both above and below Quebec, is in the camp of Beauport. The old men, women and children are retired into the woods. The Canadians are extremely dissatisfied; but, curbed by the force of their Government, and terrified by the savages that are posted round about them, they are obliged to keep together, to work and to man the intrenchments. Upwards of twenty sail of ships got in before our squadron and brought secours of all sorts; which were exceedingly wanted in the Colony. The sailors of these ships help to work the guns, and others conduct the floating batteries; their ships are lightened and carried up the the river out of our reach, at least out of the reach of the men of war. These ships serve a double purpose; they are magazines for their provisions and at the same time cut off all communication between General Amhurst's army and the corps under my command, so that we are not able to make any detachment to attack Montreal, or favour the junction, or by attacking the fort of Chambly or Bourlemaqui's corps behind, open the General's way into Canada; all which might have been easily done with the floating batteries carrying each a gun, and twenty flat bottomed boats, if there had been no ships in the river. (1) Our poor soldiery have worked without ceasing and without murmuring; and as often as the enemy have attempted upon us, they have been repulsed by the valour of the men. A woody country so well known to the enemy, and an enemy so vigilant and hardy, as the Indians and Cana

(1) Wolfe is evidently willing to make every possible allowance for the actions of his commander-in-chief.

and

dians make entrenchments everywhere necessary, are, by this precaution we have saved a number of lives, for scarce a night passes that they are not close in upon our posts watching an opportunity to surprise and murder. There is very little quarter given on either side.

"We have seven hours and sometimes (above the town after rain) near eight hours of the most violent ebb tide that can be imagined, which loses us an infinite deal of time in every operation on the water; and the stream is so strong, particularly here, that the ships often drag their anchors by the mere force of the current. The bottom is a bed of rock; so that a ship, unless it hooks a rugged rock, holds by the weight only of the anchor. Doubtless if the equinoctial gale has any force a number of ships must necessarily run ashore and be lost.

"The day after the troops landed upon the isle of Orleans, a violent storm had nigh ruined the expedition altogether. Numbers of boats were lost; all the whale boats and most of the cutters were stove; some flat-bottomed boats destroyed and others damaged. We never had half as many of the latter as are necessary for this extraordinary and very important service. The enemy is able to fight us upon the water, whenever we are out of reach of the cannon of the fleet.

"The extreme heat of the weather in August and a good deal of fatigue threw me into a fever, but that the business might go on, I begged the Generals to consider amongst themselves what was fittest to be done. Their sentiments were unanimous that (as the easterly winds begin to blow and ships can pass the town in the night

with provisions and artillery, &c.) we should endeavour by conveying a considerable corps into the upper river, to draw them from their inaccessible situation, and bring them to an action. I agreed to the proposal; and we are now here, with about three thousand six hundred men waiting an opportunity to attack them when and wherever they can best be got at. The weather has been extremely unfavourable for a day or two, so that we have been inactive. I am so far recovered as to do business; but my constitution is entirely ruined; without the consolation of having done any considerable service to the State; or without any prospect of it. I have the honour to be, with great respect, my Lord,

"Your Lordships most obedient

" and most humble servant,

"JAM. WOLFE." (1)

(1) Chatham Correspondence.

CHAPTER II.

THE LANDING PLACE DETERMINED

WE THILE the weather was too bad for military operations Wolfe was busy reconnoitring the shore near Point aux Trembles, part of the time upon his barge and part of the time upon the south shore, as the Brigadiers decided upon the vicinity of Point aux Trembles for the attack. He had busied himself too by inspecting the ships and the transports and enquiring about the health of the men, every one of whom was in better physical condition than he.

On the tenth he went down the river to reconnoitre the shore near Sillery. Rear Admiral Holmes, Brigadiers Monckton and Townshend, Colonel Carleton and Captain Delaune accompanied him. The officers appear to have gone in disguise, for the General ordered six Grenadiers coats to be sent to him before starting. The object of this visit was to select a place for the landing of the troops. The place chosen was the Foulon, the inaccessibility of which seems to have been its chief recommendation to the General.

They reconnoitred it, says Moncrief," from a rising ground on the south side of the river, below the mouth of the Etchemin, (near Goreham's post) from whence there

was a fair view, not only of the place itself, but likewise of a considerable part of the ground between it and the town, which is a mile and a half below. The bank which runs along the shore is very steep and woody, and was thought so impracticable by the French themselves, that they had only a single picket to defend it. The picket, which we supposed might be about 100 men, was encamped upon the bank, near the top of a narrow winding path, which runs up from the shore. The path was broken up by the enemy themselves and barricaded with an abatis; but about 200 yards to the right there appeared to be a slope in the bank which was thought might answer the purpose.

General Wolfe disclosed a portion of his plan to Colonel Burton on this day. in the following letter:

"Sutherland" above carouge, Monday Sept. 10, 1759.

"Dear Colonel,

"You perfectly understood my meaning in every particular. Goreham's first post is under the hill, where there " is a little road running from Dalling's old quarter up to "the river; the way down is very steep, but I believe the

troops can march all along the beach from the Point of "Levi. I think it is not above a mile and a half or two "miles from the batteries. The deserter's intelligence "in respect to Mons. de Vaudreuil's movements agrees "in part with our observations; but it is absolutely impos"sible that the Marquis can have so large a corps; I "dont believe that their whole army amounts to that