the conquest of new france-第13部分

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as　an　enlightened　Briton　said；　〃If　they　had　pickaxe　and　spade

they　would　dig　a　way　to　Hell　itself　and　storm　that　stronghold。〃



Behind　all　difficulties　was　the　question　whether；　having　taken

Louisbourg；　the　British　could　continue　to　hold　it。　France

answered　with　a　resolute　〃No。〃　To　retake　it　she　fitted　out　a

great　fleet。　Nearly　half　her　navy　gathered　under　the　Duc

d'Anville　and　put　to　sea　on　June　20；　1746。　If　in　the　previous

summer　God　had　helped　the　English　with　good　weather；　by　a　similar

proof　His　face　now　appeared　turned　a　second　time　against　the

French。　In　the　great　array　there　were　more　than　sixty　ships；

which　were　to　gather　at　Chebucto；　now　Halifax；　harbor；　and　to　be

joined　there　by　four　great　ships　of　war　from　the　West　Indies。

Everything　went　wrong。　On　the　voyage　across　the　Atlantic　there

was　a　prolonged　calm；　followed　by　a　heavy　squall。　Several　ships

were　struck　by　lightning。　A　magazine　on　the　Mars　blew　up；　killing

ten　and　wounding　twenty…one　men。　Pestilence　broke　out。　As　a

crowning　misfortune；　the　fleet　was　scattered　by　a　terrific　storm。

After　great　delay　d'Anville's　ship　reached　Chebucto；　then　a　wild

and　lonely　spot。　The　expected　fleet　from　the　West　Indies　had

indeed　come；　but　had　gone；　since　the　ships　from　France；　long

overdue；　had　not　arrived。　D'Anville　died　suddenlysome　said　of

apoplexy；　others　of　poison　self…administered。　More　ships　arrived

full　of　sick　men　and　short　of　provisions。　D'Estournel；　who

succeeded　d'Anville　in　chief　command；　in　despair　at　the　outlook

killed　himself　with　his　own　sword　after　the　experience　of　only　a

day　or　two　in　his　post。　La　Jonquiere；　a　competent　officer；

afterwards　Governor　of　Canada；　then　led　the　expedition。　The

pestilence　still　raged；　and　from　two　to　three　thousand　men　died。

One　day　a　Boston　sloop　boldly　entered　Chebucto　harbor　to　find　out

what　was　going　on。　It　is　a　wonder　that　the　British　did　not

descend　upon　the　stricken　French　and　destroy　them。　In　October；　La

Jonquiere；　having　pulled　his　force　together；　planned　to　win　the

small　success　of　taking　Annapolis；　but　again　storms　scattered　his

ships。　At　the　end　of　October　he　finally　decided　to　return　to

France。　But　there　were　more　heavy　storms；　and　one　French　crew　was

so　near　starvation　that　only　a　chance　meeting　with　a　Portuguese

ship　kept　them　from　killing　and　eating　five　English　prisoners。

Only　a　battered　remnant　of　the　fleet　eventually　reached　home

ports。



The　disaster　did　not　crush　France。　In　May　of　the　next　spring；

1747；　a　new　fleet　under　La　Jonquiere　set　out　to　retake

Louisbourg。　Near　the　coast　of　Europe；　however；　Admirals　Anson　and

Warren　met　and　completely　destroyed　it；　taking　prisoner　La

Jonquiere　himself。　This　disaster　effected　what　was　really　the

most　important　result　of　the　war：　it　made　the　British　fleet

definitely　superior　to　the　French。　During　the　struggle　England

had　produced　a　new　Drake；　who　attacked　Spain　in　the　spirit　of　the

sea…dogs　of　Elizabeth。　Anson　had　gone　in　1740　into　the　Pacific；

where　he　seized　and　plundered　Spanish　ships　as　Drake　had　done

nearly　two　centuries　earlier；　and　in　1744；　when　he　had　been　given

up　for　lost；　he　completed　the　great　exploit　of　sailing　round　the

world　and　bringing　home　rich　booty。　Such　feats　went　far　to　give

Britain　that　command　of　the　sea　on　which　her　colonial　Empire　was

to　depend。



The　issue　of　the　war　hung　more　on　events　that　occurred　in　Europe

than　in　America；　and　France　had　made　gains　as　well　as　suffered

losses。　It　was　on　the　sea　that　she　had　sustained　her　chief

defeats。　In　India　she　had　gained　by　taking　the　English　factory　at

Madras；　and　in　the　Low　Countries　she　was　still　aggressive。

Indeed；　during　the　war　England　had　been　more　hostile　to　Spain

than　to　France。　She　had　not　taken　very　seriously　her　support　of

the　colonies　in　their　attack　on　Louisbourg　and　she　had　failed

them　utterly　in　their　designs　on　Canada。　It　is　true　that　in

Europe　England　had　grave　problems　to　solve。　Austria；　with　which

she　was　allied；　desired　her　to　fight　until　Frederick　of　Prussia

should　give　up　the　province　of　Silesia　seized　by　him　in　1740。　In

this　quarrel　England　had　no　vital　interest。　France　had　occupied

the　Austrian　Netherlands　and　had　refused　to　hand　back　to　Austria

this　territory　unless　she　received　Cape　Breton　in　return。　Britain

might　have　kept　Cape　Breton　if　she　would　have　allowed　France　to

keep　Belgium。　This；　in　loyalty　to　Austria；　she　would　not　do。

Accordingly　peace　was　made　at　Aix…la…Chapelle　in　1748　on　the

agreement　that　each　side　should　restore　to　the　other　its

conquests；　not　merely　in　Europe　but　also　in　America　and　Asia。

Thus　it　happened　that　the　British　flag　went　up　again　at　Madras

while　it　came　down　at　Louisbourg。



Boston　was　of　course　angry　at　the　terms　of　the　treaty。　What

sacrifices　had　Massachusetts　not　made！　The　least　of　them　was　the

great　burden　of　debt　which　she　had　piled　up。　Her　sons　had　borne

what　Pepperrell　called　〃almost　incredible　hardships。〃　They　had

landed　cannon　on　a　lee　shore　when　the　great　waves　pounded　to

pieces　their　boats　and　when　men　wading　breast　high　were　crushed

by　the　weight　of　iron。　Harnessed　two　and　three　hundred　to　a　gun；

they　had　dragged　the　pieces　one　after　the　other　over　rocks　and

through　bog　and　slime；　and　had　then　served　them　in　the　open　under

the　fire　of　the　enemy。　New　Englanders　had　died　like　〃rotten

sheep〃　in　Louisbourg。　The　graves　of　nearly　a　thousand　of　them　lay

on　the　bleak　point　outside　the　wall。　What　they　had　gained　by　this

sacrifice　must　now　be　abandoned。　A　spirit　of　discontent　with　the

mother　country　went　abroad　and；　after　this　sacrifice　of　colonial

interests；　never　wholly　died　out。　It　is　not　without　interest　to

note　in　passing　that　Gridley；　the　engineer　who　drew　the　plan　of

the　defenses　of　Louisbourg；　thirty　years　later　drew　those　of

Bunker　Hill　to　protect　men　of　the　English　race　who　fought　against

England。



Every　one　knew　that　the　peace　of　1748　was　only　a　truce　and

Britain　began　promptly　new　defenses。　Into　the　spacious　harbor　of

Chebucto；　which　three　years　earlier　had　been　the　scene　of　the

sorrows　of　d'Anville's　fleet；　there　sailed　in　June；　1749；　a

considerable　British　squadron　bent　on　a　momentous　errand。　It

carried　some　thousands　of　settlers；　Edward　Cornwallis；　a　governor

clothed　with　adequate　authority；　and　a　force　sufficient　for　the

defense　of　the　new　foundation。　Cornwallis　was　delighted　with　the

prospect。　〃All　the　officers　agree　the　harbour　is　the　finest　they

have　ever　seen〃this；　of　Halifax　harbor　with　the　great　Bedford

Basin；　opening　beyond　it；　spacious　enough　to　contain　the　fleets

of　the　world。　〃The　Country　is　one　continuous　Wood；　no　clear　spot

to　be　seen　or　heard　of。　D'Anville's　fleet。。。cleared　no

ground；　they　encamped　their　men　on　the　beach。〃　The　garrison　was

withdrawn　from　Louisbourg　and　soon　arrived　at　Halifax；　with　a

vast　quantity　of　stores。　A　town　was　marked　out；　lots　were　drawn

for　sites；　and　every　one　knew　where　he　might　build　his　house。

There　were　prodigious　digging；　chopping；　hammering。　〃I　shall　be

able　to　get　them　all　Houses　before　winter；〃　wrote　Cornwallis

cheerily。　Firm　military　discipline；　indeed；　did　wonders。　Before

winter　came；　a　town　had　been　created；　and　with　the　town　a

fortress　which　from　that　time　has　remained　the　chief　naval　and

military　stronghold　of　Great　Britain　in　North　America。　At

Louisbourg　some　two　hundred　miles　farther　east　on　the　coast；

France　could　reestablish　her　military　strength；　but　now

Louisbourg　had　a　rival　and　each　was　resolved　to　yield　nothing　to

the　other。　The　founding　of　Halifax　was　in　truth　the　symbol　of　the

renewal　of　the　struggle　for　a　continent。







CHAPTER　V。　The　Great　West



In　days　before　the　railway　had　made　possible　a　bulky　commerce　by

overland　routes；　rivers　furnished　the　chief　means　of　access　to

inland　regions。　The　fame　of　the　Ganges；　the　Euphrates；　the　Nile；

and　the　Danube　shows　the　part　which　great　rivers　have　played　in

history。　Of　North　America's　four　greatest　river　systems；　the　two

in　the　far　north　have　become　known　in　times　so　recent　that　their

place　in　history　is　not　yet　determined。　One　of　them；　the

Mackenzie；　a　mighty　stream　some　two　thousand　miles　long；　flows

into　the　Arctic　Ocean　through　what　remains　chiefly　a　wilderness。

The　waters　of　the　other；　the　Saskatchewan；　discharge　into　Hudson

Bay　more　than　a　thousand　miles　from　their　source；　flowing　through

rich　prairie　land　which　is　still　but　scantily　peopled。　On　the

Saskatchewan；　as　on　the　remaining　two　systems；　the　St。　Lawrence

and　the　Mississippi；　the　French　were　the　pioneers。　Though　today

the　regions　drained　by　these　four　rivers　are　dominated　by　the

rival　race；　the　story　which　we　now　follow　is　one　of　romantic

enterprise　in　which　the　honors　are　with　France。



More　perhaps　by　accident　than　by　design　had　the　French　been　the

first　to　settle　on　the　St。　Lawrence。　Fishing　vessels　had　hovered

round　the　entrance　to　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence　for　years　before；

in　1535；　the　French　sailor；　Jacques　Cartier；　adva