58 TOURING QUEBEC AND THE MARITIMES

mainland of Nova Scotia was ceded to Britain, France determined to build a fortified town. Louisburg was built and so named in honour of the French King. From its strategic position at the entrance to the Gulf of St. Law- rence, it was a strong outpost, guarding the way to Quebec, where the power of New France was centred, and it soon became, as it was intended to be, a menace to the English colonies on the Atlantic coast to the south. It grew to be a great centreport of trade and commerce. At the height of its prosperity, Louisburg had a population, apart from the garrison, of over 3,000. The fisheries 0f the island were immensely valuable, and it is questionable whether under English occupation they have ever reached the production attained by the French. The shores of the harbour were lined with the houses and stages of the fishermen, and the port would be crowded at times with many vessels arriving from France, Canada, the West Indies and the New England colonies. .

The French spent a fabulous fortune fortifying the place, which made it the “Dunkirk of America.” It was considered impregnable; but in 1745 it fell before the attacks of 4,000 New England volunteers and militiamen under Pepperell, aided by a British fleet under Warren. The motto on Pepperell’s flag, “Nil desperandum Christi duce” was composed by the famous preacher, Whitefield.

At Louisburg we saw the monument erected by “The Society of Colonial Wars,” t0 the memory of the New England soldiers, killed at Louisburg during the siege of I745-

Louisburg was restored to France in 1748 by the treaty of Aix—La-Chapelle, and again in 1758 was besieged by General Amherst with 13,000 men. The naval operations were in command of Admiral Boscawen. In this siege, General Wolfe was one of Amherst’s brigadiers, and estab-