y fourteen or
sixteen men. Travellers from Canada to the interior generally change
their _canotes de maitre_ for north canoes at Fort William, before
entering upon the intricate navigation through which we had already
passed; while those going from the interior to Canada change the small
for the large canoe. As we had few men, however, and the weather
appeared settled, we determined to risk coasting round the northern
shore of the lake in our north canoe.

The scenery around the fort is very pretty. In its immediate vicinity
the land is flat, covered with small trees and willows, which are
agreeably suggestive of partridges and other game; but in the distance
rise goodly-sized mountains; and on the left hand the noble expanse of
the Lake Superior, with rocky islands on its mighty bosom and abrupt
hills on its shores, stretches out to the horizon. The fort is built at
the mouth of the Kamenistaquoia River, and from its palisades a
beautiful view of the surrounding country can be obtained.

As the men wanted rest and our canoe a little repair, we determined to
remain all day at Fort William; so some of the men employed themselves
re-gumming the canoe, while others spread out our blankets and tents to
dry. This last was very necessary as on the journey we have little time
to spare from eating and sleeping while on shore; and many a time have
I, in consequence, slept in a wet blanket.

The fair lady of the gentleman in charge of the fort was the _only lady_
at the place, and indeed the only one within a circuit of six hundred
miles--which space, being the primeval forest, was inhabited only by
wild beasts and a few Indians. She was, consequently, very much
delighted to meet with Mrs Bain, who, having for so many days seen no
one but rough _voyageurs_, was equally delighted to meet her. While
they went off to make the most of each other, Mr Bain and I sauntered
about in the vicinity of the fort, admiring the beauty of the scenery,
and paid numerous visits to a superb dairy in the fort, which overflowed
with milk and cream. I rather think that we admired the dairy more than
the scenery. There were a number of cows at the post, a few of which we
encountered in our walk, and also a good many pigs and sheep. In the
evening we returned, and at tea were introduced to a postmaster, who had
been absent when we arrived. This postmaster turned out to be a
first-rate player of Scotch reels on the violin. He was self-taugh