They reached the southern end of the beautiful lake, which hitherto had received no English name, and was now first called Lake George in honour of the king.  The men set to work, and felled trees until they had cleared a sufficient extent of ground for their camp, by the edge of the water, and posted themselves with their back to the lake.  In their front was a forest of pitch pine, on their right a marsh covered with thick brush wood, on their left a low hill.  Things went on in the same leisurely way which had marked the progress of the expedition.

No attempt was made to clear away the forest in front, although it would afford excellent cover for any enemy who might attack them, nor were any efforts made to discover the whereabouts or intention of the enemy.  Every day waggons came up with provisions and boats.

On September 7th, an Indian scout arrived about sunset, and reported that he had found the trail of a body of men moving from South Bay, the southern extremity of Lake Champlain, towards Fort Lyman.  Johnson called for a volunteer to carry a letter of warning to Colonel Blanchard.  A waggoner named Adams offered to undertake the perilous service, and rode off with the letter.  Sentries were posted, and the camp fell asleep.

While Johnson had been taking his leisure on Lake George, the commander of the French force, a German baron named Dieskau, was preparing a surprise for him.  He had reached Crown Point at the head of 3573 men—­regulars, Canadians, and Indians—­and he at once moved forward, with the greater portion of his command, on Cariolon, or, as it was afterwards called, Ticonderoga, a promontory at the junction of Lake George with Lake Champlain, where he would bar the advance of the English, whichever road they might take.

The Indians with the French caused great trouble to their commander, doing nothing but feast and sleep, but, on September 4th, a party of them came in bringing a scalp and an English prisoner, caught near Fort Lyman.

He was questioned, under the threat of being given over to the Indians to torture, if he did not tell the truth, but the brave fellow, thinking he should lead the enemy into a trap, told them that the English army had fallen back to Albany, leaving 500 men at Fort Lyman, which he represented as being entirely indefensible.

Dieskau at once determined to attack that place, and, with 216 regulars of the battalions of Languedoc and La Reine, 684 Canadians, and about 600 Indians, started in canoes and advanced up Lake Champlain, till they came to the end of South Bay.  Each officer and man carried provisions for eight days in his knapsack.

Two days’ march brought them to within three miles of Fort Lyman, and they encamped close to the road which led to Lake George.  Just after they had encamped, a man rode by on horseback.  It was Adams, Johnson’s messenger.  He was shot by the Indians, and the letter found upon him.  Soon afterwards, ten or twelve waggons appeared, in charge of ammunition drivers who had left the English camp without orders.