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EARLY REMINISCENCES
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EARLY
REMINISCENCES
BY GENERAL
SIR DANIEL LYSONS, G.C.B.
CONSTABLE OF THE TOWER
AUTHOR OF 'the CRIMEAN WAR FROM FIRST TO LAST'
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE AUTHOR'S SKETCHES
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET
1896
« * •
DEDICATED
TO
HIS OLDEST FRIEND
SIR THOMAS ERSKINE, BART.
CAMBO
^95708
PREFACE
My little volume on the Crimean War having
been favourably received by the press and
by the public, I have ventured to write a few
experiences and adventures of my earlier life.
They are such as fall to the lot of ordinary
mortals, but, as many of them refer to days
when ladies went to parties in sedan chairs,
when gentlemen fought their battles in the
morning with swords and pistols, and when
railways were unknown, my reminiscences may
be of interest to some, and my exploits in the
forest and on the fjord may be amusing to
others ; while the fighting through a rebellion
and the description of a shipwreck may be
considered as pieces de resistance for the more
thoughtful.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE
Family tree — Caractacus — Shoes and stockings for King
Charles's army — The cognizance of the Black Prince i
CHAPTER II
Travels abroad — Duke of Kent's carriage — The Land-
gravine of Hesse-Homburg — Lord Burghersh's con-
cert— My sister's wedding . . .7
CHAPTER III
Home again — School-days — Old times at Bath —
Dramatic fete — Off to France — An old-fashioned
table d''h6te — Revolution of 1830 — Down the
Rhone in a rowing-boat — A comfortable hotel —
Nimes . . . . . .20
CHAPTER IV
Nimes — Monsieur Frossard — Interesting excursions —
A nice cup of tea — " Soupe au caillou " — Haunted
room — A real live ghost — First ironworks at Alais —
Albin Colomb . . . . -31
EARLY REMINISCENCES
CHAPTER V
PAGE
Old Rodmarton again — My commission — A sad story —
An inspection dinner — Squad drill — Enniskillen —
Ordered abroad — Good-bye to friends at Glen Dye
— Placed under arrest — Cork . . .44
CHAPTER VI
Our transport — Voyage — A curious meeting at sea —
The grog-tub — Falls of Montmorency — A squall —
Quebec — Lord Gosford — Sir John Colborne — Falls
of Niagara — Theatricals — Winter picnics . .52
CHAPTER VII
Death of William IV. — Accession of Queen Victoria —
Commencement of Canadian Rebellion — Rebels
drilling — Meets of foxhounds and six counties —
Duels — Expedition to St. Charles and St. Denis . 64
CHAPTER VIII
Second expedition to St. Denis — Monsieur Papineau —
St. Eustache — A hair's-breadth escape . .78
CHAPTER IX
Down to Quebec — Arrival of Guards — Lord Durham —
Sympathisers — Invasion of Canada — Guards' cam-
paign— Poor Jack Saville — A sad story — Military
survey — A remarkable goose . . -93
CHAPTER X
Lord Charles Beauclerk — Three months' leave — Race
across the Atlantic — Scotland again — Back to
Montreal — Survey — Long leave — London — Pre-
sented to Her Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria —
Society . . . . .110
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XI
PAGE
Moose hunting — Bush -craft — My first moose — An
exciting run — Fishing — Races — A heavy load —
Back to the Indian village . . .122
CHAPTER XII
Trip to Rawdon — Darwin's shanty — A large moose —
Nearly losing an earl — A long day's work . 143
CHAPTER XIII
Return to Canada after long leave of absence — Particu-
lar service — London, Canada West — Lake St. Clair
— Steeple-chase — A deserter — A crafty detective —
Toronto — Ordered to West Indies . .156
CHAPTER XIV
Embark in transport Premier — Wrecked at Cape Chatte
— Landing . . . . .170
CHAPTER XV
Journey to Quebec — Bring up Royals to Quebec in
Unicorn — Mentioned in despatches — Promoted
Captain — New York — Voyage home — An honest
maji . . . . . .183
CHAPTER XVI
Voyage to West Indies — Friends at Barbadoes — Tobago
and Grenada . . . ." .196
EARLY REMINISCENCES
CHAPTER XVII
PAGE
Voyage to Halifax — Salmon fishing — Curing a doctor of
hydrophobia — Moose and cariboo shooting . 212
CHAPTER XVIII
Still at Halifax — Two singular stories — The sweet waters
of Halifax — Voyage to England — Winchester —
Lord Frederick Fitz-Clarence — Preparations for
Crimean War . . . , . 222
ILLUSTRATIONS
Rodmarton Rectory ....
Frontispiece
Rodmarton Church ....
Page 5
The Duke of Kent's Travelling Carriage
8
Glen Dye .....
49
Falls of Montmorency
. 57
Niagara Falls . . . . . '
6o
Lieut. Lysons's Tandem
103
Lord Mulgrave's Four-in-hand .
104
Cedar Board Camp ....
126
Games in Darwin's Shanty
146
Our Camp in the Swamp .
160
Wreck of the Transport Premier
174
Landing Troops from the Wreck
180
Canadian Stage Sleigh
192
United States Stage Sleigh
192
Scarborough, Tobago
198
Grenada ......
205
Indian Wigwams ....
221
CHAPTER I
Family tree — Caractacus — Shoes and stockings for King
Charles's army — The cognizance of the Black Prince.
It is customary, I believe, when writing an
autobiography, to begin with a description of
one's ancestors for two or three hundred years
before making one's appearance on the world's
stage ; on the principle, I suppose, that as life
is so short it is as well to get a good balance
credit before opening the account.
My father and uncle were well-known and
distinguished antiquaries and authors. They
wrote the Environs of London, The Magna
Britannia, and other works still considered the
best authorities. My brother also took up the
running, and cultivated our ancient family tree
so successfully that its roots struck down to
Adam. I remember seeing about half-way up
f c t «•
EARL V REMINISCENCES
the trunk a big knot with the name of Carac-
tacus on it. He was the gentleman who was
said to have gone to Rome and burnt his fingers
in a charcoal brazier, and whose daughter
married General Pudens, Claudius Caesar's
Quartermaster - General. According to my
brother's account, we are lineally descended
from that ancient Briton.
One of my ancestors, Mr. Thomas Lysons,
was Mayor of Worcester in 1651 ; and he had
the honour of receiving King Charles II. in
that city. The following notice of it occurs in
Boscobel, p. 6 : —
*' The next day after His Majesty's arrival
being Saturday, 23rd August, he was proclaimed
King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, by
Mr. Thomas Lisons, Mayor, and Mr. James
Bridges, Sheriff of that loyal city, with great
acclamation."
Heath also mentions this circumstance in his
Chronicle of the Civil War, and Clarendon in
his History of the Rebellion further states :
'' The city opened their gates and received the
king with all the demonstrations of affection
and duty that could be expressed, and made
THE FAMIL V ARMS
such provision for the army that it wanted
nothing that it could desire ; the Mayor, Mr.
Thomas Lysons, taking care for the present
provision of shoes and stockings, the want
whereof in so long a march was very apparent
and grievous."
The army was said to number 13,000.
They had marched from Scotland, 300 miles,
in three weeks.
The following account of the crest, arms, and
motto of the family may be of interest.
The sun rising out of a bank of clouds.
This was the cognizance of Edward the Black
Prince, which he permitted his followers to
assume. Amongst those followers was a large
Welch contingent to the number of 1000, some
say 6000 and others 12,000. Among them
were one or two of the family of Leison, who
have borne this cognizance ever since. The
occasion of its assumption was as follows : —
''In 1345 King Edward, being in France
with his army about to engage with King
Philip VI. at Crecy (Cressy), gave the chief
command to his son the young Prince of Wales,
then sixteen years old.
EARL V REMINISCENCES
" A little before the fight began, God, to
show that He was Lord of Hosts and the only-
giver of victory, caused the black clouds to
pour down upon them plenty of water, like so
many funeral tears, enarching the air with a
spacious rainbow, and discharged sundry peals
of thunder. The sun also, which before had
hid his face under a black cloud, now broke
forth, shining full in the Frenchmen's faces and
on the backs of the Englishmen." — Harleian
Miscellany, vol. iii. p. 138.
Froissart says it was an eclipse of the sun.
"In gratitude for the signal victory thus
obtained by the intervention of Providence, the
young prince assumed the cognizance which
recorded the fact."
Dellaway's Heraldic Researches says : "It
was the cognizance of the Black Prince, and
the motto * Valebit ' became, probably, the war-
cry of the prince's followers."
Doubtless other Welch families have a right
to the same arms, though from the rarity of
this bearing few seem to have retained them.
The earliest record I have of my own
existence is my baptismal certificate, which
EARLY YEARS
States that I was born on the ist of August
1816 at Rodmarton, in the county of Glou-
cester ; and as the rector of the parish has
signed this valuable document, I suppose it
must be true, but I don't recollect it.
RODMARTON CHURCH
During my early years I indulged in the
usual juvenile occupations of scarlet fever,
whooping cough, measles, etc., and invariably,
as in duty bound, selected the most inconvenient
times for these little '' divertissements."
In those times the springs and summers
were beautiful ; they were the grand old days
EARL V REMINISCENCES
when King George was on the throne. I
remember hearing of His Majesty's death, and
the accession and coronation of King WiUiam.
There was a great village feast on the occasion,
and there were little flags and coloured lamps
hung all about the trees. I danced with the
girls on the village green. Those were jolly-
days !
CHAPTER II
Travels abroad — Duke of Kent's carriage — The Landgravine of
Hesse-Homburg — Lord Burghersh's concert — My sister's
wedding.
The first great event of my life was a trip
abroad with my father, mother, three sisters,
and brother. There were no railways at that
time and but few steamers. My father pur-
chased two wonderful travelling carriages for the
journey, one of which had been built at Vienna
for the Duke of Kent. It was a ponderous
thing, but very comfortable and convenient. It
had windows in front and a long boot sticking
out underneath them ; at night you could push
up the lower part of the front and draw out two
very comfortable beds. This arrangement was
called a Dormeuse. Behind there was a heavy-
looking rumble, with an Imperial strapped to
the back of it ; there were also Imperials on the
top of the carriage.
EARL V REMINISCENCES
The second vehicle was a comfortable
chariot, with a coach-box in front and a dickey
behind. It was fitted inside with a writing-
desk, containing drawers and pigeon-holes,
very convenient for the girls when at their
lessons. We had a good Swiss courier
TRAVELLING CARRIAGE
("Henri"), a footman (Richard Eyles), and
a maid (Hannah Boxwell).
On the 22nd May 1824 we started from
Dover in the steamer Arrow. The wind
blew hard, and it took us over six hours to
get to Calais. I can't say I quite enjoyed the
trip, though the fish seemed highly delighted
to make my acquaintance. We then travelled
THE RHINE
post to Brussels, Cologne, and up the Rhine,
sleeping one night in the old convent on the
island of Rolandswerth, now called Nonnen-
werth, then used as an hotel, to which we crossed
in a ferry-boat, leaving our carriages at Roland-
seek ; from there we went on to Frankfort.
While we were staying there my father
drove over by invitation to lunch with the
Landgravine of Hesse- Homburg, the daughter
of George III., who then lived at the Schloss
at Homburg, and to present to her Royal
Highness the last volume of his work the
Magna Britannia. I had the good fortune to
be taken over in the carriage. I was not to go
in to the luncheon ; but as far as I can recollect,
I was very well taken care of, and I clearly
remember being sent to see some very big
fish in a pond.
From Frankfort we travelled on to Switzer-
land ; and having arrived at Zug, my brother,
my eldest sister, and I, started off on an excur-
sion up the Rigi. When we were half-way
up the mountain it came on to rain ; however,
we got to the chalet, my sister riding on a
mule, my brother and I walking. There was
lo EARL V REMINISCENCES
no grand hotel in those days, only a simple
Swiss chalet, where we found one German
gentleman who had been waiting several days
to see the sun rise. Next day the weather
continued very bad. We had no books, pens,
or paper ; all we could find in the house was
part of a pack of cards, so we set to work
and invented a game to suit the cards we had.
This attracted the attention of the phlegmatic
German, and we soon fraternised ; and although
my sister and I could not understand a word he
said, we became great friends and passed quite
a merry time. On the fourth day, seeing no
chance of a change, and thinking our friends
below might be getting anxious about us, we
determined to make a start and try to get down
to rejoin our family party. We succeeded, but
not without some difficulty and a little danger ;
my sister was carried down in a chaise a
porteur. All the little streamlets were swollen
into torrents and very difficult to cross ; how-
ever, we got safe to our friends again.
At Berne we remained some weeks and
met several friends and acquaintances ; a part
of the time Lord Byron was there.
6" WITZERLAND 1 1
I will not attempt to describe the countries
or places through which we passed, as the
recollections of boyhood would be of little
value. I will only allude to a few incidents
that stand out prominently in my memory, like
milestones, to mark the lapse of time.
We visited many beautiful places in Switzer-
land, and then crossed the Simplon to Milan,
where I went to the celebrated theatre
"La Scala" and heard my first opera. The
Donna del Lago was performed, and Garcia
was prima donna. I thought it very beautiful,
and the ballet amused me much, but I have
seen far better dancing since.
. From Milan we travelled on to Bologna, and
there I remember well seeing the races, which
were run by horses without riders. It was a
curious sight ; first the horses were led along
the course to be looked at. They were a
wretched lot, covered with little flappers having
spurs on them to urge them on, — with the
exception of one, a fine- looking horse with
nothing on him but a little blue distinguishing
flag fastened at the bottom of his mane ; we
were told he was an English horse, and that he
12 EARLY REMINISCENCES
had won several races. We were well placed
in a window not far from the finish. We
heard the shouting of the people as the
horses approached us. First came the English
horse taking it quite easy. The crowd closed
in behind him, and it was several minutes
before the other horses came. At last we saw
them galloping along, all together, with their
flappers and flags flying all about ; which was
first it was difficult to say, but there was no
doubt about the winner.
From Bologna we travelled on over the
Apennines, and arrived at the New York Hotel,
in Florence, on the 7th of October. All this
long journey from Switzerland we performed
with vetturino horses, assisted up the steep
parts of the Apennines by a pair of oxen to
each carriage.
After a short stay at the hotel my father
succeeded in procuring excellent apartments,
the first floor of the Palazzo Settimanni, with
a few rooms on the ground -floor, which he
took for six months ; the owner, Marchesa
Settimanni, retiring to the upper part of the
building. The rooms were splendid ; I re-
FLORENCE 13
member well the hall, 75 feet by 45 and lofty
in proportion.
The society at Florence, both English as
well as Italian, was very large and distin-
guished. Amongst other celebrities was a
very rich Russian, Count Demidoff, who de-
rived the greater part of his wealth from gold
mines and malachite quarries. He had a splen-
did house, with a theatre attached to it, and
gave magnificent entertainments. Mr. and
Mrs. George Baring, the founders of the sect
that bore their name, were also there, and we
found many friends and relations.
Lord Burghersh, who was our Minister, and
who was a very talented amateur musician, had
composed an opera, which he was busy in get-
ting up when we arrived. My sisters had de-
veloped a considerable talent for music ; and as
they took lessons from the celebrated master,
Signor Magnelli, who was to be leader of
the orchestra at the opera, they were soon
enlisted into the company of chorus singers.
Our cousins, the Pocklingtons, were also of the
number.
The first grand performance came off on the
14 EARLY REMINISCENCES
1 6th November, some fine singers taking the
principal parts, — Signora Bonini, Veluti, the
famous soprano, Franceschini, and Madame
Bomballes, lady of the Austrian Ambassador.
The performance was a great success, and
about 700 people were present. The opera
was repeated several times afterwards.
From Florence we went on to Pisa, and
after a stay of some weeks there returned to
Florence.
At Palazzo Settimanni my father and mother
gave some very good musical parties, in which
Peselli, Magnelli, Campana, Fabri, the Pock-
lingtons, and my sisters sang. My youngest
sister, quite a child, who acquitted herself extra-
ordinarily well, was considered quite a prodigy.
Towards the end of the summer we went up
to the baths of Lucca, where we found a few
friends, including Sir James Carnegie, whose
acquaintance we had made at Florence.
On the 31st August we left the baths and
went on to Genoa. We passed through a wild
mountainous country till we came to a tunnel
or gallery, emerging from which we suddenly
burst out on to a splendid view of the bay and
NAPLES 15
proud city of Genoa, which struck me as the
most beautiful thing I had seen. From Genoa
we went back by Spezia to Florence.
On the 1 1 th October we started again
with a procession of four carriages, each with
four horses, — our two leviathans, Sir James
Carnegie's, and the carriage of Mrs. Pochin,
a friend of my father. It was not considered
safe travelling in that part of Italy at the time,
so after dark we took an escort of one Austrian
soldier on each carriage, which I thought great
fun.
On the 15th October we arrived at Rome,
and put up at the Hotel de F Europe. After
seeing sights for two, or three days, we drove
on again to Naples. There my father got
very good apartments in the Chiaja, No. 61,
about 200 yards from the west end of the
Villa Reale.
Here, on the 14th November 1825, my
beautiful sister and favourite playfellow, Char-
lotte, was married to Sir James Carnegie. The
ceremony took place at the house of the
British Ambassador, Mr. Hill. He and his
attach^ were present, and the Rev. Mr. Battis-
i6 EARL V REMINISCENCES
combe officiated. There was a grand ddjeuner
at our house ; but it was a sad day for me — I
lost my best companion.
On the 2 1 St of January, in the following
year, I saw a rare sight in Naples — deep
snow ! The Lazaroni became quite lively
and made snow men.
In Naples my father, mother, and sisters
went out very much in society. Amongst
many other houses, they went to evening
parties at Princess Gabrielli's, the daughter of
Lucien Bonaparte, whom they also met there.
My sisters took singing lessons of the famous
master, Crescentini, and the celebrated Catalani
often came to our house. She was getting, old,
but would sometimes sing quietly and most
good-naturedly to us. We passed an agree-
able winter at Naples, which we left on 28th
February 1826, travelling back to Rome,
where we arrived on the 2nd March. My
father took a charming house on the Trinita
dei Monti ; it had been the residence of
Claude Lorraine. From the windows there
was a splendid view of St. Peter s, the castle
of St. Angelo, with the Monte Mario in the
ST. PETER'S 17
background, and the Hotel de I'Europe just
below us, where Sir James Carnegie and my
sister were staying.
I saw many of the grand ceremonies at St.
Peter's, and was much impressed by the
Pope's benediction given from a balcony in
front of the church.
We left Rome again on the 27th April 1826
and travelled north to Venice, where we put
up at the Albergo Reale on the Riva dei
Schiavoni, opposite the island and church of St.
Giorgio. My father hired a very nice gondola,
and the good gondoliere, with whom I made
great friends, taught me to row the gondola,
not an easy thing to do with only one long oar.
On the 19th- May we set off again through
Styria to Vienna ; and then, having visited
Saltzburg, Innsbruck, and Munich, we made
our way once more to the beautiful valley of
Interlaken, where we arrived on the 29th
July. It was a most delightful place in those
days. There was only one hotel, built like a
chalet, to which we went at first, but after-
wards we moved into Sicler's boarding-house.
The walks about the mountains were beautiful.
^
EARL Y REMINISCENCES
Our first excursion was to the valley of
Lauterbrunnen, where we saw the lofty fall
of the Staubach. We then went over the
Great and Little Scheidegg to Grindelwald,
on to the glacier of Rosenlaui and the falls
of the Reichenbach, then back to Interlaken
by Meiringen and Brienz. On the highest
point of the Little Scheidegg we suddenly
turned from scorching sun to a mass of deep
snow, and I remember my sister saying she
had picked strawberries with one hand and
gathered snow with the other ; probably she
made rather a "long arm." It puts me in
mind of a story I heard in Canada of an officer
of the Coldstream Guards, who boasted of
having made a wonderful right and left shot,
killing a snipe with one barrel and a large bull
moose with the other. So he did, but the
first shot was fired in September, the second
in the February following.
I caught some fish in the lake of Brienz,
and discovered a little lake which was full of
crayfish, which I used to catch in considerable
numbers. My method of fishing for them was
simple. I lay down on the bank quietly and
LAKE OF BRIENZ 19
put my hand into the holes underneath it ; the
crayfish caught hold of my fingers and I pulled
them out ; when a big one came he generally
let me know.
We made many other beautiful excursions,
my father, who was very lame, crossing the
mountains in a chaise ct porteur, my brother
and I walking, the rest of the party either
riding on mules or walking ; it was most
enjoyable.
On the 4th September we left Interlaken
with great regret. We then journeyed on to
Geneva, passing round by the Savoy side of
the lake through Thonon ; from Geneva we
travelled post to Dijon.
CHAPTER III
Home again — School- days ^ — ^Old times at Bath — Dramatic
fete — Off to France — An old-fashioned table d'hote —
Revolution of 1830 — Down the Rhone in a rowing-boat
— A comfortable hotel — Nimes.
On the 3rd October I left my father and
mother, and returned to England with my
brother, he to college, I to school. For the
following few years I had to enjoy the charms
of education, first at a private school at Bath,
kept by the Rev. Harvey Marryat (it was
called the '' Madras Classical School "), then at
Shrewsbury School, under the celebrated Dr.
Butler. I was never a brilliant classical scholar ;
but I was very good at mathematics and geo-
graphy, and a capital swimmer and diver. On
two occasions, when at Shrewsbury, I had the
good fortune to save boys from drowning.
The first was a very simple case. I was
walking home from our bathing- place with a
MV S WIMMING PO WERS 21
friend, when we saw a fellow gesticulating and
shouting on the bank of the river. We ran up
to him and found his companion, a big town
boy, positively drowning within arm's length of
the bank. I ran down to the water's edge just
as he sank, I believe, the second time. He came
up again and I seized him by the wrist, my
companion caught my other hand, and the lad
who had been shouting got hold of him ; we
all three pulled away and landed the unfortunate
fellow, three-parts drowned.
The second occasion happened at what was
called the big bathing-place. A boy called
Bunty Hickman, who could not swim a stroke,
was wading about on a sandbank. Suddenly he
shouted out, '' Help ! help ! I can't stop myself,"
and sure enough he had waded in too deep, and
was being carried down bodily by the strong
stream into deep water. I was not far off,
bathing also. I swam to his assistance, just
reaching him as the water was playfully dap-
pling under his chin. I got round behind
him, and told him to keep still and not catch
hold of me. He was very good, and let me take
hold of him under his two arms. I then swam
22 EARL V REMINISCENCES
with him diagonally down stream across the
river, and landed him safely on the opposite
bank. Unfortunately I had forgotten that his
clothes were left on the other side ; however,
we soon set that right by swimming over and
bringing them to him in bundles tied on our
heads. Very many years afterwards I received
a letter from him reminding me of the incident,
and thanking me for saving his life.
I usually spent my holidays at home, but
one year I was fortunate enough to be taken to
Bath. In those days Bath was as fashionable
as London, and during the season was the place
of resort for the highest people in the land.
One year my father took a house there for the
whole family, me amongst the number. Per-
haps what I remember most vividly are the
excellent ** Sally Lunns," the brown Georges,
and Oliver's biscuits ; but I also recollect a very
smart party given by my mother. I ran down
to see the ladies arrive in their Sedan chairs.
First I heard a tremendous double knock at the
door ; as soon as the door was opened, in came
two stalwart men in long blue coats with capes,
bearing the chair, which they put down in the
A BATH FETE 23
middle of the passage. The poles were run
back, and as soon as the door of the house was
closed, one man stepped up and raised the
square top, while the other, hat in hand, opened
the door of the chair, and out from her band-
box walked a dainty lady in full dress. On
leaving the house the chair was carried out
backwards ; it was then put down on the
pavement while the chairmen turned to the
right-about, ran the poles into their proper
places, and put the ends of them in the leather
slings that hung from their shoulders, and off
they went. I saw all the ladies arrive and go
away ; this, I thought, with the exception of
the supper, was the best part of the entertain-
ment.
The theatre at Bath was then in very high
repute, many of the most celebrated actors
making their ddbuts on its boards. There was,
moreover, a great Bath Dramatic Fete ^very
year that people flocked from all parts of the
country to see. I remember the following
story which I heard about it : —
A gentleman in Scotland was anxious to
see the fSte. He wrote, and, after much
24 EARL V REMINISCENCES
trouble, succeeded in getting a ticket for seven
guineas, and secured a bed at the York House
Hotel. He travelled night and day, arriving in
Bath in the afternoon, got some dinner, and then
went up to his room to get a nap before dress-
ing, telling the boots to awake him at seven
o'clock. He was very tired after his journey,
and soon slept soundly. At seven o'clock the
boots came and called him. The gentleman
looked about, rubbed his eyes, and said, ''Oh,
it can't be seven, it is daylight." "Yes, sir,"
said the boots, " it has been daylight for the last
hour and more." '' But ihe/S^e f '' Yes, sir,
a great success ; the ladies and gentlemen have
only just come back from it." It was morning !
During the holidays of 1831 it was decided
that I was to go into the army, and I was con-
sequently taken away from Shrewsbury school,
and sent to the south of France to learn French.
My elder brother, who was a capital linguist,
volunteered to take me.
I started with my brother in a small steamer
and crossed to Havre. We went on in a river
steamer up the Seine to Rouen, where we
stopped a day to see the beautiful churches, the
OFF TO FRANCE 25
Grande Horloge, etc. ; and then, finding that
all the places in the diligences were taken for
several days to come, my brother joined with
a gentleman we met at the table d'hote in the
purchase of an old phaeton, in which we travelled
post to Paris, where we sold our vehicle again
with very little loss. We stayed at the *' Hotel
de Bruxelles," Rue Richelieu, corner of Rue
St-Honore, a good old-fashioned house. We
there made acquaintance with a real table
d'hote ; the host, a grand old French gentleman,
Monsieur Laddriere, sat at the head of the
table, his wife opposite to him, and his daughter,
a fine handsome girl, sat next to my brother.
A few years later he became very intimately
acquainted with the family, as he happened to
be staying at the hotel during the revolution of
1830, including the ''Three glorious days of
July," and was instrumental in saving the hotel
from destruction, by going to the gates at the
right moment with his handsome young friend,
the daughter of the hotel, and two bottles of
wine under his arms, and inviting some of the
patriots to come in and fire from the windows.
The heaviest part of the fighting was round
26 EA RL V REMINISCENCES
that hotel ; the young lady received the crozx
d'honneur afterwards.
A great friend of my brother, a regular John
Bull, boasted that he had travelled all over
France, using only two phrases : '' et moi aussi,"
and " c'est egal," and he certainly used them
with great success. At the commencement of
the troublous times, he wished to see everything
that was going on, so he followed the crowds
about. One day he found a great stampede,
all going in one" direction. Being very anxious
to find out where all the people were going, he
took out his little vocabulary and hunted out
what he thought would do; he hit upon " Ou
va tout le monde ?" and tried to get it off by
heart, reading as he went along, " Ou va tout le
monde ? " " Ou va tout le monde ? " glancing up
now and then. At last he thought he saw a
good-natured looking Frenchman, so he seized
him by the button-hole, and came out with his
" Ou va tout le monde ? " The man stared at
him for a moment, then burst out laughing
and shouted, " How the devil should I
know?" He was an Englishman, who could
speak no French.
A NIGHT A T ST-ANDIOL 27
To return to our journey, we rumbled on by
diligence to Dijon, and then by small steamers
along the canals and down the Saone to Lyons.
There my brother endeavoured to purchase a
boat to go down the Rhone, but the weather
was so bad that we had to go on by land to
Valence, where he was able to carry out his
intention, buying one of the open, flat-bottomed
boats of the country, and hiring a man who'
was said to be a good oar and to know the
river well. We shot all the rapids successfully,
and arriving at St-Andiol the first night went
to the hotel, a very primitive establishment.
A stout, good-natured looking landlady came
out to receive us, and ushered us up into a
large square room, with a substantial, rough-
looking table in the centre, and four very
broad beds in each corner. She said
the beds were calculated to carry eight
persons each, but as no one had as yet
come in we should probably have one all to
ourselves.
We got a very fair supper, and then set to
work and barricaded the door with all the
articles of furniture we could find in the room
28 EARL V REMINISCENCES
— there was no lock to it — this done, we turned
in, each in a separate octuple bed. Tired after
our long day's work, having both of us taken
an oar, we slept till morning, without having
to sustain a siege.
As soon as we removed the barficades and
opened the door, in order to get some water,
we were invaded by a multitude of women and
children from the village, who insisted on re-
maining to see us dress, and pulled all our
things out of our carpet-bags. We had some
difficulty in preventing them putting them on.
Their astonishment culminated when we began
to clean our teeth ; they all stood round us and
exclaimed in wonder, " Vois done ! ils polissent
leurs dents." The moment we had finished
and put down our tooth-brushes, there was a
general rush for them, each wishing to "polir
ses dents," in succession ; they were much
surprised when we strenuously put a stop to
their proceedings.
At length our landlady came to our relief,
and turned them all out that we might have
our breakfast. We then asked for our bill.
However ignorant the good old lady may have
A DESCENDANT OF THE HARPIES 29
been in other matters, she knew well how to
make charges, which we found to be about six
times as much as the highest Paris prices.
My brother offered to pay the same as he had
done in Paris, but refused to pay more, and
there was a great fight. At last he said he
would go and show the bill to the Prefect,
and we sallied forth to carry our threat into
execution ; but no one would tell us the way
to the Prefecture, so we walked quietly up the
street, and fortunately came across a fine-look-
ing gendarme. He was very civil, and told us
at once where to go, and offered to accompany
us. At this juncture the hotel people, who had
been following us in the distance, rushed up, and
begged us not to go to the Prefect, promising
to take anything we liked rather than that we
should do so. An agreement was soon arrived
at ; we thanked our civil gendarme, and all
returned together, the landlady immediately
resuming her bonhomie. We had a grand pro-
cession down to our boat, the landlady at the
head of it, and we parted the best of friends,
our worthy hostess presenting us with a bottle
of excellent sparkling red wine as we embarked.
30 EARL V REMINISCENCES
So ended our somewhat amusing visit to St-
Andiol.
We continued our trip down the Rhone,
shot the Pont St-Esprit in safety, and arrived
at Avignon, where we sold our boat, and went
on by diligence to Nimes.
CHAPTER IV
Nimes — Monsieur Frossard — Interesting excursions — A nice
cup of tea — " Soupe au caillou " — Haunted room — A real
live ghost — First ironworks at Alais — Albin Colomb.
I SPENT two very happy years at Nimes with
Monsieur Frossard, who had married a cousin
of mine, Miss Trye ; he was an extremely
clever, accomplished Protestant clergyman.
During the time I was with him, he was
employed in writing a book entitled, '' Tableaux
Pittoresques, Scientifiques, et Morals de Nimes
et de ses environs a vingt lieues a la ronde "
(E. B. D. Frossard).
He was illustrating the work himself, not
only taking the sketches from nature, but
drawing them with very fine steel pens on
smooth stones ready for the printer's hand ;
they were very artistic and successful. I had
the advantage of accompanying him on all his
excursions in quest of information and sketches.
32 EARL V REMINISCENCES
We visited a great many very interesting
places — amongst others, Aiguesmortes, built
on the sands close to the Mediterranean. It
was surrounded by a wall with towers, very
like what one can imagine Troy to have been.
In the inn, which was very primitive, we got
supper, and asked if they could give us some
tea. " Oh yes," said the maid with the wooden
shoes, '' I will send to the chemist ; I know he
has it." Supper came ; we ate what was put
before us. There were some enormous oysters,
but we discovered that most of them were
inhabited by little crabs which we did not
relish. There was another dish we did not
like the appearance of — a dark-looking mashed
vegetable. At last we asked if our tea was
coming. " Mais le voila, Monsieur," said the
damsel of the wooden shoes, pointing to the
rejected vegetable. She assured us she had
boiled it three or four times in fresh water, but
could not get it to look quite clean ! Tea was
little known then in France. At Nimes I
was invited to an afternoon party by a lady
who had visited England. As a compliment to
me she gave tea, which was served very nicely
LA VIS DE ST-GILLES 33
on a pretty little table, everything complete.
I happened to hand the sugar — which was in
a handsome little silver basin, with a very
pretty pair of sugar-tongs on the top of it — to
a lady. She took up the tongs, examined
them carefully, exclaiming, " Mais que c'est
joli," and helped herself to sugar with her
fingers.
We also visited St-Gilles, where there is a
very ancient and richly -ornamented facade to
the church ; there are three doors in it, each
surmounted by a large semicircular arch, the
whole fa9ade being covered with the most
elaborate carving on stone. There is also a
celebrated tower at St-Gilles, containing a
curious spiral staircase, called '' La Vis de St-
Gilles," which is much thought of and studied
by architects. The peculiarity of it is that the
same stone which forms a step is so shaped
underneath as to form a portion of the arched
roof or ceiling of the stairs below ; this arched
ceiling, which is smooth and even, winds con-
tinuously from the bottom to the top of the
tower. When I was there the upper part of
the tower was in ruins.
D
34 EARL V REMINISCENCES
We visited Aries, celebrated for its Roman
antiquities, and its pretty girls with their head-
dresses of broad black ribbon ; Beaucaire,
where the great annual fair was held ; Avignon,
where the palace of the duplicate Popes still
remains ; the grand Roman aqueduct called the
Pont du Gard, and many other places of
interest. We also traversed the wild stony
plains of the Tanargue, and rejoiced in the
picturesque beauties of the Cevennes.
Mr. Frossard was a charming companion,
and we tramped along the roads carrying our
valises slung over our shoulders, singing,
laughing, and telling stories ; it was a merry
time.
We were returning from a very pleasant
trip to Alais, when we stopped late in the
evening at a curious old inn which had been
an ancient chateau. When we asked if they
could give us beds, the landlord said the inn
was full of returning drovers, but if "le jeune
homme" did not object to sleeping in the
haunted room, he thought he could manage it.
I said I was not in the least afraid of ghosts,
so it was arranged accordingly. We had a
PEBBLE SOUP 35
very fair supper all amongst the drovers, who
were capital fellows. One of them told us
the following very amusing story with great
effect : —
/' There was a well-to-do farmer and his wife
who lived in a small farmhouse by the road-
side a few miles from Alai's.
" One day they had to go to the town on
business, leaving their daughter — a nice girl
about twelve years old — in charge of the house.
Not long after they had started, an old man
knocked at the door, and the girl went to see
who it was. The man begged to be admitted,
as it was very cold, and he was very tired and
hungry, but he said he did not ask anything
from her. At first she refused, saying her
mother had desired her not to let any one into
the house ; however, he seemed a very well-
spoken, civil old man, and looked so tired,
that she let him in.
''He sat down by the fire, and placed at
his side a small sack he had on his shoulders ;
presently he put his hand into his sack and
produced a clean white pebble. He then asked
her if she could lend him a saucepan with some
36 EARL V REMINISCENCES
water in it, as he wished to make some ' soupe
au caillou.' She was much astonished at this,
and became very curious to see how it was
going to be done, as she thought she might
be able to teach her mother something worth
knowing ; so she got a good big saucepan full
of water and gave it to the old man, and sat
down on a little stool close to him to watch
the proceedings. He then put the pan on the
fire to boil ; seeing a long - handled spoon
hanging by the chimney- side, he asked per-
mission to use it, which being granted, he
began quietly to stir his soup round and round,
the girl becoming more and more interested.
He was a nice old man, talking to her quietly
and civilly, and wanting nothing, but seeming
anxious to teach her. He said that some people
liked the flavour of onions in their soup ; he
didn't know, perhaps it might be an improve-
ment. She jumped up at once, and went and
got two or three nice onions, which he put in
the pot, and then continued stirring it round
and round. Before long, perceiving a side of
bacon hanging up under the chimney, he
suggested that many people liked a good bit
PEBBLE SOUP 37
of bacon in their soup ; he did not care for it
himself, but asked what she thought. The girl,
wishing the soup to be a great success, at once
got a knife, cut a good chunk of bacon off, and
having wiped it nicely, popped it into the pot,
and the old man went on quietly stirring it
round and round. Seeing some haricot soaking
in a bowl on the table preparatory to their
being cooked for the evening meal, he re-
marked that they were very good things and
did very well in soup, and that turnips also
added much to its flavour. Off went the little
girl and brought back a nice supply of both,
and into the pot they went, and the old man
continued stirring round and round ; salt and
pepper and a few small herbs were added, and
the pot began to emit a very delicious savour,
and after sprinkling in a little flour just to
thicken the compound, the old man proclaimed
his * soupe au caillou ' to be complete. The
girl, delighted at the success, ran away to get
a little round table, on which she put a nice
white cloth, two white basins with spoons, and
a couple of good hunches of bread. I need
not say they had a delicious repast together.
38 EARL V REMINISCENCES
''After this the Httle girl thanked the old
man very much for teaching her to make such
delicious soup out of a pebble ! He presented
her with the ' caillou,' and departed.
" When the farmer and his wife returned
home, the girl ran out to meet them, radiant
with delight, described to them how she
had learnt to make ' soupe au caillou,' and
said she could give them soup every day,
for the good old man had left her the 'caillou,'
which she produced in triumph."
After a little more talk with the good-
natured drovers, we wished them good- night
and retired to bed, as we were to be called
very early next morning in order to go on to
Ntmes by the diligence.
My haunted room was rather dismal. There
was an old-fashioned four-posted bed with
heavy curtains all round it, some curious old,
heavy pieces of furniture, and the remains of
some old tapestry, the colours of which were
well-nigh obliterated by age. However, the
bed looked comfortable, so I tumbled in and
slept like a top, till at length I began to dream
that something was in the room. I awoke
THE MONT VENTQUX 39
and thought I saw a gHmmering Hght. I
remained quiet and rubbed my eyes, and fixed
them on the curtains at the bottom of the bed,
where I thought I saw the Hght ; presently
I heard a sHght rustle, and the curtains moved
a little, showing between them a narrow strip
of pale light. I then saw distinctly a pale
sallow face with the light flickering upon its
cheeks. I was certainly awake, there could
be no mistake ; I started up, when the lips
moved, and a shrill voice cried, " Levez-vous,
Monsieur, vite, levez - vous, la diligence va
partir."
I made an interesting trip to Malaucene, and
ascended the Mont Ventoux to see the sun
rise ; only, as far as we were concerned, it did
not rise. We waited some two or three hours
in the drizzle, sheltered under a rock, and
were at last rewarded by having a beautiful
view of the Alps.
From Malaucene we went on to Orange
and to the Fontaine de Vaucluse, the birth-
place of Petrarch, a place well worth seeing.
A good-sized river rises in a cavern at the
foot of a perpendicular rock, and the large
40 EARL V REMINISCENCES
round pool where the springs boil and bubble
up is as clear as crystal and of a beauti-
ful deep blue ; from these springs a large
stream flows, the volume of which seldom
varies.
I went with Monsieur Frossard to see a
mine that was being sunk, and some new iron-
works that were being erected at Alais. We
found a very intelligent Scotchman in charge
of them, who showed us a large engine he
was putting up which had been brought from
England ; the cylinder was so large that they
had been obliged to roll it along the roads,
and pull down the parapets of all the bridges
to let it pass over.
At that time the engines in all the steamers
in France, Switzerland, and Germany were
English, and the engineers were Scotch.
In 1834 my father died, and I was sent
for to return to England. I left the Frossards
and all my friends at Nimes, especially my
constant companion, Albin Colomb, with great
regret ; I had passed a happy time there, and
had become quite a Frenchman.
From that time I saw no more of my dear
AN OLD FRIEND 41
friend Albin until the year 1883, when, on
my return home from the Riviera with my wife
and eldest son, I decided to go and have a look
at my old quarters at Nimes, and find out
if there were any people still living there whom
I had known in former days.
We arrived late in the evening, and went
to the Hotel Luxembourg on the esplanade.
Next morning I had a talk with the landlord,
and asked him if there was a gentleman of
the name of Colomb still living there. '' Mais
oui," he replied. '' Is his Christian name
Albin?" "Oui, Monsieur, c'est Monsieur
Albin Colomb." " Does he live over in that
house 1 " I said, pointing to a large house
across the esplanade, which I recollected
well. "Yes," he replied, "that is his house,
and it was his father's and grandfather's." I
asked him how old Monsieur Colomb was ?
"About your age, sir." He was evidently my
old friend, so off I went with my son Dan to
see if we could dig him out.
I rang at the door, and a very neat tidy
maid answered the bell. I asked if Monsieur
Colomb was at home. "Yes, sir; who shall
42 EARL V REMINISCENCES
I say?" ''Never mind the name; tell Mon-
sieur Colomb a gentleman wishes to speak to
him." On this, she showed us into a very
handsome library. After waiting a little while
the door opened, and in walked an elderly
gentleman with spectacles and a bald head,
not much like my handsome young friend of
olden days. At first I began to doubt if it
could be him ; he bowed politely but stiffly.
I asked him a number of questions about
people whom we had known when together ;
he looked at me hard, and at last I asked him
about some things that I alone could have
known besides himself I saw his eye lighten
up ; he rushed forward and seized me in his
arms, crying out, " C'est Daniel; c'est Daniel ! "
We were the same warm friends we had been
fifty years before. The next evening we went
to dine with him, and we sat down sixteen of
his family and mine ! The dinner was most
handsome and recherchd.
To return to olden days — from Nimes I
travelled night and day by a succession of
diligences to Paris, passing through Anduze,
Mende, St - Flour, Clermont, Nevers, and
HOME 43
Fontainebleau, arriving at the Hotel Bruxelles,
Paris, on the fifth day.
I stopped a day or two in Paris to rest,
and then went on to London, and home to
Rodmarton.
CHAPTER V
Old Rodmarton again — My commission — A sad story — An
Inspection dinner — Squad drill — Enniskillen — Ordered
abroad — Good-bye to friends at Glen Dye — Placed under
arrest — Cork.
I FOUND a sad change at Rodmarton. The
dear old village where I had spent my younger
days and danced with the girls on the green was
no longer to be my happy home ; our household
gods were to pass into other hands. My eldest
brother, who had married, decided to live at the
old family place, Hempsted Court, near Glou-
cester, and a curate was to occupy the rectory.
My mother and sister were packing up to go away.
As I was now getting on towards eighteen,
it was considered advisable to make a push for
my commission, and my brother-in-law. Sir
James Carnegie, very kindly volunteered to
make interest for me through General Arbuthnot
and Lord Hill. A very short time after this I
A SAD STORY 45
received the usual notifications of my appoint-
ment to an ensigncy in the ist Royal Regiment.
My good fortune was, however, the sequel
to a very sad event. Two fine young officers,-
Ensigns Byers and Carr, sailed up from
Athlone in their boat to dine and sleep at
General Murray's, who lived on Hare Island.
Next morning, they went down from the house
early to get under weigh, and sail down again
to Athlone in time for parade. It was blowing
very hard, and the General and his daughters
tried to induce them not to start. They were,
however, determined to go. The boat was
anchored near the shore, in the Kilineure, or
inner lake, opposite the General's house. They
went on board and got up their sails, but before
they had gathered weigh a heavy squall struck
them and capsized the little craft. They were
both drowned. The poor old General seeing
the boat go down so close to him went into the
water to try to save the two young men, and got
a severe chill, of which he died not long after.
Ned Wetherall,^ son of the Colonel, got one of
the ensigncies ; I got the other.
^ Afterwards General Sir Edward Wetherall.
46 EARL Y REMINISCENCES
I joined my regiment at Athlone on the
20th February 1835, having a letter of intro-
duction to the Major, Lachlan Maclean, who
took me up and introduced me to Colonel
Wetherall,^ his wife, and charming daughter,
Fanny.
It so happened that the regiment was being
inspected by General Sir John Buchan, a
splendid old Scotchman, pretty nearly seven
feet high.
The Colonel had a quarter allotted to me,
and sent an old soldier as a servant to take
care of me, and told me to go and unpack,
get dressed, and come to mess. There were
no shell-jackets in those days ; we all dined
buttoned up to the throat in our swallow-tailed
full dress coats, w^ith high stocks and sashes
complete. It was a grand dinner ; we sat down
about sixty, the General and his staff, the
officers of the Cavalry, 3rd Dragoon Guards
I think, the Horse Artillery, etc. When
dinner was over, the Colonel called for songs.
Many officers sang very well, but Captain
1 Afterwards General Sir George Wetherall, Adjutant-
General.
AN INSPECTION DINNER 47
M'Clintock, Royal Horse Artillery, sang beauti-
fully, song after song of all sorts, old Sir John
Buchan shaking his sides with laughter at the
funny ones. At last the Colonel called out,
'* We have an ensign just joined, where is he ?
he must sing his song." It so happened I had
a good strong voice, and could sing a little, so
I piped up and did my best. I was heartily
cheered — my fortune in the army was made.
We sat there, General and all, singing, drink-
ing, talking, and laughing, till we saw the broad
daylight streaming in through the shutters.
The Colonel then reminded Sir John that he
had ordered a parade at seven. We all jumped
up and ran away to our quarters to change our
dress, and at the bugle-call every one was in
his place as sober as a judge. The Colonel
said I must do something, so he put the great
regimental colour in my hand, and told me to
hold fast by it, and go wherever the colour-
sergeant told me to go. I believe all went
right ; it was said to be a very successful
parade, and I recollect I had to tip the drum-
major a sovereign, when I gave up my charge,
as he said to ''wet the colour."
EARL V REMINISCENCES
The following day I commenced my squad
drill under a very original old drill-sergeant.
We had one particularly stupid recruit in our
squad, and our sergeant's favourite speech to
him was, ''There you har again, Mulligan!
Your 'ead's as 'ard as a 'osses 'uff, one might
knock nails into't."
I soon got through my drill, and then set
to work boating and fishing vigorously. I also
became acquainted with all the neighbouring
families, who were extremely hospitable and
kind.
From Athlone we marched to Enniskillen,
where we received orders to hold ourselves in
readiness to embark for Canada, and Colonel
Wetherall kindly selected me to go with the
headquarters.
I was given a short leave of absence to go
and wish my friends good-bye, so I went to Glen
Dye, where my mother and sister Catherine
were staying with Sir James Carnegie and my
sister Lady Carnegie at their shooting-box.
There was a large party staying there for the
grouse-shooting. The gentlemen were all very
kind to me, and lent me their keepers and dogs.
OFF rO ENNISKILLEN 49
and I had two or three good days' shooting.
We then made a grand march on our hill-ponies
down to Kinnaird Castle. From Kinnaird I
travelled post with my mother and sister to the
south of England, paying several visits on our
way. I then went to see my brother at Hemp-
GLEN DYE
sted Court, and on to Bristol, intending to
return to my regiment in the regular passenger
steamer by Dublin. Arriving at the quay,
what was my dismay on hearing the steamer
had been taken off the line to carry troops for
the Government. However, I had one day to
spare, and I determined to cross to Waterford
in a small steamer that was leaving Bristol that
E
so EARL V REMINISCENCES
afternoon. Unfortunately a heavy gale came
on, and we did not get across till the second
day. I had then to go to Dublin by stage-
coach, and on to Enniskillen by the same sort of
conveyance. The result was I arrived to join
my regiment a few hours after the expiration
of my leave of absence.
Colonel Wetherall saw at once that it was
not my fault ; but, according to the regulations
then existing, I had to be put under arrest and
go through the form of petitioning the king
for my release. The Colonel was very kind
about it, and told me I might go where I liked
till the reply came. Accordingly I went off to
Ballyshannon to fish, and lived with the officers
of our detachment there. At the end of the
month I was dining at their mess, when some-
body alluded to its being muster -day. It
suddenly struck me that I was again absent
without leave. I jumped up from table, ran
out, got a tandem outside (jaunting car), and
started off for Enniskillen, telling the man to
drive as if the devil was after him ; and he did,
but I arrived in barracks just after the clock
had struck twelve midnight. I rushed to the
UNDER ARREST 51
paymaster's room to report myself, but I was
too late. Visions of a prolonged arrest and a
second petition to the king rose in my mind, till
he told me he had hit on a plan of saving me.
He had reported me "Present at Ballyshannon."
What a relief to my mind. Soon after a letter
came to say His Majesty was quite satisfied
with my explanation, and I was released from
arrest.
CHAPTER VI
Our transport — Voyage — A curious meeting at sea — The grog-
tub — Falls of Montmorency — A squall — -Quebec — Lord
Gosford — -Sir John Colborne — -Falls of Niagara — Theatri-
cals— Winter picnics.
In due course of time our transport, The
Maztlandy an old teak -built East Indiaman,
arrived in the cove of Cork ; she had been
fitted up experimentally to see if it were
possible to cram a whole battalion into a ship
of her class. In order to effect this, the
ordinary baggage -hold had been converted
into an orlop-deck for troops.
We had to lay in our own provisions and
stores, and to cater and cook for ourselves ;
this was no easy task, as we had no stowage
whatever. We filled every nook in the cuddy,
piled up things under the mess -table, in the
deep stern-ports, and in every corner we could
find. When the troops embarked, we found
A CROWDED TRANSPORT 53
there was not standing - room for the men,
women, and children on all the decks, including
the poop, orlop-deck, and the officers' cuddy.
Some of the men had actually to stand on the
broad old-fashioned channels or chains outside
the ship. I and another officer were told off to
swing in cots over the mess-table ! In addition
to this, there were three berths at each end of
the cuddy which was athwart ships.
Colonel Wetherall, seeing the plight we
were in, sent up at once to beg the General
commanding the Cork district to come down
and inspect the ship. When he came on
board, he turned to our Colonel and said,
''Well, Colonel, have you got all your men
on board?" ''Yes, sir," he replied with the
most courteous smile, "they are all on board."
" Well, send these men below, I wish to see
the deck." " I am sorry to say, sir, the main-
deck and orlop - deck are both crowded,
there is not room for another man below."
" Oh, nonsense, Colonel ! Here Captain ,"
calling to his aide-de-camp, "go down and see
what room there is below." Down he went,
but before two minutes were over he was
54 EARL Y REMINISCENCES
carried up again by some of the men, having
fainted dead away from the heat and stench.
The General then got up on to the poop, which
was crowded with women and children. Going
up the ladder he caught sight of the men
drawn up on the chains outside the ship, on
which he exclaimed, '' Come, Colonel, this
will never do ! You have no business to let
the men go out there!" "I am very sorry,
sir," he replied most blandly, "but I have no
other place for them, unless I put them in the
tops." The case was too palpable, the Gene-
ral immediately ordered the Quartermaster -
General to take two officers, some women, and
a hundred men off the ship ; even then we
went to sea in an awfully crowded state. Our
cuddy was so small that we were obliged to
have three dinners, — one for the nurses and
children, one for the ladies, and a third for
ourselves. Two officers having gone ashore,
I got one of the berths in the cuddy.
Colonel Wetherall's arrangements on board
were admirable, and we were fortunate enough
to have no illness.
Our captain was a very rough old fellow.
THE SHIP'S GROG 55
The first evening we were at sea he came up
on the poop, and, seeing poor Ensign Gore
lying on the deck awfully sea-sick, went up to
him, and by way of consolation said, " I say,
youngster ! Don't you wish your mother kept
a vinegar shop, and you were at home bottling
it?"
The Catherine Stewart Forbes, with a wing
of the 85th Light Infantry on board, sailed
out of Cork harbour in company with us ; but
we saw nothing more of her till we got on
to the banks, when one very foggy night we
heard sentries challenging close astern of us.
We remained quite quiet, and when they had
challenged all round, one of our men shouted
out, *' No. I, and all's very well." Next morn-
ing we were sailing alongside of one another.
I and Lieutenant Humphries went on board
their ship to dine, and two of their officers
came and dined at our mess ; after our crowded
decks their ship looked quite empty. That
night we parted company, and never met
again ; they were bound for Halifax.
The grog, which was served out to the men
daily, was mixed in a large tub kept for the
56 EARL V REMINISCENCES
purpose. The men had to pass along as their
names were called, and drink it at the tub.
When all had drunk, there was usually a good
drop left, and the officer on duty was obliged
to see it all thrown overboard. I observed
that the men always threw it over the bulwark
at exactly the same place near the poop.
When I was next on duty I thought I should
like to see where it went, so just as the men
were lifting it up I walked up the steps
leading to the poop ; from there I saw a young
scoundrel of a sailor boy standing in the chains
with a large bucket, and as the men poured the
grog over he caught it, and afterwards retailed
it to the soldiers.
During the voyage Colonel Wetherall em-
ployed me to make plans and drawings of every
part of the transport to accompany his report,
which was afterwards brought before Parliament
and served me a good turn.
It was a splendid day in August when we
came in sight of Quebec. As we cleared the
island of Orleans the view was most beautiful,
with the Falls of Montmorency on our right,
the fine expanse of open water in front of
A FAIRY SCENE
57
Beauport before us, the city of Quebec
with its glittering tin roofs rising Hke a gem
from the water, and the pretty point Levis on
the left, looking quite like a fairy scene.
When we arrived at Quebec, the General,
Sir John Colborne, refused to allow the whole
FALLS OF MONTMORENCY
of the 79th Highlanders, the regiment we were
to relieve, to be put on board The Maitland,
but hired a second ship to take part of them,
for which the authorities at home declined to
pay, but they had to do so at last. Colonel
VVetherall's report had a good effect ; troops
were never sent out in such a disgraceful
manner after that.
58 EARL V REMINISCENCES
We had been about five weeks on our
voyage, having had fair weather and, generally
speaking, light winds ; but one morning, on the
banks, we were sailing in a thick fog with every-
thing set — flying-jibs, royals, sky-sails, etc. The
sea was quite calm, when suddenly a slight
rustle was heard, and in a moment we were
down on our beam ends rushing through the
water in a heavy squall. There was a
tremendous commotion, hallooing and letting
go of halliards, crashing of spars, and splitting
of sails. After a while we righted again
and everything was still, and we were left
rolling about a miserable spectacle, our fore-
topgallant -mast and flying jib-boom gone, a
number of sails split, and the rest all nohow.
The fog had cleared off, and we found a
merchant barque close to us ; she had got
through the squall without any damage. Half-
way up the St. Lawrence we met her again ;
she had been up to Quebec, and was on her
way down. Her captain politely inquired where
we were bound for; the rough reply was
" Kamtschatka." He then reminded our skipper
that he was in company with us when we
QUEBEC 59
carried away our topgallant -mast and jib-
boom. We had no other adventures, and
having landed at Quebec, marched up to the
Citadel.
Quebec, to me, was a perfect paradise. The
scenery was beautiful, the country round
abounded with lakes and streams full of trout,
and the people were most kind and hospit-
able. At that time the Earl of Gosford was
Governor, and he had associated with him Sir
George Gipps and Sir Charles Grey, who con-
stituted a commission. His lordship was very
kind to me, and I often dined at Government
House two or three times in the week. Sir
John Colborne and Lady Colborne, to whom
I had introductions, were also very kind
to me. I knew many of the inhabitants —
Chief- Justice Sewell, Judge Bowen, Monsieur
Buchesney and his two charming daughters,
the Burstalls, Prices, etc. My principal friends
in my own regiment were Captain John
Mayne, Ned Wetherall, Lieutenant Urquhart,
Ormsby, our great theatrical manager, and
Lord Charles Beauclerk, who was my fishing
companion. In the 66th Regiment I also
6o
EARL V REMINISCENCES
had several friends — Lord Cochrane, Grattan,
Biscoe, and Johnny Vivian, etc.
In September I got a short leave of absence,
and went up to see the Falls of Niagara,
passing through Montreal, Kingston, and
Toronto. I returned by the United States side
NIAGARA FALLS
of Lake Ontario through Buffalo, Rochester,
Oswego, Sackets Harbour, and Ogdensburg.
Since that time the " Table Rock " has fallen
down, and the shape of the falls has very
much altered.
I went to Buffalo with an American
gentleman, who was very kind and civil to
me. He introduced me to several people.
A SUCCESSFUL FORGER 6i
amongst others to the gentleman who kept
the great hotel — always a most useful intro-
duction in the United States. On my journey
down through that part of the State of
New York I observed one man's name on
all the stage-coaches, most of the public -
houses, — in fact, on pretty nearly everything.
I was told the name was that of a gentleman
who had made an enormous fortune and
owned almost everything in that part of the
country. He was very popular, as he had not
only made his own colossal fortune, but had
enabled many others to make money, and had
started a great deal of good business in the
district.
Not long afterwards I heard he was to be
tried for forgery. It turned out that he had
commenced all his work on forged bills,
but having been successful he had bought
them all up but one, and that one was
the only evidence against him. It was only
for a small sum, but he could not get hold of
it. The interest of the whole country was
exerted on his behalf, but the court of justice
was inexorable ; the unfortunate man was con-
62 EARL Y REMINISCENCES
victed on the evidence of that one bill, and
sentenced accordingly.
After my return to Quebec, we got up
some good theatricals. I was a smooth-faced
boy then, so I was enlisted for the ladies'
parts, and got great applause for my " Caroline
Dorma " in The Heir-at-Lazv, and for my
" Ravina " in the Miller and his Men.
Our tableaux vivants, too, were very
successful, especially that of the death of
Wolfe, which created great interest, being so
near the spot where it occurred. It was taken
from the celebrated picture by West. Lord
Charles Beauclerk was Wolfe, Johnny Vivian
the Indian chief (Ticompsey), Colonel Wetherall
the doctor, Humphries the tall grenadier, Ned
Wetherall the officer with the colour.
I made several trips to the Jacques Cartier,
a charming little salmon-river, and there made
acquaintance with Dr. Henry, a well-known
fisherman, who gave me some valuable lessons
in salmon fishing and tying flies.
In the winter I got a sleigh and a pair of
horses, and learnt to drive tandem (we had
a very good driving club).
WINTER PICNICS 63
That year there was a "smooth pont,"
which means that the ice opposite Quebec
" took " or froze quite smooth, which is a very
rare occurrence ; usually it is packed up in
masses of rough blocks of ice. I made an
ice-boat to sail on it, which went at a fearful
pace and beat to windward beautifully, but
required careful management. Once or twice,
going about too quickly, I sent my passengers
flying all across the river.
Winter picnics were much the fashion. We
used to drive out in our sleighs, each taking a
lady — commonly called a muffin — and a share
of the dinner. A band was also sent out, and
there were several good rooms in habitants'
houses that were used for these parties. After
dinner we danced for several hours, then drove
home together on the snow roads, all in a long
string of sleighs, by moonlight, which was often
nearly as light as day. These drives were most
charming ; and on a still night to hear all the
sleigh - bells jingling as the horses trotted
merrily along was most fascinating, to say
nothing of the young lady who was rolled up
in the warm fur robes by your side !
CHAPTER VII
Death of William IV.- — Accession of Queen Victoria — Com-
mencement of Canadian Rebellion — Rebels drilling —
Meets of foxhounds and six counties — Duels — Expedi-
tion to St. Charles and St. Denis.
The following year (1837) we were ordered
up to Montreal and quartered in the Quebec
Gate Barracks. Our mess - house was at
first in Francois Xavier Street, afterwards
in Dalhousie Square, next to the 32nd
Light Infantry mess. In the month of July
we heard of the death of King William IV.
and the accession of Queen Victoria, and had
a grand parade on the Champ de Mars to
swear allegiance to her gracious Majesty.
During this year the measures adopted
by our Government created much discontent
amongst the French Canadians in Lower
Canada, and they commenced to arm and
organise their population in preparation for
REBELS DRILLING 65
Open rebellion ; at the same time the British
troops were left perfectly unsupported by their
own authorities.
The rebels drilled on our parade grounds,
and complained if they were interfered with.
I remember one day walking up to the old
racecourse with several officers of the 32nd
Regiment to see a battalion of Canadians drill.
One of my friends remarked that they were
nothing but children and boys, on which a
gentleman, who was standing near, came up
and accosted him, saying, ''Sir, you have
insulted my comrades ; I demand satisfaction."
"Certainly," replied my friend, handing his
card. He was Captain Broadley, a well-known
and very celebrated shot ; we heard no more of
the patriot.
A little later on, Lieutenant Ormsby of the
Royals was going his rounds one night on
garrison duty, when the sentry of the com-
missariat office complained to him that two
gentlemen, who were still standing near, had
been trying to force him off his post and take
his musket from him. Ormsby replied in an
audible voice, "If the gentlemen come near
F
66 EARL V REMINISCENCES
you again you have your bayonet, use it, and
I'll take the consequences." One of the
Canadians immediately stepped up and said
he held him responsible for an insult offered
to him in the streets ; and so unsupported were
the military at the time that he felt himself
obliged to accept the challenge and exchange
shots with the patriot. Captain Mayne of the
Royals was his second. We had a meeting of
our officers before they went out, and we directed
Mayne to take Ormsby off the ground after the
first shot whatever happened, and refer their
opponents to us. They met and fired without
effect; Mayne then did as he was instructed,
the opposing second intimating that he should
hold him personally responsible.
Our mess-room at that time wa6 in a narrow
street, and the rebel orderly-room or office was
opposite to it. In the afternoon the Canadians
sent over a message to know what Mayne
intended to do ; the officers replied that they
had determined that no other officer was to
accept a challenge, and that a reference would
be made to the military authorities. The
whole affair was reported to Sir John Colborne,
FOX-HUNTING 67
who, of course, disapproved of the duel, but
allowed there was much to be said on our side.
We were not troubled any more after that.
We had a pack of foxhounds at Montreal,
and we often went across to the other side of
the river to hunt. Our favourite meet was on
board the horse ferry-boat that crossed below
the city to Longueil. One day we met as
usual and found some Canadian gentlemen on
board. We learned that they were going over
to the great meeting of the six counties at St.
Charles. Monsieur Papineau, the leader of the
rebellion, was with them, and it so happened
that the well-known pugilist. Deaf Bourke, who
was making a professional tour in America, was
with us. When he heard who was on board,
we had the greatest difficulty in preventing
him going up on the raised deck, where the
Canadians were sitting, to give the rebel a
sound thrashing, as he said he was sure that
would settle all the disturbances.
When we landed on the other side we found
an escort of very young lads, mounted on
ponies and armed with long guns. We forth-
with mounted our hunters and charged them.
68 EARL Y REMINISCENCES
hunting-whips in hand, on which they fled,
scampering away down to the village. Papineau
stole off by another road.
On the 14th October 1837 there was a great
meeting of the loyal party in Montreal, and
disturbances were expected. The troops were
kept in barracks ready to turn out ; everything,
however, went off quietly until late in the
afternoon. I heard that Mr. Johnston, Mr.
Campbell Sweeny, Mr. M'Cord, and others
had spoken very well and decidedly on the
platform.
After the meeting was over the Loyalists
and Canadians happened to come into collision
and a great fight ensued. The alarm was
sounded and the troops were soon under arms.
We took possession of the ends of Notre- Dame
Street and St. Paul Street, and guarded all the
intermediate avenues to them, and also held
the Champ de Mars with a battery of Royal
Artillery. The Loyalists, who were from that
time called the "Axe-handle Guards," from the
weapon they fought with, continued to fight
through the suburbs all that evening and far
into the night.
VOLUNTEER CAVALRY 69
Next morning I was sent for by Sir John
Colborne and ordered off to Toronto with de-
spatches to Sir Francis Bond, Head Governor
of the Upper Province, asking him for more
troops if he could spare them. Sir Francis
repHed he could spare all the troops from
Upper Canada, with the exception of the
detachment at Bytown; and the 24th Regiment
was at once sent down. These despatches
were much spoken of afterwards.
On my return from Toronto, Colonel Gore,
the Deputy Quartermaster -General, who had
seen my plans and drawings of The Maitland,
selected me to serve on his staff.
We had no Field-Artillery, but there were
both officers and men of the Garrison Artillery
in the country, and guns and harness in store.
Our General authorised horses to be bought,
and a very respectable field-battery was soon
organised and equipped.
Towards the end of October a party of
eighteen of the Montreal Volunteer Cavalry
were sent to St. John's to arrest some suspected
persons and bring them back to Montreal. I
was sent down to the horse ferry at Hochelaga
70 EARL V REMINISCENCES
with a party of regular troops to bring them
across the St. Lawrence and escort them to
the prison. We waited a long time expecting
them, and at length we got a report that firing
had been heard in the distance, and then the
Cavalry came straggling in one by one, several
of them wounded ; last of all came a fine plucky
little fellow who had been a troop Sergeant-
Major in the 7th Hussars — I think his name
was Sharp. Although he was badly wounded
he had remained behind to cover the retreat
of his party. He told me they had been
attacked from behind the fences near Chambly
by two or three hundred men armed with long
guns, and that their prisoners had been rescued
from them.
Not long after this it was deemed expedient
to send a military force to endeavour to arrest
certain rebel leaders who had established them-
selves on the line of the Richelieu river. For
this purpose a combined movement was planned
in the following manner : —
Lieutenant-Colonel Wetherall, with six com-
panies of Infantry and two light six -pounder
field-guns, was to cross the Richelieu at
ADVANCE ON ST. DENIS 71
Chambly and move, by night, down the right
bank of the river on St. Charles, a distance
of about 19 miles; Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes
of the 24th Regiment, with five companies and
a twelve-pounder Howitzer, was to move from
Sorel up the right bank of the river on St.
Denis, which was not supposed to be strongly
held, a distance of about 21 miles, also by
night ; the two forces to appear simultaneously
before their respective destinations. Colonel
Hughes was then to push on to St. Charles.
Colonel the Hon. Charles Gore was named
to take command of the whole expedition,
but he was to accompany Lieutenant-Colonel
Hughes's force. I went with him.
At ten o'clock on the night of the 26th
November the troops of Colonel Hughes's
column turned out in the barrack square at
Sorel ; the rain was pouring down in torrents,
and the night was as dark as pitch. We were
to move by a back road, called the Pot-au-
Beurre road, in order to avoid passing through
St. Ours, which was held by the rebels.
I got a lantern, fastened it to the top of a
pole, and had it carried in front of the column ;
72 EARL V REMINISCENCES
but what with horses and men sinking in the
mud, harness breaking, wading through water,
and winding through woods, the Httle force
soon got separated, those in rear lost sight of
the Hght, and great delays and difficulties
were experienced. Towards morning the rain
changed into snow and it became very cold,
and daybreak found the unfortunate column
still floundering in the half-frozen mud 4 miles
from St. Denis.
It soon became evident that the rebels were
on the alert ; the church bells were heard in
the distance ringing the alarm, and parties of
skirmishers appeared on our left flank. As the
column approached nearer to St. Denis we
found all the bridges broken up. Without
much delay I managed to reconstruct them
strong enough to bear the Howitzer, and the
column continued to advance. Captain Mark-
ham leading. On reaching the outskirts of
the village the rebels opened a brisk fire on
us. Markham pushed on, taking house after
house, until his progress was arrested by a
stockade across the road and a large, fortified
brick-house well flanked on all sides.
A SHARP ENGAGEMENT 73
Captain Crompton with a company of the
66th, and Captain Maitland with a company
of the 24th, were then brought up and the
Howitzer came into action. The engagement
was kept up until a late hour in the afternoon ;
the enemy had a very strong position and
appeared to increase in numbers. Captain
Markham succeeding in taking one of the
flanking - houses, but in doing so he was
severely wounded, receiving two balls in the
neck and a wound across the knee. Several
of his men also were hit. At length, as the
men had had nothing to eat since the previous
day and the ammunition had fallen short,
Colonel Gore deemed it necessary to withdraw
his force. We had no ambulance or transport
of any kind, so we were obliged to leave our
wounded behind ; there were seventeen of them,
their wounds had been dressed and they were
put in beds in one house (six men had been
killed). Markham's men were first withdrawn
from the flanking- house ; they brought away
their favourite captain with them under a
heavy fire from the fortified house. On his
way back he was again shot through the calf
74 EARL V REMINISCENCES
of the leg, and one of the men, a corporal,
carrying him was wounded in the foot. The
other bearer was a sergeant. They had to
come across a rough ploughed-field frozen hard.
As soon as they got near the road we ran out
and lifted them over the fence ; we then placed
poor Markham in the only cart which remained
with the column and sent him to the rear.
We retreated for a short distance along the
road we had advanced by, and then crossed
over a bridge to the left in order to march
by the front road. Lieutentant-Colonel Hughes,
conducting the rear-guard with great coolness
and determination, soon stopped the rebels, who
were following us.
Night came on, and it continued to freeze
very hard. After we had crossed the bridge
the gun-horses completely broke down. Lieu-
tenant Newcoman, R.A., assisted by Colonel
Hughes's rear-guard, did everything in their
power to save the Howitzer. I got Crompton's
horse and put it in with my own as leaders,
doing driver myself. We then succeeded in
moving the gun a short distance, but it stuck
fast again and got frozen firm into the ground.
A DIFFICULT RETREAT 7S
At last the ammunition that remained was
thrown into the river, and the Howitzer was
spiked and abandoned.
We continued to retreat during the night,
many of the men nearly barefooted, for the
Canadian moccasins, which they had been
given, were soon cut through by the frozen
earth and ice.
Towards morning the column passed through
St. Ours. I was riding my lame horse (he
had been slightly wounded) by the side of
Lieutenant Inglis,^ 32 nd Regiment. All the
houses were lighted up and we expected to be
attacked every moment ; fortunately, however,
we got through unmolested. On reaching a
large farmhouse beyond the village Colonel
Gore ordered a halt, and the men were glad
to lie down in the barns half dead with hunger
and fatigue. I managed to find the farmer's
stock of potatoes, and got a sufficient number
boiled to give each man three or four before
the march was resumed.
Next morning, soon after leaving the farm-
^ Afterwards Sir John Inglis, celebrated for his most
gallant defence of Lucknow.
76 EARL V REMINISCENCES
house, we met a reinforcement of two guns and
a small escort of Infantry that had been sent
to our assistance. There was a long consulta-
tion as to whether we should advance again or
not, but the men, without shoes and food and
having very little ammunition, were evidently
unfit for a renewed effort, so it was decided to
return to Sorel, refit and reorganise, and then
go forward with a better chance of success.
Colonel Gore went up to Montreal in the
steamer Varenne, and I went with him. He
heard from Sir John Colborne that Colonel
Wetherall's column had only succeeded in
getting to St. Hilaire, about half-way to St.
Charles, the first day, which accounted for. the
force opposed to us increasing towards the end
of the action at St. Denis ; he there halted and
sent back for reinforcements and provisions.
Finally he advanced, and took St. Charles
brilliantly.
There is nothing like success ; Colonel
Wetherall was lauded up to the sky, while my
poor master, Colonel Gore, was condemned.
At the same time, had he halted or turned
back during our advance, and had Colonel
DEFENCE OF MONTREAL 77
Wetherall been defeated at St. Charles in
consequence of our not having arrived at St.
Denis, what would have been said then ?
My name was mentioned in despatches,
which appeared in the London Gazette of
Tuesday 26th December 1837.
Montreal was put into a state of defence,
and was surrounded by a cordon of stockades
and defences ; only three or four gates were
left open, and guards were placed at each of
them.
CHAPTER VIII
Second expedition to St. Denis — Monsieur Papineau — St.
Eustache — A hair's-breadth escape.
On his return to Sorel I accompanied Colonel
Gore, who had obtained all he required at
Montreal, and we again advanced on St. Denis
with eight companies of Infantry and two guns.
The first day we marched to St. Ours, and
there halted for the night ; on the following
day we advanced to St. Denis. On our arrival
there we found that the rebels had made con-
siderable preparations to resist our attack, and
had thrown up some very fair works, but had,
at the last moment, abandoned them and dis-
persed. We recovered our Howitzer.
Colonel Gore then marched on with a part
of his force to St. Charles, leaving the remainder
at St. Denis.
Previous to the departure of the first expedi-
A BRUTAL MURDER 79
tion, Lieutenant Weir of the 32nd Regiment
had been sent on by road to get everything
prepared at Sorel for the advance; but, in conse-
quence of the heavy rains, the roads were so bad
that he did not arrive until after we had started
on our night march. Finding we had gone on,
he endeavoured to catch us up by driving after
us in a caleche. Knowing the country, he
insisted on the driver taking the front road,
not beheving we had marched by the Pot-au-
Beurre road ; consequently very early in the
morning, having passed us, he arrived at the
stockade at St. Denis, and, being stopped by
the rebel sentry, asked where the troops were.
That was the first intimation they had of our
advance ; he was at once made prisoner.
When the action commenced, Nelson, the
rebel -commander, sent him to the rear for
better safety. He was tied hand and foot,
put into a cart, and taken away under escort.
Going through the village he was brutally
murdered by the escort. While we were away
at St. Charles, Lieutenant Griffin of the 32nd
Regiment volunteered to search for his body.
We arrived at St. Charles in the afternoon,
8o EA RL V REMINISCENCES
and intelligence having been brought in that
Monsieur Papineau, the leader of the rebellion,
was at the house of Madame , at St.
Hyacinthe, Colonel Gore instructed me to go
on with a party of soldiers in sleighs as soon as
it was dark and endeavour to arrest him. All
arrangements were most carefully made, the
bells taken off the horses, and the men ordered
to keep perfect silence, etc.
At the appointed hour we started, I leading
with a good guide by my side. About midnight
we drew up in front of a large house, with an
extensive farmyard and numerous barns and
out-buildings. I instantly ran round with some
men in one direction, sending a sergeant in
the other, and we posted a chain of sentries all
round the premises meeting at the back. I
then placed men to watch the out-buildings,
barns, stables, etc.
Having done this I went to the house and
knocked. Madame , a charming old
lady, very nicely dressed, appeared, and re-
ceived me with great civility, and showed me
all over the house. I observed she was
particularly anxious that I should not miss a
MONSIEUR P A PINE A U
single hole or corner ; she opened every cup-
board, and then took me down to the cellars,
where there was a splendid store of vegetables
and fruit for the winter. It was evident to
me that her object was to gain time, but of
course she did not know that I had a com-
plete chain of sentries all round the place,
and that every building was watched. I
failed to find my man, but felt certain he
was not far off.
Many years after I happened to meet
Monsieur Papineau at a party at Montreal
given by Lord Monck, the Governor-General.
I was introduced to him, and found him
a charming old gentleman. He said, *' I
hear you were the officer who came ' to call
on me' at Madame 's in 1837. You
little knew how nearly you took me. Do
you remember a deep ditch at the back of
the farmyard running away into the fields ? '*
I told him I remembered it well, for I had
some difficulty in getting across it. "Well,"
said he, *'you did yoiir work admirably, for
though we were on the watch, I had only just
time to run away down that wet ditch before
G
82 EARL V REMINISCENCES
your sentries met. I remained in a small bit
of bush not far off till daylight."
From St. Hyacinthe I returned to St.
Charles, and next day we all went back to
St. Denis. Lieutenant Griffin reported that
he had discovered the body of poor Jock Weir
under a heap of stones ; a little girl had shown
him where it was, and had told him all about
the murder. Poor fellow, he was hacked about
the head apparently with an axe, and some of
his fingers were split ; he appeared to have
endeavoured to save his head with his hands,
which were tied together. We carried his
body back to Montreal, and it was buried with
full military honours — a most impressive cere-
mony— all the newly-raised volunteer battalions
were in the procession as well as the line
regiments.
After these expeditions I was appointed
Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General.
As soon as Sir John Colborne had realised
the critical state of the Provinces, he had written
to Halifax and England for more troops. One
battalion, the 83rd, had already been sent up
to Quebec by the river in a man-of-war steamer
ADVANCE ON ST. EUSTACHE 83
at the request of Lord Gosford. Later on the
43rd Light Infantry, the 85th Light Infantry,
and 34th Regiment were sent up by the
Portage or Temisquata road, the navigation of
the St. Lawrence beingf closed for the winter.
What with the reinforcements that had
arrived and the volunteer battalions which had
been organised, we began to feel a little more
confident in our power, and Sir John Colborne
determined to advance on St. Eustache, which
was said to be held by a considerable number
of rebels. The force destined for this expedi-
tion consisted of a Field- Battery, Royal Artillery
(four guns and two Howitzers), a Rocket-Troop,
a detachment of Montreal Volunteer Cavalry,
the ist or Royal Regiment, the 32nd Light
Infantry, 83rd Regiment, and three companies
of Montreal Volunteers. The Infantry was
divided into two brigades, the first under
Colonel Maitland, the second under Colonel
Wetherall.
On Wednesday 13th December 1837 we
marched to St. Martins. I was sent on to tell
off the respective quarters in the village, and
Sir John Colborne with his staff and about
84 EARL V REMINISCENCES
eighty of the Montreal Cavalry followed later
in the day. The Field- Battery, Rocket-Troop,
and all the transport waggons were on runners,
that is on sleigh carriages, the snow being
deep.
The following morning, instead of moving
on by the direct road to St. Eustache, we
were ordered to march straight to the Ottawa
River, a distance of about 6 miles, and cross
it on the ice, one company of volunteers,
Captain Globinski's, marching by the direct
road. The ice on the Ottawa had only
frozen across the day before. As officer of
the Quartermaster-General's department, I was
ordered to take charge of the crossing of
the whole column — no easy task, the ice being
very thin and uncertain. Every precaution
had to be taken ; the men were extended and
made to break step, the horses were led over
one by one, and the guns and waggons were
dragged across by long ropes, the road being
frequently changed. I got everything safe
over, till firing was heard in front ; an old
major of Artillery then became excited, and
insisted on taking a tumbril across with its
CROSSING THE OTTAWA 85
horses in and drivers riding. The ice began
to crack, the horses began to trot, and in the
whole thing went. The fussy major galloped
away to the front, leaving me to get his waggon
and horses out of the water the best way I
could. A first-rate fellow of the commissariat
department came to my assistance with some
ropes, and we managed to save the horses, get
the waggon out, and send it up into action,
though the river was so deep that we had to
lie down on the ice and reach the whole length
of our arms into the water in order to fasten
ropes to the points of the shafts. I was told
afterwards that the ammunition out of the
boxes w^as fired that day in action ; if so, it
speaks well for the waterproof boxes from
Woolwuch.
When approaching the village, one brigade
with the Field- Battery continued to advance
on the road running parallel to the river ; the
other brigade turned off to the right and went
across to the end of the street leading down
the centre of the village, at right angles to the
river.
Lines of skirmishers from the village met
86 EARL V REMINISCENCES
the riverside brigade and opened fire on them,
but soon retired. The Field - Battery then
opened fire on the church and stone buildings
around it, but there was no reply ; so Sir John
Colborne, seeing that the houses were empty
and that everything was quiet, thought the
rebels had retired and abandoned the place.
He therefore sent Brigade-Major Dickson and
his aide-de-camp down the main street, facing
the great stone church, with orders to bring
round the other brigade into the village.
As soon as they got down near the church
a rattling fire was opened on them, and they
narrowly escaped with their lives ; it was now
evident that there was yet to be a fight.
One of the Howitzers was brought round
into the main street, and an attempt was made
to batter in the big doors of the church, but
this failed. Ned Wetherall of the Royals
then managed to creep round behind the
houses, and get into a large stone house that
was at right angles to the front of the church
and to windward of it ; he there upset the
burning stove on the floor, and pulled every
inflammable thing he could find over it. In
A FIGHT IN A CHURCH 87
a few minutes the whole place was on fire,
and volumes of smoke mantled the front of
the church.
Colonel Wetherall took advantage of this
and advanced his regiment under cover of the
smoke at the double down the street. I jumped
off my horse and went on with them. We got
round to the back of the church and found a
small door leading into the sacristy, which we
battered in, and Ormsby and I rushed in
followed by some of our men. We then turned
to our left and went into the main body of the
church, which appeared quite dark, the windows
being barricaded ; here the rebels began firing
down on our heads. We could not get up to
them for the staircases were broken down, so
Ormsby lighted a fire behind the altar and got
his men out.
The firing from the church windows then
ceased, and the rebels began running out from
some low windows apparently of a crypt or
cellar. Our men formed up on one side of the
church, and the 32nd and 83rd on the other.
Some of the rebels ran out and fired at the
troops, then threw down their arms and begged
88 EARL V REMINISCENCES
for quarter. Our officers tried to save the
Canadians, but the men shouted '' Remember
Jock Weir," and numbers of these poor deluded
fellows were shot down.
A rather amusing incident happened during
the fight. I happened to ride up from the ice,
to report to the General that all the troops
were safe over, just as he ordered the Rocket-
Troop to come into action and fire into the
church a heavy rocket, a venerable survivor of
the Peninsular War. The Ordnance Depart-
ment imagined, I believe, that rockets would
improve like port wine by keeping ; the result
was that, when it was fired, instead of rising it
fell and, not clearing a wooden fence in front
of the troop, broke its long tail short off.
The huge head went whirling and twirling,
whizzing and fizzing, all over a ploughed
field in the most frightful manner. There
was a general stampede, — Headquarter Staff,
Rocket - Troop, and all took flight. A
volunteer was literally chased round the field
by the horrible thing ; at last he fell down
between the furrows ; it passed over him and
fizzed itself out with a final bang. Shortly
MONTREAL 89
after, having taken sundry glances right and
left to see if all was safe, the man jumped up,
ran off, and, I am told, never stopped till he got
safe back to Montreal.
The following day Sir John Colborne
marched on to St. Benoit, where we were met
by a splendid brigade of the Glengarry High-
landers, but as there was no further resistance
the force returned to Montreal.
After this there were many alarms and
some expeditions to make arrests, but no more
serious fighting that winter with the French
Canadians, though the American sympathisers
and filibusters continued to give trouble.
Montreal, between the expeditions, was very
gay, and there were plenty of balls and parties.
The troops continued to arrive from
Halifax by the Portage road. In December
the disturbances extended to Upper Canada,
and Sir Francis Head narrowly escaped being
made prisoner in his own capital. Later on
he was attacked by the sympathisers, but
repulsed them.
In the early spring of this year (1838) I
had a very narrow escape. I had been to
90 EARL V REMINISCENCES
Hemmingford on duty, and when returning to
Montreal I heard that all the winter roads
across the ice were broken up, the only possible
crossing I could hear of being at the back of
Nun's Island. I drove there, and found two
able-bodied habitants willing to put me across.
I walked over a very broad bordage of ice to their
canoe, and saw that in front of me the river was
clear of fixed ice to the island, but the stream
was very rapid and full of floating fields of ice ;
to my left was the Great Lachine rapid roaring
down in all its majesty. Looking to my right
down the stream I could see that the river
divided into two channels, the nearer becoming
a wild rushing rapid and then disappearing be-
neath the ice, while the farther one flowed away
more tranquilly round the lower end of Nun's
Island. Between the two there was a mass of
ice terminating at the upper end in a high cape
that projected up stream and had been worn to
quite a sharp edge by the action of the water.
From this cape there ran a high, perpendicular
cliff to the chasm where the water rushed under
the ice. Our object was to paddle quickly
across the rapid water and gain the more quiet
A DESPERATE SITUATION 91
water on the opposite side, well above the ice-
cape, knowing that to be drawn into the rapid
channel on the near side of it would be certain
death. We dragged the canoe up the ice to
give us a little more distance from danger, and
then pushed off, one of my two men astern
guiding and paddling, the other kneeling in front
paddling hard, I sitting on the bottom in the
centre. All went well to the middle of the rapid
water, when a large low field of ice, partly sunk
under water, struck the canoe and went under
her like a wedge. It lifted us up nearly high
and dry, and away we went whirling round and
round on the field of ice, drifting to destruction.
One of the Canadians fell on his knees and
began to pray, the other sat motionless as if
petrified. I sprang up, seized a spare paddle,
dealt one a wipe over the head with it and
shouted to the other ; this brought them to their
senses, and we set to work to launch our canoe
off the ice. Once more we were free, but had
lost a lot of distance. We all three set to work
to paddle literally for our lives. Our canoe
flew through the water, but the stream became
more and more rapid as we drifted nearer and
92 EA RL V REMINISCENCES
nearer to danger, and we knew too well if we
were carried down below the ice-cape we were
lost. At last a desperate effort forced the
canoe across the end of the cape. She struck
heavily about midships against the sharp edge.
Balancing between life and death, I grasped the
slippery ice with my hands and called to the
man in the stern to come and help me haul
ahead, while the other continued to paddle. It
was a moment of awful suspense. At first the
canoe seemed to hang back ; we renewed our
efforts, and at length felt that she was gradually
sliding forwards. We then saw her bow turning
gradually, and she swung round and floated
down the quiet channel — we were saved !
CHAPTER IX
Down to Quebec — Arrival of Guards — Lord Durham — Sym-
pathisers— Invasion of Canada — Guards' campaign — Poor
Jack Saville — A sad story — MiHtar>' survey — Aremarkable
goose.
Later on in the spring the Quartermaster-
General went down to Quebec, and I accom-
panied him. One of my duties was to board
all ships arriving with troops, and send the corps
on up the country or land them at Quebec.
The ice-bridge across the St. Lawrence in
front of Quebec had taken that year, and was
somewhat late in breaking up. On the morn-
ing of 9th May I was watching it from the
Citadel at the turn of the tide, when I perceived
symptoms of a break ; a few minutes later the
whole thing broke up and floated down the
river. The ice had not long gone out of sight
when I saw a sail appear in the distance, and
up went a flag at our signal-station announcing
94 EARL V REMINISCENCES
the arrival of a troopship, then another went
up announcing the approach of a frigate, then
another for a Hne-of-battle ship, and another
for a transport. They sailed up and anchored
all together — a beautiful sight. The Edinburgh,
the Inconstant, the Apollo, and the Atholl, with
a brigade of Guards on board, under the com-
mand of General Sir James Macdonell. It
consisted of the 2nd Battalion Grenadier
Guards in the Apollo and Inconstant, and the
2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards in the Edin-
burgh and Atholl. They were landed next day,
and quartered in the Citadel and Jesuit Barracks.
On the 28th May Lord Durham arrived in
H.M.S. Hastings, as Governor-General, with
extraordinary powers. The Houses of Parlia-
ment at Quebec had been fitted up for his re-
ception, regardless of expense, and he lived
there for some months in great pomp and
splendour. At about the same time a number
of ships arrived, and we had a fine fleet at
Quebec. The Cornwallis (with Admiral Sir
C. Paget on board), the Hastings, Malabar,
Edinburgh, Hercules, Pique, Inconstant, Andro-
mache, Vestal, Pearl, and the Medea steamer.
THE FIRST STEAMSHIPS 95
The Queen's birthday was celebrated at
Quebec that year in a novel and very effective
manner. The troops v^ere drawn up all round
the parapets of the Citadel after dark, and fired
a " feu de joie." The Artillery fired a royal
salute, and the ships saluted and manned yards,
each bluejacket with a blue light in his hand.
It was a brilliant sight.
Lord Durham's entertainments at what was
then called '* The Castle" were splendid. He
first introduced the '' Russian " style of dinner.
All the dishes were handed round. Nothing
but flowers and fruit and ornaments were on
the table, and the cloth was not removed for
dessert. At the end of the dinner, his lord-
ship rose and took his lady back to the draw-
ing-room ; all the other gentlemen followed
with their ladies, nobody remaining behind.
On the 23rd April, St. George's Day, the
Sirius and Great Western steamships arrived
at New York, the first that had ever crossed
the Atlantic under steam. The Sirius claimed
to have been the first, as she started from
England four days before the Great Western.
Several regiments arrived in Canada during
96 EARL V REMINISCENCES
this year : the 7th Hussars, under Colonel
White, usually called Jack White, an excellent
horseman ; the King's Dragoon Guards, under
Colonel Cathcart;^ the 71st Highland Light
Infantry, under the command of Colonel
Charles Grey ; ^ the 73rd in August, and the
93rd and 65th Regiments in October and
November.
In June I heard that the Governor-General
had issued an ordinance decreeing that five of
the most prominent rebels who had confessed
their participation in high treason, and sixteen
others who had absconded, amongst whom
were my friends Monsieur Papineau, and
Nelson, who commanded at St. Denis, should
be transported to Bermuda.
This ordinance was attacked in our Imperial
Parliament by Lord Brougham and others,
was ultimately declared to be illegal, and the
prisoners were released. This led to the
resignation of Lord Durham, late in the autumn,
when the navigation had already closed. The
1 Afterwards General Sir George Cathcart, who fell at the
Battle of Inkermann.
2 Afterwards Sir Charles Grey, Private Secretary to Her
Majesty the Queen.
SYMPATHISERS 97
Governor-General had consequently to make
his exit from Canada by the Kennebec road
in a stage-coach, which was furnished by the
contractor, Mr. Hough. The wags said his
lordship had gone away in a huff
Towards the autumn we obtained reliable
information of a very extensive organisation of
rebels and sympathisers in the Upper Province,
and extending down to the frontier of the
Lower Province. A determined lodgment was
made by the sympathisers on Navy Island in
the Niagara river, not f^r above the falls. This
was broken up principally by the Upper Canada
Militia. During the operations, Colonel M'Nab
captured a steamer named the Caroline that
was carrying provisions and munitions of war
to the rebels, set her on fire, and sent her
down over the falls.
Another attempt was made near Prescott,
where the sympathisers took up a strong
position around a stone mill. Colonel Dundas,
assisted by Captain Sandom, R.N., was sent
from Kingston to oppose them with four com-
panies of the 83rd, two heavy guns, and a
Howitzer. They succeeded in dislodging the
H
98 EARL V REMINISCENCES
enemy and taking some prisoners after a severe
fight.
The most dangerous organisation proved
to be in Lower Canada, in the districts of
Beauharnois and Chateaugay. On Sunday
the 4th of November the rebels attacked
Cochnawaga, where the Indian pilots for the
rapids live. While they were all in church,
these fine fellows sallied forth, gave their
assailants a good thrashing, and took seventy
prisoners. The rebels then retired on Beau-
harnois, Mr. Edward Ellice's Seigniory, and
drove out the inhabitants, taking prisoner Mr.
Ellice junior, M.P., Lord Durham's Secretary,
with others, whom they sent to the convent at
Chateaugay.
At the commencement of these disturbances,
the Grenadier Guards were forthwith sent for
from Quebec, Three Rivers, and Nicolet.
They immediately went up to Montreal in one
of the big river steamers — I think it was the
Johi Bull — and the day after their arrival
there they started on an expedition to Napier-
ville, where the rebels and sympathisers had
assembled their great army, called the "Army
CAPTURE OF NAPIERVILLE 99
of Canada," and had established themselves in
very considerable numbers. The expedition,
under the command of Sir James Macdonell,
which had been reinforced by the 7th Hussars,
the 71st Highland Light Infantry, and three
guns, advanced on this stronghold, and found
the enemy well posted and prepared to receive
them. As it was late in the afternoon when
it arrived near the village, Sir James deter-
mined to wait till next morning and then
attack the place.
During the night the Grenadier Guards
watched the lights of the enemy's outposts,
and towards morning they observed that they
decreased in number, and that the fires were
going out.
When daylight appeared, the force advanced
with much caution, the 71st stealing along
round the left flank, but they found the rebels
had bolted, and had left the place in their
hands. Some prisoners, large stores of arms
and ammunition were found, and some curious
documents, amongst them a complete plan of
the future government of Canada, with the
names of all the ministers and heads of de-
EARL V REMINISCENCES
partments whom they intended to appoint.
The troops had some very heavy marching,
and altogether an arduous campaign, though
they were disappointed of their fight. After
their work, the 7th Hussars and the Grenadier
Guards went back to Montreal, and were
quartered there for many months.
During this year many outrages were com-
mitted on our frontier line. Among others, a
party of the insurgents attempted to burn a
whole family, named Vosbury, in their house.
They shut the unfortunate people up in the
upper story, bound the father and son, and
then set fire to the house. Happily the son,
a powerful young fellow, succeeded in breaking
his bonds, just in time to be able to save
the rest of the family before the house was
destroyed.
Soon after the capture of Napierville, Sir
John Colborne, our Governor, sent Captain
C. A. Lewis (now General Lewis) of the
Grenadier Guards on a special mission, with
unsealed orders, to the Governor of Vermont,
to demand the giving up of the rufifians who
had committed this outrage. At this time the
ENGLAND AND THE STATES loi
relations between Great Britain and the United
States were somewhat strained on account of
the burning of the Caroline and other matters.
Nevertheless the Governor received Captain
Lewis with great kindness, and showed much
good feeling. At the same time he told him
he had no power to give up the men, and he
feared the general Government had no more
power than he had, and that, even if they
had, the feeling in the country against the
" Britishers " was so strong that he doubted
their being able to convey the prisoners safely
over the frontier line.
At that time Mr. Van Buren was President
of the United States, Mr. Fox was English
Minister, and Mr. Forsyth the American
Secretary of State. On leaving Vermont,
Captain Lewis went on to Washington to Mr.
Fox, who gave him a letter of introduction
to Mr. Forsyth, as he thought he could explain
the case more strongly to him than he could
as minister. "
Mr. Forsyth received Captain Lewis very
kindly, and invited him to dine with him and
talk the matter over after dinner. Captain
EARL V REMINISCENCES
Lewis had, however, to wait a fortnight before
he received any official answer. During the
time he remained at Washington he was
invited to several very good parties and balls.
At length he received his official answer, which
was unfavourable ; so he started on his return
journey to Canada. Going through New York,
he was waylaid by the British Consul, who
asked him to take very important despatches,
which had just arrived from England by the
Great Western steamer (her first voyage), to
Sir John Colborne. He consented, but it
took him seven days and six nights hard
travelling in waggons, and latterly in sleighs,
to get through. However, he got back
safe to Montreal at last, and after a quiet
little sleep of twenty-five hours (!) he made
his appearance again, and still lives to tell
the tale.
When all the troops that were expected
had arrived, I went up to my chief, Colonel
Gore, at Montreal, carrying despatches from
Colonel Bowles, who was then commanding
at Quebec.
After all our work, the winter of 1838-
MONTREAL 103
39 was a merry one. We had a large
garrison in Montreal and its neighbourhood.
The 7th Hussars, several batteries of Royal
Artillery, the second battalion Grenadier
Guards, the ist Royals, the 32nd Light In-
fantry, and 73rd Regiment, were all there ; also
Sir John Colborne (who had been appointed
LIEUT. LYSONS S TANDEM
Governor - General) and his staff; General
Clitheroe (commanding the garrison) and his
staff, and all the headquarter departments.
There were also the King's Dragoon Guards
and the 15th Regiment at Chambly, the 71st
Highland Light Infantry at St. John's, and
several other corps within reach.
A good driving club was established, also
I04 EARL V REMINISCENCES
a four-in-hand club and a tandem club, and we
had plenty of balls, parties, and theatricals.
All appeared happy and bright, but the
season was not destined to pass without a
cloud. On the opening day of the four-in-hand
club, Captain Jack Saville, a fine sporting
LORD MULGRAVES FOUR-IN-HAND
fellow of the 7th Hussars, drove over from
La Prairie across the ice, a distance of about
9 miles. He had purchased a beautiful
sleigh and furnished it with very handsome
fur robes, and his team of four thorough-
breds was considered perfect. On arriving at
Montreal, he stopped at the harness-maker's
shop to get a new whip. Like many other
A SOCIAL LOSS 105
young men, he had despised the severity of the
climate, and had driven over In an English
"top hat," a pair of kid gloves, and common
leather boots. When he came to take off his
glove to get his purse, he found all his fingers
frozen, he then looked at his other hand and
found it just as bad. Trying to stand up he
found that he had no feeling in his feet. The
poor fellow was carried into the shop, where
it was discovered that both his feet were frozen.
Everything was done for him, all the best
doctors were sent for, but to no avail. He
was laid up for many weeks In bed, and finally
had to sell off his beautiful equipage and horses,
and go home to England, having lost several
fingers and toes. He was a sad loss to our
society In Montreal.
While troops were still quartered in Chambly
the barracks caught fire, and, being built of wood,
the officers' quarters were soon burnt to the
ground. Among others, a young officer ran out
and saved himself; but, remembering that he had
left in his room a medal which he had gained for
service in the field, he rushed back through the
fiames to get it — medals were very rare in those
io6 EARL Y REMINISCENCES
days. He soon came out again into the square,
holding up the treasure in his hand, and calling
out, *' I am all right ; I've got it." Poor fellow,
before night he was a dead man ; the flames
had gone down his throat.
Towards the end of the winter, the roads
across the ice in Canada become very danger-
ous. A year seldom passes without some
accidents. If you are obliged to cross the St.
Lawrence frequently, you should be very
cautious and should study carefully the appear-
ance of the ice. Water lying on the surface
seldom indicates danger. An old Canadian
will dash fearlessly through deep water on the
road, but when it becomes dry and clean, and
takes a gray, sickly appearance, look out ! it is
sure to be honeycombed and rotten.
Early in the spring of 1839, two fine young
soldiers of the 7th Hussars were riding over
on duty from La Prairie to Montreal by the
usual ice road across the river. They got safe
across, the leading soldier was on the bank,
the second was trotting carelessly up to him,
when suddenly the ice gave way and both man
and horse were plunged into the water. In a
A MILITARY SURVEY 107
moment his comrade was off his saddle and
down to his assistance. The horse had already
disappeared, swept by the rapid current under
the ice, but the man had got his arms over the
edge of it, his legs and body being drawn under
by the force of the water. His comrade
succeeded in clutching hold of his hand, and
was drawing him slowly towards the bank, the
poor fellow congratulating himself on being
saved. '* Hold fast, Bill ! " '' All right, Tom ! "
Alas ! alas ! the wet gauntlet slipped off his
hand, and remained in his comrade's grasp. A
piercing cry of despair, and nothing more was
ever seen of the fine young Hussar.
The want of reliable maps having been
much felt in Canada, I proposed that officers of
the line should be employed to make military
sketches of the country. At first my proposal
was ridiculed, but later on I was allowed to try
the experiment. Captains Colville, Ready, and
Scott volunteered for the work, and in the sum-
mer of 1839 they made a beautiful sketch of the
eastern townships all along the frontier line 45°.
It was plotted in, and sent to the Quartermaster-
General's office the following spring.
io8 EARL V REMINISCENCES
I must here relate a curious history of
a very remarkable bird that belonged to the
Coldstream Guards.
Saint Anthony had a pig, they say ; and the
Coldstream Guards had a goose. I don't mean
to say theirs was the only regiment in Her
Majesty's army that rejoiced in the possession
of such an article, but theirs was a remarkable
goose. I think it must have been a lineal
descendant of the ancient geese that saved
the Citadel of Rome, and probably would have
done as much if the opportunity had occurred.
Well, one day this goose was taking its
morning walk in the Citadel at Quebec, and
happened to observe a nice-looking young man
on sentry walking up and down in front of the
officers' mess-house. The goose being of a
social disposition stepped up, put his long neck
close to the man's leg, and walked up and
down with him, much to his amusement.
Shortly after this it came on to rain, and the
sentry went into his sentry-box. Goosie
observed this move with a thoughtful counte-
nance, soon grasped the situation, and, not
choosing to be left out in the rain, pushed his
A REMARKABLE GOOSE 109
way into the sentry-box, turned round, and
stuck out his head to look about. In due
course of time the corporal came with the
relief ; the old sentry told the story about the
goose, and the party watched with great
interest to see what the intelligent bird would
do. It observed with equal interest the little
ceremony of the relief. This being over,
goosie gazed at the receding form of his old
friend, then inspected the newcomer, and being
satisfied with his appearance continued to walk
up and down with him. This went on day
after day till the battalion left Canada. The
goose was then carried carefully on board ship
and brought to England, where he was intro-
duced to a sentry in the Portman Street
barracks, and continued to perform his duties
with unabated zeal.
I frequently saw this remarkable bird when
1 went to the Citadel at Quebec, where I had
numerous friends in the Coldstream Guards,
and I remember well the termination of the
sentry's orders on that post — " In case of fire
alarm the guard, and take care of the goosed
CHAPTER X
Lord Charles Beauclerk — Three months' leave — Race across
the Atlantic — Scotland again — Back to Montreal — Survey
— Long leave — London — Presented to Her Gracious
Majesty Queen Victoria — Society.
After our troubles were over I managed to
get a little shooting and fishing. My principal
sporting companion at that time was Lord
Charles Beauclerk. A fine handsome fellow, as
honest and straight as a die, he was endowed
with great energy and bodily strength and a
certain amount of inventive genius. This last
qualification was not, however, at all times
successful. I remember in the autumn of the
first year that we were at Montreal, he had a
dog-cart built on some wonderful new prin-
ciple. Before it was completed the winter
began to set in, so he had the body taken
off the wheels and fitted to runners for the
snow-roads. Not liking to lose the wheels, he
A SAVAGE BULL in
had a second pair made, and fitted the four to
a waggon, which was, if I remember rightly,
to carry his skiff. A Httle later, he found the
cart body was not altogether adapted for winter
work, so he had an ordinary sleigh body made
for the runners ; but then the poor body of the
cart remained, like a cherub, with nothing to
stand on, so he had a new pair of wheels made
for it, and -ended by having three vehicles, the
produce of the one dog-cart.
Beauclerk had apartments in a small house
opposite mine in the Quebec suburbs. One
afternoon I saw a crowd round his house, and
I went over to see what was going on. I
found him sitting on a large stone in the yard
of the house, streaming with perspiration, and
his clothes nearly torn off his back. I learned
that his landlord kept a small bull in his stable;
the beast had got loose, and had been chasing
the man, his wife, daughter, and son round
the yard. Charlie, hearing the noise, looked
out of his back window, and saw that the
people were in great danger of their lives, so,
without a moment's hesitation, he rushed down
and went straight at the bull, who was a little
112 EARLY REMINISCENCES
Canadian fellow but very savage. Charlie
succeeded after a while in getting hold of the
animal's horns, and they had a tremendous
struggle together. At length the man got the
best of it ; he turned the beast over, and so
completely cowed the bull that he ran away
into his stable and was shut up. Beauclerk
was a very quiet, kind-hearted fellow. No one
would have ever heard of this story if I had
not happened to come up at the time.
I made an interesting fishing expedition with
him to the Lake St. Louis from Montreal.
He had a light skiff, made by a celebrated
builder at Kingston. I had an experimental
bark canoe, that I had fitted up with tin-tube
outriggers like a two-sided catamaran. I had
long light oars to it instead of paddles, and a
mast and large square sail.
Charlie Beauclerk decided to go up to
Lachine by the canal. Finding that a strong
easterly wind was blowing, I wished to try if
it was possible with my light craft to sail up
the great Lachine rapid.
I got on very well past the wharves and up
to Nun's Island, but then the wind began to
LAKE ST. LOUIS 113
get a little fitful, and trying to jump up a small
fall it failed me ; my canoe was swung round
by the force of the water, and one of my
outriggers was broken. I managed, however,
to get safe to the shore with my wreck.
I then took off both tin outriggers, and
carried them, with my oars, fishing-tackle, etc.,
up by land to a place above the rapid. I also
carried up the canoe on my head. All this
I did in three trips. I set to work and refitted
my ship, and got everything right again, and
then went on up to Lachine, where I found
Charlie already arrived in his skiff. We went
on together up Lake St. Louis to a small
island. It was a pretty little island, not much
more than a hundred yards long, overgrown
with trees except on one side, where there was
a small strip of clear ground. Here we decided
to camp, and having had our supper, we lay
down in the open and went fast asleep. The
wind had fallen.
In the middle of the night we were
awakened by tremendous thunder and light-
ning, very cold and wet through to the skin.
We then hauled up the skiff, turned her half
I
1 14 EARL V REMINISCENCES
over, and got under her, and so we ended our
comfortable (?) night.
When we awoke again the storm had passed
away, and the sun was shining bright. It was
a beautiful morning. We set to work to dry
our clothes and get some breakfast, but what
was our dismay when we found that our large
piece of lamb that we had been depending upon
for two days' provision had become tainted
and not fit to eat. So we had to sit down in
dudgeon and eat our bread and drink our tea.
While we were so employed we saw a weasel
come out of the bush and creep down to the
bit of lamb. After a careful inspection, he
commenced having a grand feast. Charlie
eyed him for some time with increasing
jealousy ; he was very hungry. At last he
jumped up and shouted out, '* I'm hanged if
you shall have the whole of the feast to your-
self." He ran down, picked up the piece of
lamb, and brought it back into camp. He
then cut out the best part and made a stew
of it, which was not half so bad after all.
When we left our island we bequeathed the
remainder to Mr. Weasel.
A FISHING PARTY 115
We fished all day and got some black bass
and polsson dore, and in the evening we pulled
to a large island some little way up the lake.
There we landed, and w^ere surprised to find
a very large encampment amongst the trees,
but not a soul to be seen about it. So we
concluded it was abandoned, and accordingly
took possession of a little camp near where
our boats were.
We had hardly commenced cooking our
supper when we heard a great noise and
singing far off. We went to the water's edge
to look out, and saw a long line of lights
all across the lake in the far distance. They
gradually approached ; we then heard beauti-
ful Canadian boat-songs sung by a number of
voices, and soon began to hear the splash of
paddles keeping time to the music.
The lights came nearer and nearer, till
at last a party of over a hundred men landed
from canoes. They were the owners of the
encampment, a very large fishing party from
Chateaugay. I went forward and apologised
for having appropriated one of their sleeping-
places, asking if I might finish boiling my
1 1 6 EARLY REMINISCENCES
pot before we made a camp for ourselves.
They were extremely civil, and would not
hear of our moving, so I finished my cooking
and we fraternised with them.
They soon lighted up their fires and set
to work to cook. The encampment consisted
of a number of little camps for one or two
men each, scattered about among the trees ;
the smoke curling up through the branches,
men running about for water and wood, the
flashing in the red light from innumerable
little fires, presented a most curious and
beautiful sight. After supper they sang some
capital Canadian songs in full chorus. We
all then turned in and had a good night's
rest in our sylvan camp. Next morning our
friends were off soon after daylight, and we
too went out to fish.
The end of my poor friend Charlie Beau-
clerk was very sad, but truly characteristic
of his gallant nature. He was staying at
Scarborough, I believe, with his wife and
children. One day there came on a terrific
gale, and a schooner was wrecked close in
front of the town, when trying to run into the
A STEAMSHIP RACE 117
harbour. The life-boat went out to the rescue,
but was capsized and her crew thrown into the
water. Beauclerk and some others rushed into
the waves to save them. They got all on shore
but two, who were drowned. At last my poor
friend Charlie was seen kneeling down on the
beach apparently exhausted. Numbers of the
lookers-on ran down to his assistance ; he was
carried home, but I believe he never spoke
more. I always understood that he had been
crushed between the life-boat and the pier. So
ended the life of as fine a fellow as ever lived.
In the summer of 1839 I got three months'
leave of absence, and crossed the Atlantic in
the Great Western steamship from New York ;
it was her second voyage home. By previous
arrangement she was to race with the British
Queen, then on her first voyage. The start
was a very interesting scene ; all the people in
New York were out to see it, and every house-
top was crowded. They w^ere the first two
ships that had been built for the Atlantic ser-
vice. We were lying together between the
wharves. When the tide came up and floated
us we backed out, then drew together and
EARL V REMINISCENCES
touched paddle-boxes. The word being given,
away we went, followed by hundreds of little
river steamers of every size and description.
We soon left them all, and before night we had
steamed our opponent hull down astern of us.
We were wonderfully comfortable on board
with only sixty passengers, amongst whom
was Murat, the son of the King of Naples,
with his staff; they were all very agreeable,
jolly fellows. Our passage money was ^50,
including everything — champagne all day long
if you wished it. We won the race by forty-
eight hours, and ran up to Bristol.
At Montreal I had been given despatches —
a great white bag — to take home. At Bristol
I went to the coach-office to secure my place to
London, and there I got the clerk to put my
precious bag into his safe until it was time to
start. When the coach came I jumped up on
the box-seat, and so delighted was I to find
myself once more on an English mail-coach,
with four good horses before us, that I forgot
all about the despatches. Fortunately, just as
we were starting, the clerk came running out
with the big bag in his arms. I took the bHe
NIAGARA SURVEY 119
nozr, or, I should rather say, bete blanc, up to
town, delivered it safe — thanks to the clerk —
and then went on to Scotland by The Dundee
steamer.
I went to the old moor at Glen Dye, and
had some capital grouse shooting; then returned
to Canada by the same good ship that had
brought me over, arriving at Montreal within
my leave. This was considered a wonderful
feat at that time.
In the spring of 184 1 I obtained leave to
go up and survey the Niagara district myself,
and completed the work in three months.
When I went out to Canada in 1862 as
Deputy Quartermaster- General I found our
old sketches remaining, but no fresh work
done. I then obtained a liberal allowance
from the Government, and plenty of officers
volunteered for the work. Colonel Wolseley,^
my assistant, rendered valuable service in
compiling and regulating the work from our
office. So good was our survey considered
that Sir W. Logan, the head of the Canadian
Geological Department, obtained leave to use
1 Now F.M. Viscount Wolseley, our Commander-in-Chief.
1 20 EARL V REMINISCENCES
it, and based his geological survey on our
military sketches.
After I had finished my sketch of the Niagara
district in 1841, I returned to England by
Quebec, Picton, and Halifax, crossing the
Atlantic in the Cunard steamer Britannia. I
arrived at Liverpool on the 29th July, and
went up once more to Glen Dye, and had
as usual excellent sport.
Early in the year 1842 I went up to London
to see something of the society of my own
country, and had the honour of being pre-
sented to our Most Gracious Queen Victoria
at St. James's Palace. Her Majesty was then
quite young, and it was beautiful to see her
graceful little form amidst all her grand
officials.
At that time the Queen s levies and draw-
ing-rooms were all held in St. James's Palace.
I remember when ladies were first allowed to
have chairs or forms to sit on in the waiting-
room. One room was then sufficiently large
to contain all those who attended.
The opera was in its balmy days that year ;
Grisi, Lablache, Persiani, Tambourini, etc.,
THE OPERA-HOUSE 121
were at their zenith. I was fortunate enoitgh
to get a very nice stall, and seldom missed
a subscription night. On these nights Her
Majesty's Theatre presented a magnificent
sight. The Queen and Prince Albert were
usually in their places, and Prince George,
attended by Captains Tyrwhitt and Macdonald,
was usually to be seen in the lower tier of
boxes nearly opposite Her Majesty. All the
dukes and duchesses and high people of the
land had their private boxes, with their names
on the outside of their doors, and they received
visitors there.
Taglioni, Cherito, and other celebrities were
then dancing; and the ballets, which were
managed by Perrot, an ugly little fellow, but a
capital dancer, were very poetical and beautiful.
Almac's balls were all the rage then. They
were held in Willis's Rooms, and though all the
dlite society of London attended them, they
were never overcrowded.
At the termination of my leave of absence
I returned to Canada in the Cunard steamer
Colwiibia, via Boston.
CHAPTER XI
Moose hunting — Bush craft — My first moose — An exciting
run — Fishing — Races — A heavy load — Back to the Indian
village.
During my long stay in Canada I took many
winter trips into the bush in quest of moose
deer, and met with not a few adventures.
In order to get on comfortably in the vast
silent forest, it is necessary to acquire some little
knowledge of "bush craft," especially in the
construction of a camp. In this, the first thing
to be thought of is the site ; it must be well
sheltered from the wind. If you get too near
the edge of the bush on the border of a lake
or barren open, no amount of fire will keep you
warm. The next consideration is the supply
of water ; lake water is not good, and melted
snow is not nice; you must find clear spring
water. By observing the configuration of the
ground and the growth of the trees you can
BUSH CRAFT 123
usually discover the run of some little streamlet,
and by putting your ear to the snow you will
hear the trickling of the water beneath. You
have then only to dig down through the snow
and make a convenient watering-place. A piece
of nice, sweet birch bark will make a good
spout, which will greatly facilitate the filling
of the kettles and make quite a picturesque
fountain. The next desideratum is a plentiful
supply of suitable wood for burning, which is, in
fact, your life. It must be close at hand, for the
trees have to be cut into logs of about 8 feet
in length and carried to the camp, which entails
considerable labour. The large sugar maple
burns well, the birch not badly ; pine wood will
light your fire well, but it burns too quickly.
A few good pencil cedars within reach are use-
ful to make shovels of or boards, the wood
splits easily and straight. Willow will not
burn, but, because it won't burn, it is sometimes
useful in a single camp to put at the back of
the fire. Lastly, you must look round and see
if there are plenty of what the Canadians call
" sapin " trees ; they are deliciously smelling
pines, of which you make the beds.
1 24 EARL V REMINISCENCES
Having satisfied yourself that you are sur-
rounded by all these requisites, you may safely
set to work to establish a headquarter camp.
I must here say that in Canada, as in all
other countries, winters vary. I have known
at the latter part of a winter not more than
3 feet of snow on the ground, while in other
years I have seen 6 feet. This does not mean
what we should call a 6 -feet fall of snow in
England, but a number of falls of snow packed
one on the top of another on a dead level in
the bush, where there are no drifts. It is
curious to cut down perpendicularly through
this solid mass and see the result of all the
different storms, well defined like geological
strata. The heaviest fall, when compressed, is
seldom more than 5 or 6 inches in thickness at
most.
Having decided on our site, we all set to
work — some to dig out the snow with their
snow-shoes, others to cut shovels to complete
the work, others to cut down " sapin " trees,
rods, and forked stakes, and one clever fellow
to construct the watering-place. As soon as
we had completed clearing away the snow down
CONSTRUCTING A CAMP 125
to the ground for a space of about 10 feet long
by 16 broad, with perpendicular walls all round,
we usually lighted a little fire and fried a bit
of salt pork as a relish and then went on to
complete our work. Two stakes with forks at
the upper ends were driven into the ground at
one end of the camp, 4 feet apart at the entrance,
and two at the farther end to correspond. Two
long rods were then placed in the forks of these
stakes to support the roof, and shorter sticks or
rods were placed all along over both sides as
rafters, the lower ends resting on the snow, the
upper ends on the two long rods. These
rafters were then covered with large sapin
branches, and the ends of the camp were also
closed up, leaving only the doorway open, and
a space at the opposite end for the wood to be
hauled through on to the fire. By the time
this work was done, those who had been em-
ployed in getting sapin for the beds would be
coming in. For this purpose only the ends of
the small branches at the tops of the trees were
used ; they were broken off by the hand, and
great bundles of them were required. They
were carefully built in, stalks downwards and
126
EARL V REMINISCENCES
tops Up, and formed a most delicious, sweet-
smelling, spring bed. The beds on both sides
having been completed, two stout poles were
fixed along the bottoms of them, for us to put
*srs
M» ^x**
A CEDAR BOARD CAMP
our heels against, in order to prevent us from
slipping into the fire ; a few large branches of
sapin were placed against the snow at the back
on either side as wainscotting or tapestry, and
our splendid apartments were ready for occupa-
tion. Our permanent fire was then lighted down
MOOSE HUNTING 127
the centre, about 8 feet long, pots and kettles
were got out, and our kits arranged at our
heads, etc. It soon looked like home, and we
were as comfortable and happy as though we
had been living there for the last ten years.
In those days we used to go out in February,
when there was a good crust on the snow, and
run the deer down on our snow-shoes. My
first trip was in 1839; I went with Mr. Rogers,
the head clerk in the Quartermaster-General's
office. He had been a great hunter, but, un-
fortunately, had been accidentally shot by a
companion on one of his expeditions and was
no longer up to much work. We knew the
snow was very bad that year, but I wished to
try my hand and learn my work. On the
second day we started a moose and ran him.
As Rogers had to turn back, I went on with
two Indians, and we ran till it became dark,
but there was no sign of our coming up to the
moose, so we decided to sleep where we were
and start on again the following morning, hoping
the moose might take it into his head to do
the same.
We had no time to make a camp, or even
128 EARL V REMINISCENCES
to dig out the snow, so we cut down some
large pine branches and lighted a fire on the
top of them, and got some more to lie upon.
One of the Indians made a bucket of birch
bark in which we melted some snow to drink,
but we had nothing to eat beyond two biscuits
and half a partridge that had been killed by
a hawk, and which Michael had picked up on
the way — not a very sumptuous repast after a
long day's work. However, we plucked our
game, roasted it by the fire, and all three
shared alike ; we then made up the fire and
slept like tops.
Next morning we started on again at day-
light and ran for many hours, but at length
the Indians, having examined the track, pro-
nounced our chase to be hopeless, so we gave
it up and returned, cutting across by the
shortest line, to our original camp, glad
enough to find Rogers there and get some-
thing to eat.
The following year I had a more successful
trip with a brother ofificer, Joe Wyndham of
the Royals. He was a short, broad-shouldered,
powerful fellow, and a capital runner. We
MOOSE HUNTING 129
went to the hunting ground I had discovered
the previous year, and I engaged my friend
old Michael and some other good Indians at
their village near Rawdon, about 75 miles
from Montreal, whence we made our start for
the bush.
The Indians persuaded us on our first day's
hunting to try our luck at what is called a
''moose yard"; this consists of some hundred
acres of forest containing a quantity of the
bushes which the moose feed upon. The
animals keep on walking about in this space
till they make a labyrinth of beaten tracks, and
it is extremely difficult to force them to break
away from them into the deep snow, so that you
can run them. We went and tried every sort
of dodge. We had a little dog with us, and
could hear him yelping away after the deer,
but they were so wary, and ran so quickly
along their beaten tracks, that we could never
get a shot at them. At last I was standing
in a small open space with some very thick
bush before me, having given up the sport
as hopeless, when I heard something coming
through the trees. In another second I saw
K
1 30 EARL Y REMINISCENCES
an enormous monster plunging out straight
before me. I dragged my gun out of its
woollen case and popped on my caps ; the
moose, seeing me, turned to his right and
presented his side. I took a deliberate aim
and fired ; the moose gave a quick jerk, moved
on a few paces, and then sank down dead, — a
magnificent specimen, 22 hands high at the
shoulder. My first blood, a great prize, but
got too easily.
The following day we came upon the old
track of a moose, which we determined to
follow up. It had always been said that a
white man could not run a moose, and gentle-
men hunters were in the habit of allowing their
Indians to run the moose and hamstring them,
then walking up leisurely and shooting the
poor disabled animals. Joe and I were deter-
mined not to allow such an unsportsmanlike
practice, but to try to run the moose ourselves.
We desired the Indians, if they got up first to
the moose, not to touch him. We had not
far to go before we found our moose, and away
he went leaving a tremendous track behind
him.
MOOSE HUNTING 131
Every man threw away his bundle, and we
started for our race. Wyndham could beat
me hollow at running, but he was not half as
experienced on snow-shoes as I was. He
went off with a fine stride ahead of us all, but
I saw by the extraordinary gyrations of his
snow-shoes that it wasn't going to last. We
had not gone far when I saw him go over
head foremost, with the fore part of both
snow-shoes stuck fast down in the snow and
his arms buried up to the elbows. I heard
loud exclamations, " For God's sake, come
and help me ; I can't get up." '* Yes, yes,
we'll come back presently." Then there was
a great deal of scuffling and a considerable
amount of unparliamentary^ language, but on
we went and soon the sounds of lamentation
died away in the distance. Michael was going
steadily on my right, one young Indian well
ahead, on my left another a little beyond
Michael. The pace began to tell ; off went
my cap, then my sash, then the comforter from
my neck, then my coat, — in fact, everything I
could dispense with except my trousers and
gun. I saw Michael's superfluous habiliments
132 EARL V REMINISCENCES
flying all over the country. The ground was
uneven ; there were many fallen trees covered
with snow, and the glare on the dazzling white
made it difficult to see anything. Going over
a fallen tree the snow gave way with me, and
over I went. I was soon up again, but I had
lost ground and Michael was ahead. Presently
I had the gratification of seeing my Indian
friend topple over and roll like a ball down a
small declivity, then I got my place again.
My two young competitors seemed to be in
difficulties with their snow - shoes, and were
perpetually tumbling head over heels, though
they were as active as cats and lost but little
ground. At length I saw a dark object in
front of us, rushing through the trees, and
sending the snow up like foam. 'Twas the
moose ! I got well within shot of him, but
could not get a fair broadside shot. We
closed on him ; the young Indian on my
left attracted his attention and brought him to
bay. The moose turned towards him. In a
moment I had my gun out of its woollen case
and slipped on my caps, and before he had
time to start again I had a ball through his
MOOSE HUNTING 133
heart. He was a very pretty young bull
moose, with a beautiful head and two perfect
horns, a very rare thing at this time of year,
when they are usually hornless. The Indians
set to work at once to cut open the moose
and clean him out. While this was going on,
poor Joe Wyndham came up, looking terribly
demoralised, his snow-shoes hanging on his
feet in the most orio^inal fashion.
Although the head and horns were small
I decided to take them home, if possible,
because they were so perfect and symmetrical.
I had the head cut off, with a good part of the
skin of the neck, and buried it in the snow.
I also took the hocks to make boots of, and
enough meat for the camp. The Indians buried
the rest for their summer supply. We then
went on to a comfortable place for our camp.
That evening I gave Joe a good lesson in
tying on his snow-shoes, in which art I was
a professor. I then arranged that he and two
Indians should go out the following day after
one set of tracks which the Indians knew of,
and that I would go out in the opposite direc-
tion, and look for others.
1 34 EARL V REMINISCENCES
Next morning, accordingly, we were off
early, and I killed a very fine old bull, with
which I had an adventure. I came up to him
on the side of a very steep hill, and got close
to him, but I could not get a fair shot. I fired,
hoping to turn him. It was a heavy steamy
day, and the smoke hung thick before me ;
I heard the Indians shouting and saw them
running for the trees. Next moment I saw
the moose's great moufle (or nose) coming
through the smoke, straight at me within a few
yards. I had just time to raise my gun to my
hip, and fire into his chest. It did not bring
him down, but just turned him a little, and
he passed so close by my left side that I could
have put my hand on his back. He went
on a little way, then stopped, trembled vio-
lently, fell sideways, and rolled over and over,
crashing through the trees to the bottom of the
hill, quite dead. Having taken the moufle and
hocks, I went back to our camp, and found
Wyndham, who had also killed a moose (his
first). We then moved on to a small lake,
which I was told was full of very large
trout.
A READY-MADE CAMP 135
Here we found a ready-made camp that
some hunter or fisherman had spent some time
and care in making. It was on exactly the
same plan as the camp I have already described,
but smaller ; and, instead of being covered with
sapin branches, it was roofed in with cedar
boards (see p. 126). We swept it out, and
made fresh sapin beds, considering ourselves
most fortunate. Our beautiful camp did not,
however, prove to be so comfortable as we
expected, for when the fire was lighted the
smoke positively refused to go out by the aper-
ture made for its egress, and preferred going
into our eyes, making them smart awfully, and
getting thicker and thicker. However, we
managed to eat our soup, then lay down flat to
get below the smoke, lighted our pipes, talked
over the events of the day, and made plans
for the morrow. After which we rolled
ourselves up in our blankets, and slept like
hunters.
Early next morning, a little before dawn of
day, always the coldest part of the night, I
awoke shivering and saw the fire had got
very low. Every one was asleep and still.
1 36 EA RL Y REMINISCENCES
It is not nice getting out of one's warm
blanket to haul frozen logs of wood on the fire,
so I gave Wyndham a kick and then pre-
tended to be asleep. I waited a little while,
but there was no response ; so I tried again,
when the old scoundrel burst out laughing, and
said : " I did that to you a quarter of an hour
ago, and that's why you awoke." So, after a
good laugh, we both turned out and made up
the fire.
After breakfast we went off to the lake,
which was small, in a deep hollow surrounded
by pine woods. We cut several holes through
the thick ice with chisels fixed on the end of
poles, and then lowered long fishing - lines
baited with pieces of pork fat. Through them,
after a while, we caught a few large trout,
dark-looking fish, with black stars or crosses
on their backs and sides. One was so large
that he would not come up through the hole,
and I was obliged to let him run till I had
chiselled the ice away to make room for him.
They were fine fish, but there was but little
sport in getting them, and they were not as
good to eat as the small burn trout, so we soon
RACING WITH INDIANS 137
gave up fishing. The water in this lake was
as dark as Guinness's XX, and was said to
have no bottom ! The snow on the ice being
hard and quite flat, Wyndham proposed that
we should have some races, and we got up
several good matches amongst our Indians,
two of whom were considered the best runners
of their tribe ; but their performances did not
appear to us as being anything extraordinary,
so I proposed a match between Wyndham and
their champion. They quite ridiculed the idea
of a white man running against their best
runner. However, the race came off and
resulted, to their infinite surprise, in Wyndham
beating their great champion hollow.
Not liking our smoky camp, we went back
to our former resting-place and slept there. I
arranged that Wyndham should go next morn-
ing, with our second Indian, Schoisin, and one
of the young fellows, after a moose, whose
track they knew of, and that I, wuth Michael
and the other youngster, should go back to the
big lake with the toboggins and make a camp,
going round to pick up on our road the moose
head I had buried. To this, however, the
1 38 EARL Y REMINISCENCES
Indians objected, saying they could not put
the head on the toboggin, as it was too broad,
and none of them could carry it, as it was too
heavy. I said nothing, but was determined
not to be done.
Next morning, having got some breakfast
and seen everything ready for a move, I
wished Joe Wyndham good luck and turned
to Michael, and said, ** Go on and make the
camp; I'm 'going to get my moose head."
They all stared with astonishment. The possi-
bility of a white man finding his way through
the bush, across the trackless snow, had never
occurred to them. However, off I went. I
felt confident I could find my way, but as to
whether I could even lift the great head I felt
very doubtful. The way seemed longer than
I expected, but at length I found the spot and
dug out my head with my snow-shoe. I then
took a toboggin thong which I always carried
round my waist, and which was plaited broad
and fiat in the centre, and tied the two ends
firm round the horns, leaving the centre part
just loose enough to go over my head ; but,
alas! I could not lift the heavy thing off the
A HEAVY LOAD 139
ground. After a good deal of consideration,
I set to work to roll and wriggle the head up
on to the highest part of the snow ; it was
on the side of a little hill. I placed it with
the horns towards me, and the thong hanging
down between them. I then cut away the
snow as nearly perpendicular as I could in
front of it. This done I backed in, turning
the tails of my snow-shoes a little outwards in
order to get far enough back, and got the
thong over my head, the horns resting on my
shoulders. After a few efforts I managed to
raise myself up straight with the head on my
back, but I staggered under the weight and
began to despair. I stood for a short time,
and then thought I got more used to the
weight and tried to move. At length I got
fairly straight on my snow-shoes, and took one
short step, very nearly falling. After a rest
I tried another. I had to go round the hole
I had made and then up a little rising ground.
Step by step I accomplished it, but it was very
slow work. When at the top I would have
given worlds to put my load down and take a
rest ; but I felt that if I did so I should never
1 40 EARL V REMINISCENCES
get it up again, so on I went. The ground
began to slope a little downwards, and I got
more and more accustomed to my burden, and
at last succeeded in getting down to the head of
the big lake, and found I was before my Indians.
I deposited my head carefully on a fallen tree
which was just the right height, then went down
and made a hole through the ice and lowered a
fishing-line through it ; by the time Michael
and the young Indian came- up I was sitting
quietly on the snow with two nice trout by my
side. Their surprise was great at finding me
before them. Indians are very silent. They
said nothing, but I saw Michael's quick eye
discover the head. This produced a long low
grunt of astonishment. He went up and
examined it, and looked to see how I had tied
the thong, had a talk about it with the boy,
and then came up and looked at me with great
interest and approval. Ever afterwards I was
called the white Indian chief.
We ate some biscuits and drank a little
water, and then we started across the lake
to make our camp on the other side. I
shouldered my head, determined not to let
INTENSE COLD 141
them see it was too much for me, and I
made a good walk of it to the end of our
march. We then set to work and made a
very good camp, with all the proper conditions
but one — it was not sufficiently sheltered. We
wanted to fish the next day, and we selected
our site too near the lake. That night the
thermometer fell far below zero, and, in spite
of all the fire we could make, we felt the cold
severely. I may here mention a curious effect
of the extreme cold in the bush. It makes the
trees crack and split with loud reports like
guns and cannons. This night and the follow-
ing one were like Quatre Bras and the battle
of Waterloo. Late in the evening Wyndham
came in highly pleased, having got a second
fine moose.
The next day we went down to the lake
and made a number of holes in the ice and
lowered our lines through them, but the wind
was so cold we were obliged to make screens
of sapin branches to sit behind and save our-
selves from freezing. We got a good number
of nice trout, but nothing large. That evening
I saw the realisation of what I had considered
1 42 EARL V REMINISCENCES
a Baron Munchausen story. The boys had
brought up the fish from the lake and had
thrown them down at the entrance of the camp
near the end of the fire ; they were all frozen
hard, in the shapes they had last twisted them-
selves into before they became rigid, and were
so brittle that some of them were broken in
half. While I was cooking the dinner I heard
a peculiar tapping noise, which I could not
make out. At last a little bright flash caught
my eye. I looked on the ground and there
I saw all the silvery little trout flapping and
jumping about as merrily as possible, quite
alive. I don't think the broken ones came
to life again, the ends certainly did not reunite,
but all the others danced a merry jig till I
required them for the frying-pan.
The following day we struck camp and
marched back to the Indian village, I proudly
carrying my head. All the Indians turned
out to receive us ; when they saw me and
heard the story they treated me with great
respect. Thus ended one of my best hunts.
I had killed three moose and Wyndham two.
CHAPTER XII
Trip to Rawdon — Darwin's shanty — A large moose — Nearly
losing an earl — A long day's work.
I HAD many other expeditions to the bush ;
they were all much alike as far as bush craft
went, so I will only describe a few more
incidents that happened during one of them.
I agreed to introduce three novices to the
sport : the Earl of Mulgrave, A. D. C. to
Sir Richard Jackson, Colonel Brook Taylor,
military secretary, and Captain Dickson.
Mulgrave, who lived in the same house with
me in Montreal, and I clubbed horses together;
he drove me at a hand gallop down the ice
on the St. Lawrence to Bout de I'lsle, where
we found my light sleigh and tandem ready
waiting. We jumped into it, and off we went
again up the Assumption river to St. Jacques.
There we had a hired sleigh that did not go
1 44 EARL V REMINISCENCES
very fast to take us to Rawdon, where I found
my old friend Dogherty, who gave us a Httle
dinner and then sent us on in a country sleigh
to the Indian village, where we arrived at
about dark, — 75 miles, pretty good! Taylor
and Dickson made similar arrangements. We
slept in Michael's wigwam.
I found difficulty about the Indians, as some
stupid fellow had been up to my favourite
hunting grounds, and had spoiled the market
and the Indians. Old Michael, however, at
once promised to go with me, and finally on
the following morning we started off with him,
Schoisin, two young Indians, and a half-breed
to help cut wood. We had three toboggins
and two bundles, in which were our provisions,
blankets, and clothes. I also carried a small
bundle of my own things. The first night
we halted at '' Darwin's shanty," one of Mr.
Price's lumbering establishments.
Mr. Darwin had with him about sixty men,
who were employed felling timber. He received
us with great kindness, and gave us places on
the floor of his little office to sleep on. When
we arrived the men were all out except the
CANADIAN GAMES 145
old cook, so we cooked our dinner at his fire-
place, a square piece of flat mud baked hard,
with loofs of wood round it, and a hole in the
roof over it to let the smoke out when it took
it into its head to go that way. After our
dinner we heard a great shouting and singing
outside, and all the company came crowding
in. A finer set of men I never saw ; they
had their beautiful large shining axes and
some long two-handled saws for cutting the
trees into lengths. They were a wild, rough,
jolly lot, and we soon fraternised ; they
spoke French. After their supper they volun-
teered to give us a performance, which was
very amusing. They sang some pretty Cana-
dian boat-songs and played some games. In
one of them a man sat down on a bench
with his legs apart and his open hands resting
on his knees, palms inwards ; another man
knelt down on the ground facing him, with
a red cap on his head, imitating the noise of
a squirrel, click-click-click, durr-r-r-h, on which
he ducked his head down to the ground, the
sitting man trying to knock the red cap off his
head as he passed down between his knees.
L
146 EARL V REMINISCENCES
Then he made the same noise and came up
again. There were sundry tricks in this game ;
sometimes the squirrel, instead of ducking
down, stuck himself straight up, and the sitting
man only struck the middle of his body, the
red cap being seldom knocked off.
GAMES IN DARWIN S SHANTY
In another game they made a tail of paper
and pinned it on to a man's trousers, so as
to stick up behind like a dog's tail. He then
started from the fireplace and danced round the
shanty, with his hands up in the air, singing,
*'tu ne me mettras pas le feu a derriere,"
another man following him with a piece of
lighted cedar trying to set fire to the tail.
MOOSE HUNTING I47
The performance was concluded by a
number of men sitting down on two long
benches, placed side by side, and pretending
to paddle in time to a very pretty boat -song.
After a verse or two they were supposed to
come to the rapids, when they upset the canoe
and all rolled away in every direction to their
berths on either side of the shanty and turned
in. During the performance Brook Taylor
and I sang a little French duet which was
highly appreciated.
Next morning at daylight all our friends
were off to their work, and we marched up
the Laquarro river to the big lake, where we
made a good camp. After a good night's
rest, we all went out together to look for
some tracks which Michael knew^ of. We
started a moose and ran him, but my party
were in no condition for the work ; Taylor
hurt his foot and had to turn back, Mulgrave
and Dickson came on, but very slowly. I
got up to the moose with Schoisin and the
young half-breed ; he was a splendid fellow,
and I wished vay protdgds to see him. I knew
in a few minutes he would be off again if I
148 EARLY REMINISCENCES
did not shoot him, so I shot carefully through
his hind legs ; that stopped him. At length
Dickson came up very much out of breath ;
I showed him the moose and he fired, but
missed. I would not let him shoot again till
Mulgrave had had a shot. When he came
up he was rather bad, so I made him sit
down and get his breath, taking care not to
let him see the deer. When he had quieted
down a little, I turned round and pointed to
the splendid beast which he had not seen.
He got his gun out, took a steady aim, and
fired ; over went the moose, shot through
the heart.
Next day they were all tired, so I . went
off with Michael and Schoisin to look for
some far -distant tracks in the direction of
the Matawin lakes. We walked on over
several pretty high ranges of hills. On my
way I saw a partridge on the ground ; I
had a shot at it with ball and knocked the
unfortunate thing all to pieces. Proceeding
to reload, what was my horror when I found
all my remaining bullets were too large for
the bore of my gun ; we had come a long
MOOSE HUNTING 149
way, so I decided to go on, as I had my
second barrel left. It was not till late in
the afternoon that we suddenly came upon
the fresh track of a moose. Away we went ;
it was a pretty run, first round the base of
a steep rock, then over a little barren. The
snow was good and we soon got up to him,
but I had only one charge. I went on till
I got round on his flank and pretty close up.
I waited till I could get a very easy shot, and
then fired. The moose did not fall at once,
but after going on slowly for some yards reared
with his head straight up in the air and rolled
over dead. He was hit through the heart.
By this time it was near five o'clock, and
Michael proposed we should sleep there, but
I said, ** No, I promised to get back and let
the rest of the party hunt to-morrow, and back
I will go." After a short consultation, Michael
said if we left the moose as he was he thought
we could do it. I took the moufle and hocks,
tied them to my belt, and set off at once.
My Indians were beyond their usual hunting
grounds, so they did not know the country
well, and they were a little afraid of the Tete
1 50 EARL V REMINISCENCES
de Bull Indians, upon whose territory they
were trespassing. We had soon to cross a
high range of hills. Going down the other
side we found it very steep, and towards the
bottom we came to a perpendicular ridge of
rock of very considerable height, down which
it was impossible to climb. We had to go
back up the hill a little way and then walk
along parallel with the top of the ridge. After
going some distance we descended again, hop-
ing to find the obstacle less impracticable, but
were again disappointed though the ridge was
not quite so high. A third time we approached
it and then found it still existing, but the top
of the rock was not much above the tops of the
trees below, some of which were pretty close to
it. It was our last chance, and as the night
was coming on we determined to try to get
down by the trees. I first tied my gun to the
end of my sash and lowered it down as far as
it would go, and then dropped it on the snow
beneath. I threw my hocks and moufle down,
and then selecting a good thick -topped tree
jumped down into it with my arms out. I
stuck like a crow in the small branches, but
A BEAVER-DAM 151
after a scramble I managed to get hold of some
stouter branches and climbed to the bottom
safely. Michael followed me, and then Schoisin.
After that we walked on many miles, the night
getting darker and darker. At length, going
down a very steep, thick, w^ooded hill, we saw a
white space far below us. The Indians had a
long consultation, which resulted in their telling
me they thought they knew where they were.
Michael explained to me that it was not a lake
we saw but a beaver-dam, and, if he was right,
by going down the stream running from it we
should get to the lake we had crossed in the
morning. So down we went, and sure enough
it was, as he said, a beaver-dam, though when I
went through the cat ice at the bottom of it
up .to my neck I fear I reversed the words.
We had some nasty walking through a cedar
swamp where the ice was rotten and the
trees thick ; then we got out, as the Indians
expected, on to the lake, and eventually found
our old track of the morning. We had then
to cross a very high range of hills into the
valley of the Laquarro and walk down the
river to our camp.
1 52 EARL V REMINISCENCES
I observed that my Indians were not as
lively as usual, and soon after we had com-
menced ascending the hill, Schoisin sat down
and said he was "very sick" and could go no
farther. I asked him if he had got his strike-
light and axe all right; he said "yes," so we
left him and went on, but soon poor old Michael
broke down. I saw that he had all an Indian
requires, and gave him a biscuit which I had
remaining and a drop of brandy, and determined
to go on by myself. There was a good clear
track and a little moon. By three o'clock in
the morning I walked proudly into the camp,
having left the two best Indians in the country
behind on their backs — it was a great triumph.
We had one more somewhat serious adven-
ture during this expedition. One morning , we
all started off together to follow some moose
tracks, leaving all our things behind in camp.
We tramped on some miles through the bush,
but saw no signs of approaching the moose.
At last Mulgrave and Dickson broke down
and declared they could go no farther, so I
asked Schoisin to take them back to the camp,
and Brook Taylor and I continued. We went
MOOSE HUNTING 153
on and on, but still saw nothing but the old
hard track. At about four or five o'clock we
held a consultation as to whether we should
try to get the deer that night and sleep by him
or go back, cutting across the shortest way
and making a good straight track, and then try
again the following day, carrying up provisions
for one night. We adopted the second plan
and turned back. Just as it was beginning to
get dark we came down on to the head of a
little lake that we had passed in the morning,
where we stopped to cut a hole in the ice and
get some water, and to eat a bit of biscuit.
We were just putting our axes in our belts and
going to start on again, when we heard some-
thing moving in the bush close by ; in another
minute out came a figure! It staggered to-
wards us and fell at our feet ; it was Dickson.
A few moments after out came Mulgrave.
They stared at us, but could not speak. We
gave them a drop of brandy we had left.
They then told us Schoisin had left them and
they were nearly frozen. I gave Mulgrave
over to our young half-breed Indian, who,
between pushing, laughing, and chaffing, got
1 54 EARL V REMINISCENCES
him back safe to camp. I tied the ends of
my long toboggin - thong together, put one
looped end over Dickson's back, the other
across my chest, and towed him home. For-
tunately we found a little fire still smouldering
in a big log we had left burning, and we soon
had some hot tea for them, which seemed to
set them all right again. They told us Schoisin
had pretended to lose the track, and had left
them. They had gone round and round the
lake endeavouring to find their way, but, failing,
they had sat down dead beat, had given up all
hope, and felt they were losing consciousness.
When we came down on the lake they could
not move, it seemed to them like a dream.
They heard us preparing to go, then with a
great effort they staggered out. Had we not
come back that way and stopped at that spot,
or even had we been five minutes later, these
poor fellows would have been lost. Was there
not Providence in this ?
One more ludicrous adventure and I have
done with my happy, happy Canadian hunting
grounds. I was out with Michael and Schoisin
when we came across the track of a young calf
MOOSE HUNTING 155
moose. I was for leaving it, but Michael per-
suaded me to follow it, as he said the meat
would be so good for his old squaw. We ran
and came up to the little fellow, but he was so
quick and active that I could not get a shot at
him. Every time I got on his flank he turned
round and dashed off straight from me through
the bush. At last I thought I had got him
steady ; I whipped my gun out of its case and
put on my caps, but, before I could take a shot,
off went the little rascal. Thinking he would
turn again to look at me, I ran on with my gun
ready to shoot, when, as ill-luck would have it,
I caught my foot in a branch and went head
over heels, my two barrels straight into the
snow. I shouted to the Indians that they
might have the calf if they could catch him.
Michael succeeded in hamstringing him, and
finishing him off by a knock on the head with
his axe, while I set to work to melt the snow
out of my gun with my warm hands. It came
out like two long wax candles.
CHAPTER XIII
Return to Canada after long leave of absence — Particular
service — London, Canada West — Lake St. Clair — Steeple-
chase — A deserter — A crafty detective — Toronto —
Ordered to West Indies,
On my return to Canada in 1842 I was
employed by Sir Richard Jackson, who had
succeeded Sir John Colborne, to travel all
along the frontier on the United States side in
order to ascertain the state of the sympathisers.
I w^as given letters of introduction to the prin-
cipal officers of the United States Army, whom
I found very civil and ready to prevent any
unfriendly movements or feelings against
Canada. According to my instructions I went
up to Detroit, and then on to Fort Graciot
at the bottom of Lake Huron. At the latter
place I put up at "The Hotel," a dirty pot-
house, full of very wild-looking roughs. After
I had gone to bed an old Irishman, who had
DUCK SHOOTING iS7
waited on me and given me a good deal of
information, came up to my room and told me
I had better " clear out sharp." I had obtained
all the information I required, so I made my
escape in a waggon which my friend had pro-
cured for me. I heard afterwards that I had
got into a regular hornet's nest of sympathisers !
I then went and joined my regiment at London,
Canada West.
At London I had a merry time. Before the
cold weather set in I made a very successful
shooting expedition with Lieutenants Newland
and Wyndham. We drove the first 70 miles
to Chatham in a waggon, then embarked in
a large log canoe commonly called a dug-out,
taking plenty of provisions and a large water-
proof sheet to use as a tent. We paddled
down the river Thames by ourselves into the
Lake St. Clair, then coasted along to the
centre of the great Chatham swamp, where we
encamped for twelve days. We got piles of
duck of every description, black, gray, pintailed,
wood, widgeon, both blue and green winged
teal, snipe, etc. The first night we had
rather a scare. We had selected the highest
158 EARLY REMINISCENCES
mound of sand we could see, and had cut away
a small patch In the high wild rice on It, and
made a comfortable camp, having collected
plenty of drift-wood for the fire. I was in the
act of cooking our dinner when I saw something
glittering. I at first thought it was some water
I had thrown out of a can, but presently it
increased ! Newland then went to look out
and called to me, '' There's water all round us
as far as I can see, and it is blowing very hard."
We held a council, decided to pack all the
things into the canoe, get into it and wait till
we were driven away, then take our chance.
Wyndham and Newland went to get the canoe,
while I secured the provisions and packed up
my kettles. To their dismay they found the
water had risen so much that the canoe was
far away in the rising water ! However,
they waded in up to their middles and got
it up Into the camp. We packed the things
in her, and made a high pile of the drift-wood,
on which Joe Wyndham and I sat back to back.
The lot had fallen to Newland to take the first
watch, so he was to sit in the canoe and call us
if necessary. Joe and I slept soundly. At last
A SAD ADVENTURE 159
we awoke, it was daylight. We called to our
trusty watchman, but the only reply was a
deep sonorous snore from the bottom of the
canoe ! We found the wind had gone down
and the water had subsided, so we made a good
breakfast and went in search of a more secure
camping ground.
The last night before we left the swamp we
had a sad adventure. In the middle of the
night Newland and I were aroused by somebody
kicking, so I jumped up and found poor Wynd-
ham in a bad epileptic fit. We did all the little
we could for him, and at length he gradually-
recovered, but was very sulky. W^e usually went
out shooting separately in the early morning,
walking through the high wild rice with the soft
black mud above our knees. That last morn-
ing we asked Wyndham to let one of us go with
him, but he would not hear of it. However,
Newland and I came back early to breakfast,
being anxious about our friend. We waited
for him a long time, but he did not come. At
last we walked down to the canoe, determined
to go in search of him. Just as we were about
to start we heard a splash, splash, splash in
1 6o EARLY REMINISCENCES
the distance, and guessed it must be him
wading back. Before long he made his appear-
ance out of the forest of wild rice with a com-
plete kilt of ducks all round him. We always
carried the ducks we shot with their heads
tucked over a leather belt we wore round our
waists. He had had great sport that morning.
Our large waterproof sheet made a capital
mm:^-
OUR CAMP IN THE SWAMP
camp. One side of it was pegged down over
a log of wood, the opposite side was caught up
in the centre and supported by two poles that
were tied together at the top, forming a tri-
angular entrance, and the sides were pegged
down firm to the ground. This gave us plenty
of room at the back of the camp for our bundles,
while the front being narrow kept us warm and
well sheltered.
LONDON— CANADA WEST i6i
During our stay in the swamp we had a few
visitors. One day, while we were out, a large
bear called and partook of some light refresh-
ments, but he did not wait to see us. Some
Canadians followed him down from the distant
settlements ; they did stay, and asked for the
ducks we did not want. We were very glad
to find some use for them ; so off they went to
their homes, returning next day with some sacks
and plenty of salt, and we gave them as many
ducks as they could carry.
At London we had some very good theatri-
cals. I had charge of the theatre and painted
the scenes. There were some nice people
there, especially the Harrises and Gzowskis.
Gzowski was a Polish refugee of distinction,
who had established himself in America as an
engineer. He was employed in making the
first plank road in Upper Canada from Toronto
to London. He was an excellent fellow, with-
out whom no party was complete. We had a
pack of hounds, and the horses we purchased
in the district were first-rate timber jumpers.
In the following spring we had a great
military steeple-chase, in which I rode my horse
M
1 62 EARL V REMINISCENCES
** Red Indian." The course was made very-
stiff. We did not care about the timber fences,
though they were high enough and lots of
them, but the stewards had made a water jump
about 8 feet deep and 16 feet wide, with a
4-foot post and rail-fence on the near side.
Considering none of our horses had ever tried
to jump water before, this was rather a stopper.
The race came off. I reached the fence
before the water jump third ; there Dick
Burnaby and his pretty little thoroughbred
*' Fanny" went head over heels, so Joe Wynd-
ham on "Ugly Francis" was the only man
before me; I saw him go with a beautiful
splash into the middle of the water. I raced
"Red Indian" at it as hard as he could go,
but feeling him give a slight turn I sent in
my spurs and gave him two or three sharp
cuts with my whip as I came up to the fence.
To my great surprise and infinite delight he
flew the whole thing like a bird! Wyndham
scrambled out and made a gallant attempt to
get up to me, but I won easily. Alas ! on
going to the scales I was found a little light.
I got my bridle and did all that was allowed,
A DESERTER 163
but could not fairly turn the scales, so the
stewards declared me "distanced" — a great
disappointment. However, my friend Joe
Wyndham got the stakes ; all the other horses
went into the ditch.
Later on in 1 843 we got orders to go to the
West Indies. Very early on the morning of
our departure I was awakened with the pleasing
intelligence that my soldier-groom, Morley, had
deserted on my horse '' Red Indian." Another
officer's servant was also missing. I was of
course obliged to march with my company, but
my friend Fisher of the Artillery turned out all
his gunners to scour the country around, and
I sent off a very clever detective as well in
pursuit of the absentees. He soon got on
their track, and at length found my beautiful
steeple -chase horse, 75 miles from London,
struggling in a swamp.
The detective, hearing my man was well
ahead of him going towards Windsor, went
into Chatham, chartered a small steamer, and
guessing that Morley would be making for
Detroit in the States, steamed straight for that
town, hoping to get before him. But, on his
1 64 EARL V REMINISCENCES
arrival, he found the deserter had beaten him
and was safe in the United States.
The crafty fellow was not to be done yet.
He knew my groom had left his wife behind
in London, and might want to send something
to her, so he told the captain of the steamer
to. hang on to the landing-place with a single
spring and keep up steam. He then put up
a notice on the paddle-box, " Will start for
Chatham at six." Sure enough the bait took!
The soldier went down to the steamer, and
seeing the detective on the gangway took him
for the captain, and asked if he would take a
letter for him over to Chatham and send it on
to London. *' Oh yes," said he, and after a
little conversation invited him to go down to the
bar and "liquor up," at the same time giving
a signal to the captain. While enjoying their
drink the steamer began to move ; the soldier
was terribly alarmed, but quieted down again
on being told they were only going to the next
wharf to get some wood, and they went on
with their drink. As soon as the steamer had
paddled half-way across the river, the detective
put his hand on the deserter's shoulder, and
A GAME OF BILLIARDS 165
said, "Your name is Morley, of the Royals;
we are in British water now, and you are my
prisoner ! " He was sent to Toronto and tried
and convicted of desertion, but I lost my poor
horse and an excellent groom.
There was a well-known young billiard
player in the 32nd Light Infantry named Bob
Campbell. He was also a great acrobat.
Master Bob was a very deceptive young
gentleman ; he looked quite a simple boy at
that time, but he knew a thing or two. He
often went down on professional (?) trips into
the United States, and always returned with
his pocket full of dollars.
One day while quartered at Toronto he
had been over to Hamilton, and, returning by
land, stopped at an inn about half-way. He
there fell in with a Yankee clockmaker, who
had a waggon full of clocks and a good span
of horses. They dined together, and then the
clockmaker proposed a game of billiards, con-
sidering himself a very good player. Bob
consented, saying he was not much of a hand
but he would try. Sam Slick won the first
game, and thought he could give Bob some
1 66 EA RL Y REMINISCENCES
points but didn't. Bob just won the second
game by a blundering fluke, so they went on
till somehow or other Bob had got all Sam's
money in his pocket. The Yankee got very
hot about it ; he guessed he could beat him
easy if it wasn't for the flukes, and he offered
to play for his clocks against the money Bob
had won. The clocks soon passed over into
British possession. They then played for the
waggon and the horses. Finally Sam Slick,
pluck to the backbone and still confident,
staked his broad-brimmed hat and coat. Bob
won them, and, putting them on in place of
his own, which he presented to his friend
Sam, mounted the waggon and drove into
barracks in triumph, to the immense amuse-
ment of the whole garrison.
In the course of my wanderings I had to
pass through a part of the United States where
the roads, at that time, were very rough ; in
fact, little more than tracks across the plain. I
travelled in a large ** stage," a heavy vehicle,
the body of which was hung on two strong
leather straps. It carried nine passengers in-
side on three seats ; the centre seat being very
A HAZARDOUS FERRY 167
unstable, the occupants were not unfrequently
tossed into the laps of the passengers in front
of them, or sent head-over-heels on to those
behind them.
One day we came to a good - sized river
which we had to cross by a ferry. The boat
was a large " scow " or barge, with a rough
board deck or platform on it, with some poles
lashed along the far side to prevent the coach
and horses going overboard when embarking.
There was a high bank on the side of the river ;
the boat was made fast underneath it, but there
was no way down nor any wharf.
Our driver, a tall hard-looking Yankee with
a broad-brimmed hat, gave us no time to think,
but drove straight up to the edge of the
bank, hauled in his leaders alongside of the
wheelers, and shouted out, ''Sit fast, gents."
The ground gave way and down we went with
a tremendous clatter and crash — earth, coach,
horses, passengers, and all — on to the deck of
the crazy craft. We rolled and swung about
most alarmingly for a few minutes, '' Broad
Brim " holding on tight by the horses, till at
length the boat became more tranquil ; he then
[68 EARL V REMINISCENCES
quietly remarked, " Wull, strangers, I guess
we've done it this time, last week we went
over and there were three men drowned ! "
From Toronto we went on to Kingston in
a large lake steamer. There we were tran-
shipped into a small high -pressure steamer
called a " puffer " and two bateaux or Durham
boats, one lashed on each side of her. In
this uncomfortable accommodation we pro-
ceeded down the St. Lawrence.
We passed through the lake of the thousand
islands, shot the Longsault and Cascade rapids,
and then arrived at the head of the great
Lachine rapid. There we had to join our men
in the bateaux, and the captain of the steamer
cast us off, not daring to go down this most
dangerous channel with us lashed to his sides.
Each boat had an Indian pilot. The men
had to go below, but the officers sat on
deck.
The steamer went first into the fearful
turmoil of waters. We followed after, one
behind the other. All the pilots could do
was to keep the bateaux with their heads
straight down the stream, for which purpose
QUEBEC 169
the boats were provided with long rudders ;
the roaring rapid took charge of the locomotive
department, while we held fast and did nothing
but thought a good deal. We whirled down
at a terrific pace, sometimes lost to view
between the mighty billows, then thrown up
in the air with a fine view of the country-
round. A short distance from the top of the
rapid, we passed a bateau laden with barrels of
flour that had been wrecked on the rocks the
previous day.
We were fortunate enough to get through
the rapid and safe to Montreal. There we
were again transhipped into one of the large
river steamers and proceeded to Quebec.
After a short stay in the Jesuit barracks,
our transport arrived. 1 1 was an early season ;
the winter had set in, and the river was full
of ice.
CHAPTER XIV
Embark in transport Premier — Wrecked at Cape
Chatte — Landing.
On Sunday the 29th October I embarked with
the headquarters and right wing of the Royal
Regiment on board the pretty Httle transport
the Premier,
The officers of the Royal Regiment who
embarked were —
Major Bennett (commanding), Captain Davenport,
Lieutenant and Adjutant Wetherall, Lieutenant Whitmore
(acting paymaster), Lieutenant Lysons, Lieutenant Gore,
Lieutenant Vansittart, Ensign Waddilove, and Surgeon
Dartnell.
The only lady was Mrs. Bennett.
On the 30th we got under weigh and sailed
down the St. Lawrence. On the 3rd November
at about mid-day we were off Green Island,
where the pilot left us. In the afternoon it
came on to blow very hard, and at night the
WRECK OF THE ''PREMIER'' 171
wind increased to a heavy gale from the north,
with thick snow. Captain New steered for
Point de Monts on the north shore, and when
he thought he was abreast of it changed his
course to east half south, intending to stand
out down the gulf and pass south of Anticosta.
During the night the wind drew round more
towards the east, and the snow continued to
fall heavily when, at about two or three in the
morning of the 4th, the ship struck. The first
shock was slight, just enough to awake us, but
the second was a tremendous crash that sent
Wetherall — who was above me — head over
heels out of his berth. We slipped on some
clothes and were soon out on deck. The
snow was still falling fast, and every sea was
breaking over the ship as she crashed and
banged upon the rocks.
The captain gave orders for the gun to be
fired, but the ship's powder was damp, so I
got my powder-flask from my cabin and placed
Ensign Waddilove close by the gun, with a
lighted cigar in his mouth. After many in-
effectual attempts, we at last succeeded in
getting the gun to go off, and then continued
1 72 EARL V REMINISCENCES
to fire at intervals, the cigar proving to be an
excellent slow match, though Waddilove did
not find its fiavour improved by its novel
application. We also burned blue lights, but
no reply came from any side nor could any-
thing be seen through the darkness of the
night.
About an hour after the ship first struck
the captain ordered the masts to be cut away,
which was soon done with an axe and a meat-
saw, all that could be found. The sailors —
except the two mates, the carpenter, and one
man — had disappeared.
Ned Wetherall and I went below to see
how the men were getting on ; we found them
quite quiet. The women were sobbing and
their children were clinging round them, while
husbands were endeavouring to cheer their
wives with hopes they could not entertain
themselves, but all were quiet and resigned.
After a while, the ship seemed to settle over
with a strong list to starboard, and she became
more steady. At the same time it was reported
that the water was gaining the main-deck.
At length the daylight came, and we could
WRECK OF THE ''PREMIER'' 173
see through the haze a white Hne of snow along
the shore about half a mile off. A little later
we made out two or three huts or houses, which
showed us there were inhabitants near.
Our first object was to get a rope on shore,
but we found the masts and all the spars float-
ing under the lee side of the ship and attached
to her by the rigging, so that it was impossible
to launch a boat. It took us a long time to
clear away the wreckage, for the deck and fore-
castle were covered with ice and all the ropes
were frozen. Moreover, the chain rigging, of
which there was a good deal, was so jammed
that we had great difficulty in getting it clear.
When this was done, the first mate tried
to get the gig down, but it was dashed to
pieces. We then turned the cutter over and
got her down on deck ; but, as we had no
masts or yards from which to hoist her over-
board, we had to cut away a part of the
bulwarks and then succeeded in launching her
into the sea. The first mate and I, with three
sailors, lowered ourselves down by a rope into
her, and we took a coil of line with us, which
was made fast to another line coiled on the
WRECK OF THE ''PREMIER'' 175
deck of the ship. We let go and pulled
steadily for the shore, the first mate paying
out the line from the stern.
The sea was very high, and we found the
tide was running across between the ship and
the shore. We soon let out all our line, and,
holding fast by it, were swung round broadside
on to the sea. We hallooed to those in the
ship to pay out, and in another minute we
were free. We then got the boat's head round
again. We had hardly done so when a huge
breaker came towering over her stern, broke
into her, and turned her over like a nutshell !
I was thrown clear of her and struck out for
the shore, each breaker burying me deep in
the water. At last I felt the ground under
my feet, but the back current was so strong that
I could not stand against it, and was carried
down to be buried again in the seething water.
Again and again this happened, but the fourth
time I was washed higher on the beach, and
succeeded in holding on till the force of the
receding wave had passed me. I then scram-
bled up the sand. The next breaker caught
me, but I was high enough to be able to with-
176 EARLY REMINISCENCES
Stand it, and as it receded some Canadians ran
down and carried me up into safety, though
considerably exhausted. My companions were
all saved. The boat was also washed up, but
was stove in ; and, what was worse, we found
the rope was no longer connected with the
ship. I learned afterwards that they had got
it foul on board, and Wetherall, seeing our
dangerous position in the trough of the sea,
had cut it adrift with an axe to save us.
I learned from the Canadians that we were
in Chatte Bay, and that the ship was on a
bank of sand. They said she must have
struck on the rocks running out from Cape
Chatte, and afterwards have beaten over them
and drifted into the bay. They informed me
that there were three families there, and some
lower down at St. Anne's, but that there was
no road or track connecting their settlement
with any other place ; their only means of
communication being in their schooners in the
summer, and they were all laid up for the
winter.
1 asked for the principal inhabitant, when
a man named Louis Roy came forward and
WRECK OF THE ''PREMIER'' 177
told me he was a magistrate. I begged him
to collect all the men he could and try to
bring some boats over the land to the beach
opposite the wreck. He went to work with
a will, and by about eleven o'clock he had some
thirty men and two large whale-boats ready
for work ; but to launch the boats through the
surf was evidently impossible, and every effort
to send a rope from the ship had failed.
We wrote on a board, '' Keep Out," then
on a larger board, *' No Rocks, Wait till
Sea goes down." This they made out on the
ship with their telescopes.
About mid-day the storm somewhat abated,
and the tide being low our friends managed
to launch the long boat. Profiting by experi-
ence they coiled plenty of rope in her, and
had plenty carefully coiled on the deck of the
transport. The second mate and four men
then pushed off and pulled stern foremost for
the shore, keeping the bow of the boat to the
sea ; fortunately there was no cross current, and
she came straight towards us. As she touched
the beach she was capsized, but the men got
safe on shore, and we got hold of the line,
N
1 78 EARL V REMINISCENCES
We then made fast the rope to the stem
of one of the whale-boats, and another, which
we had ready coiled on shore, to her stern,
and signalled to those on board the wreck to
haul out, which they did, and the light boat
bounded away over the waves and reached
the side of the ship in safety. She was soon
loaded with women and children and Ensign
Vansittart, with the colours of the regiment.
As the sea was still running very high this
loading was a matter of difficulty, for at one
moment the boat was thrown up nearly level
with the deck of the ship, and at the next
she fell 10 or 15 feet below it in the hollow of
the wave.
Lieutenant Wetherall undertook this work,
and effected it In a most successful manner.
Two men were first got into the boat, then
each woman in succession was made to hang
backwards over the side of the ship, holding
on by two man ropes, with large Turk's head
knots at the ends, one in each hand. Wetherall
watched the boat, and as soon as he saw it rise
close under the woman he said, *' Let go," and
she fell into the arms of the two men below.
WRECK OF THE ''PREMIER'' 179
The children were tied up five or six together
in blankets, like dumplings, and lowered into
the boat.
The next difficulty was to get this precious
cargo on shore. On a signal from the wreck,
we hauled on our rope, and the boat, though
pretty deep in the water, came gliding towards
us, sometimes lost to view and sometimes
thrown aloft on the crest of a wave. Still
onward she came in safety, till at length, rushing
forward on the last breaking billow, she struck
on the beach and over she went, sending
women, children, colours, Vansittart, and all
into the foaming water. In a moment we
dashed into the sea, and succeeded in carrying
them all safe, but very wet, high on shore.
The Canadians had brought some carts down,
and took the wet and shivering creatures off
to their cottages to dry and warm themselves.
In loading the carts a little difficulty arose, as
the women could not be persuaded to take the
children as they came when unpacked from the
bundles, and sort them at the cottages, but
each woman insisted on having her own Bobby
or Biddy immediately restored to her.
AN HEROIC LADY i8i
We saw that to prevent the boats being
upset as they reached the shore was impossible,
so we worked on as we had commenced. After
a while we got a second rope from the ship
and plied two boats at a time. Later in the
day one of the whale-boats was stove in and
went down alongside the ship. We then got
the heavy long boat to work, and soon after
dark our labours were rewarded by seeing
every soul safe on shore.
Mrs. Bennett, the wife of Major Bennett, our
commanding officer, displayed great heroism,
having expressed her wish to be the last
woman to go on shore. She was put into the
stern cabin, and told to sit there quietly till she
was called for. It happened that the rudder
had been carried away and remained hanging
to the preventer chains. With every suc-
ceeding wave the rudder struck violently
against the counter of the ship, just under the
place were the poor lady was sitting. She was
fully persuaded in her mind that it was a rock,
and expected every moment to see it crashing
through the side of the vessel. Still there she
sat without saying a word till she was called.
1 82 EARL V REMINISCENCES
The sea having gone down, the captain
decided to sleep on board his ship that night ;
but the naval agent came on shore and insisted
on bringing a good deal of baggage, which he
called Government stores, but which looked
much more like his own cabin furniture. There
was one bundle that he was very solicitous
about, declaring it was the Government chrono-
meter. One of our youngsters took the liberty
of peeping into the bundle as they were crossing
a small stream in a boat to Roy's house, and
saw that the article in it was certainly crockery,
and had a suspicious - looking handle. It
became a standing joke in our regiment, and
similar articles were ever after called Govern-
ment chronometers.
I slept that night at Louis Roy's hut, where
Major Bennett with his wife and staff had
established themselves. Next morning, at the
Major's request I started with despatches for
Quebec.
CHAPTER XV
Journey to Quebec — Bring up Royals to Quebec in Unicorji —
Mentioned in despatches^ — Promoted Captain — New
York — Voyage home — An honest man.
I LEFT Chatte Bay at eight o'clock on the
morning of the 5th November. I had 300
miles to go, the first 75 without any road.
Roy shook his head and said I could
not do it, others gave me seven or eight
days to get up. About 2 miles above
Chatte I found the bark Java, which had been
sailing in company with us the previous day,
wrecked on the rocks. Her crew had saved
themselves by a rope from the rigging ; she
was close to the shore. I slept out on the
rocks the first night for a short time, and as
soon as the moon was well up I went on round
the rocky cliffs called by the inhabitants " Les
Crapauds." With me I had two boys, who had
volunteered to guide me round them. There
i84 EARL V REMINISCENCES
was about 6 miles of scrambling over rocks,
but I did not find the great difficulties I had
been told of. After that I walked on along
the shore, which was bad walking over large
shingle ; but my principal difficult}^ was getting
across the numerous small rivers which were
frozen over but not strong enough to bear. I
found the best way to cross them was to wade
out into the sea where there was usually a
bar not ver)^ deep. One larger river I found
too deep for me ; I got in over my middle
and then turned back. I then walked up the
stream into the bush, where I found a tree
blown down across it, and by this I got over.
I reached the first settlement, Little Matan,
and walked on to Great Matan. There a
Mr. Grant put me across the river, and I went
to the house of a Mr. Frazer, where 1 got two
or three hours' sleep till the tide went down,
as the only road up the St. Lawrence was along
the beach at low water.
Very early on the third morning Mr. Grant
took me in a light cart round the bays. We got
on pretty well, but at all the headlands we had
pretty nearly to carry the cart over the rocks.
RIMOUSKI 185
At the end of about 24 miles we came to
the first house in Metis. At a Mr. Brooks's
I got some' bread and cheese and a sleigh,
which took me on 7 miles to Great Metis,
where I met Mr. Grant's brother and a Mr.
Jenkins, who gave me a note to his wife at
Rimouski, and got some men to take me across
the river in a small boat. I reached the
opposite side just after it got dark, and walked
on by myself.
I tried at several cottages to get some
conveyance, and at last found a man to take
me on in a common wood traineau, with a
colt that had never before been in harness.
As soon as he was on the road he ran away,
but fortunately it was the right way. At the
end of about 4 miles we pulled up in front
of a farmhouse, where there was a wedding
party going on and everybody was more or
less drunk. However, I succeeded in per-
suading a man to bring out his cariole and
drive me on to Rimouski, about 24 miles.
I arrived there very late at night, and went to
Mrs. Jenkins's house. She was extremely kind
to me, and gave me some supper and a bed.
1 86 EARL V REMINISCENCES
I agreed with a Mr. Bourshea to take me
on to Riviere-du-Loup for ten dollars, and in
the morning as soon as daylight began to
appear I went down in his cariole to cross the
great Rimouski river, which was very full of
ice in large fields. We drove on board the
ferry-boat, a flat-bottomed scow, Mr. Bourshea
telling me to sit still — that his horse, a fine
black animal, was quiet and used to crossing.
The current was strong, but we dodged
about round the fields of ice and got across.
Just as we were coming up to a rock covered
with snow, on which we had to land, the horse
took fright and backed over the stern of the
scow into the water. I had just time to spring
forward and vault into the scow, and then I
saw our beautiful horse swimming back across
the river to the opposite side, with the sleigh
floating behind him. I landed, and sent the
driver back after his horse and cariole ; it was
an hour and a half before he returned, and then
his poor horse was so done up he could hardly
get along at all.
We reached Bic, then baited, and went on
to Caccouna, where I had to hire a fresh horse.
QUEBEC 187
I arrived at Riviere-du-Loup about nine o'clock
that evening, got a fresh horse and sleigh, and
travelled on through the night. At Riviere
Quelle I changed sleigh again, also at St. Jean,
and arrived at Berthier at three o'clock in the
afternoon. There I found a small steamer, the
New Liverpool, just starting for Quebec, so I
embarked in her and arrived at my journey's
end at eight o'clock, — exactly four days and a
half from Cape Chatte.
I drove up at once to General Sir James
Hope, commanding at Quebec. I found him
at dinner, and Colonel Pritchard, the Assistant
Adjutant-General, dining with him ; he sent at
once for Captain Boxer, the harbour master.
The steamer Unicorn was still waiting to take
her last mail to Halifax ; no one could detain
her except the Governor-General, and he was at
Montreal. We then sent for Captain Douglas,
the captain of the Unicorn. He was quite
willing, but said he could not move without
orders from the Postmaster - General, Mr.
Stainer; so we sent off for him, but when he
arrived he told us he had no power whatever,
and was expecting his mails hourly. After a
EARL V REMINISCENCES
short conversation, he said, ''Gentlemen, I
think the best thing I can do is to go home
to bed," giving us a significant smile as he
went.
Sir James Hope, Boxer, and Douglas then
agreed to take the responsibility on their own
shoulders, and send the steamer down. The
whole town turned out to help us. Blankets,
biscuits, pork, etc., were rolled out of the
stores into the steamer without requisition,
and by three o'clock in the morning I was off
again down the St. Lawrence in the Unicorn,
old Boxer with me. What a sleep I had !
All the day and next night we steamed
down the river, and early on the morning of
the seventh day from my starting we astonished
our friends by firing a gun in Chatte Bay.
In a moment the whole population of the
bay was astir. Every boat on the shore and in
the ship was called into requisition, and by about
four or five o'clock in the afternoon, just as
the wind veered round to the north-east again
and came on to blow, we got our last load on
board, and steamed off for Quebec, leaving
Lieutenant Gore and a small party to look
QUEBEC 189
after any property that might be recovered
from the ship.
There was a quantity of ice in the river, and
a number of schooners beating down to get
home for the winter, but we had to crash on
under full steam, dark and foggy as it was.
Fortunately we only ran into one schooner, and
carried off her head-sails, jib-boom, and bow-
sprit ; she, on her part, taking a boat off our
sponson and several men's bearskin caps.
We arrived at the Queen's wharf in the
evening of the 13th November, and were
received by the inhabitants of the town of
Quebec and the 68th Light Infantry with the
greatest hospitality and kindness.
The following District Order was issued by
Sir James Hope : —
Assistant Adjutant-General's Office,
Quebec, 14/A November 1843.
District Order.
Major-General Sir James Hope has ordered the garrison
of Quebec to be assembled, that he may have the satisfac-
tion of personally expressing to the troops by this order his
entire and perfect approbation of the admirable conduct of
the right wing of the Royal Regiment under the most
trying circumstances.
I90 EARLY REMINISCENCES
There is no regiment in Her Majesty's service that has
more distinguished itself than the Royals have done ; but
good conduct in the presence of the enemy is so common
an occurrence with British soldiers, when the excitement to
gallant conduct is at its height, that the Major-General
would not think it necessary to advert to what is now well
known. On this occasion, however, the distressing con-
dition of the men during the peril of shipwreck is calculated
to call for that cool and resigned intrepidity which has been
shown on this occasion ; and nothing proves the credit that
is due to the officer in command, and the whole of the
officers and non-commissioned officers, more than that such
a state of discipline has been estabhshed in a corps as to
command the confidence of the men under their command
in a situation requiring every quality of a brave man.
The Duke of Wellington, in a late circular letter, has
shown how greatly he values the discipUne and intrepidity
that is required on such occasions, and his Grace will,
without doubt, duly estimate the conduct of the right wing
of the Royal Regiment.
The Major-General is sure that every man who so pro-
videntially escaped from the late calamity is fully impressed
with the zealous, prompt, and important services rendered
to them by Captain Boxer of the navy. At his request
Captain Boxer has attended this parade, and the Major-
General is happy in having an opportunity of returning him
thanks in presence of the garrison, and of stating that to
his exertions, aided by the zeal of Captain Douglas of the
Unicorn, the Royal Regiment owe their escape from the long
and dreary winter, passed on an exposed and inclement
part of the coast.
RETURN TO ENGLAND 191
This Order is to be entered in the Order-Book, and read
at the head of every regiment in the Eastern District of
Canada ; and the Major - General requests that Major
Bennett, who commanded the wing on this occasion with
so much ability and credit to himself, will enter the name
of every officer and non-commissioned officer present, and
will record the journey of 300 miles performed with such
perseverance by Lieutenant Lysons.
J. A. Hope, Major- General.
A long report of the wreck, together with
this District Order, was sent home to the Duke
of WelHngton, then Commander-in-Chief, and
by return of mail I was promoted to a company
in the 3rd West India Regiment. With great
regret I bade adieu to my old regiment and
friends, and left Quebec for England.
I travelled up to Montreal in a stage-sleigh.
The roads on this part of our journey were
infamous ; every now and then we came to a
hundred or two of " cahots " in succession.
These were heaps of hard snow formed by the
French Canadian "■ traineaux " or wood sleighs.
The country people were so fond of this style
of sleigh that for a long time nothing would
induce them to make any change. I met
numbers of friends there, and was much feted.
192
EARLY REMINISCENCES
From Montreal I went on in a larger and more
commodious stage-sleigh in company with Dr.
Dartnell and Mr. Timmings, 82nd Regiment,
down into the United States to Albany. There
we found the trains still running to New Haven,
and we went on by that route.
CANADIAN STAGE SLEIGH GOING OVER CAHOTS
UNITED STATES STAGE SLEIGH
As the snow was very deep we were
obliged to have two powerful locomotives,
which the Yankees called Bullgines, and a large
plough to force our way along. Half-way to
New Haven we came up to the people who
had started the previous day ; their train had
NEW YORK 193
run off the line, and the passengers had burned
nearly all the carriages and wooden fencing
they could find to keep themselves from freez-
ing. We took them on with us.
At New Haven we found our steamer, but
the ice was thick all across the mouth of the
river, and sleighs were driving over on it.
Nevertheless, the captain said '' he guessed
he was going," and so he did. He charged
the ice over and over again ; the timbers
split and cracked, and the floats of the paddles
broke and flew all about the place, but at last
he did get through. He then sent below to
see what water we were making, and, after
remarking that he thought he could keep her
afloat till we got to New York, away we
steamed. Late at night we arrived at our
journey's end safe.
We went to Howard's hotel, where we met
with great civility. Next morning we went
down to the wharf, and took our berths in a fine
sailing liner. The Rochester, Captain Bretain.
A yoiing Scotchman had travelled all the
way from Montreal with us, who appeared a
very quiet, simple-minded fellow. He followed
o
194 EARLY REMINISCENCES
US to Howard's hotel and stuck to us every-
where, as if afraid to be left alone, and I saw
him on the liner when we took our berths.
On our return to the hotel, he came up
very bashfully and confided to me his little
story and his woes, — saying he had come out to
settle in Canada, had set up a small grocer's
shop in Montreal, and had lately married a wife.
Seeing advertisements of cheap passages to
Liverpool he had come to New^ York, intending
to cross the Atlantic in order to make arrange-
ments for purchasing goods for his business.
He had found the advertisements were frauds ;
his money was already gone, and he had
nothing left to take him on or back ; finally,
after much hesitation, he asked me to lend him
£2^, This was rather a startler for a young
man who had precious few pounds to spare,
but somehow or other I thought he was an
honest man, and I lent him the money. We
had a boisterous passage, and I never saw the
young Scotchman, who was in the steerage, till
the day before we landed, when he came aft to
me and said, simply, ** I can never forget your
kindness to me, sir. Will you please give me
AN HONEST MAN 195
your address for the next two or three days ? "
I did so, and he then gave me his name —
Gilbert Hazel — and told me his father was
Provost of Ayr.
I went to Leamington to see my mother and
sister, then to London, where, on my arrival
at the Army and Navy Club, I found the
following note with a cheque for ^25 and
interest for one month : —
Glasgow, <)th April 1844.
Captain Lysons,
Sir — I should have remitted this sooner but, on.
account of your address going amissing, I forgot where I
had placed it. — I remain, your obedient servant,
G. Hazel.
At any rate there was one honest man in
the country.
I went at once to see Lord Fitzroy Somer-
set. He received me with great kindness, and
told me he was sorry there was no other
vacancy going at the time but one in the West
India Regiment, and that the Duke insisted on
a company being sent to me by return of post.
He recommended me to join, and trust to him.
He kindly gave me letters of introduction to
General Middlemore at Barbadoes.
CHAPTER XVI
Voyage to West Indies — Friends at Barbadoes — Tobago and
Grenada.
After my interview with Lord Fitzroy Somer-
set, I made up my mind to go at once to the
West Indies and join my sable corps.
I went down accordingly and embarked on
board the steamship Forth at Southampton
and sailed for Barbadoes. I made great friends
with the captain and chief officer of the ship,
who were very kind to me, and we had a
pleasant voyage, touching at Madeira.
As soon as our ship was anchored off
Funchal we were surrounded by boats full of
people with things to sell, principally canaries
in little bamboo cages, which they sold for a
mere song. Both men and women wore
curious little pointed caps, that looked like
horns, made of cloth. This head-dress was
CO URL A ND BAY 1 97
considered so essential that many women,
although they had ordinary hats or bonnets,
nevertheless managed to stick the little horn
somewhere on their heads in addition. I am
told that the pretty songsters are no longer to
be found in Madeira, and that the picturesque
horn has disappeared.
On my arrival at Barbadoes early in May,
I was kindly received by my old friends
Granville, Willoughby, etc., of the 23rd Royal
Welch Fusiliers. The day following my arrival
I was sent off in the Eagle steamer to take
command of the troops at Tobago.
There again I fell amongst friends. Sir
Thomas Erskine was in command of a
company of the 71st Highland Light Infantry,
and Lieutenant Mackie, a charming young
gunner, and several other nice officers were in
the garrison.
The steamer touched at Courland Bay, at
the back of the island. It was a dismal place,
full of sharks, pelicans, and gulls. While
waiting to go on shore, I was much amused at
the pelicans fishing. Every now and then one
of them popped his head down, and almost
M J
■#P 1
^^^uii^H " 1
^m^'
MWM ^
... ,M i ..a ..
I<Ui
'^' '^'^SKhHH 1 ^^^^Hl' F '^m
jinMsSmi.* W^^^^Bm ^^^l^^^l
1
^^^^R^i^Hk^ "xJiiv^^^^K^^^^^I
1 s^.' J<^t^*"*
COURLAND BAY 199
invariably caught a fish, which he held in the
middle with the end of his long bill ; but he
could not swallow the dainty morsel without
throwing his beak straight up in the air,
opening it, and letting the fish fall into his
great bag. The moment he raised his head
all the gulls flew at him, and generally
succeeded either in taking away the fish
or knocking it into the water. The poor
pelicans did not get one in ten of their
fish, though they were very cunning and full
of dodges.
Some little while after I had been at
Tobago, Lieutenant Conolly was sent there.
He had to land, as I had done, at Courland
Bay. He had taken his pony with him, and
there were no means of landing it except by
slinging it overboard into the water and leaving
it to swim on shore ; this they had often done
before. The captain took the precaution of
paddling round the bay first, to frighten away
the sharks, then the pony was sent overboard.
He struck out gallantly for the shore, but
before he got half-way he appeared to be in
trouble. A boat was sent to his assistance, but
200 EARL V REMINISCENCES
before he got to the beach a shark had taken
off one of his legs.
I found two black companies of my regiment
at Tobago, and one of the 71st. I had some
curious experiences with my men. It was the
custom there for the commanding officer to visit
the barracks the first Sunday in every month at
the dinner-hour. Accordingly on that day I
went, with all the officers, first to my black
men's barracks. I found them all standing up
at '* attention " round their tables, buttoned up
to the throat in shell-jackets, with their soup
before them in their mess-tins. I was told I
was to ask them if the dinners were good.
I did so, and by signal from the white
Sergeant - Major they answered in chorus,
" Yea, yea, yea." I left them to go to the
71st barracks, but when about half-way there
I turned back and said to the white Sergeant-
Major, " I want to have another look at
your men " ; on which he got into an awful
state of mind, and almost on his knees
begged me not to go. However, I persisted,
and would not let him go on before me.
On entering, what a sight was there ! The
A CONTRAST 201
forms were knocked over, the men had thrown
off their jackets and shirts ; they were all
on the ground fighting and growling over
their dinners like dogs, half the soup thrown
about the floor !
On seeing me they all jumped up, and there
was terrible consternation. The Sergeant -
Major evidently wished there was a big hole
somewhere that he could jump into. I said
nothing, but simply told a good-looking young
corporal and a man to put on their jackets
and caps and follow me. We then went on
to the 71st. Their room was beautifully
arranged, everything in its place and as clean
as clean could be. They were eating their
dinners on nice white plates, with white bowls
for their soup. They had clean shirts on, and
their shell-jackets thrown open. By my order
they remained seated, and looked the picture
of comfort. I talked to them about their
rations and quarters, my two black men and
white Sergeant- Major standing behind at
"attention" all the time, with their eyes very
wide open. After complimenting Sir Thomas
Erskine on the cleanliness and order of his
202 EARL V REMINISCENCES
company, I turned to my sable gentlemen and
said, ** You see how Buckra men do ? " '' Yea,
yea, yea." ''You go do same." Next time I
visited the barracks I found my black men's
quarters beautifully clean. The men were all
sitting round their tables in clean shirts with
their jackets open, eating out of white plates
and basins, everything exactly like the 71st,
and all looking pleased as Punch, as though
it was the best joke they had ever heard of.
From that time I could do anything with them,
they almost worshipped me ; and, years after I
left them, I heard they still called themselves
the Buckra companies and carried on the same
system.
The people of Tobago claim it to have
been the original Robinson Crusoe's island,
and certainly it answers the description well.
The lower end of the island is flat and has
a cave in it near the sea, the upper end is
high and also has a cave ; they are both called
Robinson Crusoe's caves. Moreover, you see
distant land from it, whence Indians not
unfrequently come over in their canoes. This
land is " Trinidad."
GRENADA 203
I took a panorama from our heights, and
Sir Thomas Erskine used to sit by me smoking
his pipe while I was at work. He always
declares to the present day that he drew the
best part of the picture.
About six weeks after I arrived at Tobago,
I received a letter informing me that I had
been transferred to the 23rd Royal Welch
Fusiliers, and as soon as an officer was sent
to relieve me I went up to join my new corps
at Barbadoes. It was a fortunate transfer for
me, as it took me amongst friends I had known
for some years.
I did not remain long there, for the head-
quarters of my new regiment were sent to
Trinidad, and I was sent on detachment with
two companies to Grenada, a beautiful island,
but it boasted of very few white inhabitants.
We relieved two companies of the 71st
Highland Light Infantry. One of their
officers remained behind with us, sick with
yellow fever. We did all we could for him,
but he died the following day. We lost many
men afterwards from this dreadful disease,
and a good many from pulmonary complaints.
204 EARL V REMINISCENCES
One poor fellow, who was given over by
the doctors and supposed to be dead, was
measured for his coffin, and the coffin was
made. In those hot climates there is no time
to be lost. The man, however, disappointed
the doctors and recovered. Then came the
question, who was to pay for the coffin? It
was charged to the man, but he refused to
sign his accounts with this charge against him,
saying he had not ordered the coffin and did
not want it. At last a compromise was arrived
at. The man agreed to pay, provided he was
allowed to have the coffin ; so it was given
him, and he stuck it up on end by his bed in
his barrack- room, fitted it up with shelves,
and kept his things in it all the time we were
at Grenada.
One morning I happened to go into the
hospital, and found the sergeant and an orderly
trying to hold a fine young artilleryman down
on his bed. He was raving violently, and
was too strong for his attendants, so I had
to go to their assistance. The poor fellow
was stark naked and as yellow as a guinea.
After many days' illness he recovered and
2o6 EARL V REMINISCENCES
went to his duty. Shortly after, he had a
second attack quite as bad as the first, but,
wonderful to relate, he again recovered. He
was then invalided home, but after arriv-
ing in England the poor fellow died of con-
sumption.
I rode all over the island, usually accom-
panied by Conolly, and made many sketches.
Lieutenant Gallway,^ Royal Engineers, was
my great companion in the artistic line.
After commanding the detachment at
Grenada for about three months, I was
appointed Brigade- Major at Barbadoes, and
went there to take up my duties. I had a
charming house on the side of the "savannah,"
with the garrison theatre at the back of my
garden and the racecourse in front of it.
I rode many races, and was very fortunate
on a horse named " Highlander," belonging to
Captain Wellesley.
The hurricane months in Barbadoes are July,
August, and September. Respecting these the
'' Bims" or Barbadians have a saying : —
1 Afterwards General Sir Thomas Gallway, Governor of
Bermuda.
BARBADOES 207
July — stand by,
August — you must,
September — remember
October — all over !
In my second year at that island we had
a small, or as it was called a young, hurricane.
The sky became dark and slate-coloured, the
morning was heavy, close, and portentous. We
felt that something was coming, and we all
put up our hurricane-shutters and opened our
cellar doors in case of extreme danger. There
are glass windows only on the windward side
of houses in the West Indies ; on the leeward
side there are only Venetian blinds, and that
is the side on which the shutters are required,
as hurricanes always come up from leeward.
We were not long kept in suspense. A
very heavy gale soon sprang up from leeward,
and the sea ran very high.
Captain Hare of the Royal Fusiliers and
I had joined in the purchase of a small yacht,
which was anchored in a corner of the bay.
All we ever saw of her after the gale was a
piece of her keel ! The ships in the bay were
all driven ashore, one being driven clean over
2o8 EARL V REMINISCENCES
the breakwater into the inner harbour. It
did not, however, turn out to be a really bad
hurricane.
In the afternoon I went down to the sea-
shore. The big waves were breaking heavily
on the beach, and, curiously enough, in the
hollows between them there were numbers
of golden plover flying up to the island,
keeping pace with the roll of the water. As
each wave broke on the beach, it discharged
its cargo of plover ; poor little things, they
lighted on the sand so exhausted that you
could run up and catch them in your hand.
They, however, were so thin as not to be
worth having, so we let them all go to fatten
themselves ; after which for many weeks they
afforded great sport to the sportsmen of the
garrison, becoming very wild and difficult to
get.
Lieutenant Peregrine Phillips of the Royal
Welch Fusiliers, having been ordered home to
England, came up to Barbadoes to wait for his
ship, and stayed with me. He had collected
a number of curious animals to take home,
among them a large baboon, a handsome
A MENAGERIE AT SEA 209
macaw, a very fine sloth, an electric eel, an
armadillo, a small deer, some parrots, etc.
One day we had been bottling off a quarter-
cask of "Fusilier" punch, and had emptied
out the thick bottom of the punch into a tub
and left it on the verandah. The unfortunate
baboon got at the delicious beverage, and not
having taken "the pledge" exceeded consider-
ably. When we came home we found him
lying hopelessly drunk. Next morning he was
very bad, and we had to tie a wet handkerchief
round his head and nurse him like a baby.
I could not get Phillips to make any pre-
parations for embarking his menagerie ; con-
sequently when the ship arrived I had to take
him and his animals out to her loose in an
open boat. I took the big baboon on my
lap, Phillips had the macaw on his hand, his
servant had charge of a few parrots, the eel
was in a bucket at our feet, and all the other
creatures were knocking about in the bottom
of the boat. Just as we were approaching
the ship, the macaw took fright and flew
away ; in getting on to the companion ladder
the baboon managed to tumble into the water,
2 lo EARL Y REMINISCENCES
but was fortunately saved. The boat rowed
off vigorously after the macaw, but the poor
thing got tired before it reached the shore
and was drowned.
We carried all the menagerie down into
Pen-}' Phillip's cabin, and I left him sitting
with the half-drowned baboon wrapped up in
a blanket on his lap, the motionless sloth
in his berth, the electric eel ver\' lively in
his wash-hand basin, half a dozen parrots
flying about, screaming violently, and the
armadillo crawling about the floor inspecting
the dead corpse of the macaw.
On the 24th September 1846 I got a short
leave of absence, and went all round the
Windward and Leeward Islands in the Trent
and Eagle steamers. At St. Vincent I met
Major Yea and Captain Pack of the 7th
Royal Fusiliers, with whom I was so closely
associated a few years later in the Crimea. At
the other islands I met many friends.
One day while I was at Barbadoes, a foreign
man-of-war came into the bay. She fired a
salute and anchored. Our battery of Artillery
went down to the pier and returned the salute.
AN INFURIA TED FOREIGNER 1 1 1
Soon afterwards an officer came on shore in
full uniform, and complained that we had fired
only twenty guns, and that his captain con-
sidered it an insult to his flag ! I sent for the
Artillery officer in charge of the battery, who
declared he had fired twenty -one, and it was
impossible there could be a mistake. How-
ever the foreigner was not satisfied, so we
agreed to fire one more round. Accordingly
the battery went down again next morning
at the appointed time and bang went one
gun ! The foreigner was appeased.
CHAPTER XVII
Voyage to Halifax — Salmon fishing — Curing a doctor of
hydrophobia — Moose and cariboo shooting.
On the 17th March 1847 the Royal Welch
Fusiliers left the West Indies and sailed for
Halifax. I accompanied them. We went up
in the Herefordshire, a fine old East India-
man. Our captain, Richardson, was a very
jolly fellow, and sang beautifully. We had
a very fair time of it, barring a heavy gale
off Bermuda, reaching Halifax on the 2nd
April, where we found the ground covered
with snow.
My principal amusements at Nova Scotia
were salmon fishing in the summer, and moose
and cariboo hunting in the winter.
Our surgeon, Dr. Bradford, was a great
friend of mine in the regiment, but he had an
intense dread of the water, and ridiculed my
SALMON FISHING 213
sporting propensities. One day he was in-
duced to go with a captain of the 7th FusiHers
to a river not far off in his schooner yacht,
and was left near the mouth of a Httle river,
with a rod to dabble about for sea trout,
while the rest of the party went up for salmon.
By some accident, Bradford got hold of a small
salmon which he was fortunate enough to land.
The party came back in the evening with no
fish, and all, including Bradford, returned in the
boat to the yacht, the captain chaffing the doctor,
who only showed them two or three trout the
length of his finger. When they got on
board, the fish were thrown up on the deck,
but Bradford, counting them, said, *' I think
there is one more." The boatman, who was
in the plot, then looked under some green
branches that were in the bottom of the boat,
and, to the astonishment of the great piscatores,
produced a beautiful, fresh-run, silvery salmon.
From that moment the little doctor became
an inveterate sportsman, and I never went
out by sea or land without him.
I often went to a nice little stream. Hem-
lough's river, so called from the only man living
2 14 EARL Y REMINISCENCES
on its banks. It was only about 9 miles from
Halifax : it was very small, but it spread out
here and there into lakes. The salmon were
not large but plentiful ; the best one I caught
there weighed sixteen pounds, and he gave me
some sport.
In a very narrow part of the stream, between
a small lake and the lower fall, which fell into
the salt-water estuary, I thought I saw some-
thing move. The trees were hanging thick
over the water on both sides, and the stream
was full of rough slippery rocks. I went a
little w^ay up, and then waded down the middle
of the little river. I could not throw for the
branches, so I jerked my line in, and wriggled
my fly down to where I thought I saw the
rise, Avhen up came a fine salmon with a great
flop. I had him firm, but he gave me no time
to think, and made tracks at once down stream.
All I could do was to follow him. It was no
easy task ; the stream was strong and the
rocks were slippery, moreover, I could not
raise my rod for the boughs of the trees. I
tumbled down in the water half a dozen times,
rod and all, but at length reached an open
SALMON FISHING 2 1 5
space just above the fall. There I got up
my rod and had an everlasting fine fight with my
fish. Finding he was getting rather the worst
of it, he turned tail and down he went over the
fall into the salt water, but to my joy I found
he was still firm on. He seemed all the better
for the salt water, and started straight off down
the fjord for the Atlantic. I began to look
anxiously at the small quantity of line I had
left on my reel, when I felt him relax his
speed. I got him round and reeled him up
again, but he was not done yet and tried
several more sea voyages before I landed him.
At last, however, I persuaded him to come
into a nice little nook, and Hemlough gaffed
him. He was a beautiful fresh-run salmon, like
silver, sixteen pounds weight. It made old
Bradford's mouth water.
I made several trips to the Musquedoboit,
and had fair sport, getting seven salmon one
time and five another. Bradford, too, got
several. With one fish I had a little
adventure. I hooked him in a very small
pool, or hole, in the middle of a great rapid,
at the bottom of which was a high cliff jutting
2 1 6 EARLY REMINISCENCES
out into the stream. The first thing my
salmon did was to run straight down the rapid,
my line flying away round the edge of the
rock. I tried wading, but the water was too
deep. Then I scrambled along a little ledge
in the rock, but that came to an end, and my
line also was nearly at an end. There was
no time to be lost, so I threw myself into
the water and struck out with one arm, hold-
ing the rod with the other. The swift stream
whirled me round the cliff, but I got on shore
again in the eddy below, and ran down the
bank of the stream, reeling up as I went. I
landed my fish safe just below the bridge.
Many years after, in 1872, a gentleman
sent me the following cutting from a news-
paper, which, though not quite correct, is not
far from it : —
"The Musquedoboit is also, in spite of
poaching, a very fair salmon river, and the
inhabitants still tell the story how General
Lysons — then an officer of the Welch Fusiliers
— Colonel, I think, — having hooked a large
salmon above the bridge, when the river was
in full torrent, killed his fish, which had run
SPEARING LOBSTERS 217
out his line and gone down stream, by taking
the water, and swimming through the rapids
and under the bridge, having regained his
footing when nearly at the sea — a by no means
easy feat."
I was a Captain at the time.
One night I took old Bradford down the
harbour in my skiff to spear lobsters by torch-
light. It was curious sport. The bottom near
MacNabb's Island was beautiful, smooth, white
sand, and we could see the big lobsters crawl-
ing about by the light of a red-cedar torch,
which we fastened over the bow of the boat.
When we lowered our spears towards them,
they put up their claws and showed fight. We
then had dexterously to thrust our spears down
just behind their forearms, and bring them up
with their legs and claws sprawling about and
throw them into the bottom of the boat. That
night we caught a lot of very large ones.
The spears did not go through them ; they
were made of two springy pieces of wood that
caught them on each side of their backs.
Rowing back again up to Halifax, Bradford
offered to take the oars. At first he did very
2 1 8 EARLY REMINISCENCES
well, but after a while, getting too confident,
he caught a crab, and over he went backwards
all amongst the lobsters! His cries were
dreadful. I rushed to his rescue and pulled
him up with a number of the great black-
looking things hanging all over him — to his
ears, head, and tail. It was some time before
I could get them all off.
I also went to the Gold river with Dr.
Henry and his sons. We put up at the
village about a mile from the river, where we
had good sport, but the salmon were small ;
seldom over twelve pounds though lively.
While we were there Crew Reid came down in
his schooner yacht from Halifax with a party.
In order to be certain of having all the good
sport, they came up and encamped opposite
the great pool in the evening.
This was rather a checkmate for us. How-
ever, I thought I had still another move. Two
hours before daylight I was off to the river
with my rod over my shoulder. I went down
to the house of my Indian, awoke him, and
then we walked silently up through the bush
to the enemies' camp. They were all asleep,
STALKING MOOSE 219
but I knew there was a dog with them, so we
went round and crawled quietly along the grassy
bank of the river. I then commenced fishing
on my knees and soon hooked a good fish. I
landed him all right and then tried again, but
got no more rises ; so we crept off to another
pool and there got another fish. By the time
we passed down again to the camp, my
friends (?) were all getting up and talking of
the great sport they were going to have, and
how nicely they had done us. They were
rather surprised when we made our appearance
and showed them our two fine fish.
In the winter of 1847-48, I went out
with Lieutenant Raynes of the Royal Welch
Fusiliers in search of moose and cariboo.
The winter shooting there is very different
from the hunting in Canada. There is not
sufficient snow for running down the moose, ^
so we had to stalk them, which is difficult
work in the thick bush, for they are apt to
hear or smell you before you see them. The
cariboo are usually found in large herds in
1 Killing moose in February and March has since then
been prohibited in Canada.
220 EARL V REMINISCENCES
Open barrens ; they are very shy and difficult
to get at.
One day we came on the track of some
cariboo and followed it to the edge of a large
barren. We could see in the distance a
great number of deer. In order to approach
them up-wind we had to go a long way round
in the bush. Having determined my line of
advance, and selected my deer, we all took
off our snow-shoes for fear the click of one
against the other might be heard. I then
crawled on, followed by my Indian. After
going some distance we came to a hollow
running across the plain at right angles to our
line of advance. Cautiously looking along it,
we saw to our left several does. Here was a
difficulty. The large buck I had selected to
stalk was some way beyond the hollow. We
knew if these does saw us, the whole herd
would be off in a moment. We determined
to lie down in the snow and burrow along
in it.
I had not gone far when my Indian gave
me a quiet tap on the foot from behind, and
pointed to my right front. I looked up very
A FINE CARIBOO
cautiously and saw a magnificent cariboo
browsing round a rock not lOO yards from
me. I soon had my gun out of its case, and
fired. My Indian persuaded me to give him
a second shot. I fooHshly did so. A minute
after the whole herd galloped across in front
of us before I could reload. Raynes got one,
and his Indian, who took his gun and ran
across the barren, got another. I also shot five
fine moose during that trip.
The cariboo's head I shot is now put up
in my house in London.
INDIAN WIGWAMS NEAR HALIFAX
CHAPTER XVIII
Still at Halifax — Two singular stories — The sweet waters
of Halifax — Voyage to England — Winchester — Lord
Frederick Fitz-Clarence — Preparations for Crimean War.
At Halifax I had two very singular experi-
ences. The circumstances connected with the
first redound so much to the credit of all the
parties concerned, that I do not hesitate to
give the names.
One day Captain Evans came to me boiling
over with wrath and indignation. He said he
had been grossly insulted by Captain Harvey,
the Governor s son, and begged me to act as
his friend. I agreed, provided he promised
to do exactly as I told him. He consented.
I called on Captain Harvey's friend, Captain
Bourke, and w^e agreed to abide by the Duke
of Wellington s order about duelling, which had
just then been promulgated at Halifax. We
carried out our intention as follows : — We made
AN AFFAIR OF HONOUR 223
each of our principals write out his own version
of what had occurred. We then chose an
umpire. We selected Colonel Horn, of the
20th Regiment, a clear-headed and much-
respected officer. With his approval we sent
him the two statements, and he directed us
to come to his house the following morning
with our principals.
At the appointed time we arrived and were
shown into the dining-room. We bowed for-
mally to each other across the table, and awaited
the appearance of our referee.
Colonel Horn soon entered, and addressing
our principals, said, *' Gentlemen, in the first
place, I must thank you for having made my
duty so light. Nothing could be more open,
generous, or gentlemanlike than your state-
ments. The best advice I can give you is
that you shake hands and forget the occur-
rence has ever happened." They at once
walked up to each other and shook hands
cordially. They were the best of friends ever
after.
This was, I believe, the first case that
occurred of a settlement, on the Duke of
224 EARL V REMINISCENCES
Wellington's system, of an affair of honour.
Poor Evans was afterwards killed at the battle
of the Alma.
My second experience was more compli-
cated, and rivalled anything I have seen on
the stage. I will not mention names, though
in the long run credit did redound to all who
were concerned.
One morning I was sitting in my room on
the ground-floor of my house at Halifax, when
suddenly a lady rushed in in a fearful state of
perturbation. For some time — what with cry-
ing, sobbing, and hysterics — I could not make
out what was the matter. At last she quieted
down a little, and confided to me her dismal
story, though somewhat confused and discon-
nected. *' Husband had left her — poor dear
children deserted — she had flown from the
house — would blow his brains out — raving
about the streets after a young captain "
Oh ! now I began to understand.
While this was going on I heard a violent
ringing at the door. I had just time to push
the lady into my back room, when in ran the
young captain. '* I say, Dan, I've got into a
AN A WKWARD DILEMMA 225
fearful scrape. There's that fellow
tearing about the place swearing he'll shoot
me." I got him to tell me honestly what had
really happened, and I found that after all It
was not so very bad.
While I was still concerting measures with
him I caught sight of the infuriated husband
passing my window and coming to my door.
There was no time to be lost. I bundled my
young captain upstairs, and told him to go
Into the first room he found and lock the
door.
In another moment the Infuriated gentle-
man was shown in. Here was a precious
kettle of fish ! When he entered I was busily
engaged with the mess accounts. He at
once burst forth with a tremendous tirade of
" rascally scoundrels, faithless wives, blowing
out brains, etc." Of course I knew nothing
about It. I let him go on till he was
pretty well blown, and then asked a few
questions, each of which produced a violent
explosion. However, by degrees he cooled
down a little, and we got on more rational
terms. I asked him if he had spoken to any
Q
226 EA RL V REMINISCENCES
one else. He thought not. I begged him
not to say a word to any one, but to go away
into the country at once, and not return till
the following afternoon, and then come straight
to my house. After a while he agreed to this,
and I saw him out of my house and safe away
round the corner of the street.
I then went in to see my poor lady, who
had heard her husband's voice, and was
trembling violently. I gave her a glass of
wine, told her to lock the door inside and
wait quietly till I returned, and comforted her
by saying I hoped it would come all right
again.
Then I went up to my third client, and
after getting one or two more assurances
from him, I sent him home and told him
not to move out of his quarters till he heard
from me.
Having got my three parties safe for the
moment, I went off to the gentleman's house
and asked for him. The servant said he had
been home, and taking a small carpet-bag had
gone away, saying he would not be back again
for a day or two. I then asked for the lady,
AN A WKWARD DILEMMA 227
and he told me she had gone to spend the
day out with somebody. He thought she
would be home soon. This was all capital,
if the infuriated did not explode again and
come back.
I returned to my house and told the lady
what I had done, then sent her home to
her little children, and desired her not to
say a word to any one ; but if any one called,
to receive them as usual as if nothing had
happened, and leave the rest to me. She
promised me she would.
From what I had gathered from all three
I was convinced that no harm had been done.
It was simply a case of a pretty woman who
danced very well, a gay Lothario of a captain,
and a jealous, hot-headed husband. I soon
discovered that both husband and wife were
devoted to their children, who were sweet
little dots. Here was a capital fulcrum for
my lever.
Next day my infuriated arrived, much more
reasonable. I got him to promise that he
would go back to his wife and children, who,
I said, were longing to see him at tea. But
228 EA RL V REMINISCENCES
the very mention of the name of the gay-
Lothario caused a tremendous explosion of
fireworks ; he was still thirsting for his blood.
I saw it would never be safe for them to
meet, so I persuaded the young captains
commanding officer to grant him leave of
absence to go home to England by the next
steamer, and they never met again.
My poor Lothario captain, as fine a fellow
as ever stepped, was killed at the battle of
the Alma gallantly leading his company.
The lady and her infuriated husband and
children (then grown up) I heard of many
years after, living most happily together at
home. The esclandre never got wind in
Halifax.
Not far from my house at Halifax there
was a well which was celebrated for the
excellence of its water. Everybody within
reach resorted to it for their supply — I and
my friend Dr. Bradford, who lived with me
during the latter part of the time I was there,
amongst the number.
One fine morning an old woman managed
to drop her bucket into the well and it sank.
RETURN TO ENGLAND 229
SO she went off and got a grappling-iron in
order to fish for it. She dragged about for
some time, but could not get her bucket. At
last she got hold of something heavy, and was
obliged to call a man to help her pull it up.
When it came to the top, what should it be
but a dead soldier. He turned out to be a
man of our regiment who was supposed to
have deserted several months before, and had
been struck off the strength of the corps in
the usual manner. Few people ever came to
the well for water after that.
On the 1 6th September 1848 I sailed from
Halifax with the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the
Java, hired troopship. We had a fair passage,
and arrived at Spithead on the 5th October.
The following day we went into the dockyard
wharf, and on the 7th we disembarked and
went to Winchester, where we were quartered
for nearly two years.
Captain Campbell and I were employed in
teaching the non - commissioned officers and
men to construct field-works, gabions, fascines,
etc. Lord Frederick Fitz-Clarence took great
interest in the work of the regiment.
230 EARL V REMINISCENCES
In June I was appointed Town- Mayor at
Portsmouth, where I wrote a system of en-
camping and cooking for Lord Frederick,
which came out in his book afterwards. In
July I was promoted Major by purchase, and
returned to my regiment.
I had two good horses — " Bob," who went
all through the Crimean War with me, and a
thoroughbred, ''The Cub." On these I had
a great deal of hunting. In January I accepted
an invitation to stay at Oakley Hall (with Mr.
Beach), where I met a charming party, and
we had some good theatricals. I was well
acquainted with Lady Doughty of Tichborne
Park, and met Roger Tichborne there. At
that time he was a complete Frenchman and
could speak very little English. I remember
sitting by him at dinner and conversing with
him in French.
From Winchester we went to Plymouth,
where we found ourselves amongst most hos-
pitable friends. I hired a small cutter yacht,
the J^ed Rover ^ about i6 tons, and joined in
many jolly picnic parties with her. Mr.
Radcliffe, in his Warleigh yacht, usually came
A SAD MEMORY 231
with US, and Mr. Hall Parlby and his merry
party from Manadon ; the Misses Archer,
Miss Kate Barton, Miss Praed, and many
others were always with us.
I went up in my yacht to the Solent for the
regattas, and was present at the great America
match. My recollection of it is very differ-
ent from the account recently given in an
American paper. I sailed in the America
afterwards when she belonged to Lord de
Blaquiere, and I often sailed in the Arrow
with Mr. Chamberlain.
Writing of Lord de Blaquiere brings to
my mind a sad memory. One evening I was
sitting at dinner with my mother and sister,
who were staying at Plymouth, when I re-
ceived a letter from him asking me to go and
see him on board the ship Brilliant, lying at
anchor off the pier. He had brought home in
her the remains of his wife, who had died at
Madeira.
Of course I went off to him at once, and
sat with him on board the beautiful brig
Brilliant till a late hour.
Next morning, after making some arrange-
232 EARL Y REMINISCENCES
ments for de Blaquiere, I went off to the
brig, and accompanied him, with the re-
mains of his wife, to the railway station, and
saw him off by the train. De Blaquiere,
with the coffin covered by a new Union
Jack, went in one boat to the shore, the
captain of the brig and I followed in a
second. The sailors carried the coffin to the
station and showed a great deal of good
feeling.
From Plymouth the regiment went to
Liverpool and Chester, with a detachment
at the Isle of Man. I was at first stationed
at the former in command of a detachment
of four companies. Afterwards, Colonel
Torrens having been sent on special service,
I went to Chester and took command of
the regiment
Her Majesty the Queen visited Liverpool,
and I had three guards of honour under my
command at different places, but only one band
and one goat, the gift of Her Majesty to the
regiment As soon as I had given my royal
salute at one place I had to take a short cut
and hurry away to the next, with the band
A SPLENDID BATTALION 233
and goat. Fortunately Billy behaved remark-
ably well. The vast mob were very good-
humoured and much interested to get us along.
I believe, if it had been necessary, they would
have carried Billy. However, we were always
in time with the goat, colour, band, and all
complete, much to the amusement of the young
Princes, who looked out for him at each guard
and were evidently much pleased to see Billy
always at his post.
On the 2ist May 1853 I left Chester, and
went in command of the Headquarter Divi-
sion of the regiment to Parkhurst barracks.
Isle of Wight, where the battalion was
brought together. I then handed it over to
Lieutenant-Colonel Crutchley, who had been
promoted vice Colonel Torrens, appointed
Assistant Quartermaster-General at the Horse
Guards.
Soon after this the reserve battalion, under
Colonel Chester, was brought home from
Canada and amalgamated with the first bat-
talion. This made the regiment up to about
1 200 strong, a splendid battalion ; but we were
ordered to get rid of the men any way we
234 EARL V REMINISCENCES
could and reduce it down to 800. Of course
we did not send away our good men.
I was frequently employed while in Eng-
land as officiating Deputy Judge - Advocate-
General at general courts -martial. On one
occasion Lieutenant-Colonel Buller, C.B., Rifle
Brigade, was President. He afterwards com-
manded the Second Brigade of the Light
Division of our army in Bulgaria. On another
occasion Colonel Love, afterwards General Sir
Frederick Love, Inspector-General of Infantry,
was President; and on a third occasion Colonel
Simpson, who afterwards became General Sir
James Simpson, commanding the British
Army in the Crimea, was President. And,
curiously enough, Colonel Codrington, who
succeeded him in command of the army,
came down to Weedon, where the court was
held, to defend one of the prisoners who was
acquitted.
We had not completed the reduction of the
regiment to 800 rank and file, before we were
suddenly ordered to prepare for war. We
were then moved over to Portsmouth to be
ready for embarkation.
TO THE CRIMEA 235
The events of the two following years of
my life have been described in my Letters from
the Crimea, which were kindly received by the
public under the title of The Crimean Wa^"
from First to Last.
INDEX
AlGUESMORTES, 32
Alais, 34, 35
ironworks at, 40
Albany, 192
Albert, H.R.H. Prince, 121
Almac's balls, 121
Alps, the, 39
America yacht, the, 231
American sympathisers, 89, 97,
156, 157
Anduze, 42
Anticosta, 171
Apennines, the, 12
Arbuthnot, General, 44
Archer, the Misses, 231
Aries, 34
Arrow, the steamer, 8
Arrow yacht, the, 23 1
Assumption river, 143
Athlone, 45, 46, 48
Avignon, 30, 34
Axe-handle Guards, the, 68
Ballyshannon, fishing at, 50
Barbadoes, 195, 196, 197, 203,
208
saluting a foreign warship at,
210
Baring, Mr. and Mrs. George, 13
Barton, Miss Kate, 231
Bath, 20
Dramatic Fete, 23
Bath, society, 22
Battiscombe, Rev. Mr., 16
Beach, Mr., 230
Beaucaire, 34
Beauclerk, Lord Charles, 59, 62,
no. III, 112, 113, 114
death of, 116, 117
Beauharnois, 98
Beauport, 57
Beaver-dam, a, 151
Bennett, Major, 170, 181, 182, 191
Mrs., 170, 181, 182
Bermuda, rebels to be transported
to 96
Berne, 11
Berthier, 187
Bic, 186
Billiards, a game of, 165
Biscoe, Lieutenant Grattan, 60
Black Prince, cognizance of the, 3
Bologna, races at, 11, 12
Bomballes, Madame, 14
Bonaparte, Lucien, 16
Bonini, 14
Boston, 121
Bourke, Captain, 222
Deaf, 67
Bourshea, Mr., 186
Bout de risle, 143
Bowen, Judge, 59
Bowles, Colonel, 102
Boxer, Captain, 187, 188, 190
238
EARL V REMINISCENCES
Bradford, Dr., 212, 213, 215, 217,
228
Bretain, Captain, 193
Brienz, 18
lake, 19
Brilliant, the brig, 231
Bristol, 49, 118
Britannia, the s.s., 120
British Queen, the, 117
Broadley, Captain, 65
Brooks, Mr., 185
Brougham, Lord, 96
Brussels, 9
Buchan, General Sir John, 46, 47
Buchesney, Monsieur, 59
Buffalo, 60
Bull, encounter with a, iii
BuUer, C.B., Lieut. -Colonel, 234
Burghersh, Lord, 13
Burnaby, Dick, 162
Burstalls, the, 59
Bush-craft, 122
Butler, Dr., 20
Byers, Ensign, drowning of, 45
Byron, Lord, ii
Bytown, 69
Caccouna, 186
Cahots, 191
Calais, passage to, 9
Camp, a ready-made, 135
construction of a, 122-125
Campana, 14
Campbell, Captain, 229
Lieutenant Bob, 165
Canada, American sympathisers in,
89
discontent in, 64
embarking for, 52
militia of, 97
outrages in, icx)
rebels drilling in, 65
operations against, 71
reinforcements for, 94, 95, 96
Canada, the " Army " of, 98
winter in, 124
winter picnics in, 63
Canada, Upper, disturbances in, 89
organisation of rebels in, 97
Canadian boat -songs, 115, 116, 145
games, 145
rebels, transportation of, 96
Canadians and Loyalists, hostilities
between, 68
Cape Chatte, 176, 187
Cariboo shooting, 219-221
Carnegie, Sir James, 14, 15, 17, 44,
48
his marriage, 16
Lady, 48
Caroline, the, 97
burning of, loi
Carr, Ensign, drowning of, 45
Cascade rapid, the, 168
Catalani, 16
Cathcart, Colonel (afterwards Sir
George), 96
Catherine Stewart Forbes, the, 55
Cevennes, the, 34
Chamberlain, Mr., 231
Chambly, 70, 71, 103, 105
Chateau, an ancient, 34
Chateaugay, 98, 115
Chatham swamp, 157, 163, 164
Chatte Bay, 176, 183, 188
Cherito, 121
Chester, 232, 233
Colonel, 233
Clermont, 42
Clitheroe, General, 103
Cochnawaga, 98
Cochrane, Lord, 60
Codrington, Colonel, 234
Colborne, Sir John, 57, 59, 66, 69,
76, 82, 2>i, 86, 89, 100, 102,
103, 156
Lady, 59
Cold, effect of extreme, 141
INDEX
239
Cologne, 9
Colomb, Mr. Albin, 40-42
Columbia, the s.s., 121
Colour, wetting the, 47
Colville, Captain, 107
ConoUy, Lieutenant, 199, 206
Cork, cove of, 52
Courland Bay, 197, 199
Crayfish, fishing for, 19
Crescentini, 16
Crompton, Captain, 'jt^
Crutchley, Colonel, 233
Dartnell, Surgeon, 170, 192
Darwin, Mr., 144
Darwin's shanty, 144
Davenport, Captain, 170
De Blaquiere, Lord, 231, 232
Demidoff, Count, 13
Deserter, a 163
Detroit, 156, 163
Dickson, Captain, 143, 144, 147,
148, 152, 153
Brigade -Major, 86
Dijon, 19, 27
Dinner, a grand, 46
Dogherty, Mr., 144
Doughty, Lady, 230
Douglas, Captain, 187, 188, 190
Dragoon Guards, the 3rd, 46
the King's, 96, 103
Driving club, a, 103
Dublin, 50
Duck-shooting, 157, 160
Duel, a, 66
Dundas, Colonel, 97
Dundee, The, 119
Durham, Lord, 94, 95, 96, 98
Eagle, the steamer, 197, 210
Eighty-fifth Light Infantry, the,
55,83
Eighty-third Regiment, the, 82,
83, 97
Ellice, Mr. Edward, 98
junior, M.P., 98
Enniskillen, 48, 50
Environs of London, the authors
of, I
Erskine, Sir Thomas, 197, 201, 203
Evans, Captain, 222, 224
Fabri, 14
Family Arms, the, 3
Fifteenth Regiment, the, 103
First Royal Regiment, the, 45,
83, 103
Fisher, R.A., Lieutenant, 163
Fishing, no, 112, 136
Fishing party, a large, 1 1 5
Fitz-Clarence, Lord Frederick, 229,
230
Florence, 12, 14, 15
society at, 13
Fontainebleau, 43
Forger, a, 61
Forsyth, Mr., loi
Fort Graciot, 156
Forth, the s.s., 196
Forty-third Light Infantiy, the, 83
Fox, Mr., loi
Franceschini, 14
Frankfort, 9
Frazer, Mr., 184
French Canadians, the, 64
Frossard, Monsieur, 31, 34, 40
Funchal, 196
Gabrielli, Princess, 16
Gallway, Lieutenant (afterwards
General Sir Thomas), 206
Garcia, ii
Geneva, 19
Genoa, 15
George IV., H.M. King, death of, 6
George, H.R.H. Prince, 121
Gipps, Sir George, 59
Glen Dye, 48
Z40
EARL Y REMIXISCEXCES
Gka Dye, ^ootiBgat, 49^ ii9» lao
(^oiw^ Cavlaiii, 84
Gold Rna, th^ 218
GoBdafat,nMraethe^i7
Goosey a nwiil lUi, 108, 109
GoR, GoloMl, 69^ 71, 73r 75» 76,
7S,8o, loz
55
170, 18S
Gosfii^ die Eari <^ 59^ S3
Gcnde Horioee, die, 25
Goat, Mil, 184
Gra^ Wisftni^ the sl&, 95* 102
laoesAc^rBficDi ^Km, 117
GreealdiBd, 170
Gscaada, 203*206
G17.SirCfaBies.59.96
79. fa
18
Gna^ 120
Gonis a Bogade oi^ 94
theCflUtfica^ 106
Ae GfCMfier, 98^ 99, loo^ 103
tke,i6i
Hai rFAT^ 55, 82, 89^ 120, 187, 212-
aa rrrfawrfin' at, 224-228
a wdl ai^ 228^ 229
If »-Tina, 165
Hanv Ca|«aiB, 207
45
the^ 161
Harvey, Captain. 222
r, H.M.S.,94
a, 38
Hznc^ CRnaag: to, 24
Haid, Mc Gffiiert, 195
Head, Sir FiaHs BomI, 69. 89
'$ lircr, 213
90
Heai|isted Cowl, 44, 49
Horj, Dr., 62, 218
Ber^mrdMkin. tbe ^qt, 212
Hesse-Hoaabng. LaidgiaTiBe o^ 9
Hidbna, RmIj, 21
m^Uaiid L^E^ bfrnby, die 71st,
96. 9% «>i 197, 200^ 201, 203
Hli^faMirfs, the 79t*>. 57
die Oeiigaiiy, 89
Hai,Laid,44
Hill,lfc, 15
H«Miga.69
HaiiAai&9
Hope, Gcnenl Sir James^ 187, 1S8,
189
Horn, rnlnwrij 223
Hoa^Mi.,97
Cakaei, 71, 74
55,62
Harai,Lake, 156
HHsan, die 7di, 70, 96, 99,
loot, 103, 104, 106
IcB-KMTS^ anfing io, 63
nbee^aa, 142
races wfth, 137
lieateoant (afterward Sir
John), 75
ImaUuLk, 17
I Interlaken, 17, 18, 19
Jacksok, Sff Richard, 143, 156
Jam, die hark, 183
Jenkms, Mr., 185
Joia Ban, a rcg^dar, 26
Mr., 68
Kcarr, cjiiLiys of Doke oC 7. 8
KiliBe«e,45
Kioertoo, 6Q, 97, 112, 168
Khmahd Casde, 49
Tjiwache, 120
Lachine, 112, 113
RjqwL die great. 90, 112, 16S
INDEX
241
Laddriere, Monsieur, 25
La Prairie, 104, 106
Laquarro River, the, 147, 151
La Scaia Theatre, ii
Lauterbrunnen, valley of the, 18
Lazaroni, 16
Leamington, 195
Leeward Islands, 210
Les Crapauds Cliffs, 183
Levees, the Queen's, 120
Le\-is Point, 57
Lewis, Captain C. A., mission of,
100, loi, 102
Light In£a.ntr)', the 32nd, 64
Liverpool, the Queen's visit to,
232
Lobster spearing, 217
Lc^an, Sir W., 119
London, Canada West, 157, 161,
163, 164
London, society in, 120
Longsault Rapid, the, 168
Longueil, 67
Lorraine, Claude, residence of,
16
Love, Colonel (afterwards General
Sir Frederick), 234
Loyalists and Canadians, hostilities
between, 68
Lucca, baths of, 14
Lumbering establishment, a, 144
Lyons, 27
Lysons or Liscms, Mr. Thomas,
2. 3
Sir Daniel, ancestry of, i
appointed ensign, 45
D.A.Q.-G., 82
arms of, 3
birth of, 5
called the White Iixiian Chief,
140
carries despatches to Quebec, 1S2
commands Royal Welch Fusiliers,
232
Lysons, Sir Daniel, commences
squad-drill, 48
duties at Quebec, 93
education of, 20
embarks for Canada, 52
employed as D.J.-A.-G., 234
to make military sketches, 107
fcimily-tree of, i
given leave of absence, 48, 60,
117, 120, 191
has a narrow escap>e. 90
his Indian hunters, 127-129, 131,
140, 142, 144, 149, 152
joins his regiment, 46
kills his first moose, 130
lands at Quebec, 59
learns to row the gondola, 17
leaves school, 24
the West Indies, 212
Halifax for England, 229
mentioned in despatches, 77
in District Order, 191
on Colonel Gore's staff, 69
ordered to Toronto, 69
West Indies, 163
presented to Her Majesty, 120
promoted to a company in the
3rd West India Regiment,
191
promoted Major, 230
quartered at Montreal, 64
AMnchester, 229
released from arrest, 51
returns to Canada, 121, 156
saves drowning boys, 20, 21
sister's marriage, 16
surveys Niagara district, 119
Town- Mayor of Portsmouth, 230
transferred to Royal Welch Fusi-
liers, 203
travels abroad. 7, 24
in U.S. A., 156
under arrest, 50
wrecked on the Premier, 170-1S2
EARL Y REMIMSCENCES
Moctreal. Grenaiia' Gnaxds dis-
patdaf<i to, 9S
!■ slaie of defeao^ 77
of tke \ap^ pu^ is.
NArmmxE, nnir<1iiii« to, 98,
»5
at, 16
. 16
wiifljf m, 16
K»7lsiad,97
Kdsa^ the njxl
Xenris, 42
Nev, Captadn, 171
NewooaaB, R.A., Tientmant,
74
Nev HavcB, 192, 193
Kewfaad, finHinmir, 157, 158,
«59
Xk»Lis€ffml,f^ i9j
Kcv Yotk, KK, 117, 193. «9»
IQagBa ditffict, smrwrj ot, 119
rsitto, 60
97
ISoolet, Gtondier GnvJs sm Ibr
i««.9«
IQbcs. jo, 31. 32» 38. 40. 41,
42
IBtty-dwd RfgMfM, the, 96
9
INDEX
m
Nova Scotia, fishing and moose-
hunting in, 212
Nun's Island, 90, 112
Oakley Hall, 230
Ogdensburg, 60
Ontario, lake of, 60
Opera, the, 120
Orange, 39
Orleans, island of, 56
Onnsby, Lieutenant, 59, 65, 87
Osw^o, 60
Ottawa River, The, 84
Pack, Captain, 210
Paget, Admiral Sir C, 94
Palazzo, Settimanni, the, 12, 14
Papineau, Monsieur, 67, 68, 81, 96
search for, 80
Paris, 25, 42, 43
Parkhurst barracks, 233
Parlby, Mr. Hall, 231
Patriot, a Canadian, 65, 66
Perrot, 1 21
Persiani, 120
Peselli, 14
Petrarch, birthplace of, 39
Phillips, Lieutenant Per^ne, 208,
209, 210
Picnics, 63
Picton, 120
Pisa, 14
Pl)Tnouth, yachting at, 230
Pochin, Mrs., 15
Pocklingtons, the, 13
Point de Monts, 171
Pont du Card, the, 34
Pont St-Esprit, 30
Pope's benediction, the, 17
Portsmouth, 230, 234
Praed, Miss, 231
Premier, the transpcMt, 1 70
wreck of, 171-182
Prescott, 97
Price, Mr., 144
Prices, the, 59
Pritchard, Colonel, 187
Quebec, 56, 57, 58, 59, 93, 102,
108, 109, 120, 169, 187, 188,
189, 191
celebration of Queen's Irirlbday,
95
fleet at, 94
Guards sent for from, 98
iceboats at, 63
reinforcements for, 82, 83
theatricals at, 62
Queen Victoria, Accession of H.M.,
64
at the theatre, 121
celebration of H.M.'s birthday, 95
levees of, 120
swearing alliance to, 64
Radcliffe, Mr., 230
Rawdon, 129, 144
Raynes, Lieutenant, 219, 221
Ready, Captain, 107
Rebels drilling, 65
transportation of to Bermuda, 96
organisation of, 97, 98
Recruit, a stupid, 48
/;!ed Rov€r yacht, the, 230
Reichenbach Falls, 18
Reid, Mr. Crew, 218
Revolution of 1830, the, 25
Rhine, the, 9
Rhone, the, 27, 30
Richardson, Captain, 212
Richelieu River, 70
Rigi, the, 10
Rimouski, 185
244
EARL V REMINISCENCES
Rimouski River, i86
Riviere-du-loup, i86, 187
Riviere Quelle, 187
Rochester, 60
Rochester, the, 193
Rocket, an erratic, 88
Rodmarton, 5, 43, 44
Rogers, Mr., 127, 128
Rolandseck, 9
Rolands werth, 9
Rome, 15, 16, 17
Rosenlaui glacier, 18
Rouen, 24
Roy, Louis, 176, 182, 183
Royal Artillery, the, 103
Royal Regiment, the, 83, 170,
189, 190
Royal Welch Fusiliers, the, 232-
234
leave West Indies for Halifax,
212
leave Halifax for England, 229
Sackets Harbour, 60
St-Andiol, 27, 30
a heavy bill at, 28
St. Angelo, castle of, 16
St. Anne's, 176
St. Benoit, 89
St. Charles, 67, 71, 76, "]-], 78, 79,
82
St. Clair Lake, 157
St. Denis, 71, 72, 76, T], 78, 79,82,
96
second advance on, 78
St. Eustache, advance on, 83, 84
St. Elour, 42
St. Gilles, 33
St. Giorgio, church of, 17
St. Hilaire, 76
St. Hyacinthe, 80, 82
St. Jacques, 143
St. Jean, 187
St. John's, 69, 103
St. Lawrence River, the, 58, 70, 83,
106, 143, 168, 170, 184, 188
ice-bridge over, 93
St. Louis Lake, 112, 113
St. Martins, 83
St. Ours, 71, 75, 78
St. Peter's, 17
St. Vincent, 210
Saltzburg, 17
Sandom, R.N., Captain, 97
Saone, the, 27
Sapin trees, 123
Saville, Captain Jack, 104
Scheidegg, Great and Little, 18
Scotchman, a young, 193-195
Scott, Captain, 107
Sedan chairs, 22
Seine, up the, 24
Seventy-third Regiment, the, 96,
103
Sewell, Chief-Justice, 59
Ship's grog, 55
Shot, a wonderful, 18
Shooting, no
Shrewsbury school, saving life at,
20, 21
Simplon, the, 11
Simpson, Colonel (afterwards
General Sir James), 234
Sirius, the s.s., 95
Six counties, meeting of the, 67
Sixty-eighth Light Infantry, 189
Sixty-fifth Regiment, the, 96
Sixty-sixth Regiment, the, 59, 73
Somerset, Lord P^itzroy, 195, 196
Sorel, 71, 76, 78, 79
" Soupe au caillou," how to make,
35^36
Spezzia, 15
Squall, a heavy, 58
Stainer, Mr., 187
Staubach Fall, 18
Steeple-chase, a military, 161
Styria, 17
INDEX
245
Sweeney, Mr. Campbell, 68
Switzerland, 9, 11
Table Rock, the, 60
Taglioni, 121
Tambourini, 120
Tanargue, the, 34
Tandem driving, 62
Taylor, Colonel Brook, 143, 144,
147, 152
Thames River (Canada), the, 157
Theatre, Her Majesty's, 121
Theatricals, 161
Thirty-fourth Regiment, the, 83
Thirty-second Regiment, the, 79,
83, 103, 165
Thonon, 19
Three -Rivers, Grenadier Guards
sent for from, 98
Tichborne, Roger, 230
Timmings, Mr., 192
Tobago, 197, 199, 200, 202, 203
Toronto, 60, 69, 165, 168
Torrens, Colonel, 232, 233
Transport, a crowded, 53
Trent steamer, the, 210
Trinidad, 202, 203
Trout fishing, 136, 140, 141
Trye, Miss, 31
Twenty - fourth Regiment, the, 69,
71, 73
Twenty-third Royal Welch Fusi-
liers, the, 197, 203
Tyrwhitt, Captain, 121
Unicorn, the s.s., 187, 188, 190
United States and Great Britain,
loi
army, officers of, 156
frontier, 156
Urquhart, Lieutenant, 59
Valence, 27
Van Buren, President, loi
Vansittart, Lieutenant, 170, 178,
179
Varejine, the, 76
Vaucluse, Fontaine de, 39
Veluti, 14
Venice, 17
Vermont, loi
Governor of, 100, 10 1
Vienna, 17
Vivian, Lieutenant J., 60, 62
Vosbury family, the, 100
Waddilove, Ensign, 170, 171,
172
War, preparing for, 234
Warleigh yacht, the, 230
Washington, loi, 102
Waterford, 49
W^eedon, 234
Weir, Lieutenant, murder of, 79
burial of, 82
Wellesley, Captain, 206
Wellington, Duke of, 190, 191,
195
his order on duelling, 222,
223
Wetherall, Ensign Ned (afterwards
General Sir Edward), 45, 59,
62, 86, 170, 171, 172, 176,
178
Colonel (afterwards General Sir
George), 46, 48, 50, 53, 54,
56, 57, 62, 70, 76, 83,
87
White, Colonel, 96
Whitmore, Lieutenant, 170
William IV., H.M. King, acces-
sion of, 6
death of, 64
Willoughby, Lieutenant, 197
Winchester, in quarters at, 229
Windsor (Canada), 163
246
EARLY REMINISCENCES
Windward Islands, 210
Wolseley, Colonel (now F.M.
Viscount, Commander-in-Chief),
119
Wyndham, Lieutenant, 128, 131,
133, 134, 136, 137, 138,
141, 142, 157, 158, 159, 162,
163
Yea, Major, 210
ZuG, 9
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