All the
British admirals and generals were present on parade as
Drucour stepped forward, saluted, and handed his sword
to Boscawen. His officers followed his example. Then the
troops laid down their arms, in the ranks as they stood,
many dashing down their muskets with a muttered curse.
The French--naval, military, and civilian--were soon
embarked. The curse of Louisbourg followed most of them,
in one form or another. The combatants were coldly received
when they eventually returned to France, in spite of
their gallant defence, and in spite of their having saved
Quebec for that campaign. Several hundreds of the
inhabitants were shipwrecked and drowned. One transport
was abandoned off the coast of Prince Edward Island, with
the loss of two hundred lives. Another sprang a leak as
she was nearing England; whereupon, to their eternal
dishonour, the crew of British merchant seamen took all
the boats and started to pull off alone. The three hundred
French prisoners, men, women, and children, crowded the
ship's side and begged that, if they were themselves to
be abandoned, their priest should be saved.
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