h they burned their town
to ashes, forsook their possessions, and threw themselves under the
protection of M. la Corne, who, thus reinforced, found himself at the
head of fifteen hundred men, well provided with arms and ammunition.
Major Laurence being unable to cope with him in the field, demanded
an interview, at which he desired to know for what cause the French
inhabitants of Nova Scotia had shaken off their allegiance to the crown
of Great Britain, and violated the neutrality which they had hitherto
affected to profess. The French officer, without pretending to account
for their behaviour, gave him to understand in general terms, that he
had orders to defend his post, and these orders he was determined to
obey. The English major finding himself too weak to attack their united
force, and having no orders to commit hostilities against any but the
Indians and their open abettors, returned to Halifax, without having
been able to fulfil the purpose of his expedition. Immediately after
his retreat, the French neutrals (so they were called) returned to
their habitations which they had abandoned, and, in conjunction with the
Indians, renewed their depredations upon the inhabitants of Halifax
and its dependent settlements. The English governor, justly incensed
at these outrages, and seeing they would neither submit to the English
government themselves, nor allow others to enjoy it with tranquillity,
resolved to expel them effectually from the country they so ill deserved
to possess. Major Laurence was again detached with a thousand men,
transported by sea to Chignecto, where he found the French and Indians
intrenched in order to dispute his landing. Notwithstanding this
opposition, he made a descent with a few companies, received and
returned a smart fire, and rushing into their intrenchments, obliged
them to fly with the utmost precipitation, leaving a considerable
number killed and wounded on the spot. The fugitives saved themselves
by crossing a river, on the farther bank of which la Corne stood at the
head of his troops, drawn up in order to receive them as friends and
dependents. He had by this time erected a fort, which he denominated
Beau Sejour; and now the English built another on the opposite side of
the river, which was called after its founder St. Laurence. This being
provided with a good garrison, served as a check upon the French, and in
some measure restrained the incursions of these barbarians. Not that it
ef