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Donahew, in the meantime, after four hours sailing had made contact with the French vessels up the Bay. There early in the morning of this breezeless June day, the "Resolution" became becalmed and the French and Micmacs in their canoes sought to beguile her into shoal waters, where she would ground and could be boarded. Donahew, however, took in their purpose and managed in spite of the tortuous channel to keep his vessel in deep water. For over two hours the Indians and French surrounded her as the fight continued; rowing as near as they dared to the head and stern of the becalmed ship. Altogether, Donahew fired two hundred rounds from his four pounders; fifty-three rounds from his three pounders, while his swivel and small arms continuously fired on his foe. At one time, the stern of the "Resolute" was down to the water’s edge by the repercussions of his firing. But due, either to the agility of the French and Indians in evading his shots, or to the poor aim of his gunners, not a man was hit. Thus becalmed and in strange, shallow and uncharted waters it was not likely that Donahew could have held out, for sooner or later, the Indians emboldened by his ineffective firing would have boarded him. But just at the opportune time, Jones and Beckwith, who had been alarmed by the sound of continuous cannonade from up the Bay sailed to the rescue. On their approach, the Indians and French hastily retreated into the shallow waters of a creek where they could not be pursued. For three days, the French and the Indians safe behind an ambuscade of trees remained at Tatamagouche. Donahew dare not attack them nor would they again risk combat. On the 19th, hearing a rumor that the British vessels had been reinforced, the French abandoned all hope of escaping from the Harbour. The next day Marin, at a Council-of-War, purposed an ingenious scheme to outwit the English by paddling quietly past them at night under the shadow of the shore. But the Hurons, had had enough. Perhaps, they were already afflicted with the most unheroic of illnesses, nostalgia. For in spite of Marin’s inducements, they were unmoved in their decision to return home. So, at noon the next day taking Pote as their prisoner, they began the long journey by foot and canoe back to their home in Canada. On the 25th of July the reached Quebec. Back |
