most important duties to work her under the Captain's orders when in
action.

A few days before this attack on Beauport was made, the French again paid
the fleet the undesired attention of a large fire raft composed of
several small vessels chained together and laden with all sorts of
combustibles--shells, guns loaded to the muzzle, tar barrels, etc., and
again this was grappled by the boats and towed away to a place of safety;
and then Wolfe, sending in a flag of truce the next morning, said that if
the performance were repeated he should cause the instrument of
destruction to be towed alongside two ships in which he had Canadian
prisoners, and there let it do its worst. This somewhat cold-blooded
threat was sufficient, and the experiment was not repeated.

A NARROW ESCAPE.

During the time the fleet was occupying the Basin, the Masters of the
ships were constantly out making observations and sounding, partly for
the necessities of the fleet and partly to throw dust in the eyes of the
French; and on one occasion Cook had a narrow escape from capture, his
men had to row for it to get away from the enemy, and reaching the Isle
of Orleans landed just in time, for as Cook, the last man, sprang ashore
from the bows an Indian boarded over the stern. The hospital picket
turned out, and the French retreated. His friend, Mr. Bissett, was not so
fortunate, being taken prisoner on 7th July whilst sounding in the north
channel; but he was either exchanged or escaped, for he was only absent
from his ship for a few days.

Wolfe, who was almost always ailing, had an attack of fever, and the
worry of the repulse at Beauport rendered him incapable of duty for some