garrison was discontented, and its commander, Duchambon, was desponding. On the 15th of June, despairing of being able to hold the place any longer, he sent out a flag of truce with an offer to capitulate, and on the 17th the city, the fort, and the batteries were surrendered.

The siege had lasted forty-seven days, with a loss to the garrison of three hundred killed. The besiegers lost a hundred and one killed, and thirty from sickness. That the place was strong is attested by the words of its captors: "God has gone out of the way of His common providence in a remarkable and almost miraculous manner, to incline the hearts. of the French to give up and deliver this strong city into our hands."

Bancroft concludes his account of these operations in the following words, "Thus did the strongest fortress of North America capitulate to an army of undisciplined New England mechanics, and farmers, and fishermen. It was the greatest success achieved by England during the war."

The treaty of Aix la Chapelle put an end to the war of the Austrian succession, and, by an article of that treaty, Louisbourg was restored to France in exchange for Madras, captured in 1746, which Dupleix, Governor of Pondichery, had refused to surrender.

It would be difficult to show what was gained

"History of the United States," by George Bancroft, chap. xxiv. p. 463.

by that war, and as none of the higher questions which involved the interests of civilization were adjusted at its conclusion, it was not possible for peace to be of long duration. France determined to attack England through her King, George II., in his personal property of Hanover. This led to the Seven Years' War, in which Great Britain found an ally in Prussia.* Austria, on the other hand, joined issue with France, hoping that, with the help of such a powerful military nation, she might recover the lost province of Silesia. In this war the singular occurrence was seen of Russia, Sweden, and Poland, all open enemies of France and of each other, taking her side in the struggle.

Pitt, who was then in power, conceived the plan of striking a vigorous blow at France in Canada, seizing Quebec, and driving the French out of North America.

In the year 1757 an attack on Louisbourg had been designed. On the 11th of July, Lord Loudoun reached Halifax from New York, with six thousand regulars, and was there met by George Viscount Howe, with five thousand troops just arrived from England. Admiral Holbourn commanded a squadron of sixteen ships-of-theline and eight frigates. Lord Loudoun was renowned for indecision, and had given on previous occasions proofs of incapacity. On hearing that

* England formally declared war on the 18th of May, 1756.

Louisbourg was garrisoned by three thousand regulars exclusive of militia, and was defended by eighteen line-of-battle ships and six frigates, he proceeded with the Admiral to New York, and put off the enterprise to the following year. For doing which his lordship was promptly disgraced by William Pitt, and recalled.

That famous minister had no intention of doing things by half, his plan was to drive the French completely out of Canada, and to this end he set on foot three expeditions. Ticonderoga, Du Quesne, and Louisbourg were to be captured. The last was the most important business, being a joint naval and military expedition.

In the following year, 1758, he intrusted the operations against Cape Breton to General Jeffrey Amherst. On the 2nd and 3rd of June a fleet consisting of twenty-three ships-of-the-line, eighteen frigates, and a hundred and sixteen transports and smaller vessels, under Vice-admiral the Honourable Edward Boscawen, dropped their anchors in the Bay of Gabarus to the west of Louisbourg. Warburton, in his "Conquest of Canada," states that

* In all that relates to the second capture of Louisbourg, as well as to the scaling of the heights of Abraham, in Chapter XVIII., we have closely followed Parkman's narrative contained in his work, "Montcalm and Wolfe." His is the best narrative of all we have seen, and in a note (vol. ii. p. 81), the historian shows the diaries, correspondence, and authorities he has consulted. His work has been done so thoroughly that little would be gained by a re-perusal of all these documents, besides which some are not easy to find.

Pitt gave Boscawen the unusual commission of command over the land forces till the arrival of General Amherst; this did not last long, for on the 28th of May, when the fleet was still close to Halifax, it was joined by the Dublin with Amherst on board.

The transports conveyed fourteen battalions of infantry with artillery and engineers; in all a force of about 11,600 men. The troops were divided into three brigades of nearly equal strength. The Royal Artillery train comprised 17 officers, 52 non-commissioned officers, 63 gunners, and 163 matrosses.* The guns were: Brass, twenty-six 4-pounders, eighteen 12-pounders, six 6-pounders, two 13-inch mortars, two 10-inch, seven 8-inch, ten 5-inch, thirty 4-inch. Iron, eight 32-pounders, twenty-five 24-pounders, four 6-pounders, and one 13-inch mortar. There were besides two 8-inch and four 5-inch howitzers.

Chevalier de Drucour, who commanded the French forces, had for garrisoning the fortress the battalions of Artois, Bourgogne, and Cambise, of the regular forces, a battalion of Volontaires Étrangers, two companies of artillery, and twentyfour companies of the Canadian marine force, regularly disciplined; the total strength may be set

* Matrosses were soldiers in a train of artillery, who came next to the gunners, and assisted them in loading, firing, and sponging the guns. They carried firelocks, and marched with the store waggons as guards and assistants.

The

down at three thousand eight hundred men. ordnance comprised two hundred and twenty-two cannon and fifteen mortars. In the harbour there were five ships-of-the-line and seven frigates, mounting five hundred and forty-four guns, and manned by three thousand sailors. Drucour describes the fortifications as being in ruins, nothing had been done to repair them since Cape Breton had been restored to France by the treaty of Aix la Chapelle.

On arrival at Gabarus the British found themselves facing a wild coast line, a dangerous shore covered with barbed rocks, and commanded by lofty, perpendicular cliffs, the summit of which had been rendered still more difficult of access by the French, who, having long foreseen an invasion, had covered every possible place where a landing could be effected with earthworks, concealed batteries and abatis. The almost upright precipices alone were judged by them to be beyond the attempt of men under arms. In addition to the artificial obstacles a dense fog often shrouded the rocky shore, and a prodigious swell which rolled in from the Atlantic and broke in impassable surf upon the beach, made any landing in boats a very risky undertaking.

As soon as the fleet had come to anchor, Amherst, Boscawen, Wolfe, and a number of naval officers proceeded to reconnoitre the shore in boats, and eagerly scanned the cliffs and coves, striving to find a suitable landing-place. The prospect was