"They surely don't mean to be fools enough to march across the ice to attack us in broad daylight." "It looks to me," James replied, "as if they wanted to make a full show of their force.

See, there is a white flag, and a party are coming forward." An officer and several men advanced towards the fort, and Major Eyre sent out one of his officers, with an equal number of men, to meet them.

There was a short parley when the parties came together, and then the French officer advanced towards the fort with the English, his followers remaining on the ice.
On nearing the fort, the French officer, Le Mercier, chief of the Canadian artillery, was blindfolded, and led to the room where Major Eyre, with all the British officers, was awaiting him.

The handkerchief was then removed from his eyes, and he announced to the commandant that he was the bearer of a message from the officer commanding the French force, who, being desirous of avoiding an effusion of blood, begged the English commander to abstain from resistance, which, against a force so superior to his own, could but be useless.

He offered the most favourable terms, if he would surrender the place peaceably, but said that if he were driven to make an assault, his Indian allies would unquestionably massacre the whole garrison.
Major Eyre quietly replied that he intended to defend himself to the utmost.
The envoy was again blindfolded.