English navy under
Commodore Warren, to the world's amazement, Louisbourg fell. The
achievement is, perhaps, the most memorable in our colonial annals,
but a description of the siege cannot be here attempted. After the
surrender of Louisbourg a banquet was prepared by Pepperell for his
officers, and Mr. Moody of New York, Mrs. Pepperell's uncle, was
called upon to ask a blessing at the feast. The old parson was apt to
be prolix on public occasions, and his temper being rather irritable,
none dared to suggest that brevity would be acceptable. The company
were therefore highly gratified by his saying grace as follows: "Good
Lord, we have so many things to thank Thee for that time will be
infinitely too short to do it. We must therefore leave it for the work
of eternity. Bless our food and fellowship upon this joyful occasion,
for the sake of Christ our Lord. Amen."

The capture of Louisbourg greatly relieved the situation at Annapolis,
and probably saved Acadia to the English. It acted as a damper on the
ardor of the Indians of the St. John river, who, under Marin, a French
officer from Quebec, had taken the warpath. They were encouraged in
their hostile attitude by their missionary Germain, lately come to
Aukpaque as Danielou's[17] successor.

[17] Jean Pierre Danielou died at Quebec, May 23, 1744. His
successor, Father Charles Germain, came to Canada in 1738 and
a few years later, probably in 1740, was sent to the St. John
River.

While the stirring events just mentioned were transpiring at
Louisbourg, Governor Mascarene was doing his best to place Annapolis
Royal in a proper state of defence and the chief engineer, John Henry
Bastide, was busily engaged in strengthening the fort. Early in the
summer of 1745 the Sieur Marin appeared before the town with a party
of six hundred French and Indians--the latter including many from the
River St. John and some of the Hurons from Canada. They captured two
Boston schooners, one of which was named the "Montague." Her captain,
William Pote, of Falmouth (now Portland) Maine, was taken to Quebec by
the Huron Indians, via the St. John river. He remained in captivity
three years. He contrived to keep a journal describing his capture and
subsequent adventures; this was concealed by one of the female
prisoners who restored it to Captain Pote after he was released. The
journal had a remarkable experience; it passed through many hands, was
discovered at Gene