they were, in turn, subjected to as
close an espionage by several members of the expedition, who were
prepared for any emergency. "The engineer would have been hoisted with
his own petard" probably, if they had attempted the arrest. That
dare-devil Thompson, in fact, proposed one night that I should take a
walk alone along the canal, and see what would come of it, but I
declined the invitation.

One plan of releasing the Johnson's Island prisoners was to purchase a
steamer in England, through the agency of Captain Bullock, load her
with a cargo, and clear from the Custom House "for a market" on the
lakes.--The chief obstacle to this plan would have been the passage,
unsuspected, through the Welland Canal, but it was believed that, by
proper discretion and management, this might have been accomplished, and
the rest would have been easy; for all that was expected of any
expedition was to carry the Michigan by surprise; the prisoners upon the
island cooperating by attacking and overpowering the garrison.

As there was no farther necessity for keeping our movements secret, the
whole party started together on the return to Halifax. We followed the
route from "Riviere du Loup" overland by stage, or rather in sleighs,
for the ground was already covered with snow, and the steamers had
stopped running for the season, upon the beautiful picturesque St.
John's River; and our way lay through a cheerless and sparsely populated
country for nearly the whole distance. We were able too, without
indiscretion, to accept the hospitalities of our friends in Halifax,
during our brief stay there. But duty called us back to the Confederacy,
and passage was engaged for the whole party by the first steamer (the
Alpha,) to sail for Bermuda.

CHAPTER XII.

Take Command of the "Whisper."--High Rates of Freight.--Confederate
Money and Sterling Exchange.--An Investment in Cotton.--The
Ill-fated Ironclad.--The Point Lookout Expedition and its
Failure.--A Faithful Servant and a Narrow Escape.--Futile
Projects.--Wilmington during the War.--Light Houses
reestablished.--Gloomy Prospects of the South.

Arriving there, after a five or six day's voyage, we found many
blockade-runners at anchor in St. George's harbor; and application was
made to me to take command of one of them, called the "Whisper," just
out from England. She was a fair specimen of her class. Built expressly
for speed and light draft, her frame w