, to the master-general of the ordnance.

To a question from the president, viz. "Should the council
conceive it necessary to call out the militia, whether I
thought myself warranted to issue pay and provisions to them?"
I answered, Certainly not: that in all British Colonies, of
which I had any knowledge, they on all such occasions defrayed
their own expenses.

The consideration that there is about L30,000 in the civil
chest, which cannot be applied to its object until next
spring, and the ease with which the error I may have fallen
into might be remedied, induced me to be so positive upon a
subject, regarding which I am without instructions.

_Colonel Brock to Lieut.-Colonel J.W. Gordon._

QUEBEC, Sept. 6, 1807.

It is impossible to view the late hostile measures of the
American government towards England, without considering a
rupture between the two countries as probable to happen.

I have in consequence been anxious that such precautionary
measures might be taken as the case seemed to justify; but his
honor the president has not judged it proper to adopt any
other step, than merely to order one-fifth of the militia,
which amounts to about 10,000 men, to hold itself in readiness
to march on the shortest notice.

The men thus selected for service being scattered along an
extensive line of four or five hundred miles, unarmed and
totally unacquainted with every thing military, without
officers capable of giving them instruction, considerable time
would naturally be required before the necessary degree of
order and discipline could be introduced among them. I
therefore very much doubt whether, in the event of actual war,
this force could assemble in time, and become useful.

Without considerable assistance from the militia, the few
regulars which might be spared from this garrison could avail
nothing against the force the Americans would suddenly
introduce by various roads into this province.

The Canadians have unquestionably shewn a great willingness
upon this occasion to be trained, and, I make not the least
doubt, would oppose with vigour any invasion of the
Americans--but how far the same sentiments would actuate them
were a French force to join, I will not undertake to say; at
any rate, I feel that every consideration of prudence and
policy o