by bonfires, salutes, and jeux d'artifice.

In October twelve recruits joined from New York. From the suspension of active employment, garrison life now became exceedingly tedious. Seniors and subalterns framed a memorial to Colonel James, begging him to apply to the Commander-in-Chief to grant permission for their regiment to join the army in spring, for whatever service destined.

1759.

Early on New Year's morn some excitement was caused by a huge bear rushing in between the Gibbet and the Block House. The garrison turned out, and for nearly an hour had excellent sport in hunting and firing at Bruin; but he skilfully parried all attacks, and eventually escaped by swimming across the bay.

Before the severe frost set in, the marshes had over

flowed, thus affording capital sleighing and skating, of which the officers took constant advantage. One morning two of the 43rd discovered a dead man lying on the road to Gaspereau. The circumstance being

reported, a party at once was despatched to bring in the corpse, that of one of the finest grenadiers in the regiment. He was stripped of everything save his shirt and breeches, and two parts of his skull were scalped. The rolls of the companies were instantly called, when it appeared that one sergeant and three privates of the Rangers, and seven of the 43rd, were missing. They had been seen going out in the morning to cut wood,though in direct defiance of repeated orders,—and it was immediately suspected that they had either been killed or made prisoners.

The whole company of Rangers consequently scoured the country, and returned towards evening, bearing the dead bodies of four men of the regiment, and one Ranger, not only barbarously murdered, but scalped in the most horrid manner. The victims had been fired upon and wounded through the breast, and each was shot in the same place save one, who was evidently killed by a tomahawk across the neck. The Ranger was stark naked, and his body marked by means of a stick and blood in hieroglyphics.

The following afternoon, all officers attending, the men were buried, or sunk in a pit of snow, the ground being so frost-bound that it could not even be broken with pickaxes.

The Irish officers of the garrison celebrated their patron saint's day, St. Patrick (March 17th), by entertaining their brethren in arms at dinner, and by bestowing half a dollar on each Irish private.

In April Colonel James received an order for the regiment and one company of Rangers to hold themselves

in immediate readiness to join the proposed expedition up the St. Lawrence, then assembling at Louisbourg, under General Wolfe. Directly this intelligence was bruited, loud and protracted huzzas rent the air. Soon after, Colonel James was directed to select one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, three sergeants, one drummer, and seventy rank and file, to form a light company.

A simultaneous attack on all the French strongholds was arranged. General Wolfe, already so distinguished, was, supported by a strong fleet from England, to ascend the St. Lawrence with 8000 men, and besiege Quebec. General Amherst, Commander-in-Chief in North America, with 12,000 men, was to reduce Ticonderoga and Crown Point, cross Lake Champlain, follow the course of the Richelieu to the St. Lawrence, and join Wolfe in his attack. Brigadier-General Prideaux, with a third army, reinforced by a body of provincials and friendly Indians, under Sir William Johnson, was to invest the then important fortress of Niagara, which in a manner commanded the back settlements of the Upper Country. It was further proposed that these troops under Prideaux, after the reduction of Niagara, should fall down the St. Lawrence, besiege and take Montreal, and then join or co-operate with the combined forces under Amherst and Wolfe.

When this plan was formed, the French had 5000 veteran troops in the neighbourhood of Montreal under the Marquis de Vandreuil, Governor of New France. His lieutenant-general, Montcalm, whose reputation as a skilled soldier stood high in the military world, was at Quebec with an army of 10,000 Europeans and Canadians, and M. de Levis, an active officer, was at the head of a flying detachment, both strengthened by a large body of trained Indians thoroughly acquainted with the woods and defiles. The garrison of Niagara numbered 600 men.

Ticonderoga and Crown Point were in a respectable condition; while the city of Quebec, strong in its natural configuration, the bravery of its inhabitants, and the number of its garrison, had received every practicable additional fortification that the art of man and war could devise.

The 43rd now made the most of their time at drill and target practice. Great attention was bestowed on the light company, to get it into tip-top order and fit for any service to be performed.

Sailing on the 12th of May they anchored off Louisbourg on the 24th, when orders were given to furnish twenty light infantry to complete Captain Delaune's company, and also to lay in a large stock of shoes as all future supply would be precarious. The Grenadiers of Louisbourg, under General Wolfe, had been initiated into his new system of drill, and were in the highest state of efficiency.

Never having had any prior opportunity of seeing the 43rd Regiment, Wolfe desired them to be reviewed. before him by Brigadier Monckton, directing that in their firing they should expend ammunition cartridge. He was pleased to say he "never saw greater regularity, closer fire, arms better levelled, or less disorder, in any other regiment since he had the honour to be an officer," &c., &c.

On the arrival of some new corps, their commanding officers expecting to be similarly reviewed, apologised, owing to long cantonment, for not being thoroughly au fait in this novel exercise, and were met by the reply, "Pooh! pooh! new exercise-new fiddlesticks! if they are otherwise well disciplined and will fight, that's all I shall require of them."

Here the officers of the 43rd had their heavy, inconvenient, common firelocks exchanged for fusils. General Wolfe daily landed the regiments for drill, not merely to

secure continued efficiency, but to render them adepts in the use of the flat-bottomed boats specially constructed for this service.

On the 1st of June each regiment was supplied with pickaxes, spades, shovels, and billhooks, as well as fishingtackle to amuse them during the voyage. On the 5th the fleet set sail amidst great enthusiasm. Entire confidence was reposed in the admiral and generals, and the universal toast was, "British colours on every French fort, post, or garrison in America!"

On the 18th the transports bearing the 43rd hove to off the Islands Bic and Barnaby, where they learnt that Admiral Durell had taken possession of the Island of Coudre and proceeded to that of Orleans. On the 27th they landed on the Isle of Orleans; Wolfe, accompanied by Major M'Kellar of the Engineers, proceeding alone to reconnoitre. He found the French encamped on the north side of the river, their right extending close to Quebec, and their left to the Falls of Montmorency. The ground chosen by the French general was high and strong, and they were evidently adding every kind of work that ingenuity could suggest to render it impregnable.

During the next six weeks our troops were diligently employed in throwing up earthworks, strengthening their position, and pushing forward every sort of preparation. The enemy twice made ineffectual attempts to destroy our fleet by sending down on the 28th of June, and again on the 28th of July, fireships and long fire-rafts freighted with grenades, swivels, &c., to be discharged as they floated along.

Little or no damage ensued, as some ran ashore and others were towed away clear by our seamen, who exhibited great spirit and alertness.

Wolfe now determined upon an attack of the French