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as an enlightened Briton said； 〃If they had pickaxe and spade
they would dig a way to Hell itself and storm that stronghold。〃
Behind all difficulties was the question whether； having taken
Louisbourg； the British could continue to hold it。 France
answered with a resolute 〃No。〃 To retake it she fitted out a
great fleet。 Nearly half her navy gathered under the Duc
d'Anville and put to sea on June 20； 1746。 If in the previous
summer God had helped the English with good weather； by a similar
proof His face now appeared turned a second time against the
French。 In the great array there were more than sixty ships；
which were to gather at Chebucto； now Halifax； harbor； and to be
joined there by four great ships of war from the West Indies。
Everything went wrong。 On the voyage across the Atlantic there
was a prolonged calm； followed by a heavy squall。 Several ships
were struck by lightning。 A magazine on the Mars blew up； killing
ten and wounding twenty…one men。 Pestilence broke out。 As a
crowning misfortune； the fleet was scattered by a terrific storm。
After great delay d'Anville's ship reached Chebucto； then a wild
and lonely spot。 The expected fleet from the West Indies had
indeed come； but had gone； since the ships from France； long
overdue； had not arrived。 D'Anville died suddenlysome said of
apoplexy； others of poison self…administered。 More ships arrived
full of sick men and short of provisions。 D'Estournel； who
succeeded d'Anville in chief command； in despair at the outlook
killed himself with his own sword after the experience of only a
day or two in his post。 La Jonquiere； a competent officer；
afterwards Governor of Canada； then led the expedition。 The
pestilence still raged； and from two to three thousand men died。
One day a Boston sloop boldly entered Chebucto harbor to find out
what was going on。 It is a wonder that the British did not
descend upon the stricken French and destroy them。 In October； La
Jonquiere； having pulled his force together； planned to win the
small success of taking Annapolis； but again storms scattered his
ships。 At the end of October he finally decided to return to
France。 But there were more heavy storms； and one French crew was
so near starvation that only a chance meeting with a Portuguese
ship kept them from killing and eating five English prisoners。
Only a battered remnant of the fleet eventually reached home
ports。
The disaster did not crush France。 In May of the next spring；
1747； a new fleet under La Jonquiere set out to retake
Louisbourg。 Near the coast of Europe； however； Admirals Anson and
Warren met and completely destroyed it； taking prisoner La
Jonquiere himself。 This disaster effected what was really the
most important result of the war： it made the British fleet
definitely superior to the French。 During the struggle England
had produced a new Drake； who attacked Spain in the spirit of the
sea…dogs of Elizabeth。 Anson had gone in 1740 into the Pacific；
where he seized and plundered Spanish ships as Drake had done
nearly two centuries earlier； and in 1744； when he had been given
up for lost； he completed the great exploit of sailing round the
world and bringing home rich booty。 Such feats went far to give
Britain that command of the sea on which her colonial Empire was
to depend。
The issue of the war hung more on events that occurred in Europe
than in America； and France had made gains as well as suffered
losses。 It was on the sea that she had sustained her chief
defeats。 In India she had gained by taking the English factory at
Madras； and in the Low Countries she was still aggressive。
Indeed； during the war England had been more hostile to Spain
than to France。 She had not taken very seriously her support of
the colonies in their attack on Louisbourg and she had failed
them utterly in their designs on Canada。 It is true that in
Europe England had grave problems to solve。 Austria； with which
she was allied； desired her to fight until Frederick of Prussia
should give up the province of Silesia seized by him in 1740。 In
this quarrel England had no vital interest。 France had occupied
the Austrian Netherlands and had refused to hand back to Austria
this territory unless she received Cape Breton in return。 Britain
might have kept Cape Breton if she would have allowed France to
keep Belgium。 This； in loyalty to Austria； she would not do。
Accordingly peace was made at Aix…la…Chapelle in 1748 on the
agreement that each side should restore to the other its
conquests； not merely in Europe but also in America and Asia。
Thus it happened that the British flag went up again at Madras
while it came down at Louisbourg。
Boston was of course angry at the terms of the treaty。 What
sacrifices had Massachusetts not made！ The least of them was the
great burden of debt which she had piled up。 Her sons had borne
what Pepperrell called 〃almost incredible hardships。〃 They had
landed cannon on a lee shore when the great waves pounded to
pieces their boats and when men wading breast high were crushed
by the weight of iron。 Harnessed two and three hundred to a gun；
they had dragged the pieces one after the other over rocks and
through bog and slime； and had then served them in the open under
the fire of the enemy。 New Englanders had died like 〃rotten
sheep〃 in Louisbourg。 The graves of nearly a thousand of them lay
on the bleak point outside the wall。 What they had gained by this
sacrifice must now be abandoned。 A spirit of discontent with the
mother country went abroad and； after this sacrifice of colonial
interests； never wholly died out。 It is not without interest to
note in passing that Gridley； the engineer who drew the plan of
the defenses of Louisbourg； thirty years later drew those of
Bunker Hill to protect men of the English race who fought against
England。
Every one knew that the peace of 1748 was only a truce and
Britain began promptly new defenses。 Into the spacious harbor of
Chebucto； which three years earlier had been the scene of the
sorrows of d'Anville's fleet； there sailed in June； 1749； a
considerable British squadron bent on a momentous errand。 It
carried some thousands of settlers； Edward Cornwallis； a governor
clothed with adequate authority； and a force sufficient for the
defense of the new foundation。 Cornwallis was delighted with the
prospect。 〃All the officers agree the harbour is the finest they
have ever seen〃this； of Halifax harbor with the great Bedford
Basin； opening beyond it； spacious enough to contain the fleets
of the world。 〃The Country is one continuous Wood； no clear spot
to be seen or heard of。 D'Anville's fleet。。。cleared no
ground； they encamped their men on the beach。〃 The garrison was
withdrawn from Louisbourg and soon arrived at Halifax； with a
vast quantity of stores。 A town was marked out； lots were drawn
for sites； and every one knew where he might build his house。
There were prodigious digging； chopping； hammering。 〃I shall be
able to get them all Houses before winter；〃 wrote Cornwallis
cheerily。 Firm military discipline； indeed； did wonders。 Before
winter came； a town had been created； and with the town a
fortress which from that time has remained the chief naval and
military stronghold of Great Britain in North America。 At
Louisbourg some two hundred miles farther east on the coast；
France could reestablish her military strength； but now
Louisbourg had a rival and each was resolved to yield nothing to
the other。 The founding of Halifax was in truth the symbol of the
renewal of the struggle for a continent。
CHAPTER V。 The Great West
In days before the railway had made possible a bulky commerce by
overland routes； rivers furnished the chief means of access to
inland regions。 The fame of the Ganges； the Euphrates； the Nile；
and the Danube shows the part which great rivers have played in
history。 Of North America's four greatest river systems； the two
in the far north have become known in times so recent that their
place in history is not yet determined。 One of them； the
Mackenzie； a mighty stream some two thousand miles long； flows
into the Arctic Ocean through what remains chiefly a wilderness。
The waters of the other； the Saskatchewan； discharge into Hudson
Bay more than a thousand miles from their source； flowing through
rich prairie land which is still but scantily peopled。 On the
Saskatchewan； as on the remaining two systems； the St。 Lawrence
and the Mississippi； the French were the pioneers。 Though today
the regions drained by these four rivers are dominated by the
rival race； the story which we now follow is one of romantic
enterprise in which the honors are with France。
More perhaps by accident than by design had the French been the
first to settle on the St。 Lawrence。 Fishing vessels had hovered
round the entrance to the Gulf of St。 Lawrence for years before；
in 1535； the French sailor； Jacques Cartier； adva