o attempt
the passage of the falls. Meanwhile he determined to repair the old
fort and work was begun upon it on the 24th September. "My reasons,"
writes Monckton, "for fixing on this spot, though somewhat commanded
by the Hill on the back were, that it was so much work ready done to
our hands, the command it would have of the Harbor, the conveniency of
landing our stores, and the great difficultys that would have attended
its being erected further from the shore having no conveniency of
moving our stores but by men. Besides, as the season was so far
advanced and we had still to go up the River, I thought it best to fix
on what would be soonest done. And in regard to the Hill that has some
command of it, it is only with cannon, which the enemy would find
great difficulty in bringing, and this may hereafter be remedy'd by
erecting some small Work on it."

In the construction of the works at the fort 600 men were employed
daily until the 24th October, when the number was reduced to 300 in
consequence of the departure of the expedition up the river to destroy
the Acadian settlements. Capt. Cobb returned from Fort Cumberland the
last day of September with Danks' company of Rangers, five whale boats
and nine French prisoners. From the latter Monckton learned that it
would have been almost impossible to have gone up the river by land,
and that it would have been dangerous to attempt to pass the falls
with such vessels as they had with them. Their opinion, as to the
difficulty of passing the falls, was confirmed by observations and
soundings made by Capt. Willock and the masters of the transports.

While the fort was building, Monckton was engaged in collecting
military stores, provisions and supplies of various kinds for which he
sent vessels to Fort Cumberland, Annapolis, Halifax and Boston. The
officers' barracks at Fort Frederick were erected on the 2nd of
October and the work of building the fort made rapid progress, but it
was not until the 21st of October that the expedition was in a
position to proceed up the river. Even then the start was not a very
auspicious one as we learn from Monckton's journal, in which he
writes:--

"Having got together several sloops and schooners and victual'd
them, I order Cobb & Rogers to pass the Falls to cover the other
vessels as they might be able to get through. They accordingly get
under way. Cobb being the headmost passes the Narrows, but is too
late to get over the Fal