ntly ordered
under arms to protect the dockyard, and fully expected to have warm
work. The people who formed the rebel bands had been instigated to
revolt by the revolutionists of the southern colonies, who had formed a
plan at this time to invade Canada, which happily proved abortive. They
themselves, as far as I could learn, had no real cause of complaint.

After we had waited for some time in expectation of an attack, notice
was brought us that the rebels had plundered and burned the village
where they had quartered themselves, and then retired. We were
therefore able to employ all hands in refitting the ship, a work to us
of the greatest importance. The cold, however, was so great that we
suffered no little inconvenience from exposure to it. All the meat, I
remember, which came on board, was frozen so hard that we were
invariably obliged to cut it up into pieces with a cross-saw, to serve
it out to the messes. Quantities of fish also of a peculiarly fine
flavour were to be picked up daily, frozen to death, on the surface of
the ice, thrown up by the united action of the tide and sea. As there
were no masts and spars in the dockyard, we found that we should be
obliged to send a party into the woods, fully ten miles from the town,
to cut down trees suitable for the purpose. I was ordered to accompany
the party appointed for this object. My friend Delisle was with me, and
Tom Rockets went as my servant.

Having provided ourselves with blankets, provisions, cooking utensils,
and other means of making ourselves comfortable, away we trudged over
the snow, following our guide, John Nobs by name, who was to show us
where we might find the sort of timber we required. It was the first
time I had ever been in an American forest. The deep silence which
reigned around, and the perfect solitude were very impressive. The tall
leafless trees, springing up out of the sheet of snow which covered the
whole face of nature, were the only objects to be seen.

We were merry enough as we tramped away in the keen, pure air over the
crisp snow. As some thirty pair of feet, stepping out together, went
crunch--crunch--crunch--the noise was so loud, that we were obliged to
raise our voices to make ourselves heard. Delisle and I marched
directly after our leader old Nobs, our men following, laughing,
talking, and singing, as the mood seized them.

At length, having gone some way through the forest, Nobs began to look
about him