on as many of the inhabitants
as he might think necessary.

Nairne stayed on at Murray Bay in 1780 much longer than the two months
for which he had originally asked. A part of his duty was to watch that
American colony, so different in station and situation from the many
Americans who now visit the spot. As yet there were no barracks in which
to confine the poor fellows, and the climate of Murray Bay is not too
hospitable in winter. Some kind of rough quarters must have been
prepared for the prisoners, in the winter of 1779-80, and they were kept
busy in helping to build the houses intended for their occupation. They
seemed contented. One of them Nairne kept about his person. He knew
where everything was placed and all the men were used, Nairne says, in
the best manner he could think of. But liberty is sweet and they longed
for their own land. So, early in May, 1780, when the ice was out of the
river and there was a chance to get away, eight of them made a dash for
liberty.[11] No doubt under cover of night, they stole a boat and put
out boldly into the great river across which, in so small a craft, few
ever venture, even in mild summer weather. Almost wonderful to relate,
they reached the south shore in safety. Nairne was uncertain whether
they had gone up, down, or across the river. He hurried to Tadousac,
crossed to Cacouna and then went up the south shore. At St. Roch he
found that the men, rowing a boat, had been seen to pass. On May 14th
this boat was found abandoned. On the 15th the men were seen on the
highway carrying their packs. We are almost sorry to learn that the poor
fellows were in the end captured and taken to Quebec. Nairne reported
the flight of these men on the 14th of May. Their example was contagious
for, on the 18th, while he was absent in their pursuit, four others
made off, found a small boat on the shore some nine miles from Malbaie,
and put out into the river, where their tiny craft was seen heading for
Kamouraska on the south shore. A few days later two others also escaped.
These had not courage to strike out into the river, and one of them was
caught at Baie St. Paul. Nairne offered a reward of four dollars for
each of the prisoners and probably all were taken. A sequel of the
incident was that a non-commissioned officer and eight men of the
Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment were sent to guard the remaining prisoners at
Murray Bay--a task apparently beyond Nairne's local militia. This guard
was, no dou