the conquest of new france-第9节

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dropped　anchor　which　held；　for　happily　the　storm　abated。　Fog　guns

and　lights　as　signals　of　distress　availed　little　to　the　ships　in

difficulty。　Eight　British　transports　laden　with　troops　and　two

ships　carrying　supplies　were　dashed　to　pieces　on　the　rocks。　The

shrieks　of　drowning　men　could　be　heard　in　the　darkness。　The　scene

was　the　rocky　Isle　aux　Oeufs　and　adjacent　reefs　off　the　north

shore。　About　seven　hundred　soldiers；　including　twenty…nine

officers；　and　in　addition　perhaps　two　hundred　sailors；　were　lost

on　that　awful　night。



The　disaster　was　not　overwhelming　and　Walker　might　have　gone　on

and　captured　Quebec。　He　had　not　lost　a　single　war…ship　and　he　had

still　some　eleven　thousand　men。　General　Hill　might　have　stiffened

the　back　of　the　forlorn　Admiral；　but　Hill　himself　was　no　better。

Vetch　spoke　for　going　on。　He　knew　the　St。　Lawrence　waters　for　he

had　been　at　Quebec　and　had　actually　charted　a　part　of　the　river

and　was　more　familiar　with　it；　he　believed；　than　were　the

Canadians　themselves。　What　pilots　there　were　declared；　however；

that　to　go　on　was　impossible　and　the　helpless　captains　of　the

ships　were　of　opinion　that；　with　the　warning　of　such　a　disaster；

they　could　not　disregard　this　counsel。　Though　the　character　of

the　English　is　such　that　usually　a　reverse　serves　to　stiffen

their　backs；　in　this　case　it　was　not　so。　A　council　of　war　yielded

to　the　panic　of　the　hour　and　the　great　fleet　turned　homeward。

Soon　it　was　gathered　in　what　is　now　Sydney　harbor　in　Cape　Breton。

》From　here　the　New　England　ships　went　home　and　Walker　sailed　for

England。　At　Spithead　the　Edgar；　the　flag…ship；　blew　up　and　all　on

board　perished。　Walker　was　on　shore　at　the　time。　So　far　was　he

from　being　disgraced　that　he　was　given　a　new　command。　Later；　when

the　Whigs　came　in；　he　was　dismissed　from　the　service；　less；　it

seems；　in　blame　for　the　disaster　than　for　his　Tory　opinions。　It

is　not　an　unusual　irony　of　life　that　Vetch；　the　one　wholly

efficient　leader　in　the　expedition；　ended　his　days　in　a　debtor's

prison。



Quebec　had　shivered　before　a　menace；　the　greatest　in　its　history。

Through　the　long　months　of　the　summer　of　1711　there　had　been

prayer　and　fasting　to　avert　the　danger。　Apparently　trading　ships

had　deserted　the　lower　St。　Lawrence　in　alarm；　for　no　word　had

arrived　at　Quebec　of　the　approach　of　Walker's　fleet。　Nor　had　the

great　disaster　been　witnessed　by　any　onlookers。　The　island　where

it　occurred　was　then　and　still　remains　desert。　Up　to　the　middle

of　October；　nearly　two　months　after　the　disaster；　the　watchers　at

Quebec　feared　that　they　might　see　any　day　a　British　fleet

rounding　the　head　of　the　Island　of　Orleans。　On　the　19th　of

October　the　first　news　of　the　disaster　arrived　and　then　it　was

easy　for　Quebec　to　believe　that　God　had　struck　the　English

wretches　with　a　terrible　vengeance。　Three　thousand　men；　it　was

said；　had　reached　land　and　then　perished　miserably。　Many　bodies

had　been　found　naked　and　in　attitudes　of　despair。　Other　thousands

had　perished　in　the　water。　Vessel…loads　of　spoil　had　been

gathered；　rich　plate；　beautiful　swords；　magnificent　clothing；

gold；　silver；　jewels。　The　truth　seems　to　be　that　some　weeks　after

the　disaster　the　evidences　of　the　wrecks　were　discovered。　Even　to

this　day　ships　are　battered　to　pieces　in　those　rock…strewn　waters

and　no　one　survives　to　tell　the　story。　Some　fishermen　landing　on

the　island　had　found　human　bodies；　dead　horses　and　other　animals；

and　the　hulls　of　seven　ships。　They　had　gathered　some

wreckageand　that　was　the　whole　story。　Quebec　sang　Te　Deum。　From

attacks　by　sea　there　had　now　been　two　escapes　which　showed　God's

love　for　Canada。　In　the　little　church　of　Notre　Dame　des

Victoires；　consecrated　at　that　time　to　the　memory　of　the

deliverance　from　Phips　and　Walker；　daily　prayers　are　still　poured

out　for　the　well…being　of　Canada。　God　had　been　a　present　help　on

land　as　well　as　on　the　sea。　Nicholson；　with　more　than　two

thousand　men；　had　been　waiting　at　his　camp　near　Lake　Champlain　to

descend　on　Montreal　as　soon　as　Walker　reached　Quebec。　When　he

received　the　news　of　the　disaster　he　broke　up　his　force　and

retired。　For　the　moment　Canada　was　safe　from　the　threatened

invasion。



In　spite　of　this　apparent　deliverance；　the　long　war；　now　near　its

end；　brought　a　destructive　blow　to　French　power　in　America。

Though　France　still　possessed　vigor　and　resources　which　her

enemies　were　apt　to　underrate；　the　war　had　gone　against　her　in

Europe。　Her　finest　armies　had　been　destroyed　by　Marlborough；　her

taxation　was　crushing；　her　credit　was　ruined；　her　people　were

suffering　for　lack　of　food。　The　allies　had　begun　to　think　that

there　was　no　humiliation　which　they　might　not　put　upon　France。

Louis　XIV；　they　said；　must　give　up　Alsace；　which；　with　Lorraine；

he　had　taken　some　years　earlier；　and　he　must　help　to　drive　his

own　grandson　from　the　Spanish　throne。　This　exorbitant　demand

stirred　the　pride　not　only　of　Louis　but　of　the　French　nation；　and

the　allies　found　that　they　could　not　trample　France　under　their

feet。　The　Treaty　of　Utrecht；　concluded　in　1718；　shows　that　each

side　was　too　strong　as　yet　to　be　crushed。　In　dismissing

Marlborough；　Great　Britain　had　lost　one　of　her　chief　assets。　His

name　had　become　a　terror　to　France。　To　this　day；　both　in　France

and　in　French　Canada；　is　sung　the　popular　ditty　〃Monsieur

Malbrouck　est　mort；〃　a　song　of　delight　at　a　report　that

Marlborough　was　dead。　When　in　place　of　Marlborough　leaders　of　the

type　of　General　Hill　were　appointed　to　high　command；　France　could

not　be　finally　beaten。　The　Treaty　of　Utrecht　was　the　outcome　of

war…weariness。　It　marks；　however；　a　double　check　to　Louis　XIV。　He

could　not　master　Europe　and　he　could　not　master　America。　France

now　ceded　to　Britain　her　claim　to　Acadia；　Newfoundland；　and

Hudson　Bay。　She　regarded　this；　however；　as　only　a　temporary

setback　and　was　soon　planning　and　plotting　great　designs　far

surpassing　the　narrower　vision　of　the　English　colonies。



It　was　with　a　wry　face；　however；　that　France　yielded　Acadia。　To

retain　it　she　offered　to　give　up　all　rights　in　the　Newfoundland

fisheries；　the　nursery　of　her　marine。　Britain　would　not　yield

Acadia；　dreading　chiefly　perhaps　the　wrath　of　New　England　which

had　conquered　Port　Royal。　Britain；　however；　compromised　on　the

question　of　boundaries　in　a　way　so　dangerous　that　the　long　war

settled　finally　no　great　issues　in　America。　She　took　Acadia

〃according　to　its　ancient　limits；〃but　no　one　knew　these　limits。

They　were　to　be　defined　by　a　joint　commission　of　the　two　nations

which；　after　forty　years；　reached　no　agreement。　The　Island　of

Cape　Breton　and　the　adjoining　Ile　St。　Jean；　now　Prince　Edward

Island；　remained　to　France。　Though　Britain　secured　sovereignty

over　Newfoundland；　France　retained　extensive　rights　in　the

Newfoundland　fisheries。　The　treaty　left　unsettled　the　boundary

between　Canada　and　the　English　colonies。　While　it　yielded　Hudson

Bay　to　Britain；　it　settled　nothing　as　to　frontiers　in　the

wilderness　which　stretched　beyond　the　Great　Lakes　into　the　Far

West　and　which　had　vast　wealth　in　furs。







CHAPTER　IV。　Louisbourg　And　Boston



For　thirty　years　England　and　France　now　remained　at　peace；　and

England　had　many　reasons　for　desiring　peace　to　continue。　Anne；

the　last　of　the　Stuart　rulers；　died　in　1714。　The　new　King；　George

I；　Elector　of　Hanover；　was　a　German　and　a　German　unchangeable；

for　he　was　already　fifty　four；　with　little　knowledge　of　England

and　none　of　the　English；　and　with　an　undying　love　for　the　dear

despotic　ways　easily　followed　in　a　small　German　principality。　He

and　his　successor　George　II　were　thinking　eternally　of　German

rather　than　of　English　problems；　and　with　German　interests

chiefly　regarded　it　was　well　that　England　should　make　a　friend　of

France。　It　was　well；　too；　that　under　a　new　dynasty；　with　its

title　disputed；　England　should　not　encourage　France　to　continue

the　friendly　policy　of　Louis　XIV　towards　James；　the　deposed

Stuart　Pretender。　England　had　just　made　a　new；　determined；　and

arrogant　enemy　by　forcing　upon　Spain　the　deep　humiliation　of

ceding　Gibraltar；　which　had　been　taken　in　1704　by　Admiral　Rooke

with　allied　forces。　The　proudest　monarchy　in　Europe　was　compelled

to　see　a　spot　of　its　own　sacred　territory　held　permanently　by　a

rival　nation。　Gibraltar　Spain　was　determined　to　recover。　Its　loss

drove　her　into　the　arms　of　the　enemies　of　England　and　remains　to

this　day　a　grievance　which　on　occasion　Spanish　politicians　know

well　how　to　make　useful。



Great　Britain　was　now　under　the　direction　of　a　leader　whose

policy　was　peace。　A　nation　is　happy　when　a　born　statesman　with　a

truly　liberal　mind　and　a　genuine　love　of　his　country　comes　to　the

front　in　its　affairs。　Such　a　man　was　Sir　Robert　Walpole。　He　was　a

Whig　squire；　a　plain　country　gentleman；　with　enough　of　culture　to

love　good　pictures　and　the　ancient　classics；　but　delighting

chiefly　in　sports　and　agriculture；　hard　drinking　and　politics。

When　only　twen