sternly the aspirations of the French
element and had been specially friendly with the Nairne circle; he was
indeed a cousin of the Nairnes' relative by marriage, James Ker. But now
with Sir George Prevost as Governor things were changed. Sir George came
from Halifax and Quebec society looked with green-eyed jealousy upon his
"Halifax people." "They are not the right sort," Judge Bowen wrote to
Christine Nairne:

It will be long before we meet a staff like Sir James Craig's
gentlemanly men.... The castle affords no delight but to the
Halifax people. They are all Gods, the Quebecers all Devils. As for
me I have no desire to be deified.... Would you believe it Pierre
Bedard [a French Canadian leader whom Sir James Craig had clapped
into prison] is now Judge of the Court of King's Bench at Three
Rivers. Would that poor Sir James[24] could raise his head to take
a view of the strange scenes daily occurring here; but it is better
he should be spared the Loathsome sight. What it will end in I dare
scarcely express.

In these days there was ceaseless anxiety at Murray Bay. "We are all
here in a complete state of suspense," wrote Christine Nairne, "... My
brother is now in Upper Canada doing duty as a marine officer on board
the _Royal George_. We are in the utmost anxiety about him but on the
Almighty we rely for preservation in these horrid times." Echoes came of
stirring events. Tom wrote of General Brock's succeeds in capturing
Detroit and with it the American General Hull and his whole army. A
little later the Detroit garrison was sent to Montreal and Captain
Nairne, doing duty on the _Royal George_, carried General Hull--"the
extirpating General" he called him in view of dire threats that Hull had
made as to what he should do--with 200 prisoners from Niagara to
Kingston and then in batteaux down the River St. Lawrence on the way to
Montreal, through whose streets the Canadian militia marched their
prisoners to the strains of "Yankee Doodle." Elated with the success
against General Hull, Tom now expected to hear any day that the American
fort at the mouth of the Niagara River had been taken by General Brock.
He heard a much sadder tale. Instead of awaiting attack the Americans
became the aggressors and crossed the river into Canada. In a successful
attempt to dislodge them from Queenston Heights the gallant Brock was
slain. The invaders were driven back; but all Canada mou