itulation
which may avert the total ruin of a people who will remain forever French,
and who could not survive their misfortunes but for the hope of being
restored by the treaty of peace to the rule of His Most Christian
Majesty. It is with this view that I shall remain in this town, the
Chevalier de Levis having represented to me that it would be an evil
to the colonists past remedy if any accident should happen to me."
Levis was willing to go very far in soothing the susceptibilities
of the Governor; but it may be suspected this time that he
thought him more useful within four walls than in the open
field.

[Footnote 841: _Vaudreuil au Ministre, 29 Aout, 1760_.]

[Footnote 842: _Levis a Bourlamaque, 25 Aout, 1760_.]

There seemed good hope of stopping the advance of Haviland.
To this end Vaudreuil had stationed Bougainville at Isle-aux-Noix
with seventeen hundred men, and Roquemaure at St. John, a few
miles distant, with twelve or fifteen hundred more, besides all
the Indians.[843] Haviland embarked at Crown Point with thirty-four
hundred regulars, provincials, and Indians.[844] Four days brought
him to Isle-aux-Noix; he landed, planted cannon in the swamp, and
opened fire. Major Darby with the light infantry, and Rogers with
the rangers, dragged three light pieces through the forest, and
planted them on the river-bank in the rear of Bougainville's position,
where lay the French naval force, consisting of three armed
vessels and several gunboats. The cannon were turned upon
the principal ship; a shot cut her cable, and a strong west
wind drove her ashore into the hands of her enemies. The
other vessels and gunboats made all sail for St. John, but
stranded in a bend of the river, where the rangers, swimming
out with their tomahawks, boarded and took one of them,
and the rest soon surrendered. It was a fatal blow to Bougainville,
whose communications with St. John were now cut off. In accordance
with instructions from Vaudreuil, he abandoned the island on the
night of the twenty-seventh of August, and, making his way with
infinite difficulty through the dark forest, joined Roquemaure
at St. John, twelve miles below. Haviland followed, the rangers
leading the way. Bougainville and Roquemaure fell back, abandoned
St. John and Chambly, and joined Bourlamaque on the banks of the
St. Lawrence, where the united force at first outnumbered that of
Haviland, though fast melted away by discouragement and desertion.
Haviland