the conquest of new france-第3章

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wanderers；　to　be　scattered　far　so　that　they　could　not　combine　to

recover　what　they　had　lost。　With　New　York　taken；　New　England

would　be　so　weakened　that　in　time　it　too　would　fall。　Such　was　the

plan　of　conquest　which　came　from　the　brilliant　chambers　at

Versailles。



New　York　did　not　fall。　The　expedition　so　carefully　planned　came

to　nothing。　Frontenac　had　never　shown　much　faith　in　the

enterprise。　At　Quebec；　on　his　arrival　in　the　autumn　of　1689；　he

was　planning　something　less　ideally　perfect；　but　certain　to

produce　results。　The　scarred　old　courtier　intended　so　to

terrorize　the　English　that　they　should　make　no　aggressive

advance；　to　encourage　the　French　to　believe　themselves　superior

to　their　rivals；　and；　above　all；　to　prove　to　the　Indian　tribes

that　prudence　dictated　alliance　with　the　French　and　not　with　the

English。



Frontenac　wrote　a　tale　of　blood。　There　were　three　war　parties；

one　set　out　from　Montreal　against　New　York；　and　one　from　Three

Rivers　and　one　from　Quebec　against　the　frontier　settlements　of

New　Hampshire　and　Maine。　To　describe　one　is　to　describe　all。　A

band　of　one　hundred　and　sixty　Frenchmen；　with　nearly　as　many

Indians；　gathers　at　Montreal　in　mid…winter。　The　ground　is　deep

with　snow　and　they　troop　on　snowshoes　across　the　white　wastes。

Dragging　on　sleds　the　needed　supplies；　they　march　up　the

Richelieu　River　and　over　the　frozen　surface　of　Lake　Champlain。　As

they　advance　with　caution　into　the　colony　of　New　York　they　suffer

terribly；　now　from　bitter　cold；　now　from　thaws　which　make　the

soft　trail　almost　impassable。　On　a　February　night　their　scouts

tell　them　that　they　are　near　Schenectady；　on　the　English

frontier。　There　are　young　members　of　the　Canadian　noblesse　in　the

party。　In　the　dead　of　night　they　creep　up　to　the　paling　which

surrounds　the　village。　The　signal　is　given　and　the　village　is

awakened　by　the　terrible　war…whoop。　Doors　are　smashed　by　axes　and

hatchets；　and　women　and　children　are　killed　as　they　lie　in　bed；

or　kneel；　shrieking　for　mercy。　Houses　are　set　on　fire　and　living

human　beings　are　thrown　into　the　flames。　By　midday　the　assailants

have　finished　their　dread　work　and　are　retreating　along　the

forest　paths　dragging　with　them　a　few　miserable　captives。　In　this

winter　of　1689…90　raiding　parties　also　came　back　from　the　borders

of　New　Hampshire　and　of　Maine　with　news　of　similar　exploits；　and

Quebec　and　Montreal　glowed　with　the　joy　of　victory。



Far　away　an　answering　attack　was　soon　on　foot。　Sir　William　Phips

of　Massachusetts；　the　son　of　a　poor　settler　on　the　Kennebec

River；　had　made　his　first　advance　in　life　by　taking　up　the　trade

of　carpenter　in　Boston。　Only　when　grown　up　had　he　learned　to　read

and　write。　He　married　a　rich　wife；　and　ease　of　circumstances

freed　his　mind　for　great　designs。　Some　fifty　years　before　he　was

thus　relieved　of　material　cares；　a　Spanish　galleon　carrying　vast

wealth　had　been　wrecked　in　the　West　Indies。　Phips　now　planned　to

raise　the　ship　and　get　the　money。　For　this　enterprise　he　obtained

support　in　England　and　set　out　on　his　exacting　adventure。　On　the

voyage　his　crew　mutinied。　Armed　with　cutlasses；　they　told　Phips

that　he　must　turn　pirate　or　perish；　but　he　attacked　the　leader

with　his　fists　and　triumphed　by　sheer　strength　of　body　and　will。

A　second　mutiny　he　also　quelled；　and　then　took　his　ship　to

Jamaica　where　he　got　rid　of　its　worthless　crew。　His　enterprise

had　apparently　failed；　but　the　second　Duke　of　Albemarle　and　other

powerful　men　believed　in　him　and　helped　him　to　make　another

trial。　This　time　he　succeeded　in　finding　the　wreck　on　the　coast

of　Hispaniola；　and　took　possession　of　its　cargo　of　precious

metals　and　jewelstreasure　to　the　value　of　three　hundred

thousand　pounds　sterling。　Of　the　spoil　Phips　himself　received

sixteen　thousand　pounds；　a　great　fortune　for　a　New　Englander　in

those　days。　He　was　also　knighted　for　his　services　and；　in　the

end；　was　named　by　William　and　Mary　the　first　royal　Governor　of

Massachusetts。



Massachusetts；　whose　people　had　been　thoroughly　aroused　by　the

French　incursions；　resolved　to　retaliate　by　striking　at　the　heart

of　Canada　by　sea　and　to　take　Quebec。　Sir　William　Phips；　though

not　yet　made　Governor；　would　lead　the　expedition。　The　first　blow

fell　in　Acadia。　Phips　sailed　up　the　Bay　of　Fundy　and　on　May　11；

1690；　landed　a　force　before　Port　Royal。　The　French　Governor

surrendered　on　terms。　The　conquest　was　intended　to　be　final；　and

the　people　were　offered　their　lives　and　property　on　the　condition

of　taking；　the　oath　to　be　loyal　subjects　of　William　and　Mary。

This　many　of　them　did　and　were　left　unmolested。　It　was　a

bloodless　victory。　But　Phips；　the　Puritan　crusader；　was　something

of　a　pirate。　He　plundered　private　property　and　was　himself

accused　of　taking　not　merely　the　silver　forks　and　spoons　of　the

captive　Governor　but　even　his　wigs；　shirts；　garters；　and　night

caps。　The　Boston　Puritans　joyfully　pillaged　the　church　at　Port

Royal；　and　overturned　the　high　altar　and　the　images。　The　booty

was　considerable　and　by　the　end　of　May　Phips；　a　prosperous　hero；

was　back　in　Boston。　



Boston　was　aflame　with　zeal　to　go　on　and　conquer　Canada。　By　the

middle　of　August　Phips　had　set　out　on　the　long　sea　voyage　to

Quebec；　with　twenty…two　hundred　men；　a　great　force　for　a　colonial

enterprise　of　that　time；　and　in　all　some　forty　ships。　The　voyage

occupied　more　than　two　months。　Apparently　the　hardy

carpenter…sailor；　able　enough　to　carry　through　a　difficult

undertaking　with　a　single　ship；　lacked　the　organizing　skill　to

manage　a　great　expedition。　He　performed；　however；　the　feat　of

navigating　safely　with　his　fleet　the　treacherous　waters　of　the

lower　St。　Lawrence。　On　the　morning　of　October　16；　1690；　watchers

at　Quebec　saw　the　fleet；　concerning　which　they　had　already　been

warned；　rounding　the　head　of　the　Island　of　Orleans　and　sailing

into　the　broad　basin。　Breathless　spectators　counted　the　ships。

There　were　thirty…four　in　sight；　a　few　large　vessels；　some　mere

fishing　craft。　It　was　a　spectacle　well　calculated　to　excite　and

alarm　the　good　people　of　Quebec。　They　might；　however；　take

comfort　in　the　knowledge　that　their　great　Frontenac　was　present

to　defend　them。　A　few　days　earlier　he　had　been　in　Montreal；　but；

when　there　had　come　the　startling　news　of　the　approach　of　the

enemy's　ships；　he　had　hurried　down　the　river　and　had　been

received　with　shouts　of　joy　by　the　anxious　populace。



The　situation　was　one　well　suited　to　Frontenac's　genius　for　the

dramatic。　When　a　boat　under　a　flag　of　truce　put　out　from　the

English　ships；　Frontenac　hurried　four　canoes　to　meet　it。　The

English　envoy　was　placed　blindfold　in　one　of　these　canoes　and　was

paddled　to　the　shore。　Here　two　soldiers　took　him　by　the　arms　and

led　him　over　many　obstacles　up　the　steep　ascent　to　the　Chateau

St。　Louis。　He　could　see　nothing　but　could　hear　the　beating　of

drums；　the　blowing　of　trumpets；　the　jeers　and　shouting　of　a　great

multitude　in　a　town　which　seemed　to　be　full　of　soldiers　and　to

have　its　streets　heavily　barricaded。　When　the　bandage　was　taken

from　his　eyes　he　found　himself　in　a　great　room　of　the　Chateau。

Before　him　stood　Frontenac；　in　brilliant　uniform；　surrounded　by

the　most　glittering　array　of　officers　which　Quebec　could　muster。

The　astonished　envoy　presented　a　letter　from　Phips。　It　was　a　curt

demand　in　the　name　of　King　William　of　England　for　the

unconditional　surrender　of　all　〃forts　and　castles〃　in　Canada；　of

Frontenac　himself；　and　all　his　forces　and　supplies。　On　such

conditions　Phips　would　show　mercy；　as　a　Christian　should。

Frontenac　must　answer　within　an　hour。　When　the　letter　had　been

read　the　envoy　took　a　watch　from　his　pocket　and　pointed　out　the

time　to　Frontenac。　It　was　ten　o'clock。　The　reply　must　be　given　by

eleven。　Loud　mutterings　greeted　the　insulting　message。　One

officer　cried　out　that　Phips　was　a　pirate　and　that　his　messenger

should　be　hanged。　Frontenac　knew　well　how　to　deal　with　such　a

situation。　He　threw　the　letter　in　the　envoy's　face　and　tu