uring this time, the Colonel had repeated his visit and
made arrangements with Mr Campbell. A party of twenty soldiers had
been sent to work at felling timber and splitting rails, for whose
services Mr Campbell paid as before. The winter house and palisade
fence for the sheep were put in hand, and great progress was made in a
short time, now that so many people were employed. They had also
examined the stream for some distance, to ascertain which would be the
most eligible site for the water-mill, and had selected one nearly half
a mile from the shore of the lake, and where there was a considerable
fall, and the stream ran with great rapidity. It was not, however,
expected that the mill would be erected until the following year, as it
was necessary to have a millwright and all the machinery from either
Montreal or Quebec. It was intended that the estimate of the expense
should be given in, the contract made, and the order given during the
autumn, so that it might be all ready for the spring of the next year.
It was on a Monday morning that Henry arrived from the fort, where he
had stayed the Sunday, having reached it late on Saturday night. The
_bateaux_, with the stock and stores, he had left at the fort; they were
to come round during the day, but Henry's impatience to see the family
would not allow him to wait. He was, as may be supposed, joyfully
received, and, as soon as the first recognitions were over, he proceeded
to acquaint his father with what he had done. He had obtained from a
Canadian farmer forty ewes of very fair stock, although not anything
equal to the English; but the agent had worked hard for him, and
procured him twenty English sheep and two rams of the best kind, to
improve the breed. For the latter he had to pay rather dear, but they
were worth any money to Mr Campbell, who was quite delighted with the
acquisition. In selecting the sheep, of course Henry was obliged to
depend on the agent and the parties he employed, as he was no judge
himself; but he had, upon his own judgment, purchased two Canadian
horses, for Henry had been long enough at Oxford to know the points of a
horse, and as they turned out, he had made a very good bargain. He had
also bought a sow and pigs of an improved breed, and all the other
commissions had been properly executed; the packages of skins also
realised the price which had been put on them. As it may be supposed,
he was full of news, talking about Montreal,