Descente_.]

A boom of logs chained together was drawn across the mouth of the St.
Charles, which was further guarded by two hulks mounted with cannon. The
bridge of boats that crossed the stream nearly a mile above, formed the
chief communication between the city and the camp. Its head towards
Beauport was protected by a strong and extensive earthwork; and the
banks of the stream on the Quebec side were also intrenched, to form a
second line of defence in case the position at Beauport should be
forced.

In the city itself every gate, except the Palace Gate, which gave access
to the bridge, was closed and barricaded. A hundred and six cannon were
mounted on the walls.[707] A floating battery of twelve heavy pieces, a
number of gunboats, eight fireships, and several firerafts formed the
river defences. The largest merchantmen of Kanon's fleet were sacrificed
to make the fireships; and the rest, along with the frigates that came
with them, were sent for safety up the St. Lawrence beyond the River
Richelieu, whence about a thousand of their sailors returned to man the
batteries and gunboats.

[Footnote 707: This number was found after the siege. Knox, II. 151.
Some French writers make it much greater.]

In the camps along the Beauport shore were about fourteen thousand men,
besides Indians. The regulars held the centre; the militia of Quebec and
Three Rivers were on the right, and those of Montreal on the left. In
Quebec itself there was a garrison of between one and two thousand men
under the Chevalier de Ramesay. Thus the whole number, including
Indians, amounted to more than sixteen thousand;[708] and though the
Canadians who formed the greater part of it were of little use in the
open field, they could be trusted to fight well behind intrenchments.
Against this force, posted behind defensive works, on positions almost
impregnable by nature, Wolfe brought less than nine thousand men
available for operations on land.[709] The steep and lofty heights that
lined the river made the cannon of the ships for the most part useless,
while the exigencies of the naval service forbade employing the sailors
on shore. In two or three instances only, throughout the siege, small
squads of them landed to aid in moving and working cannon; and the
actual fighting fell to the troops alone.

[Footnote 708: See Appendix H.]

[Footnote 709: Ibid.]

Vaudreuil and Bigot took up their quarters with the army. The
Governor-General had d