Some days afterwards they reached Perce, and a little later entered Gaspe Bay.  Roquemont was here informed by the savages that five large English vessels were anchored in Tadousac harbour.  It was the fleet of David Kirke,[27] who was going to make an assault on Quebec, after having devastated the Acadian coast.  Roquemont at once sent Thierry-Desdames to St. Barnabe Island, where he had intended to go himself.  Roquemont left Gaspe on July 15th, 1628, and proceeded up the St. Lawrence, hoping that he would be able to escape his powerful enemies, as the French vessels were not properly armed for a regular fight.  Unhappily, on the eighteenth the French came within cannon shot of the British fleet.  For a period of fourteen hours the vessels cannonaded each other, and over twelve hundred shots were exchanged.  The French having exhausted their stock of balls used the lead of their fishing poles instead.  Finally Roquemont perceived that his vessel was sinking, and asked for a compromise.  It was decided that no penalties should be exacted, and that the English admiral should take possession of the ships.  The French crews were taken on board the British vessels, which continued their route for England.  The British commander soon realized that he had too many persons on board, and some of the families and the Recollet fathers were put off on the Island of St. Peter.  Among the families were a Parisian named Le Faucheur, who with his wife and five children were bound for Quebec, Robert Giffard, surgeon, his wife and three girls, and fifteen or sixteen sailors.  Kirke left them to the mercy of God on this island with some provisions and a small Basque vessel.

The Basques who were hidden in the mountains came down upon the French after the English were out of sight, and threatened to kill them if they attempted to escape in their vessel.  They at last agreed to allow them to go elsewhere in consideration of a certain amount of biscuit and cider.  They all embarked in a frail shallop, and eventually arrived at Plaisance on the coast of Newfoundland, where some French fishermen conducted them to France.

Some writers have blamed Roquemont for avoiding a fight.  His conduct is pardonable, however, to a certain extent, because his mission was not one of war, but to carry provisions to the colony, and he had armed his vessels only for any ordinary attack.  Others, like Champlain, thought that Roquemont had unnecessarily exposed himself, and blame him for the following reasons:—­(1.) The equipment was made out for helping the fort and habitation of Quebec.  In going forward Roquemont not only exposed himself to a loss, but also the whole country, that is to say about one hundred persons who were in distress. (2.) At Gaspe he was made aware that the English admiral had proceeded up the St. Lawrence in command of a fleet much more powerful than his own.  He ought, therefore, to have taken the advice of his mariners in order to ascertain whether there was not a safe