th several large engravings in bird's-eye maple
frames. The stove, too, was brightly polished with black lead, and the
painting of the room had been executed with a view to striking dumb
those innocent individuals who had spent the greater part of their lives
at outposts, and were, consequently, accustomed to domiciles and
furniture of the simplest and most unornamental description. On the
present grand occasion the mess-room was illuminated by an argand lamp,
and the table covered with a snow-white cloth, whereon reposed a platter
containing a beautiful, fat, plump wild-goose, which had a sort of
come-eat-me-up-quick-else-I'll-melt expression about it that was
painfully delicious. Opposite to this smoked a huge roast of beef, to
procure which one of our most useless draught oxen had been sacrificed.
This, with a dozen of white partridges, and a large piece of salt pork,
composed our dinner. But the greatest rarities on the board were two
large decanters of port wine, and two smaller ones of Madeira. These
were flanked by tumblers and glasses; and truly, upon the whole, our
dinner made a goodly show.

"Come away, gentlemen," said Mr Grave, as we entered the room and
approached the stove where he stood, smiling with that benign expression
of countenance peculiar to stout, good-natured gentlemen at this season,
and at this particular hour. "Your walk must have sharpened your
appetites; sit down, sit down. This way, doctor--sit near me; find a
place, Mr Ballantyne, beside your friend Crusty there; take the foot,
Mr Wilson;" and amid a shower of such phrases we seated ourselves and
began.

At the top of the table sat Mr Grave, indistinctly visible through the
steam that rose from the wild-goose before him. On his right and left
sat the doctor and the accountant; and down from them sat the skipper,
four clerks, and Mr Wilson, whose honest face beamed with philanthropic
smiles at the foot of the table. Loud were the mirth and fun that
reigned on this eventful day within the walls of the highly decorated
room at York Factory. Bland was the expression of Mr Grave's face when
he asked each of the young clerks to drink wine with him in succession;
and great was the confidence which thereby inspired the said clerks,
prompting them to the perpetration of several rash and unparalleled
pieces of presumption--such as drinking wine with each other (an act of
free-will on their part almost unprecedented), and indulging in sun