at the same moment with the
_Prince Rupert_, and was now visited by the second schooner, which soon
returned to our ship to take the passengers on shore. The passengers
who came out in the _Prince Albert_ were on board--namely, the Reverend
Mr Gowley, a clergyman of the Church of England, and his lady; and Mr
Rob, a sort of catechist, or semi-clerical schoolmaster. They were
missionaries bound for Red River Colony; and as I had some prospect of
going there myself, I was delighted to have the probable chance of
travelling with companions who, from the short survey I had of them
while they conversed with the captain and Mr Carles, seemed
good-natured and agreeable.

Mr Carles, Mr Wiseacre, and I now bade adieu to the good ship which
had been our home for such a length of time (but I must say I did not
regret the parting), and followed our baggage on board the schooner,
expecting to reach the factory before dusk. "There's many a slip 'twixt
the cup and the lip," is a proverb well authenticated and often quoted,
and on the present occasion its truth was verified. We had not been
long under weigh before the ebb tide began to run so strong against us
as to preclude the possibility of our reaching the shore that night.
There was no help for it, however; so down went the anchor to the
bottom, and down went I to the cabin.

Such a cabin! A good-sized trunk, with a small table in it, and the lid
shut down, had about as much right to the name. It was awfully small--
even _I_ could not stand upright in it, though at the time I had
scarcely attained to the altitude of five feet; yet here were we
destined to pass the night--and a wretched night we did pass. We got
over the first part tolerably, but as it grew late our eyes grew heavy.
We yawned, fidgeted and made superhuman efforts to keep awake and seem
happy; but it would not do. There were only two berths in the cabin;
and, as so many gentlemen were present, Mrs Gowley would not get into
either of them, but declared she would sit up all night. The gentlemen,
on the other hand, could not be so ungallant as to go to sleep while the
only lady present sat up. The case was desperate, and so I went off to
the hold, intending to lie down on a bale, if I could find one. In my
search I tumbled over something soft, which gave vent to a frightful
howl, and proved to be no less a personage than Mr Wiseacre, who had
anticipated me, and found a convenient place whereon to lie. My