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lake, which were now contracting into the river St. Lawrence; and thus passed the day until near noon; when our approach to a schooner which our captain knew, and which he was prepared to hail for some news about war, drew me to the bow of the vessel, where I viewed at my ease the manœuvres of the stranger. We were within speaking distance, when a pistol was fired from the vessel that we were meeting, and we were ordered to "fall to." Our captain, poor, timorous little man, was terrified, our three hands were în consternation, and I was full of wonder, for I had nothing to fear. The captain exclaimed that there was war, and that we were taken as a prize; and upon seeing a boat approach with a file of soldiers, I went forthwith and put my money in my pocket, and locked my trunk, and then came on deck to wait the event-which was, that as soon as was possible, we (myself and fellow passenger) were dismissed as innocent trav ellers, and put with our baggage on board a boat, and carried to a shore, which for aught we knew was as desolate as Robinson Crusoe's island-except indeed that we saw one house. All this was a fine frolic to me; for it was something new, and quite an adventure. I was however sorry, that instead of being captured by a vessel of war, it was a mere packet like our own vessel that seized us; and that instead of being taken as enemies, we were stopped for breaking the non-intercourse law-and not by an officer in his Majesty's service, but by a revenue officer. The fact was, that we were in a British vessel, and had trespassed upon the sacred waters of the United States. We fortunately found the house to be a good tavern; and hearing of an officer's being stationed with some troops near the place, we sought him for advice, and found him to be an obliging man, and to my great consolation, a cousin of our own Mr. Our vessel, after trying to reach Sackett's harbour, was anchored off the shore; and the revenue officer landed, and treated us with politeness. We invi

ted him, and some others whom we thought might be useful to us, to come to the tavern, and by means of some brandy obtained a thousand promises of assistance to further us on our voyage****. It is our plan to go tomorrow to Kingston, by means of a boat which we have hired, and there wait for some Canadian traders.

Friday, 19.

Still I am in the same place as yesterday; for wind and weather, on which seamen are so particularly dependent, forbade our departure this morning. They promise however to favor us tomorrow. I employed the forenoon pretty busily in writing, the afternoon in strolling, and sailing in a small boat, and I hope to spend the night in sound sleep. I wish that all your dull weather days may pass with as little ennui as I have experienced to day******.

Saturday, 20.

Excuse me, my dear friend, if I add to this mass after the fatigues of a most tedious day, that I may domesticate myself in a new situation, and dissipate the languor that pervades my faculties. I am now at Kingston in an excellent tavern. I left Brownville, at 7 o'clock in the morning, with my fellow traveller, and two men to conduct the small flat-bottomed boat in which we were. Of two ways by which it was possible to reach this place, the longest was taken, because of the wind, &c. The first ten miles we sailed, but then reaching the lower end of Grand Island, a high wind, and a heavy swell, opposed us; and our boatmen, whom we suspected of an intention to get more money from us, stopped the boat, to wait as they said for a change of wind. I submitted patiently till I was tired of reading; and then I gave vent to all my indignation, and at last obtained my object; and we commenced a laborious passage of fifteen miles, which was all to be passed by means of oars. I found that the greatest deficiency

in the men with us was want of spirit. They made several stops, complained of the labor of their progress, and plainly told me that they did not expect to reach Kingston till the next day. Well, the only resource that I percieved was a lodging in the woods; and to this I had made up my mind, after offering in vain to my companion to land on the British shore, and walk eighteen miles to Kingston. But fortunately several showers broke down the swell in some measure, and the wind was partially lulled, and we went slowly on, and to my great disappointment and pleasure, we debarked at our destined port before 8 o'clock. I assure you that I have felt quite heroic to day, and have often congratulated myself on the memorable situation in which I was. My greatest vexation has been, that I really have suffered no hardship that I can tell of; for though sometimes wet by the spray, and sometimes exposed to the rain, I was perfectly contented, and was in better spirits than any of the others. And surely I had more cause of satisfaction, for I knew there was one who would be interested in whatever befel me, and pleased whenever I was pleased with myself-good night.

Monday, June 22, Terra Incognita.

I am almost unwilling to begin another page for fear of fatiguing you, or rather from a more selfish feeling, that what I have written is not better worth your reading. But I love to write to you, and you must bear with my infirmity. I had just finished writing to you on Saturday, when my fellow traveller came to me, and told me that a boat would sail the next morning, and that there was no prospect of another opportunity for several days. I had calculated much on the pleasure of spending the Sabbath where I could rest, and attend church, and was unwilling to be disappointed. But I thought it was best to go, and accordingly went on board the boat about 6 o'clock. We had five men to conduct the boat,

which was loaded with barrels of potash. They were very civil, but spoke only French. The day was fine, and the wind fair; and my seat, or rather my couch, (for I was extended at full length,) was comfortable, being made of blankets &c, by the boatmen, with my trunk for my pillow. I did not move from it till the boat stopped at night after a voyage of fourteen hours. We had provided a basket of stores of bread, butter, a leg of smoked venison, and some brandy; and from these we made our unchanging meals, except that we had some of the boatmen's salt pork by way of luxury *******. At night after landing the wind was fair, and to our surprise we had to embark again. I was not at all unwilling; for I was well, and we had a bed made of hay and an oiled cloth, and a blanket, and a bear skin; and though I could feel the ribs of the barrels, yet I slept five or six hours very comfortably. I have not however been well to day, from want of rest, and the extreme heat, which has burned my face and pained my eyes. Complaint however I have discarded*****. I am now at a decent house, about sixty miles from Montreal, in which I am to stay till 12 o'clock, and it is now 9—so good night. I have passed some of the rapids to day with much disappointment; they being merely a turbulent current, The greatest however comes to morrow.

June 23, Montreal.

And the greatest I have now passed with pleasure rather than alarm, and with wonder at the exaggerations of those who have described them to me. I am at last, post varios casus et tot discrimina rerum, at Montreal. I was called this morning at 3 o'clock, and except the heat of the sun and the want of food, (for a dog, or something worse, ran away with our meat and bread in the night, and left only crackers enough for breakfast,) have had nothing to disturb the enjoyment of a fine day. I reached this place about half

past 5 o'clock, and you may be sure amply repaid myself for twelve hours fasting.

Canadian Boatmen.

At length my voyage was over. It would have been unpleasant to any one but myself; but as I had expected difficulty, and thought not of being comfortable, I was prepared for all the hardships which I experienced; and I was constantly in a fortunate state of mind, which enabled me to laugh at what was untoward, and be contented with my situation, because it was at least affording me experience of men, and modes of life, different from any I had observed. Few opportunities are indeed more favorable for the attainment of the two great objects of a traveller's attention, the knowledge of men, and the observation of nature, than the voyage I had just finished. I was on one of the noblest rivers in the world, and had continually the most beautiful scenery in view upon its banks; and the men with whom I was, are a race unlike any other. They have the least expansion of mind, the most debasing superstition, and utmost poverty in their mode of life. They knew nothing but how to row their boat; I could not learn from them the names of the villages which they had passed a hundred times. It was not unnatural that such beings should be Catholics, nor that they should believe that crossing themselves secured them from danger when they were in the rapids. As the river is frozen in the winter, these people can follow their buisiness of boating only in the summer. They are paid for each trip about $8.00; and they generally make one from Montreal to Kingston and return in ten days. In the winter they cut wood, and do service for the farmers. With all their exertions they are enabled to live in a way with which they appear, from their cheerfulness and good