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A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

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^1746.] D'ANVILLE'S FLEET. 157crowded with more than eight thous<strong>and</strong> armed rusticsfrom the farms <strong>and</strong> villages <strong>of</strong> Middlesex, Essex,Norfolk, <strong>and</strong> Worcester, <strong>and</strong> Connecticut promisedsix thous<strong>and</strong> more as soon asthe hostile fleet shouldappear. The defences <strong>of</strong> Castle William were enlarged<strong>and</strong> strengthened, <strong>and</strong> cannon were plantedon the isl<strong>and</strong>s at the mouth <strong>of</strong> the harbor; hulkswere sunk <strong>in</strong> the channel, <strong>and</strong> a boom was laid acrossit under the guns <strong>of</strong> the castle.^ The alarm wascompared to that which filled Engl<strong>and</strong> on the approach<strong>of</strong> the Spanish Armada.Canada heard the news <strong>of</strong> the com<strong>in</strong>g armamentwith an exultation that was dashed with misgiv<strong>in</strong>gas weeks <strong>and</strong> months passed <strong>and</strong> the fleet did notappear. At length <strong>in</strong> September a vessel put <strong>in</strong> toan Acadian harbor with thereport that she had metthe ships <strong>in</strong> mid-ocean, <strong>and</strong> that they counted a hundred<strong>and</strong> fifty sail. Some weeks later the governor<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>tendant <strong>of</strong> Canada wrote that on the fourteenth<strong>of</strong> October they received a letterfrom Chibucto with"the agreeable news " that the Due d'Anville <strong>and</strong> hisfleet had arrived there about three weeks before.Had they known more, they would have rejoicedless.That her great <strong>America</strong>n fortress should have beensnatched from her by a despised militia was more1 Shirley to Newcastle, 29 September, 1746. Shirley says thatthough the French may bombard the town, he does not th<strong>in</strong>k theycould make a l<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g, as he shall have fifteen thous<strong>and</strong> good menwith<strong>in</strong> call to oppose them.2 Hutch<strong>in</strong>son, 11. 382.

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