1759.
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HISTORICAL  JOURNAL.
they impute to his mifcondud. We learn, from the peafants of feveral pariihes, throughout which the French army retreated on the memorable 1 tfh of September, that the foldiery were fo much terrified with the apprehenfions of our detaching a divifion of our army to purfue them, that fuch of them as called for refrefhments would not ftay to partake of them ; moreover, that the panic was fo uni-verfal, that Mr. Vaudreuil, and the Officers in general, flew through the country like arrows, or, as the people themfelves exprefled it, — on a fuit commune une bale du canon, leaving the men to fhift for themfelves. A moft unlucky difafter has happened here this morning, the 25th ; when the enemy abandoned their {hip that lies flxanded on the fouth more, they left a train of powder, from the powder-room to the fire-place of the great cabbin, with a flow match, and then betook themfelves, in their boats, to a fchooner we had at anchor in the channel to watch their motions, of which they poffeffed themfelves -, Captain Miller, of his Majefty's floop the Racehorfe, with his Lieutenant, and a number of men, (it is faid above forty) went and boarded her; the match being extinguished, Mr. Miller, not fufpefting the horrid fnare, gave orders to ftrike a light, to inable them to rummage the fhip : when, unfortunately, fome of the fparks, falling on the loofe powder, caught immediately, and blew up the veflel, fo that moft of the party were killed almofl in-ftantaneoufly, and the few furvivors are in as deplorable a condition as can be imagined. A Canadian peafant, venturing to go aboard foon after the explofion, in fearch of plunder, as he confefled, to his great aftonifhment, (for he knew not of any living creatures being in the fhip) difcovered the Captain, Lieutenant, and two feamen, lying in the greatcft agony, and dreadfully fcorched -, finding they were ftill alive, he went and alarmed the neighbourhood, and, having procured affiftance, he brought the unhappy fufferers, with fix or feven others, whom they afterwards found, to his own houfe, where he had them rubbed with bear's greafe, and otherwife mani-rfcfled to them every acl: of humanity in his power : in the afternoon
this