At daylight Drucour made a thorough inspection of the
walls, while the only four serviceable cannon left fired
slowly on, as if for the funeral of Louisbourg. The
British looked stronger than ever, and so close in that
their sharpshooters could pick off the French gunners
from the foot of the glacis. The best of the French
diarists made this despairing entry: 'Not a house in the
whole place but has felt the force of their cannonade.
Between yesterday morning and seven o'clock to-night from
a thousand to twelve hundred shells have fallen inside
the town, while at least forty cannon have been firing
incessantly as well. The surgeons have to run at many a
cry of 'Ware Shell! for fear lest they should share the
patients' fate.' Amherst had offered to spare the island
or any one of the French ships if Drucour would put his
hospital in either place. But, for some unexplained
reason, Drucour declined the offer; though Amherst pointed
out that no spot within so small a target as Louisbourg
itself could possibly be made immune by any gunners in
the world.

Reduced to the last extremity, the French council of war
decided to ask for terms. Boscawen and Amherst replied
that the whole garrison must surrender in an hour. Drucour
sent back to beg for better terms. But the second British
answer was even sterner--complete surrender, yes or no,
in half an hour. Resentment still ran high against the
French for the massacre at Fort William Henry the year
before. The actual massacre had been the work of drunken