broke out between France and
England."

"And I suppose," said Charley, "the governor went to take Canada."

"Not exactly, Charley," said Grandfather, "though you have made a pretty
shrewd conjecture. He planned, in 1745, an expedition against Louisbourg.
This was a fortified city, on the Island of Cape Breton, near Nova Scotia.
Its walls were of immense height and strength, and were defended by
hundreds of heavy cannon. It was the strongest fortress which the French
possessed in America; and if the king of France had guessed Governor
Shirley's intentions, he would have sent all the ships he could muster, to
protect it."

As the siege of Louisbourg was one of the most remarkable events that ever
the inhabitants of New England were engaged in, Grandfather endeavored to
give his auditors a lively idea of the spirit with which they set about
it. We shall call his description

THE PROVINCIAL MUSTER

The expedition against Louisbourg first began to be thought of in the
month of January. From that time, the governor's chair was continually
surrounded by counsellors, representatives, clergymen, captains, pilots,
and all manner of people, with whom he consulted about this wonderful
project.

First of all, it was necessary to provide men and arms. The legislature
immediately sent out a huge quantity of paper money, with which, as if by
magic spell, the governor hoped to get possession of all the old cannon,
powder and balls, rusty swords and muskets, and every thing else that
would be serviceable in killing Frenchmen. Drums were beaten in all the
villages of Massachusetts, to enlist soldiers for the service. Messages
were sent to the other governors of New England, and to New York and
Pennsylvania, entreating them to unite in this crusade against the French.
All these provinces agreed to give what assistance they could.

But there was one very important thing to be decided. Who shall be the
General of this great army? Peace had continued such an unusual length of
time, that there was now less military experience among the colonists,
than at any former period. The old Puritans had always kept their weapons
bright, and were never destitute of warlike captains, who were skilful in
assault or defence. But the swords of their descendants had grown rusty by
disuse. There was nobody in New England that knew any thing about sieges,
or any other regular fighting. The only persons, at all acquainted with
warlike business, we