There, if I remember right, we were about
six weeks, consuming our sea-stores, and oblig'd to procure more.
At length the fleet sail'd, the General and all his army on board,
bound to Louisburg, with intent to besiege and take that fortress;
all the paquet-boats in company ordered to attend the General's ship,
ready to receive his dispatches when they should be ready.
We were out five days before we got a letter with leave to part,
and then our ship quitted the fleet and steered for England. The other
two paquets he still detained, carried them with him to Halifax,
where he stayed some time to exercise the men in sham attacks
upon sham forts, then alter'd his mind as to besieging Louisburg,
and return'd to New York, with all his troops, together with the two
paquets above mentioned, and all their passengers! During his
absence the French and savages had taken Fort George, on the frontier
of that province, and the savages had massacred many of the garrison
after capitulation.
I saw afterwards in London Captain Bonnell, who commanded one
of those paquets. He told me that, when he had been detain'd
a month, he acquainted his lordship that his ship was grown foul,
to a degree that must necessarily hinder her fast sailing, a point
of consequence for a paquet-boat, and requested an allowance
of time to heave her down and clean her bottom. He was asked
how long time that would require. He answer'd, three days.
The general replied, "If you can do it in one day, I give leave;
otherwise not; for you must certainly sail the day after to-morrow.
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