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 i 
 
 L'ACADIE; 
 
 OR, 
 
 SEVEN YEARS' EXPLORATIONS 
 
 IN 
 
 BRITISH AMERICA. 
 
 BY 
 
 SIR JAMES E. ALEXANDER, K.LS, k K. St. J., 
 
 ON THE STA.K OK „f. THK CO«M*NI.rK .K TIIK P,„rK, „ r,,,„,. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES . 
 VOL. L 
 
 LONDON: 
 HENRY COLBURN. PUBLISHER, 
 
 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 
 
 1849. 
 
 
 
^ C C- 
 
 27:i8i2 
 
 f/Uii\NP( ^, ^> 
 
 LONDONt 
 
 Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street. 
 
 4 
 
 X 
 
TO 
 
 t 
 
 SIB CHARLES FORBES, 
 
 OF NEW AND EDIN6LASSIE, 
 
 BARONET, 
 
 &C. &C. &C. 
 
 1 ! 
 
 i! 
 
 !; 
 
 THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED, 
 
 IN TESTIMONY OF THE ESTEEM 
 
 AND THE GRATITUDE OF 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 « V 
 
 n 
 
 ' '■ u 
 
 m 
 
 i., 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ! 
 
 L'ACADIE of the French, in North America, 
 was understood to comprehend Nova Scotia, 
 New Brunswick, and part of Canada; it has 
 been adopted as the title of this Work, as in the 
 American " Acadia" were made the surveys and 
 explorations, in which the author assisted, for 
 the proposed Great Military Road to connect 
 the British North American provinces. 
 
 The present record of experiences, during 
 seven years' service, wiU, it is to be hoped, be 
 found to contain information which may tend to 
 the advancement of Her Majesty's service in the 
 Colonies, describe new fields for systematic colo- 
 nization, and also furnish subjects of varied 
 interest for the general reader. 
 
 Having contributed one or two articles on 
 military matters to the United Service Maga- 
 
 
 \ 
 
 
 ' 
 
 
 « 
 
 \ w 
 
 ' 11 
 
 i :ili 
 
 n :« 
 
 !*• , 
 
'I 
 
 ?l 
 
 ▼i PREFACE. 
 
 zine, the Author has incorporutcd them with 
 the present narrative, which he compiled during 
 the leisure of a long Canadian winter, and 
 which was terminated by some very remarkable 
 occurrences. 
 
 SoREL, Canada, 
 March, 184U. 
 
 ..-r 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 VOL. I, 
 
 VIEW OF KINGSTON 
 
 y VIGNETTE — BEAVER AND MAPLE-BRANCH 
 
 J 
 
 SKETCH-MAP OF CANADA WEST 
 
 VIEW OF LONDON, CANADA WEST 
 
 Frrnitiitpiece. 
 
 . Title-page, 
 
 To face page 131 
 
 I, •• loo 
 
 VOL. H. 
 
 / FOREST CAMP Frontispiece. 
 
 </ SKETCH-MAP OF NEW BRUNSWICK . To foce page 27 
 
 J GRAND FALLS „ „ 69 
 
 w VIEW ON THE MIRAMICHI . . . „ „ 162 
 
 J CHAMBLY „ „ 243 
 
 ^ GROUND PLAN OF THE ST. LOUIS THEATRE . . 283 
 
 t'l 
 
 
 fi I 
 
 tf^'Ai -k»»*i^'^*' 
 
 ■X. \ ... 
 
! ! 
 
 I l< 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 1= 
 
 OF THB 
 
 FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 'i 
 
 V 
 
 Sail for America in a transport — Life on board — Ice- 
 bergs — Fish on the banks — A narrow escape — Dan- 
 ger of intoxication at sea — A ship badly found — A 
 magnificent Aurora Borealis — Enter the great River 
 St. Lawrence — Nearly run on the rocks — Pass Que- 
 bec and Montreal — Steam up the Ottawa — By the 
 Rideau Canal reach Kingston — The first session of 
 the United Canadas . . . .1 
 
 CHAFfER II. 
 
 
 HI 
 
 
 Colonel Everard — Author's post at Point Frederick — 
 Practice of athletic exercises — Lord Sydenham — Din- 
 ner at Government House — The old Trapper — A 
 dangerou" squall on the Lake of the Thousand Islands 
 — A regatta — Races — General Clitherow — Aquatic 
 
 S .1 
 
 "i 
 
 
 !»"*■*«».♦' »^***»^w».^^_ 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 sports — Indian mode of discovering the drowned — 
 Athletic games . . . .15 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 On bush-fighting — Light Infantry drill — A word on 
 dress — Equipment for troops on service — Practice in 
 the Bush — Correct loading— Effect of hunting large 
 animals — The rifle and smooth barrel . compared — 
 Rules for bush-fighting — An Indian in the bush — 
 Gymnastics — The bayonet exercise — How to deal 
 with wild spirits — The pike — Night attacks — Retreat 
 through the bush — The Burman stockades — Mounted 
 riflemen — Cavalry in Canada — Obstacles — Defence of 
 posts — Demeanour of an oflicer . . 29 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Visit to the Kingston Penitentiary — A female horse- 
 stealer — Evening parties — The eccentric Sheriff — 
 His adventure in a stage-coach — A smell of powder 
 in the air — The sympathisers attempt to blow up two 
 war steamers — Dreadful accident to Lord Sydenham 
 — His last illness and death — The Rev. W. Agar 
 Adamson — Funeral of the late Governor-General — 
 Under-sheriff Macleod's case — Proposal to liberate 
 him — Author prepares to leave for New York . 53 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Embark in the * Oneida' steamer — A bad habit — Strange 
 phraseology — Sackett's harbour — Oswego — The fort 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xi 
 
 — Passage in a canal-boat — Conversation with Ame- 
 ricans — Syracuse — Story of a trunk — American sol- 
 diers — General Scott — Albany — Steam down the 
 Hudson in the 'Troy' — Arrive at New York — The 
 Globe hotel — Meet old friends — The Mansion House 
 Employment of time — Amusements — The champion 
 Caunt — Washington Irving — Political strife — Mr. J. 
 Russell Bartlett— Mr. Albert Gallatin— The Docks— 
 The House of Refuge— The U.S. ship ' North Caro- 
 lina' — Audubon, the naturalist . , .68 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Instructive evenings — The Welsh Indians — The com- 
 panion of Silvio Pellico — MiUtary display on " Eva- 
 cuation day" — Dinner to the Prince de Joinville — 
 Popular preachers — The public schools — Dinner to 
 Lord Morpeth — St. Andrew's dinner — Awkward en- 
 counter — Law Courts — Freeman, the young giant — 
 Disputed boundaries — Lectures — Dr. Sparks — Dr. 
 Lardner — Fanny Elsler . . . .88 
 
 M. 
 
 
 11! 
 
 1^ 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 His Excellency Sir Charles Bagot — New Years' visits — 
 The British Consul — American wives — Suppers — 
 Servants — The Battle of New Orleans, at the Bowery 
 Theatre — Fight between an American and an Irish- 
 man — Visit Governor's Island — A British deserter — 
 Off the doctor's list, and prepare to leave New 
 York . . . . .109 
 
 
 iir-i 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Arrive at Newhaven — Reach Albany — Return to 
 Kingston — Anecdote of an American " Boots" — 
 More independence — Brigade days — The Governor- 
 General — The United Service Ball — Visit the Lake 
 of the Mountain and the Bay of Quinte — Mr. 
 Charles Dickens at Kingston — Visit the scene of 
 the affair at Windmill Point — Leave Kingston — 
 — Sail for Toronto and Hamilton — The march — A 
 word to gentlemen settlers — Arrive at London, Ca- 
 nada West . . . . .119 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Colonel G. A. Wetherall, C.B., K.H. — London, Canada 
 West — Occupations there — Leave London for Hamil- 
 ton — Visit the Talbot settlement and its founder — 
 Colonel Talbot is visited by the Americans — His man 
 Jeffreys — Singular exit — Continue the journey along 
 the shores of Lake Erie — A London citizen in the 
 bush — The village of Simcoe — Cheap living — Roguery 
 of innkeepers — Management of bees — Stoney creek — 
 Arrive at Hamilton — Return to London — Amuse- 
 ments — Brigade days — Anecdote of Washington and 
 a British Colonel . . . .137 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Desertion in Canada — How facilitated — Proposals for 
 prevention — Some regiments exempt from the crime 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Xlll 
 
 — Miseries of deserters — Anecdote of a swimmer- 
 Causes of discontent — National corps and county 
 regiments — Reasons for desertion — Want of uniform- 
 ity in punishments — Notions regarding a command- 
 ing officer — Indulgences — Schools — Athletic games 
 Ball firing — Public works — Monotony the chief cause 
 of desertion — Good effects of Temperance Societies 
 and Savings' Banks — Effects of addresses on sol- 
 diers ...... 156 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 if 
 
 ; If 
 
 '.i 
 
 ' ! 
 
 Beauty of the Canadian morning — Amusements of the 
 officers — Setting in of the winter — The officer's win- 
 ter coat — The sleigh-meets — Prepare for a sleigh 
 drive to the Falls of Niagara — Route to Brantford — 
 Night adventure — Canadian living and servants — 
 A necdotes — Indian thieves — Hamilton — Teetotalism 
 — A drunkard outwitted — The battle-field of Stoney 
 Creek — A dry old Yankee — Falls of Niagara in win- 
 ter — The water rockets — Proposal to pass over the 
 Falls — A thaw and its effects — The Clifton Hotel — 
 The battle-field of Lundy's Lane . .180 
 
 11^ 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Perils of a resurrectionist — Dangerous predica- 
 ment — Absurd occurrence at Bully's Acre — Rat- 
 tlesnake fat — Manner of obtaining it — Cross the 
 
 
XIV 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 M 
 
 t f/i I 
 
 Niagara River — Pillars of ice — Scramble over the ice 
 to Prospect Tower — The whirlpool — Bodies of de- 
 serters — Tlie Devil's Hole — Continue our journey — 
 Accidents — ^Tricks on travellers — Smuggling — Wel- 
 lington square — Toronto — An assembly — The colleges 
 — ^Terrestrial magnetism — The fight of Gallow's Hill — 
 Winter dress of 83d officers — Curling — Drumsnab— 
 Leave Toronto — Summer and Winter travelling — The 
 Lake steamers — A wharf carried oflF — Talkers — 
 Frosted silver — Hunting — Wooden bridges — Return 
 to the city of Stumps . . . . 208 
 
 CHAPTER Xin. 
 
 A ball — A carnival on sleighs — Excursion to Goderich 
 —The Bachelor and the Wolverine — Goderich on 
 Lake Huron — German settlers — An escape from 
 suffocation — ^The frozen mother and child — Dr. 
 Dunlop — Fishing in winter — The frozen fisherman 
 — ^Return to London — The Brigadier leaves for Eng- 
 land — Garrison theatricals — Grand Military steeple- 
 chase — Deer-hunting . . . .237 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Canadian woods in summer — ^Equip for a water hunt — 
 The Canadian Thames — Scofield — The pitcher plant 
 —Effects of gambling — Pixley the hunter — Prepare 
 the canoes — Pole up the stream — Denizens of the 
 forest— The red men— A black bear — The jack light 
 
 Ml' '4 
 
 w 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XV 
 
 — Glide down the stream by night — The deer in the 
 water — Fight with a deer — The plague of flies in 
 summer ..... 253 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 i( 
 
 tl 
 
 tlM 
 
 Summer excursion to Goderich — The new pier — Fishing 
 — Visit Mr. Sheriff Hyndman — Excursion to the 
 Falls of the Thames — Canadian whisky — Contem- 
 plate an extensive expedition — A sudden route, 
 and its expensive consequences — Volunteer for court- 
 martial duty — Journey to Hamilton — The Niagara 
 host — The court-martial — The U. S. Fort Niagara 
 
 — Good feeling between American and British 
 officers — Stories of American duels — Brock's monu- 
 ment — Return to Hamilton — Netherwood — Ex- 
 cursion up the Niagara River — Fort Erie — Buffalo 
 
 — Visit an American barrack — A boat story — 
 A British patriot — Reach Kingston — Amherstburgh 
 — Penetanguishine . . . .269 
 
 n 
 
 ' I 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Major General Sir Richard Armstrong — Facilities for 
 desertion at Kingston — ^The treaty of Washington — A 
 corporal and private desert — Are pursued, captured, 
 and escape again — Author follows them to Watertown 
 U. S. — Return to French Creek — Bill Johnston, the 
 smuggler — The fugitives are arrested — Civihty of a 
 countryman — Sympathizers at Watertown — Visit to 
 
 
 i ^ ^ -I 
 
 i Mi 
 
XVI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 the Black River Institution, &c. — A Lynching story — 
 Examination of the deserters — Strange examination 
 of the prosecutor — The use of masonry — A repeal 
 meeting — A wedding — A Lecture on Female Moral 
 Reform — Anecdotes — Prisoners brought to trial — The 
 upshot — The ballot — Author returns to Kingston 29G 
 
 
 m 
 
 h II 
 
L'ACADIE. 
 
 
 i 1 
 
 >i '' 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Sail for America in a Transport — Life on board — Ice- 
 bergs — Fish on the banks — A narrow escape — Dan- 
 ger of intoxication at sea — A ship badly found — A 
 magnificent Aurora Borealis — Enter the great river, 
 St. Lawrence — Nearly run on the rocks — Pass 
 Quebec and Montreal — Steam up the Ottawa — 
 Reach Kingstown by the Rideau Canal — The first 
 session of the United Canadas. 
 
 Towards the end of April, 1841, the tran- 
 sport ' Albion,' Captain Smith, sailed from the 
 Cove of Cork, carrying detachments of H.M.'s 
 14th, 23rd, and 68th Regiments, destined 
 for Canada. Major Holmes, 23rd, was the 
 
 VOL. I. B 
 
 H' 
 
 
 M 
 
 ft 
 
I (I 
 
 \l 
 
 2 L ACADIE. 
 
 senior officer, Captain G. Douglas, 14th, second 
 in command, and there were fourteen other 
 officers, three ladies, and some children on 
 board. 
 
 We were very closely stowed at meals, and 
 had hardly space to lift the hand to the mouth. 
 At night my place of repose was a berth in 
 the steward's store-room, above hams, cheese, 
 firkins of butter, and 'grey-beards' of rum; 
 so that if I had had a mind for a private 
 nocturnal debauch, I might have merely ex- 
 tended my hand, helped myself, and no one the 
 wiser. 
 
 For the greater portion of the passage across 
 the Atlantic, we had strong easterly breezes, 
 and rolling seas. When the water was at all 
 smooth, a little Irish fiddler, John Buckley, 
 whom I had persuaded to accompany me on 
 the promise of good treatment and his passage 
 paid, brought up his instrument, and with the 
 addition of a tambourine and triangle, formed a 
 band sufticiently good for dancing. A case of 
 mine contained foils, single-sticks, and boxing- 
 gloves ; those, with the games of sling the 
 monkey, shufile-board, &c., assisted digestion, 
 and dispelled ennui among officers and men. 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 3 
 
 In 45« N. latitude, and 47" W. longitude, 
 we got into the region of icebergs. The first 
 of these magnificent objects appeared on our 
 starboard-bow, like a large church with a steeple 
 at one end; a pure white haze rested on it. 
 As the ship neared it, its appearance changed 
 into a cone, then into a steep, blueish hill, with 
 the sea breaking over it to the height of about 
 eighty feet. The iceberg chilled us as we 
 passed, and it stood away slowly and majesti- 
 cally to the south, to be there dissolved in the 
 tepid waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 
 
 We spoke an American vessel, the ' Ocean,* 
 of Baltimore, and on asking if there were any 
 news of the missing ' President* steam-ship, 
 the Captain thought we alluded to the President 
 of the United States, and told us that President 
 Harrison was dead. On the 1 2 th of May we 
 had a storm, and were rolling heavily under 
 close-reefed topsails. After this, the weather 
 moderated, and enabled us to fish for cod on 
 the banks of Newfoundland, in forty fathoms 
 of water. Major Holmes was the most per- 
 severing and successful fisherman, having 
 hooked, among other prizes, a cod eighty-two 
 pounds weight ; after this he felt a still greater 
 
 B 2 
 
 l|!l 
 
 11 
 
 5 
 
 ^1 
 
 ':\ 
 
 ^ 
 
4 L ACADIE. 
 
 weight at his line, and thinking that his hook 
 had got fixed in the hottom of the ship he 
 slackened the line, then pulled to the surface 
 an innmense fish, a halibut, which was brought 
 on board by a rof)e, dexterously thrown round 
 its tail by Lieutenant Ouvrey, 68th ; the fish 
 was weighed in junks, and found to be one 
 hundred and fifty-six pounds. This is begin- 
 ning very well with a " fish story," but it is a 
 fixct notwithstanding. 
 
 On entering the Gulf of St. Lawrence, on 
 the 13th of May, we had a narrow escape, 
 at night, from destruction. Some of the oflicers 
 who had not " turned in," were amusing them- 
 selves with cards below, I was walking the 
 deck, at half-past 1 1 P.M., for half an hour, 
 with the Mate of the watch, as was mv custom 
 before going to sleep; it began to feel chilly, 
 and the soldiers on watch were stamping their 
 feet in the waist, and disturbing the sleepers 
 below. I sent them down the main-hatch 
 ladder, to remain at the bottom of it in case 
 of being required to trim sails. A clear view 
 was thus accidentally got forward. I said to 
 the Mate, " We must be near ice by the feel 
 of the air." He replied, "No; we are long 
 
 P r 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 past it." However, he suddenly sprang for- 
 ward. I looked after Mm, and saw in the sea, 
 across the bows, ^ line of fire, as it were, or 
 breakers right a-head. Tliose on th« look out 
 '• had made no sign ;" the Mate called out 
 " Port !" the helmsman made no answtjr, I ran 
 to him, he was nodding over the wheel; I 
 shouted in his ear, " Hard a-port !" presently an 
 immense iceberg was seen close aboard of us. 
 The ship was edged off just in time ; the Cap- 
 tain came out in his shirt, hearing a rush on 
 deck, and the card-players also appeared. We 
 were in the lee of the berg, the Captain looked 
 up and cried, " We're all aback !" However, 
 the head sails filled gradually, the sea hissed 
 and roared on the side of the iceberg, to which 
 for some time we seemed to hang ; at last it 
 slowly passed astern, like a mountain of ground- 
 glass on the dark sea. We breathed freely 
 again, and were all, I believe, very thankful 
 for our merciful deliverance. 
 
 Captain Smith was a good, honest man, and 
 a careful navigator, as far as his means would 
 allow ; but one of his Mates was a drunkard, 
 and in that case, of course, there is a great 
 risk and anxiety. From long experience of the 
 
 i 
 
 i» 
 
 ! 
 
 ¥\ 
 
 
6 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 1 1 / 
 
 sea, I am convinced that half the wrecks arise 
 from this cause — drunkenness; and I think 
 that a passenger should not hesitate to report 
 at once to the owners, if he remark any symp- 
 tom of it among the officers of the ship he has 
 sailed in. A naval Captain I knew, always 
 regretted not having brought to trial a young 
 officer he had found half drunk and asleep on 
 his watch. The vouno: man embarked after- 
 wards in another ship of war, which was lost, 
 with all on board, in a distant sea ; the image 
 of this ill-fated vessel, taken aback perhaps in a 
 squall, with the drunkard in charge of the 
 deck, used to haunt the too lenient Commander 
 to the day of his death. 
 
 There is often great recklessness in running 
 through ice on the Atlantic voyage. I asked 
 one Captain if he shortened sail at night when 
 he knew he was near ice, " No," said he, "for 
 if I did, other ships might make a shorter run 
 than I did. I have had some escapes, too," 
 continued he ; "it came on to blow hard at ten 
 o'clock one night, we were close-reefed 'till five 
 in the morning, and when I came on deck to 
 look out, I saw we had passed through eleven 
 icebergs, which were all in the ship's wake I" 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 The * Albion ' was badly found in boats, only 
 one could float, and that only held half-a^ozcn. 
 There was neither sextant, barometer, nor life- 
 buoy on board ; for which deficiencies and 
 others, the owners were nnuch to blame. The 
 end was, that she was wrecked in the British 
 Channel, and all perished, save a cabin-boy. 
 Great improvements have been made of late 
 in the Transport system, and there is discipline 
 and security in troop and freight ships, 
 though there is sometimes a lack of accommo- 
 dation. 
 
 On the night of the 21st of May we had 
 a most ma(2:nificent Aurora Borealis in the 
 Gulf of St. LawTencc ; one of those grand 
 displays of the God of Nature, by which the 
 inhabitants of the frozen regions are probably 
 compensated, in part, for the absence of ter- 
 restrial beauties, during their long and dreary 
 winter. On the present occasion the ship and 
 sea were in shadow ; the crimson horizon, re- 
 flected in the water, passed off above into a 
 rich blue, on the surface of which, high up 
 in the heavens, and ascending and descending, 
 waving and scintillating, were deep fringes or 
 curtains of silver ; and it was delightful to walk 
 
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 8 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 on the deck by the light of the Aurora, and 
 to watch its restless gleaming, when all was 
 tranquil around us. 
 
 We had a very good run through the Gulf 
 of St. Lawrence, and when we got within the 
 mouth of the great river, a large whale came 
 along side to look at us, and sea-birds floated 
 past us, sitting contentedly in rows on logs 
 of wood. On the 23rd of May, the Pilot, 
 a French Canadian, came on board, and brought 
 bad luck with him, for we were becalmed 
 off Mount Camille for three or four days. 
 
 I commanded the Parade on the Queen's 
 birth-day, when we fired three rounds, and gave 
 three British cheers, to the astonishment of a 
 shipfuU of emigrants near us. This vessel had 
 suffered in a gale, having lost its fore and mizen 
 top-gallant masts; this was nothing to what 
 had just befallen another emigrant ship, as the 
 Pilot reported : it had struck and capsized near 
 where we were, and only one boat-load of 
 people was saved, — two hundred souls having 
 miserably perished. 
 
 A few of us persuaded the Captain to lower 
 the only boat that would float, and we landed 
 at a small house of entertainment on the north 
 
 li 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 shore, kept by a Mrs. Cookson. Here we ran 
 about, delighted, after one month's voyage, with 
 the land, the woods, and the opening spring. 
 We got some milk and dandelions, the salad 
 of the country, but which last our friends on 
 board declined to touch. 
 
 On the 26th we "missed stays," in tacking 
 off the west point of the island of Orleans. 
 One of the passengers, pale with alarm, ran to 
 the ladies, and said, " There's no danger, but 
 we'll be on the rocks in two minutes !" And 
 sure enough the stern of the * Albion' nearly 
 scraped them ; however, an anchor suddenly let 
 go, saved us. 
 
 We " brought up,'* soon after, under the 
 walls of the old city of Quebec, at which we 
 were not allowed to land. A large steamer, 
 the ' Queen,' soon came alongside, and we were 
 hurried on board her, nothing loathe to ex- 
 change her roomy accommodation for our 
 crowded ship. We steamed up the river, and, 
 going on shore at Sorcl, two or three of us 
 were left behind, whilst admiring too long the 
 beauties of nature ; but by desperate rowing in 
 a small boat, and the ' Queen' waiting for us, 
 we rejoined our comrades. 
 
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 L*ACAD1E. 
 
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 At Montreal there was a great scramble in 
 separating the military baggage from that of 
 some emigrants, and sundry cloaks and boxes 
 of the officers were no more seen. We were 
 pushed on again in barges to Lachine, by 
 direction of Colonel the Hon. C. Gore, Deputy 
 Quarter-Master General, where we had a day's 
 breathing, and took the opportunity to visit 
 Coghnawaga, the Indian settlement opposite. 
 It was Sunday afternoon, and " the brown- 
 skins" were dressed in their best, their round 
 hats gay with ribbons, and their blue or blanket 
 tunics and moccasins worked with beads, dyed 
 porcupine quills, &c. These Indians had on 
 the late insurrection gallantly turned out, and 
 fought the American patriots, or " Sym- 
 pathisers," who tried to surprize them 
 in church, and they took many of them 
 prisoners. 
 
 We proceeded up the Ottawa, that splendid 
 tributary of the St. Lawrence, and whose fertile 
 banks afford the brightest prospect for the 
 settler. We stemmed the St. Anne's rapids, 
 celebrated in song ; passed the Lake of the 
 Two Mountain?, where a constituency of five 
 hundred at a recent election was found to 
 
 fi ' 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 11 
 
 I ' 
 
 contain only two who could read and write, 
 viz : the Priest and the Notary ; passed through 
 the lock at Carillon, and reached Granville by 
 coaches, over a frightfully bad road. We had 
 no better accommodation than the floor, at 
 Granville ; but that is a trifle in soldiering, if 
 the boards are tolerably clean. 
 
 Next day we continued our progress up the 
 Ottawa to Bytown, and at night passed close 
 to ^he white curtain of the Rideau Fall. We 
 tarried next day at Bytown, on its height com- 
 manding pleasant views of the Ottawa, the 
 Rideau River, and the Chaudiere Falls, tum- 
 bling into their yeasty abyss. I made my men 
 wash their bodies in the evening and refresh 
 themselves, the weather being warm, and when 
 sending them some supplies from a baker's 
 shop, a smart young Sergeant, Campbell by 
 name, who had mounted the baker's cart, was 
 tilted off", had his leg broken, and never got 
 over the accident, poor man. 
 
 In the beginning of June, we embarked in 
 the small steamer, ' Otter,' towing barges con- 
 taining the men of the detachment of the 14th 
 Regiment, and began the navigation of the 
 Rideau Canal, which connects — by a series of 
 
 
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 12 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 locks and dams, of most expensive workman- 
 ship (and which cost upwards of a million) — 
 the waters of the Ottawa with those of Lake 
 Ontario, and thus avoiding the United States 
 frontier. 
 
 We found the Rideau a hot ditch at this 
 season, and beginning to be infested with mus- 
 quetoes ; there was no casing to the hot funnel 
 of the steamer, which also added to our dis- 
 comfort. It was painful to witness the 
 hundreds of acres, which had unavoidably been 
 drowned by reason of the dams, and to see the 
 dead trees of the forest standing, with their 
 grey trunks and leafless boughs, like ghosts in 
 the water. Sometimes we navigated lakes, and 
 in the evening had an opportunity of fishing for 
 bass, or paddling in a canoe ; " a trick" I first 
 acquired among the Burmans of the Irrawaddy. 
 
 On the 7th of June we reached Kingston, on 
 Lake Ontario, consisting of straight streets of 
 stone, brick and wooden houses, with a long 
 wooden bridge on stone piers, over the Cata- 
 raqui River; at a short distance from which, 
 on an eminence, is Fort Henry, commanding 
 the dock-yard below, and the town beyond it. 
 The 24th Regiment occupied the barracks in 
 
iji 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 13 
 
 town ; but were soon relieved by our head- 
 quarter companies from the West Indies. I 
 was marched up with two companies to occupy 
 Fort Henry. 
 
 About this time the first parliament of United 
 Canada was opened at Kingston ; on which occa- 
 sion, so important in the history of this great 
 colony, I was present. Lord Sydenham, tall, 
 thin, and gentlemanlike ; arrayed in the blue 
 and silver dress of a civil Governor- General ; 
 seated on a chair of State, and wearing a 
 plumed cocked hat, read an excellent speech, 
 some of the topics of which were, that the 
 British Government had granted a million and 
 a half sterling for public improvements in 
 Canada, and that great attention would now be 
 given to education, to roads and bridges, the 
 post office ; and that the detention of MacLeod 
 by the Americans, on a false charge of murder 
 of American citizens, when the steamer ' Caro- 
 line' was cut out and fired, would be no longer 
 tolerated by the British Government. 
 
 It will be recollected that the * Caroline' had 
 been employed by the rebels and sympathisers 
 who had taken post at Navy Island, close to the 
 Falls of Niagara, to convey supplies to them ; 
 
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 14 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
 and that Captain Drew, R.N., acting under the 
 directions of Colonel Macnab (now Sir Allan), 
 had gallantly cut out the steamer from 
 Schlosser, and setting it on fire, had sent it 
 adrift over the great cataract. 
 
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LACADIE. 
 
 15 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Colonel Everard — Author's post at Point Frederick — 
 Practice of athletic exercises — Lord Sydenham — 
 Dinner at Government House — The old trapper — A 
 dangerous squall on the Lake of the Thousand 
 Islands — A Regatta — Races — General Clitherow — 
 Aquatic sports — Indian modes of discovering the 
 drowned — Athletic games. 
 
 Colonel Everard, C.B., K.H., command- 
 ing the 14 th Regiment, an officer distinguished 
 by his gallantry in South America, in the 
 Peninsula, and in India, gave me the Light 
 Company of the regiment, and after a month of 
 Fort Henry, I marched down and took charge, 
 with my company, of the stockaded block-house 
 at Point Frederick, which projects into the 
 clear waters of Lake Ontario. 
 
 I was in charge of this post about a year, 
 
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16 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 and spent a very agreeable time there. The 
 Paynnaster, Captain Wood, occupied with his 
 family one of the quarters at the Point, and I 
 occupied the other with my family. 
 
 Besides the usual drills, and after a school 
 had been established for the men and the 
 children of the company, an object of primary 
 importance, I was anxious to practise the 
 former in all manly exercises : I considered it 
 my duty to do so, and besides, it was a great 
 pleasure. I got a boat for them to practise 
 rowing, and to teach them to swim ; this last 
 was done by means of a pole, rigged horizontally 
 from the stern of the boat, a rope ran through 
 a ring at the far end of the pole, a girth at one 
 end of the rope went round the Ic-irner's chest, 
 and the other end was held by a man in the 
 boat, who instructed the swimmer, whilst a 
 rower pulled gently to and fro. The boat also 
 enabled the men to amuse themselves with 
 fishing, and to improve their mcss. In the 
 small field at the Point we had cricket and 
 quoits, a pole with a swivel at the top, and 
 ropes depending from it, to perform what in 
 gymnastics are called " the giant's steps." We 
 had also leaping bars, and at a gable a fives' 
 
'I 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
 17 
 
 court, with wings, was constructed by means of 
 a Willi of boards, which cost only a couple of 
 pounds, whilst the men paved the court with 
 flags from the neighbouring Cataragin River. 
 Summer and winter this cheap fives' court (a 
 similar one might be put up anywhere) afforded 
 the men health and exercise. 
 
 If no trouble is taken with soldiers to find 
 them (after their drills and when off duty) the 
 means of innocent recreation, and what will at 
 the same time develop their physical powers, 
 they will lounge about idly, or will probably 
 consume their precious hours in smoking and 
 drinking to kill the time. Soldiers should be 
 " strong for fighting," active and cheerful ; 
 these desiderata cannot be effected bv mere 
 " pipe-clay," by brass polishing, and producing 
 shining pouches. Of course a soldier should 
 be smart and clean, and should turn out perfect 
 according to regulation ; at the same time, flank 
 companies especially, (as well as battalion com- 
 panies), should be able and willing to run, jump, 
 climb, and swim ; in short, they should at all 
 times be in good wind, and have Xae free use 
 of their limbs, and the officers should en- 
 courage the men in all this — not force them to 
 
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18 
 
 L ACAOIE. 
 
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 engage in gymnastics, but put the means lor 
 practice within their reach. Thus good servi(;e 
 for Her Majestj may be expected to be the 
 result. , 
 
 With a light four-wheeled chaise and a good 
 horse for land excursions, and a skiff* for the 
 Lake, we had the means of locomotion and 
 taking our pleasure of an afternoon, either by 
 driving through the woods, or rowing or 
 paddling among the islands. 
 
 The seat of the Government of United 
 Canada was at this time at Kingston. Lord 
 Syd(5nham lived there, at Alwington House, the 
 grounds of which sloped down to the waters 
 of Ontario ; it was a charming situation, and 
 cheerful, the Lake and the passing vessels gave 
 life to the scene. 
 
 Having an introduction to His Excellency, I 
 dined with him some time after my arrival. 
 He was at this time about forty-two years of 
 age, and had suffered much at various times 
 from gout. There were no ladies at dinner, 
 which, to the surprise of some of the company, 
 was served in the French style, that is, we saw 
 nothing to eat at first, save the desert, inter- 
 spersed with bouquets of flowers in vases. 
 
 ' \ 
 
 V! 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 19 
 
 Soup, and moro substantial fare were, however, 
 soon supplied from the sideboards. 
 
 Lord Sydenham was well known to be one of 
 the most zealous public officers who ever ap- 
 peared in Canada ; ho was constantly thinking 
 of his duties, and working for the country 
 entrusted to his charge ; even at dinner he did 
 not relax, but during the whole time of the 
 meal he was discussing business matters with, 
 and acquiring information from the Honorable 
 Chief Justice Robinson, the enlightened head 
 of the bar of Canada West. His Lordship 
 addressed no conversation to any one else at 
 table, and after dinner, when the guests ad- 
 journed to the drawmg-room, he sat on a sofa, 
 again apparently engaged in public affairs with 
 an MP.P. from Canada East, and using freely 
 his snuff-box all the while. 
 
 Lord Sydenham had clever heads about him ; 
 Mr. Murdoch, Cliief Secretary; Major Camp- 
 bell, 7th Hussars, Military Secretary ; Mr. Grey, 
 Private Secretary, &c. 
 
 At a subsequent interview with his Lordship, 
 he kindly said he would look out, and try and 
 find me some employment, such as I might like, 
 and that he knew where to apply if particular 
 
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20 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 services offered, such as exploring for new 
 settlements, &c. ; at the same time, he said 
 his instructions were to fill up almost all 
 offices with the people of the country, or I 
 suppose with those who intend to make it their 
 home. 
 
 About this time, an old trapper, MacConnel 
 by name, came to my post, and resided there 
 some time. I was greatly pleased witii the old 
 man ; he had much shrewd sense, had lived for 
 eighteen years with a tribe of Indians, and knew 
 their mode of taking game, and of curing 
 diseases. 1 made several excursions with 
 him ; one of these nearly terminated fatally. 
 
 I had rowed over to Long Island with Lady 
 Alexander in our skiff; three officers accom- 
 panied us, with the trapper and my servant in 
 two other boats ; we fished in a sheltered bay, 
 and wandered in the woods, which consisted of 
 oak, maple, elm, beech, and cedar. Beneath 
 the trees we found occasional plants of the 
 mandrake and spikenard, and we gathered 
 raspberries. After our refection, we practised 
 with the rifle. The heat became oppressive, 
 and as the clouds were gathering, I made haste 
 to launch our small vessel, and return home 
 
 ±h. 1 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 21 
 
 before the anticipated storm should burst on us ; 
 the rest delayed. 
 
 Half-way across the head of the Lake of the 
 Thousand Isles had been accomplished with 
 oars and paddle, when suddenly the water as 
 far as we could see, became quite black from 
 the reflection of the thunder-clouds ; at a 
 distance we saw schooners heeling over and 
 letting their white sails fly, then a rush and 
 roar of winds and waves were heard, accom- 
 panied with vivid lightning and angry peals of 
 thunder ; the surface of the lake became white 
 as snow from the driving spray, and large 
 waves, rising in quick succession around us, 
 threatened to engulf us. I told Lady Alexander 
 to throw down the steering-paddle, and to hold 
 on by the gunwales in the stern of the skiff. 
 The rain all the while poured on us in torrents, 
 and the skifi' was half full of water though we 
 shipped no seas. My attention was directed to 
 rowing carefully, so as to avoid the crests of the 
 waves coming on board, as we drove down 
 before the blast and edged towards the shore for 
 shelter. At length, we managed to get under 
 the lee of an island, and after some delay we 
 pulled up to Point Frederick again. After we 
 
 
 
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22 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 were safe and were changing our drenched 
 clothes, the old trapper came into the post 
 with my man Gillon, the latter crying bitterly 
 and telling the men that we were drowned in 
 the lake. We certainly had been very near it. 
 
 Our nearest neighbours at Point Frederick 
 were Captain Sandom, R.N., the Commodore 
 of the Lakes ; Captain Ballingall, commanding 
 the Royal Marines, both distinguished in the 
 service of their country ; also other officers 
 connected with the service on the lakes, who 
 lived in the dockyard adjacent. We expe- 
 rienced much hospitality and attention from 
 these gentlemen. 
 
 On the 5 th of August there was a regatta 
 off the Point, of which the Commodore was 
 patron. There was a stiff gale blowing, and 
 some of the boats of the Royal Navy, in keenly 
 contesting, carried on sail too long, and were 
 upset and dismasted, but no lives were lost. A 
 strange-looking- scow from Long Island, with 
 its flat floor, carried everything before it in 
 sailing, also the short and quick strokes of a 
 Long Island row-boat beat everything entered 
 and contending for the prize with the oar. 
 
 The next public amusements were the 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 23 
 
 Kingston races, and a ball, at which last an 
 American millionaire from Boston attended. 
 She was dressed in the style of Taglioni, with 
 deep black flounces when she performs the 
 Cachoucha. 
 
 General Clitherow, commanding the troops 
 in Canada West, had occasional brigade days 
 at Kingston ; which, as well as encamping, 
 cannot be too much practised by soldiers. The 
 art of war cannot be taught by merely in- 
 specting companies and marching round the 
 drill-field. Neither officers nor men can have 
 their wits about them on service, unless the 
 usual routine, as practised by a single regiment 
 in quarters, is diversified ; and the various 
 arms, cavalry, infantry and artillery, are brought 
 together and act conjointly, as in the presence of 
 an enemy. 
 
 At Kingston we could get up a very respect- 
 able sham fight, having in garrison some of 
 the King's Dragoon Guards, head-quarters, 
 14th Regiment, part of the 43rd Light 
 Infantry, and Royal and Volunteer Artillery. 
 The General displayed a groat deal of laudable 
 zeal in frequently exercising the troops in 
 brigade ; but tliose officers who may be 
 
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 24 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 naturally indolent, say that brigade days make 
 the men unsteady, that is, that they do not 
 then preserve exact dressing, &c. It is pre- 
 sumed that fighting, the object and end of all 
 drilling, has also the same unfortunate effect. 
 
 Above and below Kingston there are good 
 fishing-grounds ; at the islands called * the 
 Brothers' and at ' the Spectacles.' It was 
 delightful to row to the wooded islands with 
 two or three boats in company, to set a gill-net 
 across a small bay, and then fish for bass with 
 the line over a shoal. When it was time to 
 dine under the shade of the trees, the gill-net 
 would be drawn, and large pike, &c., would 
 probably be found entangled in it. Potatoes, 
 boiled on the spot, and small pieces of meat 
 spitted on forked sticks, and roasted over the 
 ashes, making what are called at the Cape of 
 Good Hope carbonatjles, v/ould complete our 
 aquatic pic-nic. When it terminated, with tea 
 and a song in the evening, at the hospitable 
 country-house of Major Logic, overlooking the 
 Lake of the Thousand Isles, it was perfect. 
 
 One evening, Corporal Issett, of the Light 
 Company, who had been out fishing in the 
 company's boat, reported to me that he had 
 
s make 
 
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 do Dot 
 
 
 is pre- 
 
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 Feet. 
 
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 *the 
 
 
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 gill-net 
 
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 gill-net 
 
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 would 
 
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 otatoes, 
 
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 pitable 
 
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 Light 
 
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 e had 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 25 
 
 seen, at dusk, below Cedar Island, a woman 
 standing on a rock up to her knees in water, 
 and holding on by a skiff ; he went to her, and 
 saved her, and she was brought to my post. 
 This was a Mrs. Lavery, of Kingston Mills. It 
 appeared that she and her husband, a stout 
 man of thirty years of age and six feet high, 
 had gone on a visit to an uncle of hers on Wolf 
 Island, twelve miles below; before they re- 
 turned he had taken something to drink, (mis- 
 fortunes from this source are truly of daily and 
 of hourly occurrence), they hoisted a sail on the 
 skiff, it came on to blow, he got up to lower 
 the sail, lost his balance, and fell out of the 
 boat. He had on a flushing coat and stout 
 boots ; unable to swim, he rose to the surface 
 struggling, and called out to his wife * quick, 
 quick, save me !' She, unused to the paddle, 
 could not help him ; he disappeared, and she 
 was driven on the rock where the corporal 
 found her. 
 
 I had two parties out dragging all next day 
 about the spot where Lavery was last seen, but 
 without success ; on the second day the trapper, 
 MacConnell, went down and watched the pro- 
 
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26 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
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 ceedings, and he said * try the Indian plan, float 
 a chip of cedar down the stream, watch where 
 it turns round, and drag there/ It was done ; 
 the chip floated down for some distance, then 
 stopped, and turned round two or three times. 
 One of the men looking over the side gf one of 
 the hoats cried in some t*larm, * I see him !' 
 The great body, appearing larger than life, in 
 twelve feet of water, lay immediately under the 
 cedar chip. It was speedily dragged to the 
 surface. 
 
 The Indians imagine that a particular vapour 
 rising from a drowned body occasions the chip 
 to circle over it, but it is more likely to be 
 occasioned by the body at the bottom of 
 the stream producing an eddy on the 
 surface. Whatever is the cause, the fact is 
 singular. 
 
 The field at Point Frederick offering, as was 
 said before, excellent ground for athletic games, 
 in the middle of August we had our first com- 
 petition there, and which was an United Service 
 one, that is, it was open for the troops and for 
 the navy. A small subscription among the 
 officers furnished the prizes of shirts, socks, 
 
 'ill 
 
 ' 
 
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 an, float 
 
 1 
 
 b where 
 
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 IS done ; 
 
 
 ce, then 
 
 
 e times. 
 
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 f one of 
 
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 life, in 
 
 
 nder the 
 
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 r vapour 
 
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 the chip 
 
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 y to be 
 
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 torn of 
 
 ■-■^■■■■v 
 
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 fact is 
 
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 as was 
 
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 games, 
 
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 it com- 
 
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 Service 
 
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 socks, 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 27 
 
 handkerchiefs, &c., also a pint of beer to each 
 competitor. 
 
 The games commenced with a boat race 
 round Cedar Island, then followed foot races, 
 and in an enclosed ring there were leaping, 
 wrestling, sparring, throwing shot, single- 
 stick, and ending with a wheel-barrow race 
 blindfolded, which, as well as a jumping race in 
 sacks, afforded great amusement. 
 
 The judges were non-commissioned officers, 
 everything was conducted in perfect good 
 humour, and with entire sobriety. Other com- 
 petitions, which afterwards took place, were 
 varied by Irish jig dancing on a door, by 
 officers tilting at the ring on horseback, a 
 mounted single-stick player attacking a lancer 
 with a muffled lance, and a foot soldier with an 
 imitation musket and bayonet contending with 
 a dragoon. After a little practice, the foot 
 soldier invariably beat off and disabled his 
 antagonist; the parries of the bayonet exercise 
 with two hands being so much stronger than 
 the one-handed sword or lance. Though myself 
 an old dragoon, I was soon obliged to acknow- 
 ledge this fact in practising with the men 
 
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 28 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
 whom I had instructed in the bayonet 
 
 ♦•xercise. 
 
 Thus, in occupation, we found * a file for the 
 
 serpent.'* 
 
 * If the reader is a member of the Peace Society he 
 will do well to pass over the next chapter. 
 
 y h ' 
 
bayonet 
 e for the 
 
 Society he 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
 29 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 On bush fighting — Light infantry drill — A word on 
 dress — Equipment for troops on service — Practice in 
 the bush — Correct loading — Effect of hunting large 
 animals — The rifle and smooth barrel compared — 
 Rules for bush fighting — An Indian in the bush — 
 Gymnastics — The bayonet exercise — How to deal 
 with wild spirits — The pike — Night attacks — Retreat 
 through the bush — The Burman stockades — Mounted 
 riflemen— Cavalry in Canada — Obstacles — Defence of 
 posts — Demeanour of an officer. 
 
 In the British army, light infantry drill has 
 been of late years ordered to be practised by all 
 regiments of the line. This is a wise regula- 
 tion ; formerly corps of heavy infantry were 
 expected to move only at a steady, regulated 
 pace, to perform " the eighteen manoeuvres," to 
 act like a piece of mere mechanism, so that 
 
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'II. 
 
 
 30 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 ii 
 
 when portions of this great machine were, by any 
 accident, detached under fire, they became help- 
 less and worse than useless. Now, by occasion- 
 ally breaking up the " shoulder to shoulder" order 
 of battle, and teaching the men to advance and 
 retire extended, to act more independently than 
 formerly, it is evident that greater confidence 
 and greater individual intelligence are acquired. 
 
 Among those masters of fight, the Romans, 
 besides their heavily-equipped Hastatif Prin- 
 cipesj and Triarii, the young and impetuous 
 spearman in the first line, the vigorous and 
 middle-aged in the second line, and the tried 
 veterans of the third, an important arm attached 
 to the legion was the VeliteSy or light-armed 
 soldiers, remarkable for their swiftness and 
 agility; they fought where required, and usually 
 before the lines ; the slingers, archers, and 
 javelin men, were amongst the Velites. 
 
 For defence, the Velites carried the parma, 
 or round buckler, and on their head a leathern 
 galea y or casque. This last might be adopted 
 with advantage by modern infantry. 
 
 It is evident that the equipment of all troops 
 expected to act as light infantry should give 
 perfect freedom of action, and should also pro- 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 31 
 
 tect the wearer as much as possible from the 
 effects of intense heat, severe cold, and from the 
 stroke of the sabre. To defend infantry from 
 the effects of " the ounce of lead," without cum- 
 brous armour, is impossible. In hot climates 
 we have experienced the good effects of a light- 
 coloured, moveable cover to a chako, or forage- 
 cap. In hunting, both in wet and cold weather, 
 the comfort and advantage of a tunic, or coat 
 cut as a shooting-jacket, with short skirts, to 
 protect the abdomen, is known to every sports- 
 man ; and surely a leathern skull-cap, and some 
 chain-mail for epaulettes, would defend the head 
 and shoulders better (and the mail would bt; 
 much more oc^mfortable in sleeping in the 
 bivouac) than the defenceless chako, the batta- 
 lion shoulder-knot, the well-spread wdng of the 
 flankers, or the stiff and projecting scale of the 
 officer. 
 
 In European armies, when utility supersedes 
 appearance, the soldier will be relieved of much 
 useless leather ; one shoulder-belt to support 
 the pouch will suffice, or a pair of suspenders, 
 worn under the jacket, to support the ammuni- 
 tion, (equally disposed round the waist,) will be 
 preferred; the sword-bayonet (with a crossbar 
 
 
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 32 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 to defend the head and hand from the sabre 
 stroke,) will hang in a frog from a waist-belt, 
 the last to keep, as in the marines, the pouch 
 snug. 
 
 Among every three hundred men, fifty will 
 bear hatchets on service, and will know how to 
 use them. If the pouch is continued it will be 
 tlat to the haunch, will contain, in the lower 
 tier, twenty-four cartridges, in the upper, in a 
 moveable tin of three partitions, a like number. 
 On going into the field, the trowsers will be 
 strapped down the inner seams and round the 
 ankles with black leather. The ankle boots, 
 "or high low" shoes, will be primed with tallow 
 and rosin melted together. All useless baggage, 
 (the bane of Indian armies,) will be dispensed 
 with. A regimental officer's " kit" will be con- 
 tained in a couple of knapsacks, which can be 
 conveniently strapped on a poney's back, with 
 the bedding in a tarpaulin bag on the top, (we 
 have found a tarpaulin bag to sleep in an excel- 
 lent substitute for a tent in wet weather,) also a 
 gridiron, a kettle, and iron pot to prepare " the 
 provent." What more savoury and nourishing 
 than the kabob of the East, the carbonatzie of 
 South Africa, or small squares of meat spitted 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 33 
 
 on a forked branch, and well " frizzled" over 
 the hot embers of a wood fire " in the bush !" 
 This, with the addition of a tin of tea or coffee, 
 and some biscuit from the haversack, is a feast 
 for a General. 
 
 Preparatory to taking the field, it is highly 
 desirable, in many of our Colonies, that thc^ 
 troops should be drilled in the woods, both by 
 companies, and in greater numbers. Without 
 the " loose play" of single-stick, all the cuts and 
 guards, following in succession by word of com- 
 mand, would be useless in mortal strife ; so it is 
 with the skirmishing drill in a barrack square, 
 or even in an open field of exercise. Bush 
 fighting will never be thus taught ; and in the 
 words of an old and esteemed officer, a forest 
 ranger of distinction in the last American war, 
 Colonel James Fitzgibbon, late 49th, and lately 
 Clerk of the Legislative Council of Canada, 
 " Without much practice in the Bush, the men 
 cannot have such confidence in themselves, or 
 in one another, and must, through ignorance, 
 expose themselves to the enemy's fire.'* 
 
 Before taking one's company into the bush, 
 it is requisite that the men should be able to 
 
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 34 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 riddle a target at one hundred, one hundred and 
 fifty, and two hundred yards distance ; both a 
 fixed target, man*s size, and a moveable one 
 passed along a rope between the posts. A 
 shilling for every bull's-eye makes a man take 
 pains, and it is worth the outlay of a little 
 money to attain correct firing. Captain Norton's 
 (late 34th) recommendation to shake the powder 
 out of the cartridge into the barrel, and then 
 reversing the ball, ram down the mass of paper 
 on the top of the ball, is a good one. Every 
 one, too, that tries it will find that more accu- 
 rate firing is made by loading from a powder 
 horn, or blank cartridge, with that quantity of 
 powder which will not occasion an unpleasant 
 recoil, and with a ball (affording little windage) 
 tied in a greased calico patch. A powder horn 
 to contain one hundred charges, and one hundred 
 bullets in their patches, disposed in a long and 
 narrow waist-pouch, with one hundred and 
 twenty caps, will not encumber the soldier, and, 
 if well managed, will serve for a good day's 
 fighting. 
 
 A caveftil officer will carry about with him a 
 few spare caps, ball cartridges, nipple key. 
 
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 4 
 
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 im a 
 
 
 key 
 
 Jl 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 35 
 
 pricker, &c., in case of any of these requisites 
 being required by any of the men on a sudden 
 emergency. 
 
 In Canada, in 1814, it was found necessary 
 to intermingle the newly arrived regulars with 
 the Glengarry light infantry, a provincial corps, 
 to show them how to cover themselves, and to 
 teach them, in short, woodcraft. 
 
 From some experience in the matter, we 
 think the pursuit of the larger and more dan- 
 gerous kinds of game, as the lion, rhinoceros, 
 wild boar, &c., assists materially in the practice 
 of bush fighting. When these animals are 
 encountered on foot, when the stealthy pace is 
 requisite, the quick eye, the taking advantage 
 of the cover of tree, bush, rock, or inequality of 
 the ground, cautiously using a rest at the 
 proper moment for firing with effect, and, in 
 short, " bringing into play the superior cunning 
 of the man over the superior strength of the 
 animal,"* altogether prepare one for success- 
 fully opposing, in wooded and broken ground, 
 the enemies of our country. 
 
 * A favourite expression of my esteemed friend the 
 late Sir William Harris, a first class sportsman, whose 
 early death I deeply lament. 
 
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 l'acadie. 
 
 Some old officers think that the rifle is not 
 equal to the musket and bayonet, in or out of 
 the woods ; that one fire with a common piece, 
 and a charge under cover of the smoke, will 
 clear every enemy from the front. It is true 
 that the old rifles, which the rifle corps for- 
 merly had, seemed difficult to load after a few 
 rounds, the hammering to get down the ball 
 being often prodigious. With the new two- 
 grooved rifle, used by the rifle brigade, this 
 difficulty is materially obviated. 
 
 It is advisable to impress soldiers, armed 
 with smooth barrels, with the belief that there is 
 no superiority in the rifle, if they keep moving 
 as they ought to do in the bush. A smooth 
 barrel, such as the new percussion musket, 
 provided with a second sight at the breech, and 
 used in platoon firing, always with the front 
 rank kneeling, leaves little to be desired in 
 the way of an efficient weapon : besides, its use 
 is learned in half the time that the rifle is. 
 
 The first rule for bush fighting is, after 
 careful loading, that the soldier should fire 
 to the right of the tree ; thus the smallest 
 portion of the person is exposed. Next, when 
 the soldier advances, he should not go straight 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 37 
 
 forward, but should move at an angle towards 
 some tree or other cover, to the right or left 
 of what he has just quitted. The reason for 
 this is obvious ; if an advance is made straight- 
 forward towards the enemy, the latter has no 
 occasion to alter his aim, whereas obliquing 
 towards him obliges him to take a " flying" or a 
 difficult shot. 
 
 In retreating the same mode must be prac- 
 tised; look behind for the next shelter, fire, 
 and concealed by the smoke, oblique to the 
 selected cover. " When a wood is free from 
 coppice, or undergrowth," says our friend, Colonel 
 Fitzgibbon, " an enemy is best discovered by 
 looking for him near the ground, but where 
 there is brushwood he is to be seen higher up." 
 
 In advancing through a wood at extended 
 order, great attention must be paid to preserving 
 the line as correctly as possible ; if skirmishers 
 advance too far, or carelessly fall back too much, 
 the consequences may be fatal to themselves 
 or to their comrades ; also distances between the 
 files should be kept as correctly as possible. 
 
 When an Indian, pursued, throws himself 
 into a ravine, he does not cross it at once, but, 
 covering himself with the bank, he fires at his 
 
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 38 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 exposed pursuers, and then, concealed by the 
 smoke, moves to the right, left, or rear, as 
 he deems best. When an Indian is driven to 
 the shelter of a bush, and his pursuers are 
 on him, he keeps quiet and closes his eyes that 
 their brightness may not discover him. An 
 Indian attached to each company is of use to 
 teach the men his " tricks of fighting." 
 
 For British troops to rival the walking and 
 running feats of Indians (who, lightly equipped, 
 can march in a day five times the distance the 
 heavily accoutered white man accomphshes, and 
 Kafirs, as we know, can accomplish seventy 
 miles in one day), it would be well if much 
 more attention is paid, than theye is at present, 
 to gymnastic exercises. A wooden wall could 
 easily be set up, with a couple of wings to it, 
 for the expense of three or four pounds in every 
 barrack square for the soldiers' favourite game of 
 fives ; a skittle alley can be laid down for a few 
 shillings ; quoits require very small space ; the 
 exhilirating games of foot-ball and cricket 
 require at least one hundred yards square ; this 
 can be managed at most garrisons ; but what is 
 particularly required during summer heats and 
 winter frosts, are empty barrack rooms, or 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 39 
 
 else halls contrived expressly for the purpose, 
 with bathing rooms attached, where the men 
 could leap, wrestle, spar, play single-stick, and 
 otherwise harden and make supple their frames, 
 and "take the devil out of them" with ex- 
 ercise. 
 
 Whatever gives the men a real or fancied 
 superiority over an enemy is useful; thus a 
 simple bayonet exercise, teaching the men to 
 parry, carte and tierce, and to thrust with the 
 musket and bayonet, and recover themselves 
 easily from a short lunge, would produce 
 other valuable results. The peculiar supe- 
 riority possessed by each individual would be 
 ascertained and well known in his com- 
 pany, and when choice men were wanted for 
 a forlorn hope, or for any other special ser- 
 vice, the fittest men could at once be selected : 
 swimmers, for example, where swimmers 
 only could be of service. Men thus grouped 
 together would have the highest confidence 
 in each other, under the influence of which 
 confidence they would be elevated and stimu- 
 lated to make greater eff^orts than under other 
 circumstances it would be possible for them to 
 make. 
 
 
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 40 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 We heard an eminent phrenologist say that 
 an incorrigibly wild boy was placed under his 
 care, after having been expelled from two or 
 three schools. The philosopher remarked that 
 the boy was muscular and fond of action, he 
 set him to saw up firewood in the yard for 
 an hour every morning, which fatigued him 
 well, and he was quiet and manageable for 
 the rest of the day. He also asked the boy 
 to assist in his own reform, and he did so. 
 Some of the finest men in the army are wild, 
 and continually in trouble, because they are 
 not encouraged to expend their muscular energy 
 in athletic sports, in games which would pre- 
 pare them for the business of a campaign, for 
 moving with r?ipidity and facility over broken 
 ground and through cover. Such men, well 
 trained, would be choice subjects for storming a 
 breach, or for continuing their efforts after 
 the majority of both armies were tired out, and 
 when there is usually a fine field in which to 
 reap advantage. 
 
 The occasional and excessive pedestrian un- 
 dertakings of some officers, as walking five- 
 and-forty miles in twenty-four hours, equipped 
 as a private soldier, with firelock, knapsack, &c., 
 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 41 
 
 running a mile in five minutes, picking up a 
 hundred stones a yard apart in forty minutes, 
 &c., are sometimes attended with injurious 
 effects, even though a wager may be gained 
 by those who try them. Moderate, active, and 
 daily exercise is what does good to the frame ; 
 not a sudden and violent strain on the system. 
 We speak from long experience in training. 
 
 A few years ago Colonel Maceroni put forth 
 a singular work on the advantages of the pike, 
 combined with the firelock, for the arming of 
 irregular troops ; his proposed pike was twelve 
 feet long, with a joint in the middle, so as to be 
 conveniently slung behind the back, till re- 
 quired to resist cavalry, when it was unslung. 
 A slide, like that of an umbrella, fixed the 
 joint, and gave the partisan the advantage of the 
 full length of the pike, his coverer, at the same 
 time, making use of his fire-arms. As for 
 troops armed in haste, bayonets cannot always 
 be found ; the pike then becomes an excellent 
 substitute, and is a weapon easily made. The 
 common boarding pike is, we think, too heavy 
 for the equipment of a woodman ; but a lighter 
 pike, say seven feet long, would be of material 
 service. By slinging his rifle, he could walk 
 
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42 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 well, assisted by his pike, leap over brooks or 
 fallen trees by means of it, or ascend heights, 
 oppose cavalry with it, or make use of it as a 
 rest for the rifle, by means of the strap where- 
 with he slings it by the middle ; and three or 
 four pikes, as we saw practised on service by 
 the Cossacks, with a cloak or blanket disposed 
 round them, afford a good shelter in the 
 bivouac. 
 
 Some officers of experience think that the 
 great advantage of night attacks is overlooked ; 
 the utility of them was proved by Sir John 
 Harvey and others in the last American war. 
 We remember during a protracted struggle in 
 the bush of Kaffirland, it was proposed that 
 chosen bands, composed of men of tried courage, 
 should creep on the Kaffirs seated round their 
 fires, and should pour on them, unprepared, 
 a destructive volley, and then immediately 
 retire. The enemy thus harrassed, it was 
 supposed, would soon have sued for peace. 
 But this mode of bringing matters to a desired 
 conclusion was thought un-English and cowardly, 
 and was never adopted ; though we remember 
 that plundering parties, returning from a foray 
 in the Cape colony, were waylaid at the fords of 
 
ooks or 
 heights, 
 
 it as a 
 ► where- 
 ;hree or 
 •vice by 
 iisposed 
 
 in the 
 
 hat the 
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 ^epared, 
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 peace. 
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 lember 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 43 
 
 the gloomy Fish River and the beautifully 
 wooded and clear running Keiskamma, and 
 dispersed v'th slaughter by unexpected volleys 
 from Kaffirland. 
 
 There is no doubt that a sudden rush of even 
 a few pikemen, broadsword men or bayonetteers, 
 through an enemy's bivouac at night, thrusting 
 at all they met, would produce the greatest 
 confusion, and little injury would result to the 
 assailants, fire in the dark being so very uncer- 
 tain, and nearly harmless. 
 
 A British camp sustained heavy loss on the 
 shores of the Persian Gulf in 1819, by a 
 sudden onslaught, after dark, of Arabs armed 
 with long straight swords and small bucklers. 
 
 Cautiously creeping on the enemy, taking 
 advantage of cover, and rushing on him and 
 striking with lead or steel, when he is caught at 
 advantage, are the principles of bush fighting. 
 Three hundred men retreating in the bush 
 before three thousand might do so eifectually, 
 thus : a considerable portion of the three hun- 
 dred being provided with good hatchets (not 
 bill-hooks), throw a breastwork of trees across 
 the entrance to a wood, through which they 
 are about to retire ; the enemy receive a check 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 there; the hatchet men clear a narrow way 
 through the trees ; the musketteers retire, fol- 
 lowed by the hatchet men, who ever and anon 
 cut down a tree and allow it to fall across the 
 path, thus blocking up the way behind them. 
 
 The Burmans, by the dexterous use of cutting 
 tools, as we observed in the late war in Ava, 
 were in the habit of enclosing themselves 
 nightly (in the bush and near the enemy) in 
 good stockades; no nocturnal rush could be 
 made through their encampments. This was also 
 the Roman practice. 
 
 With regard to mounted Riflemen, we think 
 they are a most valuable arm on service, espe- 
 cially in North America. They ought, of 
 course, to have none of the showy trappings 
 of the Dragoons, but a serviceable and dark 
 uniform, — say a double-breasted frock. It 
 does not much matter whether they are armed 
 with a fusil, or a rifle, provided the fire-arm they 
 carry can throw a ball well, and at a long 
 range. They ought, undoubtedly, to have a 
 sword-bayonet, in case of being charged by 
 horsemen when they are dismounted. To 
 enable them to act as Dragoons in a charge, 
 a good straight sabre might be strapped to the 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 45 
 
 saddle. This they leave on the saddle, when 
 they dismount to skirmish on foot. A few 
 carrying rockets might shake a square of In- 
 fantry, and a headlong charge, as Dragoons, 
 might complete its discomfiture. 
 
 We need not enlarge on the great advantage 
 of carrying a body of good Riflemen, or Mus- 
 ketteers, mounted and fresh to the cover thev 
 were required to beat; causing two-thirds of 
 them to scour the bush, leaving one-third out- 
 side in charge of the horses, at a safe distance 
 from danger. We did not very much admire 
 the very heavy double-barrelled carbines (smooth 
 barrels) of the Cape Mounted-Riflemen, and 
 unaccompanied with either bayonet or sword. 
 It is true, these Hottentot Tirailleurs make 
 good practice with their weapon, and volleys 
 of double-barrels may be very destructive in 
 a square against cavalry, and also might pre- 
 vent a skirmisher being rushed upon after dis- 
 charging his first barrel ; but this double- 
 barrelled carbine seemed too short for a long 
 range, felt uncomfortable to the hand ; besides, 
 more careful firing is generally obtained from 
 either soldiers, or sportsmen, with one barrel 
 than with two. The success of the Americans 
 
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 46 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 at the Moravian village, was chiefly owing to 
 a dash made by a superior force of their 
 mounted Riflemen, and to the " Ready, present, 
 fire !" system (without aim) of the Infantry of 
 their days. 
 
 A very excellent cavalry oflicer, the Hon. 
 Colonel Cathcart, had a good drill for his regi- 
 ment in Canada, the 1st Dragoon Guards, 
 and suited for a country enclosed with wooden 
 fences. In front of his column of route he 
 had a fencing party of three men, these went 
 on at a quicker pace than the rest, when they 
 came to a fence which it was desired to pass 
 through, two of the men dismounted, the third 
 held their horses, the two then placed them- 
 selves in front of a fence, on the same side of 
 it, at the crossing of the rails, and took it down; 
 if a trenail came in the way, as in a post and 
 rail-fence, they cut it with their swords, but a 
 small hatchet would have been better, so as not 
 to spoil their swords. 
 
 A facility of passing through fences gives 
 great power to cavalry in Canada ; for as in- 
 fantry would naturally form behind fences, if 
 cavalry got into the rear of them, the infantry 
 might soon be disposed of. 
 
L*ACADIE. 
 
 47 
 
 owing to 
 of their 
 , present, 
 ifantry of 
 
 he Hon. 
 
 his regi- 
 
 Guards, 
 
 wooden 
 
 route he 
 
 Bse went 
 
 hen they 
 
 to pass 
 
 he third 
 
 them- 
 
 side of 
 
 t down; 
 
 ost and 
 
 but a 
 
 as not 
 
 gives 
 
 as in- 
 
 ices, if 
 
 ifantry 
 
 To work among stumps, "From right of 
 threes to the front file, march !" would be the 
 word, and keeping half a horse's length distance, 
 " front tile" restores the order, " files right" or 
 " left" moves them to a flank, and " files 
 about" retires them ; this loose order could deal 
 with a broken party of infantry, but for cavalry 
 the compact order would require to be adopted. 
 
 Three troops of provincial Dragoons have 
 for some time guarded the Canadian frontier 
 south of Montreal, under the command of Cap- 
 tains Jones, Sweeney, and Ermatinger; they 
 are an admirable cavalry force, the men of 
 good character, perfectly acquainted with their 
 duty, and the horses excellent. These troops 
 have materially assisted to preserve tranquillity 
 on " the Lines," and to check desertion. 
 
 It has been proposed to make a charge on 
 foot through the enemy's Voltigeurs in this 
 way ; suddenly close infantry skirmishers to the 
 centre, advance at the double, dash through the 
 opposite line of skirmishers, wheel by sub- 
 divisions to the right and left, and sweep down 
 and put to the route the enemy's line. It is 
 objected to this mode of attack that if it is 
 suspected, the enemy will pour in a very 
 
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48 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 destructive fire on the advancing company or 
 column, and perhaps fatally shake it. 
 
 An important branch of bush-fighting is the 
 manner of dealing with obstacles ; as abbatis 
 of large branches of trees, which may be crept 
 under or hauled to one side, or burnt down; 
 as paUisades, which may be cut down, or sur- 
 mounted with ladders, or shattered with a bag 
 of powder ; as a ditch, which may be filled up 
 with fascines, &c. All this, as a branch of the 
 attack of military posts, entrenchments, &c., 
 has been so ably handled by Colonel Jebb, R.E., 
 in his very excellent and practical treatise on 
 this subject, that it ought, with his " Defence 
 of Outposts,** to form a part of every officer's 
 " kit." In fact, no officer on service ought 
 ever to be without these two portable tomes, in 
 addition to his Bible. 
 
 A good bush-ranger should have constantly 
 in view the taking advantage of natural en- 
 trenchments, as steep banks, ravines, fences, &c., 
 by the assistance of which a small force may be 
 able to contend with one superior in numbers. 
 Artificial entrenchments in wooded countries 
 are easiest made by felling trees ; a breastwork 
 or bank of earth, or of stones, must be em- 
 
 
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l'acadie. 
 
 49 
 
 " < ' 
 
 ployed where there are no trees. It is won- 
 derful how little covers a man from fire, a 
 rifleman will lie down behind a stone a foot 
 high on an exposed slope, and render good 
 service with safety to himself. We were not a 
 little surprised at seeing what was effected by a 
 low and rough stone wall, with three stones 
 laid here and there at top to fire through, 
 dignified with the name of " the Lines " at 
 Oporto, and which kept the Miguelites in check 
 for a whole year. 
 
 Voltigeurs will of course, when they can, 
 always take advantage of buildings, particularly 
 if they occupy a commanding position, and can 
 be made defensible by the assistance of abbatis, 
 &c., and have a supply of water. The lower 
 story will be barricaded with what materials 
 may be at hand, and loop-holes contrived in 
 the windows of the upper. Cover for the 
 enemy, if time will permit, ought to be cleared 
 away in front, and above all things a flanking 
 fire ought to be obtained, a porch affords a 
 good one along the front of a building. The 
 church in a village will be of course the citadel, 
 the streets leading to it being blockaded up by 
 
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50 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 wfiggons, trees, fences, &c. All this is merely 
 suggestive to the intelligent officer when first 
 going on service. 
 
 On occupying a temporary post, a careful 
 officer will immediately reconnoitre all round it, 
 and at some distance from it, and he will not 
 trust to other eyes than his own to gain a 
 knowledge of the localities. He will next look 
 particularly to the lodging and messing of his 
 men, and the posting of his sentries, before he 
 thinks of taking any repose for himself ; he will 
 be the last asleep at night of the party, and the 
 iirst stirring in the morning, he will avail 
 himself of every circumstance, however triflin<r 
 it may appear, to manifest his care of his 
 men, as, for example, keeping them back from 
 every unnecessary exposure of their persons in 
 action, by every means procuring for them 
 provisions, and occasional refreshment from the 
 country people. When in a position where an 
 officer is confident there is no danger during 
 the night, and if his men have all worked hard 
 during the day, desiring them all to go to rest, 
 keeping no guard, &c. The more an officer 
 comports himself in this way towards his men, 
 
 ^11 
 
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L ACADIE. 
 
 51 
 
 5 is merely 
 when first 
 
 a careful 
 
 [ round it, 
 
 he will not 
 
 to gain 51 
 
 . next look 
 
 ing of his 
 
 before he 
 
 If; he will 
 
 y, and the 
 
 will avail 
 
 rer trifling 
 
 re of his 
 
 back from 
 
 )ersons in 
 
 I for them 
 
 from the 
 
 where an 
 
 ;r during 
 
 Irked hard 
 
 JO to rest, 
 
 m officer 
 
 his men, 
 
 the more his desire to do so will increase. 
 Their gratitude in return will abundantly reward 
 him, and mutual good-will be kept up. This 
 good-will is one of the best and highest sources 
 of military ardour and devotion in the public 
 service. 
 
 In the bush, a cheerful demeanour, without 
 the least familiarity, is best ; being on the move 
 has naturally an exhilarating effect, and if an 
 officer is seen contentedly to partake of the 
 very same fare as his men, they will cheerfully 
 go through much rough work. A rover of the 
 woods and wilds will have much to occupy him 
 besides looking after his men, and looking out 
 for the enemy. In bush-ranging his camping- 
 ground may at one time be among rocks over- 
 hanging a clear stream, alive with fish; at 
 another, among majestic trees on the edge of 
 a prairie richly decked with wild flowers ; a third 
 bivouac may be on a hill-side, commanding a 
 prospect over boundless forests and lakes 
 frequented only by wild fowl. 
 
 Lastly, we heartily concur in the advice of an 
 old woodsman. " On service carry a bible and 
 prayer-book, and read the service and psalms of 
 the day, also thanksgivings after affairs ; thus 
 
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 52 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
 the men will be more orderly, more brave, and 
 in every respect better soldiers. The influence 
 of the commander will be materially increased 
 over men thus managed, and thus better 
 prepared to die." 
 
 I >. 
 
 I 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 53 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Visit to the Kingston Penitentiary — A female horse- 
 stealer — Evening parties — The eccentric Sheriff — His 
 adventure in a stage-coach — A smell of powder in the 
 air — The sympathizers attempt to blow up two war 
 steamers — Dreadful accident to Lord Sydenham — His 
 last illness and death — ITie Reverend W. Agar Adam- 
 son- -Funeral of the late Governor- General — Under- 
 She*-iF Macleod's case — Proposal to liberate him — 
 Author prepares to leave for New York. 
 
 One of the most interesting establishments 
 to visit at Kingston at this time, was the new 
 Penitentiary. It was in the course of con- 
 struction, and chiefly by the convicts them- 
 selves, who were confined in it. It is situated 
 some distance out of town, on the way to 
 Toronto, and on the north shore of Lake 
 Ontario, and in a field of some size, enclosed 
 
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54 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 with walls (on the top of which, watchmen 
 armed with fuzils are stationed) rise the build- 
 ings of the Penitentiary. The cells of the 
 prisoners are in tiers, in a high and thick 
 wall, as it were, over which is a roof. The 
 walls supporting the roof are at some distance 
 from the mass of masonry containing the 
 cells, so that there is free space all round. 
 
 Mr. Smith, the Warden, occupied spacious 
 apartments at the entrance of the Penitentiary, 
 and we were politely conducted over it by one 
 of his family. We saw two of the Generals 
 of the late sympathizers, who thought to revo- 
 lutionize Canada, sympathizing as they pre- 
 tended with the oppressed colonists. We saw 
 also a Pole, who had assisted during the insur- 
 rection, and who had twice tried to escape ; he 
 was in irons of course. Though he was lucky 
 to have escaped the fate of his countryman. 
 Van Shultz, who w^as executed at Kingston for 
 directing the fight at the Prescott windmill. 
 
 We remarked the holes through which the 
 keepers can observe the behaviour of the 
 convicts whilst they themselves are invisible, 
 and we saw shoemakers, tailors, and carpenters 
 silently at work, none daring to speak, as the 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 55 
 
 system here is the silent, but not the solitary 
 one. The dining-hall, where all eat facing one 
 way for supervision sake, was exceedingly clean 
 and well kept, as was the whole establishment. 
 In the female department, the most interesting 
 person was a female horse-stealer. She was a 
 good looking, lusty girl, about seventeen, who 
 had stolen horses for the use of her lover, ii 
 sympathizer. Out of doors, where the convict 
 masons were at work, we saw a tower at one 
 of the angles of the enclosure, next the Lake, 
 on which guns could be mounted. A black 
 man was pointed out with heavy chains on his 
 legs, and with a very bad expression of coun- 
 tenance. He had been sentenced to be hanged 
 for ill-using a girl coming from market; but 
 the Sheriif dying the night before the day of 
 the execution, the punishment was transfered 
 liom the gallows to the Penitentiary, in which 
 he had tried to kill one of the keepers with an 
 axe, hence the chains. 
 
 Some of the civilians of Kingston evinced 
 their hospitality by giving evening parties. The 
 rooms were well lighted up; the suppers were 
 good and abundant ; the dances were the usual 
 quadrilles, waltzes, and galoppes ; reels, country 
 
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 dances, and the good old Sir Roger de Coverly, 
 were considered vulgar. 
 
 The Sheriff was one of the most singular 
 characters at this time in Kingston. He had 
 been an officer in the 79th Highlanders, and it 
 was said, became eccentric after assisting at the 
 execution of some of the sympathizers. But 
 the poor man was hospitable, and gave dinners 
 to bring the English and French members of 
 Parliament together, to make them acquainted, 
 and, if possible, agreeable to each other. 
 
 The Sheriff was a powerful man, and recently, 
 in travelling in a stage coach in Western Canada, 
 he had found himself in company with three 
 passengers, two gentlemen and a lady, from the 
 United States. Imprudently they began to 
 abuse Canada, and to make disagreeable com- 
 parisons between it and the States. The High- 
 land blood of the Sheriff could not submit to 
 this, and he said, " It is very improper, and in 
 bad taste, for you to abuse Canada in the way 
 you are doing whilst travelling in the country 
 itself" One of the Americans answered, " You 
 are a fool to speak in that way." 
 
 " I may be," cried the Sheriff, " but I have 
 sufficient sense to teach you good manners, and 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 57 
 
 if you don't beg my pardon immediately, I'll 
 cram this stick down your throat," showing a 
 stout cudgel the other, finding he had made a 
 mistake, did as he was desired. The Sheriff, 
 then turning to the man next him, said, " Now, 
 I think you are just such a fellow as would 
 carry a bowie knife ; is it not the case ; come, 
 show me ?" The other obeyed, and showed a 
 bowie knife in the breast of his coat. " Whv 
 do you carry this ?" said the Sheriff. 
 
 ** It was given me," was the answer. " I 
 don't use it." 
 
 " But you might do so," said the Sheriff. 
 *' I might get into a passion, and use a knife, if 
 I carried one." Some months after this the 
 poor Sheriff went mad, and died in a lunatic 
 asylum. 
 
 The sympathizers in the States now began to 
 move again, and there arose "a smell of powder." 
 Whilst we were at a tea party one evening at 
 Captain Ballingall's, R.M., an express came, 
 ordering off his Lieutenant, Lowder, and twenty 
 marines to the upper Lake. 
 
 It appears that an attempt had been made to 
 blow up two British war steamers, at anchor 
 opposite Chippewa, in the Niagara River ; they 
 
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 had been fired at from Navy Island, and then 
 two barrels of powder, provided with burning 
 fuzes, and connected with a rope, were floated 
 down the stream, so as to encircle and blow up 
 the vessels ; but an explosion took place of one 
 of the barrels before they reached the vessels, 
 and those on board were thus warned of their 
 danger, and quickly towed the infernal machine 
 on shore. An attempt was also now made to 
 destroy a lock of the Welland Canal, by blow- 
 ing it in with gunpowder. One barrel exploded, 
 and did some mischief, and another, which did 
 not take effect, had a New York brand upon it. 
 The barracks at St. Thomas, (a village near the 
 shores of Lake Erie) were also burnt at this 
 time, supposed to be the work of a sympathizing 
 incendiary. All this was very exasperating, 
 (from our side the Americans were not in the 
 slightest degree molested) ; and we accordingly 
 held ourselves in readiness for an anticipated 
 repetition of the warlike proceedings of 1837 
 and 1838. 
 
 We come now, in these our chronicles, to a 
 great catastrophe, the manner of the death of 
 the Right Hon. Charles Lord Sydenham, G.C.B. 
 the Governor-General, in the prime of life, and 
 
Vi 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 59 
 
 
 on the eve of embarking for England, with 
 irreat eclat for his successful administration of 
 affairs in British North America. 
 
 On the evening of the 4th September, 1841, 
 I was driving out my small family on tht^ 
 Waterloo road, and at a short distance? from 
 town, we met His Excellency returning from a 
 ride. He was dressed in a blue surtout, white 
 hat and trowsers, and he was laughing and 
 talking with Mrs. Schonswar, who accompanied 
 him. He was followed by Colonel Everard, 
 14th regiment, and Captain Schonswar, 1st 
 Dragoon Guards, a Dragoon and a Lancer were 
 his orderlies. This was the party ; all seemed 
 in health and spirits, and the Governor-General, 
 when he returned my salute, was looking better 
 than I had ever seen him before ; but he rode 
 a horse, which though an easy goer, yet was 
 what is termed " a daisy cutter;" that is, it went 
 too near the ground in trotting. 
 
 The evening before this his Lordship had 
 been playful, and even boyish, at his own table, 
 so little forewarning had he of his impending 
 fate. We returned from our drive, and in 
 town, the Lancer orderly passed us at a gallop 
 
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 l'acadie. 
 
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 from Government House, to get immediately 
 medical assistance for the Governor-General. 
 
 It appears that after Lord Sydenham had 
 taken leave of the party we saw with him, that 
 he set off at a rapid pace for Alwington House. 
 On going up a slight ascent in the road, where 
 it was newly macadamized, his horse tripped 
 and fell, threw his Lordship out of the saddle, 
 and broke the large bone of his right leg above 
 the ancle. The horse then rose, and dragged 
 his Lordship some distance, which occasioned a 
 deep cut on the knee, which became full of 
 gravel; at length the spring stirrup leather 
 gave way, and his Lordship was left on the 
 road. Two labourers ran to his assistance, and 
 he was carried between them into his house, 
 leaving the mark of a muddy arm on one of 
 their white moleskin coats. 
 
 His Lordship said, " 1 think this will finish 
 me now." Two medical men came to him, 
 Doctors Farnden and Sampson, but the leg was 
 not set till next day. There was no appearance 
 of danger for some days, till the gout again 
 showed itself, then spasms of the broken leg 
 commenced, and so violent were they at night, 
 
 m 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 61 
 
 that the sufferer heard the grating of the ends 
 of the broken bones against each other. The 
 spasms went all up the thigh, and could not be 
 stilled J then the bowels were affected, the 
 respiratory organs, and finally the throat, and 
 the jaws became rigid ! 
 
 After a paroxysm of great suffering, one day, 
 his Lordship said with emotion, that his fate 
 was a hard one. On the last day of the first 
 session of United Canada, after he had suc- 
 ceeded in all his designs, and had triumphed 
 over countless difficulties, had broken up 
 parties, and then to be cut off thus, and not to 
 be able to return to England and enjoy his 
 honours. (His Majesty, through the hands of 
 Lord John Russell, had just sent him the 
 decoration of the Civil Grand Cross of the Bath.) 
 He asked if there was any hope, and in the 
 sorrowful look of his friends he read his fate. 
 
 The household was now summoned around 
 the bed of His Excellency, and the sacra- 
 ment administered. All were in tears, which 
 showed that he had been a kind master in his 
 family. His Lordship's will was then prepared. 
 To those about him he left — £1,000 to his 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 nephew, Mr. Baring, A.D.C., to Major Camp- 
 bell, military secretary, two horses; to Mr. 
 Dowling, his legal adviser, two horses ; to Mr. 
 Murdoch, chief secretary, £500; in order to 
 write the accoimt of his political career, and he 
 enjoined Mr. Grey, a fine young man, his 
 private secretary, to defend his memory, if 
 assailed. 
 
 His Lordship suffered intensely, and though 
 he sometimes could not resist uttering a groan, 
 yet h*^ showed great courage throughout his 
 fearful trial. In the midst of one spasm, he 
 said, to one of the physicians, " can't you give 
 me something to hasten the end ?" at another 
 time, he said, "you know my constitution, 1 
 run down fast, but some have done so, and still 
 have rallied;" and he did run down fast, but 
 never rallied from the first. Two false teeth 
 were removed at one side, when lock-jaw took 
 place ; and by means of a quill, soup was 
 administered. The last time his Lordship 
 attempted to take anything was on Saturday, 
 the 18th of September, when a little wine and 
 water was swallowed. 
 
 The Rev. W. Agar Adamson, A.B., the very 
 
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LACADIE. 
 
 63 
 
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 estimable and eloquent chaplain of the Legisla- 
 tive Council, spent with his Lordship the last 
 night of his mortal existence. He read with him 
 the 51st Psalm; one particularly applicable to 
 most men who have moved in society, and been 
 partakers of its transient enjoyments. His 
 Lordship was deeply impressed with a sense of 
 the situation he was placed in, yet he was 
 resigned, and displayed good courage, comforted, 
 as he doubtless was, by the exhortations of his 
 spiritual guide whilst entering ' the dark valley.' 
 He expired at seven in the morning of the 
 19th of September, completely worn out, and 
 weighing nothing. 
 
 After death, the broken leg was examined, 
 and a crack was found on the bone extending 
 high up. His Lordship's want of stamina 
 prevented amputation being resorted to ; he 
 would not have survived it. Similar to Lord 
 Sydenham's case was that of an assistant 
 surgeon, of the 43rd Light Infantry, in Canada, 
 who was also fond of rich living ; he too lived 
 fourteen days after breaking his leg, which 
 became convulsed, and so continued without 
 the possibility of stilling it till he died. 
 
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 The funeral of Lord Sydenham took place on 
 the 24th of September. The day was overcast, 
 and all the shops in town were shut ; at eleven 
 o'clock the mournful procession moved from 
 Alwington House; the band of the 14th Regi- 
 ment playing the dead march, was followed by 
 the undertakers and assistants ; on an artillery 
 car drawn by six horses, and covered with black 
 cloth was the body, in a coffin of lead enclosed 
 in walnut, on the black velvet of the latter was 
 a silver platd with his Lordship's titles. Dragoon 
 Guards rode on either side ; Mr. Barry, A.D.C., 
 was the chief mourner, and with him walked 
 the Commander of the Forces ; and now Ad- 
 ministrator of the Government, Sir Richard 
 Downes Jackson, K.C.B. ; after his Excellency 
 there followed the late Governor Geueral's Staff 
 and medical attendants; the Judges, General 
 Clitherow commanding the troops in Canada 
 West, officers of the army and navy, the clergy, 
 the bar, members of the Mechanic's Institute, 
 &c. The soldiers, resting on their arms, re- 
 versed, formed a street ; Colonel Everard, 
 14th Regiment, commanding the military. 
 
 His Lordship's remains rest in a vault, seven 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 65 
 
 I ■ I 
 
 feet deep, before the altar of the Episcopal 
 Church in Kingston ; the square enclosure was 
 bricked and cased with wood, then boarded over 
 and covered with stone and sand to the level of 
 the floor of the church, so that if required the 
 body could easily be removed. A very inte- 
 resting narrative of Lord Sydenham's career has 
 been written by his brother, Mr. Poulett 
 Scrope, M.P. 
 
 MacLeod's case, before alluded to, now oc- 
 cupied the public mind in Canada; he was 
 about to be brought to trial at Utica, in the 
 States, for his boast that he had assisted in the 
 burning of the steamer ' Caroline,' when it was 
 alleged some American citizens perished. It 
 was probable he would be found guilty and 
 hanged, which would have been a gross insult to 
 Britain, and would endanger the peace of 
 England and America. 
 
 Thinking I might be of some service at this 
 juncture, and being fond of adventure, I 
 volunteered to proceed at once to attend the 
 trial and watch the proceedings at Utica, and if 
 matters seemed to be taking an unfavourable 
 turn, I intended to attempt to carry oif 
 
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 MacLeod with the assistance of my old trapper. 
 The American hunters' lodges and eagle lodges 
 were particularly active about this time. One 
 of the aims of these institutions was to disturb 
 the peace of Canada, and if possible, to wrest it 
 from British dominion. My opinion on this 
 head is, that every British subject in Canada 
 should resist this to the death, and should 
 endeavour by all means to preserve inviolate 
 the transatlantic dominion of Her Majesty. 
 There is not the least desire on the part of the 
 British to interfere with the United States ; the 
 meddling of their sympathizers and hunters 
 with the Canadas is surely then without any 
 excuse. British America may for ever form an 
 integral part of the British empire, while firm- 
 ness and justice guide its rulers. But I avoid 
 politics, with which a soldier has nothing to do ; 
 his duty is to serve his Sovereign and his 
 country. 
 
 Having hurt one of my ancles with gymnas- 
 tics and having delayed to lay up, it was now 
 deemed advisable that I should proceed to the 
 coast for the benefit of tepid salt water. Ac- 
 cordingly, I prepared to go to New York with 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 67 
 
 Lady Alexander, leaving our establishment in 
 charge of very kind friends, Major and Mrs. 
 Barlow. 
 
 Before we left Kingston, MacLeod was unex- 
 pectedly liberated and returned to Canada. 
 

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 L ACADIE. 
 
 CHAFFER V, 
 
 Embark in the ' Oneida' steamer — A bad habit — Strange 
 phraseology — Sackett's Harbour — Oswego — The Fort 
 — Passage in a canal boat — Conversation with Ameri- 
 cans — Syracuse — Story of a trunk — American soldiers 
 — General Scott — Albany — Steam down the Hudson 
 in the ' Troy'~ Arrive at New York— The Globe 
 Hotel — Meet old friends — The Mansion House— Em- 
 ployment of time — Amusements — The Champion 
 Caunt — ^Washington Irving — Political strife — Mr. 
 J. Russell Bartlett — Ivlr. Albert Gallatin — The Docks 
 —The House of Refuge— The U.S. Ship 'North 
 Carolina' — Mr. Audubon, the Naturalist. 
 
 In the end of October we embarked at Kings- 
 ton in the steamer ' Oneida/ bound for Oswego 
 on Lake Ontario. The morning was stormy, I 
 asked the American Captain when we should cast 
 off, and he answered, " It looks so mighty cruel 
 now, can't go I guess, it may be better at 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 69 
 
 twelve/' The breakfast was good and abun- 
 dant, but the chewing and spitting after it 
 was abominable ; our neighbours, of a certain 
 class, will, I trust, reform this ere long ; they 
 cannot complain that they are not advised 
 against practising these unfortunate habits, so 
 utterly subversive of health, cleanliness, and 
 propriety. American gentlemen, who have 
 seen the world, and who move in society, 
 generally now eschew the abuse of " the 
 weed." 
 
 We left in the night, and next morning 
 were at Sackett's Harbour, the American 
 Naval Station on Lake Ontario. I walked 
 towards the Barracks with the Rev. Mr. 
 Rogers, a countryman and a fellow-passenger. 
 He asked an American after an Irish acquaint- 
 ance who had gone to Ohio. " I guess he 
 is a pretty stiff man. Sir," was the answer. 
 
 " Yes," said Mr. Rogers, '^ I thought him 
 rather proud." 
 
 "Not that, Sir," was the reply; *' he is 
 rich ; he bought large when he came among 
 us, and now he is considerable stout." 
 
 American phraseology is very expressive, 
 
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 but it is some time before it is intelligible to 
 an Englishman ; thus, who would imagine 
 that to " insense a person" meant to knoek 
 sense into him with " a punch on the 
 head." 
 
 We re-embarked and passed on to Oswego, 
 where we landed in the afternoon of the 
 second day from Kingston. We went to the 
 Oswego Hotel, and on my asking the landlord 
 if he could give us accomodation, he good- 
 naturedly took hold of me by the shoulder, 
 and " guessed he could fix me off comfortably 
 when a party left by the next steamer." In 
 the meantime, we walked to see Fort Oswego, 
 which was undergoing repair. 
 
 I found it to be a pentagon, and well 
 placed to command the entrance of the har- 
 bour ; strong working parties were actively 
 employed with spades and carts, levelling the 
 glacis on the lake face, and all round, so as 
 to take away all cover from an enemy. The 
 fort itself was well rivetted with scantling 
 and thick planks ; there was a covered way, 
 places of arms, and a ravelin opposite the 
 south face ; in short, it was in a respectable 
 
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L ACADIE. 
 
 71 
 
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 state to resist an assault, and the appcaranee 
 of things indicated that such an oecjurrence was 
 not deemed improbable before long. 
 
 The ' Oneida' steamer, in which we had 
 performed our voyage, hiid a steady captain, 
 was a clean and a good vessel, had two good 
 boats, a fire-engine, and was altogether well 
 found. For the voyage we paid only two 
 dollars and a half each. 
 
 Our next move was into a canal boat ; our 
 landlord came on board with us, and, shaking 
 hands, wished us a pleasant voyage. Among 
 our passengers was an old surveyor from the 
 Cayuga Lake; I got into conversation with 
 him, and, among other things, he said : — " It 
 is impossible for the United States to raise 
 an army among our citizens to invade Canadu, 
 or for foreign conquest. What young man, 
 for instance, living with a farmer, and getting 
 his board and lodging and twelve dollars a 
 month besides, sitting at table with the family, 
 and treated with as much respect as the farmer 
 himself, would submit to be teemed about bv 
 a broken-down tradesman, who might be an 
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 to resist a foreign foe, then their spirit would 
 be up and an army would soon be raised, 
 now only ' loafers' join the American army as 
 private soldiers." 
 
 In talking of Ihe designs of the sympathizers 
 in Canada, with an American clergyman on 
 board, he said : " Johnstone, the smuggler at 
 French Creek (on the Lake of the Thousand 
 Islands), a well-known leader, is now so little 
 esteemed, that he is like a bird with a shot 
 in the wing, dragging itself through the mud 
 of a creek ; no one notices him ; the so-called 
 patriots are now at a low ebb. It is considered 
 to be a disgrace to a man to have sympathized 
 with the discontented in Canada. At first it 
 was thought the Canadians were oppressed with 
 taxes, &c., like the Thirteen original States ; 
 nonsense. Sir, all nonsense." 
 
 Subsequently to this, an American officer 
 told me that he lived on one )f the Lakes 
 during the troubl'^s of 1837 aiid 1838, in 
 Canada, and he used to employ a man to get 
 firewood for him, but he was missed for u 
 considerable time; at length, one day, whilst 
 the officer was walking on the shore, he .mw 
 
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LACADIE. 
 
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 his old wood-cutter liind from ii boat, wounded, 
 find in miserable ])light. " Well, what has 
 been the matter with you ?" he asked. 
 
 " Been over to help them on the other side," 
 was th(! jmswer. 
 
 " What had you to do with them ?" 
 " I dichi't see why these people should be 
 governed by a woman." 
 
 " Oh ! that's it. How would you like if 
 people were to come and burn your location ?" 
 
 The other began to cry at this, and probably 
 lieartily repented himself of his late proceed- 
 ings. 
 
 Our voyage of thirty-eight miles on the 
 canal lasted from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and cost 
 one dollar each, including a dinner. There 
 were many locks, yet, withal, the navigation was 
 pleasant. We passed through a cheerful 
 vuiley, the foliage was russet and also of many 
 colours, in this the beautiful American " Fall" 
 of the year. 
 
 We arrived at Syracuse, and put up at the 
 large and excellent Syracuse hotel. On enter- 
 ing the pa'*lour, the tirst person I saw was 
 Braham, the celebrated vocalist, sitting in a 
 rocking chair ; he was accompanied by his wife, 
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 a good tempered agreeable person (since dead), 
 her sister, and a little child. 
 
 At five next morning we left Syracuse by 
 the railway ; while I was getting the tickets. 
 Lady Alexander remained with my hat box, 
 cloaks, &c., an American passenger coming up 
 with a large deal box, said, " You belong to 
 these things Miss, I guess : well, just look after 
 mine, too," and putting down the box, he went 
 off to secure his place. On the road one gets 
 rid of much of the ceremony of social life. 
 
 We entered the great glass car used on 
 American railroads for the conveyance of fifty 
 passengers, sitting two and two on each side, 
 and with a passage down the middle. At 
 Rome, one of the stations, we saw a strong 
 party of American soldiers, which had been 
 placed there by General Scott, nine miles from 
 where MacLeod was tried, in order to be 
 transported suddenly to the spot if required, 
 on any attempt being made by the populace 
 to " Lynch" MacLeod. It thus appeared that 
 the American government had wisely provided 
 against any exercise of Lynch law on this oc- 
 casion. 
 
 I may here observe that General Scott is 
 
'1, 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 75 
 
 * i\ 
 
 highly esteemed by many British officers, who 
 have the pleasure of his acquaintance, and, 
 generally speaking, American and British offi- 
 cers are the best of friends when they chance to 
 meet. 
 
 The regulars were quiet looking men, dressed 
 in their undress French grey jackets, an eagle 
 was in front of their chakos. At Little Falls 
 we admired tiic beautiful scenery, resembling 
 that a])out Matlock, in England. We travelled 
 comfortably, and in seeming security, at the 
 rate of twenty-four miles an hour, and reached 
 Albany on the Hudson, at half past three in the 
 afternoon. We staid at the American hotel, 
 and walked out to see the handsome pubhc 
 buildings near it, the Capitol, the gilded dome of 
 the State House, &c. At this time a demo- 
 cratic orator held forth here in these terms, 
 " The Whigs wish to borrow money for public 
 improvements, to throw themselves into the 
 arms of the Barings, the Rothschilds, and the 
 Goldsmids : will you strangle the eagle, will 
 you throw it under the feet of the British 
 lion ? No ! no ! do not let the Whigs sell the 
 country." 
 
 Next day we were up at six, and off at 
 
 E 2 
 
 VA 
 
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76 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 seven in the fine steamer * Troy,' three hundred 
 feet long hy sixty, our fare was two dollars 
 each, including meals, for one hundred and 
 forty-five miles, and we were ten hours on the 
 voyage. The ' Troy' could accommodate a 
 thousand passengers, and there were many 
 luxuries on board, a reading-room, with abund- 
 ance of newspapers, a barber's shop, &c. Our 
 speed was about fifteen miles an hour. 
 
 We passed through the enchanting scenery 
 of the Hudson, and its rocks and crags recalled 
 historical recollections of the war of Inde- 
 pendance. The foliage had assumed the varied 
 hues of " the Fall," and was very beautiful ; in 
 this the old age of the year the trees were 
 crowned with glory. Our musings on the 
 scenerv were, however, ever and anon inter- 
 rupted by the ringing of a bell by a black 
 waiter, and this cry resounded through the vessel 
 all day, " Gentlemen who have not paid their 
 passage, w^ill please go to the Captain's office !" 
 
 We landed at New York at five in the 
 evening, and had a hard struggle to secure our 
 baggage from some persons who seemed anxious 
 to appropriate it. We took our residence, 
 first at the Globe Hotel, Blancard being the 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 77 
 
 landlord ; we found this, though a good house, 
 yet dull .and expensive ; there was no table 
 d^h6te, I was anxious to see and mix with 
 American society, and, at the Globe, there was 
 no opportunity of doing so, it was " the separate 
 and silent system" there, besides the charges 
 were three dollars each per day for food, three 
 dollars for a bed-room and back sitting-room ; 
 the front ones being all engaged. The daily 
 charge, then, of one pound seventeen and six- 
 pence was rather high as a Transatlantic one, 
 besides having the trouble of selecting one's 
 dinner from delicacies, such as potage a la 
 Julienne, cdtelette a la sauce tomattej petit 
 pot de creme,fromage tete de mort, with vinla 
 rose, and a chasse of parfait amour. 
 
 I was much pleased to find at New York 
 my esteemed friends, the Messrs. G. and J. 
 Laurie, who, some years previously, had shown 
 me much civility and attention, and who now 
 again renewed their kindnesses. Also Captain 
 Timothy Paige of the United States' army, a 
 friend made at New Orleans, Mr. MacLeod, a 
 merchant, and Professor Renwick, of Columbia 
 College, one of the Commissoners for settling 
 the N. E. boundary. 
 
 t ' I 
 
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78 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 We soon removed from the Globe to the 
 Mansion House (Bunker's), also in Broadway, 
 where we had good entertainment and good 
 company, and at less than half the cost of the 
 Globe. At the Park Theatre we had the 
 pleasure of seeing the excellent American actor, 
 Placide, and Miss Cushman in " London As- 
 surance." One evening, intending to see the 
 Amphitheatre, we were driven by mistake to 
 the Bowery Theatre. Here, however, we saw 
 Mr. Forrest, who subsequently played in Eng- 
 land, but the most sui'prising part of the 
 night's amusements was the appearance of 
 Gaunt, the champion of England, on the stage. 
 He had been brought over on speculation, and 
 was a fine specimen of a man, six feet two 
 in height, strong made, with falling, and not 
 square, shoulders, and powerful limbs. His 
 chest measured forty-eight inches round. His 
 dress was a white Jersey vest, white breeches 
 and stockings, and " high lows," and he wore 
 his champion's belt, ornamented with silver, 
 boxing gloves, and shields. 
 
 He sparred with the pugilists Jeroloman and 
 Owen. In the encounter with the former, 
 Gaunt moved nimbly about the stage, keeping 
 
 ' II 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 79 
 
 his shouldi'is in play and avoiding blows by 
 throwing back bis head, or moving it to one 
 side ; at last, Jeroloman rushed in, Caunt met 
 him half way and he fell at once. Owen picked 
 him up, but he could not stand, he spit blood 
 and was carried off on a chair. Caunt apolo- 
 gized to the spectators and said, " If I had not 
 knocked him down, he would have done it 
 to me." After this, Caunt gav^e Owen a " cross- 
 buttock." A taste for pugilism was growing in 
 the States ; it is much better this, than the use 
 of the murderous bowie knife. 
 
 The universally esteemed author of the 'Sketch 
 Book,' Washington Irving, now visited us. I 
 had formed his acquaintance in England, and he 
 had formerly given me letters to his friends in 
 the States, which were of great service to me. 
 One of the chief praises that must be accorded 
 to this distinguished writer, is his desire, at all 
 times, to promote friendly feelings between 
 Britain and the United States. Would that all 
 writers on both sides the Atlantic would follow 
 his excellent and most philanthropic example. 
 It is ridiculous to judge of and condemn nations 
 for objectionable peculiarities in a few indi- 
 viduals. 
 
 . ' V. 
 
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80 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 At this time, in the States, the public atten- 
 tion was much occupied with tlie settlement of 
 the Frontier question, which might have been 
 speedily arranged, if both parties had been 
 willing to follow an excellent general rule for 
 peace, viz. " to give and take." The settle- 
 ment of Frontier aflfairs was much interrupted, 
 however, in the States by the important matter 
 of " making Kings ;" consequently affairs of 
 moment were often put aside by the partizans 
 of the rivals for the Presidential chair. It 
 appears that one mode of quieting this constant 
 turmoil, would be, if the President were elected 
 for, say seven years only, and no re-election 
 allowed, and all Government officers holding 
 their situations on the same terms ; there might 
 then be a great improvement effected in society 
 generally. 
 
 From the intelligence and from the books of 
 Mr. J. Russell Bartlett, once secretary of the 
 New York Historical Society, and now secretary 
 of the American Ethnological Society,"* I derived 
 much pleasure and advantage. Mr. Tues, of 
 Providence, introduced me to Mr. Bartlett, and 
 
 * Of which societies I had the compliment paid me of 
 being elected an honorary member. 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 81 
 
 with the latter I went to Mr. Albert Gallatin, 
 the celebrated diplomatist and scholar. Mr. 
 Gallatin, like King Louis Phillippe, had once 
 taught pupils, ar d afterwards rose to be a mem- 
 l)er of the Go\ernment, and also was U.S. 
 Minister at the Court of St. James's. His 
 great age occasioned his keeping within doors 
 II in winter, and we found him in his house in 
 Bleeker Street, in the midst of his books and 
 papers. His head, from the projection of the 
 upper part of the forehead, was most remark- 
 able, almost a deformity ; his individuality is 
 largely developed ; he classifies and analyses, 
 and his memory is most acute. He was one of 
 the best bankers, historians, and geographers of 
 the United States. 
 
 As I professed a great desire to proceed to 
 the Oregon as soon as practicable, the subject 
 chiefly discussed with Mr. Gallatin was *- ;■ Far 
 West. At this Mr. Gallatin was quite aufait, 
 for it was understood that he it was who held 
 out against Mr. Canning's proposal to continue 
 the 49th parallel as the boundary, to where it 
 should strike the N.W. branch of the Columbia, 
 
 and so continue along it and the main stream to 
 
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82 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 the ocean. Mr. Gjillutin insisted on the 49th 
 parallel being adopted as the boundary to the 
 waters of the Pacific. 
 
 Mr. Gallatin was of opinion that if Russia 
 and Mexico did not interfere with the Oregon, 
 neither would the British and Americans in the 
 way of settlement ; the territory would be left 
 to settle itself with the Anglo-Saxon race. The 
 climate of the Oregon is very remarkable and 
 congenial for settlement ; the west winds and 
 the screen of the Rocky Mountains modify it so, 
 that snow seldom lies there ; its climate resem- 
 bles that of the West of Ireland ; whereas Phi- 
 ladelphia, in the same parallel on the East coast, 
 has the hot summer of Cadiz and the severe 
 winter of Berlin. 
 
 Mr. Gallatin showed me his work on the 
 distribution of the Indian nations, and his 
 copious vocabularies of Indian lanp-uages. His 
 opinion was, that civilization proceeded from 
 the centre of America, and that it is impossible 
 there can be civilization without agriculture ; 
 that above Tampico, mere hunters existed, from 
 the want of cereal grains, as wheat, oats, millet, 
 rye, &c., and the population had always been 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 83 
 
 scanty from this cause. I was much gratified 
 by iTiy conft'renc(^ with Mr. Gallatin, whom I 
 had first seen, some years before, at a literary 
 association at Philadelphia, the Wistar Club. 
 
 The Docks are objects of considerable interest 
 at New York. I visited them with Dr. Wilkes. 
 We saw first the Floating Dock ; boxes were 
 sunk under a vessel, the water was pumped out 
 of these, they rose, and the vessel rose with 
 them, though of twenty feet draught, to admit 
 of its being examined and repaired. The Screw 
 Dock consisted of frame-work applied to the 
 sides of a vessel, which was then raised by a 
 powerful combustion of screws and chains, 
 worked by a steam-engine; and lastly the in- 
 clined plane, on which the vessel was also moved 
 up by steam power. 
 
 I next saw the House of Refuge, an admi- 
 rable institution, and similar to one in Glasgow, 
 to reclaim the youth of both sexes. There were 
 at this time in the House of Refuge at New 
 York, one hundred and fifty boys and girls ; all 
 were clean and well cared for; no talking was 
 allowed except when they were at play. Some 
 of the boys were employed chair-making. The 
 girls were engaged in needle-work, &c. ; and it 
 
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84 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 was a strann^o reflection, that though the girls 
 wore under sixteen years of age, all had been 
 street-walkers, and were early initiated in 
 vice. 
 
 The United States* ship * North Carolina' well 
 repaid us for our visit to it. Old friends, Mr. 
 and the Misses MacLeod, arranged the party, and 
 Lieutenant Armstrong, U.S.N. , took us to the 
 ship in one of her boats. The ' North Carolina' 
 is very deceptive ; she is apparently a seventy- 
 four, but actually mounted ninety-two guns, 
 and was pierced for a hundred and four. Twelve 
 guns were below, in the hold, all ready when 
 required. She was very clean, but we remarked 
 that uniformity of dress was not so much at- 
 tended to as in the British service. Hall's 
 patent rifle was a formidable arm for the top- 
 man ; it loaded at the breech, and instead of a 
 ramrod, a bayonet could be pulled out at the 
 muzzle. 
 
 The accident which brought me to New 
 York, induced me to take the advice of a phy- 
 sician of great repute; but as it was soon 
 evident that he did not pay much attention to 
 my case, though each visit he took a golden 
 inducement to do so, I transferred myself to 
 
 ^ f r 
 
 [ r -i 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 85 
 
 the care of Dr. Alban Goldsmith, who exhibited 
 preat skill, and showed me every attention. 
 He had fornnerly practised in Kentucky, and 
 at Cincinnati ; he was well-accustomed to deal 
 with those who had suffiTcd from excess of 
 travel and over-exertion. 
 
 I was very happy to renew at New York an 
 acquaintance commenced in Edinburgh, with 
 the distinguished Naturalist, Audubon ; and he 
 was still, though upwards of sixty, possessed of 
 great mental and bodily vigour. I found he 
 was now engaged from six in the morning till 
 night with his illustrations of American Qua- 
 drupeds ; his drawings were most minutely 
 executed, " i/mo rnanu ;" the hair was delineated 
 by means of pens containing different colours ; 
 nothing was slurred over, or hit to the fancy 
 of the engraver and colourer, for the hairs of 
 the quadrupeds seemed to have been as care- 
 fully numbered and marked, as the feathers 
 of his " Birds" had previously been. One of 
 his sons assisted him in writing the descriptions 
 of the objects of Natural History. 
 
 Somtitime before this Mr. Audubon had 
 been collecting sea-birds, near the mouth of the 
 St. Lawrence, and had seen there Indians, who 
 
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86 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 I: 
 
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 told him that they had come from a great Lake 
 to the north, which no white man had visited, 
 and which abounded in aquatic birds ; by their 
 description it was as large as Ontario. Could 
 they have meant Meshickeman Lake, in La- 
 brador? Mr. Audubon was very desirous to 
 make an arrangement to go there with me 
 next summer, or else to the Rocky Mountains 
 by the route of the Sascatchewan River. No- 
 thing could quench his ardour for research. 
 I was very desirous to accompany him on an 
 expedition, and subsequently made application 
 to this effect. 
 
 As I complained that a correc representa- 
 tion of my crest, the Beaver, was n where to 
 be seen, Mr. Audubon very kindlv presented 
 me with a beautiful pencil drawi r of this 
 remarkable animal, adopted as th crest of 
 an ancestor, Sir William Alex ^der,''*' of 
 Menstrie (afterwards Earl of Stirling), when 
 he obtained from James L the grant of Nova 
 Scotia. 
 
 Connected with this subject, I had now the 
 
 j; 
 
 * Alexander, or Alaster, from MacAlaster of the 
 Western Isles of Scotland. 
 
 hi;. 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 87 
 
 pleasure of making acquaintance with Dr. Duer, 
 the President of Columbia College, and with 
 Dr. Watts' family, descendants in the female 
 line of the American gentleman who, about a 
 century before, had claimed the above title, and 
 who was a Major- General in the American 
 Army during the War of Independence. So 
 much now for genealogy. — 
 
 " Vix ea nostra voco." 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Instructive evenings — The Welsh Indians — The com- 
 panion of Silvio Pellico — Military display — An 
 " evacuation day" — Dinner to the Prince de Join- 
 ville — Popular preachers — The public schools — Din- 
 ner to Lord Morpeth — St Andrew's dinner — Awk- 
 ward encounter — Law Courts — Freeman, the young 
 giant — Disputed boundaries — Lectures — Dr. Sparks 
 — Dr. Lardner — Fanny Ellsler. 
 
 Round the table-lamp of Mr. Bartlett, there 
 was occasionally assembled of an evening a very 
 agreeable party, met to discuss literary and 
 ethnological subjects ; there I met Mr. School- 
 craft, formerly the United States' Indian Agent, 
 and who allied himself by marriage with the 
 Indians; the Rev. Mr. Schaules, Dr. Hawkes, 
 the celebrated preacher, Mr. Fulsom, Mr. Wel- 
 
 : J 
 
 nu 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 89 
 
 ford, &c. Mr. Bartlett had recently been in- 
 vestigating a very interesting subject, that of 
 the Welsh Indians. 
 
 It appeare(^ from ancient record, that a Prince 
 Madoc had left Wales in 1169, in consequence 
 of civil wars, and had sailed from the coast, 
 leaving Ireland to the north ; he was absent 
 for a year ; when he returned he described a 
 fine country and people in the Far West, and 
 persuaded many of his countrymen to under- 
 take another expedition with him. This second 
 expedition never returned, and nothing more 
 was heard of the adventurers, till in J 650, 
 Morgan Jones, a Welsh clergyman, happening 
 to visit America, went up a river in Virginia, 
 where he was surprised and taken by a party 
 of Indians, who made preparations to kill him ; 
 he turned aside, and began praying in Welsh, 
 the Indians heard him, understood him, and 
 sparing his life, they carried him to their tribe 
 in the interior, where he remained some time, 
 teaching and preaching in Welsh, till he was 
 allowed to return to the coast; eventually he 
 died in New England. Mr. Bartlett had got 
 possession of affidavits, and other documents, 
 to attest the truth of the above. Mr. Crooks, 
 
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 the President of the American Fur Company, 
 afterwards told me, that he had seen a woman 
 of singular fairness, a prisoner among the 
 Pawnees ; and that some of the Trappers who 
 had been high up the Platte River, had seen 
 Indians dwelling in narrow and retired valleys, 
 who had different customs, and who practised 
 arts of a superior order to the other Indian tribes. 
 About this time a Welsh gentleman set out 
 for the West to trv and discover his lost 
 countrymen, but what became of him I never 
 learned. 
 
 Among other parties to which I was invited, 
 was one given by Mr. Wenthorpe to Dr. Sparks, 
 the historian. Mr. Wenthorpe is a descendant 
 of the first Governor of Massachusetts, and of 
 the Dutch Governor, Stuvesant. Lord Mor- 
 peth, then travelling in the States, and a 
 general favourite from his affability and intelli- 
 gence, was present at Mr. Wenthorpe's party, 
 and Colonels Perceval and Clive, of the Guards 
 in Canada. Here also I became acquainted 
 with Mr. Jay, a son of one of those who signed 
 the Declaration of Independance, with Dr. 
 Rogers, also with Signor Maroncelli, the com- 
 panion and friend of Silvio PeUico, and who 
 
 : J 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 91 
 
 Dr. 
 
 com- 
 who 
 
 shared with him his imprisonment. The 
 Signor was very lame, used crutches, for one of 
 his legs had heen cut off hy a barher, in con- 
 sequence of the hardships he had undergone ; 
 yet he was now laudably earning his liveli- 
 hood by teaching, whilst his wife sang at the 
 Opera. 
 
 The 25th of November is a jour de fete at 
 New York, under the name of " Evacuation 
 Day," for it is the anniversary of the city 
 having been finally evacuated by the British 
 troops in the war of the Revolution. It was 
 ushered in by the firing of cannon, the ringing 
 of bells, the hoisting of the " star-spangled 
 banners, the saucy American flag" in all direc- 
 tions, and the display of caps of liberty on poles. 
 At mid-day there v/as a grand military pro- 
 menade by the militia companies of New York, 
 the diversity of uniforms was to me most sur- 
 prising, scarcely two companies were dressed 
 alike. 
 
 The pioneers led the column, in high bear- 
 skin caps, on which nodded blue and white 
 feathers, their coatees were blue, and their 
 aprons yellow, and on their shoulders they bore 
 axes. A band followed in blue coatees with 
 
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 92 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 white facings and grey trowsers, their caps had 
 brass peaks ; the cavalry were in grey with red 
 braid. The infantry were in blue, grey, green 
 or scarlet ! The neatest dress of all, and the 
 most serviceable; was that of some Riflemen in 
 dark-green frock coats and trowsers. The guns 
 of the artillery were distinguished by flags on 
 the carriages, with the device of the eagle " the 
 banner bird of Columbia." The Generals wore 
 cocked-hats with blue and white feathers, and 
 blue coats. 
 
 The Corporation or the police should have 
 better controlled the omnibusses and charcoal 
 carts, for the drivers of these vehicles pushed 
 about too independently, and inteiTupted the 
 order of the march terribly ; and as one of the 
 newspapers remarked, " We could not see for 
 them, the firm marching, and the military ap- 
 pearance of our citizens." 
 
 I had a polite card of invitation sent to me 
 to attend a grand military and civic ball, given 
 in the evening at the Washington Hotel ; I 
 accordingly went there, and as I gave my cloak 
 in charge of an attendant, he said, " I'll trouble 
 you for two shillings," a quarter of a dollar, (for 
 taking charge of it). This was business-like. 
 
 % 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 93 
 
 I was received by Generals Morris, Storms, and 
 Striker, who walked round the ball-room with 
 me. Over the door of entrance was an im- 
 mense cap of liberty, sufficiently large to accom- 
 modate three men, and on each side of it was 
 the American flag and French tricolour, whilst 
 at opposite ends of the room, were pictures of 
 the Presidents Jackson and Harrison in military 
 array. 
 
 Officers and privates in their diversified uni- 
 forms were dancing vigorously with damsels, 
 whose prevailing dresses were velvet or pink 
 silk bodies with white skirts. I was presented 
 to the Mayor and Aldermen of the city, by 
 Mr. Wright, the master of the ceremonies, and 
 was treated with marked distinction, under the 
 impression, as I afterwards understood, that I 
 held a high command in Canada. 
 
 In the supper-room healths were proposed, 
 and complimentary speeches delivered. I said 
 that it w^as not the first time I had been in the 
 United States, and I could with truth say, that 
 everywhere I had met with civility and atten- 
 tion, and I trusted that the designs of the evil 
 disposed, who sought to interrupt the harmony 
 
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94 
 
 L ArADIK. 
 
 .n| 
 
 which at present exislt'd hetween th(» Ainpricnns 
 :nul the British would i»e fVustnited. 
 
 T\\v Treneh rriuee de Joinville enine at this 
 time to New York witlj the * Belle l\)uh'' trijrsite 
 and a hriir, and the citizens eompliniented him 
 with a «»:rand diimer, to which I had the honour 
 of an invitation. Tiie dinner was liiven at the 
 Lrreat hotel, the Astor 1 loiise, and the u:iiests 
 wen* received hy the NTayor of the city. The 
 Prince, a tall and pale younii: nian, twenty-four 
 vears of a<»'e, wore his hair smooth, and over his 
 
 th 
 
 ears, wnn mons 
 
 ^tacl 
 
 le surronn( 
 
 lini!; 1 
 
 ns mourn 
 
 th 
 
 and meetint»; his heard under his chin, his shirt- 
 collar was turned over the collar of his hluo 
 naval coat, he wore epaulettes, and the star and 
 red rihhon of the L(>uion of Ilonoin*. He was 
 attended hy his s(>cretary, and other otlicers in 
 \miforni. The French Consul, who was a mass 
 of embroidery, ushered in the party. 
 
 Th 
 
 ere was a ureat crowd in 
 
 the 
 
 receivniir 
 
 room, 
 name; 
 
 and when dinner was imnounced, the 
 were called out in tlu> order in which 
 thev wore to ent(>r the dininLi; hall. Amonn:st 
 them, the editors of several n(>wspaj)ers were, as 
 they ought to be, assigned places of honour. 
 
h AC \ DIP!. 
 
 95 
 
 W<' found tlu; [fiill (Miiiiinctitcd with \\\o 
 Amrrican Kiii^lc ;»t, (he fop of flic room, sup- 
 ported l)y flu' French tricolour on the ri^ht, 
 iiud the "stars and stripes" on the left. 
 Under this nas "York Town, 1 7S()," and 
 on pillars " Washiiiirfou," iuid " Lafayette," 
 festoons and drapciy hun^ from window to 
 window in good taste. I sat Ixitween Miijor 
 Krvine of the IJ. S. army, and a stout un- 
 known. 
 
 The dimier was capital; hut the hand terri- 
 fically loud, drums and trumpets fhunderinj^ 
 and hlustcrinii; at a furious rate, and j^ivinji^ us 
 hardly any respiti; ; hut this is !i common fjudt 
 with hands everywhere, durini!^ an (nitertain- 
 inent they -dvc loud and (lisajjrecahli;, when they 
 should h(> soft and plcasini^. "^Ihc waiters were 
 V(!ry exj)ert ; they were dressed in white jackets 
 and hlack trowsers. At thc^ Lu-go hotels in the 
 States t\\{) waitiu's are privat(^ly drilled hy tho 
 landlord with empty plates, instructed to remove 
 the covers hy signal, to distrihute themsidves 
 among the guests, &c., this rehearsal is very 
 amusing to witness, and at tlu; same time it is 
 very useful. 
 
 The Mayor proposed the toasts ; he got up 
 
 *l M 
 
 i: 
 
 ■!!■ 
 
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 is 
 
 ■ ii 
 
96 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 4 
 
 (I 
 
 and said, " Gentlemen, in the list of toasts 
 which I hold in my hand, the printer has mad(^ 
 a mistake, he has put the people of Franco 
 before the King, the second toast shoidd be the 
 first, and which I now propose, " The King of 
 th(^ French!" next followed "The Prince de 
 Joinville," and then " The People of France ;" 
 but the Prince did not rise and acknowledge 
 any of these toasts, perhaps it is not etiquette 
 for the blood royal to do so. 
 
 One of the best speeches of the evening was 
 made by Lord Morpeth ; he said he was over- 
 powered with the unexpected attentions which 
 were shown to him, turning to the Prince he 
 characterised him as a distinguished individual, 
 who not content with the luxuries of the 
 palace and the; endearments of home, sought 
 for fame and fortune at sea. 
 
 I was much amused by the jollity of an 
 ex- mayor, on some one asking him what wine 
 he would prefer, he called out, " I don't care, 
 
 I'm a d d hard drinker, if I get quantity 
 
 enough, I don't care what it is." My friend 
 on the left, being a gros ventre, put on his 
 spectacles carefully, watched (;very morsel he 
 consumed, and was quite silent whilst eating 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 97 
 
 .VF' i 
 
 oasts 
 [nad<^ 
 ranc(5 
 le the 
 ng of 
 X' de 
 nee ;" 
 /ledge 
 quette 
 
 ig was 
 over- 
 
 whieh 
 
 lee he 
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 bf the 
 ought 
 
 of an 
 t wine 
 care, 
 lantitv 
 I friend 
 )n his 
 pel he 
 leating 
 
 and drinking most abundantly, and torpid there- 
 after. With Major Ervine, 1 had mucli agree- 
 able conversation. 
 
 After many toasts and sentiments, plates of 
 seirars wen; handed round, and almost all 
 lighted "a weed." One gentleman said he 
 always smoked twenty -five segars a day and 
 often forty. It is really jistonishing, that men 
 of intelligence and edu(!ation will cloud their 
 senses, and ruin their constitutions with this 
 absurd hnhit, originating in youth in the desire 
 to appear manly. It is only of use when one 
 is obliged to travel among swamps in hot 
 weather. 
 
 At New York, I heard some very (excellent 
 preaching, particularly at Grace Church — Dr. 
 Taylor's. In one of his eloquent discourses, he 
 endeavoured to show why there were not many 
 wise, noble, or rich called : there were, he said, 
 too many impediments in their career. In another 
 of his sermons he truly observed, " Though we 
 may lead a life without sensuality, and at the 
 same time devote ourselves to literature, which 
 is commonly considered an innocent life, yet 
 without an earnest looking towards a future state, 
 without daily preparing for it, qualifying our- 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 selves in some degree for a heavenly inheritance, 
 we do nothing." 
 
 Dr. Hawkos, of St. Thomas, in preaching 
 from the text " Give us your prayers," in 
 St. Paul's Epistle to the Thossalonians, do- 
 scril)ed the sufferings of St. Paul, and why — " to 
 proclaim the Gospel of Christ." " St. Paul," 
 he said, " was not an ignorant man, had not 
 merely zeal, but he had knowledge also, for 
 he had been brought up at the feet of the 
 Preceptor Gamaliel; and yet with all his 
 knowledge and intelligence, he asks for the 
 prayers of his inferiors, knowing the efficacy 
 of the prayers of the good, and the heavy 
 responsibility he incurred as a minister of the 
 Gospel, that he would be accountable for many 
 souls." 
 
 Again, " man cannot exist alone without 
 fellows, and Christianity teaches reciprocal 
 kindness." In speaking of the ministerial 
 office, he said, " its difficulties may be scorned, 
 and it may be insulted by the little minds, who 
 may taunt the minister with being their paid 
 slave, and may wish to make it appear that 
 he lives by courtesy, yet he hoped that the 
 day would come when the government of the 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 99 
 
 country would look to the Church for sup- 
 port." 
 
 I spent a grrit part </f one clay in company 
 with Colonel Clivt, md under thr direction of 
 Dr. Rogers, in examining the public schools, 
 and the system practised in them being the 
 interrogatory, was, as it always is, most excel- 
 lent. The pupils, white as well as coloured, 
 exhibited great proficiency. I examined room 
 No. 4. In mental arithmetic the children 
 were adepts: they also were w(!ll acquainted 
 with geography, and many of them displayed 
 a taste for drawing. 
 
 In some of the books I observed great 
 erasures in the text, whole sentences, para- 
 graphs, and pages, here and there, obliterated 
 with printers' ink, these were portions of the 
 text which reflected on the Roman Catholics, 
 and which were thus erased in order that they 
 might not object to their children using the 
 same school books which the Protestant chil- 
 dren did. 
 
 The next great dinner at which I " assisted," 
 was that given by the Yorkshiremen of New 
 York to the Viscount Morpeth. It took place 
 at the City Hall. Mr. Fowler presided on the 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 occasion. The entertainment reflected great 
 credit on the entertainers, in thus honouring 
 one of whom the great county of York may 
 •well be proud. 
 
 The Presidents of all the societies in New 
 York were at table. The St. George's Society, 
 St. Andrew's, St. Patrick's, St. David's, the 
 German Society, &c. At the upper end of the 
 room there was a picture of Queen Victoria, 
 and at the lower end there were the arms of 
 Lord Morpeth, and of his father, the Earl of 
 Carlisle, and between them was a transparency 
 representing Howard Castle : this was aU in 
 very good taste. 
 
 Besides well-dressed dishes of every variety, 
 the usual New York luxuries of terapin, blue 
 pointer oysters, and canvass ducks appeared on 
 the board, and choice wines. Mr. Horn, the 
 singer, gave " God save the Queen," but Mr. 
 Braham, who was also present, thinking, I 
 suppose, that the verse in which "scatter her 
 enemies" was not sufficient energetic, shouted 
 out with his powerful voice the two last verses, 
 which were loudly encored. 
 
 There was a spirited oration from the chair- 
 man, and an admirable reply from Lord Mor- 
 
I.' 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 101 
 
 chair- 
 Mor- 
 
 peth. Mr. Ogden Hoffman, the district at- 
 torney, also spoke with his usual earnestness 
 and eloquence. " In your flowing cup," said 
 he, "let us remember England. I love Eng- 
 land, for most of us are of the stock of Eng- 
 land; her poetry is ours, her Shakespeare is 
 ours, and her laws are our laws." Mr. Edwards 
 drank the " Manly sports of England, her 
 cricket, her hunting, &c." Commodore Perry, 
 United States' Navy, burly and sailor like, was 
 toasted and replied: he afterwards came to 
 where I sat, invited me tc see the navy vard, 
 and said he was an Alexander by the mother's 
 side. The party did not break up till one o'clock, 
 and before its close, several of those present 
 came up fo Lord Morpeth and shook hands 
 with him, and reminded him that they were 
 old Yorkshire constituents of his. 
 
 The last grand dinner I was present at, was 
 the St. Andrew's, where I had much enjoyment 
 among my countrymen, and at which I had to 
 respond to the toast of the British army. 
 
 Among the private parties which we attended, 
 where elegantly furnished and well lighted 
 rooms, excellent music, splendid suppers, and 
 many fair faces combined their attractions, were 
 
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102 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 those at the houses of Dr. Rogers, Mr. Jones, 
 Mrs. Colford Jones, Mr. SufFrin, Mrs. Remsin, 
 Mrs. Hammersley, Colonel Murray, Mr. Bar- 
 clay, now the British Consul at New York, &c. 
 One of the handsomest houses was that of 
 Mrs. Colford Jones, whose furniture, imported 
 from France, was in the style of Louis 
 XIV, beautifully carved and richly gilt; white 
 and gold predominated in her drawing-rooms, 
 and the carpets were of the Gobelin manufac- 
 ture. 
 
 Among the foreigners we met at these 
 parties, were Senor Alved, the Buenos Ayres 
 Minister, the Baron Tuyll, the Baron Tobrian, 
 and a son of the Mexican Emperor, Iturbide. 
 Among the persons of intelligence and agree- 
 able manners, and whose acquaintance we had 
 now the pleasure of making, were Mr. and 
 Mrs. Davis ; the political writings of Mr. Davis, 
 under the title of " Major Downing's Letters," 
 during the Jackson administration, are con- 
 sidered very clever. 
 
 On leaving one of the above gay parties, 
 I had an unpleasant adventure. Snow was on 
 the ground, and I had gone out to look for my 
 carriage ; at a little distance I saw our coach- 
 
 II i ; 
 
 \ i 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 103 
 
 man on his box, and I called to him to drive 
 into a vacant space before the door, and so 
 enable us to get away before the crowd came 
 out. Whilst watching the carriage driving up, 
 a stout gentleman came out of the house in ii 
 hurry, called out to our coachman to stop, and 
 ordered another carriage to the door. I tried 
 to prevent this, but the other coachman obeying 
 the orders of the stout gentleman, whipped his 
 horses, the pole was driven against my shoulder, 
 and I was thrust into a snow drift. 
 
 The stout gentleman still being very obstre- 
 perous, caught our advancing horses by the 
 head, and pushed them back. Our coachman 
 then jumping down, said : " I'll knock down 
 any man who interferes in that way." On 
 which the gentleman got very wrath, and run- 
 ning at the coachman, caught him by the neck, 
 and cried, " What is that you say, you rascal ?" 
 I immediately ran to the rescue of my coach- 
 man, who cried : " Fm darned if I don't knock 
 you down, and no mistake." Catching the 
 stout gentleman by the collar, I called out : 
 " What do you mean. Sir, by meddling with 
 my coachman ? Let him go instantly !'* 
 Whereupon, turning to me, he cried : "I'll 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 
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 meddle with you too !" To my amazement, I 
 instantly recognized the voice of an American 
 author, for whom I had a great respect. I 
 immediately let go my hold. I was in hopes 
 that he did not recognize me, muffled up as 
 I was, in a cap and short cloak ; and as if by 
 mutual consent, the high contending parties 
 separated. Though I was very thankful that 
 neither the coachman nor myself had struck a 
 blow, I rewarded the man with a broad piece, 
 for the good light he had made. 
 
 With Mr. Blunt I attended the Law Courts, 
 but I was not fortunate to hear a case of 
 any interest ; and though in remote sections 
 of the United States, there are singular ways of 
 conducting the business of law, yet in New 
 York, great propriety seemed to be observed in 
 Court. The Judges looked strange without 
 gowns. From the Law Courts I adjourned 
 with Mr. HoU to a different scene — the Pugi- 
 listic Rooms of Mr. Hudson, where I saw the 
 young giant. Freeman, exercising with the 
 gloves. I conversed with him, and found him 
 good-tempered and communicative; he stated 
 that his age was twenty-one, and his height 
 seven feet, that he weighed 320 lbs. and was 
 
 i*« V ■ 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 105 
 
 fifty-eight inches round the chest, and could lift 
 1500 lbs. Freeman used to be employed at 
 the Circus, in carrying a boy round the ring 
 and riding on two horses, and though he was so 
 bulky, he could throw a somersault. 
 
 About this time, I had much conversation 
 regarding the question of the disputed boun- 
 daries with the American Commissioners, 
 Colonel Talcot, Major Graham and Professor 
 Renwick, and I was kindly shown the maps 
 and sections which they were carefully preparing. 
 Their impressions of the N.E. part of the dis- 
 puted territory, at the sources of the Mitis and 
 Rimouski Rivers, was that of an excessivelv 
 dreary region, not worth sixpence an acre. On 
 digging into the thin soil, rubble was soon 
 reached, the trees were indifferent, and there 
 were small means to get them carried to a 
 market ; also that there was no mineral wealth. 
 All this was subsequently given up to the 
 British ; but large and valuable tracts of forest 
 land were given up to the Americans, on the 
 North bank of the Upper St. John's. They 
 have certainly no cause to complain of their 
 share of the territory. 
 
 I had now an opportunity of renewing my 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 
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 acquaintance with General Wool, of the U.S. 
 army, an excellent officer, who distinguished 
 himself in the war of 1812-13-14. I had 
 accompanied him and the daughters of General 
 Cass, some years hefore, to Washington, and 
 was introduced by him to the President, Jack- 
 son, with whom we also dined. General Wool 
 was actively engaged in the late Mexican war. 
 
 Lectures have of late years been in much 
 request in New York. I heard Dr. Sparks, the 
 author of the " Life of Washington," deliver a 
 very excellent lecture on portions of American 
 history, the treachery of Arnold, and the death 
 of Andre. I also attended a couple of lectures 
 of the well-known Dr. Lardner. His personal 
 appearance was that of a slight man, about five 
 feet nine inches in height, with sharp features, 
 spectacles, a brown wig, and dressed in blue. 
 He began his lectures abruptly and without 
 bowing. I was sorry, however, to remark that 
 he endeavoured to please his American audience 
 by underrating the scientific acquirements of 
 his own countrymen. He said that he had 
 seen more practical science in the States in 
 three months, than he had done for years in 
 England — all which I thought in Oud taste. 
 
 \ ',: 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 107 
 
 He intended, he said, to have lectured on steam- 
 boats, but as he had been disappointed in get- 
 ting models of two steamers, he would substi- 
 tute facts about canals. He, however, remarked 
 in passing, that the English had no good river 
 steam-boats, because they had no great rivers 
 as they have in America ; that the average 
 speed in the English canals was six miles an 
 hour, which was not sufficient to overcome the 
 resistance of the water ; that at ten miles the 
 wave which would otherwise accumulate at the 
 head of the boat, would be left behind it, and 
 that the immersion of the boat was less at a 
 high rate of speed. Now I remember, that in 
 the Paisley canal, the "swift boats," as they 
 were termed, some years ago, got up a rate 
 of speed which was quite sufficient to leave the 
 wave behind them. 
 
 The Doctor then changed to astronomy, and 
 exhibited some good transparencies. He said, 
 that if the earth were a perfect sphere, it w^ould 
 have two polar and cold continents, between 
 which would be the ocean. That a fluid globe, 
 by its evolutions, would assume the form of a 
 turnip, and a perfect globe would be easily 
 deranged; and that the oblate-spheroid (some- 
 
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108 
 
 L*ACADIE. 
 
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 I'.'i 
 
 what flattened at the poles), was consequently 
 the very best form for the globe to have 
 assumed, under the all-wise direction of the 
 Creator. 
 
 The Doctor maintained that the moon has 
 no influence on the weather or on trees, though 
 the reverse may be inferred from the forest laws 
 of Germany and Brazil ; nor does it afl'cct 
 lunatics, as would be proved, he said, if their fits 
 of madness were watched and recorded. 
 
 After the Doctor's second lecture, which 
 related to steamers, I had the pleasure of seeing 
 the celebrated danseuse, Fanny EUsler, who 
 created quite a furore in the States, young men 
 having drawn her carriage, and the furniture of 
 one of her beds having been cut up and distri- 
 buted. 
 
 ' '4 
 
 ii 
 
 H if' '• 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 109 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Ilis Excellency Sir Charles Bagot — New Year's visits — 
 The British Consul — American wives — Suppers — 
 Servants — The Battle of New Orleans at the Bowery 
 ITieatre — Fight between an American and an Irish- 
 man — Visit Governor's Island — A British deserter — 
 Off the doctor's list, and prepare to leave New 
 York. 
 
 In the beginning of 1842, the Right 
 Honourable Sir Charles Bagot, G.C.B., the 
 newly appointed Governor-General of British 
 North America, arrived at New York in the 
 ' Illustrious' 74, accompanied by Captain Jones, 
 Military Secretary ; Captain Bagot, R.N., 
 Private Secretary ; and Lieutenant the Honour- 
 able T. G. Cholmondeley, A.D.C. Having 
 become acquainted with Sir Charles Bagot, 
 when he was British Minister at Brussels, I 
 
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 waited on His Excellency and offered my ser- 
 vices. 
 
 At this time Sir Charles Bagot was looking 
 well in health, was also in good spirits, and 
 affable ; he was tall, and a very handsome man, 
 so much so, that an American in a crowd, 
 looking at Sir Charles as he passed said, 
 " Darned, if I would mind being an English- 
 man, if I were as good looking a man as that." 
 His Excellency described the difficulties he had 
 just experienced in reaching America, that he 
 had left England in a new steam-ship of war 
 (the ' Styx') with new machinery, and a new 
 Captain, that they had advanced only four 
 hundred miles on their voyage across the 
 Atlantic, when encountering heavy gales, they 
 were obliged to put back from a leak; they 
 went into Cork to repair damages, and after 
 four days' delay, they sailed again, when the 
 beam broke, and they put back a second time ; 
 Sir Charles then, on his own responsibility, took 
 a brig of war to convey him to Spithead, when 
 Lord Stanley directed the ' Illustrious * to be 
 got ready for His Excellency. This was done 
 after a delay of fourteen days ; the 74, then 
 sailed, and was also forced to put back ; how- 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 Ill 
 
 ever, at last she reached her destination after 
 a six weeks' voyage. All these difficulties might 
 have been interpreted as evil omens for the 
 Governor-General. 
 
 The 1st of January in North America is 
 well known to be a day set apart for the visits 
 of friends. Gentlemen visit the ladies, who 
 remain seated at home to receive them, in 
 rooms in which sometimes a handsome lunch 
 is set out. One lady at New York was said 
 to have considerately provided her servant with 
 brushes and a looking-glass, so that " the nice 
 young men," who wished to arrange their hair 
 before being announced, had an opportunity of 
 doing so in the hall. 
 
 Some think it necessary on New Year's Day 
 to drink bumpers to the health of the family 
 in every house, and I remember seeing a young 
 gentleman in Canada, towards the close of his 
 New Year's visits, tumble over a sofa and 
 disappear behind it in an endeavour to reach 
 his fur cap ; but this like " oyster-day," per- 
 haps only happened " once a year." 
 
 On the 3rd of January, Mr. Buchanan, the 
 British Consul, gave a breakfast to Sir Charles 
 Bagot and his staff, to which 1 was invited. 
 
 i, 
 
 :! " i 
 
 <?ii 1' 
 
112 
 
 ^'ACADIE. 
 
 II 
 
 . 
 
 There were present, the Bishop of Onderdonck, 
 the Mayor Morris, General Talmadge, the 
 Presidents of the St. George's, St. David's, 
 and other societies. General Wadsvvorth, of 
 Genesee ; Colonel Stone, Editor of tlie " Com- 
 mercial;" Mr. Davis, the poHtical writer, &c. ; 
 over the door of the breakfast-room, the Britisli 
 and American flags were tied together, and 
 under them was the motto " Mother and 
 daughter united, the peace of the world pre- 
 served." The handsome family of Mr. Bu- 
 chanan was presented to His Excellency after 
 the repast. 
 
 At one of our evening parties my ancle still 
 paining me, I was anxious to sit down; but 
 could get no seat, " because chairs would ruflie 
 the ladies' dresses." "You will wonder, per- 
 haps," said a gentleman, " how such flighty 
 young ladies as these now seem to be make 
 good wives; but when they marry 7'ich hus- 
 bands they leave off these gaieties for eighteen 
 years, till their daughters grow up ; then they 
 go out a little again." 
 
 The suppers were always beautifully laid out, 
 and the refreshments were of the choicest 
 description, and cost hundreds of dollars. A 
 
 Mi" 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 113 
 
 young lady, whom I handed up to supper on 
 one occasion, at first drew otV from the table 
 to admire it, and seemed to regret that the 
 arrangements should be disturbed, the j)yra- 
 niids of sweets levelled ; the castles of sugar 
 overthrown ; the vas(;s of ice demolished. At 
 supper oyster-soup was in high favour with 
 both ladies and gentlemen, and at New York 
 it is most delicious ; it is much better to 
 partake of this after dancing, than of cream, 
 ices, or Italian salad. At the bottom of the 
 table I somc^times saw a group of eld(TS, who 
 were slowly imbibing, and with great relish, 
 Madeira of high flavour, and of from six to 
 twelve dollars a bottle. 
 
 Complaints were often made to us of the 
 difficulty of finding, or of keeping when found, 
 good servants in the States ; and amusing anec- 
 dotes were told of the independance of American 
 helps in this " land of liberty ;" thus " a gn-en 
 mountain boy" of Vermont, engaged himself to 
 a family in town ; there was an evening party 
 at the house, and he came in with a tray, 
 seeing some ladies sitting talking in a corner 
 which he could not conveniently reach, he called 
 out, " Hullo, gii'ls ! how are you off there for 
 
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114 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 '■.'■\ 
 
 
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 cream and sweetinin ?" Being directed to light 
 a fire in the morning in the parlour for the 
 children, when the mistress came down she 
 found the servant sitting in a chair, with his 
 feet up, and reading the newspaper ; without 
 rising, he cried, pointing at the fire, " Isn't 
 that a roarer !" We can very well afford to 
 laugh at what follows. 
 
 On the 8th of January, the anniversary of 
 the battle of New Orleans, a performance, flat- 
 tering to the American pride, took place at the 
 Bowery Theatre. In the first scene a large 
 number of British soldiers appear, who talk 
 largely of what they are going to do when they 
 take the city. Colonel Thornton also comes 
 forward, and encourages the men with the 
 hopes of plunder, and, " Besides that," said he, 
 " by capturing the Mayor, and other men of 
 note, we will secure so many thousand dollars 
 of ransom !" In the second scene, General 
 Jackson was represented by a tall, lanky fellow, 
 in a cocked hat, blue coat and yellow tights ; 
 he also brags considerably, and directs cotton 
 bales to be placed to form breastworks for his 
 men ; whereupon, a New Orleans merchant 
 comes in hurriedly, and complains of his cotton 
 
 ' ) t/ 
 
 ■M !1': 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 115 
 
 bales having been appropriated. The General 
 then harangues him, says his cotton bales are 
 required for the service of his country, and that 
 the General and his soldiers " will die on the 
 cotton bales." On this the merchant becomes 
 suddenly fired with patriotic ardour, calls for an 
 American cockade, which he places in his hat, 
 and valiantly shoulders a musket. 
 
 In the third and last scene there is a grand 
 fight, the British advance firing, but the Ame- 
 rican fire is too heavy for them ; they retire, 
 whereupon the brave Packenham advances to 
 the front, and calls to his men, " What ! will 
 ye allow yourselves to be defeated ? — No !" 
 Rushing up to the bales, he engages in single 
 combat with General Jackson, who is waving 
 an American flag. Packenham falls, all the 
 English are killed, and the curtain drops amidst 
 loud cheers, and the music of "Yankee Doodle." 
 Then a large number of the audience retire to 
 their homes, more confirmed than ever in their 
 belief, that they are " the smartest nation in all 
 creation." 
 
 Yet the result of a pugilistic encounter, at 
 Brooklyn, opposite New York, at this time, was 
 
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 L*ACADIE. 
 
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 rather vexing to some of the Americans. It 
 took place between a Massachusetts boxer and 
 an Irishman. The Yankee weighed forty 
 pounds more than the other, and, looking with 
 a swaggering air at his antagonist, he said to 
 his backers, " If I don't whip (thrash) him in 
 ten minutes, I'll forfeit the stakes." The Irish- 
 man went into the ring, and stipulated that 
 "there should be no hitting when down." They 
 set-to ; the Irishman tapped the nose of the 
 Yankee, on which the latter became, in the 
 phraseology of the country, " d d mad, 
 
 or 
 
 savage, and hitting away furiously, the Irishman 
 dropped ; the fight continued for an hour, the 
 American exhausted himself with his violence, 
 and was at last dead beat. The Irishman was 
 not much the worse, and, jumping over the 
 ropes, he cried, " Now I'm ready for any 
 more of ye." " Hurrah !" shouted one of his 
 countrymen, " this is the Shannon batin the 
 Chesapeake," which made many more " mad ;" 
 fortunately, however, no general fight took 
 place. 
 
 I visited with Captain Moore, U. S. army, 
 the Fort on Governor's Island, and was received 
 
 '.I 
 
' .1 
 
 1 ■ 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 117 
 
 i V 
 
 by Lieutenant Brooks ; I found the works in 
 good order, and among other heavy guns, I 
 observed six Paixhans, looking seawards. A 
 band was in attendance which played martial 
 music ; the sentries were in light blue great 
 coats, with the belts over them. The full dress 
 is a blue coatee, with light blue trowsers. In 
 the barrack rooms, I remarked that two men 
 occupied the same bed, and that there were no 
 single iron bedsteads, as in the British service. 
 
 The powder magazines had double walls of 
 stone and wood, with eighteen inches interval 
 between them, to prevent damp ; the doors 
 also were double, the powder being handed out 
 through a small window in the upper part of 
 the outer or spar door. 
 
 When looking at an artillery barrack-room, 
 one of the men couched me on the arm, and 
 said in a low tone, " Is Colonel Cathcart, of 
 the King's Dragoon Guards, in Canada yet. 
 Sir ?" I found that the inquirer was a deserter 
 from the British Dragoons, and who, with a 
 sigh, regretted leaving our service, and no 
 wonder, for he now found himself a prisoner, 
 as it were, and looked on as an indifferent 
 character. I shall elsewhere treat of desertion. 
 
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118 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
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 : { 
 
 Being now off the doctor's list, I prepared to 
 return to Canada ; after settling all accounts, 
 we took leave of our friends the boarders at the 
 Mansion House Hotel, some of whose names 
 I have a pleasure in recording, as with them we 
 enjoyed much agreeable intercourse during our 
 three months' detention in the capital of the 
 Empire State. Commodores Nicholson and 
 Ste^vart, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton, Mr. and Mry. 
 Robins, Dr. and Mrs. Lee, Mr. Hayes, Mr. 
 March, Mr. and Mrs. Kirkwood, &c. We also 
 parted from our other friends in town with 
 much regret, and we duly and gratefully acknow- 
 ledge their many civilities. 
 
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ii 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 119 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Arrive at Newhaven — An unfortunate jest — Reach 
 Albany — Return to Kingston — Anecdote of an Ame- 
 rican " Boots" — More independence — Brigade days — 
 The Governor- General — The United Service ball — 
 Visit the Lake of the Mountain and Bay of Quinte — 
 Mr, Charles Dickens at Kingston — Visit the scene of 
 the affair at Windmill Point — Leave Kingston — Sail 
 for Toronto and Hamilton — The march — A word to 
 gentlemen settlers — Arrive at London, Canada West. 
 
 In the end of January we embarked for 
 Newhaven, and passing through Hell Gate, 
 and admiring the handsome residences on the 
 shore, we reached our destined port in six 
 hours. Here we feU in with an agreeable tra- 
 velling companion in Mr. Watt, of Drummond 
 Villa, Canada East, M.P.P. 
 
 We proceeded by railroad to Hartford, in 
 one of the large glass caravans, and by stage 
 to Springfield, where we slept. The passengers 
 
 n!/ 1: 5::i:i 
 
120 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 and baggage were indiscriminately distnbutcd 
 in two coaches ; those who arrived first were 
 anxious about articles of their baggage which 
 might or might not have been put on the 
 coach which was to follow. I nearly got into 
 a quarrel with an American for jestingly 
 remarking the care he took of his trunk. 
 He asked me to go into the passage, and, 
 with a serious air, inquired if I intended any 
 insinuation against his character, or meant to 
 imply that he had come by the trunk im- 
 properly. I smiled and assured him I meant 
 to insinuate nothing of the kind ; I was only 
 commending him for his prudence ; on which 
 he was soothed. With matter-of-fact people 
 jokes are not safe, and should not be in- 
 dulged in. 
 
 We arrived at Albany by rail, took up our 
 quarters at Congress Hall, and spent a pleasant 
 evening with the Portuguese Minister to Mexico 
 and his family. Next day by rail to Utica, 
 then in a crowded sleigh we travelled all night 
 })y Boonville to Waterton, which I afterwards 
 visited under peculiar circumstances — got an 
 extra to St. Vincent, and crossed the ice to 
 Kingston. 
 
 .»! 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 121 
 
 On the road, in the United States, one is 
 sometimes amused at the desire of the attend- 
 ants at hotels to show that they are at least 
 " as good as you," if not hetter. Thus, an 
 Englishman told me that he was travelling 
 with his younger hrother, who was deaf, 
 through Massaehusetts ; after staying all night 
 at an inn, in the morning the " help" who 
 had cleaned their boots, went to the younger 
 brother and asked him for something: he 
 directed him to his elder brother, who carried 
 the purse ; the " boot-clean" went to him . 
 and stood before him. " What do vou want ?" 
 was asked, " I'm the gentleman who cleaned 
 your boots, and the deaf man there told me to 
 go to you." 
 
 Yet it will generally be found that, with 
 good temper and no airs of pretension, a 
 stranger may travel fi'om one end of the 
 United States to the other without any 
 inconvenience, though some Americans seem 
 to think that Englishmen are naturally proud, 
 and therefore they feel a desire to humble 
 them. Thus it was said that Lord Morpeth, 
 on one occasion, w^as standing on the steps of 
 a hotel, when a citizen went up to him, looked 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 at him from head to foot, and turned off to 
 tlie bar, saying, significantly : " We have no 
 Lords here !" 
 
 At Kingston, General Clitherow kept us 
 employed during the remainder of the winter 
 of '42 in marching out, and with occasional 
 Brigade days. Matters had been rjither uneasy 
 with our neighbours for some time past, and 
 therefore it was necessary, at all times, that 
 officers and men should be on the alert, and 
 efficient for active service. 
 
 The Governor- General was very civil to the 
 military, and his dinner-parties were very 
 pleasant. He was quite a man of the world, 
 easy and very gentleman-like in his manners, 
 told his story and encouraged others to talk; 
 unfortunately for his health he took little 
 exercise, and became rather stout. 
 
 From the information I had recently acquired 
 in the States, I was enabled to submit to Sir 
 Charles Bagot maps and proposals for the 
 speedy settlement of the Boundary Question, 
 and I stated my wish to be employed, for a 
 season, in the distant Oregon. His Excellency 
 received my proposal very favourably, and sent 
 my documents to the Colonial and Foreign 
 
' t. 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 123 
 
 offices ; but " the poar was not then ripe," and 
 no settlement at that tim(^ took place of either 
 Boundary. An American minister said to Lord 
 Aberdeen, "It is easy to settle the Boundary." 
 " Yes,'* answered his Lordship, " if we give 
 you all you ask." " Exactly so," said the 
 Plenipotentiary. 
 
 To make a break in the winter, we had one 
 or two pic-nics and country parties ; one of 
 the former w\as to Finks' Inn, on ColHns' Bay, 
 six miles from Kingston. We sleighed there, 
 partook of a WTll-ordered repast, arranged under 
 the direction of Captain Talbot, A.D.C., then 
 we danced to the music of two or three violins, 
 and sleighed home by moonlight. At Glenlogie 
 we had very social parties and abundance of 
 Scotch cheer. But the grand event of the 
 season was a United Service ball, to which 
 sixty officers subscribed. It w^as given as a 
 return for three commercial balls, and, the 
 army and navy uniting, the cost was only 
 about £2 each. As five hundred had to be 
 asked in the tow^n and ncighl)ourhood (three 
 hundred came), w^e were obliged to build a 
 wooden hall 80 feet by 40 to dance in, 
 whilst the supper was in the principal hotel, 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
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 which was connorted with our h:ill. The latter 
 was docoratcd with flngs from the dockyard, 
 chandeliers and stars of hayonets and cutlasses, 
 and the orchestra was festooned with flowers 
 of coloured paper, tlie handiwork of the officers' 
 wives. Th(^ Governor General and staff were 
 present, and, as His Excellency fac(*tiously 
 remarked, the whok? affair went off " in an 
 oily manner," or smoothly and pleasantly. 
 
 In the early May, when the ground had got 
 rid of its wintry mantle, when the air was fresh 
 and huoyant, the sky hright and * all nature 
 looked gay,' I proceeded with Lady Alexander 
 in a steamer up the Bay of Quinte, an inlet of 
 Lake Ontario, running deep into the country, 
 and winding hetween tracts of the richest land 
 towards the mouth of the River Trent. 
 
 We steamed past the island — ' the Brothers,' 
 and the heautiful Amherst Island, and then put 
 in at Radcliffe's wharf. As yet, there were no 
 leaves out, hut it was pleasant to walk on the 
 short green grass, and to hear the hirds singing 
 blithely ; having no care, we felt that in this 
 hright and balmy season, existence was perfect 
 happiness. 
 
 Of Amherst Island, it is said, that Sir 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 125 
 
 William Johnstone, a distinguished Ranger 
 officer of the last century, obtained possession 
 in this way. The owner of the island, an 
 Indian chief, told him, one morning, that hi^ 
 had had a dream, which was, that Sir William 
 had given him his gold-laced coat : Sir William, 
 according to Indian custom, was therefore 
 obliged to present it. But the following morning 
 Sir William told the chief that he also had been 
 dreaming, and that the chief had given him 
 Amherst Island. The chief was obliged to 
 surrender it ; but as he did so, said " let us 
 dream no more, brother." 
 
 We passed up the Bay, saw Bath, a scattered 
 place, Jind Adolphus ; many rough people were in 
 the boat, coarse in dress and in manners, but 
 they deserved to be respected as the first, 
 perhaps, who had broken ground in the forests 
 around us. We left the steamer to visit an 
 object of interest, the Lake of the Mountain; an 
 American, oddly enough called, or calling 
 himself, Mr. Lake received us in his clean 
 house, where we ordered the usual country fare 
 of ham and eggs, and then walked up a bank 
 two hundred feet above the level of the Bay. 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 Hero wo came to tho Lake of the Mountain, a 
 beautiful piece of water, one mile round, skirted 
 with the forest, and fed hy streams rising at a 
 distance at higher levels ; bass and sun-tish are 
 caught in the clear waters of the Lake. 
 
 Looking round, we admired the views up the 
 Bay of Quinte ; the cleared and wooded head- 
 lands, the dark masses of forest. There is a 
 deep glen and water-fall where the Lake pours 
 its waters down the steep to mingle with those 
 of the Bay; and we saw where an Indian hunter 
 had disappeared over the clilf when too closely 
 pursuing a deer: "a pretty pokerish place that," 
 said our landlord. 
 
 We now mounted a lumber waggon without 
 springs, and jolted over a road which was rather 
 trying for a lady. We slept at Pictou, and 
 next day went to Bloomfield, and by well- 
 cultivated farms to Wellington ; and saw the 
 undulating sandy beach, the marshes, and the 
 snipe of West Lake. We tarried at Garrel's 
 Inn, a temperance house ; I asked the landlord 
 if he had always kept an inn of this sort ; " no," 
 said he, " not long, but since we have, we have 
 peace now." 
 
 ^^^>- 
 
L ACAUIE. 
 
 127 
 
 Wc made an excursion in a skiff, then 
 returned to Pictou, and steamed up the Bay to 
 Belville. 
 
 There we put up at the George Inn, where 
 for one night they charged the same as for a 
 whole day, that is, one dollar each ; our sleeping 
 accommodation was not worth this, for we were 
 put into a room six feet square, the hed occupy- 
 ing about four, and there was no chair to put 
 one's clotlics on. Next morning, we were up 
 at half- past five, and off again to Kingston, 
 making acquaintance by the way with a respect- 
 able old squaw in a round hat and ribbon, and 
 blue cloth dress, and who, though seventy years 
 of age, was in the habit of walking seven miles 
 to church. 
 
 We had not long returned to Kingston before 
 Mr. Charles Dickens, the well-known author 
 arrived there, with Mrs. Dickens, from their 
 Western tour. I was asked by Mr. Derbishire, 
 M.P.P., a gentleman of great intelligence and 
 always most hospitably disposed, to meet Mr. 
 Dickens at the dock-yard, and afterwards to 
 join him at dinner in the evening. 
 
 The celebrated ' Boz* was rowed to the 
 dock-yard in Commodore Sandom's gig. His 
 
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128 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 appearance at this time was that of a slight- 
 made young man, who had been ' a good deal 
 about town.' He wore his hair long, his hat 
 rather on the back of his head, a black coat and 
 light trowsers, and over all a black shaggy 
 upper coat. I had some conversation with him 
 about Dr., Channing's recent pamphlet on the 
 case of the " Creole," which, in proceeding to 
 New Orleans from Baltimore, had been carried 
 into a British port by the American slaves on 
 board ; as the slaves thus became free, the affair 
 was exciting much angry feeling in the States. 
 
 At dinner, Mr. Derbishire had assembled an 
 agreeable party to meet Mr. and Mrs. Dickens, 
 and all passed a pleasant evening ; the Vice- 
 Chancellor Jameson, husband of the dis- 
 tinguished authoress of that name, telling some 
 good anecdotes. Mrs. Dickens, who looked 
 verv well after her travels, I discovered was the 
 grand-daughter of Mr. George Thompson, of 
 Edinburgh, editor of the " Songs of Burns." 
 Mr. Dickens alluded to the great attention 
 which had been shown him at New York. The 
 Americans were much amused when they heard, 
 that after his arrival in Canada he was obliged 
 to exert himself and take a part in amateur 
 
»> 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 129 
 
 plays to amuse his countrymen, instead of being 
 feted as he had been in the States. 
 
 In the bright month of June, I made an 
 excursion with Lady Alexander and Lieutenant 
 Vavasour, R.E., to the Prescott Windmill, 
 where a fight had taken place in the late 
 rebellion. The small town of Prescott is on 
 the St. Lawrence, and some distance below 
 Kingston. Here the American " sympathi- 
 zers" had made a bold attempt to establish 
 a footing in Canada; four hundred of them 
 embarked from the vicinity of Sackett's Har- 
 bour, under the direction of Van Shultz, pre- 
 viously alluded to ; though a Pole, one would 
 imagine, would be the last person in the world 
 to engage in warfare agamst the British flag, 
 after all the support and sympathy his coun- 
 trymen have received in England. Johnstone, 
 the smuggler, was also a leader of this band, 
 which landed and took possession of some 
 houses on a point of land below Prescott, ex- 
 pecting a great rising in Canada to join them. 
 Colonel Plomer Young, from Kingston, attacked 
 them by land, in conjunction with Captain 
 Sandom, R.N., with an armed steamer. The 
 insurgents were driven from the houses which 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 they occupied at some distance from the river, 
 many fled into the woods, and the rest took 
 possession of a large stone house close to the 
 river's bank, and the stome tower of a windmill, 
 off which the carronade balls glanced without 
 effect. Eighteen British were killed and 
 wounded, Regulars and Militia, and among 
 them Lieutenant Johnstone, of the 83rd Regi- 
 ment was picked off^, the colour of his surtout 
 distinguishing him at once from his men. 
 Colonel the Hon. Henry Dundas, commanding 
 at Kingston, arriving with more troops and 
 cannon, the insurgents were driven from the 
 large stone building, and soon after a flag of 
 truce was hung out from the windmill ; one 
 hundred and fifty-nine prisoners were taken. 
 Their leader, Van Shultz, and five more, were 
 hanged at Kingston as brigands. 
 
 Our sail down the St. Lawrence, and through 
 the Lake of the Thousand Isles, was very 
 delightful; combining the attractions of trees, 
 rocks, clear w^ater, and a bright sky. Close 
 to Prescott is the square work called Fort 
 Wellington, provided with a fraize on the 
 parapet, and palisading in the ditch, caponieres, 
 four guns at the angles of the work, a block- 
 
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LACADIE. 
 
 131 
 
 house inside, with a well and magazine. After 
 examining Fort Wellington, we walked to 
 Windmill Point, and saw the roofless houses 
 left in the same state as they were after the 
 affair of 1838. On a stone slab near the 
 windmill, I found these words written : 
 
 "patriots stop and shed a tear! 
 
 in memory of the brave patriots 
 
 who fell in defence of liberty at windmill 
 
 point, in the year 1838. 
 
 where liberty dwells, there is 
 
 my country. 
 
 woe to britain !" 
 
 The route for " the Far- West" now came : 
 our destination was London. We were about to 
 leave the shores of Lake Ontario, with its boat- 
 ing and fishing, for a life in a clearing in the 
 forest ; and though frequent changes of quarters 
 ought not to be attended with much inconve- 
 nience to bachelors, vet to married men a 
 heavy expense attends them in the shape of 
 sales of furniture, glass, &c., often at a great 
 loss ; added to which there is the transport of 
 many boxes, and the purchase of a new outfit. 
 General Sir Thomas Pearson said of marrying 
 in the army, " No one under the rank of a 
 
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132 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 General ought to think of it, and then he had 
 better let it alone." But married or single 
 we must cheerfully receive the route, and march 
 as the tune of " 'Tis time for us to go," is 
 played. 
 
 The regiment sailed in two divisions for 
 Toronto and Hamilton, and then had a week's 
 march. Hamilton is the thriving capital of 
 Gore; this is a section of country which was 
 distinguished for its loyalty, and for the efficient 
 aid rendered in the Insurrection of 1837, by 
 " the men of Gore," under their gallant leader. 
 Colonel Sir Allan MacNab, the Knight of 
 Dundurn, and Speaker of the Legislative As- 
 sembly. 
 
 The first division marched to Ancaster, seven 
 miles, and halted for the night ; the next march 
 was to Brantford, on the Grand River. Brant- 
 ford is named after the Indian chief, Brant ; 
 and his people have got a beautiful settlement 
 on the Grand River, which is worth visiting. 
 All my company marched on fresh, none got 
 into the Doctor's w^aggon; and though the 
 weather was hot, yet by following an African 
 plan in travelling — to drink well before starting, 
 and refrain from liquids during the heat of the 
 
IS 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 133 
 
 day, not much inconvenience was experienced 
 from thirst. 
 
 I conversed with a farmer near Brantford, 
 and he said that it was difficult to succeed in 
 that part of the country, owing to the high price 
 of labour at that time, viz. a dollar a-day, and 
 food, or say 5s. 3d. sterling a-day was the cost 
 of a labourer or the pay of an ensign. He said, 
 too, that if the Commissariat had been aware 
 that with a day's notice, plenty of cattle might 
 have been driven to our various halting places, 
 the men might have always got fresh meat at 
 2d. per lb., instead of their salt-pork rations, 
 during a hot march. For my own part, I do 
 not think salt rations for one week any very 
 great hardship, as I was obliged to be satisfied 
 with such for several weeks, when subsequently 
 engaged in exploring in the woods in hot 
 weather. 
 
 But one thing was rather hard for the men ; 
 they had no straw to sleep on ; so immediately 
 we halted for the night, I went with a small 
 party to forage for what might keep the men off 
 the floors of the stables and barns, in which 
 they passed the night. The officers slept hot 
 and soft enough, in the small inns, if they liked 
 
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 l'acadie. 
 
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 to do so ; for in summer and winter, the people 
 of the country use that horror, a feather bed. 
 
 At Beechville we were among what is called 
 " the aristocracy of Woodstock," and I was 
 kindly invited, with Lieut. J. P. Hall, to take 
 up our quarters for the night at the house of 
 Mrs. Place. Mr. John Vansittart, the son of 
 the Admiral of that name, gave me also a polite 
 invitation to his father's house in the neigh- 
 bourhood. Colonel Light, late a Surveyor- 
 General in Australia, lived also in the neighbour- 
 hood. The Brothers Deedes, of Kent, being 
 active and industrious, were succeeding very 
 well as farmers in this part of the country. 
 
 Here I must be permitted to introduce a 
 word to gentlemen settlers in general. If it be 
 an officer who intends to settle, let him on no 
 account part witli his half- pay ; for should he 
 do so, he may, before long, have reason to 
 regret it. Half-pay is always something to fall 
 back upon, and helps too in the woods "to 
 keep the pot boiling ;" and if one does not suc- 
 ceed in farming, (which few do, by the way, 
 unless they have been brought up to it pre- 
 viously to entering " the noble profession of 
 arms,") perhaps full pay might be got in a local 
 
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l'acadie. 
 
 135 
 
 corps. Again, there can be no success in 
 farming by officer or civilian, or in alnfiost any 
 other line of life, and no good health, unless one 
 gets up at cock crowing, item, practising great 
 temperance. 
 
 I need hardly add, that without religious 
 principles and " an upright walk and conversa- 
 tion," success will not be deserved. 
 
 We halted next at Ingersall, where there was 
 a good inn, and then at Wheeler's tavern, 
 where a black man came forward and danced, 
 and then offered, for a few pence, to run at a 
 door and butt it with his bare head, like a ram, 
 but he was not encouraged to practice this feat. 
 Butting is a favourite mode of fighting among 
 negroes, and it is dreadful to see them running 
 at one another, and making their woolly heads 
 resound against each other. If one makes his 
 blow in the stomach of his antagonist, death 
 not unfrequently ensues. 
 
 We continued our march through the forest, 
 with partial clearings and small wooden houses 
 of settlers here and there ; the road was sandy, 
 but we were refreslied with the smell of the 
 turpentine from the trees, and by the shade 
 which they cast across our way. Subsequently 
 
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 we came to larger clearings, and the heat and 
 dust were rather overpowering. A corps leaving 
 London, had on this last march, fifty men fall 
 out, and some died from strokes of the sun. 
 The hlack patent leather of their caps occasioned 
 the mischief; a white or drab crown would be 
 an improvement for soldiers' caps. A riding 
 party and then a military band advanced to 
 meet us. This was Colonel and Miss Wether- 
 all, some officers of tlie Royal regiment, and 
 the band of that old and highly distinguished 
 corps, sent forward to play us into our new 
 quarters, at London, where we also found 
 excellent breakfasts prepared for both our offi- 
 cers 9nd men by the gallant and considerate 
 " Royals." 
 
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l'acadie. 
 
 137 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Colonel G. A. Wetherall. — London, Canada West — 
 Occupations there — Leave London for Hamilton — 
 Visit the Talbot settlement and its founder — Colonel 
 Talbot is visited by the Americans — His man Jeffreys 
 — Singular exit — Continue the journey along the 
 shores of Lake Erie — A London citizen in the 
 Bush — The village of Simcoe — Cheap living — 
 Roguery of innkeepers — Management of bees — 
 Stoney Creek — Arrive at Hamilton — Return to Lon- 
 don — Amusements — Brigade days — Anecdote of 
 Washington and a British Colonel. 
 
 Colonel George Augustus Wetherall, 
 C.B., K.H., senior aide-de-camp to the Queen, 
 had earned a high reputation by his services in 
 the East, and latterly for the excellent judg- 
 ment and success which attended his operations 
 against the insurgents in Canada, particularly 
 in the affairs at St. Charles and St. Eustache. 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
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 He was at this timo in command of the 2n(l 
 battalion, Royal Rigimcnt, and tlie BrigadicT 
 in the London and Western districts. I was 
 acquainted with the Colonel when he was Mili- 
 tary Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, at 
 Madras, and I was very happy to be again with 
 him in the Far West. Colonel Wetherall was 
 wiiversally po|,u]ar, the father of his regiment, 
 attentive to the interests of his officers and 
 men, was always glad to be consulted by them 
 in their difficulties, possessed a superior know- 
 ledge of military law, was soldier-like in his 
 ideas, and extremely pleasant and social in his 
 habits. 
 
 The Canadian London, in 1842, contained 
 about 2,600 souls. It is in the midst of a con- 
 siderable clearing in the pine-woods, which on 
 sandy ridges overhang the waters of the shallow 
 and swift-running Thames ; this river, after a 
 long forest course, empties itself into Lake St. 
 Clair. Among innumerable stumps and trunks, 
 blasted by fire and girdling, were seen wide 
 streets at right angles to each other. These 
 were for the most part bordered by scattered 
 wooden houses, of one and two stories, and 
 many had vegetable gardens about them. 
 
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L ACADIE. 
 
 139 
 
 Stumps of trees were seen in all directions 
 along the street, and some might also have been 
 found in the kitchen and cellars of the houses. 
 In the principal thoroughfare, Dundas Street, 
 where the best stores were, the houses were 
 adjacent, and some few of brick. In the Mar- 
 ket-square there was a castellated Court-house 
 and gaol ; a handsome English church, Scotch, 
 Roman Catholic, Wcsleyan, and other places of 
 worship were in various parts of the t'^wn. 
 Frame barracks for two regiments, and w ich 
 cost £30,000 currency, and log ones, both sur- 
 rounded with loop-holed palisades, also an artil- 
 lery barrack were outside of it on high ground ; 
 and Colonel Wetherall was busy clearing and 
 levelling the ground all round them with work- 
 ing parties — most useful and healthful practice 
 for soldiers. Three wooden bridges, that 
 spanned the river, were dignified with the 
 names of Blackfriars, Westminster, and Wel- 
 lington; and on every side the view was 
 bounded by the level tops of the dark forest. 
 
 As to climate, it was dry and healthy ; there 
 was hardly ever an officer on the sick-list, and 
 about four or five per cent, of the men in hospital 
 at one time. Yet in the months of June, July, 
 
 ! f 
 
 ;H 
 
 . \ 
 
140 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 11 
 
 H 
 
 August, and September, the thermometer was 
 often above 80**, and sometimes 100° in the 
 shade ; whilst in winter, usually beginning about 
 the 1st of December, and ending about the com- 
 mencement of April, the quicksilver fell some- 
 times to 3°, 7°, and 10" below zero on succes- 
 sive days at sunrise, though usually the cold 
 was not intense. 
 
 For amusements, the military had their usual 
 field-days on the drill-ground, their brigade- 
 exercise in the country, a garrison theatre, a 
 gymnasium, a rncket-court, and a select pack of 
 hounds, to fight against the monotony of " the 
 Bush." The officers did not pull up at the 
 five-feet snake (or wooden zigzag) fence. The 
 society of the town consisted of only three or 
 four families. That of Mr. Harris, R.N., Trea- 
 surer of the district, was particularly distin- 
 guished among the military, for hospitality and 
 kindness; the social circle at their evening 
 parties being always most cheerful and agree- 
 able. It was anticipated that when the plank- 
 roads, which were now in process of construc- 
 tion, from London to Brantford, to Port Stanley, 
 Sarnia, Goderich, &c., should be completed, a 
 great population would be " located " along 
 
 I 
 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 141 
 
 these roads, and that London would also rapidly 
 increase. 
 
 As few people in the Old Country are ac- 
 quainted with the nature of plank-roads, appa- 
 rently so suitable for wooded countries in course 
 of settlement, and which are now laid for hun- 
 dreds of miles in Canada West, I beg to annex 
 a short description of one. The whole breadth 
 of the clearing through the forest is 64 feet, 
 the road-bed is 30 feet wide, the ditches on 
 each side are 8 feet wide at top, 2 feet at bot- 
 tom, and 3 feet deep from the crown of the 
 road. The plank-way, on which is the travel- 
 ling for rough-shod horses only, is 1 6 feet wide. 
 There are five rows of sleepers, 4x6 inches, 
 laid in the ground, the earth well rammed down 
 on each side of them, 3-inch plank, 12 inches 
 wide, is laid on the sleepers, and secured to 
 them by spikes of iron, 6^ inches long by ^ of 
 an inch square. The road is graded to an 
 elevation not to exceed 2^" ; all the material 
 should be of the best pine, and the expense 
 averages £500 currency per mile, or £400 ster- 
 ling. The road will probably last ten years, 
 when it may be renewed, or its place supplied 
 by a Macadamised road, or a railroad. The 
 
 ■ ■ 
 
 : ' I 
 
 li',*" 
 
142 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 * 
 
 road will pay for itself, indirectly, by attracting 
 settlers. 
 
 Some idea may be formed of the newness of 
 the *' location" of London " in the stumps," 
 when I say that two or three bears from the 
 woods sauntered through the streets at night 
 when we were there, and one of them on pass- 
 ing looked curiously at a sentry. The soldier 
 was a good deal astonished at such a visitor to 
 his post. 
 
 Most of the officers liked London. There 
 was an air of freedom about the place that 
 could not fail to recommend it, and there were 
 few who did not keep a horse, forage being 
 cheap ; and besides the riding there was deer, 
 wild turkey, partridge and quail shooting near, 
 and fishing also " convenient" in the West- 
 mnister ponds. Above all, we had a chief who, 
 though a strict disciplinarian, was one who 
 joined and encouraged his officers and men in 
 all their amusements. 
 
 After seeing my men established in their 
 barracks, I got leave to return to Hamilton, to 
 bring up my family, whom 1 had left at the 
 house of Captain Douglas, of the Grenadiers. 
 I had a pleasant and an intelligent travelling 
 
 ii ' 
 
 \ 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 143 
 
 companion in Dr. Home, of the Medical Staff; 
 and after engaging a waggon and pair of horses, 
 we proceeded to the shores of Lake Erie, so as 
 to reach Hamilton by a different route to that 
 which we had first followed. 
 
 We breakfasted at the village of St. Thomas, 
 and being then in the Talbot settlement, we 
 resolved to visit its founder, the Lion of the 
 West, the Honourable Colonel Talbot. This 
 gentleman, of the noble family of Malahide, had 
 moved in gay and military circles for some 
 yeors ; and was, at the beginning of the century, 
 on the Staff of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 
 when he was seized with the desire to seclude 
 himself from the world, and found a settlement 
 in the forests of America. Embarking in a 
 canoe on Lake Erie, he coasted along, and 
 selected a large and fertile tract on the uncleared 
 shores of the Luke, and where, a bachelor, he 
 established himself in his forest home. 
 
 We drove towards the Colonel's residence, 
 nine miles from St. Thomas, passing good 
 farms. We quitted the main road, and driving 
 through an avenue of fine trees of walnut, 
 maple, and butter-nut, at an angle of the road 
 our attention was directed by our driver to " a 
 
144 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 1 I 
 
 tump,'* as ho styled it. It was a hillock called 
 the giant's grave, where he said Colonel Talbot 
 intended eventually to be buried. The Colonel's 
 residence was a long house of one story, with a 
 verandah towards the south ; it was on a high 
 bank, overlooking the waters of the inland sea. 
 Lake Erie. The forest was cleared to a con- 
 siderable distance round the house, and there 
 was a good square garden at a little distance. 
 
 On sending in our cards, requesting permis- 
 sion to look at the place, the Colonel favoured 
 us with an invitation. We accordingly ap- 
 proached the verandah, near which there were 
 several hundred head of poultry, sufficient for a 
 whole regiment, giving each mnn his bird. 
 The Colonel's silent and melancholy -looking 
 domestic, Jeffreys, received us at the door, and 
 conducted us through an outer room garnished 
 with flour barrels, in some of which hens were 
 engaged hatching. In the sitting room there 
 was a long table, a heavy press, shelves 
 with books, and several ancient portmanteaus. 
 At a small fire, though it was in July, 
 sat the Colonel, occupied with his news- 
 papers, who received us courteously, and with 
 his usual hospitality. He was a short nnd 
 
 i'' I 
 
L ACADIE, 
 
 14; 
 
 strong built man, with a ruddy face, an aquiline 
 nose, and was dressed in a white jacket and 
 trowsers. He had no cause for partiality to 
 his American neighbours on the other side of 
 the Lake, for he had been twice burnt out by 
 them. 
 
 In walking towards the garden, where we 
 saw two of the good conduct men of the Royals 
 at work, (a privilege accorded them by their 
 commanding officer that was attended with 
 excellent results), the Colonel told us that a 
 few days before, a tall Yankee came and looked 
 in at his window; " What do you want?" called 
 the Colonc^l, sharply. 
 
 " Well ! I'll tell you," slowly answered the 
 other, " but in my own way." 
 
 " I hope it will be a short way, then," said 
 the Colonel. 
 
 " I've been four days in Talbot settlement," 
 answered the stranger, " and I wish to see its 
 founder." 
 
 " Well, you have seen him ; now go away !" 
 
 Jeifreys thought this w^as an American Gene- 
 ral (sympathizing) for his horse had a high 
 peaked saddle and mihtary stirrups. 
 
 We sat in the garden, under a tree for some 
 
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146 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 i 11 
 
 time enjoying the flowers. The American 
 sympathizers, at their last visit, wished appa- 
 rently to carry off the Colonel, or to do him an 
 injury, and coming up to Jeffreys, they asked 
 him who that old man w\as in the field (it was 
 the Colonel). Jeffreys said it was an old fellow- 
 who looked after the cows. They then called 
 him lazy, and told him to drive in the cows, 
 which he did, and they went off. 
 
 The Colonel and Jeffreys had a quarrel on 
 oni; occasion, and the latter went away. The 
 Colonel sometime afterwards had occasion to 
 go to Ireland, and the first person who assisted 
 him out of the carriage at Lord Talbot's was 
 Jeffreys, who took up his old master's trunk 
 without speaking, neither did the Colonel make 
 any remark, and Jeffrey's continued with him 
 as before. 
 
 We dined in a room with red paper and 
 gilding, unusual ornaments. We had a well- 
 dressed dish of roast meat and mashed potatoes, 
 and a good bottle of port. The host, being 
 of the old school of hospitality, pressed us 
 to drink, which we declined, after having had 
 a couple of glasses, evidently very much to 
 his annoyance, for when we went into the 
 
 .1. 
 
 if: 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 147 
 
 noxt room hf followed us, and, rather to our 
 surprise, said quietly, " I have ordered your 
 vvag^ou ; I don't wish you to hv late in getting 
 back to St. Tiiomas." 
 
 Taking leave, we drove off at 3 p.m., and 
 laughed a good deal at the singular manner 
 of our exit, on aeeount of following prineij)les 
 of temperance ; we were willing to sit and 
 even to remain all night, if we had been asked, 
 hut not to drink. We sle])t at St. Thomas, 
 and our next stage was to Fredericksburg, in 
 th(! forest, when? a lame man was very anxious 
 for me to ch(!W and drink with him. In the 
 pine-woods we saw many shells of abandoned 
 houses, the soil was poor, and it was evident 
 that the intending settlers could not make a 
 living there. We slept at Sovereins Inn. 
 Seeing a small shop over the way, I went 
 into it, and found it kept by a late London 
 merchant. " I was not always in this way," 
 he said, *' I frequented the Stock Exchange 
 for twenty-five years, and drank my bottle of 
 wine every day after dinner." I thought if he 
 had omitted the latter " custom of an afternoon," 
 he might not now be in the the pine- woods of 
 Lake Erie. 
 
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148 
 
 L ACADll-:. 
 
 
 I was surprised at tlu; thriving; appearance? 
 of tlu' villajj;o of Siincoc, our next haltiiijj^-placcr ; 
 thouj::h liardly to be noticed on the map, it had 
 at tliis tiint^ al)out fift(H>n Innidred inliahitants, 
 and possessed good hotels. Dover, on Lake 
 Krie, is its port, with which it conununicated 
 hv means of a small river. Dinner was an- 
 nj)unced at the hotel by striking a gigantic 
 triangle of iron, hung from a beam in an 
 upper verandah. The fan^ was good and abun- 
 dant, and on asking a boarder, a half-j)ay 
 otiicer, how much he paid p(!r we(^k then^ he 
 said he got his bed, three meals a-day, and his 
 boots cleaned for 2^ dollars a-week (l().s'. 5r/. 
 sterling), and if he asked a friend to dinner, 
 it was an English shilling extra. This is 
 reasonable living till one can select a suitable 
 farm. 
 
 As my companion and myself worci blouses, 
 and were not suspected of " the crime of being 
 in the service," wc paid the prices of the 
 country — a quarter of a dollar ])er meal, and 
 an English sixpence for our beds. On one 
 occasion at an inn, a card fell out of a carpet- 
 bag, and I was immediately charged double, 
 because I was an oiiicer, and because other 
 
 u 
 
L ACADIF. 
 
 149 
 
 officors liiid ]):ii(l wliat was now chiir^cd. If 
 roguery is t'X|)('('tc!(l, it is always advisaljlc to 
 roinc to an understanding about charges beton;- 
 liand. 
 
 Judj^os receiver £25 currency when holdinp^ 
 a Court at particular places; at Niagara a Jud<;i' 
 was three weeks there, and when h(^ (railed for 
 his bill at the hotel, lu; was charged, to his 
 surprise, C'24, (hough he had lived likcr other 
 peoj)le. On reinonstniting with the landlord, 
 the latter coolly said, " I know you an; allowed 
 £23 for your expenses here, and I have left you 
 £1 to carry you home!" 
 
 We r<;aeluMl Cayuga, on the Grand River ; 
 th(!r<; was an air of desolation about this place ; 
 the river which had once ran briskly past, was 
 now stagnnnt from the dam below, yet a 
 steamer could get to Brandford, fifty miles up 
 the river, which was a great advantage for 
 traffic, but not for health. 
 
 At on(^ place we got a greasy breakfast, with 
 horrid tea. The landlord was like a large 
 pork-barrel, and seemed to wallow in his own 
 fat, and with his half-closed eyes twinkling, he 
 watched his brother pigs feeding before him. 
 Nota bene — in travelling in Canada, or in most 
 
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 150 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 parts of the world, always take your own tea, 
 and let it be the best black. In Canada West, 
 a doctor said one half of his practice was owing 
 to green tea ; the people drank it strong and 
 three times a-day : our present host treated us 
 to mawkish bush-tea, made from the leaves of 
 the forest. 
 
 At Allanburgh, on the Welland Canal (con- 
 necting the waters of Erie and Ontario, and 
 circumventing the great Falls of Niagara), w^e 
 could get no good place of refreshment for man 
 or horse. Passing beautiful farms we went to 
 Dishers, nine miles ; thei-e the landlord was 
 curious in bees, and I saw an excellent plan for 
 causing the bees to work, and at the same time 
 saving their Hves at the end of their labours. 
 A small press was placed on brackets in the 
 verandah, on opening the press, in the door of 
 which a hole allowed the bees to enter, a shelf 
 was seen at the upper part, and on it were two 
 small boxes, with panes of glass in their front, 
 the bees entered these from below by six holes, 
 and as they were filled with honey they were 
 removed, and sold entire in the market accord- 
 ing to their weight, and new boxes were in- 
 troduced from time to time during the summer. 
 
 ir^f 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 151 
 
 The empty part of the press below the shelf 
 received the bees when driven out of the full 
 boxes, allowed ventilation, and the pn^ss itself 
 was a good protection for its inhabitants from 
 the cold in winter. I bought a box of beauti- 
 ful honey, all ready packed by the bees, for a 
 trifle. 
 
 Passing over the battle-ground of Stoney 
 Creek, and crossing beautiful streams of water, 
 rushing from the high wooded ridge on our 
 left towards the waters of Lake Ontario, which 
 was at no great distance on our right, we 
 reached Hamilton. 
 
 Whilst making preparations to return to 
 London in a light carriage with my family, I 
 rode about and examined Burlington heights, — 
 a strong military position, being an elevated 
 peninsula, with a river sweeping round it. I 
 also visited the settlement of Dundas; the 
 scenery about this place was on a grand scale, 
 and very imposing: swelling hills, masses of 
 forest, and in the distance the broad waters of 
 Ontario. A fine object in the picture was 
 Dundurn Castle, the handsome residence of 
 Sir Allan MacNab, with its park and garden 
 overlooking Burlington Bay. 
 
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152 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 ■■ i,' 
 
 Wc returned in two days to London, sleep- 
 ing by the way at Lewis Charles', an inn weU- 
 known to the military in Canada West. In 
 London, I rented a roomy wooden house of two 
 stories, with a good stable and garden near th(; 
 banks of the river, and a mile from the barracks, 
 at a rent of £37 per annum. Thus, with a 
 couple of stout horses to ride freely through 
 the oak woods (and at this time there were few 
 fences to interrupt one's progress), with occa- 
 sional pic-nics, the drill being over in the morn- 
 ing, our time passed pleasantly enough, and 
 without care. 
 
 In garrison there was a " ryghte merrie" set 
 of young men, and bold hunters withal. Our 
 social meetings took place several miles from the 
 garrison at a farm-house in the woods, or by 
 the banks of a stream ; a good barn for dancing 
 was indispensable. Some men of one of the 
 bands were sent out in a waggon, another was 
 freighted with cold prevent, supplied by the 
 married people, whilst the bachelors provided 
 the wine and malt. The cost to each was only 
 about a dollar — no great extravagance, whilst 
 so much good-feeling was promoted. The 
 soldiers, seeing their officers agree so well. 
 
 r I 
 
 
list 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 153 
 
 agreed also ; there was no quarrelling in gar- 
 rison at all, all were " a band of brothers," and 
 the Brigadier was himself happy whilst promo- 
 ting the happiness of others. These were, 
 indeed, joyous days. 
 
 Colonel Wetherall's brigade days were both 
 instructive and agreeable. There was a praiiie 
 a few miles from London, called the Scofield 
 Plains, and when a brigade day was ordered, 
 tents were sent out there. The troops marched 
 out after an early breakfast, each man carrying 
 his dinner ready cooked in his mess tin, with 
 biscuits in his havresack. On arriving at 
 the ground, arms were piled, knapsacks taken 
 off, forage caps put on, and the tents pitched 
 correctly, after which, manoeuvering or a sham 
 fight took place, artillery and infantry, heavy 
 and light, all acting in concert. In the mean- 
 time; a mess tent was pitched by the officers' 
 servants, and laid out with a cold dinner, the 
 ladies rode out to the plains, and took up their 
 position at the tent, and, after the evolutions 
 were concluded, all went to dinner, and some- 
 time after the repast, the men amused them- 
 selves with games, running, leaping, wrest- 
 
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154 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 ling, &c., till it was time to march homo 
 
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 agam. 
 
 i remarked on our first brigade day to the 
 Brigadier, that his knapsacks were arranged 
 better than I had ever seen before, viz., in 
 threes, two were placed flat on the ground 
 together, and a third on the top, instead of 
 the irregular manner in which they are usually 
 placed beside the piled arms. The Brigadier 
 said, " I took that from my father : he com- 
 manded the 17th regiment in the American 
 revolutionary war, and, on one occasion, he 
 was directed to make with his regiment a rjipid 
 movement to the front, he accordingly ordered 
 his men to take off their knapsacks and place 
 them regularly in line, and in threes as was 
 their wont ; on advancing to the point directed, 
 he found himself confronted with the American 
 army, with Washington at its head, and he 
 was compelled to retire without the possibility 
 of taking up the knapsacks. The American 
 Genera] marched over the same ground, and 
 when his troops began to take up the knap- 
 sacks, he called out " Forbear, this must be 
 a well ordered regiment, and I respect its 
 
 ul 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 155 
 
 commanding officer," and next day he mag- 
 naminously restored the whole of the knap- 
 sacks of the ] 7th regiment untouched. This 
 tells highly to the credit of both General Wash- 
 ington and Sir Frederick Wetherall. 
 
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 156 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Desertion in Canada — How facilitated — Proposal for its 
 prevention — Some regiments exempt from the crime 
 — Miseries of deserters — Anecdote of a swimmer — 
 Causes of discontent — National corps and county 
 regiments — Reasons for desertion — Want of uni- 
 formity in punishments — Notions regarding a com- 
 manding officer — Indulgencies — Schools — Athletic 
 games — Ball firing — Public works — Monotony the 
 chief cause of desertion — Good effects of Temperance 
 Societies and Saving Banks — Effects of addresses on 
 soldiers. 
 
 The crime of desertion from the ranks of 
 regiments stationed in Canada, has for several 
 years past occasioned considerable inconvenience 
 and annoyance to military authorities. Some 
 of the stations there are so conveniently situated 
 for facilitating desertion, that if a man be in- 
 clined to leave his corps, and violate his oath of 
 
 iv ■:3 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 157 
 
 allegiance to his sovereign, he has many 
 chances in his favour to enahlc him to escape to 
 the United States. 
 
 At Kingston, for instance, in winter, " the 
 Bridge of Ice," over the lower part of the 
 Lake Ontario, carries him to the French Creek, 
 or Sackett's Harhour ; in summer, the American 
 steamers enable men to escape disguised as 
 women ; w^hilst at Amherstburgh, the narrow 
 Detroit River enables a good swimmer to reach 
 with comparative ease the vaunted land of 
 liberty. I now, with an earnest desire for the 
 benefit of the service, venture on a few remarks 
 on the cause of desertion, and with a view to its 
 prevention. 
 
 If it could possibly be avoided, it would 
 be well not to send a regiment, newly arrived 
 in Canada, either to Kingston or to Amherst- 
 burgh, for the reasons above mentioned, or 
 to St John's, near Lake Champlain ; sometimes 
 it cannot be helptHl, particularly for a regiment 
 from the West Indies, which had no oppor- 
 tunity, previously, for tlic scum to be thrown 
 off; and when it does arrive at a dangerous 
 station, it may find no recorded experience of 
 former corps to direct its commander how to 
 
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 ^'1 
 
 1: 
 
 1 
 
158 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 :» I i 
 
 place look-out parties, or otherwise, to check 
 desertion. It is well known that, for the sake 
 of a free passage to America, and, in order 
 to join friends already in the United States at 
 little expense, some men will enlist at home, 
 and desert from their corps in Canada the first 
 favourahle opportunity. The hest system to 
 make men feel comfortahlc and happy with 
 their corps, will prohably fail to make these 
 men alter their original intention in enhsting; 
 but I do not think their numbers are consider- 
 able ; therefore their loss cannot be of great 
 importance. 
 
 Much to the credit of the 64th and 88th 
 regiments, they lost few or no men by desertion 
 in Canada. It would be useful to get the 
 experience of officers of these regiments, during 
 their service there, and learn from them the 
 probable causes of their men's abiding by their 
 colours, whilst others disgracefully abandon 
 theirs. Perhaps in these two corps there was a 
 system of rewarding good men in some par- 
 ticular way, and the attention of the officers w^as 
 not exclusively directed to the punishment of 
 the bad. It is true that of late years much 
 milder punishments than formerly have judi- 
 
 m 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 159 
 
 ciously been introduced into the army : the duty 
 also is no where scvcTe in Canada, and really 
 they have no good reason for throwing up their 
 service in the colony : still there must he 
 reasons for their doing so, beside the one already 
 mentioned ; these it is the purpose of the writer 
 now to investigate. 
 
 There is little doubt that, along the northern 
 frontier of the United States, there are a set of 
 miscreants, whose constant aim is to embroil 
 the two countries in war, and to w^ork under- 
 handedly as much mischief to us as possible. 
 Though the Americans attacked us first, and 
 attempted to take us by suprise at the com- 
 mencement of the last war of 1812, yet wc 
 gave them many severe lessons, which they 
 cannot easily forget ; besides many of them 
 wish to destroy all monarchical government on 
 the North Americiin continent, and to sub- 
 stitute a Republic ; for these ends monied men 
 in Rochester, Buffalo, and other towns along 
 the frontier, subscribed handsomely in 1837-38 
 to aid the wicked attempts of the " sympa- 
 thizers" on the peace of Canada, and also to 
 promote desertion from our ranks ; but I think 
 this bad feeling now only prevails, to any extent, 
 
 
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 160 
 
 LAC A DIE. 
 
 alon^ th(3 frontier; in the cities on the sea 
 hoard there is a prevailing desire to eontinue 
 friendly relations with us. 
 
 Perhaps the designs of our enemies on the 
 horders would he hest frustrated hy having 
 additional Canadian companies, similar to those 
 of the Royal Canadian Rifles,* posted along 
 our frontier at Amhersthurgh, Niagara, King 
 ston, Cornwall, St. John's, and Shcrhrooke, 
 whilst the regiments of the line occupied 
 Quehee and Montreal. 
 
 It is believed that there is a society on the 
 borders of the States, the members of which 
 subscribe to entice our men over for the pur- 
 pose of employing them as labourers. To 
 effect their purpose, they engage both male 
 and female emissaries, Avho have sometimes been 
 detected and punished (formerly) by flogging 
 through the streets, or by hard labour in 
 penitentiaries ; but in general they manage 
 matters so dexterously that they escape detec- 
 tion. 
 
 A soldier, on sentry at Quebec, was accosted 
 
 * The service of the men, who at present enter the 
 Royal Canadian Ct^rps, amount to fifteen years, perhaps 
 ten would be better. 
 
i 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 161 
 
 by an Amcriciin, who wontlercd wliy he re- 
 mained a soldier and a slave, when the means 
 of escape were so easy. 
 
 " I low?" asked the soldier. 
 
 " If you have a mind to go," answered the 
 Yankee, " I'll give you a bundle of plain 
 clothes, and a check for ten dollars." 
 
 " Well, do so." 
 
 In a short time the bargain was fulfillcMl ; 
 when the sentry immediately thrusting the 
 astonished " son of liberty" in his box, kept 
 him there, till the relief came round ; the 
 check and the bundle brought the evil design 
 completely home to the culprit, who was forth- 
 with severely punished. 
 
 An American has been known to take five 
 pounds from a non-commissioned officer to help 
 him to desert, then to bring him back, deliver 
 him up, and get ten pounds as a reward ! And 
 when they do take a man to the States, they 
 soon get what money he may have about him, 
 and otherwise ill-use him in various ways. 
 This is true, or else hundreds of deserters 
 would not have offered to return, and serve 
 during the rebellion of 1837-8, but Lord 
 eaton would have none of them. 
 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
 When a corps of stalwart drafjoons was on 
 the Niagara frontier, emissaries from the States 
 told them tluit if they deserted they should 
 have a " suit of genteel black" provided them, 
 and a tavern bill for a month. The Amt;- 
 rican officers behaved very well on some occa- 
 sions as to our deserters. At one time orders 
 were issued by tlie U. S. Government, that 
 British deserters were not to be enlisted. 
 Shortly after this, tv.'o men of the above corps 
 came swaggering into the barracks at Buffalo, 
 thinking that their fine appearance w^ould im- 
 mediately cause them to be courted. " Will 
 you enlist us ?" they said to the American 
 commanding officer. 
 
 " No ; I don't w^ant you," was the reply ; 
 " but as I know and respect your officers, I'll 
 send you back safe if you will go, and I will 
 intercede for you, so that you may get off a 
 severe punishment." 
 
 " N-^," they answered, " we won't go back ; 
 this is a land of liberty, and we can do what we 
 like here.'* 
 
 " I'll show you it is a land of liberty," said 
 the American officer ; "for if you are not out of 
 the barrack- gate in five minutes, I'll flog you 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 163 
 
 out." The burly soldiulos, chopfallon, straight- 
 way retired. 
 
 Of course it is generally the worst characters 
 in a regiment who desert ; men who are con- 
 stantly in trouble, drunkards, men who have 
 lost th(?ir service by previous desertions, and 
 who think that they have not sufficient restraint 
 over themselves to do their duty faithfully, and 
 recover their lost service. In looking over lists 
 of deserters, I find these entries : " A. B. a 
 troublesome discontented fellow, and indifferent 
 character, and very fond of ' law ;' has many 
 relations in the Canadas and in the States." 
 " C. D. 2nd desertion ; a bad character." 
 " E. F. This man's desertion caused some sur- 
 prise, as he has generally been a well-conducted 
 soldier, was reduced from Lance Corporal a 
 short time ago, for some minor offence, which 
 might probably have turned his thoughts on 
 desertion." " G. H. has served upwards of 
 ten years, a notoriously good-for-nothing fellow, 
 always in scrapes, and in bad repute with his 
 comrades, forfeited all claim to pension on dis- 
 charge for theft." But here is a case of a good 
 man deserting, probably through fondness for 
 money : " I. K., a very good man, particularly 
 
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 L ACADJE. 
 
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 careful, steady and sober, has been in the 
 regiment about ten years, by trade a shoe- 
 maker, used to work at his trade in town 
 during his k'isure hours, and there is no doubt 
 was overpersuadi^d to desert by prospects of 
 doing better in the States." 
 
 Many men have lost their lives in attempt- 
 ing to desert in Canada ; they fall through the 
 ice, they get lost in the woods and perish from 
 cold. The drowned l)odies of deserters have 
 been seen circling about for weeks in the Devil's 
 Whirlpool below Niagara, and when they do 
 manage to reach the States, not one in ten 
 does any good there. They cannot, as they 
 had anticipated, lead there a gentlemanly life 
 of idleness, and they soon find that the labour 
 with the spade and pickaxe, on a railway or 
 canal, is much heavier work than shouldering a 
 musket ; if, too, they are promised a dollar a 
 day of wages, they do not get it in specie, but 
 in the form of a ticket " good for one dollar" 
 at a particular store, and there they are lucky 
 if they get half the value of it in goods. 
 
 Some time ago an amusing instance occurred 
 of the recapture of a deserter. He left Am- 
 herstburgh to swim across at night to the 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 165 
 
 opposite shore. He managed to give " a wide 
 berth" to Bois-blanc Island, on vvhic'i there 
 was a guard, and he breasted the stream 
 gallantly ; but getting among some other 
 islands he got confused, and, instead of keep- 
 ing the stream always running against his 
 right shoulder, he got it on his left, and 
 actually relanded on the British shore, in the 
 morning, thinking it was the American. A 
 woman coming down for water was naturally 
 a good deal surprised at the appi'arance of a 
 man issuing, like Leander, from the flood close 
 behind her, and exclaiming to her, " Hurrah ! 
 here we are in the land of liberty." " What 
 do you mean," she asked. " In the States to 
 be sure," he answered. The woman imme- 
 diately saw the true state of the case, and 
 saying, " Follow me," he found himself in the 
 guard-room. 
 
 The matter of finance is often the cause of 
 desertion both in Canada and Ireland. On 
 making inquiries on the causes of desertion, 
 whilst some time ago viewing, by invitation 
 of the commanding officer, the interior economy 
 of a regiment in the very first order in Dublin 
 garrison, the Colonel said, " Desertion used to 
 
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 prevail in this regiment formerly among the 
 recruits; when I took command of it, I found 
 they were put under heavy stoppages for their 
 necessaries, and got nothing for the purchase of 
 beer and tobacco, which thev saw the older 
 soldiers enjoying; they were naturally discon- 
 tented at this, and inclined to desert. I ordered 
 that every re(Tuit sliould have at least twopence 
 a day to spend whilst under stoppages, content 
 was immediately established in the corps, and I 
 lost no men." 
 
 In Canada and elsewhere it has happened 
 that men have allowed their '' kit" to get into 
 bad order : they are put under stoppages of the 
 whole of their pay, have nothing for pocket 
 money, and if they ask the pay-serjeant for a 
 shilling, lie, being perhaps at the time in a bad 
 humour : won't give it them, they take this to 
 heart and go off in a sudden freak. It is 
 evident then, that it would be well if a man 
 had at least sixpence to spend every three days, 
 under any circumstances of stoppages. 
 
 To a person who reflects at all on the subject 
 of desertion, I think it will be evident that in 
 national regiments the crime of desertion is 
 likely to be less frequent than in mixed corps. 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 167 
 
 i" the former there is more union and sym- 
 pathy, the one with the other ; a recruit joining 
 a national regiment finds himself at once among 
 friends, whom he perhaps knew when a boy, 
 or whose relations and friends he knows. 
 In national corps then; is a greater feeling and 
 desire to stand well with those we left at home, 
 than in regiments recruited in the United 
 Kingdom. " What will they say in the Gal- 
 lovvgate if they beat us," said a Glasgow man 
 to his comrackis when the enemv seemed too 
 much for his regiment. Determined to stand 
 well witli their friends in the Gallowgate, the 
 Glasgow m(;n with redoubled exertions drove 
 back their foes. 
 
 If it could possibly be managed to make the 
 English regiments, which bear the name of 
 particular counties, composed exclusively of men 
 of these counties, it would be for the good of 
 the service in many vvays, besides tending to 
 prevent desertion from them. A penny in 
 addition to the pay after seven years' service, 
 twopence after fourteen years, and a free dis- 
 charge and pension of one shilling a day after 
 twenty-one years' faithful service, and part of 
 this in the East or West Indies, (twenty-four 
 
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168 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 years' service to entitle them to the shilling if 
 the East or West Indies have not heen visited) ; 
 these advantages, with the medal of serviee 
 and uniform good treatment, ought, in national 
 or county regiments, to make men contented to 
 serve their full time, particularly since the 
 military authorities have of late years so judi- 
 ciously and liberally bestowed commissions 
 from the ranks, and since it is notorious 
 that British private soldiers are better fed, 
 clothed, lodged, and attended to in sickness 
 than any other troops in the world. The new 
 regulation of a free discharge after ten years' 
 service will doubtless be found to work verv 
 well, as there is much "hope" mixed up in a 
 servitude of this nature. 
 
 Among other apprehended deserters whom I 
 caused to be examined in Canada, to find out 
 their reasons for the abandonment of the 
 service, there w^as a smart soldier-like and 
 good-looking man, — he was at hard labour. 
 On his being interrogated in a quiet and 
 friendly way as to his reasons for deserting, 
 whether he had been persuaded to do so by 
 any inducements held out to him on arriving 
 in the United States, and whether there were 
 
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I ■ 
 
 L*ACADIE. 
 
 169 
 
 any regimental grievances which made him 
 dissatisfied with a soldier's life. The man de- 
 clared, with much apparent sincerity, and some 
 contrition in his manner, that no one ever 
 offered him any inducements to desert, neither 
 had he any regimental causes of complaint or 
 dissatisfaction, hut that " it was through drink." 
 He had taken to drinking on hcing disap- 
 pointed in his hope of getting into the Light 
 Company. I heard of another apprehended 
 deserter, who on heing asked his reasons for 
 deserting said, " I was cook to the officer's 
 mess; the officers seemed to like me, and I 
 was indulged ; hut I w^'is refused a pass for 
 a night, when I thought I ought to have got 
 one, and I deserted." Another said, " Being 
 obliged to get a new shell-jacket when I 
 thought my old one might have done, made me 
 desert.'* But if the men had been othr .vise 
 comfortable in these regiments, they would -lot 
 have deserted for such trifling causes. 
 
 It is well known, that some men after a 
 debauch have wandered about in " the bush," 
 and being afraid of punishment when they 
 returned to their corps, have deserted. But 
 the excuse of " drink" is sometimes employed 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 on the defence of notorious deserters; thus, 
 at a General Court-martial on two men who had 
 deserted twice and three times before, and who had 
 l)ccn caught on an island sixteen miles from 
 th(nr regiment, they urged in their defence that 
 they had got drunk and had wandered thus far, 
 mistaking their road ; unluckily for them, the 
 civilian they called in their defence said, that 
 the first question they asked him next morning 
 was " the way to Long Island," the direct 
 (bourse to the States. 
 
 Different systems of punishment in different 
 regiments serving in the same garrison, have 
 occasioned desertion, and it was difficult to 
 remedy this. Thus in a Dragoon regiment, 
 where men cannot be long under punishment, 
 or the horses would suffer, twenty-four hours 
 of black-hole would be made to suflice for a 
 case of drunkenness at stables, whilst an In- 
 fimtry soldier in daily intercourse with the same 
 Dragoons, got ten days' confinement to barracks 
 for being drunk for evening parade. The 
 Infantrv man thought himself more hardlv 
 dealt with than the Dragoon, since he could 
 not approach the canteen during his ten days 
 to barracks, and it unfortunately happened, 
 
 ••i.^ 
 
'/ACADIE. 
 
 171 
 
 that as his pay accumulated during that time, 
 when he got out he invited two or three com- 
 rades to join him in a debauch, and a debauch 
 after punishment helped on to desertion. If 
 there were a plentiful supply of black-holes in 
 Infantry barracks, the defaulters' room might 
 be dispensed with. 
 
 In awarding punishment, previous character 
 will naturally be first inquired into, though I 
 think it injudicious always to rake up a long list 
 of offences against a man : let us see what a 
 man is, and not what he was a long time ag(j. 
 A mild system, with firmness, is surely the 
 best ; admonish a man for the first or even the 
 second case of drunkenness, give him three 
 days to barracks for the third offence, seven for 
 the next, fourteen for repeated drunkenness, 
 and if this will not do, bring him to Court- 
 Martial ; but let the mild system have first a 
 fair trial. 
 
 Apologising to older officers than myself for 
 intruding the following 'notions,' I would say 
 that a judicious commanding officer will, of 
 course, turn especial attention to the means of 
 rewarding good men, and making their 
 situation comfortable. Whilst he sees the 
 
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 172 
 
 L AC A DIE. 
 
 army regulations correctly and not carelessly 
 obeyed, he will not impose harassing duti<'s, 
 much drill, numerous and heavy fatigues ; he 
 will prevc^nt harsh and unkind treatment bv 
 non-commissioned ofhecrs, whilst at the same 
 time he upholds their authority. He will not 
 court popularity, to do so would be con- 
 temptible, but he will conscientiously do his 
 duty. He will take care that before an officer 
 is placed in charge of a company, that he is 
 thoroughly drilled and acquainted with his 
 duties ; and after an officer is in command of a 
 company some discretion will be allowed him as 
 to promoting men from the ranks to non-com- 
 missioned officers ; as to the punishment of 
 minor offences, &c., grave offences ought only 
 to come before the commanding officer. 
 
 In a regiment of high reputation, every man 
 who has been out of the defaulter's book for a 
 month is entitled to a pass, and is allowed to 
 n^main out of barracks, if he wishes it, for a 
 whole night. I am not aware that this privilege 
 has been abused in that corps. This is a 
 reward for a good man. Unless a Colonel of a 
 regiment, a Captain of a ship, a regimental 
 schoolmaster, a head of a family, is obeyed with 
 
 ■•♦■-^ii 
 
L ACADin. 
 
 173 
 
 good humour, he knows not how to rule. To 
 make a soldier hnppy in tin; little world in 
 which he exists, a likely way is to keep him 
 complete with a good kit. As I said hefore, hy 
 so managing his pay that he may be seldom 
 under close stoppages, hy comfortable messing, 
 hy encouraging not merely tlu^ ciiildren and the 
 young non-commissioned officers to go t(» 
 school to improve their hand-writing, but l)y 
 inducing, by exemption from morning parade, 
 as many men in the ranks, who hav(! not hud 
 the benefit of education, to attend school for 
 two hours daily, by inculcating principles of 
 morality and religion at school, and by esta- 
 l)]ishing a regimental library, if there is no 
 garrison one convenient for the men. 
 
 Further, a judicious commanding officer, well 
 supported as he ought to be by his ofticers and 
 non-commissioned oflicers, will do all in his 
 power to promote and encaurage athletic and 
 manly exercises ; cricket-grounds and racket- 
 courts have been wisely ordered for the different 
 garrisons ; when they are prepared they will 
 help materially to the efficiency of the service. 
 Besides the out-door sports in spring, summer, 
 and autumn of foot-ball, fives, quoits, running, 
 
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174 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 pitching, shot, swimming, cricket, &c., it would 
 be well if an empty room in each barrack 
 could be set apart for winter amusements^ and 
 to keep active spirits out of the debasing tap- 
 room. In this room gymnastic poles, ropes, 
 and ladders might be put up at trifling coot, 
 the athletes might leap, wrestle, spar, play 
 single stick, or practice the bayonet exercise 
 with knobbed sticks, a non-commissioned officer 
 in charge of the room instantly checking any 
 ebullition of bad temper. Music has a most 
 humanizing tendency, it would be well to 
 encourage that in a corps, and if theatricals can 
 be conducted with strict propriety oi dialogue, 
 they wUl have a beneficial effect and . Tiuse the 
 men in the long winter evenings. \11 this 
 occasions some trouble, but nil sine lal re ; we 
 cannot reap advantages without firs sowing 
 good seed. 
 
 With the percussion muskets now issued, it 
 is a pleasure to have ball practice, and there 
 should be plenty of ity also of skirmishing in 
 ' the bush.' The stimulus of pecuniary rewards 
 for firing being employed, also a gold medal for 
 the best shot in the regiment and silver 
 company medals. I would also, as often as is 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 17i 
 
 practicable, employ the men in summer on 
 military roads or about military works as did 
 the Romans. I knew of a regiment in Canada 
 from which there were many desertions the first 
 year, the second they were employed on 
 military works, and there were no desertions at 
 Jill, the third year they were idle, and desertion 
 began again, verbum sapienti. 
 
 I am convinced that monotony, a dull 
 routine, is the chief cause of desertion^ yet 1 
 am aware that some old officers say that the 
 men oflf duty ought not to be bothered too 
 much ; that it is enough when they come off 
 guard, if they rest themselves for a time on 
 their ' stretchers' and then take a saunter 
 through the streets. I allow that it is highly 
 injudicious to interfere with the men too much, 
 but everything ought to be put in their way to 
 induce them spontaneously to occupy them- 
 selves usefully, and to keep them from feeling 
 listless and inclined to rest themselves, not on 
 their stretchers, but on the bench of a pubhc- 
 house. 
 
 Russian soldiers work at trades w^hen off 
 duty, and their wages help to maintain them ; if 
 
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 176 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 this system could be adopted in the British 
 service, without injustice to the civilian 
 mechanic, and the wages placed in a savings' 
 bank, and not spent in a pu})lic-house, the men 
 might bo greatly benefitted. In the colonies 
 the men might easily have gardens and grow 
 their own vegetables. 
 
 Temperance societies and savings' banks are 
 sneered at by those who have never observed 
 their good eflfects. It is said of the first that 
 they promote hypocrisy, and an outward and 
 often deceptive appearance of sobriety ; to the 
 last it is objected that they promote niggardly 
 habits among soldiers, who ought to be liberal 
 and even reckless. If to wean the British 
 soldier from a propensity to spend his pocket 
 money in drink be desirable, then are tem- 
 perance societies necessary, for if those who 
 desire to be temperate, do not unite and 
 encourage one another in temperance, the 
 drunkard will be likely to have great and 
 destructive influence, in inducing many easily 
 persuaded men to adopt their baneful habits. 
 I think temperance societies in regiments help 
 to prevent desertion, though meetings for dis- 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 177 
 
 cussion are bad and might bo dangerous ; and 
 surely a man worth £10 or £20 in a savings' 
 bank, or enjoying the great satisfaction which 
 Highland regiments in particular enjoy, of 
 remitting money to his friends, is much less 
 likely to desert than a man in debt and under 
 stoppages. A reckless character is not a better 
 soIdi(;r in action than he who acts from a high 
 principle of devotion to the service of his 
 Sovereign and country, and who ' striving for 
 tiie mastery is temperate in all things.' 
 
 There is yet another and a very powerful 
 means of preventing desertion which might be 
 resorted to : an occasional short address from 
 a commanding officer or captain of a company 
 to the men. Generally speaking, speech-making 
 of any length, ])y military men, should not be 
 resorted to ; the men would tire of it, and it 
 requires a person to be better accustomed to it 
 than most officers can be who are not amateur 
 actors. In a military audience, a surprising 
 effect has often been produced by a few 
 energetic sentences, dictated by common sense 
 and a sincere desire for the good of the service, 
 and evidently not intended for the purpose of 
 
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 l'acadie. 
 
 display. Napoleon well knew the good effects 
 of an address to his soldiers before a fight, 
 when he reminded them of their former 
 distinguished services, and stimulated them to 
 fresh acts of courage by the hope of la gloire ; 
 so might the British officer, (as did most suc- 
 cessfully the hero of Scinde, the gallant Napier,) 
 stimulate his men to perform what is above all 
 other considerations, their duty. The services 
 also of the military chaplain might be called in 
 to assist a commanding officer in stemming the 
 tide of desertion, and recalling the men to a 
 sense of what they owe to their Sovereign and 
 to their country, besides pointing out the great 
 sin they commit in basely violating a solemn 
 obligation, and thereby incurring the heavy 
 displeasure of their Creator. 
 
 The speech put in the mouth of King 
 Henry V. by the immortal bard of Avon, before 
 the storming of the breach at Harfleur, showed 
 how well Shakespeare understood what would 
 best excite in British soldiers, that pride in 
 themselves and in their country, that is sure to 
 crush all thoughts of deserting her time-honoured 
 Hag and prompt to deeds of noble daring : — 
 
L*ACADIE. 
 
 179 
 
 " And you, goodye omen, 
 Whose limbs were made in England, show us here 
 The mettle of your pasture ; let us swear 
 That you are worth your breeding, which I doubt not, 
 For there is none of you so mean and base, 
 That hath not noble lustre in your eyes. 
 I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips. 
 Straining upon the start. The game's afoot ; 
 Follow your spirit ; and upon this charge, 
 Cry — God for Harry ! England ! and St. George !" 
 
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 l'acadie. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Beauty of the Canadian morning — Amusements of the 
 officers — Setting in of the winter — The officers' 
 winter coat— The sleigh meets — Prepare for a sleigh 
 drive to the Falls of Niagara — Route to Brantford — 
 Night adventure — Canadian living and servants' 
 anecdotes — Indian thieves — Hamilton — Teetotalism 
 — A drunkard outwitted — The battle field of Stoney 
 Creek — A dry old Yankee — Falls of Niagara in 
 winter — The water rockets — Proposal to pass over 
 the Falls — A thaw and its effects — The Clifton 
 hotel — The battle field of Lundy's Lane. 
 
 London, Canada West, is very hot in 
 summer; as I said, the thermometer being 
 usually eighty at mid-day, though sometimes 
 ninety and more. Yet the mornings were 
 delightful, that is if one rose at four, when 
 there was only a blush of red in the east, the 
 grass spangled with dew, and the birds and 
 
L*ACADIE. 
 
 181 
 
 squirrels beginning to move among the trees, 
 and no sounds save that of the clear river rush- 
 ing over its pebbly bed, whilst the flowers, just 
 opening their petals, refreshed the sense of 
 smell ; then was the time to ride through the 
 forest glades, and seek health during the cool 
 breezes of the early day. 
 
 In the autumn of 1842, we "got up" compe- 
 titions similar to those we had held at Kingston, 
 and into which the men of the royal regiment 
 and Artillery entered heartily ; the officers also 
 encountering each other on horseback with the 
 lance and single sticks, and tilted at the ring 
 for a winter waistcoat, worked by the ladies. 
 Lieutenant Fisher, R.A., a dashing rider, carried 
 off this prize. 
 
 When " a meet" of the hunters took place, 
 the ladies rode out to see them throw off, and 
 as the cleared country was on each side of the 
 road, an excellent view was obtained of all the 
 incidents of the chase, the daring leaps over the 
 snake fences of logs laid horizontally, and in 
 zigzag fashion, and from four to five feet high, 
 and sometimes more ; the falls of horse and 
 rider in broken or swampy ground, the checks, 
 again the burst from the cover, when all was 
 
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 182 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 excitement and animation, heightened by the 
 meUow baying of the hounds, and the lively 
 blast of the horn. The chase ended, the ladies 
 and sportsmen would ride home leisurely to- 
 gether. 
 
 In November, the country began to look 
 desolate, and on the 18th the first snow fell; 
 winter had commenced in earnest — 
 
 " The silvery snow ! the silvery snow ! 
 Like a glory it falls on the fields below ; 
 And the trees with their diamond branches appear 
 Like the fairy growth of some magical sphere. 
 
 " While soft as music, and wild and white. 
 It glitters and floats in the pale moonlight. 
 And spangles the river and fount as they flow ; 
 Oh ! who has not loved the bright beautiful snow." 
 
 Officers and men now put on fur caps, thick 
 great coats, and storm gloves ; there were no 
 more drills, only a daily parade to see that the 
 men were clean. Singular enough, in Canada 
 the officers were allowed to wear blue great 
 coats, whilst the men's were, as usual, grey. It 
 was evident that riflemen could have picked out 
 officers at the distance of half a mile or more ; 
 this induced me to make a drawing of a line of 
 
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lVcadie. 
 
 183 
 
 infantry in a forest, with the officers distinctly 
 marked in blue, and on this being submitted to 
 the authorities, a change was immediately 
 ordered to be made in the winter dress of the 
 officers ; their winter coats are now grey like the 
 men's. 
 
 Like Polar voyagers, we now fitted up a 
 theatre, and turned out a very respectable corps 
 dramatiquc. A gymnasium was also attached 
 to the theatre, and provided with swinging and 
 horizontal poles, ropes, a ladder ; single sticks 
 and foils were not wanting, and all the usual 
 apparatus of such a place. Twice a week we 
 had sleigh meets, when curricles, and tandems, 
 and cutters, or sleighs of one horse power, 
 turned out with steeds gaily decked with party- 
 coloured streamers, and alive with bells. The 
 President of the day, (who gave the lunch, at 
 which soups and warm jellies were always in 
 demand,) sometimes selected difficult ground 
 and steep descents to test the courage and skill 
 of his followers. On one occasion the President 
 was, with his tandem, trying to do something 
 desperate, when his leader jumped over a fence, 
 leaving the wheeler and the driver in " an awk- 
 ward fix" on the other side. 
 
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 l'acadie. 
 
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 On new year's day there was the usual 
 driving round in sleighs, and visiting the ladies. 
 One "turn out," with four horses and postillions 
 and outriders, was intended to represent the 
 royal equipage, but it was upset on purpose 
 before our door, and her Majesty and Prince 
 Albert and some of the suite disappeared in a 
 snow wreath, undei* a heap of buffalo robes, 
 after which the whole party, postilions and all, 
 refreshed themselves in our sitting room, with 
 sundry cordials. 
 
 To make a break in a long Canadian winter, 
 a small party was formed, in the beginning of 
 1843, to visit the Falls of Niagara when en- 
 circled with a snowy mantle, and margined with 
 clustering icicles, and after viewing the sublime 
 cataract under this peculiar aspect, it was pro- 
 posed to participate for a short season in the 
 gaieties of Toronto, before returning to the 
 " stumps and squirrels" of the back woods. 
 
 Our company consisted of two ladies and four 
 officers, Captain and Mrs. Davenport and Dr. 
 Dartnell, Royals, Lieutenant Paton, R.A., and 
 ourselves, three servants, and we occupied three 
 two horse sleighs, well provided with buffalo, 
 fox, and racoon robes. Clothes' bags were 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 185 
 
 strapped to the runners, fur caps and fur- 
 breasted coats were donned, and, with bells 
 ringing on the collars and breast straps of the 
 willing steeds, the cavalcade briskly trotted over 
 the natural railroad of snow to the sound of 
 the leader's horn. 
 
 Our way led past small log or frame farm 
 houses, separated from the road by the every- 
 where-seen zigzag or snake fence. The smoke 
 curled lazily from the chimneys ; few moving 
 objects wxTc descried about the doors ; an occa- 
 sional wood sleigh, or one laden with forage, 
 would pass us on the road. Then we entered 
 the woods of tall pine, the stumps of which 
 in the foreground were curiously topped with 
 a foot or two of snow, like huge plum cakes 
 "iced" with sugar. A solitary black squirrel 
 would run across the road, and mount a tree, 
 but no sounds, save those of our bells, would 
 interrupt the solitude of " the bush." 
 
 In Canada horses are treated as in some 
 parts of Ireland, " two feeds of water and one 
 of oats ;" we accordingly pulled up after four- 
 teen miles to water, and then halted for a couple 
 of hours at Ingersoll, twenty-five miles, to water 
 again and feed. The principal movement here 
 
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 186 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 was produced by " small boys" dragging hand- 
 sLjighs up a slope, and then hurling on them 
 to the bottom, an amusement of which Cana- 
 dian boys, and sometimes ladies too, are pas- 
 sionately fond ; it is called " toboggoning." 
 We accomplished our sixty miles without much 
 fatigue to the horses, in seven hours, exclusive 
 of the mid-day halt; and crossing the Ouse, 
 or Grand River, by a covered wooden bridge, 
 we took up our quarters in the large village of 
 Brantford. 
 
 Brantford is the scene of frequent riots and 
 disturbances. In passing through it in summer, 
 we heard that the American residents had just 
 celebrated the anniversary of the Independence 
 of the United States, by firing musketry in the 
 streets, and also a cannon, which had probably 
 been originally intended to aid in the late rebel- 
 lion. The loyal party attacked the Americans, 
 and a sharp conflict ensued, ending in the with- 
 drawal and concealment of the great gun and 
 small arms, along with those who used them. 
 Now there had been a municipal election, and 
 one party had engaged a number of fighting 
 Irishmen from the Welland Canal, to carry 
 the day with knock-down arguments. A skir- 
 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 187 
 
 inish took place in the Town-Hall, which was 
 continued in the .treet, and followed up to 
 various houses, ;ind the r* .suit was that fortv 
 people were seriously iujunid. Our party found 
 their peace also distiirbcd in this unruly place ; 
 the genius locit seeiningly, being constant 
 riot. 
 
 The ladies usually on the journey occupied 
 the best bed-room in the house, whilst the gen- 
 tlemen stretched themselves on " shake-downs" 
 in the sitting-room ; preferring this method for 
 the sake of soci«i'jility, and to take advantage of 
 the fire. Most of the bed-rooms in country 
 inns in Canada are mere closets, with curtain- 
 less stretchers, containing feather-bed nuisances, 
 and very small pillows. 
 
 At three o'clock in the morning a female 
 entered our dormitory in the dark, craving 
 water, and finding a jug on the table, she took 
 a hearty pull at it, and then carried it off, but 
 missing her footing at the head of the stairs, 
 she rolled to the bottom, breaking the crockery, 
 and alarming the house. Shortly after she 
 appeared again, but now with a light, and 
 seizing a bottle of cognac on the table, she 
 said, "They tell me there's some London 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 officers here, I'll fix them ! A bad set, to turn 
 me, a soldier's wife, out of barracks, because 
 some told lies about me. I don't get a chance 
 like this every day, to pay them off. They 
 receive a sergeant's word, too, before a poor 
 soldier's ! But if I don't pull their chicken 
 now (take advantage of them), it's a pity !" 
 
 " Oh ! this is destruction !" groaned one of 
 the sleepers, " go to the d — 1, and let us 
 sleep." 
 
 " No, no ; here I sit, I'll have a talk with ye 
 first, and try your grog," whereupon she swal- 
 lowed half a tumbler of raw spirits. Fair words 
 and abuse were equally thrown away upon her. 
 She averred that she was as good as we were, only 
 she had not got as much money in her pocket. 
 She locked the door, sat down before it, and 
 put the key in her pocket ; at last, on the land- 
 lord calling to her from below, she seized up 
 the bottle, saying, " I'll treat the boys with 
 this," and disappeared; a pursuit ensued by 
 our servants, and the bottle was recovered from 
 her lower garments. 
 
 The usual charge at inns in Canada West is, 
 as I said previously, one shilling (English) for 
 each meal, and sixpence for a bed. A stranger 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 189 
 
 travelling through the country will do well not 
 to ask for a bill, for then it is very possible he 
 may be overcharged, but if he goes up to the 
 bar-keeper and says, " I've had so many meals," 
 and deposits the corresponding number of shil- 
 lings, all will be right. Three shillings a-night 
 is the usual charge for a pair of horses, and a 
 shilling for a mid-day feed. 
 
 This winter in Canada West, 100 lbs. 
 weight of pork could be bought for two dol- 
 lars (eight shillings), and the same quantity of 
 flour for the same price, and even less. Pota- 
 toes for 7 Id. the bushel, so taat allowing a man 
 1 lb. of flour, and 1 lb. of pork a-day, the 
 expense of this common feeding w^ould amount 
 to 15 dollars, or £3 a-;^ear; and wages were 
 25. f )r a labourer, and 35. or 45. for a mechanic 
 a-day. 
 
 One of the chief annoyances to which house- 
 holders in Canada are subject, is that of ser- 
 vants ; the feeling of independence, and even of 
 insolence, which they soon imbibe, causes end- 
 less vexation to their masters. Long and faith- 
 ful service in Canada is almost unknown ; but 
 if the stream of emigration continues to flow 
 towards " The land of the West," help of some 
 
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 190 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
 sort, though not long by the same hands, may 
 be counted on. Lately, a gentleman from the 
 old country lived on a large farm, which he 
 had bought in the neighbourhood of Lon- 
 don, C. W. : he had brought with him from 
 England a labouring man, whom he promoted 
 in Canada to the office of bailiff and gardener ; 
 the wages of this functionary were good, and he 
 w^as prudent. One morning he came to the 
 gentleman and said, " Measter, I have been a 
 long time with you now." 
 
 " Yes, you have — what of that ?" 
 
 " I think, Measter, you and me 's about 
 equal." 
 
 " How do you make out that ?" 
 
 " You see, Measter, you makes me eat my 
 vittels in your kitchen; now you know that 
 won't do here." 
 
 " Well, what do you want ?" 
 
 " Why I wants a knife and fork in your 
 parlour, or else I clears out." 
 
 " What ! to eat with my family ? No, no ; 
 that will never do, so clear out as soon as you 
 like." 
 
 Another Englishman cleverly kept his ser- 
 vant, and in the proper place, thus : he engaged 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 191 
 
 an American female " help," who, the first day, 
 laid an extra cover at table, "Who is that 
 for?" was asked. 
 
 " I guess it's for myself," was the answer. 
 
 " Oh ! you mean to dine with us !" 
 
 " I expect I do." 
 
 " Very well." 
 
 She accordingly sat down with the family, 
 and the master paid her the most marked at- 
 tention ; helped her to the choicest food, assisted 
 her to bread, beer, &c., from the sideboard, and 
 in short, so overpowered her with civility, that 
 she begged "for goodness sake" to be allowed 
 to eat alone, and in her own place ; and she did 
 so, and did good service besides. 
 
 But let us continue our drive. On the 
 second morning we cheerfully "put to" at 
 Brantford; and, under the exhilarating in- 
 fluence of a sharp frost and clear sky, wc 
 glided over the frozen snow at a rapid pace on 
 our way to Hamilton. The Grand River was on 
 our right, navigable in the open season for fifty 
 miles towards Lake Erie, and we passed near 
 the colony of Indians on its banks, who, at this 
 season, are muffled up in their blankets and red 
 leggings. 
 
 
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 By putting two of the servants in one slcigli 
 with the baggngc, four of the party could 
 always be together, and thus the time was 
 agreeably diversified with song and story. Two 
 of us had been " bronzed" in the East, a field 
 always supplying a store of anecdote and ad- 
 venture. Here is one of the recollections of the 
 land of the sun. Tho dexterity of Indian 
 thieves is unrivalled ; but an Irish officer, in a 
 part of the country in bad repute, laid a heavy 
 wager that they could not rob him ; his brother 
 officers took him up, and determined to rob 
 him themselves, but they were saved the trouble. 
 At night he went to bed in his tent, sleeping 
 on a cot resting on and fixed to his two bullock 
 trunks, a chain was passed through the handles 
 of these, and padlocked to the tent-pole; he 
 placed his money under his pillow, and a brace 
 of loaded pistols : his sword was on one side, 
 and his double barrel on the other ; he had 
 also a terrier dog with him. Taking " a night- 
 cap," in the shape of a glass of brandy-and- 
 water, he lay down in full security : but, alas ! 
 for all his precautions, in the morning he lay on 
 his sheet on the ground, in a tent completely 
 " gutted." The thieves had enticed away the 
 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 193 
 
 dog, lifted him off the stretcher on the sheet, 
 removed his money and arms, lifted the tent- 
 pole, and passed under it the chain which 
 secured the huUock trunks, and got clear off 
 with their booty ! 
 
 Hamilton, on Burlington Bay, and near the 
 coleb^-atcd heights of the same name, the natural 
 Citadel of Canada West, is in the midst of 
 a most thriving district ; beautiful farms are 
 everywhere seen around, with fields clear of 
 stumps, and enclosed with good fences. The 
 town has a cheerful aspect, with broad streets 
 and lofty houses, and there is constantly a 
 commercial movement and bustle in it. With 
 the clear waters of the bay in front, the back 
 ground of the picture is a rich screen of trees, 
 clothing the side of a ridge which runs to 
 Niagara, distant fifty miles. 
 
 Teetotalism is extending in Hamilton, as 
 elsewhere in Canada ; and it is needful it should 
 do so in a land overflowino; with whiskv at 
 sixpence a quart. Soldiers are sorely tried 
 with this temptation in Canada ; and though 
 among them there is a good deal of " steady 
 drinking," yet the extraordinary inebriation 
 which used to prevail in India is unknown. 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
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 There our worthy Medico had once charge of 
 a detachment of two hundred and forty men • 
 out of this number there were sixty-four cases 
 of delirium tremens, from hard drinking*, in 
 three months ! There was a pump in the 
 harrack-yai'd, and every morning he saw drunk- 
 ards helped to it by their comrades, and 
 copiously pumped on to fit tnem for parade, 
 which passing, in a way, they drank again, and 
 again were pumped on for evening parade ! 
 
 He played them a trick one day. A party 
 of them came to the hospital to get some 
 medicine, to escape parade altogether. On( 
 came forward : 
 
 " What is the matter with you ?" 
 " Oh ! I am very bad in my inside, Sur." 
 " Go into the surgery, and you'll get some 
 medicine. Sergeant, give this man some of 
 the black bottle on the upper shelf" — a horrid 
 mixture kept for malingers (or those who sham 
 sick), com])osed of salts, senna, tobacco- water, 
 assafoetlda, &c. 
 
 Pat tasted it, and not liking it, slyly emptied 
 the glass into his cap. The Doctor watched 
 him, and calling him, told him to put on his 
 cap. 
 
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 " I'll do that outside, Sur." 
 
 " No, put it on now ; you know a soldier 
 sliould never take his capotf." It was done 
 cautiously. " How long have you been sick ?" 
 
 " It's been coming on for some time, Sur." 
 
 " What's that running over your eyes ?" 
 
 The pjitient putting up his hand, exclaimed, 
 " Oh ! 'tis nothing hut the sweat, Sur." 
 
 " How comes it black ? Sergeant, bring 
 him another dose of the same." Pat swallowed 
 this with a terrible irrimace and shudder ; whilst 
 the others, watcliing outside, cried to Pat, 
 " By the powers but he's done ye," and forth- 
 with disaj3]X'iu'ed. 
 
 Leaving Hamilton, we soon approached the 
 battle ground of Stoney Creek, memorable in 
 the late American war. On the right was 
 the wood bridg(\ leading towards Niagara; 
 below was a level plateau, thinly sprinkled with 
 trees ; beneath this again were cultivated fields 
 and the houses of the village of Stoney Creek, 
 through wliich tlie straight road led ; on the 
 left, fields and thickets sloped away gently to- 
 wards Lake Ontario. 
 
 The American armv, three thousand five 
 hundred strong, and following the British on 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
 T ' 
 
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 tlu'ir retreat towards the Burlington heights, 
 one night took up their bivouac on the plateau 
 beneath the ridge. The present Governor of 
 Nova Scotia, the gallant Sir John Harvey, and 
 then Deputy Adjutant General, asked leave of 
 his Chief to return with fiv(5 hundred chosen 
 men and surprise the Americans, reposing in 
 fancied security ; leave was granted. He struck 
 down the advanced sentries with the bayonet, 
 and then made a desperate onslaught in the 
 dark ; the Americans broke and fled, leaving 
 their cannon, munitions of war, and two Generals 
 in the hands of the victors. The American 
 General, who reported this affair to his Govern- 
 ment, added, " after this we advanced on 
 Niagara," advancing to the rear ! An ex- 
 perienced military friend commonly says of 
 affairs of this sort, " The value of night-attacks 
 is not at all understood — it is a mine which has 
 not been worked or appreciated." 
 
 We passed on to Forty Mile Creek, and 
 there took up our quarters for the night in 
 the clean wayside inn, with " Jennings" on the 
 sign ; but new people had just taken the house, 
 and though somewhat unprovidc^d for our party, 
 yet tliey made up deficiencies in provent and 
 
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 I ' ii 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 197 
 
 r 
 
 beds, by civility and attention ; and we, bein< 
 in good health and spirits, were not in the 
 mood to complain of tuiything. Wliilst supper 
 was preparing, some itinerant Italian organists, 
 exhibiting wax figures of the Siamese twins in a 
 box, pltiyed lively tunes in the bar, and set 
 the feet of our soldier-servants in motion, who 
 danced jigs, to the surprise of the " loafers" 
 lazily collected about the stove. 
 
 " I cannot find beds for all you gentlemen," 
 said the hostess, " but I'll do the best 1 can 
 for ye." 
 
 " Make up a family-bed for us in the sitting- 
 room, with two mattresses side by side," we 
 answered ; and it was so contrived. An old 
 and dry Yankee attendant amused us; he 
 was as civil as the rest of the people of tiie 
 house, but on the ladies objecting to his pro- 
 posal to light the fire in their room in the 
 morning, (as he stood with his slouched glazed 
 hat and loosely-fitting jacket, and continuations 
 at their door, lantern in hand, to ask if they 
 wanted any more help from him) he replied, 
 " Well ! I guess the little girl will make the 
 fire for ye, if ye be afeard of the old man ; 
 but ye are safe enough here, I tell ye." 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
 Next morning we worn off by times, with our 
 snowy railroad as good as ever; the three 
 sleighs making the woods on eaeh side tuneful 
 with their light hells ; the driver, who led, 
 oecasionally, hlew a blast with his horn, to warn 
 the country sleighs to share with us the road, 
 but which brought the dwellers in the scattered 
 houses to their doors ; a piece of paper lield up 
 would bring them out for a fancied letter, they 
 woidd run back for change for a shilling York 
 (sixpence) to pay for it when the train would 
 drive off, with much laughter. Mounting some 
 steep ascents, and passing along an undulating 
 road, wc reachi^d Drummondville, or Lundy's 
 Lane, the scene of another sharp conflict. The 
 favourable state of the snov now induced a 
 rej)etition of the combat — one sleigh against 
 another, with snowballs. Gliding down the 
 street of the villnge, we heard beneath us the 
 heavy roar of the world's wonder, the mighty 
 Niagara, and then found ourselves at the door 
 of the Clifton Hotel. 
 
 The grent cataract is seen by few travellers in 
 its winter rarb. I had seen it several vears 
 before in all the glories of autumn, its ench'cling 
 woods, happily spared by the remorseless 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 199 
 
 \. I 
 
 hatchet, aiul tinted with the hrilhnnt hues 
 pccuhar to the American " F;ill." Now the 
 glory had departed ; the woods were still there, 
 but were generally black, with occasional green 
 pines ; beneath the gi'ey trunks was spread a 
 thick mantle of snow, and from the brown 
 rocks, inclosing the; deep channel of the Niagara 
 River, hiuig hugi; clust(.'i-s of icicles, twenty feet 
 in length, like silver pipes of giant organs. The 
 tumultuous rapids appeared to me to descend 
 mon* regularly than formerly over the steps 
 which distinctly extended across the wide river ; 
 in the midst of the rapids, and before the awful 
 plunge of the cataract, was fixed a conspicuous 
 black object, which appeared to be the n^mains 
 of a vessel. These, I was assured, were the 
 last vestiges of the ' Detroit,' the flag-ship of 
 Commodore Barclay, and on whose deck he 
 bled whilst sustaining his uuvcjual combat on 
 the w^aters of Lake Erie, in 1813. In 1841, 
 the ' Detroit' was cut adrift from Buffalo, to be 
 sent over the Falls, but grounding on the great 
 ledges of the Rapids, it had by degr(!es been 
 reduced to a few black ribs. It was impossible 
 to look upon these melancholy remains of a 
 
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 ACADIE. 
 
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 fierce struggle, without feelings of intense in- 
 terest. 
 
 Tii(5 portions of the British, or Horse-shoe 
 Fall, where the waters descend in mass(!S of 
 snowy wliiteness, were unchanged hy tlie season, 
 except that vast sheets of ice and icicles hung 
 on their margin ; hut where the deep waves of 
 sea-green water roll majestically over the stc^ep, 
 large pieces of descending ice were freqm^ntly 
 descried on its surface. No rainhows were now 
 ohserved on the great vapour-cloud, which 
 shrouds for ever the hottom of the Fall ; hut we 
 were extremely fortunate to see now plainly 
 what I had looked for in vain at my last visit, 
 the water-rockets, first descrihed hy Capt. Hall, 
 which shot up with a train of vapour singly, 
 and in flights of a dozen, from the ahyss near 
 Tahle-Rock, curved towards the East, and hurst 
 and fell in front of the cataract. Vast masses 
 of descending fluid produce this singular eff'ect, 
 by means of condensed air acting on portions of 
 the vapour into which the water is comminuted 
 below. Altogether the appearance was most 
 startling. It was observed at 1 p.m. from the 
 gallery of Mr. Barnett's museum. 
 
 I'i 
 
.1 ., 
 
 L ACADIK. 
 
 201 
 
 1 V, I 
 
 The brofid sheet of the American Fall pre- 
 sented the appearance of lij^ht-green water and 
 feathery sj)ray, also margined by hugcr ieieles. 
 The great masses of rock at the bottom were 
 covered, as it were, with pure white heaps of 
 cotton, whilst on the left, and in front of the 
 Fall, a cone was in process of formation from 
 the congealing vapour. As in summer, the 
 water rushing from under the vaponr-cloud of 
 the two Falls, was of a milky whiteness as far 
 as the ferry, when it became dark, and inter- 
 spersed with floating masses of ice. Here, the 
 year before, from the pieces of ice b(;ing heaped 
 and crushed together in great quantities, was 
 formed a thick and high bridge of ice, com- 
 pletely across the river, safe for passengers for 
 some time ; and in the middle of it, a Yankee 
 speculator had erected a shanty, for refresh- 
 ments. 
 
 Lately, at a dinner-party, I heard a staff- 
 ofRcer of talent, but w'ho was fond of exciting 
 wonder by his narratives, propose to the com- 
 pany a singular wager, — a bet of £100, that he 
 would go over the Falls of Niagara, and come 
 out alive at the bottom ! No one being inchned 
 to take him up, and after a good deal of dis- 
 
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 L .VCADir. 
 
 
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 cussion as to how this most perilous feat was to 
 be accomphshed, tlie plan was disclosed. To 
 place on Table Rock a crane, with a long arm 
 reacliing over the water of the Horse-shoe Fall ; 
 from this arm would hang, by a stout ropa, a 
 large bucket or cask ; this would be taken up 
 some distance above the Fall, where a mill-race 
 slowlv glides tow^ards the cataract ; here the 
 adventurer would get into the cnsk, men sta- 
 tioned on the Table Rock would haul in the 
 slack of the rope as he descended, and the crane 
 would swing him clear from the cataract as he 
 passed over. Here is a chance for any gentle- 
 man sportsman to immortalize himself ! 
 
 A rapid thaw took place after we reached the 
 Falls ; the icicles which had before covered 
 every blade of grass, twig, and tree, and caused 
 them to bend to the Falls as if in worship of 
 them, and all the while glittering in the sun- 
 beams with exceeding splendour, while the 
 cauldron boiling beneath, and sending up its 
 seething cloud, above which water-fowl wildly 
 careered, — under the influence of the thaw the 
 icy glories began to vanish, and it was dan- 
 gerous to pass under the cliffs where the great 
 icicles hung, for an occasional crash would be 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 203 
 
 hoard, and masses of ice, like j)illars of alabaster, 
 would be detached and fall, tons weight at a 
 time, on the path below. 
 
 We walked towards the old Pavilion hot<.'l, 
 now the barracks of a party of the newly-em- 
 bodied Royal Canadian Rifle Corps, composed 
 of volunteers from various regiments stationed 
 in this country. Their winter dress was com- 
 fortable and soldier-like ; high and flat caps of 
 black fur, grey great-coats, black belts, and long 
 boots. We asked several men who had lately 
 worn the red jacket, if they were pleased with 
 their change of service, and they said they wvre 
 quite happy and contented. A man, lately of 
 my company, had married a wife with £100, 
 had also joined a Temperance Society, and was 
 doing well. 
 
 Returning to our hotel, we found there a 
 marriage party just arrived, and on " pleasure 
 bent," from St, Catherine's. Two sleighs, fas- 
 tened together and drawn by four horses, con- 
 tained about a score of blythc folk ; they sat 
 two and two, on Buff"alo robes, a small brass 
 band in front, boughs of pine decking the sides 
 of the sleighs, and a blue ensign waving over 
 the stern of the live-freighted craft. 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
 We had choice of the best quarters in the 
 hotel, which has very comfortable parlours, and 
 beds with mattresses of wholesome horse-hair, 
 quite a novelty in Canada generally, where the 
 abominable feathers prevail ; we had also good 
 attendance of coloured waiters, excellent fare, 
 and moderate charges. 
 
 As it is a soldier's duty to visit battle-ground 
 whenever he is near it, the morning after our 
 arrival at the Falls, I rose at dawn and proceeded 
 with a medical friend to the scene of the combat 
 of Lundy's Lane, fought during an eventful 
 night, when the noise of the combat mingled 
 with the thunders of Niagara. Moving up the 
 gradual ascent to the hotly-contested crest of 
 the hill, at the upper part of Drummondville, a 
 splendid double rainbow spanned the heavens 
 before us as the sun rose, and we saw the 
 singular appearance of the long shadows of 
 clouds projected on other clouds. A little man, 
 of hale appearance, with a basket on his arm, 
 joined us ; we asked him how many houses 
 were left of those which stood at the time of 
 the fight. " Only these two old ones," said 
 he, pointing to old frame houses on the left 
 of the road. " Chryster's inn, which stood 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 205 
 
 there, was burnt by the sympathizers in 1837, 
 when cleared out for a party of soldiers." 
 
 " Were you living here in the last American 
 
 war ?" we asked. 
 
 " Yes, and I fought on this ground, and 
 served in the artillery ; here, behind the crest 
 of the rise extending right and left of it, was 
 our line drawn up, facing the Falls ; at these 
 trees below, and on our right, the Americans 
 first hove in sight ; the Glengaries and other 
 light infantry went off to skirmish with them 
 in front, and we " fit " (fought) them after that 
 all round the hill. The Americans had learned 
 to fight well by this time, and we had hard 
 work of it, but we kept our line ; and next day 
 the enemy went off, and burnt the Bridge of 
 Chippewa, to prevent our following. We 
 thought it unchristian-like in our General to 
 order our dead to be burnt ; but as he said it 
 was the custom in Spain and Portugal, we 
 fancied it was all right. There were about nine 
 hundred dead bodies aside, and sixty horses; 
 our men lie in two graves on that small square 
 we have just passed, opposite the hospital near 
 the churchyard." 
 
 Let the gallant deeds of the 89 th Regiment 
 
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206 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 not be forgotten on this occasion. The Ame- 
 rican army, favoured by the darkness, had 
 reached to the crest of the British position, 
 and the Canadian militia were suffering severely, 
 when the 89th opportunely amved from the 
 direction of Queenstown, in light marching 
 order, left the road, crossed the fields and took 
 the Americans in flank. The 21st U. S. 
 Regiment, which had been before opposed tj 
 the 89th at Chrysters farm, called out, "Where 
 is the bloody 89th ?" " Here we are you 
 beggars !" answered the 89th ; and then threw 
 in a murderous volley, which immediately turned 
 the tide in favour of the British. 
 
 The table-land on which the British were 
 drawn up, and through the centre of which the 
 road runs, consists of cleared fields with scat- 
 tered trees, a few new houses are by the road- 
 side ; in the distance and on the low grounds, 
 are thick groves of ancient trees, behind which 
 is seen, w^hen the atmosphere is light, the vast 
 pillar of cloud rising and waving above the 
 cataract, whose deep voice also falls solemnly on 
 the ear. 
 
 We returned to the churchyard, to read the 
 epitaphs on the monuments of some gallant 
 
:.■ ■■< '1 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 207 
 
 officers who had fallen in action. We found 
 three, one oh stone, to the nnemory of Colonel 
 Bishop, killed at Black Rock ; and two, on 
 wood, with these inscriptions : — 
 
 "To the memory of Lieutenant Thomas 
 Andrew, 6th Regiment, who died in conse- 
 quence of a wound received, when gallantly 
 leading on his company before Fort Erie, 
 September 17, 1814, aged twenty-six." 
 
 " Sacred to the memory of Lieutenant 
 Wilham Hemphill, Royal Scots, who bravely 
 fell in the memorable Battle of Lundy's Lane, 
 25th July, 1814." 
 
 We were much displeased to observe that 
 the two last monuments had been displaced 
 from their proper positions, to make room for 
 some other graves ; but we immediately took 
 steps to have them replaced over the honoured 
 dead. 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 X 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Peril of a resurrectionist — Dangerous predicament — 
 Absurd occurrence at Bully's Acre — Rattle-snake fat 
 — Manner of obtaining it — Cross the Niagara River 
 — Pillars of ice — Scramble over the ice to Prospect 
 Tower — The whirlpool — Bodies of Deserters — The 
 Devil's Hole — Continue our journey — Accidents — 
 Tricks on travellers — Smuggling — Wellington Square 
 — Toronto — An assembly — The colleges — Terrestrial 
 magnetism — The fight of Gallow's Hill — Winter 
 dress of 83rd officers — Curling — Drumsnab — Leave 
 Toronto — Summer and winter travelling — The Lake 
 steamers — A wharf carried oiF — Talkers — Frosted 
 silver — Hunting — Wooden bridges — Return to the 
 city of stumps. 
 
 Hi 
 
 •: 1 
 
 On our way back to our hotel, which we 
 made longer by a detour towards the old 
 Pavilion, our discourse fell on resurrectionists ; 
 and being in a gossiping humour, I shall here 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 209 
 
 give some of the perils which attended the 
 study of medicine in Ireland twenty-five years 
 ago. 
 
 "It was in Cork where I first attended a 
 dissecting-room," said my friend, " and many 
 an adventure we had, and much risk we ran to 
 get the subjects at that time. Once we received 
 a volley of balls when we had struck the first 
 spade in the earth, and we fled for our lives 
 over some sheds, having one of our party 
 severely wounded through the arm. Another 
 night, when I was accidentally prevented join- 
 ing the resurrection party, one of the students 
 was shot dead through the heart at the grave- 
 side, and left there. But one of our ugliest 
 adventures was this : three of us were one day 
 in a boat at Cove, and we were rowed by a 
 remarkably powerful man ; the day was hot ; 
 he had taken off his shirt, and a finer deve- 
 lopment of muscle, larger arms, and a deeper 
 chest, I never had seen before. 
 
 " Some time after this we heard that he had 
 been drowned, and we determined to get this 
 fine subject. We ascertained that he was 
 buried in a very neatly kept churchyard, and 
 close to a gravel-walk in it. We took a horse 
 
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 L ACAD IE. 
 
 with US from Cork at night, and commenced 
 operations by throwing the earth on sheets we 
 had brought with us, to keep the earth fi'om 
 the footpath. The grave was a very deep one, 
 and it was long before we reached the body, 
 and long before we got it out, being so heavy. 
 At last we forced it into the sack ; but the 
 horse snorted and shield at it The dav was 
 beginning to dawn, we had three miles to go ; 
 we thought we should never get it off, and that 
 w'e must be discovered. At last, after a good 
 hour's work, and by tying a handkerchief over 
 the horse's eyes, we fixed the load on his back. 
 We then filled up the grave carefully, and got 
 safe to the dissecting-room. 
 
 " We congratulated ourselves on our prize," 
 continued m)' friend, " and w^ere proceeding 
 with a careful dissection, when the first inti- 
 mation w^e had that our theft had been dis- 
 covered was by a noise in the street, and an 
 immense mob collecting before the windows. 
 Two of us immediately rushed below, and 
 strongly barricaded the door with tables and 
 forms; a third got away by the roof through 
 an attic window, and brought the sheriff, the 
 police, and two companies of soldiers for our 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 211 
 
 dofonce ; sentries were then placed at the door. 
 In the meantime we, inside, were not idle ; we 
 lowered the hody through a trap-door into the 
 cellar, cleaned up the room, spread a green 
 cloth over the table, and then addressing the 
 mob, who were still highly excited, declared 
 that we would admit the relatives of the man 
 to convince them that we had not got his body. 
 His wife and others came in, searched all about 
 and found nothing. They were interested in 
 some anatomical preparations we had in various 
 parts of the room, and were retiring satisfied of 
 the truth of our statement, when as bad luck 
 would have it, the wife discovered in a corner a 
 basin covered with a napkin, which in our 
 hurry we had forgot to put out of the way. 
 She quickly removed the cloth, dashed her 
 hand into the blood and water in the vessel, 
 and drew forth a portion of the body, which 
 had been reserved for a preparation. The 
 Indian war whoop was nothing to the screech 
 she uttered. We tried to pacify her, and to 
 convince her that what she saw was no part of 
 her late husband. She however knew better, 
 and apparently on good grounds. After a great 
 deal of difficulty we G-ot her awav, but she 
 
 
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 would not part with her prize, and carried it 
 oif. 
 
 " Fearing that wc might have a second visit 
 from the mob, we now determined on burying 
 the remains, and gave them for this purpose to 
 our porter to take to a place some dist[mce otf, 
 where we had been in the habit of disposing of 
 the subjects after dissection ; but either through 
 carelessness, or the load being too heavy for 
 him, instead of burying the dissected body, he 
 threw it piece-meal from the sack into the 
 river ; reporting however that he had done as 
 he had been ordered. Next day two of us in 
 passing near the wharf saw a great crowd 
 assembled, we joined it, and to our dismay 
 discovered that the excited gaze of the people 
 was directed to the trunk of the large body 
 exposed in the mud by the ebb-tide. 
 
 " Hearing the people swear that they w^ould 
 collect these fragments next day, and parade 
 them through the town, we stole off, resolved to 
 be beforehand with them. Accordingly at mid- 
 night, four of us went to the river, but the tide 
 was up, and we could do nothing ; we then 
 adjourned to a public house near, had supper, 
 and put off the time till it was low water. At 
 
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1 1)1 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 213 
 
 three o'clock another and myself went into the 
 (ie(!p nriud, — the other two kept watch on the 
 wharf, — hy groping ahout, and ascertaining hy 
 the smell that we were picking up what we 
 were in quest of, we at last collected all the 
 portions in our sack. A watchman came down 
 to see what our comrades on the wharf were 
 ahout ; they immediately seized his rattle, threw 
 him down, and gagged him till we had got 
 clear off: they then followed us at speed. Next 
 day the people found nothing in the river 
 though they dragged it very diligently, the 
 tide having it was supposed, carried off the 
 objects of their search to sea. 
 
 " Some time after, when we thought that the 
 matter was passed over, I was standing for a 
 minute at the window of a print-shop in a 
 rather obscure part of the town which [ had 
 occasion to pass through, when I was nearly 
 knocked off my legs hy a tremendous blow on 
 the side of the head from a kail-stalk, and the 
 voice of the ' subject's' wife cried out ' that's for 
 the bloody doctor.' I made off as fast as I 
 could, as a mob might have made a subject of 
 me in five minutes. 
 
 "Some of our resurrection adventures," added 
 
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L ACADIE. 
 
 my friend, " wen; of a more Luifi^imble cha- 
 ra(;t(T. Thus, once in goin^ out to Bully's 
 Acre, a well-known Irish etunctcry, a raw hand 
 was with us, who was also an arrant coward ; 
 we posted him at the toj) of the wall to look 
 out whilst we opened a grave below, we had got 
 out the body, when our friend, sitting quaking 
 above us, called out : ' Oh ! blur and ouns I 
 see them {;oming,' and in his fright rolled off 
 the wall and into the grave ; the word was 
 given to till it nj), and a dozen spadefuls of 
 earth were hastily shovelled on him ; wc; ran off 
 and discovered that a cow had caused the alarm, 
 and when we came back thi^ I'ueful face of our 
 friend was just emerging from under the; 
 mould." 
 
 Now better police regulations enable medical 
 students to obtoin unclaimed bodies at small 
 costs, and without resorting to the expedients 
 above detailed. 
 
 After breakfast at the Clifton, we visited 
 Barnett's Museum ; this was interesting, as he 
 had collected there various eagles, gulls, owls 
 and other birds which frequent the neighbour- 
 hood of the Falls. We saw also the Canadian 
 lynx, porcupine, skunk, the beautiful cross-fox, 
 
L AtADIE. 
 
 215 
 
 kc, also Niagara rattle-siiaki'S. My iTspcctablo 
 old friend, T. MacConncll, the trapp(T, told me, 
 that he was in the iiabit of visiting Niagara for 
 the purpose of killing the rattle-snakes for the 
 sake of their fat, and that he has sometimes 
 killed three hundri'd in a season, and thus : — he 
 watched beside a ledge; of rocks where their holes 
 were, and stood l)ehin(l a tree, club in hand, and 
 with his legs cased in sheep skins with the 
 wool on, to guard against bites. The snakes 
 would come out cautiously to seek on account of 
 food or to sun themselves, fearing to go far for 
 their enemies, the pigs. The trapper would 
 then rush forward and lay about him with his 
 club, those which escaped to their holes he 
 seized by the tail, and if they turnid round and 
 bit him in the hand, he would spit some snake- 
 root (which he kept chewing in his mouth) on 
 the wound, it frothed up and danger would 
 cease. The dead snakes wen; then roasted, 
 hung up by the tail, over a slow fire, and their 
 fat collected, taking care there was no blood in 
 it. The fat would sell for twelve dollais a 
 bottle, and was considered of great value by the 
 country people in cases of rheumatism and stitf 
 joints. 
 
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 One of the knees of the ' Caroline' steamer, 
 cut out at Schlosser by the gallant Captain 
 Drew, R.N. and his followers, in the rebellion, 
 set fire to6 and turned adrift over the falls, is 
 preserved in the museum — 
 
 * Dieu defend le droit.' 
 
 It being impossible to pass under the great 
 fall at this time, from the quantities of ice on 
 the rocks, we descended by the zigzag road, 
 two hundred feet, to the ferry, keeping a look 
 out for the immense pillars of ice which were 
 falling from the rocks above us. The ferry- 
 boat is very small in winter, and holds only 
 three people besides the boatman, but we got 
 in safety over the boiling and troubled sea in 
 two trips. One of the boatmen told us he was 
 once carried down in winter two miles to the 
 first rapids, among masses of ice : he thought he 
 must go down to the whirlpool ; but by fighting 
 hard he at last got to the shore. 
 
 The slippery ascent and the long stairs on 
 the American side were trying for the ladies, 
 and the spray from the great sheet of the 
 American fall above gave us a wetting ; but 
 they reached the top bravely, crossed the bridge 
 
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LACADIE. 
 
 217 
 
 spanning the boiling rapids to Goat Island, at 
 the entrance to which there is a house for 
 refreshment in summer, and the sale at all 
 times of hickory-sticks, cut at the Falls, with a 
 neatly carved eagle's head ' the banner bird of 
 Columbia,' at the end of the crook. We waded 
 through deep and soft snow, saw * Morpeth 
 1842,' with other names, carved on a tree, and 
 then reached the Ten'apin rocks. 
 
 The Prospect Tower in the midst of the 
 rapids, and at the brink of the great falls, had 
 not been erected when I was here before. I 
 thought now it might disclose some more sub- 
 lime views of the great cataract at its foot than 
 could be seen from the bank. Accordingly, I 
 ran down to the Terrapin bridge leading to it ; 
 the bridge was narrow, much decayed (it was 
 laid in 1827), the side rail was gone, and there 
 was a convex surface of snow and ice on it. I 
 got along it with considerable difficulty, some- 
 times upright, and sometimes (to get over holes) 
 on my hands and knees. I reached the tower 
 in safety over the roaring flood, and saw the 
 cataract in its awful grandeur and irresistible 
 power below. I took oif my coat to get back, 
 and was well pleased to rejoin my friends again, 
 
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 as the icy covering of the bridge though two 
 feet thick gave way under me twice from the 
 effects of the thaw. 
 
 After our return to the British side, wet to 
 the knees with snow water, a sleigh was hired 
 to take three of us to the whirlpool and to 
 General Brock's monument, now tottering to its 
 fall, shattered from base to summit by the 
 powder of the infamous sympathizer, Lett. " Is 
 there any sympathizing now about the falls," 
 we asked the sleigh driver. 
 
 " I guess not, they have to mind their own 
 affairs now, and not trouble themselves with 
 ours," answered he ; " but we still look sharp 
 out for our barns and stables being burned, by 
 rascals who owe us a spite, and that keeps us 
 from repairing our out-buildings, as we do not 
 know how long they will be let alone. Just 
 before you came in, a coach-shed fell at the 
 hotel, below which your sleighs would have 
 been put ; it knocked off the back of a three 
 hundred dollar coach, and hurt two others ; the 
 wood in some places looked as if it had been 
 sawed through, to let the shed down when the 
 thaw came." 
 
 The thaw made it a difficult matter to get 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 219 
 
 over the three miles to the whirlpool. At last, 
 we reached the edge of the precipice overlooking 
 the vast basin, encircled with beetling cliffs and 
 trees, and looked down with wonder and awe 
 on the foaming billows wildly rushing into the 
 maelstrom of Niagara, where the great body of 
 water writhed and circled in never-ending 
 gyrations, apparently of immense depth. On 
 our left, and as if rejoiced to escape from the 
 terror-inspiring vortex, the glad waters rushed 
 out in swift running currents, and sped on their 
 course towards the tranquil sea of Ontario. 
 
 When trees, swept down by the flood, enter 
 the whirlpool, the effect is most imposing. 
 They are turned round in wild confusion, their 
 branches rolling them from side to side, some- 
 times diving under the surface, and again with 
 the roots in the air, thrust upwards from below 
 as if with giant hands. The scene has been 
 compared to wave warring with wave, and 
 using the trees as immense war clubs. The 
 year before the naked and swollen bodies of four 
 deserters were seen for several days floating 
 round, tossed about, and as if tormented by the 
 waters of the whirlpool. Five soldiers of a 
 regiment stationed at Drummondoilb had 
 
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 deserted one night, and had essayed to swim 
 across the strait below the ferry ; four reached 
 the opposite bank, but the fifth cried out that 
 he was unable to stem the tide and was 
 sinking ; three, the best swimmers, returned to 
 assist him, and they all perished. The man 
 who escaped described the manner of their 
 death. 
 
 Half a mile below the whirlpool is seen the 
 dark and gloomy chasm in the rocky bank on 
 the American side, the Devil's Hole, with the 
 stream called the Bloody Run flowing into it. 
 Here took place the fearful tragedy in 1759, 
 when one hundred British regulars, escorting 
 waggons with stores from Fort Niagara to Fort 
 Schlosser, were surprised by a large party of 
 Indians in the French interest, were shot and 
 stabbed, and, with the waggons and horses, 
 thrust over the precipice. Only two of the 
 party escaped, one by the fleetness of his horse, 
 another, a private soldier, being caught by his 
 belt, and remaining suspended below a bush 
 till nightfall. Relics of this catastrophe may 
 yet be found, on diligent search being made 
 below. 
 
 Darkness set in before we had time to reach 
 
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L ACADIE. 
 
 221 
 
 the crumbling mausoleum of the gallant Brock, 
 now about to be replaced by an obelisk. Next 
 day, the thaw still continuing, and the mist and 
 vapour sometimes entirely concealing the falls, 
 and sweeping over the hotel with a damp and 
 chill cloud, we resolved to continue our journey 
 before travelling on runners became quite im- 
 practicable. Paying our moderate bill of one 
 dollar (four shillings) per day for each person, 
 and half a dollar for each horse, we took the 
 road to St. Catherine's. Three accidents, 
 however, occurred to me before we reached it. 
 In painfully ascending a hill running with 
 water, a Whipple tree broke ; fortunately I was 
 able to replace it at a farm-house near ; after 
 this, frost set in, and the horse in the shafts 
 slipped into a ditch, and dragging the off horse 
 over him, the two lay helpless in the ditch, 
 half covered with mud, ice, and snow-water; 
 the breaking of the shafts short off saved our 
 being thrown with the sleigh on the top of the 
 horses. After a great struggle, we got the 
 shivering horses out, attached one to the sleigh, 
 and proceeded at a walk, rendered painful by a 
 sprained foot (which by the way brandy and 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
 salt afterwards cured) to St. Catherine's, distant 
 two miles. 
 
 This very thriving village, one of the boasts 
 of Canada West, is on the Welland Canal, and 
 four miles from where it enters Lake Ontario ; 
 excellent macadamized roads enter it, and it 
 abounds in substantial stone and brick and 
 framed buildings, and well-filled stores. But as 
 the snow had entirely disappeared from the 
 road in advance, mine host of the hotel where 
 we tarried, in his professed desire to send us 
 " snugly" on wheels in two waggons to 
 Toronto, about eighty miles, or a couple of days' 
 journey, seemed inclined in vulgar parlance " to 
 take the measure of our foot," by asking thirty 
 dollars for the trip ; but we were at his mercy, 
 and helpless, and he knew it. Usually in 
 Canada West a farmer will take a traveller 
 and his sleigh (when snow fails) in his waggon 
 for two and a half dollars a day. 
 
 About the Niagara frontier there has been a 
 great deal of smuggling of late years, and many 
 otherwise respectable people became so accus- 
 tomed to it, that apparently it was looked on 
 by them as quite a venial offence, or as no 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 223 
 
 offence at all. Thus a partner of a highly 
 respectable mercantile establishment in Canada 
 West, told me that his house had recently 
 received a business letter from another house on 
 the border, offering to exchange £10C0 worth 
 of teas for £1000 worth of broad cloth; the 
 teas were to be smuggled from, and the cloth 
 into, the States ; the proposal was rejected. 
 The duties of several of the custom-houses on 
 the border were also conducted in the most lax 
 manner ; for instance, very lately at one con- 
 siderable town no account was kept of the 
 amount of dues received, and only what it was 
 convenient to remit was handed over to the 
 Receiver General; in 1842, on a new collector 
 being put in office, the amount of receipts 
 increased fourfold. 
 
 Our three sleighs being lashed on the frame of 
 a long lumber- waggon, ourselves following in an 
 open car, and the servants riding and leading our 
 horses, we left St. Catherine's in the midst of 
 a crowd of spectators, possibly w^ondering at the 
 folly of our pretending to take pleasure in 
 travelling at this time of year; but "barrin" 
 this transfer from runners to wheels, we had a 
 great deal of pleasure on this excursion. We 
 
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 travelled by the back road, as it is called, that 
 is close along the shores of Lake Ontario ; it 
 began to freeze, and wheels became very 
 dangerous in descending slopes of ice ; but at 
 last we reached in safety the village of Welling- 
 ton Square, where a clean inn received us ; here 
 a great treat was the excellent fish caught all 
 the winter in the Lake. At London, C. W., we 
 hardly ever saw fish. Next morning, a thin 
 sprinkling of snow covering the ground, the 
 wheeled carriages returned from w-hence they 
 came, and we resumed our sleighs ; and though 
 it rained plentifully all the way to Toronto, 
 forty miles, we persevered, crossed the deep 
 ravines of the twelve and the sixteen mile- 
 creeks without accident, jumped out in descend- 
 ing, and stood on the runners of the sleigh, 
 so as to form a drag, and walked up the oppo- 
 site ascent. In a woful plight, and the tails 
 of the horses reduced to one hair, we entered 
 Toronto. 
 
 This, the late capital of Upper Canada, was 
 still progressing very rapidly ; the population 
 was about sixteen thousand. Wide streets, 
 bounded by high and substantial brick and 
 frame houses, were constantly traversed at a 
 
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L*ACAD1E. 
 
 225 
 
 rapid rate by conveyances for business or pleasure ; 
 and pedestrians hurried along with the serious 
 air of business on their brow : there seemed to 
 be no idlers in Toronto. The stores were 
 handsome, and well supplied with the necessa- 
 ries and luxuries of civilized life. There was, 
 on the whole, considerable movement, and the 
 society was respectable, and noted for hospitality, 
 which we most amply proved. 
 
 It is strange that in so gay and bustling a 
 place, there should have been no public assembly 
 room. The ball at which we were invited " to 
 assist," took place at Stone's Hotel ; there t\m 
 rooms were new and clean, very well lighted 
 with a profusion of spermaceti, but very hot and 
 crowded, and so narrow that side seats could 
 not be placed where the dancing took place. 
 There were seventy-five young ladies " out" on 
 this occasion, all well dressed and with pleasing 
 manners. The uniforms of the Royal Artillery, 
 83rd regiment, and 93rd Highlanders, added 
 brilliancy to the assembly, but at which nought 
 save quadrilles, waltzes, and galoppes, was per- 
 mitted. Country dances and reels, " more ma- 
 jorum," though seen in royal palaces, being voted 
 decidedly vulgar in the colonies. 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
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 Next day, mounting horses, we rode about 
 the environs of Toronto, and went to see the long 
 and handsome avenue of the New College, bor- 
 dered with trees and shrubs ; the College was 
 in course of being erected. The Upper Canada 
 College, which has for some years been in ex- 
 istence, was not considered sufficient to carry 
 on the students to the highest branches of edu- 
 cation, and the New, or King's College, was 
 required as a sort of Oxford or Cambridge to 
 the other. It is confidently expected, from the 
 high character and attainments of the Principal 
 and Professors of King's College, carefully 
 selected at home, without any local jobbing, that 
 young men imbued with monarchical principles, 
 and capable of holding the chief colonial ap- 
 pointments, will proceed from its halls. We 
 examined the instruments at the Observatory, 
 in charge of Lieutenants Lefroy and Younghus- 
 band, R.A., who were also conducting a series of 
 observations on terrestrial magnetism, which is 
 occupying so much of the attention of the 
 scientific in different parts of the globe at 
 present. 
 
 Then we visited the position of the rebels, 
 under MacKenzie and others, at Montgomeries, 
 
 i' { 
 
 "I 
 
 /! 
 
 I ) 
 
lacadie. 
 
 227 
 
 or Gallows Hill, a short distance north of 
 Toronto, where they poncentratcd preparatory to 
 attacking the city, and where also they were 
 put to flight by the Lieutenant-Governor, S^r 
 Francis Head. The broad nnacadamized road, 
 now called Young Street, leading to Lake 
 Simcoe, crosses a bridge over the Don, a stream 
 of some depth ; on the west bank, the ground is 
 high, broken, and well adapted to be occupied 
 by skirmishers, who, with a barricaded bridge, 
 and some guns, and the main body well handled, 
 might have made a stout resistance in a good 
 cause, especially as no regulars were opposed to 
 them. But the Lieutenant-Governor, ablv as- 
 sisted by Colonels MacNab and MacGibbon, 
 advancing up Young Street, with three thousand 
 militia, and sending two flanking companies to 
 the right and left, by a simultaneous attack 
 with great guns and musketry, on the rebels' 
 position, put them to flight, with a loss of forty 
 men, the loyal party only losing three before the 
 rebels broke, and fled to the woods. Two 
 block houses, to contain forty-two men each, 
 now occupy commanding ground on the Don, 
 near Montgomerie's hill. They are double 
 squares, the upper square placed across the 
 
 
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 lower, so that the foot of the block house is 
 defended by the fire above; but there are no 
 ditches or palisades round these works, and for 
 the one which I entered, on Young Street, 
 water had to be brought from some distance ; 
 all this should, of course, be remedied if troubles 
 again arose. 
 
 The late Colonel of the 83rd regiment had 
 adopted a very serviceable and suitable undress 
 for his officers in winter, so as to assimilate 
 them to the grey great coats of the men. The 
 officers of this regiment, instead of blue surtouts 
 wore grey surtouts, with fur of the same colour 
 on the collars and cuffs, and high grey caps. 
 The hardy soldiers of the 93rd Highlanders 
 wore, at Toronto, during the day, the red coatee, 
 with trowsers and fur caps, and only put on 
 the great coats on sentry in winter. From 
 there being no barracks in Toronto capable 
 of holding more than three hundred men, 
 the two regiments were much scattered. It 
 is hardly necessary to say that we experienced 
 every civility and attention from our brother 
 officers, partaking of their hospitality, and had 
 the use of their sleighs and horses. 
 
 Ice boats, or sail boats, mounted on a large 
 
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 l!'i| 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 229 
 
 pair of runners, with an iron rudder, used to l)e 
 in fashion in the winter in Toronto, hut I saw 
 none on this occasion ; however, I played a 
 honspeil, or match at the ancient Scottish game 
 of curling, which was daily practised on a good 
 rink, or course, of forty-two yards long, on the 
 ice near the steam-hoat landing. There, after 
 the morning husiness had heen finished, those 
 fond of this manly exercise were hrought to- 
 gether in social intercourse, and crampits on 
 feet hurled their " channel stanes" with iron 
 handles of thirty pounds and more in weight 
 across the hogscore towards the tee, or circular 
 goal marked on the ice, and with besoms, swept 
 smooth the surface to help on the stone to a 
 proper position. Such expressions as these 
 would he continually heard, " Soop*" it up ! 
 Soop it up !" " Just come through this port 
 fornenst, my hrum." " Come yer weys, and 
 break an egg on this stane." " Oh! play gently, 
 and lay yer stane on the pat lid !" 
 
 Round and round the curlers, skaters would 
 whirl, and balance themselves gracefully on one 
 limb, whilst a crowd of " small boys," more 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 impudent and independent than I have usually 
 seen them, would drag their hand-sleighs, and 
 slide on the edge of the curlers' rink. 
 
 Now our curling in Canada East is practised 
 with iron " stones" of 56 lbs., from that up to 
 80 lbs., owing to the " glareness" of the ice ; 
 and as real stones are apt to break with the 
 frost, iron is used instead. 
 
 The most picturesque spot near Toronto, and 
 within four miles of it, is Drumsnab, the resi- 
 dence of Mr. Cailey. The mansion is roomy, 
 and of one story, with a broad verandah. It is 
 seated among fields and woods, at the edge of 
 a slope ; at the bottom winds a river, opposite 
 is a most singular conical hill, like an immense 
 Indian tumulus for the dead ; in the distance, 
 through a vista cut judiciously through the 
 forest, are seen the dark blue waters of Lake 
 Ontario. The walls of the principal room are 
 covered with scenes from Faust, drawn in fresco, 
 with a bold and masterly hand, by the pro- 
 prietor. 
 
 On Sunday I attended the Scotch Kirk, 
 where a recently appointed Minister, Mr. Bart- 
 lett, delivered an excellent discourse with clear 
 enunciation and fervour. 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 231 
 
 Being obliged to decline invitations several 
 days in advance, after an elegant entertainment 
 at the Chief Justice's, at which many of the 
 most distinguished of the city were present, 
 we bid adieu to the friends who had so kindly 
 received and hospitably lodged us : then our 
 London party, with an agreeable addition to 
 its number — Lieutenant D. Lysons, Royals — 
 again mounted the travelling sleighs, and as- 
 sisted by a recent fall of snow, we sped merrily 
 on our way back (very kindly helped on a stage 
 by sleighs of the 83rd officers). The state of 
 the roads, however, was not sufficiently good to 
 warrant our visiting, on this occasion, Guelph 
 and Goderich, which we had intended to do 
 before returning from whence we came. 
 
 There are many difficulties in travelling in 
 winter, if there are occa:>"onal thaws; but in 
 summer all goes on smoothly with the assist- 
 ance of steam. Some of the steamers which 
 ply on the great Lakes are splendid vessels, and 
 safe when on the low-pressure principle. Their 
 captains have a great pride in them, when, 
 with handsomely painted sides, and shining 
 with gilding, brasswork and varnish, and with 
 new colours displayed, they dash out from their 
 
 
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232 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 wharfs into the broad lake. These men are 
 very accommodating, and when hailed from the 
 shore stop at wharfs however small, on the 
 chance of assisting a passenger. Lately, on 
 the first trip of one of these vessels, she was 
 hailed when navigating in all her bravery from 
 a wharf on which stood a man of rather loajish 
 appearance, near some piles of fire-wood. The 
 steamer immediately altered her course, and 
 ranged up alongside of the wharf. 
 
 " What do you want ?" said the Captain. 
 
 " Just to see your new boat," was the 
 answer. " Want any cord wood ?" 
 
 " Make fast the hawsers !" roared the Cap- 
 tain, they were accordingly made fast to the 
 wharf. " Set on — go a-head !" and away went 
 the wharf, cord-wood and all, into the lake, the 
 loafer making his escape as fast as he could 
 into the bush. 
 
 W^e slept at West Flamborough in a thriving 
 district, where there are many German settlers, 
 distinguished in winter by their heavy and 
 substantial sleighs, their coarse broad-brimmed 
 hats, grey great-coats, with capacious capes, and 
 with beards on their chins. The women in 
 very quaint low caps, and primitive-looking 
 
 ':|! , , 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 233 
 
 I. ;: 
 
 dresses. Those we saw seemed a very silent 
 people, but generally in the Canadas and States 
 there is not much loquacity, there is too much 
 " calculating" going on ; however, sometimes 
 great talkers are found. An American officer, 
 noted in the army of the United States for his 
 powers of talking, was once sent to a post 
 where lived another fluent person: a friend 
 visited the officer after some time, and asked 
 him how he managed with the other talk '•, 
 " He talks pretty considerable, certainly," an- 
 swered he, " but when he spits I put in." 
 There is a story, too, of a bet between an 
 American and a Dutchman, who should talk 
 the other out of breath ; they were locked in a 
 room all night, and in the morning the Dutch- 
 man was found on the floor just dead, and the 
 American with strength left to whisper in his 
 ear. 
 
 On the way by Paris to Woodstock, we 
 passed through winter scenes of surpassing 
 beauty. The landscape was undulating, and 
 there were gentle hills on either hand, with 
 orchards and masses of oak and pine; there 
 had been a fog, and the vapour clinging to 
 
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 234 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 and frozen on the branches, crusted them all 
 over, and the trunks also with frosted-silver. 
 The tops of the distant trees were concealed 
 by a thin cloud of mist ; some distance below 
 us, on our left, was a black and wide-spread 
 forest, to which we could see no limit. In 
 these forests of Canada West, the deer are 
 occasionally pursued on the principle of still- 
 hunting, or moving noiselessly on their track 
 in the snow; but as they both see and hear 
 extremely well, if there is no wind, and the 
 snow is not deep to fatigue the deer, still- 
 hunting is profitless. A deer can hear a hun- 
 ter, even in moccassins, four hundred yards it 
 is said. Deer are not worth eating in winter, 
 the best hunting is in September, when a couple 
 of hunters, armed with their rifles, and mounted 
 on ponies, followed by two or three good hounds, 
 take to the bush, one by his knowledge of wood- 
 craft, posts himself at a pass commonly used by 
 the deer, the other makes a circuit with the 
 dogs, rouses the game, which are easily shot 
 as they pass by the first hunter, concealed 
 behind a tree ; but we shall discourse more of 
 this hereafter. Wild turkeys are found about 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 235 
 
 ■i % 
 
 
 flii 
 
 li 
 
 Lake St. Clair and London, but not east of the 
 latter ; their plumage is dark, and resplendent 
 with the metallic lustre. 
 
 At Paris there was a covered wooden bridge 
 of considerable length, and with a double car- 
 riage-way, over the swift running Ouse, the 
 scantling of the sides arranged as open trellis- 
 work; though this looks well, yet it admits 
 high winds to act with force on the roof, with 
 danger of displacement. The generality of the 
 wooden bridges for the plank roads already 
 noticed, are without roofs, and of very simple 
 though at the same time of solid construc- 
 tion. 
 
 The posts of the bridge are of different 
 lengths, and 12x12 inches square, they are 
 imbedded in the earth never less than 1^ feet, 
 often more ; between the posts there is 24 feet 
 span ; the plankway is 1 6 feet wide, with 
 fenders and space for footpaths on each side ; 
 the handrails are 4x6, and 6 feet 3 inches 
 high ; the braces for ditto 4 x 6 ; the planks 
 3 inches thick, rest on stringers 8 x 12, and 
 25 feet long, these again on supporting beams 
 12 X 12, and 12 feet long, to prevent vibra- 
 tion: the cap 12 X 14 and 22 feet long; the 
 
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236 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 braces below this are 6 x 8, and of different 
 length, governed by the length of the posts ; 
 the mud cill 1 2 x 12, and 2 1 feet long ; the 
 culverts, or drains for the plank roads, are 
 strong wooden cases. 
 
 The second night from Toronto was slept at 
 Woodstock. On the third day, after the four 
 passengers in our largest sleigh had been 
 tumbled out like bundles of clothes into the 
 snow, in trying to pass another conveyance, we 
 reached in safety " the city of stumps." 
 
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LACADIE. 
 
 237 
 
 w- 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 iveyance, we 
 
 A Ball — A carnival on sleighs — Excursion to Goderich 
 — Meet with a surly traveller — The Bachelor and the 
 Vi olverine — Goderich on Lake Huron — German 
 settlers — An escape from suiFocation — The frozen 
 mother and child — Dr. Dunlop — Fishing in winter — 
 The frozen fisherman — Return to London — The 
 * Brigadier' leaves for England — Garrison theatricals 
 — Grand military steeple chase — Deer hunting. 
 
 m 
 
 In February the Royals gave a ball to their 
 friends in and about London in their mess- 
 room; the anti-room, card-room, and staircase 
 were admirably decorated and well lighted, 
 under the direction of Lieutenant D. Lysons, an 
 officer of great talent and taste. There was an 
 excellent supper ; all the arrangements were 
 good, and on a liberal scale without extrava- 
 gance. 
 
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 238 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 On Shrove Tuesday, the young officers of 
 the Sleigh Club held a sort of carnival. They 
 dressed themselves out in fantastic attire : one 
 as an astrologer in a high cap and black gown 
 glittering with golden suns and stars ; another 
 as an old man, in a cocked hat and long cut 
 clothes : two others as girls in caps ; three in 
 red masks and red blanket coats, and using an 
 immense red speaking trumpet ; two as bears 
 in rough grecos ; one as a lady on horseback, 
 followed by a groom, &c., and so drove and 
 rode about, much to their own amusement and 
 the wonder of the peaceable inhabitants; but 
 this sport excited the disgust of a Yankee 
 who came out of a store, looked after the 
 grotesque cavalcade, muttered between his teeth 
 " b — y fools," and went in again. 
 
 In the beginning of March, being desirous 
 of visiting the settlement of Goderich, on Lake 
 Huron, belonging to the Canada Land Com- 
 pany, T mounted a sleigh, in company with 
 Lieutenants Wetherall and Lvsons of the 
 Royals, and Dr. Young, R. A., followed by 
 another sleigh, with two servants in it. 
 
 The road from London to Goderich, sixty 
 miles long, is nearly straight the whole way, 
 
 •'i i' 
 
 1. 
 
 « 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 239 
 
 the forest bounds it on each side, with here 
 and there a clearing with one or more settlers, 
 who are generally proprietors, living on good 
 lands under the judicious system pursued by 
 the Canada Company of selling their lands on 
 moderate terms for cash, or leasing them for 
 ten years, and allowing the tenant to purchase 
 if he wish it, during the lease. 
 
 We had not sleighed many miles before we 
 broke a Whipple tree, but carrying with us an 
 axe and a piece of cord, two very necessary 
 things in travelling in a new country, we 
 speedily cut and fitted a new stick, and 
 continued our course, till we met with a 
 second hindrance in the shape of a sturdy Scot. 
 He was driving a sleigh in which was a boy, 
 but refused to share the track equally with us, 
 exclaiming, " I'll no get oot o' the rodd for 
 no man. I know the law, I've given you plenty 
 of the rodd." 
 
 We answered, " We don't care about the law 
 here. There's no law in the bush. If you're 
 not civil we'll make vou, that's all:" but he 
 would not move an inch, and defied us, where- 
 upon Lysons and myself jumped out, and 
 lifted sleigh, small boy and all, into the snow at 
 
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240 
 
 L*ACAD1E. 
 
 one side ; the boy cried out, " Sleigh is going 
 over, feyther!" We told him to take out 
 his horse for a minute to prevent his sleigh 
 going over, and that we would help him to 
 put all to rights again. " I'll no louse the 
 mere for ony o' ye," was the civil reply. 
 
 " But ye maun louze the mere !" we an- 
 swered, and we did so ourselves and our sleighs 
 passed. 
 
 " Be canny,*' he said. 
 
 " Now we'll put the mare in again," we 
 answered. 
 
 " Never mind," cried he, " gae awa wi ye !" 
 
 Perhaps this man " who knew the law," was 
 a west country radical, but this was not the 
 only instance that was experienced of bad 
 temper on the road in Canada. I know of 
 instances of other low fellows who have driven 
 in front of officers for miles, and gone per- 
 severingly from side to side, to prevent their 
 passing, until the patience of the travellers being 
 completely wore out, they have jumped from 
 their sleighs, and, as blood is superior to bulk, 
 soundly thrashed the unmannered teamsters. 
 
 We passed over a long and stout wooden 
 bridge called " Bayfield's Bridge," near it was 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 241 
 
 a small and lonely house of one story, and 
 two windows and a door in front, inhabited by 
 ji son of the Bishop of Chichester ; a small piece 
 of land was cleared about it, and it was backed 
 by high trees. The enterprising settler was 
 not in single vvnjtchedness there, for a young 
 wife cheered the dwelling ; Init not many miles 
 otl' a bachelor occupied a similar cabin, and 
 he was sitting one night by his fire thinking, no 
 doubt, of his dreary estate, when he was aroused 
 by the cry of a female in distress near the door ; 
 he started up and ran outside, the cry then 
 seemed to come from behind. Going there, 
 he saw nothing; thinking that an evil spirit 
 was tormenting him, he hastily retired into 
 his house, and barred the door. Next day the 
 track of a wolverine, or glutton,'"' whose cry 
 is like that of a woman in distress, was found 
 near the house, and a neighbour had lost a 
 couple of sheep by the same animal. 
 
 We arrived at Goderich ; this town occupies 
 an elevated site at the mouth of the River 
 Maitland, which sweeps round the town, ex- 
 pands into a basin with several islands, and 
 
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242 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 then flows into Lake Huron. The streets 
 radiated from a ctmtrc octagon, and the houses 
 were scattered along the streets, as if they had 
 been cast out of the basket of a giant. The 
 Court House was dignified with a cupola, and 
 a church was being built; at this time there 
 were eight hundred inhabitants in Goderieh. 
 
 We pulled up at the British Hotel, then 
 called on Mr. Mercer Jones, the resident Chief 
 Commissioner of the Canada Company; both 
 he and Mrs. Jones (a daughter of the Bishop 
 of Toronto), were most affable and kind, and 
 wc dined with them in comfortable style. Ten 
 years before this, when Mr. Jones came to 
 Goderieh, there were only three shanties or 
 cabins in the Huron district; at the time of 
 our first visit in 1843, there were nine thou- 
 sand inhabitants, and in 1848 there were 
 twenty thousand. 
 
 There were no half-pay officers in the Huron 
 Tract, they had all gone to the Government 
 lands, where, however, there was still a great 
 want of roads. The German settlers were 
 found to do very well under the Canada Com- 
 pany, when they first came to the Huron Tract 
 in 1832, the year of the cholera; having no 
 
 M" 
 
 tvi 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 243 
 
 money to buy land, they turned up the soil on 
 the cleared sides of the roads, called the skirt- 
 ings, among the stumps, then^ they sowed 
 corn and planted potatoes. The otticers of 
 the Company did not disturb them, but en- 
 couraged them, and finally sold them land on 
 credit. 
 
 When we went back to our inn, the landlord 
 said, " I have made your rooms comf()rtal)lc for 
 you." Our rooms were mere closets, without 
 fire-places or stoves, and to warm them a pan of 
 live charcoal was placed in each, thus showing 
 the blessed effects of ignorance. If we had 
 shut our doors, and gone to sleep in this 
 comfortable style, our next awakening would 
 have been in eternity. There was a fire-place 
 in the common sitting-room ; on the floor of 
 which we placed our mattresses, and passed the 
 night, our general practice in travelling with 
 a party in Canada. 
 
 Next day we visited the Penitentiary, wiiich 
 we found to be a well-constructed building, with 
 courts for walking exercise, and many cells, 
 each with a light over the door ; but there 
 being plenty of employment and little crime in 
 the Huron tract, all the cells were empty, save 
 
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 244 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 one, and that was occupied by no culprll, but by 
 an unfortunate French-Canadian woman, to 
 whom the following melancholy history was 
 attached. In December she had left Sandwich 
 on the river St. Clair in the skiff of a coun- 
 tryman, in order to visit some friends on the 
 east shores of Lake Huron ; a storm arose, the 
 skiff was driven on shore, she was landed with 
 her child in her arms, and directed by the 
 boatman which way to proceed through the 
 forest. She had not travelled far before she 
 lost her way, and she was found, after being 
 in the woods for three days, doubled up, and 
 with her feet frozen ; but to protect her child, 
 she had taken off her hood to cover it, and her 
 under petticoat, and had torn this last into slips 
 and wrapped the child with it. The child was 
 alive and w^cU, and eating a piece of shanty 
 cake (of coarse flour) ; but I believe that the 
 poor mother, though carefully attended to by 
 the humane people of Goderich, lost both her 
 feet. 
 
 I walked across the Maitland Bridge above 
 Goderich with the Rev. Mr. Campbell, ad- 
 mired the beautiful banks of the river, the 
 wooded islands, &c., and then went to visit a 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 245 
 
 remarkable character, Dr. Dunlop, M. P. P, 
 commonly called " Tiger Dunlop," from his 
 exploits in India among wild beasts ; he was 
 author of "The Biickwoodsman," was a con- 
 tributor to Blackwood's Magazine, and was a 
 man of extraordinary natural abihty. 
 
 The Doctor's house, " Raven's Nest," was on 
 a high bank of the Maitland, and in the distance 
 was seen Goderich and the great Lake. His 
 brother, who was a naval Captain, lay buried 
 within a railed tomb in a field on the left of 
 the house. In the kitchen the beams were 
 garnished with hams ; " a lass" was washing 
 in a tub below them, and a pretty girl, Miss 
 Stewart, and Mrs. Dunlop, the widow of the 
 Captain, superintending domestic arrangements. 
 The Doctor we found in the parlour, occupied 
 in writing ; he was a tall and robust man, with 
 light hair, and was upwards of fifty years of 
 age ; he was dressed in dark grey. He in- 
 formed us that he was engaged in writing his 
 reminiscences of the American war of 1812, 
 when he was in the 89th regiment. He read 
 us a chapter of his work, which was highly 
 amusing and characteristic of the author ; but 
 some of his anecdotes, though doubtless very 
 
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246 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 racy, would require pruning before meeting the 
 public eye. 
 
 He too had been lost in the woods, when par- 
 tridge shooting in winter, and had been wonder- 
 fully preserved ; he walked to and fro in a small 
 space in the snow till two in the morning, when 
 he felt he must lie down; buttoning his coat 
 close up, and pulling his cap over his eyes, he 
 put on his fur mittens, and lying down, he 
 made his dog lie over his face, and so slept ; 
 after sun-rise he awoke, and trying to walk, he 
 found his feet were frozen stiff; accordingly he 
 crawled a considerable distance through the 
 forest till he got help, and he saved all his 
 limbs, though with difficulty. 
 
 Returning to Goderich, I walked out on the 
 ice of the lake for a considerable distance, and 
 among the hummocks or hillocks of ice, I found 
 a little boy conveying on a loboggin, or long 
 light sleigh of bark, drawn by two dogs, some 
 excellent lake salmon fresh caught ; a few of 
 these furnished a treat for our friends at London 
 C.W. 
 
 Fishing on Lake Huron in winter is effected 
 as elsewhere, by cutting holes in the ice (which 
 extends some distance from the shore, but not 
 
h''' 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 247 
 
 meeting the 
 
 ;, when par- 
 een wonder- 
 ro in a small 
 irning, when 
 ing his coat 
 
 his eyes, he 
 g down, he 
 id so slept ; 
 
 to walk, he 
 cordingly he 
 through the 
 aved all his 
 
 1 out on the 
 
 iistance, and 
 ice, I found 
 
 gin, or long 
 dogs, some 
 ; a few of 
 
 s at London 
 
 r is effected 
 B ice (which 
 3re, but not 
 
 across such a great body of deep water), and 
 watching beside these holes with hook and line. 
 One poor man had lately met with a melan- 
 choly end in following the employment of a 
 fisherman here; he had set some lines at 
 night, next day it had come on to blow, and 
 against advice he pushed a skiff over the ice 
 towards his lines, and never came back alive ; 
 a man was seen running up and down on a 
 cake of ice some distance from shore, but he 
 disappeared in the drifting storm ; the frozen 
 body of the unfortunate fisherman was after- 
 words found in the water, hanging by the arms 
 to the side of the skiflf. 
 
 After a short and agreeable sojourn at 
 Goderich, we returned to London, in time to 
 witness the departure of our excellent Brigadier 
 on leave for England, where he received from 
 the Duke of Wellington the appointment of 
 Deputy Adjiitant General in Canada. 
 
 The men had collected in groups to see him 
 off; the ncn-commissioned officers were anxious 
 to salute him, the soldiers' wives were at the 
 corners where he was expected to pass ; but 
 the parting was too trying a matter, and he 
 gave us all the slip, by driving off with his 
 
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 ?i 
 
 f 
 
218 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 ii:; 
 
 Vf- 
 
 family by a back street, leaving behind him 
 hundreds in tears. 
 
 In March and April there were garrison 
 theatricals ; among other plays " London Assu- 
 rance" was very creditably got up. In May 
 there was a grand military steeple-chase on the 
 flats by the banks of tlie river. There wer(? 
 eighteen leaps in all, usually five feet three 
 inches in height ; over the snake fences there 
 was one stiff post and rail, four feet eight 
 inches, and another in and out of a field four 
 and a half feet ; the most interesting leap, and 
 the point of attraction for the spectator, was the 
 ditch of sixteen feet, and six feet deep. 
 
 The officers who entered their names for the 
 steeple-chase were. Lieutenants Lysons, Royals ; 
 Windham, Royals; Romer, 14th; Anderson, 
 83rd ; Paton, Royal Artillery ; and Burnaby, 
 Royal Engineers. The stewards were, Captain 
 Davenport, Royals; Lieutenant Douglas, 14th; 
 and Lieutenant Fisher, Royal Artillery. The chase 
 was a dashing one ; there were some heavy falls, 
 two right into the ditch ; but great courage and 
 skill were displayed by the gentlemen sportsmen, 
 of wliom Lieutenant Lysons came in first, and 
 Windham second, but the latter was declared 
 
n\ 
 
 M 
 / 
 
 If :^- i 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 249 
 
 lehind him 
 
 re garrison 
 ndon Assu- 
 1. In May 
 hase on the 
 There were 
 
 feet three 
 fences there 
 
 feet eight 
 a field four 
 ig- leap, and 
 tor, was the 
 
 imes for the 
 >ns, Royals ; 
 Anderson, 
 Burnaby, 
 re, Captain 
 glas, I4th ; 
 The chase 
 heavy falls, 
 jourage and 
 sportsmen, 
 n first, and 
 as declared 
 
 the victor, as Lieutenant Lysons had unfortunately 
 lost weight in " his rapid career."* 
 
 Minor steeple-chases succeeded the above, 
 skurry races, &c., and the time wore on till the 
 hot summer, when it behoved the sportsmen to 
 look after the deer. — 
 
 " When morning beams on the mountain streams, 
 Then merrily forth we go, 
 To follow the stag to the slippery crag, 
 Or to chase the bounding roe." 
 
 Xenophon, the celebrated warrior and his- 
 torian, who was also a keen sportsman, thus 
 gave his opinion of hunting. He says that it 
 tends to make men hardy, both in body and 
 mind, and thence to form the very best soldiers ; 
 the chase bearing a closer resemblance to war 
 than any other amusement ; that it habituates 
 men to bear fatigue and the inclemencies of the 
 weather, kindles their loftier feelings, awakes 
 their courage, and nerves their limbs, which 
 also from exercise become more pliant, agile 
 and muscular ; that it increases the powers of 
 all the senses, keeps away careful or melancholy 
 
 * This steeple-chase was drawn by Lady Alexander, 
 and published by Ackerman of Regent Street. 
 
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250 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 thoughts, and thus by promoting both mental 
 and physical health, produces longevity, and 
 retards the subduing effects of old age. 
 
 " Vive la chasse !" then, as a fitting recreation 
 for solditjrs, and if pursued in moderation, and 
 without unnecessary cruelty to, or indiscriminate 
 slaughter of the game animals, it is undoubtedly 
 deserving of all the commendations accorded 
 to it. 
 
 The true hunter is generally known by his 
 bronzed complexion, his hands innocent of the 
 tender kid-skin, his keen eye, his firm mouth, 
 his independent air, and elastic step. Most 
 military men arc sportsmen more or less, and 
 it is quite fitting that, released for a short 
 season from the duties of their profession, they 
 should be either pursuing their game on leathern 
 or on horses' shoes, or by the banks " of the 
 dark and silent streams." 
 
 We have now to treat of the slaying of deer 
 in Western Canada, the land by adoption of 
 thousands of Britain's hardy sons — a land 
 favoured by nature in productiveness of soil, 
 and in " water privileges" of the first order. 
 Long may revolutionary principles be repudiated 
 here, and the enterprising farmer and merchant, 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 251 
 
 with public burdens of the lightest description, 
 duly appnH'iate and value the form of govern- 
 ment, and the establishments under which they 
 thrive. 
 
 The brown deer of North America, Cervus 
 Virginianus of naturalists, is, like others of 
 its tribe, most graceful in its motions, proceed- 
 ing usually through the forests of its native 
 haunts in light bounds ; it is found from the 
 shores of the great Lakes to those of the Gulf of 
 Mexico. Its weight is a hundred pounds and 
 upwards, and the prongs of the horns of the 
 male point forwards in such a w^ay, that it is 
 difficult to conceive how it could make its way 
 easily through woods that are at all entangled. 
 But the haunts of this deer are unlike the 
 interlaced vegetation between the tropics ; and 
 this beautiful denizen of the wilds is free to 
 roam among the straight and light seeking 
 stems of the pine, the beech, and the maple. 
 
 The long and handsome ears of the deer 
 are for ever in moiion, and alert to catch the 
 smallest sound ; its eyes are full, black, and 
 swimming, the gazelle eyes of the Persian poets. 
 These, with its well-shaped head, taper neck, 
 and slender limbs, make it when tame an 
 
 '111. 
 
 . ii 1 ' 
 
 ;.i) 
 
252 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 II 
 
 < ; 
 
 especial pet with the fair sex. But, alas ! for 
 its peace ! its venison amply rewards the hunter 
 for his toils, who sallies forth to slay " a hart in 
 grease," and a juicy haunch, smoking on an 
 ample trencher, speedily overcomes all scruples 
 about the propriety of looking for "what is good 
 for food." 
 
 h'l 
 
 b t 
 
 II 'I 
 
;l :V 
 
 LAC AD IE. 
 
 253 
 
 , alas ! for 
 ;he hunter 
 " a hart in 
 ng on an 
 11 scruples 
 at is good 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ' )■ 
 
 Canadian woods in summer — Equip for a water liunt — 
 The Canadian Thames — Scofield — The pitcher plant 
 — Effects of gambling — Pixley the hunter — Prepare 
 the canoes — Pole up the stream — Denizens of the 
 forest — The red men — A black bear — The jack light 
 — Glide down the stream by night — The deer in the 
 water — Fight with a deer — The plague of flies in 
 summer. 
 
 It was in "the glorious summer tide," when 
 the forests of the Canadian Thames were clothed 
 in ^heir gorgeous foliage, when the sight was 
 refreshed with the effects of light and shade 
 on the landscape, with the green leaves of the 
 trees, and the bright blossoms of the flowers 
 in the open glades, when birds and insects were 
 heard on every side, and when the face of 
 
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 ii 1 
 
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254 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 nature was redolent of beauty and happiness, 
 that I mounted a waggon with four compa- 
 nions,*' all equipped in shooting trim, with 
 broad-brimmed summer hats and blouses, or 
 light shooting-jackets, festooned with shot belts, 
 or powder flasks, or horns, each grasping a 
 shot gun or rifle, and bound for a " vvat(!r 
 hunt" among the Dorchester Pines, — 
 
 •• The laughing blue-eyed mom 
 Called blushes to the cheek of every flower. 
 And as the zephyr breezes wandered on. 
 They left a chorus of sweet melody ; 
 Each wood and wild had its inhabitants, 
 Which crouching lay within the cavern lair. 
 Or bounded o'er the new made velvet mead. 
 
 With a " rough and ready" span of horses, 
 we drove rapidly, albeit with no inconsiderable 
 bumping up the river, passing one of the cu- 
 riosities of the western wilderness, 'f> the course 
 of formation, namely, a plank road, from the 
 laying of which, for miles in various directioi's, 
 centering in London, the garrison town for the 
 
 * Captain Andcrton, 23rd R. W. Fusiliers, the 
 Messrs. Deas, and Mr. Scotield, 
 
 
i ''' 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 255 
 
 ^usiliers, the 
 
 
 defence of the shores of Lake Erie, tlic greatest 
 advantages are expected to accmc to this New 
 Country, 
 
 " Viret in aeternum !" 
 
 The Thames of Canada is a clear and swift 
 running river, flowing from the horders of the 
 Gore District, over a gravelly and rocky bed, 
 generally for(lai)le above London, but with here 
 and there deep pools, the haunts of the otter. 
 Below Delaware the river is navigable, as it 
 passes on through rich soil, and with steep 
 banks to Lake St. Clair. At its mouth the 
 land is low and marshy, and here is admirable 
 wild-fowl shooting. 
 
 Among other finny inhabitants of the 
 Thames, are the shad, pike, maskanonge (a 
 fish of a large size and of good flavour, though 
 of the pike family), and the sturgeon, the 
 largest fish of the Western waters, several feet 
 in length, slender but powerful, and covered 
 with tubercles. One of our hunters had some 
 time before signalized himself by riding on the 
 back of a sturgeon, something in the manner 
 of my sporting friend, Mr. Watcrton, " the 
 Wanderer in South America," on the back of 
 
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 (716) 872-4503 
 
 

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 LACADIE. 
 
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 a crocodile. Scoficld had struck his fish-spcar 
 into a large sturgeon, which immediately made 
 off with it ; he, like a real sportsman, tlirew 
 himself out of the canoe, and held on hy the 
 spear, whilst the sturgeon, which he occa- 
 sionally bestrode, carried him down the river ; 
 at last, tired and exhausted with the burden, in 
 the midst of a great splashing and commotion, 
 the sturgeon gave in. 
 
 At a way-side public-house we refreshed with 
 beer and ginger-beer, with a lump of ice in the 
 pleasant mixture. 
 
 The weather had been hot and favourable for 
 the deer being found in the river, to which the 
 musquitoes and flies in the woods drive them 
 in the evenings, but now it threatened rain, and 
 we knew if it fell, there would be an end of our 
 sport, for then the deer find pools in the 
 woods, and have no occasion to resort to the 
 river. 
 
 Passing some clearings garnished with 
 stumps, and enclosed with snake or zigzag 
 fences, we entered the shade of the Dorchester 
 pines, extending for several miles up the river. 
 The red squirrel blithely chirupped, and nimbly 
 climbed the resinous trunks — the scarlet 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 257 
 
 tanagcr, with its brilliant body and dark wings, 
 flew across tho rf)ad, from which rose flights of 
 the l)eautitul little spring azure butterfly, chasing 
 one another in circles, flitting over and alight- 
 ing on the same spot which they had just 
 quitted. 
 
 The pine woods on the Thames, and the 
 oak plains, ofl'er to the naturalist, in sunnner, 
 a rich harvest in flowers, insects and birds. 
 Among the plants is to ])e distinguished the 
 rare and most curious Indian cup or pitcher 
 plant {Sarracenea Purpurea), tlie leaves of 
 which have their edges united together, so as 
 to form a deep cup filled with water, distilled 
 probably from the moss in which the plant 
 is found. From the circle of the pitcher-leaves 
 rises a stem, eighteen inches in height, and 
 crow^ned with a circular leathery flower with five 
 reddish petals. 
 
 The use of the water in the pitchers seems 
 to be this (and it is, indeed, a singular 
 arrangement of the great Creator) mosquitoes 
 are reared therein, for they are seen to issue 
 from the cups in numerous flights in spring, 
 whilst to support them in their aquatic stage 
 of life, the small bristles which line the inside 
 
 I I 
 
 ,1 ' 
 
258 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 of the lip of the cup conduct flies into the 
 watery receptacles, where they are drowned, and 
 are then devoured ])y the young brood. 
 
 At the entrance of the " Pines," a man 
 met us in a waggon, and one of the hunters 
 said, 
 
 " That man has lost his eyesight with 
 gambling." 
 
 " How so ?" inquired one of my compa- 
 nions. 
 
 " It was thus. He had a good farm which 
 he neglected, to engage constantly in gam- 
 bling. On one occasion he had sat up eight 
 days and nights consecutively, and he won 
 another man's farm, house, cattle, and a steam- 
 boat ; but he became stone-blind from exhaus- 
 tion, and is now partially recovered, only suflicient 
 to allow him to drive a waggon !" 
 
 What a warning this is to those who waste 
 their nights in changing with each other pieces 
 of painted pasteboard ! 
 
 The hunter Pixley's place was at last 
 reached, after a " rattling drive" of fourteen 
 miles. On the left of the road, and backed by 
 tall pines, was a comfortable block-house. On 
 one side was a waggon, on the other a well, 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 259 
 
 ines, a man 
 »f the hunters 
 
 with the usual lever balanced on a pole to raise 
 the bucket. A log canoe was in front, and on 
 the other side of the road was a commodious 
 barn. Before the door, four men in their 
 shirt-sleeves played at quoits with horse-shoes. 
 Pixley himself stepped forward to welcome us. 
 He was a picture of manhood, five feet ten 
 inches in height, stout, with black hair and 
 whiskers, unembarrassed, but modest and civil 
 withal ; his " rig" a low broad-brimmed white 
 hat, dark vest, and moleskin trowscrs. 
 
 At the door was the tidy wife, about whom 
 clustered five healthy children. " We must go 
 back again to town," said she, " for the sake of 
 the children." 
 
 " Nothing else would take me there," said 
 the hunter. " I tried to stay in the town before, 
 and I couldn't ; I'm never happier than in the 
 woods." 
 
 " What game have you in the woods ?" was 
 asked. 
 
 " Bears, racoons, wolves, deer, and some- 
 times a lynx is seen. I killed a lynx here last 
 fall." 
 
 Till the mid-day's repast was ready, we prac- 
 tised with our rifles at a mark, a patch of clay 
 
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 260 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 on a bccch-trcc. Pixlcy's bullet struck within 
 an inch of this every shot. His brother, James 
 Pixley, was also a prime shot, and with the 
 keenest eye for game tracks. The hunter's 
 meal consisted of slices of salt pork, mashed 
 potatoes, good bread and cheese, raspberries 
 from " the clearing," and cream ; the whole 
 washed down with tea or brandy-and-water, 
 according to the taste of the chasseurs. 
 
 Short pipes and cigars being duly lighted, 
 we set about preparing the "jack-light" for our 
 water hunt. A blackened board, with a small 
 shelf to it, was stuck up in the fore part of the 
 canoe; on the shelf were four large nails to 
 support the light, which was composed of hard 
 tallow with a large wick. Putting ash-poles 
 and paddles into the canoe, six stout fellows 
 " tackled to," and dragged it through the bush 
 to the bank of the river behind the house. 
 Here we found another twenty-feet canoe, and 
 seven of us disposing of ourselves in the two, 
 some standing up with the poles, and others 
 with paddles, we pushed out into the swift 
 stream. 
 
 The banks of the Thames were here quite 
 uncut and uncleared, descending gently towards 
 
I the house. 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 261 
 
 the water, and clothed with oak and the broad 
 leaves of the maple ; behind these towered the 
 pines. As we poled up stream in our shirt 
 sleeves and trowsers, with a warm jacket at 
 hand for night-work, ve saw herons flapping 
 their broad wings as they wended their way up 
 the river before us ; then wild ducks would be 
 descried in a pool, and making for the shore at 
 the approach of the canoes, before we liad time 
 to scatter them with No. 4 ; then a racoon, 
 with its bushy tail, would be seen scrambling 
 about the trunk of a tree ; red-headed wood- 
 peckers, supporting themselves with their strong 
 feet and short, rigid tails, would hammer away 
 merrily with their powerful wedge-shaped beaks, 
 at the decayed stems, and with their barbed 
 tongues, draw out from its concealment the 
 sluggish grub ; the grey and white kingfisher 
 watched on a branch for its prey in the water 
 beneath ; and then a musk-rat would swim 
 across, steering itself with its broad blac^k tail ; 
 sometimes they attempted concealment in the 
 water, by attaching thcmsehes to a green 
 branch ; whilst over head would tlout in mid-air 
 a noble bald-headed eagle. 
 
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262 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 Such were the denizens of the forest and 
 flood which we saw in our ])rogress of ten miles 
 against th(5 swift current and rapids, with occa- 
 sional deep and still pools. In the stony and 
 gravelly bed of the river, waved Jiquatic plants, 
 or " eel-grass ;" some specimens resembled 
 moss, others myrtle-leaves, and a third sort, 
 soft cucumbers. These plants, for the support 
 and concealment of fishes, arc also eaten bv the 
 deer during the night season. 
 
 " You see," said Pixley, " this flat, formerly 
 cleared, and about five acres in extent, this is 
 called the Racoon Flat. Here, forty years airo, 
 when I was a child, the Indians grew their 
 maize. We will pass presently the; Maskanonge 
 Flats, and one or two more, but the Indians 
 have all abandoned these now, though they still 
 come about here to fish and hunt." 
 
 The red men who wander about this part of 
 Canada, wear the blanket coat, winter and sum- 
 mer, and a piece of printed cotton twisted 
 round their long black locks, like a loose turban ; 
 their legs are cased in blue or crimson leggings. 
 The women wear the blanket wrapped round 
 them from the head to the heel, and are usually 
 
 4i 
 
 t Lii 
 
 I V':( 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 263 
 
 seen about the towns and villag(\s, with baskets 
 of stained spht wood, or hght brooms, for 
 sale. 
 
 We poled with difficulty ud a rapid, where, a 
 short time before, Pixlcy and two hunters had, in 
 descending, been upset against a tree which lay 
 in the water, and their blanket-coats, hats and 
 guns tumbled into the stream. After ten miles 
 of hard work, we landed at sunset, at a rude 
 bridge, refreshed at a gushing fountain, and 
 collecting some chips and dry wood, soon " built 
 up a fire," and sat round it telling stories, 
 till the night was sufficiently advanced to light 
 the "jack." 
 
 The black bear of Canada, when it attacks, 
 first hugs and then claws down with its hind 
 feet the breast and bellv of its victim. Thus 
 Pixlcy 's father one day heard a cry of distress 
 near his house; he rushed out with his gun, 
 and saw an Indian on the ground, with his 
 stomach ripped up, and a bear gnawing at his 
 wrists and ancles. On Old Pixley's approach, 
 the bear took to a tree, and looked down over a 
 cnitch ; the hunter told the Indian to tire, but 
 he coukl not revenfj;e himself, he was so weak. 
 Pixlcy then lodged a ball between the (lyes of 
 
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264 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 r. '. 
 
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 I i't^lt' 
 
 the boar and dropped him ; then carried the 
 Indian to his camp, hut he died the same 
 night. 
 
 Filling the bottom of the canoe with rushes, 
 to form a comfortable seat, one canoe ligiited up 
 and paddled off noiselessly, the other followed at 
 a considerable interval. 
 
 The night was quite calm, which was favour- 
 able for the jack-light. It appeared like a briglit 
 star on the water, whilst the board behind it 
 threw the canoe and the hunters completely 
 into shade. The deer, as they stand up to their 
 knees in the water, occasionally dashing a little 
 over themselves with their feet to clear away 
 the buzzing musquitoes, lift their heads from 
 grazing on the a(|uatic grass, and gaze with 
 curiosity on the light till it is quite close to 
 them, that is, within twelve or twenty yards, 
 when the crack of the ritie at once ends their 
 fatal curiosity. 
 
 Fire-flics sparkled past us, and glanced among 
 the trees like the eastern " Feast of lanterns ;" 
 no sounds were heard but the rippling of the 
 water over the stones, the occasional w^hip-poor- 
 will and the deep bass of the bull- frogs trum- 
 peting forth their serenade. Presently the 
 
 1 'i M 
 
Ill* :;I ' \ 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 265 
 
 rrescntlv the 
 
 boom of a distant gun comes up tlic stream, 
 and we hope for suecess to our comrades ; 
 rnusquitoes in myriads fly out from thcj bush, 
 and play round and dash into our light, so as 
 almost to extinguish it — they looked like a 
 moving halo round it. 
 
 Pixley, dipping his paddle into the water, 
 under the jack, was observed (juietly to let it 
 slip out of his hands, and it floated away astern ; 
 he lifted his rifle and pointed towards the left 
 bank of the river ; our rifles were immediately 
 cocked without a word being uttered, and the 
 steersman directed the bow towards two greyish 
 objects in the water ; a sharp volley awoke the 
 echoes of the river, a splashing was heard with 
 loud breathing ; we dash towards the land, then 
 sprang from the canoe among the reeds, and 
 lighting pine-chips, searched for the traces of 
 blood. They were soon perceived on the bliides 
 of grass and on the bushes ; a mortal wound 
 had been inflicted, from the frothy appearance 
 of the blood, but the wood was too dense to 
 track it in the dark. Next day, however, a 
 clever terrier, " Captain," followed the trail, 
 drove a fine large buck into the water, where it 
 strove with him for half an hour, when two 
 
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266 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 sawyers, who were cngjigcd at a log near the 
 seenc of conflict, put an end to it by smiling our 
 deer on the head with a stone. 
 
 This was the result of our first " water hunt," 
 or manner of killing deer in the dog days. On 
 another occasion, near the same spot, the first 
 hunter's piece missed fire, the second's, (Mr. 
 Di*a*s, the son of the intrepid Hudson's Bay 
 traveller,) took eflfect. The first hunter then 
 jumped into the water and seized the wounded 
 buck by the horns, the third hunter drew his 
 knife to cut its throat, when, with its hind leg, 
 it knocked him nine yards off, and under water; 
 recovering himself, but losing his knife, the 
 three hunters fought with the sturdy beast for 
 twenty minutes; at last, wet to the skin, they 
 tired him out, got his head under water, and 
 drowned him. 
 
 After a sound sleep on our straw couches, 
 we rose with the sun, and refreshed with a 
 bucket of water poured over our heads in the 
 open air, then walked off into the woods, on a 
 " still hunt," after the deer again. 
 
 The still hunt is merely walking noiselessly 
 through the forest, keeping a bright look-out, 
 and searching for deer in the haunts where they 
 
 k f 
 
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4 >' 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
 267 
 
 lo2 nrar th(! 
 
 arc wont to browze in the day time. A breeze 
 is favourable for the still hunt, as it prevents 
 the step of the hunter from being heard. 
 
 Where the trees had been hewn down, there 
 were plentiful crops of raspberries, which are 
 greedily eaten by the bears ; the mandrake, of 
 mysterious properties, spread its broad leaf at 
 our feet, and the ruby-throated humming bird 
 was observed glittering in the sun, with green 
 and gold coat, now darting through the air 
 like an arrow, or starting and hovering in front 
 of the flowers of balm or clover, like the 
 motions of a dragon fly. I secured a specimen 
 of this stran^re summer visitant to Canada, and 
 kept it alive for some time by giving it syrup 
 from the corolla of a flower.* 
 
 From these " snatches" of the natural history 
 of this forest, it will be seen that it possesses 
 much interest for the lover of nature. A beau- 
 tiful collection of bright plumaged birds may be 
 made in summer on the banks of the Canadian 
 Thames, and here, instead of feeling dull during 
 
 * It is said that an Irishman, newly arrived, and 
 anxious to secure a humming-bird, caught a large bee 
 instead; it stung him, when he cried out, "Holy Moses! 
 how hot its little fut is !" 
 
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268 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 a short sojourn, we may exclaim with the 
 poet : — 
 
 " ' Tis nought to me. 
 Since God is ever present, ever felt, 
 In the void waste, or in the city full. 
 And where he vital breathes, there must be joy." 
 
 But to make long tarry in the woods of 
 British North America, in the hot months of 
 June, July, and August, requires considerable 
 power of endurance, a deep sense of duty, and 
 an object of much greater importance than that 
 of hunting, to enable one to " hold out," as 
 shall afterwards be detailed. 
 
 Lumberers and Indians then flee the woo is, 
 they are so close, and so infested with poisono s 
 flies and mosquitoes. The lumberer fells an 
 squares his timber in the winter, and " drivef 
 it down the streams on the melting of the snc ■ 
 and ice. The Indians frequent the sea coast ^ 
 summer, and thus escape the plague of flies. 
 
 1 
 
 i t 
 
im with the 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 269 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Summer excursion toGoderich — The new pier— Fishing 
 — Visit Mr. Sheriff Hindman — Excursion to the Falls 
 of the Thames — Canadian whisky — Pass the night 
 in a cock-loft — Contemplate an extensive expedition — 
 A sudden route and its expensive consequences — 
 Volunteer for Court-martial duty — Journey to Hamil- 
 ton — The Niagara host — The Court-martial — The 
 U.S. Fort Niagara — Good feeling between American 
 and British officers — Stories of American duels — 
 Brock's monument — Return to Hamilton — Nether- 
 wood — Excursion up the Niagara River — Fort Erie — 
 Buffalo — Visit an American barrack — A boot story — 
 A British Patriot — Reach Kingston — Amherstburgh — 
 Penetanguishine. 
 
 Desiring to see the shores of the broad 
 Lake Huron in summer, I drove off towards 
 Goderich with Lady Alexander and Lieutenant 
 Patton, R.A., in a light waggon, in the month 
 
 
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 270 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 of August. We passed through the parallel 
 foliage of the long straight road and crossed the 
 Sable river, which a man told us we should find 
 " teetotally dry," and it was so. 
 
 At Goderich an attempt was being made, by 
 means of pile driving, to get all the streams at 
 the mouth of the Maitland River directed into 
 one channel, so as to deepen the entiance of the 
 river ; a pier was in progress, of one thousand 
 feet; on the bar there was nine feet of water, 
 and inside twenty-three. 
 
 I tried fishing in the river, and caught bass, 
 pickerell, and rock bass, but on the Lake, from 
 a boat, there was no success ; the water w^as 
 too barren. The Canadian voyageurs whom I 
 took out with me, said the fish were now in 
 deep water, in parts of the Lake where the depth 
 is nine hundred feet, also high up the rivers at 
 this hot season, and under the shade of the 
 trees. Salmon have been caught in Lake 
 Huron from fifty to seventy pounds weight, 
 and sturgeon six feet long. There were also 
 rumours of strange fish, of monstrous size, 
 which had been occasionally seen in this great 
 inland sea, like every Scottish lake or stream, 
 having its water bull or kelpie. 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 271 
 
 We visited Mr. Sheriff Hindman's place in 
 the woods, a large T shaped house. Mr. Hind- 
 man had been Clerk of the House of Lords, 
 and now found himself buried, as it were, in 
 the Canadian forest, though he had the solace 
 of an agreeable family about him, and a large 
 library of books. Poor man ! since the time I 
 speak of "he has been called hence," after a 
 short illness; his house was afterwards destroyed 
 by fire, and his family scattered ! 
 
 The road to Mr. Hindman's was of the 
 worst description, yet excusable in a new 
 country. It was a worn out corduroy of 
 parallel logs ; large holes occurred at short 
 intervals, which made it very unsafe for wheels, 
 the body of Mr. Jones's carriage being placed in 
 a waggon without springs for safety, occasioned 
 the most terrific jolting, and not a few exclama- 
 tions from the ladies inside. 
 
 The next evening we proceeded to the shores 
 of the Lake to watch a very glorious sunset for 
 which Lake Huron is famous in the Western 
 Country, and which I leave to the reader's 
 imagination. 
 
 After various accidents by the way, common 
 in new countries, breaking of cross-bars, horses 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
 
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 getting their feet through wooden bridges, &c., 
 we returned to London. 
 
 Subsequently to this I went on a fishing 
 excursion with my friend Captain Dwyer of the 
 14th Regiment to the Falls of the Thames, as 
 Falls rather misnamed, being a mere rapid. 
 Yet the surrounding country was beautiful 
 and worth seeing, it was as yet, very partially 
 settled and the woods were in all their native 
 luxuriance. 
 
 After various difficulties encountered in 
 finding our way to the ' Falls' getting with our 
 horses into ' slashes' or parts of the forest cut 
 down, but still encumbered with the felled 
 timber, jumping over logs, falling through 
 corduroy roads, &c., we at last reached the 
 small wooden hostel of Reuben Martin. Here 
 our breakfast consisted of beef and mutton, 
 bread, butter, and tea. 
 
 We wandered through the woods and along 
 the stream with what the people called our fish- 
 poles, but had little sport, as it was still hot 
 summer weather, and the fish lay in cool holes 
 beyond our reach. We saw a few partridges : wc 
 also met a lusty fellow in a forest road with a 
 keg of whisky slung round him, who called to 
 
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iridges, &c., 
 
 a a fishing 
 wyer of the 
 rhames, as 
 Here rapid, 
 as beautiful 
 3ry partially 
 their native 
 
 untered in 
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 the felled 
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 •eached the 
 rtin. Here 
 nd mutton, 
 
 ; and along 
 ed our fish- 
 as still hot 
 n cool holes 
 tridges: we 
 road with a 
 ho called to 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 273 
 
 us ' Conic boys and have some grog, I'm what 
 you call a canuck :' a (Canadian). This Cana- 
 dian whisky is a great curse to the country : 
 our landlord said that though there were only 
 six houses in the hamlet at the Falls of tht^ 
 Thames, a barrel of thirty gallons was drunk at 
 his house every week. 
 
 In the evening our host, Reuben, was anxious 
 to have his picture taken in company with his 
 favourite dog * Buff' and placing himself and 
 dog in position before me, and at some distance 
 from his door, he called out " Now, Sir, draw 
 \our draft." At night we slept clean and com- 
 fortably in a cock-loft, to which we ascended by 
 a ladder. It being evident that fishing in the 
 Forest in summer was a mistake, we returned 
 from whence we came. 
 
 My next contemplated expedition was on a 
 rather extensive scale. I had obtained leave, and 
 Lady Alexander and myself had our light 
 baggage all packed on the 10th of September 
 and ready to start on a six weeks' cruise in the 
 West, previous to encountering another long 
 winter. Our intention was to go down the 
 Thames to Detroit, thence to visit the charming 
 Island of Michilimakinack or Mackinaw, cele- 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 brated in Indian warfare, the Falls of St. Mary, 
 where the water of the chief of American lakes 
 pour into Lake Huron, and where the wliite 
 fish are abundant and delicious, take a short 
 cruise on Lake Superior, its shores rich with 
 mineral wealth and its scenery of a wild and 
 rugged character, return by Mackinaw and 
 steam down Lake Michigan to Chicago, thence 
 in a waggon find oneself in a day on the broad 
 prairies, and among the upper branches of the 
 Mississippi, the Rock River, &c., where the 
 prairie hen abounds, the blue crane lifts its tall 
 and graceful form, and the pelican of the 
 wilderness is seen ; return to Chicago, cross the 
 State of Michigan to Detroit, and so home again 
 by Port Stanley. 
 
 All this was very pleasant to contemplate, 
 but alas! for human hopes and the glorious 
 uncertainty of military life, on the 1 2th of 
 September, when we had fully believed we 
 were to winter in the Canadian London, and 
 had provided accordingly, having made our 
 house comfortable and laid out a garden, &c., 
 for the ensuing spring, an order came, that 
 the regiment was to proceed to garrison 
 Kingston, and that the first division to which 
 
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 l'acadie. 
 
 275 
 
 • 1 
 
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 I belonged was to march on the morning of 
 the 15 th September. 
 
 Those ** who live at home at ease" mav 
 fancy the loss and trouble arising from a 
 sudden route of the above nature to a family, 
 however small it may be. In our case there 
 was no remedy ; there was first an end of 
 our lake and prairie excursion ; and next 
 there was to be the immediate disposal of 
 our effects, all except our clothes and books. 
 Furniture, piano, crockery, glass, pots and pans, 
 all had to come to the hammer, the expense 
 of transport and the risk of breakages being 
 so great. 
 
 There was no time to advertise a sale ; the 
 only thing to be done was to send for an 
 auctioneer, to divide all my moveables into lots, 
 carry them out into the garden, and send 
 round the black Bellman, (commonly called 
 General Brown, as he wore the cast-ofF cap, 
 surtout, and sash of our late brigadier) to 
 announce a sale on the following day. Next 
 day our geraniums and hollyhocks were trodden 
 down by those who came in and carried oft" 
 good bargains. Altogether I was about £40 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 out of pocket by this hurried move. Matters 
 are differently managed now, and regiments 
 remain two years at one place in Canada, 
 instead of one year or fifteen months, and there 
 are no sudden moves in " the Fall." 
 
 After collecting and settling all hills, I 
 volunteered to go on Court Martial duty to 
 Niagara, instead of another officer who had 
 been detailed for this. The great bustle of 
 the packing up, and the start of the heavy 
 baggage in charge of my soldier servant being 
 over, I placed my family in our light open 
 carriage, and with a pair of fresh horses, drove 
 off, casting care to the winds, though not with- 
 out regret at leaving some kind friends in 
 London. 
 
 The roads were occasionally very heavy, 
 we had not the advantage of the plank or 
 macadamized roads which are now on this 
 line, yet we got on pleasantly to Ingersoll, 
 twenty-five miles, where we baited ; but, it 
 becoming dark before we reached Woodstock, 
 we had a narrow escape from upsetting between 
 a new and old road. Hill's Inn received us, 
 and next morning we breakfasted at Lewis 
 
 \i< 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 277 
 
 Charles, slept at Brantford, and the following 
 day reached cheerful and thriving Hamilton, 
 on Burlington Bay. 
 
 Here my esteemed friends, Captain and 
 Mrs. Douglas, received us ; I had also the 
 great satisfaction of welcoming to Canada a 
 brother-in-law, Mr. James Colquhoun, a bar- 
 rister of the Middle Temple, and my eldest 
 sister his wife. 
 
 Sir Allan MacNab, of Dundurn, evinced 
 his usual hospitality, and, leaving my family 
 at Hamilton for a short season, I proceeded 
 by steam to Niagara, meeting on board a 
 Scotch gentleman, the Honourable Mr. Fergu- 
 son, of Woodhill, the father of some stalwart 
 sons, on w^hose account he has emigrated to 
 Canada. Mr. Ferguson is eminent as an agri- 
 culturist, and is a man of general intelligence 
 and activity. 
 
 At Niagara I put up at an inn kept by a 
 Borderer with one eye. " Can I get a room ?" 
 I inquired. 
 
 " I don't think so. Sir," he answered ; " but 
 I'm building wan, Sir, and it will be ready at 
 eight o'clock, but ye maun pit up withoot u 
 door." Accordingly, in the evening I did get 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 possession of my new room, but I was in some 
 jeopardy about the new plaster, against which 
 if one had incautiously rolled during the night, 
 the accident which befel certain topers, as 
 recorded by Sir Jonah Barrington, might have 
 been repeated ; I might have stuck fast by my 
 hair to the wall. 
 
 It is always a very painful duty to try an 
 officer, especially an old one. This we had to 
 do on the present occasion. The crime was 
 for leaving his post at Fort Mississagua, the 
 British Fort at Niagara, when Captain of the day, 
 and not returning till two days after : also for 
 sending his servant to tell the sergeant of the 
 guard, to put him down as having visited the 
 guard at half past ten o'clock, p.m., when he 
 was actually conducting a certain frail person 
 to Buffalo in the States opposite. Alas ! what 
 follies will not men commit influenced by the 
 petticoat! The whole of this resulted in our 
 being obliged to find the prisoner guilty, and 
 he was constrained to leave the service. 
 
 I visited Fort Niagara, over which a very 
 broad American ensign was floating. The 
 fort is situated on a point of land having on 
 one side the water of the Niagara River, on 
 
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l'acadie. 
 
 279 
 
 t 
 
 the other Lake Ontario. The peninsula be- 
 tween them is guarded by works whieh date 
 from 1685, when Fort Niagara was construeted 
 by the French, under the direction of the 
 Marquis de Denonville. This was at a time 
 when tierce war was waged with the Indians 
 for the possession of the country, and for the 
 establishment of the fur trade. Fort Niagara 
 fell to Sir William Johnston and his Indians in 
 1759 ; becoming afterwards a possession of the 
 United States, it was surprised and carried 
 by General Murray in 1813, with four hundred 
 prisoners, and a large quantity of arms and 
 stores. 
 
 It had for sometime been surmised that the 
 American commandant and garrison were neg- 
 ligent. Sir Allen MacNab, then a youth and 
 full of enterprise, paddled over in a canoe, 
 reconnoitred the Fort, and ascertained the true 
 state of affairs. Boats were carried from the 
 Four Mile Creek inland, and launched in the 
 Niagara River. 
 
 The British force noiselessly embarked, the 
 correct pass word was given to the first sentry, 
 which had been obtained from a prisoner ; 
 the gate was passed without opposition, and 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
 
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 the guard was found playing at cards, uncon- 
 scious of dangrr. It is said that an American 
 soldier, inquiring what were trumps, a voice 
 hehind answered " British Grenadiers I" when a 
 short and severe stniggle ensued, resulting in 
 the substitution of the British ensign for the 
 stars and stripes. At the peace, the fort was 
 reluctantly given up. 
 
 The works consisted of the usual curtains 
 and bastions, enclosing a considerable area, 
 in which stood a large French house occupied 
 by the officers ; there were barracks for the 
 men, store houses, two block houses of brick, 
 with roofs removable in case of siege, and a 
 n(;w furnace for heating shot. There are also 
 galleries and mines which are not shown. The 
 American officers were very civil to us when 
 we visited their fort, and two of them, Lieu- 
 tenant Mackinsley and Cavvley, came over and 
 dined with us at the hospitable table of Lieu- 
 tenant Moody, R.E , whose sole aim here, and 
 elsewhere, was to promote good feeling between 
 all those he came in contact with. 
 
 As far as I have seen of late years, there 
 has been an excellent understanding between 
 American officers of the regular army, and the 
 
iil 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 281 
 
 British officers : thev seem to vie with each 
 other in politeness; however, wme Americans 
 of rank, without any appiw-nt good reason, still 
 seem to hear to us the most <ynmitigated and 
 unchristian hatred. When war takes place, it 
 is then considered proper to kill and slay, but 
 what an account have they not to render, who 
 let no opportunity slip to stir up strife, and 
 who try, also, to induce other nations to com- 
 mence a contest with us, and all to gratify 
 their own savage disposition : surely the end of 
 such men cannot be " peace." 
 
 This leads one to treat of the practise of 
 duelling, which, though wearing out in England, 
 and now against " the Articles of War" in 
 the British army, still occurs among the Ameri- 
 cans in the west, with sometimes dreadful 
 peculiarities in the manner of conducting it : 
 thus a General and an Ensign quarrelled at an 
 hotel, and it was determined that they should 
 fight in a room in the dark, and be armed with 
 pistols and bowie knives ; they were accordingly 
 turned in, whilst others interested in the fray, 
 remained outside at the bar, to bet on the 
 winner. At first there was a noise in the room, 
 but after a time, and when all seemed to be 
 
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 quiet, the door was opened, and the General 
 was found dead under the table. 
 
 There was a singular history of a duel 
 between a General Read and a lawyer named 
 Alston : they had quarrelled, and the lawyer had 
 slapped the General's face. Of course, they 
 must fight, and the matter being public many 
 people, in carriages and on foot, went to witness 
 the encounter. The betting was in favour of 
 the lawyer, for the General was stout. The 
 combatants were placed back to back, some 
 distance from each other, and in a diameter of 
 eighteen inches, they were to turn and fire 
 between the numbers 1 and 7 counted by a 
 second. 
 
 Mr. Alston having practised turning and 
 firing, delivered his fire first, but missed, the 
 General then raised his pistol, his second called 
 out it was not cocked ; it was lowered and 
 cocked, and on its discharge the lawyer fell 
 dead, though he had made so sure of his man, 
 that he had provided lunch for a hundred 
 people. 
 
 His body was taken home, and when it was 
 placed on the floor it rolled over, and the fatal 
 hall fell out. His wife took it up, and made his 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 283 
 
 brother swear that he would kill the General 
 with it. Providing himself accordingly with 
 pistols and a knife, he attacked the General 
 one day in a bar-room, but was turned out 
 without effecting his purpose. He then pro- 
 vided himself with a double-barrelled gun, 
 w^atched the General as he walked up the street 
 with the Governor of the State, and shot him 
 through the back. The murderer then, as is 
 their phrase, ' cleared out' for Texas, and was 
 himself shot by the Indians. 
 
 With some of the members of the Court- 
 Martial, I wandered to Qteenston Heights, the 
 scene of the death of the brave Sir Isaac Brock, 
 and of a successful fight over the American 
 invaders of the British territory. The tall pillar 
 over Brock's grave, and that of his aide-de-camp 
 Colonel Macdonald still stood, shattered with 
 gun-powder, and a monument of a ' sympa- 
 thizer's hate.' Subscriptions to the amount of 
 £4000 sterling had been raised to restore it, 
 towards which in 1848 nothing had been done. 
 I was glad to sec that the disgraceful pro- 
 ceedings of the sympathizer Lett had not met 
 with the approbation of his countrymen, for I 
 
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 found written on one of the stones * may the 
 man who destroyed the memorial of a fallen foe 
 be tortured with the hell of conscience here, and 
 the hell of flames hereafter.' 
 
 Returning to Hamilton by steam, till the 
 result of the proceedings of the Court-Martial 
 were known from head-quarters, I went with 
 my brother-in-law twenty-five miles to Gait, to 
 examine a property for sale in the neighbourhood, 
 in Dumfries, abounding in good land. We found 
 the place all that was desired, partly cleared and 
 the wood on it oak, elm, maple and a little 
 cedar : there was a house and out-houses, and a 
 brawling stream ran through the land. A 
 purchase was effected first two hundred acres, 
 and then one hundred more were added ; the 
 place is called Nether wood. The house (which 
 has been enlarged and provided with spacious 
 verandahs) and grounds, are much admired 
 for the excellent order in which they are 
 kept. 
 
 These beautiful lines of the Scotch poet 
 Drummond are recalled to mind whilst con- 
 templating a rural retirement such as Nether- 
 wood now presents — 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 285 
 
 ' ' Thrice happy he who by some shady grove. 
 Far from the clam'rous world doth live his own, 
 Though solitary, who is not alone, 
 But doth converse with that eternal love ; 
 Oh ! how more sweet is birds' harmonious moan, 
 Or the hoarse sobbings of the widowed dove. 
 Than those smooth whisperings near a Prince's throne, 
 Which good make doubtful, do th' evil approve ? 
 Oh ! how more sweet is Zephyr's wholesome breath. 
 And sighs embalmed, which new-born flowers unfold, 
 Than that applause vain honour doth bequeath. 
 How sweet are streams to poison drunk in gold ? 
 The world is full of horrors, troubles, slights. 
 Woods' harmless shades have only true delights." 
 
 Returning to Hamilton, I took my small 
 family in our light carriage a pleasant excursion, 
 which occupied several days, up one side of the 
 Niagara River and down the other. The man 
 servant had, as I said, gone with the baggage, 
 and it was necessary for me to watch carefully 
 the horses at the inns, especially when I say, 
 that since my early training in the East, being 
 partial to long and handsome manes and tails, I 
 found a villanous hostler at St. Catherine's 
 currying these useful appendages instead of 
 combing them. 
 
 At Queenstone we saw a specimen of 'a slave 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 of the pipe/ a young man sitting at the inn 
 door, who was diligently smoking a large 
 meerschaum, whilst by his side lay a clay pipe 
 and a bundle of cigars, so that he might vary 
 his mode of ruining his health and looks, 
 during his dreamy afternoon. 
 
 We contemplated for a time the vast whirl- 
 pool three miles below the Falls of Niagara with 
 its surrounding crags and woods, the great body 
 of water rushing with noisy impetuosity into 
 the great basin of unknown depth, then circling 
 majestically round with occasional whirling 
 eddies, and bearing on its bosom large trees 
 which looked like mere branches; these were 
 sometimes carried under and rose again at some 
 distance, till coming within the influence of the 
 escaping torrent, they were borne down to Lake 
 Ontario. Particular eddies being avoided, it 
 might be possible to pass round the whirlpool 
 in a boat without beinn; submerged. It would 
 affbrd intense excitement, and probably it will 
 be some day attempted ; such is the desire of 
 some men for distinction in the wildest enter- 
 prizes. 
 
 At the Clifton Hotel at the Falls, the charges 
 were now excessive for the country ; one would 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
 287 
 
 hardly expect that with opposition so near, the 
 proprietor would have asked eight dollars for 
 a day for three grown people, a young child, 
 and a pair of horses ; but there, as elsewhere, it 
 is well to have a clear understanding what is to 
 be the demand, so as to prevent a disagreeable 
 surprise when the bill is made out. It is 
 advisable to avoid having one's equanimity 
 disturbed by trifles : the loss of temper should 
 be reserved for grand occasions. 
 
 We contmued our progress by Waterloo 
 towards Fort Erie, passing over battle-ground 
 nearly the whole way, where constant fighting 
 and skirmishing had taken place in the late 
 war, and where the soil was enriched with 
 human gore. The extensive but now ruined 
 works of Fort Erie, were of earth, the curtains 
 were fifty yards in length, with four bastions at 
 the angles, a fleche to guard the gate of the 
 inner fort, which was a loop-holed parallelo- 
 gram of stone. The great loss of life which 
 took place in and about Fort Erie, its various 
 captures, the desperate sorties from its walls, 
 and all the scenes of strife of which it was the 
 witness, caused one to contemplate the picture 
 of desolation which it now presented, where 
 
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 288 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 " the thistle waved its lonely head, the moss 
 whistled in the wind," with feelings of the most 
 melancholy interest. 
 
 A pleasant story is told of a Quaker, who 
 lived near Fort Erie : one day he discovered 
 concealed in his barn a party of armed Ameri- 
 cans, who doubtless intended mischief at night. 
 He immediately went to the post of the nearest 
 officer, and said to him, " I am a man of peace, 
 and thee knowest it ; there are some armed 
 villains lying in my barn, and a coal would 
 do it no harm." But the marauders were 
 secured without the application of " the 
 coal.'* 
 
 We crossed over into the States, and to the 
 thriving and bustling Port of Buflfalo, with its 
 numerous signs, awnings over the side-walks, 
 and empty boxes, which had contained goods, 
 encumbering the same ; traders are fond of 
 this foolish display, which is attended, however, 
 with the most serious inconvenience to pedes- 
 trians ; but as it is " a land of liberty," the 
 police, if any there are, do not seem inclined to 
 interfere. At the American Hotel, we became 
 acquainted with a pleasant and intelligent offi- 
 cer, Captain Williams, of the Topographies' 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
 289 
 
 If 
 
 Engineers, since then, to our great regret, slain 
 in Mexico. He was in high health and spirits 
 when we saw him, and having a considerable 
 taste for painting, his room was decorated with 
 some very creditable productions of his easel. 
 
 Captain Williams drove us in a carriage 
 about the town, and showed us the substantial 
 pier and ])reakwater in course of construction, 
 and of which he had the superintendance. He 
 also took us to the Barracks, where there was a 
 large area enclosed. The 2nd Regiment occu- 
 pied them, under the command of Colonel 
 Riley, who told me that ho turned out every 
 morning at reveille, when he expected an 
 officer " per company" to attend him in going 
 his rounds. 
 
 In walking through the barrack-rooms, I 
 remarked that the men were well provided with 
 good breakfast and dinner crockery, that the 
 messes were good, with plenty of vegetables ; 
 but that the sleeping arrangements were still 
 on the old and bad plan — wooden bedsteads of 
 two tiers, four men occupying these, two in one 
 bed. The kits, or necessaries of the men, were 
 so closely packed in their knapsacks, that they 
 apparently required a paper-folder to accom- 
 
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 plish it ; a new and flat pouch held only t\vent\- 
 six cartridges ; the musket was the long and 
 light French one. In the canteen there was no 
 liquor sold ; this is as it ouglit to l)e, but there 
 was a regular store of goods and groceries ; 
 tliere were also gardens for the men. I saw 
 many defaulters in a " dry-room," and as only 
 a few picked men, as they are termed, are 
 allowed to go out of barracks, from fcjir of 
 desertion, I do not think the life of a soldier 
 in the American regular army, composed as it 
 is of a mixture of Irish, French, and Germans, 
 British deserters, &c., is much to i)c envied. 
 
 Some of the words of command formerly 
 in use were curious enough : " form lump," 
 meaning to form square ; and " split and 
 squander," the order to skirmish. 
 
 A friend going to Buffalo sometime after 
 this, found that the officers had established ;i 
 mess in the barracks ; they dined in the middle 
 of the day, and afterwards adjourning to a 
 billiard-room, a considerable noise and clatter 
 was heard in the mess-room, and on looking in, 
 my friend saw that the servants, including a 
 black man, had attacked the remains of the 
 dinner, as seemed to be their custom " of an 
 
only twcnt\- 
 [\G long and 
 there was no 
 1)0, but there 
 id groceries ; 
 men. I saw 
 * and as only 
 
 termed, are 
 from fear of 
 ' of a soldier 
 imposed as it 
 and Germans, 
 )c envied, 
 .and formerly 
 
 form lump," 
 " split and 
 
 imctime after 
 
 estal)lished a 
 
 in the middle 
 
 burning to a 
 ;e and clatter 
 
 [on looking in, 
 
 including a 
 
 ;mains of the 
 
 lustom "of an 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 291 
 
 afternoon," though this is rather different from 
 our English notions of " carrying on the 
 
 war. 
 
 There was another peculiarity at Buffalo, 
 which struck an Englisluiian not used to Ame- 
 rican manners and customs as singular, in 
 walking into the street from his lu)t(>l, he saw 
 a pair of ])oots with legs in them hanging out 
 of a window, and on the soles wTre the figures 
 73, the number of the room which the owner 
 of the boots occupied. 
 
 We continued our journey down th(! Ningara 
 River to Toncwanta, and in the forest I was 
 courteously greeted by a deserter from my own 
 regiment. Drummer Kelly, who had an amiable 
 weakness for liquor, and who was constantly 
 in trouble in consequence. He seemed very 
 glad to see me, and I asked him to go back, 
 " to turn over a new leaf," and that I would 
 speak a word for him ; but he declined my 
 invitation, and said he did not think he coidd 
 ever soldier again, and was now going to play 
 the drum or buo-le at a circus in Buffalo. I 
 much fear " that he went to the bad" in double 
 (juick time, a circus not being a school of reform 
 for bad habits. 
 
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292 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 : i 
 
 At Schloschcr we saw where the American 
 steamer, the * Caroline,' which conveyed sup- 
 plies to the " Sympathizers" and Reb(!ls on 
 Navy Island, had been cut out and sent over the 
 Fsills by the gallant Drew and his men ; and in 
 the rapids we saw the hull of Captain Barclay's 
 ship, the ' Detroit,' on the deck of which he 
 had lain, mangled and bloody, when he fought 
 the battle of the Lakes. This vessel had been 
 considered a trophy by the Americans, but aft'r 
 the affair of the * Caroline' it had been cur. 
 adrift at Buffalo, out of contempt, had been 
 sent after the * Caroline,' but had stuck fast 
 in the rapids, where on its black side the word 
 VETO was conspicuously painted, at this time 
 a party- word among American poli.ijians, rela- 
 ting to the power of the President to approve 
 or to veto certain bills. 
 
 At Youngston we crossed over to British 
 territory again, and concluded the Court-Mar- 
 tial busmess. A British patriot, after a travel 
 in the States, not being pleased with what he 
 had seen there, all that met his eye and ear 
 being so different to his conception of the fit- 
 ness of things, was so rejoiced to find himself 
 again on British soil, that when he crossed the 
 
 u 
 
ll 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 293 
 
 Niagara River, he stoopiid down and kissed the 
 sod; then seeing near him a sturdy Highland 
 sentry, he went u]) to him and oflfered his hand, 
 as if to an old friend, hut which the soldier 
 was not at all sure ahout the propriety of 
 shaking. 
 
 From Niagara we passed on to Toronto hy 
 steam, " assisted" there at a steeple-chase, and 
 then reached Kingston, where we found the 
 regiment. 
 
 Suhsequently I had an opportunity of jour- 
 neying along the shores of Lake Erie (towards 
 the w^est, of surpassing fertility, and carrying 
 heavy crops of wheat and tobacco), as far as 
 the beautiful Detroit River, Amherstburgh and 
 Fort Maiden (garrisoned by companies of the 
 Royal Canadian Rifles), and the scenes of a 
 very interesting historical novel, " The Canadian 
 Brothers," by Major Richardson. Thence 
 through the orchards of the French Canadian 
 settlers to Sandwich and Windsor opposite the 
 American city of Detroit, where I saw a new 
 fort intended to mount sixty guns ; then Lake 
 St. Clair was navigated, and Sarina visited, a 
 cheerful village on the St. Clair River where it 
 
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 '.ai'it' 
 
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294 
 
 L ACADIK. 
 
 issues clear, dcop iuul rapid from tlio great 
 Lake Huron, and whcro also is an American 
 post, Fort Gratiot. 
 
 I had also the advantage of travelling from 
 Toronto, along the fine hack country, through 
 which runs Young " street," of navigating the 
 charming Lake Simco, and of heing terrihly 
 jolted and shaken on the woodland journey, 
 to inspect the distant Naval and Ordnance 
 station on Lake Huron, at Penetanguishine. 
 This remote village on a sheltered hay with the 
 dark forests all round, seems the perfection of 
 seclusion from the world and all its interests ; 
 a sort of dreamy existence may be spent here, 
 bnt I cannot envy the man who could con- 
 tentedl} bury himself for any length of time at 
 such a port : — 
 
 " Yet 'tis the place for youthful sprigs, 
 
 Whose epaulettes grow dim 
 With city wear, whose rose-oiled wigs 
 
 Want combing into trim ; 
 Whose elbows are a little out — 
 
 Such things have sometimes been — 
 They will be bettered by a bout 
 
 Of Penetanguishine. 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 295 
 
 (I r 
 
 " Tlicrc you can >^lmkc a wild cat's fist 
 
 When in your path he halts, 
 With beavers take a hand at whist. 
 
 Or gallopadc or waltz, 
 With shaggy bears, who when you roam 
 
 Afar in forest green, 
 Remind you that your nearest home 
 
 Is Penetanguishine." 
 
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296 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 111 
 
 Major General Sir Richard Armstrong — Facilities for 
 desertion at Kingston — The Treaty of Washington — 
 A corporal and private desert — Are pursued, cap- 
 tured, and escape again — Author follows them to 
 Watertown, U. S. — Return to French Creek — Bill 
 Johnstone, the smuggler — The fugitives are arrested 
 — Civility of a countryman — Sympathizers at Wa- 
 tertown — Visit to the Black River Institution, &c. — 
 A Lynching story — Examination of the deserters — 
 Strange examination of the Author — The use of 
 masonry — A repeal meeting — A wedding — A Lecture 
 on Female Moral Reform — Anecdotes — Prisoners 
 brought to trial — The upshot — The ballot — Author 
 returns to Kingston. 
 
 At Kingston, till our house was ready for us, 
 we were very kindly received and hospitably 
 entertained by a distinguished soldier, Major 
 General Sir Richard Armstrong, C.B., K.C.T.S., 
 
A 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 297 
 
 &c , who commanded the troops in Canada 
 West. His A.D.C., at this time Captain 
 J. Mayne, Royal Regiment, was my relative. 
 
 Sir Richard Armstrong's services comprised 
 the campaigns in the Peninsula from 1808 to 
 1814, the battles of Busaco, Vittoria, and the 
 Pyrenees, the capture of Oporto, the actions of 
 Pombal and Redinha, and the Battle of Tou- 
 louse : he also served many years in India, and 
 was in command of the Royals in the Burmese 
 War. 
 
 Kingston, seated on the shores of Lake 
 Ontario, and with the United States' Territory 
 in sight opposite, is, as I said in a previous 
 chapter, too conveniently situated for desertion : 
 this crime has always been prevalent there. 
 In summer a deserter stealing a skiff, makes 
 for French Creek, twenty-four miles distant, or 
 for Cape Vincent, also in Jefferson County, 
 State of New York. In winter, the " ice 
 bridge" usually forming in January, connects 
 the opposite shores, facilitates the transport of 
 U. S. beef and potatoes to the Kingston 
 Market, and also the escape of les mauvais 
 sujets. 
 
 British deserters cannot ])e touched at 
 
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298 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 present in the U. S. territory, unless they have 
 also committed crimes embraced in the Tenth 
 Article of the Treaty of Washington of 1842, 
 which is as follows : 
 
 ARTICLE X. 
 
 " It is agreed that the United States and 
 Her British Majesty, shall upon mutual requi- 
 sitions by them, or their ministers, officers, or 
 authorities, respectively made, deliver up to 
 justice all persons, who, being charged with the 
 crime of murder, or assault with intent to 
 commit murder, or piracy or arson, or robbery 
 or forgery, or the utterance of forged papers 
 committed within the jurisdiction of either, 
 shall seek an asylum, or shall be found, within 
 the territories of the other ; provided, that this 
 shall only be done upon such evidence of crimi- 
 nality as, according to the laws of the place 
 where the fugitive or person so charged, shall 
 be found, would justify his apprehension and 
 commitment for trial, if the crime or offence 
 had there been committed ; and the respective 
 judges and other magistrates of the two 
 Governments shall have power, jurisdiction, 
 and authority, upon complaint made under 
 
i\ 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 299 
 
 n '^ 
 
 oath, to issue a warrant for the apprehension of 
 the fugitive or person so charged, that he may 
 be brought before such judges or other magis- 
 trates, respectively, to the end that the evidence 
 of criminality may be heard and considered ; 
 and if on such hearing, the evidence be deemed 
 sufficient to sustain the charge, it shall be the 
 duty of the examining judge or magistrate, to 
 certify the same to the proper executive au- 
 thority, that a warrant may issue for the 
 surrender of such fugitive. The expense of 
 such apprehension and delivery shall be borne 
 and defrayed by the party who makes the 
 requisition and receives the fugitive." 
 
 It was in the month of October that a 
 corporal and private of the light company 
 which I then commanded, having connected 
 themselves with two loose women, basely deter- 
 mined to abandon their colours, and having 
 taken this resolution, they were resolved not to 
 go away altogether empty-handed. The cor- 
 poral, who w^as the chief instigator of the 
 desertion, first borrowed a watch from a 
 comrade, pretending that he had money to 
 receive from an uncle in the States, and in 
 order to appear respectable in the eyes of the 
 
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 life 
 
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300 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 ii t'i 
 
 agent at Kingston, who was to pay him over 
 the remittance, he ought to have a watch in his 
 fob ! Next, the deserters got, through the 
 usual channel of the captain of their company, a 
 pass to attend the theatre in the evening, and 
 the corporal at the same time borrowed his 
 captain's fowling piece, which he had sometimes 
 before lent to good men for the purpose of 
 shooting wild fowl near the barracks, and 
 thereby affording them amusement, whilst it 
 gave variety to their mess. The corporal also 
 borrowed dollars from several parties on various 
 pretences, and a boat from a brewer to cross 
 to an opposite point of land where wild fowl 
 could be more readily got, and where also was 
 stationed a company of the regiment to which 
 he belonged. 
 
 In the course of the afternoon the corporal 
 and private were seen together with the boat 
 and gun, and in the evening they returned to 
 their barrack-rooms ; and left the barracks as 
 if for the theatre. The pass for the theatre 
 was a mere pretence to gain time. They went 
 to the house where their paramours lived, and 
 enticing the owner of it to go out in the 
 direction of the theatre, they returned, broke 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 301 
 
 open a box, took from it eight and a half dollars, 
 and also a bonnet, petticoat, &c., belonging to 
 another young woman living there, and stealing 
 off in the boat which they had Ijorrowed for an 
 afternoon's shooting, they steered about eight 
 o'clock P.M. for French Creek. Their absence 
 being discovered when they did not return from 
 the play, the signal guns for deserters were 
 fired to apprise the look-out parties, but with- 
 out effect : they reached their destination in 
 safety. 
 
 French Creek is an inlet running deep into 
 the land, and on the south side of the St. 
 Lawrence ; opposite to the Creek are some of 
 " the Thousand Isles" of every size and shape, 
 and crowned and fringed with beautiful foliage. 
 The St. Lawrence runs clear and deep past the 
 village of French Creek, situated on the east 
 side of, the mouth of the indentation, and 
 consisting of two or three streets of houses, 
 with three churches, and a population of a 
 few hundred inhabitants ; there are some good 
 people at the Creek, though its reputation in 
 Canada is none of the best, being considered 
 a harbour for smugglers, sympathizers and 
 deserters, and altogether a dangerous place to 
 
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302 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 visit, particularly in pursuit of fugitives from 
 justice. 
 
 As it was very necessary to check desertion, 
 which had thus hegun hefore the most favour- 
 ahle time for it, viz. when the ice set on the 
 lake, and as the fugitives had committed both 
 a larceny and a burglary to the extent of eighty 
 dollars, it was thought desirable to try if they 
 could not be recovered under the provisions of 
 Article X. Accordingly, as the Captain of the 
 company to which the fugitives belonged, and 
 as I would not, if I could have helped it, have 
 lost even a bad man from my company, I 
 thought it my duty to volunteer to pursue them 
 into the States, and to do my utmost to recover 
 them : the Commanding Officer gave his sanc- 
 tion to this arrangement. Directed by me, a 
 Sergeant of the company and two of the 
 Kingston police, bearing warrants from a Justice 
 of the Peace, following in a steam-boat, speedily 
 apprehended the fugitives at the house of an- 
 other deserter, a tailor in French Creek, and 
 secured them whilst in bed with the women, and 
 the watch and gun were recovered, but not the 
 money, or clothes, or the boat. 
 
 In order that everything might be done in 
 
tives from 
 
 : desertion, 
 ost favour- 
 iet on the 
 litted both 
 t of eighty 
 try if they 
 ovisions of 
 ;ain of the 
 onged, and 
 ed it, have 
 
 ompany, 
 
 I 
 
 ursue them 
 i to recover 
 3 his sanc- 
 
 by me, a 
 ^o of the 
 n a Justice 
 at, speedily 
 use of an- 
 
 reek, and 
 k'omen, and 
 it not the 
 
 )e done in 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 303 
 
 strict accordance with the laws and customs of 
 the United States, a Justice of the Peace at the 
 Creek, being asked to do so, took charge of the 
 prisoners till a communication could be made 
 with the district attorney at Watertovvn, twenty- 
 four miles distant, regarding their surrender. 
 The Creek Justice, in the meantime, as there 
 was no jail in the place, confided them to the 
 care of his constable, a drunkard, who, going to 
 his dinner, left them in his house ! they natu- 
 rally walked from his house into the bush, and 
 so made off, " leaving not a rag behind." 
 
 After this carelessness, or wilful connivance, 
 at the escape of the fugitives, going to the 
 Justice, I rather shar])ly questioned him on the 
 matter ; he sent for his constable, who, on being 
 asked how he let his charge out of his sight, 
 "guessed that he was hungry, and must eat," 
 and when he came back they were gone. 
 
 As I now saw that no satisfaction could be 
 got at the Creek, I determined to proceed to 
 Watertown with the Chief Constable of Police 
 and my Sergeant (Loasby). We had nearly got 
 aground in a snow storm in coming across the 
 Lake, and the snow still continued to fall, and 
 the roads were in that pleasant state, hidf frozen 
 
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 mi: 
 
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304 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 y I 
 
 and full of mud-holes, impossible to avoid on 
 account of their covering of snow. To escape 
 observation we wore fur caps, rough blue frocks 
 and trowsers, and for defence I provided double 
 barrelled percussion pistols, which we carried in 
 our breast pockets, out of sight. I carried also 
 a short and trusty blade, the only companion 
 on many perilous expeditions, and this one also 
 promised to offer some excitement. Previously 
 to the departure of my party, this letter was 
 received by the Creek Justice from the district 
 attorney at Watertown — 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 " The treaty between the United States and 
 Great Britain does not provide for the surrender 
 of fugitives from justice guilty of grand larceny. 
 The prisoners could not be surrendered there- 
 fore by the Executive, and there is no legal 
 mode of giving up the custody of such vaga- 
 bonds. You and the person from Canada who 
 comes with the warrant, would both be liable 
 for false imprisonment if you caused them to be 
 taken. I should be glad if it was in the power 
 of our authorities to assist the Canadian officers 
 in arresting these wretches who escape from 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 305 
 
 that side, as I am informed they are very kind 
 in assisting our officers to arrest runaways there. 
 If these men have the property with them here, 
 it seems to me that the best course would be to 
 arrest and punish them here." 
 
 Signed by the district attorney. 
 
 The journey to Watertown in a two-horse 
 waggon was an excessively tedious one ; the 
 country was white with snow, among which 
 appeared at intervals the log and frame houses 
 of the farmers, portions of the ancient forest 
 and snake fences everywhere. The road was 
 so cut up that all that could be mustered gene- 
 rally in the way of speed was three or four 
 miles an hour, and the snow fell nearly the 
 whole time. In talking r/oout deserters never 
 enjoying happiness, even if they made good 
 their escape, and acquire property, the driver 
 turned round, and pithily remarked, " Because 
 they aint to hum ;" that is, they have separated 
 themselves for ever from home and friends. 
 
 At Depeauville and Brownville, through 
 which the party passed, there were long and 
 earnest arguments among the people assembled 
 at the bar, as to the comparative merits of some 
 
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306 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 new candldatL'S for the offices of Senator, 
 Sheriff, &c., and dollar l)ills were freely betted. 
 One man, in the heat of argument, most irre- 
 verently said, " We'll carry our election in spite 
 of God Almighty." 
 
 Watertown, containing many handsome build- 
 ings, and also cloth and cotton factories, tan- 
 neries, leather factories, &c. &c., and then 
 inhahited by twelve thousand inhabitants, is 
 situated on the banks of a stream with a swift 
 and full current and excellent "water privileges," 
 called the Black River, from its rocky bed and 
 banks and dark-coloured water. It rushes 
 impetuously towards Sackett's Harbour, distant 
 twelve miles. The factories attract many 
 deserters, who there find employment. They 
 do not get much money wages, but are found 
 and get an order for necessaries on particular 
 stores, also they get nightly an allowance of 
 whisky, and some w'e saw there were miserably 
 drunk every night. There were about fifty 
 deserters in and about Watertown ; some of 
 these men had, doubtless, been tempted to 
 desert, and were furnished with clothes to do 
 so, in order that their labour might be available 
 in a country where manual labour is so dear 
 
 <# 
 
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 !;■ 
 
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 L ACADIE. 
 
 30' 
 
 and so difticiilt to be procured. But deserters 
 soon find to their cost that their hihour is little 
 esteemed, many respectable people refuse to 
 employ them on any terms, and those who do, 
 treat them with deserved scorn and contempt. 
 
 The district attorney referred me to a Com- 
 missioner of the Supreme Court, who again 
 took me to a Justice of the Peace, who issued 
 warrants to apprehend the four fugitives, the 
 men and women, on a charge of felony. The 
 chief constable and myself then made a search, 
 in company with a local constable in Watertown, 
 but we could not find those for whom we 
 looked. It was resolved to return towards the 
 Creek, leaving warrants by the way, and on 
 the morrow searching from the Creek to 
 Soper's Swamp, westwards, where many score 
 labourers were employed clearing and reclaiming 
 waste land. 
 
 A letter was obtained from the district 
 attorney to the Justice at the Creek, which ran 
 as follows : — 
 
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 tli 
 
 i*i 
 
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 IIM ' 
 
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 i-iii'.'! !i. i 
 
 " Dear Sir, 
 " My opinion as to the course of proceed- 
 ings in the case of the fugitives from justice 
 
 .;) 
 
308 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
 from Canada is, that you take the affidavit of 
 the Captain of the commission of the offence 
 in Canada, descrihing the offence technically 
 and carefully, and have them arrested and 
 examined upon that process, and if satisfied 
 of guilt, committed for future award of the 
 Authorities. When done, certify the proceedings 
 to the President on the demand, and then you 
 will know what course to pursue ; when arrested, 
 write me, and I will advise you further if you 
 desire it. 
 
 " Yours truly," 
 Signed by the district attorney. 
 
 We again retrograded towards the Creek. 
 I left warrants with constables at Brownville 
 and Depeauville. At Perch River, that admi- 
 rable arrangement for the benefit of the 
 neighbourhood, was seen in the inn where a 
 halt was made for refreshment, viz. ; the 
 District School Library, consisting of well-bound 
 and well-selected works in presses, and in charge 
 of the landlord for circulation in the neighbour- 
 hood. 
 
 On arrival at the Creek nothing had been 
 heard of the fugitives there ; the drunken 
 
 fa 
 
 i 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 309 
 
 constable pretended to have gone aftc^r a man 
 and two women, who wiTe said to have gone 
 down the St. Lawrence, among " the Thousand 
 Isles," but it was found out afterwards that 
 he had not gone a foot, and his story was 
 invented, probably, to put us on the wrong 
 scent. 
 
 Bill Johnstone, celebrated in the war of 
 1812, 1813 and 1814, and in the rebellion 
 of '37 and '38, for his feats of daring on the 
 water, dwelt at the Creek with his son, who is 
 a trader there. Bill was originally a Canadian 
 farmer at Bath ; but a considerable amount 
 of his property having been confiscated, as he 
 says, improperly, for alleged smuggling, he left 
 Canada, wx'nt to the States, and vowed revenge 
 against the British. He has been famous for 
 possessing swift boats, and he occasioned much 
 alarm by landing at various points unexpectedly 
 during war time, and, among other feats, he 
 once carried off for the States' Government a 
 Canadian mail, but for this he got no reward, 
 so he was not favourably disposed towards the 
 States' Government either. During the last 
 rebellion he worked chiefly on his own account, 
 commanded a division of the expedition which 
 
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310 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 invaded Canada at Prescott, and which was 
 there met and repulsed by the Honourable 
 Colonel Dundas, Colonel Young, and Captain 
 Sandom, R.N. ; lastly, after the ' Caroline' 
 steamer was sent over the Falls of Niagara, 
 (by the gallant Captain Drewe, R.N., acting 
 under the directions of Sir Allen MacNab, for 
 assisting the r(>bcls and sympathizers at Navy 
 Island), Johnstone commanded the party which 
 boarded and burnt, near French Creek, by 
 way of retaliation, the British steamer ' Sir 
 Robert Peel.' With all his peculiarities, it is 
 generally allowed that Bill is very charitable and 
 a good father. 
 
 I now thought that Bill Johnstone might ])e 
 of use in apprehending the deserters ; and though 
 I was advised by a local authority, that he was 
 a dangerous man to have anything to do with, 
 I first made friends with a fine vouno; fellow, 
 a younger son of Johnstone, " the chief of the 
 Thousand Isles." I went with him to see the 
 old man's boats, and a splendid craft was Bill's 
 favourite galley, twenty-two feet keel, pulling 
 six or eight oars, and, when required, schooner- 
 rigged, and afterwards, when the chief returned 
 from Powder Island, (which, with others of 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 311 
 
 " the Thousand," called Ball, Shot, &c., belong 
 to him), I was presented to him in due form, 
 but before this his son said, " I have heard the 
 recommend which you got of the old man : I 
 won't forget that soon." The vounof man was 
 naturally much excited, and an attempt to 
 soothe him was made by saying that his father 
 was considered in Canada as a very bold and 
 determined man. 
 
 The veritable Bill Johnstone (not the fictitious 
 one who was lately lynched in the west) now 
 stood before me at the corner of his son's house, 
 which, by the way, contained Bill's very hand- 
 some daughter, the Queen of the Thousand 
 Isles, who used intrepidly to row with supplies 
 for her parent, whilst he was " dodging" the 
 man-of-war's boats. Bill, in 1843, was about 
 sixty years of age, but was hale, and straight, 
 and rudd}^ ; Ills nose was sharp, as were his 
 features generally, and his eyes were keen and 
 piercing ; his lips compressed and receding ; 
 his height about five feet ten inches ; he wore 
 a broad-brimmed black hat, black stock and 
 vest, frock and trowsers of dark dufHc. His 
 discourse with me was principally about boats ; 
 
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312 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 I '■ 
 
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 he offered to sell his galley for sixty dollars, 
 " not a cent less." As the winter was beginning, 
 he could have no use for boats for several 
 months, and then, when required, his favourite 
 builder, Botell, six miles below Cape Vincent, 
 could supply him with another. He now 
 offered vo row or sail against any boat on 
 either side of the St. Lawrence, adding that 
 his galley would not leak a gill, and was alto- 
 gether "first-rate." 
 
 At the commencement of the late troubles, 
 Bill Johnstone's services could have been made 
 available by the British authorities for the sum 
 of £1500, the amount of his claim against 
 our government for his losses by confiscation 
 of his property. After the rebellion was over, 
 a person travelling w^ith him said, " Well, what 
 has been gained by this rebellion?" he replied, 
 " Do you call the expenditure of four millions of 
 British cash nothing ? that is what our side 
 has gained." 
 
 I now proposed to hire a boat from John- 
 stone to go in pursuit of the fugitives, said to 
 be among the islands, when I received this 
 gratifying note from Watertown : — 
 
!;il 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 313 
 
 y dollars, 
 eginning, 
 r several 
 , favourite 
 
 Vincent, 
 He now 
 
 boat on 
 Iding that 
 I was alto- 
 
 e troubles, 
 been made 
 lY the sum 
 m against 
 onfiscation 
 was over. 
 Well, what 
 :ie replied, 
 millions of 
 our side 
 
 om John- 
 es, said to 
 ieived this 
 
 « Sir, 
 " I have caused the people of whom you are 
 in search to be arrested here, and they are now 
 in gaol, awaiting their examination, w^hich is to 
 be held on Monday next at one o'clock. 
 
 " I am, &c. 
 " (Signed) A Justice of the Peace." 
 
 The landlord's waggon was immediately re- 
 commissioned, and I set off again for Water- 
 town, travelling over the same twenty-four miles 
 of rugged road for the third time. As we left 
 the inn, a voice was overheard to say, " I wish 
 the earth may open and swallow them up, 
 and that they may sink to the lowest pit of 
 hell, as well as their infernal government which 
 tyrannises over the people." This pious ejacu- 
 lation was uttered bv the same deserter who 
 had harboured the fellows in durance at Water- 
 town, when they arrived at the Creek, and he 
 was now disgusted at their capture. Another 
 deserter from a Fusilier regiment was moving 
 about in a loose Taglioni coat, a sort of bandit 
 cap, and his face covered with moustache and 
 beard. 
 
 I had previously asked one of these men 
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314 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 v hat was the general cause of desertion ; the 
 answer was, " A man gets into trouble (say 
 through drink), the word of a non-commissioned 
 officer is taken sooner than a private's, (as it 
 ought to be if the private is a bad character), 
 the man is hunted from post to pillar, he gets 
 the horrors and then deserts." One command- 
 ing officer was mentioned as having subjected 
 his non-commissioned officers and men to the 
 ordeal of a parade at tattoo, whilst in the West 
 Indies, to see if all w^as right, and thus causing 
 the greatest annoyance among the subordinate 
 ranks. 
 
 We again reached Watertown; I took the 
 chief constable with me to communicate with 
 the magistrate, and then we went to see the 
 prisoners. They were w^ashing their faces and 
 combing their hair, in a gallery of the gaol, and 
 looked rather surprised and confused on seeing 
 their officer again confronting them in " the 
 land of liberty." On asking the corporal why 
 he had played such an ugly trick, he said he 
 had not intended to desert before the afternoon 
 of the day he went off, and the other expressed 
 his surprise at his arrest, as he said he had 
 only done one thing (deserted), but I asked 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 315 
 
 him if stealing a boat was not another crime ; 
 to this he made no reply. The corporal was 
 dressed in a short green coat with brass buttons, 
 which had been part of the wardrobe of the 
 regimental theatre. Both wore their regimental 
 dark trowsers, with the red stripe taken out, 
 and the private had a fustian jacket and a 
 comforter. 
 
 At another time, the corporal stated to the 
 sergeant, who accompanied me, and whose 
 conduct throughout was excellent, that he 
 deserted because he did not like the thoughts 
 of serving twenty-five years for sixpence a day, 
 and the private said, " I don't like the humbug 
 of the four chalks," that is l)eing subject to 
 be tried by Court Martial, if marked in the 
 defaulter's book drunk four times within a 
 year, but which is a most judicious check on 
 the chief failing of British soldiers, drunken- 
 ness. With regard to the corporal's excuse, it 
 amounted to nothing, he having, previous to 
 desertion, become exceedingly careless as a 
 non-commissioned officer, from the bad com- 
 pany he kept, and, though much indulgence 
 had been shown him, he repaid it with in- 
 gratitude. 
 
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 LACADIE. 
 
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 The two women were not in gaol, for the 
 States are by some called a paradise for women. 
 Even those charged with grave offences are not 
 often incarcerated, but are merely left outside, 
 under the sm'veillance of a constable. So it 
 was with these women now charged, along with 
 the soldiers, with felony. They lived in a con- 
 stable's house in town, and once a-day visited 
 their paramours in the gaol. 
 
 I here record with feelings of lively gratitude, 
 the great civility and kindness I experienced 
 from a countryman, almost the only one I saw 
 in a respectable sphere of life at Watertown. 
 Mr. Henry Court, a London citizen, set at 
 nought the risk which he ran of personal insult 
 and even injury for espousing the cause of those 
 who were desirous to see justice, not cruelty, 
 done on felons, and whose escape from all 
 punishment would probably open a door to an 
 influx of crime across the Border. Mr. Court, 
 acting under the influence of the noble maxim 
 of " doing what is right, and never minding the 
 clamour," nobly stood by me, gave useful 
 council, and also freely offered the use of his 
 purse. 
 
 There was a strong party at Watertown 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 317 
 
 speedily enlisted on the side of the prisoners. 
 These sympathizers did not eonsist of the most 
 respectable part of the community, but their 
 numbers gave them such consequence, that they 
 overawed those local officers whose elections de- 
 pend on the popular voice. It was thus perfectly 
 evident that Justices of the Peace, at any rate, 
 should be named by the President or Governor of 
 the State, and not by the parties of whose conduct 
 thev mav have to take co^rnizance. It is also 
 hardly necessary to state, that placed as I was, 
 in a difficult position (among strangers and 
 seeking only to recover felons, whom any com- 
 munity would, it might be supposed, be natu- 
 rally desirous to get rid of), I did not experience 
 any hospitality from any of the gentry of 
 Watertown. They were probably afraid of their 
 own sympathizers ; only Lieutenant W. C. 
 Brown, of the United States' army (staying at 
 Watertown for the recovery of his health, after 
 some arduous service in the field, in Florida), 
 did, in a most frank and soldier-like manner, 
 extend to me the hand of friendship, earnestly 
 desired my success, and hospitably entertained 
 me. 
 
 There is this to be said, however, that a mis- 
 
 
 
 
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318 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 (, 
 
 taken notion prevailed among the community 
 regarding the severity of our punishments. 
 Thus I was asked if it was not true that the 
 fugitives, if taken to Canada, would he punished 
 as deserters, with imprisonment, flogging, and 
 banishment for life ! and that though possibly 
 guilty of felony, yet the severe military courts, 
 and not civil tribunals, would deal with them. 
 1 explained that the warrants carried by the 
 chief constable, showed that the civil courts 
 only would deal with them for the felony, and 
 all that was desired, was to prove to our soldiers 
 in Canada that they could be brought back 
 from the States, if in addition to desertion 
 they also were guilty of felony. As to the 
 punishment that might be awarded to those 
 men in Canada, it would be a much shorter 
 term of imprisonment than would be awarded 
 to them if sent to the States' prison for larceny 
 and burglary. I believe I convinced few, 
 though I spoke in all sincerity : — 
 
 iil 
 
 " He is a freeman whom the truth makes free. 
 And all are slaves beside. There's not a chain 
 That hellish foes confed'rate for his harm 
 Can wind around him, but he casts them off 
 With as much ease, as Samson his green withes." 
 
 . I-', 
 
L Af ADIE. 
 
 319 
 
 Among others of the puWic huildings which 
 I took the opportunity of visiting during my 
 detention at Watertown, was an excellent esta- 
 blishment "ailed the Black River Institution, 
 where persons of both sexes receive a liberal 
 education on easy terms. They are generally 
 young persons, though all ages may be found 
 receiving instruction, from seven to forty years 
 of age, and once a father and son were being 
 taught at the same time ! The former after 
 failure as a merchant, having a wish to read 
 for the church. The Rector was very civil, 
 and showed me the halls of study ; the appa- 
 ratus for expounding the science of natural 
 philosophy, the collection of minerals, the 
 young ladies under instruction in reading and 
 history, and who were attending to music, 
 drawing, algebra, &c. In one room I re- 
 marked that the two sexes were receiving 
 lessons together on light, refraction and rellec- 
 tion, by a Scotch Professor, Mr. Ramsay ; and 
 the Rector said to me, " You are probably 
 surprised to see young men and young women, 
 some of theni sixteen years of age, receiving 
 instruction together, as you know we are very 
 
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 320 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 particular about these matters in the States, 
 There was a great prejudice against it at first, 
 here also, but it is now found to be attended 
 with no bad results ; on the contrary, the 
 presence of the young ladies has a liumanizing 
 effect on the young nncn. You observe they 
 enter by different doors, and sit apart, and 
 their eyes ought to be directed to the black 
 board only, and not to one; another." 
 
 I complimented the worthy Rector on the 
 general excellence of the system pursued at 
 the Black River Institution, at the same time 
 I was constrained to point out that the health 
 of the pupils did not seem to be sufficiently 
 attended to, particularly in the matter of ven- 
 tilation. The advantnge of pure cool and moist 
 air was altogether overlooked; every hall of 
 study was heated with that '%J||jy|jg|]aK" inven- 
 tion, a close stove, and without a tin of water 
 on it for evaporation. There was no ventila- 
 tion, and the lungs inhaled for hours (as is usual 
 in the Northern States in winter) a burnt air, 
 which, and not the peculiarity of the climate, I 
 am convinced, lays the foundation of most of 
 the cases of consumption in the States. 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 321 
 
 ' ,; 
 
 After the Institution, several of the factories 
 were visited ; tlu" cloth factory, wh(Te stronji^ 
 and good broad-cloth was being fabricated with 
 excellent nnachinery. Tlie leather factory and 
 tannery, where raw hides wen? in steep below, 
 and harness-making going on above ; an iron 
 foundry, where stoves were extensively made, 
 also every sort of machinery, a pump factory, 
 &c , &c., all dependant on the full and rapid 
 current of the Black River, falling in a great 
 sheet at one place over a high dam ; at another, 
 rushing and boiling over an inclined plane of 
 shelving limestone rocks. 
 
 Near a rocky point, projecting over the 
 river, is the mouth of a cave, penetrating deep 
 into the ground, and running under the town. 
 The end of this cave had never been reached. 
 This is the cav(; alluded to in Captain Marryat's 
 most interesting narrative of Monsieur Violet, 
 where Joe Smith, the Mormon prophet, told 
 a Dutchman he had discovered a bar of gold 
 as big as his log, and three or four feet long, 
 and asked the Dutchman's assistance and 
 money to move it. 
 
 Not far from it, a woman had jumped off 
 
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322 
 
 L ACAUIE. 
 
 II rock and drowned hcrselt' from the following 
 cause. Her husband was a collector of taxes 
 for tlic district, and his two securities were 
 bound to the government for 50,000 dollars. 
 He pretended to have been robbed of a large; 
 sum, wliich he had collected, and for which 
 his securities would have become liable, and 
 th(3y understood that he was preparing to 
 decamp for Texas. They invited him to a 
 conference outside of the town regarding his 
 alleged loss, and in the course of conversation 
 they drew him towards a pond in a field, when, 
 suddenly seizing him, they hurled him under 
 water, then drew him up by the neck, and 
 demanded where the money was. He swore 
 he did not know. "Tell us right away, or 
 we'll drown and bury you on the spot, you 
 d— d hell." He persevered in saying he knew 
 nothing of it. Down he went again, and after 
 the operation had been repeated three times, 
 and he was nearly suffocated, he was at last 
 terrified into telling the Lynchers that it was 
 sewed up to his wife's petticoat. The con- 
 federates immediately ran off to his house, 
 found the money where he had indicated, and 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 323 
 
 liis wife, in tlio cxtrcmiity of her vexation, ran 
 out of tile liouse, and tlirew herself into tlie 
 boiling tide of the Black River. 
 
 It is now time to proceed to the justice's 
 room, to attend the examination of the prisoners 
 charged with felony. Tlie apartment is a small 
 one, a large and hot stove is in the midst ; 
 three benches are on one side, on which sit 
 many of the old deserters, (now working in 
 the various factories), and other sympathizers 
 of the prisoners — all bearing a villanous look 
 of scorn and hatred of the prosecutor, and 
 taunts and threats were muttered, as thus, 
 " We don't care a b — y curse for any ofhcer 
 out of Canada, and if these men are surren- 
 dered, we won't let them go without blood- 
 shed." But my cause being a good one, it 
 behoved me unflinchingly to do my duty. 
 
 The prisoners are introduced in charge of 
 two rough-looking constables, and are seated 
 to confront the prosecutor, the chief constable 
 and the sergeant (the latter the principal witness 
 against them). No less than three counsel 
 have been provided for the prisoners by their 
 sympathizing friends ; and there being a notion 
 that this would be the case, the prosecutor had 
 
 
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324 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
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 been advised to provide himself with a counsel 
 also, which I did in the person of a very 
 intelligent lawyer, Mr. Moore, jun. The justice 
 now turned round from writing at his table, 
 and calling the court to order, he commenced 
 proceedings. 
 
 The warrant having been read, charging the 
 prisoners with burglariously and feloniously 
 entering a dwelling-house at Kingston, Canada, 
 in the night time, and stealing therefrom and 
 carrying away money and clothes, and they, the 
 prisoners, being now fugitives from justice in 
 Jefferson county, State of New York, &c. &c. 
 The counsel for the claim and demand of sur- 
 render preferred the claim of the Canadian 
 Government in the premises, and offered in 
 evidence, and to prove the genuineness of two 
 warrants, issued by one of her Majesty's magis- 
 trates of Canada West, authorising and com- 
 manding the arrest of the above-named 
 prisoners for the alleged offence of burglary, 
 larceny, &c., and a witness (the Sergeant) was 
 introduced, and sworn to prove the identity of 
 the prisoners, and that they were the persons 
 charged in the said warrant, issued by her 
 Majesty's magistrate, as aforesaid, as felons. 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 325 
 
 Whereupon, the counsel for the prisoners 
 called the attention of the Justice to the terms 
 and language of the 10 th article of the treaty 
 of the 9th of August, 1842, and took the 
 ground that, conceding that all the foregoing 
 matters were duly proved, together with the 
 guilt of the said prisoners, that the offence of 
 burglary or larceny (except larceny as included 
 in the limited, technical, and legal term 
 " rohhery") did not come within the letter and 
 terms of the said 10 th article of said treaty, 
 and therefore that they ^i^e not offences, for 
 which the treaty-making governments are bound 
 to surrender and deliver up each others' fugitiv^es 
 from justice. That the only part of the said 
 article which could with any plausibility be 
 claimed as imposing such obligation of sur- 
 render, for larceny or burglary, is, that embraced 
 in the term " robbery," used in the said article, 
 and that the term " rolibery," as there used, 
 should be read and construed in its strict^ 
 limited, technical, and hfjal meaning. That 
 the term " robbery" should be construed as 
 strictly, and by the same rules as the words 
 " murder," " piracy," " arson," and " forgery," 
 as used in the said article. 
 
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326 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
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 The counsel for the demand of the agents of 
 the claimants, insisted that larceny, whether 
 strictly and technically " robhery" or not, was 
 an offence for which the respective govern- 
 ments were bound to surrender each other's 
 fugitives. That the term " robbery," as used in 
 the said article, should be read and construed 
 in its most general and liberal sense, and in 
 the ordinary acceptation of the word, so as to 
 embrace larceny, whether committed by putting 
 the person robbed in personal fear or not. That 
 the term " robbery," in the connection with 
 wliich it is used, should receive such a liberal 
 and general construction as would remedy the 
 great evils, and secure and advance all the 
 benefits the treaty was made and designed to 
 remedy, secure, and advance. That the most 
 common and prevailing evil to be remedied was 
 the perpetration of larcenies in one country, and 
 fleeing with the plunder into another, and under 
 the construction contended for by the counsel 
 for the prisoners, this could be done with 
 impunity for any amount of plunder, however 
 large, provided legal, technical " robbery" w^as 
 not committed. That under such a con- 
 struction, if a man picked another's pocket of 
 
LACADIE. 
 
 327 
 
 a handkerchief, so as to constitute technical 
 robbery y the thief could be claimed, and would 
 be surrendered as a fugitive if he should flee to 
 the United States ; but if he should steal any 
 amount, however large, (say 100,000 dollars 
 by breaking into a bank) under such circum- 
 stances as not to make it technical robbery, 
 and should flee to the States, he would escape 
 with impunity. That such a construction 
 could not have been the intention of the high 
 contracting parties. 
 
 The Justice decided that larceny, under the 
 circumstances charged in the said warrant 
 against the prisoners, was not technical " rob- 
 bery,'^ and therefore did not come within the 
 terms and letter of the said 10th article, that 
 nothing but strict technical " robbery," as 
 defined and limited in the books on criminal 
 law is embraced within the terms of the said 
 article, and thereupon, after taking the advice of 
 counsel not engaged in the matter, declined to 
 certify the facts of the case to the Executive 
 (the Governor of the State of New York) in 
 pursuance of the said article of the said treiity, 
 although he was urgt.'d by tlic counsel for the 
 
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328 
 
 l'acadie. 
 
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 claimants to do so, in order to obtain the opinion 
 of the Executive, the prisoners being detained in 
 the meantime. The Justice declined to take any 
 further proceedings, under the claim and demand 
 of the authorities of her Majesty's United Pro- 
 vinces of Canada to have the said prisoners 
 delivered up as fugitives from justice. 
 
 On application of the prosecutor, the further 
 examination of the prisoners was postponed for 
 a few days to procure the attendance of wit- 
 nesses from Canada ; and in the meantime, 
 seeing that the local magistrates would not 
 make any reference to the state authorities, 
 though the case was an unusual one, I deter- 
 mined to do so myself by means of the chief 
 constable, bearing the warrants, to whom I 
 furnished means to proceed secretly to Albany 
 by the next stage, to explain the whole matter 
 to the Governor of the State of New York, and 
 to obtain, if practicable, from his Excellency, an 
 order for the delivery and surrender of the 
 fugitives from justice. An American gentleman 
 most kindly gave letters to the Governor of the 
 State and to the Attorney General at Albany, 
 explanatory of the case, of which also the 
 
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L ACADIE. 
 
 329 
 
 prosecutor drew up a narrative. I was obliged 
 to remain at Watertown to watch the prisoners, 
 and to be present at their next examination. 
 
 The second examination of the prisoners, 
 chiefly on the charge of stealing the fowling- 
 piece, continued from about ten o'clock in the 
 morning until half-past six in the evening, with 
 the recess of an hour for dinner, the prisoners 
 havino; claimed the rij^ht bv their counsel to be 
 examined separately on the charge, and which 
 was granted them. The witnesses were the 
 Sergeant (Loasby) and myself, and nothing 
 could exceed the minuteness of our examination 
 and cross-examination by the prisoner's counsel. 
 I was asked, for instance, every particular re- 
 garding granting indulgences to British soldiers, 
 the ncture of passes granted them, the number 
 of storys in the ordnance quarter occupied by me 
 at Kingston, how access was got to the different 
 rooms, how I secured the house on going to 
 bed, &c. &c. A great many of the interrogations 
 seem to have been put merely from a wish to 
 find out the domestic economy and " manners 
 and customs" of a British officer. 
 
 At the close of the examination, the Justice 
 decided that sufficient evidence of the prisoners* 
 
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 330 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 guilt had been made out to put them on their 
 trial, and thereupon the prisoners (being en- 
 titled so to do) took three days more to decide 
 whether they would be tried by a Court of 
 Special Sessions (a court composed of three 
 Justices of the Peace), and with or without 
 a jury at the election of the prisoners, or the 
 General Sessions, which would be held in six 
 weeks. 
 
 Wliilst I was thus detained at Watertown, 
 I acquired what information could be casually 
 picked up on the spot. A pretended sympa- 
 thizer in the wrongs (!) of Canada said to me 
 one day, " There is no hope of a war this year, 
 I'm afraid." 
 
 " No hope ! you mean no fear of a war." 
 
 " No," said the sympathizer, " no hope. 
 Not that I would go on and fight, I am too 
 old for that now, but I would push on the 
 young fellows, and follow after to pick up the 
 plunder." Another said to a Watertow^n ac- 
 quaintance of mine " with two hundred men 
 I could take Quebec in a month !" 
 
 " How ?" was asked. 
 
 " Well ! I would put a picket fence round it 
 and starve the garrison out." 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 331 
 
 " And what would the garrison be doing all 
 the time; ?" 
 
 ** Oh ! we would shoot them down one by 
 on(;." Shortly after he said, " our division will 
 be organized soon, and I'll make a eaptain of 
 you if you will join us." 
 
 " What good would that do to me V" 
 
 " Why this, plunder, every British officer has 
 a gold watch in his pocket !" 
 
 I think I was a good deal indebted to 
 masonry for my safety at Watertown, where 
 I was in the midst of many miscreants. One 
 day a tall and stout master boot-maker, an 
 Irishman, came to me, and finding that I was 
 a mason, he said, " There is a party here which 
 intends to thrash you and your Sergeant, but 
 as you are a mason never fear. I have got a 
 party as strong as the other, and we won't 
 see you come to harm." Of course I was 
 very much obliged to him for his kind inten- 
 tions. 
 
 About this time there was a Repeal meeting 
 in Watertown, got up by certain parties who 
 hoped to secure the co-operation of the Irish, 
 to carry some election in which they were 
 interested, but the meeting was a failure. The 
 
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 332 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 principal speaker was a local authority " learned 
 in the law." His oration breathed animosity 
 to England, and was addressed to the passions, 
 and not to the reason of his audience. He went 
 back to the times of the Romans and their 
 invasion of Britain : from them the Irish 
 had derived the germs of civilization, and 
 Ireland flourished till the hated Saxons came: 
 then a brutal soldiery were let loose upon 
 the country, and he read harrowing details, 
 though they were several centuries old, of the 
 horrors inflicted by the Anglo-Saxon soldiery 
 on Ireland — how three children, compelled by 
 hunger, were seen at one place roasting and 
 eating the entrails of their own mother ; how the 
 poor were seen to take down and feed on the 
 bodies of criminals who had been hanged; 
 how they repaired to the beach in storms, 
 and, driven by hunger, enticed ships to their 
 destruction, and fed on the bodies of the 
 drowned mariners ! " These were some of the 
 evils inflicted on Ireland by England," said the 
 orator, " in former times, and now she makes 
 Ireland pay for the English Church. America 
 >wes to Ireland, among other great men, 
 Jacjison, the hero of New Orleans: I now pray 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 333 
 
 that Ireland may soon be delivered from the 
 baneful influence of British bayonets !" 
 
 It was really quite unseemly to hear a man 
 of well-known talent, discourse in the wild 
 manner in which this orator did ; but it availed 
 little, for the amount raised at Watertown to 
 further the cause of Repeal, was a mite indeed : 
 most of those who were applied to for sub- 
 scriptions, cautiously said, " We see no account 
 of the sums formerly collected ; we know 
 nothing of the receipts, or of the disbursements, 
 and we won't part with our money on an un- 
 certainty." 
 
 Whilst I tarried at the American hotel, a 
 wedding took place in the house. A respect- 
 able farmer came in from some distance 
 and married the cook. The bridegroom was 
 about fifty, and the bride was thirty years of 
 age. The landlord and many of his boarders 
 assisted at the ceremony, which was performed 
 in the evening, and those of the boarders who 
 had not been present, were invited in afterwards 
 by the bridegroom to partake of wine and 
 cake. After all were charged he gave this 
 sentiment, " Friendship to all, love to a few, 
 and hatred to none." So systematically were 
 
 Iji .1 
 
334 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 i 1 
 
 mattors miinagcd, that next morning the hridc- 
 groom was sitting at the stove in the bar 
 at seven o'clock, and at half-past seven break- 
 fasted as usual at the public table, at which, 
 of course, his wife, the cook, did not appear, 
 and in the afternoon the liappy pair left for their 
 home. The farmer took the numerous jokes 
 which were bandied about on the occasion, very 
 good humouredly, and when I asked the land- 
 lord what the wife was like, he answered, " she 
 is as pretty as a picture, and straight as a 
 candle." 
 
 Two brother farmers, and of a respectable 
 exterior, were pointed out to me one day in a 
 waggon, as possessing one wife between them, 
 after the manner of the nairs of India. But 
 generally speaking, the decencies of society are 
 well preserved in and about Watertown, and 
 one owner of an extensive factory, said, that 
 among all the w'omen employed by him during 
 thirty years, there had been only one instance 
 occurred of an illegitimate child. 
 
 At the Presbyterian Church on Sunday, an 
 energetic preacher delivered a discourse full of 
 sound reasoning to point out the grievous 
 nature of sin, and how it has filled graves since 
 
L ACADIE. 
 
 335 
 
 the boginning of time. At the Episcopal 
 Church, before a well-dresssd audience, the 
 clergyman's sermon was on evangelical suc- 
 cession, tracing a line of J3ishops up to th(^ 
 Apostles, totally distinct from the Church 
 of Rome. In the evening there was an ex- 
 cellent lecture (in which everything of the least 
 objectionable nature was omitted), on Female 
 Moral Reform. 
 
 The motto, as the speaker called it, for his 
 lecture was selected from Paul's Epistle to the 
 Corinthians, " I speak as to wise men, judge 
 ye." " When Sabbath Schools were first es- 
 tablished," said he, " the idea was supposed by 
 a great many to be perfectly visionary, and so, 
 also, it was with Foreign Missions and Tem- 
 perance, but mark how all have prospered. 
 When McDowell proposed his moral reform for 
 those who trangressed the seventh command- 
 ment, he was reviled, but the end of his en- 
 deavours may be as satisfactory as those of the 
 institutions just alluded to.'' 
 
 The lecture was divided into three heads: 
 1st. What the Moral Reform Society proposed 
 to do ; 2nd. With what instruments to work, 
 and 3rd. How to secure the desired effect. 
 
 ;) 
 
 1 1 
 
336 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 r- 
 
 J 
 
 " Though all the licentious cannot be reformed, 
 yet the s()(;iety should not cease in its efforts 
 because it cannot rcitbrni all. Tlu; licentious 
 will be opposed to the proceedings of the 
 society, but that ought not to daunt its advo- 
 cates. The Gospel is the tirst remedy pro- 
 posed. Reform will be produced by exposing 
 the degradation and misery attending the vio- 
 lation of the seventh commandment. Parents 
 must check its violation. M(;n ought to suffer 
 as well as women ; licentious men ought not to 
 rise to power; fine and imprisonment ought to 
 be the portion of the seducer." 
 
 The chief aim of the lecture was to impress 
 on mothers the necessity of attending strictly to 
 the conversation and reading of their daughters, 
 if they wished them to turn out respectably. 
 Thus said he, "I knew two young ladies who 
 lived with their mothers, in the Genessee 
 Valley : they dwelt in comfort, and even ele- 
 gance, but on the table of their sitting-room, 
 instead of books of religion, morality, and useful 
 knowledge, there were seen romances, novels, 
 and the works of Byron. It happened that the 
 young ladies had occasion to visit a relative 
 in the western country, and descending the 
 
l'acadie. 
 
 337 
 
 Ohio in n steamer, a stranj^er of fashionable 
 exterior, dressed in broad cloth, with a gold 
 safety chain swinging from his neck, insinuated 
 himself into their acquaintance, and the most 
 romantic and best looking of the two sisters, 
 soon returned his (pretended) affection for lier. 
 He gave out that he was a travelling partner 
 of an extensive house in Philadephia. He 
 landed where the ladies intended to remain, 
 and without much difficulty he persuaded the 
 romantic young lady, desirous of realizing an 
 adventure of her own, to marry him ; he 
 tarried a week with her, got possession of all her 
 money and valuables, then pretending urgent 
 business elsewhere, he basely deserted her. 
 Abandoned and ruined, she contemplated suicide 
 and was only saved from the fatal step by 
 the arrival of her distracted, but imprudent 
 mother." 
 
 The lecturer next gave an instance of a 
 mother of a different stamp. A rakish young 
 man paid attentions to a handsome young lady 
 in Boston ; her mother suspected that his 
 intentions were not honourable, though he also 
 like the other, " was dressed in broad-cloth, 
 with a gold safety-chain swinging from his 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 Q 
 
 ^: 
 
338 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 i| i 
 
 neck," and she told her daughter to test him 
 in this way, " Remove all books from the sit- 
 ting-room except the numbers of 'The Advo- 
 cate for Moral Reform/ let him be alone in the 
 room once or twice, so that he mav notice the 
 sort of reading there is in our sitting-room, and 
 watch the result," and as the cautious mother 
 supposed, the rake soon after discontinued his 
 visits. 
 
 Return we now to the prisoners. As they 
 had decided to be tried by a Court of Special 
 Sessions, one was convened for the purpose, 
 and a jui ^ at the instance of the counsel for 
 the prisoners, was summoned, and attended to 
 try the said prisoners In the meantime, the 
 chief constable arrived at Watertow^n, with a 
 witness from Kingston, whither he had gone 
 direct from Albany (by way of Oswego), and 
 reported the absence from Albany of both the 
 Governor and iVttorney- General of the State, 
 but said he had seen so m e f the State authori- 
 ties, who gave him to understand that although, 
 in their opinion, the Governor could not give up 
 the said prisoners under the Ashburton and 
 Webster Treaty, yet he would, on a requisition 
 from the Governor-General in Canada, to him, 
 
L AC AD IE. 
 
 339 
 
 as a matter of national courtesy or comity, 
 surrender the said prisoners as fugitives from 
 justice. 
 
 With a view still further to gain time, and 
 to enable the prosecutor to visit Kingston, to 
 procure from a high authority the said requisi- 
 tion, and the pass to Albany (New York), and 
 obtain the requisite order from the Governor of 
 New York, the prosecutor, by his counsel, 
 moved the Court of Specitd Sessions for an 
 adjournment of the trial of the prisoners, as 
 he was not then prepared to proceed with it ; 
 but the Court, although it conceded the appli- 
 cation was reasonable, decided that under the 
 statute law constituting such Courts of Special 
 Sessions, they (the said Justices) had no power 
 to adjourn the trial, and decided that it must 
 be proce(3ded with forthwith. 
 
 This, in the opinion of the complainant's 
 counsel, was quite a mistake on the part of 
 the Court. Finding then that nothing was 
 left but a trial, and tliat immediately, and 
 being well convinced from what had previously 
 transpired, that the jury partook of the sym- 
 pathy that a number of deserters, and th(; 
 foreigners generally in the place had succeeded 
 
 Q 2 
 
340 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 in getting up, and that it might be better not 
 to try the prisoners, for the additional reason 
 that if the said prisoners w(3re tried and eon- 
 victed, or acquitted, under the State Laws, that 
 the Governor would refuse to surrender the 
 prisoners for an offence for which they had 
 already been tried ; and as the complainant 
 was still anxious to obtain from Governor 
 Bouck an order for their surrender, it was 
 considered under all the circumstances the most 
 prudent and safe policy not to proceed to their 
 trials, and they were accordingly discharged 
 from their arrest and detention. 
 
 The prisoners, on leaving the Court, which 
 they did accompanied with much indecent ap- 
 plause on the part of the audience, and in- 
 sulting expressions towards the complainant, 
 hurried off, and ran down the main street, 
 fearful of another warrant being taken out 
 against them.* It now only remained for the 
 complainant to make a rapid march back to 
 Kingston, which I did next day, in company 
 with the chief constable, sergeant, and the 
 
 * The private, tired of tlie life he led in the States, 
 rejoined the regiment some time afterwards, but the 
 corporal disappeared. 
 
LArADlE. 
 
 341 
 
 owner of the watch, who had been sent over in 
 case his evidence should be required. 
 
 Before 1 left Watertown, after breakfast, i 
 had an opportunity of seeing the manncT of 
 voting by ballot in the States. It was the 
 election for senator, sheriff, &c., altogt^tlier quite 
 a field day. The evening before I had attendi^d 
 a meeting of the Whigs — synonymous with 
 Conservatives — in the States, to arrange their 
 proceedings for the morrow, and there were 
 some amusing speeches delivered, in which 
 the " loco-focos," or Radicals, were sharply 
 handled. 
 
 In one of the lower rooms of the American 
 hotel, a table was placed opposite a door-way, 
 the door itself was taken off its hinges, across 
 the door- way was nailed a board, the voters 
 came along the passage, " brought up" at the 
 board, handed over it their folded ticket (con- 
 taining the Hctme of the candidate they voted 
 for) to a man who stood up beside the door 
 inside, he slipped the ticket through a slit in 
 a box, like a large tea-caddy, with a handle at 
 top, and which stood on the table. 
 
 At the table sat two clerks who registered in. 
 books, the names of those who came forward to 
 
342 
 
 L ACADIE. 
 
 vote, whilst a fourth functionary sat at the 
 table, with a ' tooth-pickin<^ air' and apparently 
 observing all those who came fonvard to vote, 
 and was ready to detect and check any irregu- 
 larity. There was no noise or altercation while 
 the business of balloting was going on, well 
 dressed and indifferently attired voters came 
 forward, all conducted themselves with decorum. 
 Many of the tickets were printed on coloured 
 paper, and stamped with the eagle or other 
 devices outside, so ts to show openly which side 
 in politics the voters took, thereby rendering the 
 ballot a mockery. After all had voted the 
 scrutineers opened the box and examined and 
 counted the tickets and declared the result. 
 
 It was snowing when myself and party of 
 three left Watertown, and the road to Cape 
 Vincent was exceedingly bad, being rough and 
 half-frozen — the open stage waggon usually 
 took the whole day to accomplish the twenty- 
 four miles, so ic was thought best to make the 
 forced march partly on foot, and occasionally 
 riding the two horses brought by the chief 
 constable from the Cape on ' the ride and tie' 
 principle. The private, a rale Irish boy, afforded 
 some amusement by his remarks on the road. 
 
L AC A DIE. 
 
 343 
 
 " Is this tho United States ?" he inquired, us 
 he dragged his left leg out of a mud hole. 
 
 " Yes, why do you ask ?" 
 
 *' Sorrow a fut I'll ever put into them agin 
 then, they told me ttie roads were all upon 
 rails." 
 
 " So thev are, don't vou see the rails of the 
 snake fences." 
 
 " Oh ! bad luck to the fences and them as 
 made them," quoth he. 
 
 The village of Cape Vincent was reached 
 with some difficulty ; here the voting was not so 
 orderly, and there was an attempt to get up a 
 fight. After some warm refreshment a boat 
 conveyed ' the expedition' to Long Island, on* 
 and a half milos. It was now night, but the 
 snow enabled the travellers to see to trudge 
 along the track which led for seven miles 
 through clearings and forest land. At midnight 
 a ferry-house was ' made,' a skiff was borrowed, 
 and a stout pull of five miles landed the party 
 at the Kingston Barracks. 
 
 The above case and proceedings at Water- 
 town, which had entailed expense, trouble and 
 anxiety, having been submitted to a high 
 authority, application was made for the sur- 
 
344 
 
 LACADIE. 
 
 render of the fugitives, to His Excellency the 
 Governor of the State of New York. There 
 ought never to have been any difficulty in the 
 matter from the first, if the Watertown autho- 
 rities had referred the case to the Governor of 
 the State, and left it for his decision. There 
 would then have been no cause of complaint, 
 but this course was not popular, therefore it was 
 not adopted; or if they had acted at once on the 
 reciprocity system, without reference, it would 
 have been just and fair, for immediately before 
 this, several individuals having broken the laws 
 in the States, horse and cattle stealers fled to 
 Kingston, but on the pursuers communicating 
 with the magistrates, the police immediately 
 assisted in the apprehension of the fugitives, 
 and helped to put them into the steamer which 
 conveyed them back for trial. However, the 
 sympathizers at Watertown, screened and 
 helped the British felon deserters, (and the 
 authorities gave in to the popular clamour), and 
 thereby encouraged a tide of crime to set across 
 the frontier, but of this line of conduct they will 
 have cause some day to repent, as an influx of 
 felons will surely not contribute to the comfort 
 and happiness of any community. 
 
LAC AD IK. 
 
 345 
 
 The publication of the foregoing narrative is 
 induced by the expectation which is entertained 
 by many 'military men, that arrangements will 
 be made for effectually preventing desertion 
 ])oth from the British and the United States 
 colours. 
 
 END OF VOL. I 
 
 L () N D O N 
 
 Piiiited by Schulic and Co., 13, Poland Street.