overloaded with supplies, would be difficult to manoeuvre in the light summer wind of which his foe now had the advantage.  The three English privateers bore on towards the French merchantmen, and when within range opened fire.  Far several hours this long-range firing continued.  When it proved ineffective, David Kirke decided to close in on the enemy.  The Abigail crept up to within pistol-shot of Roquemont’s ship, swept round her stern, and poured in a raking broadside.  While the French sailors were still in a state of confusion from the iron storm that had beaten on their deck, the English vessel rounded to and threw out grappling-irons.  Over the side of the French ship leaped Kirke’s pikemen and musketeers.  There was a short fight on the crowded deck; but after Roquemont had been struck down with a wound in his foot and some of his sailors had been killed, he surrendered to avert further bloodshed.  Meanwhile, Lewis and Thomas Kirke had been equally successful in capturing the only two other vessels capable of offering any serious resistance.  The clumsy French merchantmen, though armed, were no match for the staunchly built, well-manned English privateers, and after a few sweeping broadsides they, too, struck their flags.  The remaining craft, incapable of fight or flight, surrendered.  In this, the first naval engagement in the waters of North America, eighteen sail fell into the hands of the Kirkes, with a goodly store of supplies, ammunition, and guns, Alas for the high hopes of Father Lalemant and his fellow-missionaries!—­all were now prisoners and at the mercy of the English and the Huguenots.  Having more vessels than he could man, Kirke unloaded ten of the smallest and burned them.  He then sailed homeward with his prizes, calling on his way at St Pierre Island, where he left a number of his prisoners, among them the Recollet fathers, and at Newfoundland, where he watered and refitted.  When the convoy reached England about the end of September, great was the rejoicing among the Adventurers of Canada.  For had they not crippled the Romish Company of the One Hundred Associates?  And had they not gained, at the same time, a tenfold return of their money?

Meanwhile Quebec was in grave peril.  The colony faced starvation.  There were no vessels on which Champlain with his garrison and the missionaries could leave New France even had he so desired, and there were slight means of resisting the savage Iroquois.  Yet with dogged courage Champlain accepted the situation, hoping that relief would come before the ice formed in the St Lawrence.

But no relief was there to be this year for the anxious watchers at Quebec.  On reaching England Lalemant had regained his liberty, and had hastened to France.  He found that Father Noyrot had a vessel fitted out with supplies for the Canadian mission, and decided to return to Canada with Noyrot on this vessel.  But nature as well as man seemed to be battling against the Jesuits.  As they neared the Gulf of St Lawrence