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Thus did
Massachusetts,
Connecticut, and New
York, having, at that time, each a government consti-
tuted by itself, in the spirit of independence, not only provide for order and tranquillity at home, but, unaided by
England, of themselves plan the invasion of
Acadia and
Canada.
Acadia was soon conquered: before the end of May,
Sir William Phipps, failing to bring seasonable supplies to
Falmouth, sailed to
Port Royal, which readily surrendered.
New England was mistress of the coast to the eastern extremity of
Nova Scotia, though the native hordes of that wilderness still retained their affection for the
French.
While the people of
New England and New York were concerting the grand enterprise of the reduction of
Canada, the
French had, by their successes, inspired the savages with respect, and renewed their intercourse with the west.
But, in August,
Montreal became alarmed.
An Indian announces that an army of
Iroquois and English was busy in constructing canoes on
Lake George; and immediately
Frontenac himself placed the hatchet in the hands of his allies, and, with the tomahawk in his own grasp, old as he was, chanted the war-song, and danced the war-dance On the twenty-ninth of August, it was said that an army had reached
Lake Champlain; but, on the second of September, the spies could observe no trail.
The projected attack by land was defeated by divisions,—Leisler charging
Winthrop of
Connecticut with treachery, and the forces from
Connecticut blaming
Milborne, the commissary of New York, for the insufficiency of the supplies.
But, just as
Frontenac, in the full pride of security,
was preparing to return to
Quebec, he heard that an
