In the city they closed and fortified every gate, except the Palace Gate, through which they passed to the bridge or from it.

They had more than a hundred cannon on the walls, a floating battery carried twelve more guns, and big ones too, and they had a lot of gun-boats and fire ships and fire rafts.

They gathered about fifteen thousand men in the Beauport camp, besides Indians, with the regulars in the center, and the militia on the flank.

In addition to these there were a couple of thousand in the city itself under De Ramesay, and I think Montcalm had, all told, near to twenty thousand men, about double our force, though 'tis true many of theirs are militia and we have a powerful fleet.

I suppose their numbers have not decreased, and it's a great task we've undertaken, though I think we'll achieve it." Robert looked again and with great emotion upon Quebec, that heart and soul of the French power in North America.