r fellows do it however with great spirit, tho' several of
them have already lost the use of their fingers and toes by the
incredible severity of the frost, and the country people tell us it is
not yet at the worst. Some men on sentry have been deprived of speech
and sensation in a few minutes, but hitherto, no person has lost his
life, as care is taken to relieve them every half hour or oftener when
the weather is very severe. The Garrison in general are but
indifferently cloathed, but our regiment in particular is in a pitiful
situation having no breeches, and the Philibeg is not all calculated for
this terrible climate. Colonel Fraser is doing all in his power to
provide trowsers for them, and we hope soon to be on a footing with
other Regiments in that respect.

"January, 1760.--Nothing remarkable during this month. The duty is very
severe on the poor men; we mount every day a guard of about one hundred
men, and the whole off duty with a subaltern officer from each Regiment
are employed in dragging fire wood; tho' the weather is such that they
are obliged to have all covered but their eyes, and nothing but the last
necessity obliged any men to go out of doors."

Early in February the St. Lawrence froze over. On February 13th the
British established a force in the Church at St. Joseph at Point Levi
but it was attacked by the French and then, on February 24th, Murray
sent a rescue party. The Highlanders and the 28th went across on the ice
and nearly intercepted the retreat of the French force, which was driven
off. The kilted Highlanders marching on the ice in the bitter winter
weather make an interesting picture. But by this time, no doubt, they
were not bare-legged!

Towards the end of March there was much illness and Fraser writes: "The
Scurvy, occasioned by salt provisions and cold, has begun to make fierce
havock in the garrison, and it becomes every day more general. In short,
I believe there is scarce a man of the Army entirely free from it." On
the 24th of April he writes again: "Great havock amongst the Garrison
occasioned by the Scurvy, &c.; this is the more alarming, as the General
seems certain that the French are preparing to come and attack the
place, and will he says, be here in a very few days."

Of the garrison of 5653 no less than 2312 were on the sick list, when,
on the 26th, came the great crisis of the defence of Quebec:

"On the night of the 26th April, a man of the French army who, with some