From these, it appeared that there were twenty-two
ships of the line, besides several frigates, in the harbour of
Louisbourg, and that 7000 troops were in garrison, in what was by far
the strongest fortress on the continent.
Success was now impossible, and the enterprise was abandoned. Loudon,
with his troops, sailed back to New York; and Admiral Holbourne, who
had been joined by four additional ships, sailed for Louisbourg, in
hopes that the French fleet would come out and fight him. He cruised
for some time off the port, but Lamotte, the French admiral, would not
come out.
In September, a tremendous gale burst upon the British fleet: one ship
was dashed on the rocks, a short distance from Louisbourg, and only a
sudden shift of the wind saved the rest from a total destruction. Nine
were dismasted, and others threw their cannon into the sea. Had Lamotte
sailed out on the following day, the English fleet was at his mercy.
Fortunately he did not do so, and Holbourne returned to England.
The French in Canada were aware that Loudon had gathered all his troops
at New York, and was preparing for an expedition, which was to be aided
by a fleet from England; but, thinking it probable that it was directed
against Quebec, the most vital point in Canada, since its occupation by
the English would entirely cut the colony off from France, Montcalm was
obliged to keep his forces in hand near that town, and was unable to
take advantage of the unprotected state in which Loudon had left the
frontier of the colonies.
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