e Pepperrell, the unrewarded leader of
the sister service, piled up a personal debt of 10,000 pounds. Quarrels
occurred between soldiers and sailors, and in these the New Englanders
soon proved by no means the cowards which complacent superiority in
England considered them; rather, as an enlightened Briton said, "If they
had pickaxe and spade they would dig a way to Hell itself and storm that
stronghold."

Behind all difficulties was the question whether, having taken
Louisbourg, the British could continue to hold it. France answered with
a resolute "No." To retake it she fitted out a great fleet. Nearly half
her navy gathered under the Duc d'Anville and put to sea on June 20,
1746. If in the previous summer God had helped the English with good
weather, by a similar proof His face now appeared turned a second time
against the French. In the great array there were more than sixty ships,
which were to gather at Chebucto, now Halifax, harbor, and to be joined
there by four great ships of war from the West Indies. Everything went
wrong. On the voyage across the Atlantic there was a prolonged calm,
followed by a heavy squall. Several ships were struck by lightning. A
magazine on the Mars blew up, killing ten and wounding twenty-one men.
Pestilence broke out. As a crowning misfortune, the fleet was scattered
by a terrific storm. After great delay d'Anville's ship reached
Chebucto, then a wild and lonely spot. The expected fleet from the West
Indies had indeed come, but had gone, since the ships from France,
long overdue, had not arrived. D'Anville died suddenly--some said of
apoplexy, others of poison self-administered. More ships arrived full of
sick men and short of provisions. D'Estournel, who succeeded d'Anville
in chief command, in despair at the outlook killed himself with his
own sword after the experience of only a day or two in his post. La
Jonquiere, a competent officer, afterwards Governor of Canada, then
led the expedition. The pestilence still raged, and from two to three
thousand men died. One day a Boston sloop boldly entered Chebucto harbor
to find out what was going on. It is a wonder that the British did
not descend upon the stricken French and destroy them. In October, La
Jonquiere, having pulled his force together, planned to win the small
success of taking Annapolis, but again storms scattered his ships. At
the end of October he finally decided to return to France. But there
were more heavy storms; and on