But this new house at Oswego will make a stand that will embolden our Five nations, & will not easily be taken without great Cannon, the wall being four foot thick of good large stone, and it is repreme that the French cannot bring large cannon against it, since they have no way but come up from Montreal to the Lake against a Violent stream, all full of Rifts & Falls & Shallows, where they are forced to set up with poles most part of the way in light Canoes, or Battoes, & if they had cannon to carry, it is thought they could not set them along, & by land sented to

to

over precipices

it is

all

that

it is

& mountains, and Rivers

to cross

on both sides of the great

river, so

not believed practicable for them to bring battering Cannon any way. The French have a Fort on the Lake at Cadaraqui, where the biggest Guns they have are patereros, that one man can carry about in liis arms So that probably they could bring no bigger thither. I have had a report from some New England captives lately redeemed from Canada that the Governour of Canada was preparing 400 French & 800 Indians to attack this Fort. But there is reason

to believe that this is more given out to intimidate us than really intended,

and when I charged the Governour of trois Rivieres with it he utterly denyed it, but J thought I had ground enough to hint