The news of the departure of the English fleet took some days to reach Quebec, where the minds of the inhabitants were divided between hope and fear.  Champlain was determined to await the arrival of the enemy, and to defend Quebec, without considering its weakness.  Every one began to work to construct new intrenchments around the habitation, and to barricade the road which led to the fort.  Each was given a post in the event of an attack, and a defence was determined upon.  Later on Champlain was informed of Roquemont’s fate and of Kirke’s departure.

The English were, indeed, well compensated for their abandonment of Quebec, for the seizure of the vessels and their provisions was equivalent to the capture of the French colony, since famine threatened them sooner or later.  In attacking Quebec Kirke, indeed, would have met with but little opposition, because every one was suffering.  Those who were unable to live from the product of their own lands were compelled to ask assistance from the trade agents.  Champlain ordered a distribution of pease to be made to each person indiscriminately.  The Recollets refused any assistance, and they passed the whole winter subsisting on corn and vegetables of their own cultivation.  Champlain succeeded in building a mill for grinding pease.  The eel fisheries were productive, and the Indians bought from the French six eels for a beaver skin.  In the midst of these perplexities Champlain realized that unless assistance was forthcoming in the spring, it would be advisable for him to accept an honourable capitulation, and to send all the French who wished to return to their country, either to Gaspe or to Miscou.

As soon as the snow had disappeared in the spring of the year 1629, Champlain caused all the arable land to be sown.  By the end of May his stock of provisions was nearly exhausted, and he therefore decided to send Desdames to Gaspe with a group of the inhabitants.  Hubou, Desportes and Pivert took passage on Desdames’ barque, hoping to meet a French vessel at Gaspe.  One month later Desdames returned, and confirmed the news that the English vessels had devastated the Acadian coast, and burnt the habitations.  Neither Desdames nor his party had seen any French vessel in the gulf, but they had met Iuan Chou, a friend of Champlain, who had agreed to give hospitality to twenty persons, including Pont-Grave, by whom he was greatly esteemed.  The latter was still suffering from gout, and it was with some reluctance that he agreed to leave his position as first clerk, empowered by Guillaume de Caen to take care of the merchandise.  Des Marets, who was Pont-Grave’s grandson, accepted his position in the interim.