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It cannot but be wondred att by all thinking men who know
the valuableness of the Brittish Monarchy in America, both with
regard to their power and trade, that a nation so powerfull
in shiping, so numerous in subjects, and other ways so wisely
jealous of their trade, shou'd so tamely allow such a troublesome
neighbour as the French, not only to sitt down peaceably beside
them, but with a handfull of people vastly dispersed to possess
a country of above 4,000 miles extent, quite encompassing and
hemming in betwixt them and the sea, all the Brittish Empire
upon the said Continent of America, by which they have already
so mightily obstructed the Brittish trade, all America over,
and must in time totally ruin the same, unless seasonably prevented, as will appear by the following considerations, (and
what renders us intirely inexcusable is, that the half of one
year's loss we sustain in trade by them, besides the vast expence
both the Crown and Country is att, in maintaining of troops
and garrisons upon their frontiers, bribing of the natives for
their friendshipps, or indeed, more properly speaking, being
tributaries to those inhumane savages for their favour and
assistance; the half, I say, of one year's loss we sustain would,
if rightly aplyed, wholly dispossess them of the Continent and
Newfoundland, and by so doing render H.M. sole and peaceable
possessor of all the North Continent of America, large enough
to form four kingdoms as bigg as Great Brittain). As to
the situation of the country possesst by the French in North
America, and commonly all comprehended under the prevailing
name of Canada, the seat and residence of their Governor
Generall being upon the place properly so called, its situation
is from about 54 degrees North Latitude, begining to the East
ward of Port Nelson in the country of the Escimoes, extending itself all the way Southwest to the mouth of the river
Missasippi, which falls into the Bay of Appalatchip in the
great Bay of Mexico, about the Latitude of 23 degrees and 30
minutes, comprehending as itt goes their part of Newfoundland,
the Islands of St. Peter, Accadia or Nova Scotia, which borders
upon the Brittish Province of New Hampshire, whose boundaries
to the Eastward is the little river St. Croy (as the French
alledge), not far to the North East of this, upon the head of
the Bay of Fundy, they have a settlement called Port Royall,
where is a stone fort pretty strong, garrison'd by 5 regular
Companyes, though not exceeding 30 men a company, their
cheifest strength consisting in their officers, which are generally
double the number of ours, here is also a small town of about
100 familyes, and upon a place call Minas and the Country
about there are betwixt 2 and 300 familyes more, being in
all able to raise about 400 men, besides some natives who
join with them, this is a distinct government of ittself, both the
Governor and Lieut. Governor having their Commissions immediately from the French King, yett under the command of the
Governor Generall, who resides att Quibeck, the present Governor
of Port Royall is M. Supercass, formerly Governour of Placentia.
a very brave and experienced officer; the Lieut. Governor M.
Bonaventure, formerly a sea officer. Against this place the
Governmt. of New England made two efforts last summer unsuccessfully only through want of Officers and conduct, and
now justly fears their returning the blow upon the little Province
of New Hampshire, by which they must inevitably ruin the
same, and consequently deprive the Crown of Brittain of all
the masts, timber and navall stores which itt produces both in
perfection and plenty, unless suddenly supported by the Crown,
with some regular troops and stores of warr. This country of
Accadia is that which was formerly by us called Nova Scotia,
sold (as is generally reported) by the Lord Sterling to the
French, and extends ittself all the way North East from the
river St Croy, in Latitude of 43, to Cape Britton in Latitude
of 47, where is the entry to the Gulph of Canada or St
Lawrence, so called from the great river of that name, which
disembogues itself into itt, and which justly both from its
extent and largeness is said to be the greatest in the known
world. Upon this river of St. Lawrence or Canada, the French
have their chief towns, forts and settlements, in the mouth
of which about Latitude of 51, lyes a large Island called
Anticosty, about 16 legues in length, where the French in
time of peace had some small settlements for the benefitt of
fishing and hunting, but now desolate by reason of the warr.
This river is about 20 leagues over att the mouth, but so high
and mountanous is the country that you can see land distinctly
from one side to the other, upon both sides of this river in
time of peace were stragling settlements, but now mostly deserted untill you come up as high as Tadousack, which is
about 20 leagues below the City of Quibeck. This town, which
is the seat of the Governour Generall, Intendant and Bishop,
lyes about 120 leagues from the mouth of the river, about
Latitude of 47, situate upon a high promontory or neck of land
formed by the great river, which runs by the West side of itt,
and another river which runs by the East side of itt, and
is by them called little river. The Great River, which is fresh
for 10 leagues below this town, and navigable for about 60
above itt for vessells of 50 tunns, forms befor this town a sort
of a bason, or harbour, though none of the best, because the
rapidity of the river as well as the great tide (itt flowing
about 7 fathom right up and down), makes the ships ride a
great strain, but the water is constantly smooth by reason of
the highness of the land on both sides, and the narrowness
of the River, itt being scarse haff a mile over att the town,
which is divided in two by the names of the Higher and
Lower, in the first of these is the Castle or fort, where the
Governor resides, being a spacious stone building courtways,
affording a great deal of good lodging for him and the severall
Officers under him, as allso a large guard Hall for the soldiers
and another for the Officers, itt is built upon a precepice att
the very point of the land, directly over the River, and so
high that the foundation of itt is att least 100 yards above
the surface of the water, there are no great gunns within itt,
but a little above itt to the right hand, is a Battery of about
20 gunns, the biggest of them not exceeding a 12 pounder:
there is likewayes a little above this, upon the pitch of all
the Hill a little stone redoubt with six small gunns, this commands in some measure the passage from the land to the
town, being placed in the center of the neck of land, betwixt
the two Rivers, they were also, when I was there about two
years ago, drawing a stone wall of about 20ft. high, quite across
this neck of land, to secure itt upon that side, there are in
the upper Town three handsome churches, a noble large seminary of the Jesuits (who are the principall proprietors of that
Country) three cloisters of priests, two nunneryes, two hospitalls, the Intendants and Bishops' palaces, which are all very
noble buildings. The lower Town is built almost round the
foot of the hill on which the upper Town stands, extending
from the one River to the other, from itt to the High town
is a winding coach-way of a pretty large circumference, and
yett very steep, but the foot passage to itt is full as steep
as going up any ordinary stairs of a house, in this lower town
just opposite to where the ships ride is a stone bastion with
six 18 pounders mounted upon itt, and upon the opposite side
of the River a little lower upon a small point is a battery
of eight 12 pounders, but no redoubt or cover for the men.
In the Low town is one Church and a great many good stone
buildings. In both the towns will be about 300 dwelling houses,
and they can raise about the same number of fighting men
besides souldiers, of which there are not ordinarly above three
Companyes, who seldom exceed 30 men a Company, about a
league below this town lyes the Isle of Orleans, being about
7 leagues in length, and in most places not above two miles
broad, the river is navigable on both sides of itt, but the main
Channell is on the west side of itt which is generally about
a mile broad, but upon the other side mostly not above a quarter
of a mile, this Island is very well peopled, having 3 parish
Churches upon itt, and near 300 familyes upon itt, upon both
sides of the River opposite to this Island the country is well
planted with people, who may in all amount to 200 familyes
more. So that I believe for about 20 miles round Quibeck
may be about 800 familyes who could not raise above so many
fighting men. The Governor Generall is Governor of Quibeck
in particular, the present is the Marquis de Vauderoile, and the
Lieut. Governour M. Anglosery, both these have serv'd in the
Country above 20 years, and have raised themselves by their
services. About 30 leagues South-west from this, upon the same
river, lyes a small fortifyed town called, from the confluence
of three Rivers, Trois Rivieres, itt is only pallisadoed round,
having nothing of a fort in itt, only lodgings for the Governor
and Officers, and hath not above 50 familyes in itt besides
soldiers, itt hath a particular Governor of its own, who is
att present an Italian, called the Marquiss de Crisafi, in this
town lyes ordinarly six of their companyes of Foot. About
30 leagues above this, and 60 from Quibeck, upon the same
river, lyes the City of Montreall, upon an Island of the same
name, about 5 leagues in length, this Town is equall in bigness
and number of inhabitants to Quibeck, but not altogether so
well built, nor so rich as the other, hither the tide flows, and
barques of 50 or 60 tuns can come up, this town is pallisadoed
round, lying pretty levell, and hath 3 or 4 block houses att itts
severall corners, itt hath three Churches, as many convents
and a hospitall, itt is the next best Government to that of
Governour Generall, upon whose death the Governour of this
place generally succeeds a course, the present Governour is M.
Du Ramsey, the Lieut. Governour M. Gallifait, and town Major
M. du Muy. There are some small towns besides, such as
Shambly and Sorrel, where sometimes a Company or two lyes,
as also severall little forts, commanded by Captains and Subalterns, such as Fort Frontinack, built upon the side of Corlar's
Lake, to curb the trade of the English from Albany and the
five Nations of Indians in league with them, there are also to
the Westward severall little forts in the way to Missasippi,
such as Fort Crevecour, and Fort Louis in the Straits, where
are a few french and Indians placed for the conveniency of
their trade, and to give them a title to the country, through
which every year there goes one Officer of note with about
40 men to view the condition both of their trade and garrisons,
all the way to Missasippi, which is likewayes subject to the
Governour Generall, the present Governour of which is the
Sieur Deberville, a Canadian born, and brother to the commander of that name who plundered Nevis in the west Indies.
The whole number of regular troops the french have in all
the above mention'd countryes is 28 Companyes, who were not
two years agoe above 30 a Company, and are generally posted
as follows; at Placentia in Newfoundland 3 Companyes, commanded for the time after the removall of M. Supercass by
M. Moniack, att a new little fort in Charles Straits, or Labeadore,
called fort Pontchartrein, commanded by M. Certomanche, one
Company, att Port Royall 5 Companyes, att Quibeck 3 Companyes, att Trois Rivieres 6 Companyes, att the Citty of Montreal
7 Companyes, the other 3 are generally in some of the forts
upon the frontiers of Albany, and the 5 Nations in league with
us, the immediate Commander or General of all those troops
under the Governour Generall, and to whom they give the
title of Commandant de Troupes, is the Marqui de St. Croy.
Having given a pretty exact account of the situation, strength
and number of all the chief places in this country, the
number and disposition of their regular troops, with the
names of their chief Officers, the whole number of which will
not amount to above 5000 inhabitants, dispersed almost as many
thousand miles, itt may be easily believed itt cannot be very
difficult to reduce such a country, especially since we have
above 20 times their number upon the same Continent, but
ere we think of reducing them, lett us first see what their
country produces by way of encouragemt., and next, what damage
they now doe the Brittish trade all America over, but more immediately upon the Continent, and what further they must neces
sarly doe in time, when more populous, if not prevented. As
to their trade, which chiefly consists in furrs and fish, of
both wch. they have but to great a quantity, in so much, that
had they but hands to manage the same they would quickly
glutt all Europe with both, as they have in some measure done
with the first, for two years agoe I see, according to their
computation, above £60,000 value in beaver alone, besides all
other furrs and peltry, of which their magazines were full,
and which were not to be sent home att that time, because the
European marketts were then glutted with them. And as to
the ordinary sorts of fish, such as codd, heak, pallock and haddock, every bay and creek along all their coasts abound with
them farr beyond the Bancks of Newfoundland, as they doe
also with herring and mackerell, but above all for whale fishing
their coast excells all places ever yett heard of. They have
also particular to that great river of St. Lawrence a fish they
call a white porpoise in infinite numbers, which hath afforded
them a new and advantageous manufactory, for besides the
vast profitt the oyle of them affords, they have found a
way to tann their skinns, of which they make the finest upper
leather for shooes imaginable, far excelling any marokin, as
I have found by experience, having worn shooes made of them,
which never grow hard with being wett. The french King
hath given a considerable sume for the advancing of this manufactory, which is not to be done anywhere but in such a country
as that, for no bark save that of Cyrus will tann their skinns.
The soil here is also very fertile, as well appears by the grains
itt produces, not only in vast quantityes but the best of itts
kind upon the whole Continent, especially wheat and pease
of all sorts, and that in so short a time, notwithstanding the
coldness of their winters, for though they doe not sow their
wheat till May, they reap itt in great perfection in the beginning of August. But now that we have sufficiently surveyed
the country, lett us only consider how infinitely more agreeable
this climate would be to our Northern constitution then Darien,
what a vast revenue the furr trade would bring into the Crown,
having all the Nations of Indians upon the North Continent,
who make so vast a body of people, intirely att our devotion.
How vast an improvement of shipping and Navall Stores could
be made here, where the timber of all sorts is the best upon
the whole Continent, and the fishing there of all sorts would
exceed all the others in the world. But having said enough
to show the country is both commodious and advantageous
enough to be inhabited, lett us next consider some more pungent
and powerfull arguments, which must prevail upon every true
Brittain, who hath any regard to the honour, interest or safety
of his Country, to endeavour the reduction of that country,
att any rate, and those arguments arising so naturally from
two of the first and great principles, which are born almost
with all mankind, will need but very little enforcing, and are
these, self-interest and self-preservation, both which to a demonstration plead for the reduction of this place, etc. For consider
how much that Colony endammages the Brittish interest over all
America, as well as upon the Continent. In order to which,
we must first consider ye complexness of their commerce, and
how much the disturbance of the trade of the Continent affects
all the Brittish Colonyes in America, which will easily appear
by considering their dependance upon the same, as in the
following particulars. There is no Island the Brittish possess
in the West Indies that is capable of subsisting without the
assistance of the Continent, for to them we transport their
bread, drink and almost all the necessaryes of humane life,
their cattle and horses for cultivating their plantations, lumber
and staves of all sorts to make casks of for their rumm, sugar
and molosses, without which they could have none, ships to
transport their goods to the European marketts, nay, in short,
the very houses they inhabitt are carryed over in frames,
together with the shingles that cover them, in so much that
their very being, much more well being, depends almost intirely
upon the Continent. And now that we have made itt evidently
appear that the interest of the whole British Empire in America,
is inseparably linkt with that of the Continent, itt remains next
to consider how much damage the Colony yearly doe the said
Brittish Continent, in ruining and obstructing their trade, the
expence they occasion the same by the warr, besides the loss
of people, every one of whom are vastly valuable, in so new
and trading Colonyes. To make this more evidently appear,
lett us consider the particular Governments which suffer mostly
by them (though indeed all the Brittish Continent doe considerably already, and are ere long like to doe more), but to
come to particulars, New York and the Jerseyes have of late,
by means of the french seducing over to them a great part of
the five Nations (who have so long been in league with the Crown
of Brittain), and are known by the names of Senecas, Makuas,
Onondagos, Cajugas and Oneidas, the french Missionaryes, who
swarm among them, have carryed over, both to the French
interest and religion, a great many of them, and with them the
furr trade, which was formerly so valuable and profitable to
those Colonyes of the Brittish, that merchants now in London,
who lived there 20 years agoe, say there used to be exported
from thence yearly about £50,000 value in beaver and other furrs,
this they have not only almost intirely lost, but are att a vast
expence, both of blood and treasure, to defend their frontiers
from the insults of those troublesome neighbours, so that the
expence the Crown and Country is att yearly in maintaining of
troops and garrisons, as well regular as Country militia, the
presents and charges of cultivating a friendshipp with the above
named five Nations, building and repairing fortifications, and
furnishing stores of warr, amounts yearly to above £20,000,
besides the vast loss the inhabitants sustain, who have any
settlements upon the frontiers, being obliged wholly to abandon
the same, and leave them desolute and uninhabited, and what
further yett affects the trade (besides the raising the price of
all provisions, by the desertion of many of the most fertile
plantations) the pressing of men to serve on the frontiers
renders all labour so much the dearer, especially sailors, in-somuch that the wages of an ordinary sailor to goe to the West
Indies in any of the mercht. shipps is att least £4 10s. or
£5 per month, all which att last must in some measure come
upon the purchasers of their goods in the West Indies. So
that I think I will undertake to demonstrate that the Colonyes
of New York and Jerseys suffer yearly, what with the loss of
trade, expences of the warr, desertion of plantations, scarcity
of labourers and sailors, all which is alenerly [? annually]
occasioned by the French att least £50,000. Next to them
along shoar, North East, is Connecticout, a Propriety Government, which also borders with the french, and feels sufficiently
the effects of their ill neighbourhood, in so much, that the
very expences they are att yearly, for the payment of their
men, whom they are obliged to keep in arms upon their frontiers,
cost them £7,000, while the loss they sustained in their trade,
by the want of those people's labour, amounted to three times
that sume, they being obliged, not only to lay waste and leave
uncultivated a great many of their frontier plantations, but
to neglect their making of pitch, tarr, rosin and turpentine,
which that Country produces in great quantity, and which are
so much the interest of the Crown to encourage, as appears
by the Act of Parliament for that effect. So that itt can
easily be made appear that this small Propriety Country, by
a modest computation, suffers yearly in expence and obstruction
of trade, the loss of att least £20,000, besides their losses occasion'd by the coasting privateers from Port Royall and Quibeck. But to give the finishing stroke to all, and shew unanswerable arguments for reducing Canada at any rate, lett
us only consider New England, a country of att least ten times
the trade of all forementioned Colonyes, and whose loss doe
more then exceed their proportion to the same. New England
is so well situate for trade, both with respect to the conveniency
of its harbours, the commodityes itt affords for commerce, the
healthyness of the climate, which with the genius of the people
calculate to improve all those advantages, have rendred itt a
place of vast trade and buisiness, for besides that the inland
country affords great quantityes of all sorts of provisions, horses,
cattell, and lumber, fitt to be transported to the West Indies and
elsewhere, the maritime parts affords an immense quantity of
timber fitt for shipping, masts and all navall stores, which they
have not fail'd to improve to the best advantage, for they
yearly build some hundreds of vessells, while their sea costs,
which are wonderfully rich in fish of all sorts, affords them
advantageous cargos to load them withall. But of late years,
the disturbance they have mett withal, in every part of their
commerce, from their troublesome neighbours the french, hath
been of so fatall consequence, that itt hath almost intirely
ruined that Country, and must ere long inevitably doe so, if
some remydy be not quickly afforded them. For besides the
ravaging the frontiers, burning their uttermost towns and settle
ments, murdering and carrying away captives ye inhabitants
by the french, and their unexpressably savage accomplices, the
Indians, who have no compassion on either sex or age, nor
are they bounded by any laws of reason or religion, but do
exercise all manner of barbarityes upon their prisoners of all
sorts, long after quarter is given, those unparalelled hostilityes
not only lay waste the uttermost parts of this country, but
occasion a constant expence and trouble of keeping a considerable force upon the frontiers, who, after all, are not able
to prevent frequent irruptions of the barbarous enemy, who
are favoured in their enterprises by the thickness and impassableness of the woods, with which they are well accustomed.
These and the like reasons have rendred uninhabited one of the
best and most fertile countryes upon all the Continent, commonly called the Eastern Country, from its situation with regard
to Boston, where formerly the English had both garrisons
and very thriving plantations, but by the disturbance they mett
withall from their neighbours, the french att Port Royall, they
have been forced at last totally abandon the same. And
though the loss of the country and its produce was very considerable, yett was the smallest part that attended the deserting
of that country, for by itt they have not only lost a verry
considerable furr trade, which was caryed on in that Country
while the English possest itt, which is now wholly gone over
to the french, but what was yett of more consequence by farr,
and was justly reckoned the chief branch of the New England
trade, their fishery is quite ruined by itt, for whereas they
had many hundreds of vessells, who formerly both catched and
made their fish along this shore, they are now, by the french
(and Indians instigated by them) almost wholly debared this
trade, to the unexpressible loss of New England in particular,
and all the English Islands in generall, who used to be supplyed
from thence with codd and mackrell, in great quantityes, and
att low rates for the subsistance of themselves and slaves, the
considerations of all those hardships they lay under made that
Governmt. undertake two expeditions last summer against Port
Royall, which both proved unsuccessfull for want of Officers
of conduct and some regular troops, and cost the country
£20,000 expence, besides double that loss in a total sist of trade
for the time, and now the french, as I am credibly inform'd,
having gott a reinforcement from france, both of men and
ammunition, resolve to return the blow upon the little province
of Main, which they are no ways capacitate to resist, and
which, being the magazine from whence the Crown hath masts,
timber and other navall stores, will make the loss generall to
Brittain, as well as particular to that place. But to sume
up the whole, I believe itt will plainly appear to any considering
person, that the loss, expence and detriment in trade, (besides
the barbarous murthers of many persons) sustain'd by the
English upon the Continent in America from the french who
inhabitt the same Continent, amounts to severall hundred thousand pounds yearly, and must in time, as the french grow
more numerous, be vastly more, for by their situation, the
french have sourrounded and hemmed in betwixt them and the
sea, all the English Governments upon the Continent, so that
in time, when they are fully peopled, as they project in a
great measure to be, after the warr is over, by transporting
thither (as Monsieur Rodot, the present Intendant of Canada,
told me the french King designed), 20,000 men, who will chuse
rather to gain their bread by hunting and gunning, then by
labouring the ground. Should such a thing happen, they may
easily in time be able to make the Brittish find use for their
shipping and be forced to transport themselves elsewhere and
leave their improvements to their more powerfull neighbours,
and though this should never happen, yett posterity will blame
us for risking the same while the remedy is so easily in our
power, and the expence will not amount to near one half
of the yearly loss we sustain from them, as will appear by
the following scheame, which the author, who pretends to know
that country as well as any subject of the Crown, and who
made itt his buisiness to know, with that designe of being
capable to serve his country, engages to give his assistance
in putting the design in execution. To effectuate which great
enterprise (so vastly advantageous to the honour and interest
of the Crown and the people of great Brittain and itts Empire
in the west Indies and North America), there would need no
more than two battallions of regular Troops from Great Brittain, who would cost the Crown no more expence, excepting
their provision and transportation, then they now doe in Scotland,
where they are idle, nor more men of warr for their convoy and
protection than are ordinarly employed in attending the Colonyes
of New York, New England, or conveying home the Virginia
fleets, which they might likeways doe in the fall after that
expedition was over. With those two battalions and six men
of warr joyned from New England with 1000 of their best men,
which they will readily furnish and transport by sea to goe
directly to Quibeck about the latter end of May, or beginning of
June, fitted with bombs, mortars and one or two bomb ketches,
while a body of 1500 men from Nework, Jersey and Connecticout,
which they would readily furnish, marched by land being joyn'd
by our five Nations of Indians directly to Montreal, with which
number they would hardly fail of takeing that place, and att
least preventing their regular troops, who are mostly quartered
thereabouts, from coming to the assistance of Quibeck, which,
by cutting off the inhabitants of the Isle of Orleans from joyning
them, which might be done by sending two nimble, well mann'd
sloops up thither before the fleet came in sight, and as itt
is almost humanely impossible the town could hold out, being
attacqued att three different places att once upon the side to
the water, where itt hath no walls, and could not have any
great number to defend itt, while the fireing their houses by
the bombs would employ many of them to quench itt, upon
taking of which two towns of Quibeck and Montreal, all the rest
of their forts and settlemts. would fall of course into the hands
of the Crown, and will not only afford a booty to the captors
farr exceeding all the expence of the undertaking, but infinitely
advance the commerce of the Brittish over all America, and
particularly make them sole masters of the furr, fish and navall
stores trade over all the Continent, and H.M. sole Soveraign
of the North Continent of America, and of hundreds of nations
of new subjects, who will become intirely obedient to her laws,
when they have no preists to poyson them, nor no rivall Monarch
to debauch them from her interest and make Canada a noble
Colony, exactly calculate for the constitutions and genius of
the most Northern of the North Brittains. Being therefore
fully perswaded that nothing but the want of a trew state and
information of the vast disadvantages the french Governmt. of
Canada occasions to the commerce of Brittain, and the easiness
of its being reduced to the subjection of that Crown, hath been
the reason why our Ministers of State, who have so wisely and
successfully manag'd the great affairs of the Nation, have never
put this project in execution, I doubt not but upon their having
maturely considered the above reasons, they will fall upon such
methods as their greater wisdom shall think fitt for remeding
all the aforesaid grievances occasioned by the said Colony of
french, towards which the author shall be alwayes most ready
to contribute what further information and assistance he is
capable of, then whom none is a more intirely devoted servant
to the Crown and interest of great Brittain. [? by Capt.
Vetch. of. Aug. 4. Ed.] Endorsed, Recd. from Capt. Vetch,
Read July 27, 1708. 11½ pp. |
