Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1753-1761. 97

every Part of the said Expedition into Execution at one and
the same time was Sufficient, or whether any Less or Greater
Number might be Sufficient to Do it.

His Excellency then Observed to the Council that if the
beforementioned Attempts for the Reduction of the French
Forts and Settlements upon the Lake & the Ohio, & Crown
Point should not be made at the same time but one of them
only Carried on at a time these Dangers would ensue, Viz^t
If an Attempt should be made upon the Lake Ontario for the
Reduction of the Forts at Cataraqui & Niagara &c. without
any against Crown Point the French would either bend the
Chief part of the whole Force of Canada to Oppose it, in
which Case so large a Body of Troops would be required to
encounter it there as would make the Transportation of them
& their Stores & Provisions to Oswego, in time almost im-
practicable or else the French would Muster so Strong a
Force against Albany as might take it and by that means
Likewise Cutt of all Communication between it and the
Forces at Oswego which must Receive its whole Support of
Stores and Provisions from thence
On the other hand if an Attempt should be made for the
Reduction of Crown Point only and not against Fort Cata-
raqui, Niagara &c. at the same time Oswego which from the
Intelligence gained at that Place appears to be the great Ob-
ject of the French, would be in danger of being lost to them
in Case they should bend their Principal Force against it
which Loss would be an irretriveable one to the English, as
it would not only be Loss, of the Country as far as Albany
together with the Six Nations but give the French the Do-
minion of the Great Lakes and the whole Southern Country.
His Excellency then acquainted the Council that imme-
diately before his Departure from Oswego as well as Since
he has had Received Intelligence that the French are Build-
ing at least three large Vessels of Force in the Harbour of
Cataraqui which together with those they had already built
will be much Superior to those built by us, on the Lake,
whereupon he likewise desires the Opinion & Advice of the
Council Concerning his Causing more Vessels to be built
and of a Larger Force upon the Lake than what his Majesty

Lib. J. R.,
& U. S.

hath there already and how many such Vessels it is Neces-
sary to have built for gaining the Mastery of that Lake

The Council after taking the Several Matters into Con-
sideration gave it as their unanimous opinion. I^st That it is
most essentially necessary at all to Secure the Navigation of
the Lake Ontario, and from the Intelligence the General has
Informed them he has already Received of Vessels Building-

p. 79