t enterprise. He was however too much occupied in Europe to
attend to America; and it was determined to prosecute the expedition
without his assistance. New York and Connecticut, engaged to furnish a
body of men, to march, by the way of lake Champlain, against Montreal,
while the troops of Massachusetts should proceed by sea to Quebec. The
fleet, consisting of between thirty and forty vessels, the largest of
which carried forty-four guns, sailed from Nantucket the ninth of
August, having on board two thousand men. This expedition also was
commanded by sir William Phipps, a brave man, but not qualified for so
difficult an enterprise. He did not arrive before Quebec until
October, when it was too late for a regular siege. Instead of availing
himself of the first impression, sir William is charged with having
wasted two or three days in sight of the place, after which he
summoned it to surrender. Having performed this ceremony, he landed
between twelve and thirteen hundred men, and marched until night,
under a scattering fire from an enemy concealed in the woods. At
night, a deserter gave such an account of the French force as entirely
discouraged him.

Connecticut and New York were disappointed in receiving the assistance
expected from the Five nations; who furnished neither the warriors
they had promised, nor canoes to transport their troops over the
lakes. The commissary too had neglected to lay up the necessary
supplies of provisions. These disappointments obliged the party
destined against Montreal to retreat without making an attempt on that
place; which enabled the French general to oppose the whole force of
Canada to Phipps.

The evening after the troops were landed, the ships were drawn up
before the place, but received more damage from the batteries than
they could do to the town. After wasting a few days in unavailing
parade, the army re-embarked with precipitation, and returned to
Boston.

The general court, so far from suspecting that the expedition might
possibly miscarry, seem to have counted, not only on success, but on
acquiring sufficient treasure from the enemy to pay their soldiers.
The army, finding the government totally unprepared to satisfy its
claims, was on the point of mutinying. In this state of difficulty,
bills of credit were issued, and were received in lieu of money. A tax
was imposed at the same time, payable in the paper notes of the colony
at five per centum above par. Notwithstanding