be restored. Governor Belcher suffered for the moment, both in his feelings and reputation: but these were soon removed, by his appointment to the government of the Province of New-Jersey, where he lived and died beloved and respected.

Governor Wentworth was son to the late Lieut. Gov. Wentworth, a merchant of respectability in Portsmouth, and who had been a member of the council under the administration of Gov. Belcher. Mr. Wentworth as a merchant, had suffered severely in a contract with an agent of the Court of Spain, which ruined his trade, and rendered him a bankrupt; but as a man of honor and integrity, he was rewarded by the crown with the government of NewHampshire. In the course of this Spanish fraud, Mr. Wentworth went twice to Spain, to seek redress, and when that failed, he repaired to England to petition the crown for satisfaction against the Court of Spain. Pending the negociations between the two courts, Mr. Wentworth had some hopes of redress; but when these failed, the king' appointed him governor of New-Hampshire, and he was ready for war.

Governor Wentworth sailed for America soon after his appointment, where he arrived December 1741, and was hailed as the immediate deliverer of the colony. The commencément of his administration was favourable; the legislature granted him a salary of 250l. per annum, predicated upon the excise, and 250l. more, predicated upon the interest of a new loan of bills of credit, which they had then voted to issue. In additon to this, Governor Wentworth purchased of a Col. Dunbar, for the sum of 20007. his commission as surveyor of the woods, which was worth about 800l. per annum. Thus seated in the chair, Gov. Wentworth was both popular and in easy circumstances. Gov. Wentworth maintained a good understand

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ing with Gov. Shirley, and their measures were pursued with general harmony.

The Spanish war continued, and in 1744, the French took part with Spain, and were involved in the contest. This French war brought on collisions between the French possessions in Novascotia and Cape Breton, and the eastern colonies, and involved them in the war.

1 The fishermen of New-England had been accustomed to resort to the Island of Canseau, on the north of Novascotia, since the peace of Utrecht, to dry their fish: this island was fortified with a block-house and a small garrison. The French governor at Cape Breton, fitted out an expedition, and destroyed this settlement at Canseau, and made a similar attempt upon Newfoundland, which failed'; and the news of the war and the loss of Canseau arrived together in New-England.

The expedition against Canseau and Newfoundland, being joined by a party of Indians, commenced an attack upon Annapolis, but were repulsed with loss; and this opened the war with New-England, and called for a declaration of war from Massachusetts, with a premium upon scalps and prisoners, as in former wars. The northern and eastern frontier of New-England, were again laid open to the ravages of the enemy, and obliged to prepare for their general, as well as particular safety.

Duquesnel, the French governor of Cape Breton, died soon after this expedition, and was succeeded by Ducham bon, and the parties went into a general preparation for the war.

The severity of the winter, together with the scarcity of provisions in Cape Breton, obliged the governor of Louisburg to send the prisoners taken at Canseau and elsewhere, to Boston, and this source of intelligence became highly important to Gov. Shirley and the New-England colonies.

Louisburg, next to Quebec, had been once the strongest fortress in America, and was to France a strong-hold of more importance than even Quebec. A strong hold which protected the commerce and the fishery of France, both in peace and war, and which greatly annoyed both the fishery and commerce of New England, and encouraged savage wars. It had become an object of the first importance, that the colonies should possess or destroy, this Dunkirk of America. Gov. Shirley conceived the plan of reducing the city of Louisburg, and communicated his views to Gov. Wentworth, who approved of the measure. *

Before we pursue this important enterprise, it may not be uninteresting to give a sketch of the city of Louisburg, with its commanding position.

The harbour of Louisburg lies in latitude 45° 55'; its entrance is about four hundred yards wide. The anchorage is uniformly safe, and ships may run ashore on a soft muddy bottom. The depth of water at the entrance is about 9, to 12 fathom. The harbour lies open to the southeast. Upon a neck of land upon the south side of the harbour, was built the town, two miles and a quarter in circumference; fortified in every accessible part, with a rampart of stone, from thirty to sixty feet high, and a ditch eighty feet wide. A space of about two hundred yards was left without a rampart, on the side next to the sea, it was enclosed with a simple dike, and a line of pickets; the sea was so shallow in this place that it made only a narrow channel, inaccessible from its numerous reefs, to any shipping whatever.The side-fire from the bastions secured

*The plan is said by some to have been originated by William Vaughan, son of the late lieutenant governor of New-Hampshire; a man of a bold and adventurous spirit, and who was largely concerned in the fisheries. The plan of Vaughan was to take Louisburg by surprise, and scale the walls in the winter, upon snow-shoes; the snow often drifting over the top of the walls.

this spot from attack. There were six bastions, and three batteries, containing embrazures for one hundred and forty-eight cannon, of which sixty-five only were mounted, and sixteen mortars. On an island at the entrance of the harbour was planted a battery of thirty cannon, carrying 28 pound shot; and at the bottom of the harbour, directly opposite to the entrance, was the grand, or royal batterry, of twenty-eight cannon, forty-two pounders, and two eighteen pounders. On a high cliff opposite to the island battery, stood a light-house; and within this point, at the north-east part of the harbour, was a careening wharf, secure from all winds, and a magazine of naval stores.

The town was regularly laid out in squares; the streets were broad, the houses mostly of wood, but some of stone. On the west side, near the rampart, was a spacious citadel, and a large parade; on the one side of which were the governor's apartments; under the rampart were casemates to receive the women and children, during a siege. The entrance of the town on the land side, was at the west gate, over a draw-bridge, near to which was a circular battery, mounting sixteen guns of 24 pound shot.

These works had been twenty-five years in building, and had cost the crown of France not less than thirty million of livres. The place was so strong as to be called the "Dunkirk of America." It was in peace a safe retreat for the ships of France, bound homeward from the East, or WestIndies; and in war a source of distress to the northern English Colonies; its situation being extremely favourable for privateers to ruin their fishery, and intercept their coasting, and foreign trade; for which reason the reduction of it was as desirable to them, as the reduction of Carthage was to the Romans.

Abbe Raynal.

MASSACHUSETTS AND NEW-HAMPSHIRE.

Notwithstanding Governor Shirley found the state of the finances in the colony of Massachusetts, in great confusion, and notwithstanding the colony had lost several towns in settling the contested boundary line with RhodeIsland, which were formerly considered as belonging to the colony of Plymouth, and by her united to Massachusetts, yet such was his popularity, that he took the land-bank into favour, obtained a grant of 1000l. sterling per ann. for his salary, obtained just and equitable debts for 'sundry old creditors, and finally signed a bill, which provided for the equitable redemption of the land-bank stock; all which acts fixed his popularity, and rendered his administration easy.

Governor Shirley next turned his attention to the defence, and security of the colony, by strengthening the castle that guards the entrance of Boston harbour, together with all the military posts on the frontier, and obtained from the general court a grant of 200 men, to strengthen the fortress at Annapolis, in Novascotia.

Thus having secured the peace and tranquillity of the colony, he next turned his attention to the protection of her commerce and fisheries; to effect this, it became absolutely necessary to reduce the strong city of Louisburg. Governor Shirley opened his plan to the ministry, and requested a naval armament to co-operate with a provincial Marmament, in an expedition against Louisburg. Governor Shirley next opened his plan to the general court at their session in January, under the solemnity of an oath of secresy. The boldness of the measure astonished the general court, and it was generally considered as the offspring of a great mind, highly interesting and important to the trade, as well as the peace of New-England; but an enterprise too great to be even attempted, and it was negatived by the court; but upon sundry petitions from merVOL. I.

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