Two Louisbourg items went on the auction block last week at Sotheby’s and there was great interest among those of us who follow such things. One was a map and the other a previously unseen journal of the 1758 siege (or rather of its aftermath) as recorded by an anonymous officer in the Cambis Regiment. The map went to a private buyer, but the journal — in a move that completely surprised everyone I know — was purchased by the Government of Canada. Well done! The journal will end up with Library and Archives Canada. Here’s hoping LAC makes a digital version available so all interested can have a look. Presumably, the journal had never been sent by the Cambis officer to any higher up French officials, because it then would have ended up in a French archives. The diary must have remained in his family for a while, perhaps 250 years. This is a major new source, and one that is likely to shed light on what happened at Louisbourg after the surrender and then during the crossing overseas.