enemy's fleet, consisting of two frigates, two
armed ships, and a great number of smaller vessels. They were no sooner
in motion than the French ships fled in the utmost disorder. One of
their frigates was driven on the rocks above Cape Diamond; the other ran
ashore, and was burned at Point-au-Tremble, about ten leagues above the
town; and all the other vessels were taken or destroyed.

The enemy were so confounded and dispirited by this disaster, and the
certain information that a strong English fleet was already in the
river St. Laurence, that in the following night they raised the siege
of Quebec, and retreated with great precipitation, leaving their
provisions, implements, and artillery to governor Murray, who had
intended to make a vigorous sally in the morning, and attempt to
penetrate into the camp of the besiegers, which, from the information of
prisoners and deserters, he conceived to be a very practicable scheme.
For this purpose he had selected a body of troops, who were already
under arms, when a lieutenant, whom he had sent out with a detachment
to amuse the enemy, came and assured him that their trenches were
abandoned. He instantly marched out of Quebec at the head of his forces,
in hopes of overtaking and making an impression on their rear, that he
might have ample revenge for his late discomfiture; but they had passed
the river Cape Rouge before he could come up with their army: however,
he took some prisoners, and a great quantity of baggage, including their
tents, stores, magazines of provision and ammunition, with thirty-four
pieces of battering cannon, ten field-pieces, six mortars, four petards,
a great number of scaling ladders, intrenching tools, and every other
implement for a siege. They retired to Jaques-Quartiere, where their
ammunition began to fail, and they were abandoned by great part of the
Canadians; so that they resigned all hope of succeeding against Quebec,
and began to take measures for the preservation of Montreal, against
which the force under general Amherst was directed. There M. Vaudreuil
had fixed his head-quarters, and there he proposed to make his last
stand against the efforts of the British general. He not only levied
forces, collected magazines, and erected new fortifications in the
island of Montreal, but he had even recourse to feigned intelligence,
and other arts of delusion, to support the spirits of the Canadians and
their Indian allies, which had begun to flag in con