iness surpassing.

At last was seen, high towering over all, the rounded top of the fairest
of the hundred isles of the St. Lawrence, St. Helen's; and, shortly
after, the glittering domes of the city of Montreal gave warning that
our up-voyage was drawing to a happy conclusion.

_Thursday, 11th._--This morning took a farewell stroll over St. Helen's,
which, on a surface of a mile in length by half a mile in breadth, has
all the attractions Nature could devise scattered with a most liberal
hand. It is shadowed and scented by a hundred sorts of odorous shrubs
and flowers. The groves are filled with birds of beautiful plumage; the
graceful blue bird, the enamelled hummer, and the cardinal, with his
hood of the brightest scarlet, are for ever on the wing in pursuit of
the shad-fly. The pert woodpecker climbs the trees, and along the shores
sits the contemplative heron, watching the rapids flowing by, which are,
during certain seasons, absolutely alive with fish.

In short, I cannot imagine a more perfect summer abode in such a
climate. The aromatic air wafted into one's window on a morning here,
made it a delight to open it. The chamber I occupied looked out upon the
grassy rampart and over it, affording a sight of the city in its best
aspect, and the noble river dividing us from it. Close opposite to my
window was a winding path, completely shaded, which led from the fort
to the little harbour where the island fleet lies moored; which fleet
consisted at this time of an Indian canoe, the soldiers' large
market-boat, and the officers' cutter. Some one or other of these were
almost constantly on the wing between isle and main; and really it was
worth while, once a day, to take a sniff of the fishy atmosphere of the
hot city, in order fully to appreciate the advantages of the cool pure
air of _la belle ile_.

At four P.M. after having taken leave of my island friends, whose
attentions had rendered my stay here so delightful, I set off with my
old comrade W----w, and Mr. E----r, who had decided upon accompanying me
as far on my way as St. John's. We found the La Prairie steamboat quite
crowded with the farmers of the continent, on their way home from the
market of Montreal: amongst these were some French; but the majority was
composed of lowland Scotch and Irish, with a fair proportion of
Highlanders.

During our short passage I passed to and fro, below and above, amongst
these various specimens of my fellow-subjects, but