the conquest of new france-第8章
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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