364                    PAPERS RELATING TO THE
The Artois battalion, which is at Louisburg, amounts to 547 men, including the recruits arrived from France, who are at ¦ tached to it whilst waiting for instructions from Court on this subject.
That of Burgundy numbers 543, including the recruits.
M. Delpriel, Sub-Lieutenant of Grenadiers in the Burgundy regiment, died at Louisburg on the 9lh of April, 1755.
Total of vacancies by death, three.
M.  DE MONTCALM  TO COUNT D'ARGENSON
Quebec, 21 May, 1756.
My Lord: Although I have reason to believe that this letter, which I am dispatching by way of Louisburg, will not reach you before the one I shall have the honor to write you from this place, at all events, I have the pleasure of informing you of my arrival on the 13lh. Le Heron is here since the 12th, and of the nine companies of the Regiment of Lasarre on board that vessel, only one man died on the passage; twenty-three were sick; of these, only one dangerously. I flatter myself that it will be the same on board the two other ships and the other two frigates which we may consider arrived, as le Leopard and la Sirenne are at anchor nine leagues below, and the remainder were at Bic island on the fifteenth. The first wind from the northeast will bring them all up. Our Staff, Engineers and troops are therefore all arrived. We have also four other ships in port, with stores and recruits on board, and a fifth is at anchor with our men of war. M. de Bourlamaque and N. De-8androiiins, Engineer, are already here, having come up by land from Cape Torment, as I likewise did. I heard from Chevalier de Levis the 15th. He was> at Bic island in very good health, awaiting a favorable wind.
The day following my arrival, I sent a courier to the Marquis de Vaudreuil, and to-morrow I proceed to join him. Everything is in movement for the opening of the campaign. The winter has been less severe than usual. I found it impossible to repair sooner to Montreal, as the rain had rendered the roads impassable, and the winds were contrary. The same reasons have retarded M. Doriel's arrival, who is coming to receive the troops, and with whom I expect to confer on the way. During my eight days' sojourn, I have taken information respecting a country and a war, in which everything is