October the first news of the disaster arrived and then it was
easy for Quebec to believe that God had struck the English
wretches with a terrible vengeance. Three thousand men, it was
said, had reached land and then perished miserably. Many bodies
had been found naked and in attitudes of despair. Other thousands
had perished in the water. Vessel-loads of spoil had been
gathered, rich plate, beautiful swords, magnificent clothing,
gold, silver, jewels. The truth seems to be that some weeks after
the disaster the evidences of the wrecks were discovered. Even to
this day ships are battered to pieces in those rock-strewn waters
and no one survives to tell the story. Some fishermen landing on
the island had found human bodies, dead horses and other animals,
and the hulls of seven ships. They had gathered some
wreckage--and that was the whole story. Quebec sang Te Deum. From
attacks by sea there had now been two escapes which showed God's
love for Canada. In the little church of Notre Dame des
Victoires, consecrated at that time to the memory of the
deliverance from Phips and Walker, daily prayers are still poured
out for the well-being of Canada. God had been a present help on
land as well as on the sea. Nicholson, with more than two
thousand men, had been waiting at his camp near Lake Champlain to
descend on Montreal as soon as Walker reached Quebec. When he
received the news of the disaster he broke up his force and
retired. For the moment Canada was safe from the threatened
invasion.

In spite of this apparent deliverance, the long war, now near its
end, brought a destructive blow to French power in America.
Though France still possessed vigor and resources which her
enemies were apt to underrate, the war had gone against her in