renadiers of the 22nd, 40th and 45th Regiments,
where we are posted in four houses which we have fortified so as to be
able, we hope, to stand any attack which we can expect with small arms.

"Saturday, 25th.--Busy felling the fruit trees, and cutting the wheat to
clear round us.

"Sunday, 26th.--The same.

"Monday, 27th August.--I hear Brigadier Murray has returned with his
detachment, having had all the success expected of the detachment. We
received orders to march to-morrow to Chateau Richer. Some men were
observed skulking in the corn, round the houses we possessed; upon
which, some of our people fired from one of the houses, when the whole
took the alarm and continued firing from the windows and loopholes for
about ten minutes. For my own part I can't say I could observe any of
the Enemy, but as we had one man killed, and most of the men affirmed
they saw men in the Corn, I can't doubt but there were a few of the
Enemy near us."

So the record goes on. On August 30th the detachment was busy fortifying
itself in the Church at Chateau Richer near Quebec. On the next day
orders came to burn the houses there but not the church and return at
once to Montmorency. At Ange Gardien, on the way, General Murray, after
whom Murray Bay is named, joined them with his detachment. As they
marched along the force burned all the houses and was soon back in camp
at Montmorency. They had left a trail black with desolation between that
point and Cap Tourmente. Captain Gorham completed the tale of woe by
destroying Baie St. Paul and Malbaie. Hardly a house was left between
Montmorency and the Saguenay.

But all this was only side-play. The crisis of the campaign was now
near. On September 3rd Wolfe abandoned the camp at Montmorency. Fraser
writes: "The Army at Montmorency decamped this day, and crossed to the
Island of Orleans, and from thence to Point Levy, without molestation
from the French, tho' they must have known some time ago that we
intended to abandon that post."

Wolfe was now massing as many troops as possible above Quebec on the
south side of the river. On September 6th, 600 of the Highlanders,
together with the 15th and the 43rd, marched six miles above Point Levi
and there embarked on board the ships. Fraser says: "We are much
crowded; the ship I am in has about six hundred on board, being only
about two hundred and fifty tons." On the 7th and 8th it rained and the
men must have been very uncomfortable in their na