he skin who could
not creep under the decked parts of the boat. It brought great relief in
freshening the air. The boatmen were astir before daylight, hoisting the
sails, for the wind had turned to the north, as it often does after a
thunderstorm. There were places, where the current ran so fast that
setting-poles had to be used, but we got on well, and, by-and-by,
sighted two towns--Ogdensburg and Prescott, the one bright and tidy, the
other with a weather-beaten uninviting look. We rejoiced to see a small
steamboat at the Prescott wharf. It was waiting for the stage from
Montreal. A bargain was made to take our party to Kingston. On the boat
we had met at the Soo coming in, she had too many emigrants for the
steamer to take on board, but her captain agreed to tow her. The offer
was made to let any of the women change boats, but none accepted. Like
ourselves, they were travelling in families and feared to be parted. We
were real sorry in bidding good-by to the crew of the Durham boat, for
they had been kind and made companions of the children. As one wee tot
came up to her special favorite, she pursed her lips to be kissed; the
Canadian took the pipe out of his mouth and gave the queerest cry of
delight I ever heard. We could not speak to each other, but in the
language of grimace and expression of countenance the French Canadian
excels. The Montreal stage at last appeared, drawn by four horses, and
on its passengers getting settled in the cabin, the steamer began her
voyage. She was not like the steamboats of later days, which are houses
built on hulls. She was just a good-sized barge with an engine and two
paddle-wheels, which sent her along at a slow rate, all the more slowly
on account of her towing the Durham boat. Our party crowded her fore
deck and our baggage, piled on the freight she had when we got on, was
higher than her paddle-boxes. We stopped three times to take on wood
during the passage, reaching Kingston next morning, where we were to get
a steamer for Toronto, but had to wait for her arrival. She was a larger
boat but of the same pattern as the one we left, having her cabins below
deck. There were over a hundred emigrants, and we so crowded the
steerage that we were packed as close as in the Durham boats. The
prospect of being so near our journey's end made us endure discomfort
cheerfully. I remember how the great size of lake Ontario impressed us
all, having an horizon like that of the Atlantic. We had