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children。 The wife; falling by the way; was killed by a stroke of

a tomahawk and the body was left lying on the snow。 The children

were taken from their father and scattered among different bands。

After a tramp of two hundred miles through the wilderness to the

outlying Canadian settlements; the minister in the end reached

Quebec。 Every effort was made; even by his Indian guard; to make

him accept the Roman Catholic faith; but the stern Puritan was

obdurate。 His daughter; Eunice; on the other hand; caught young;

became a Catholic so devoted that later she would not return to

New England lest the contact with Protestants should injure her

faith。 She married a Caughnawaga Indian and became to all outward

appearance a squaw。 Williams himself lived to resume his career

in New England and to write the story of the raid at Deerfield。



It may be that there were men in New England and New York capable

of similar barbarities。 It is true that the savage allies of the

English; when at their worst; knew no restraint。 There is nothing

in the French raids on a scale as great as that of the murderous

raid by the Iroquois on the French village of Lachine。 But the

Puritans of New England; while they were ready to hew down

savages; did not like and rarely took part in the massacre of

Europeans。



As the outrages went on year after year the temper of New England

towards the savages grew more ruthless。 The General Court; the

Legislature of Massachusetts; offered forty pounds for every

Indian scalp brought in。 Indians; like wolves; were vermin to be

destroyed。 The anger of New England was further kindled by what

was happening on the sea。 Privateers from Port Royal; in Acadia;

attacked New England commerce and New England fishermen and made

unsafe the approaches to Boston。 This was to touch a commercial

community on its most tender spot; and a deep resolve was formed

that Canada should be conquered and the menace ended once for

all。



It was only an occasional spirit in Massachusetts who made

comprehensive political plans。 One of these was Samuel Vetch; a

man somewhat different from the usual type of New England leader;

for he was not of English but of Scottish origin; of the

Covenanter strain。 Vetch; himself an adventurous trader; had

taken a leading part in the ill…fated Scottish attempt to found

on the Isthmus of Panama a colony; which; in easy touch with both

the Pacific and the Atlantic; should carry on a gigantic commerce

between the East and the West。 The colony failed; chiefly;

perhaps; because Spain would not have this intrusion into

territory which she claimed。 Tropical disease and the disunion

and incompetence of the colonists themselves were Spain's allies

in the destruction。 After this; Vetch had found his way to

Boston; where he soon became prominent。 In 1707 Scotland and

England were united under one Parliament; and the active mind of

Vetch was occupied with something greater than a Scottish colony

at Panama。 Queen Anne; Vetch was resolved; should be 〃Sole

Empress of the vast North American Continent。〃 Massachusetts was

ready for just such a cry。 The General Court took up eagerly the

plan of Vetch。 The scheme required help from England and the

other colonies。 To England Vetch went in 1708。 Marlborough had

just won the great victory of Oudenarde。 It was good; the English

ministry thought; to hit France wherever she raised her head。 In

the spring of 1709 Vetch returned to Boston with promises of

powerful help at once for an attack on Canada; and with the

further promise that; the victory won; he himself should be the

first British Governor of Canada。 New York was to help with nine

hundred men。 Other remoter colonies were to aid on a smaller

scale。 These contingents were to attack Canada by way of Lake

Champlain。 Twelve hundred men from New England were to join the

regulars from England and go against Quebec by way of the sea and

master Canada once for all。



The plan was similar to the one which Amherst and Wolfe carried

to success exactly fifty years later; and with a Wolfe in command

it might now have succeeded。 The troops from England were to be

at Boston before the end of May; 1709。 The colonial forces

gathered。 New Jersey and Pennsylvania refused; indeed; to send

any soldiers; but New York and the other colonies concerned did

their full share。 By the early summer Colonel Francis Nicholson;

with some fifteen hundred men; lay fully equipped in camp on Wood

Creek near Lake Champlain; ready to descend on Montreal as soon

as news came of the arrival of the British fleet at Boston for

the attack on Quebec。 On the shores of Boston harbor lay another

colonial army; large for the timethe levies from New England

which were to sail to Quebec。 Officers had come out from England

to drill these hardy men; and as soldiers they were giving a good

account of themselves。 They watched; fasted; and prayed; and

watched again for the fleet from England。 Summer came and then

autumn and still the fleet did not arrive。 Far away; in the

crowded camp on Wood Creek; pestilence broke out and as time wore

on this army slowly melted away either by death or withdrawal。 At

last; on October 11; 1709; word came from the British ministry;

dated the 27th of July; two months after the promised fleet was

to arrive at Boston; that it had been sent instead to Portugal。



In spite of this disappointment the resolution endured to conquer

Canada。 New York joined New England in sending deputations to

London to ask again for help。 Four Mohawk chiefs went with Peter

Schuyler from New York and were the wonder of the day in London。

It is something to have a plan talked about。 Malplaquet; the last

of Marlborough's great victories; had been won in the autumn of

1709 and the thought of a new enterprise was popular。 Nicholson;

who had been sent from Boston; urged that the first step should

be to take Port Royal。 What the colonies required for this

expedition was the aid of four frigates and five hundred soldiers

who should reach Boston by March。



The help arrived; though not in March but in July; 1710。 Boston

was filled with enthusiasm for the enterprise。 The legislature

made military service compulsory; quartered soldiers in private

houses without consent of the owners; impressed sailors; and

altogether was quite arbitrary and high…handed。 The people;

however; would bear almost anything if only they could crush Port

Royal; the den of privateers who seized many New England vessels。

On the 18th of September; to the great joy of Boston; the

frigates and the transports sailed away; with Nicholson in

command of the troops and Vetch as adjutant…general。



What we know today as Digby Basin on the east side of the Bay of

Fundy; is a great harbor; landlocked but for a narrow entrance

about a mile wide。 Through this 〃gut;〃 as it is called; the tide

rushes in a torrential and dangerous stream; but soon loses its

violence in the spacious and quiet harbor。 Here the French had

made their first enduring colony in America。 On the shores of the

beautiful basin the fleurs…de…lis had been raised over a French

fort as early as 1605。 A lovely valley opens from the head of the

basin to the interior。 It is now known as the Annapolis Valley; a

fertile region dotted by the homesteads of a happy and contented

people。 These people; however; are not French in race nor do they

live under a French Government。 When on the 24th of September;

1710; the fleet from Boston entered the basin; and in doing so

lost a ship and more than a score of men through the destructive

current; the decisive moment had come for all that region。 Fate

had decreed that the land should not remain French but should

become English。



Port Royal was at that time a typical French community of the New

World。 The village consisted of some poor houses made of logs or

planks; a wooden church; and; lying apart; a fort defended by

earthworks。 The Governor; Suberc

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