ten Minutes after, upwards of 1000 French and Indians appeared upon the Beech, and drew up in a Line three deep, reaching almost a Mile, and gave the Boats a Volley, some of their Shot droping

within 5 yards of them

:

That they fired about five Minutes, when the Boat gave them another Fire,

three Huzza's & row'd ofi', and returned to Oswego about 5 o'clock That the three Vessels were returned from a Cruize of about two weeks, but have made no Discoveries And that another, and :

:

more formidable Attack was hourly Expected. Albany June 27. 1756.

Harkamers Son came down from Oswego, with Letters from Col. Merser, for General Shirley He says, there had been a smart Skirmish at Fort Ontario that a Body of about a thousand French and Indians had attacked the Fort, but were beat off by Colonel Schuyler, and those that were in Garrison there, after an engagement of two Hours; that Col. Schuyler lost 26. Men and the Friday

last

;

:

Regulars, 6.

EARLY NAVAL OPERATIONS ON LAKE ONTARIO. [

From the same. ] His Majesty's Sloop Oswego; i Oswego, July 2d, 1756.

I have been out with Commodore Bradley on two cruises.

On the first we were out twelve days,

endeavoring to get to Niagara, but the wind blowing constantly from the westward, were forced to return, having made no discovery but what related to a further knowledge of the Lake.

Last Wednesday, seven nights, we sailed on a second cruise, and the Sunday following, at day dawn, as we were steering a course for Oswego, (having promised Col. Mercer to return off the harbor in four days,) we saw four sail of French vessels, from whom we were glad to