iards.
He had been advised by despatches, dated 26th December 1761, that war had
been declared with the latter nation. During this period of waiting the
words "nothing remarkable" are in constant use in Captain Adams's (the
second Captain of the Northumberland) Journal. Cook utilised this time to
make a thorough survey of Halifax Harbour, the notes of which are now in
the United Service Museum, Whitehall.

At length the period of inaction was ended. Captain Charles Douglas,
H.M.S. Syren, who was cruising off Cape Race, received information that a
squadron of four French ships of the line, having some 1500 picked troops
on board, had made a descent on Newfoundland, and had captured St.
John's, the capital, which had been most shamefully neglected, and its
garrison reduced to 63 men. The Grammont, 22-gun sloop, was unfortunately
in harbour at the time, and was also taken. Douglas at once pressed two
English merchant vessels into the service, and putting a petty officer in
command of one, the William, and his Master in the other, the Bonetta,
despatched them to cruise in search of Captain Graves, the reappointed
Governor of Newfoundland, who was daily expected from England. The
Bonetta soon fell in with the Antelope, Graves's ship, and she
immediately joined Douglas, and then proceeded to strengthen the Isle of
Boys as far as time would allow. Then going to Placentia, a place of as
much importance as St. John's, and more capable of defence, they set
about making preparations to beat off any attack, leaving a garrison of
99 men and as many marines as could be spared. Graves then despatched
Douglas with the remainder of the Syren's marines to take possession of
Ferryland, and sent the ship herself off with letters to Lord Colville,
but the William having missed the Antelope, made her way to Halifax with
the news of what had occurred.

RECAPTURE OF ST. JOHN'S.

Colville at once sent word to General Amherst, Commander-in-Chief in
America, asking him to forward any troops he could spare, and started,
accompanied by the Gosport, and an armed colonial vessel, the King
George, 20 guns, to cruise off the Newfoundland coast in order to prevent
the arrival of French reinforcements or supplies. He met Graves at
Placentia on 14th August, and landed all the marines he could, and then
continued his cruise. Amherst collected every available man from New
York, Halifax, and Louisberg, and putting them under the command of his
brother, Co