but the William having missed the Antelope, made her way to Halifax with
the news of what had occurred.

RECAPTURE OF ST. JOHN'S.

Colville at once sent word to General Amherst, Commander-in-Chief in
America, asking him to forward any troops he could spare, and started,
accompanied by the Gosport, and an armed colonial vessel, the King
George, 20 guns, to cruise off the Newfoundland coast in order to prevent
the arrival of French reinforcements or supplies. He met Graves at
Placentia on 14th August, and landed all the marines he could, and then
continued his cruise. Amherst collected every available man from New
York, Halifax, and Louisberg, and putting them under the command of his
brother, Colonel William Amherst, ordered him to use every despatch and
join Lord Colville without delay. This the Colonel succeeded in doing on
12th September off Cape Spear, and the next day they landed at Torbay,
some three leagues north of St. John's. They drove in the French outposts
and took possession of a small harbour named Quidi Vidi, which had been
blocked at the entrance by the French. Clearing away the obstructions
they landed their stores and some artillery, and advancing on St. John's,
compelled its surrender on the 17th. Notwithstanding that, as Captain
Graves reported, "the French had put St. John's in a better state of
defence than ever we had it in."

On the 16th a strong gale blew the English ship some distance off the
coast, and was followed by a thick fog, during which the French squadron
managed to tow out of the harbour, but were in such a hurry to get away
that they did not stop to pick up their boats and immediately made sail,
being so far out of reach in the morning, that though some of them were
seen by the British, it was not realised that they could be the French