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 cided the matter. Washington himself, ignorant of the designs of Aristopia, determined to send two expeditions into Canada to cut off the British supplies. One, commanded by Arnold, went through the wilderness of Maine to capture Quebec. The other, commanded by Montgomery, went by way of Lake Champlain to capture Montreal. Both expeditions started in August. The siege of St. John's, on the Sorel River, detained Montgomery's force the whole month of September and part of October.

At last the expedition from Aristopia, hastened by these events, left the station on Niagara River about the first of October. There were ten large and heavily armed vessels and some smaller transports. Capturing Kingston, at the outlet of Lake Ontario, with hardly an effort, the expedition proceeded down the St. Lawrence, and arrived at Montreal without obstruction. Montreal was defended by a force of a few hundred men, not expecting a formidable attack. About two weeks before the arrival of the Aristopian expedition, the brave and fiery, but eccentric and foolhardy, Ethan Allen had attacked the place, with only eighty men. He and his little force were quickly captured. But the formidable expedition of Aris-