FRENCH OCCUPATION.                          179
Extract from M'de Villiers' Journal annexed to Mr Varin's letter.
On the 3d of July, at break of day, I prepared to depart from the camp abandoned by the English. I invited the Indians to provide some scouts. The weather was inclining to rain, but I foresaw the necessity of anticipating the enemy in the works he might construct. I even nattered myself that he would be less on his guard in such bad weather.
The Nepissings and Algonquins did not wish to proceed; I told then they could remain; I set out with the other Nations, which made the former so much ashamed that they all joined me except two. Before inarching, two of my first scouts came to me and told me that they had taken three prisoners, who were coming from the Chouanons, and that they had left them at the storehouse. This fact was confirmed by the letter of the sergeant whom I had left there with twenty men. We inarched the entire day in the rain, and I sent scouts after scouts. I halted at the place where my brother had been assassinated, and saw some dead bodies there yet.
When I came to about f of a league from the English fort, I ordered each officer to march in column, that I might be better able to dispose of them as necessity would require. I sent scouts out as far as the camp,20 men to sustain them, and I advanced in order, when I was informed that we were discovered; that the English were approaching in the line of battle to attack us, and hard by; I ordered my men to form themselves in a suitable manner for a bush fight. It was not long before I discovered that my scouts had misled me, and I ordered the troops to advance on that side where we might be attacked. As we had no knowledge of the locality we preseuted our flank to the fort, whence they began to fire cannon on us ; almost at the same time I perceived the English on the right coming in order of battle against us. The Indians as well as we, set up a great shout and advanced towards them, but they did not give us time to fire before they wheeled into an intrenchment adjoining their fort, which we then, prepared to invest; it was situated advantageously enough in a meadow, within a musket shot of the wood. We drew as near them as possible, that we might not expose his Majesty's subjects to no purpose.
The fire was very brisk on both sides and I selected that place which appeared to me the best to resist a sortie. We succeeded in silencing (so to say) the fire of their cannon with our musketry. 'Tis true, the ardor and zeal of our Canadians and soldiers made me uneasy, because I saw that in a short time we should perhaps be out of ammunition. Mr le Mercier proposed to me to have fascines constructed to secure our posts,  and