On the 7th Wolfe and the brigadiers had a good look at
every spot round Pointe-aux-Trembles. On the 8th and 9th
the brigadiers were still there; while five transports
sailed past Quebec on the 8th to join Holmes, who commanded
the up-river squadron. Two of Wolfe's brigades were now
on board the transports with Holmes. But the whole three
were needed; and this need at once entailed another
difficulty. A successful landing on the north shore above
Quebec could only be made under cover of the dark; and
Wolfe could not bring the third brigade, under cover of
night, from the island of Orleans and the Point of Levy,
and land it with the other two twenty miles up the river
before daylight. The tidal stream runs up barely five
hours, while it runs down more than seven; and winds are
mostly down. Next, if, instead of sailing, the third
brigade marched twenty miles at night across very rough
country on the south shore, it would arrive later than
ever. Then, only one brigade could be put ashore in boats
at one time in one place, and Bougainville could collect
enough men to hold it in check while he called in
reinforcements at least as fast on the French side as
the British could on theirs. Another thing was that the
wooded country favoured the French defence and hindered
the British attack. Lastly, if Wolfe and Saunders collected
the whole five thousand soldiers and a still larger
squadron and convoy up the river, Montcalm would see the
men and ships being moved from their positions in front
of his Beauport entrenchments, and would hurry to the
threatened shore between Cap Rouge and Pointe-aux-Trembles
almost as soon as the British, and certainly in time to