An Event Chronology Based on Louisbourg Accounts Not Available in the Archives of the Fortress of Louisbourg, By Eric Krause, Krause House Info-Research Solutions, 2004 - Present

1711

•   1711

[1711]

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In the Longitude of Caoe Race, different Reckonings in or Ships from Cape Breton, Canso, & Boston, differ 2 Degrees (on Accunt of the Currents), and more than Reckonings from Europe. At a Medium they make it in Longt. 53°.57'. Durrell's Survey makes it in 64°.9' & Chabert's in 53°.2' by its Distance from C. Raye: the Mean between them is 53°.35'.30": which is exactly the Mean o the Reckonings of our Ships of War from England.

C. St. Mary's they make 1°.20' West of C. Race; and St. John's Harbour 35' or 40' East of it ...

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In the Northern Seas we have no such good Accounts of the Currents and Navigation, nor Reckonings of the Longitude. The Strong Currents about C. Race, Cape Breton & Canso make the Longitude of C. Race, if not of C. Sable, very uncertain. Some Observe a Current the whole way from Canso to St. George's Bank in Lat. Obs. 41°.54'. Setting S.W. 9 or 10 Ms. an hour; and a strong one off Chebucto. The Tides of St. Georges Bank, and the strong Tides into the Bay of Fundy are well know[n]. ...

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Quebec by these and all other Accounts, which make C. Gaspee N. 54° Wt. 60 Leagues from St. Pauls. So in the Comet 1748 they Observed the Latitude of Labrador Entrance 46°.31'. In 1711, our Fleet lay in Spanish River and make it in Lat. 46°.24' by a good Observation in the Enterprise. In the Sapphire they took the Bearings of Spanish River very particularly, and make C. North bear from it N.N.E. At the same time (1711), they Observed the Variation in the Leopard by several Amplitudes 16°.30' West. Whence C. North bears from Spanish R. N. 6° E. But Mr. Chabert makes it bear N. 5° or 6° Wt. and makes St. Anne's by observation in Lat. 46°.21' to the Southward of the Observations both at Labrador & Spanish Rivr. There is a difference here then of a whole point of ye. Compass in the Bearing, and of 10 or 12 min. Lat. in positive Observations, which makes a Considerable mistake on one side or other. We cannot tell which. But as these Observations in our Ships agree with all our Draughts both French & English, we have let them stand till farther Information. Altho, St. Annes is perhaps farther South ...

[Source: John Mitchell's Map, seventh sheet, 2nd edition, c. 1757  in http://www.usm.maine.edu/~maps/mitchell/history3.html ]

• Sept. 12, 1711

Sept. 12, 1711

From on Board Her Majesty's Ship the Edgar, in Spanish River-Bay, Sept. 12, 1711

I wrote to you by the Humber Man of War  an Account of our Proceedings; we being then in our Passage to Quebec, my Letter bearing date the 14th of August last off of Bird-Island. I there took Notice of the Difficulties reported of the River Canada, which, by Experience, we have found too true, as you may see by what follows On the 18th of August, the Wind blowing fresh at N. W. we put into Gaspe Bay, where we staid till the 20th, being afraid of losing Company with the Transports that might be blown to Leeward; but having got all of them together, we proceeded up part of the River of Canada, which is 130 Leagues lung to Quebec, from the Mouth of it ...

After the Disaster aforefaid, we cotinued thereabouts two or three Days, seeing what Men and other thing we could could [sic] get from the Shore, after which it was determined, by a Consultation of Sea Officers, to return back to some Bay or Harbour, where the Fleet might safely ride till a further Resolution should be taken. Accordingly on the 4th of September, we arrived in the Spanish Rive-Bay, and the General and Admiral call'd a Council of War of Land and Sea Officers, who, considering we had but Ten Weeks Provisions for the Fleet and Army, and that the Navigation in these Parts of the World being so bad and dangerous, that at this time of the Year we could not depend upon a supply of Provisions from New England, it was unanimously agreed to return home without making further Attempts elsewhere. Thus has been our Expedition disappointed by insuperable Difficulties. The Saphire was sent to Boston, and the Montague was ordered to endeavour to find the Humber and Devonshire, which, as I told you in my last, were ordered to Cruise off Cape Britton ; but not meeting with them, we found her at Anchor off of this Place. The Enterprife and Triton Prize joyned us here the 10th inftant; the former being ordered to Convoy the New-England Ships which were to carry the Forces detached by the General to garrison Annapolis Royal. The Men of War which are now with us, are the Edgar, Swiftsure, Monmouth, Windsor, Montagu, Dunkirk, Kingston, and Sunderland. The Leopard is ordered immediately to sail for England, with Colonel Clayton on Board, whom General Hill fends an Express to Court. Our Land Forces were in so good a Condition, that I do not hear of the Death of any Captain but one since our Imbarkation, to the time of the loss of our Tranfports ...

[Quadriennium Annae Postremum, or the The Political State of Great Britain Volumes 1-2, for the year MDCC XI (London, 1718), Volume 2, p.  568-569]