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3
G. Musgrace Eder
dunhall

ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
OF
COLONEL LANDMANN,
LATE OF THE CORPS OF ROYAL ENGINEERS.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
COLBURN AND CO., PUBLISHERS,
GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1852.
Notice is hereby given, that the Publishers of this Work reserve to themselves
the right of publishing a Translation in France.
LO NDON:
Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street
Libr.
Steedman
2-22-37
34431
24
CONTENTS
OF
THE FIRST VOLUME.
My birth
CHAPTER I.
Christening — Lord Townshend - Page
Koehler-Sir T. Hislop-The King's visit to Wool-
wich-The Board of Ordnance attends the proving
of cannon-Lord Townshend robbed of his watch
-Snuff-shops in London · Chocolate House at
Blackheath — Lord Townshend's knuckles - Dr.
Gore-I go to school at Dufort's, Shooter's Hill
-Congreve, Verbrugen and Bloomfield-Proof of
cannon-Mortar and howitzer practice on Woolwich
Common-Mortar burst on Plumstead Common-
Lord E. Fitzgerald-Prince Rupert's Tower-Lord
Heathfield-Our visits at Turnham Green-23rd
April, 1789-Salute with maroons-Caricature of
Lord Heathfield-His Lordship's visit to the Ham-
mersmith baker-The cocked hat
1 1
1
iv
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER II.
Dr. Willis and George III.-Mrs. Burton, 21, Upper
Brook Street-Mons. Tremblé-La Chevalière D'Eon
-St. George and Mollard-Astley's circus-Wool-
wich-The Artillery - Lieutenant Sutton - Lord
Eardly The Princesse de Lamballe-Serjeant Bell
and his inventions-The Royal George-At school at
Dr. Egan's-Robberies on Blackheath-Paul Sandby
-Major McLeod and Major Paterson
31
CHAPTER III.
Exeter Change-Duke of Richmond's house burnt
down-Colonel Johnstone-Tom Paine burnt in effigy
-Dr. John Hunter-Dr. Manedoe-Captain Nut-
ting-The Author admitted a cadet-Lectures on
Chemistry-Tongue of a Prussian cat-Ford's trick
at Brighton-At Aix-la-Chapelle-On board a trans-
port-The easterly wind at Dover
55
CHAPTER IV.
Captain Grose-Historical note on the early esta-
blishment of the regiment of Artillery General
Broom-The first panorama Shower of frogs-
Examination of Dubresney-Hutton, the mathe-
matician
89
CONTENTS.
V
CHAPTER V.
Frazer saves a man from drowning in the Thames—
Horse brigade formed-I am examined for a com-
mission and pass-Ferry across the Thames at
Gravesend by a rope-Departure for Plymouth-
The British Houlans at Plymouth-Colonel Davies
and his blind son-First Fuschia-I dine as com-
manding engineer with Lord G. Lennox-'Dutton'
East Indiaman-Captain Pellew-Captain Campbell,
his story of the goats-Visit the Mew Stone-
Captain Philip, R.N.-Smuggling women-Sailors
and prize-money-The 'Amphion' blown up . 108
CHAPTER VI.
I proceed to Falmouth-Bingham and Stackpole in
West Indies-Pendennis Castle-Admiral Spry—
Mr. Tippet-Captain Melville-Flora Day-Ordered
to Quebec-Sell my horses
. 136
CHAPTER VII.
I leave Falmouth to go to Quebec-Mutiny in the
Fleet at Plymouth-I return to Falmouth to embark
there-Passage to Halifax-Calm in the Bay of
Biscay-Tricks of the Woolwich cadets-I volunteer
to board a large ship at sea, believed to be French-
Narrow escape-Banks of Newfoundland-Land at
Cape Canso
•
154
vi
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII.
Go into several harbours-Arrive at Halifax-Lieu-
tenants Roscridge and Mercer, R.A.-Prince Edward
and Major Stratton-I dine with the Prince and
Madam St. Laurent-I dine with Sir John Wentworth,
Thesiger, &c.-Prince Edward gives me letters to
introduce me at New York, and I embark in the
'Carteret' packet-Loss of the Stag'-Passengers
to New York-Waterspouts off the Capes of the
Chesapeak-Arrival at New York-Yellow-fever 184
'
CHAPTER IX.
Arrival at New York-Tontine Coffee House-Washing-
ton-The Theatre-Generosity of Prince Edward—
The yellow-fever in the West Indies-Cobbett and
porcupine's quills-Proceed to Albany by water-
Mrs. Livingston-Catskill-Mr. Brockway-General
Cuyler-Grave of General Frazer-Crack in the ice
-Choke a horse-La Prairie-Frozen Madeira-
Cross to Montreal in a wooden canoe amidst floating
ice-The refoulment of the St. Lawrence Sulli-
van's Hotel-Conviviality at Montreal-Arrival at
Quebec
CHAPTER X.
. 207
New Year's Day at Quebec-Lieutenant-General Pres-
cott-Mrs. Stuart and her children-An introduction
CONTENTS.
vii
at Court-Ball at the Château-The Minuet de la
Cour-Beef-Steak Club at Quebec-Sleigh accidents
-Severity of the cold.
CHAPTER XI.
239
Inconveniences of the severe cold in Canada-New-come
soldiers' tricks-The Canadian market-people-The
sleighs-Dearness of furs in Canada-Ice-huts of
fishermen-Optical deceptions on the ice-Sleighs
for field-guns-Tommy Cod-Colonel T. D.-His
miraculous stories-New Year's Day, and balls at
the château-Le Maître-Lord and Lady Dorches-
ter—The last Jesuit-Military honours paid to the
host
263
CHAPTER XII.
Order to go to the Island of St. Joseph-My first
gambling-Sir A. Mackenzie gives me a passage
in his canoe-Drunken party at La Chine, and its
consequences-The Ottaway river-The details of
canoe loads-Point-aux-Croix-Some of the rapids
-Arrival at St. Joseph's-The garrison-A scientific
traveller-Purchase of the island from the Indians--
Execution of McLean for high treason-Salted
rations-Natural vegetation
289
*
4
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS.
OF
COLONEL LANDMANN.
CHAPTER I.
My birth Christening-Lord Townshend-Page-
Koehler-Sir T. Hislop-The King's visit to Wool-
wich-The Board of Ordnance attends the proving
of cannon-Lord Townshend robbed of his watch
Snuff-shops in London Chocolate House at
Blackheath Lord Townshend's knuckles - Dr. il
Gore I go to school at Dufort's, Shooter's Hill
-Congreve, Verbrugen and Bloomfield - Proof of
cannon-Mortar and howitzer practice on Woolwich
Common-Mortar burst on Plumstead Common-
Lord E. Fitzgerald-Prince Rupert's Tower-Lord
Heathfield — Our visits at Turnham Green - 23rd
April, 1789 - Salute with maroons-Caricature of
Lord Heathfield-His Lordship's visit to the Ham-
mersmith baker-The cocked hat.
My father had succeeded Dr. Pollock, as
Professor of Fortification and Artillery to the
VOL. I.
B
2
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Royal Military Academy, in the year 1777,
whilst the celebrated Doctor Hutton was Pro-
fessor of Mathematics in the same institution.
At this time, Viscount, afterwards Marquis,
Townshend was the Master-General of the -
Ordnance; and as it was in consequence of
his Lordship's invitation that my father had
accepted the appointment, he rarely went to
Woolwich without paying my father a visit,
and dining at our house, attended by scarcely
any other person of his staff excepting young
Montgomery, Lady Townshend's brother. At
his Lordship's own request, he became my god-
father soon after my birth, which took place on
the 11th of April, 1780, at the Royal Arsenal,
then, and for many years subsequently, known
as Woolwich Warren; my other godfather being
Captain, the late Sir Thomas Page, who had
not long before been seriously wounded at the
battle of Bunker's Hill. Lady Townshend stood
godmother, and among the company present on
the occasion was Mr., afterwards General Sir
Thomas Hislop, Baronet, whom I look upon as
my earliest friend, as he was the first person
who took me from the nurse into his arms.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
3
At this early period, the Master-General and
generally all the officers of the Board of Ord-
nance entered much more into their affairs at
Woolwich than has been the practice in later
times; and even the King, (George III.) was a
frequent visitor. On the 9th of July, 1785,
his Majesty, attended by the Prince of Wales,
reviewed the Royal Artillery there, and having
been diverted by a sham-fight, was conducted
to the Warren, in order to see the effect of hot
shot fired at a target constructed in every
respect to resemble a portion of the side of a
ship-of-war; it was burnt to ashes in a short
time. After this, he visited the Military Aca-
demy; and on entering the upper class, called
my father, made the usual inquiries as to the
progress of the young gentlemen, particularly if
their conduct was satisfactory, and then inquired
if he had anything new to show him? Having
anticipated this question, my father had pre-
pared a side view of a brass twenty-four-pounder
on a travelling carriage, and in order to exhibit
the parts concealed behind the wheel, he had
drawn a wheel on a separate paper, and had cut
out all the parts not drawn upon, and then
+
B 2
4
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
In
fastened it by one edge exactly in its place,
so that by raising this wheel, the cannon and
parts of the carriage necessarily covered by
it were at once exposed to inspection.
the same manner, by another drop-leaf, the
inside of the cannon and of the carriage were
fully displayed. This kind of drawing is now
very common, but at the time here alluded to, I
believe it was quite unique.
On seeing this, the King was so much
delighted that he clapped my father on the
shoulder and exclaimed, "This is the best
thing I have seen to-day." Several other
drawings on the same principle were then pro-
duced, amongst which were a thirteen-inch sea-
mortar, in its house; the plan and elevation of
a powder-magazine, showing the outside, then,
by lifting the drop-leaf, the inside was dis-
played with all the barrels of gunpowder neatly
stacked, &c., &c. The King's delight was
expressed in strong terms on each being ex-
plained, and he asked for copies. The originals
were immediately placed at his disposal.
Well, well, Mr. Landmann," said the
King, "I accept them; and be assured
you have
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
5
made me an agreeable present. If you have
any favour to ask, speak out."
My father bowed and thanked the King, but
did not take advantage of his condescension.
On another occasion, the Queen (Charlotte)
came, accompanied by the King; and having
entered the upper academy, his Majesty turned
to my father, and taking him by the arm said,
as he introduced him to the Queen:
There, there is one of your countrymen.
He will talk German to you as long as you like;
but he nevertheless speaks very good French
and English too."
My father left the academy in conversation
with the Queen, who did not dismiss him until
she was about to enter the carriage; upon
which, observing that he was about to kneel
and kiss the hem of her garment, in the Ger-
man fashion, she held out her hand.
As often as a sufficient number of new can-
non were ready to be proved, the Master-
General appointed the day for trying their
strength; and with a view to rendering this
important service less severe, an excellent cook
was, at an early hour in the morning, sent from
6 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
London, by water, in one of the Ordnance
barges, well furnished with all the good things
requisite for providing a first-rate dinner.
In those days, three o'clock was the ordinary
time for this meal; but on occasions of hard
service it was postponed till four, at which
hour the members composing the Board of
Ordnance, together with a large number of the
civil and military officers of the Woolwich estab-
lishment and garrison, assembled in the hall of
the second class of the Royal Military Academy.
My father was always invited; and I have heard
him relate the interesting anecdotes with which
Lord Townshend entertained his guests. Among
his favourite subjects were the siege of Quebec,
and the extraordinary talents displayed by the
immortal Wolfe. His Lordship also told a
story of having, when walking home from
Covent Garden Theatre, been set upon by
thieves, who picked his pocket of a valuable
gold repeater, chain and seals. A short time
afterwards when leaving the theatre, he was
again surrounded, probably by the same gang.
Just as they were commencing to jostle and
press round him, his Lordship drew forth a
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
7
metal watch by a piece of common string, and
swinging it round and round over his head,
loudly exclaimed: "Pinchbeck, you dogs!-
pinchbeck, you dogs!" Upon which, the ras-
cals instantly dispersed.
It was also nearly about the same period
that a man, whose name was Hardham, butler
or house-steward to Lord Townshend, having
accumulated a small sum of money, was desirous
of setting up in some way of business. On
soliciting his master's advice, he reminded the
man that there were but four or five snuff-shops
in all London, and assured him that the use of
tobacco would greatly increase. Hardham thank-
fully acted upon this hint, and in a few weeks
his name was painted over the second door in
Fleet Street, from Fleet Market (now Farring-
don Street).
The Chocolate House, in the Grove at Black-
heath, was a place in great favour with Lord
Townshend; and he very frequently invited a
party composed of the civil and military officers
of the Ordnance, stationed at Woolwich, to dine
there with him. On one of these occasions,
his Lordship, in order to mark the important
8
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
parts of his narrative, struck the table with his
fist so violently, that the impression of his four
knuckles was deeply imprinted into the wood,
which daily polishing, for several years after-
wards, was insufficient to efface.
In the year 1782, his Lordship had ceased to
be the Master-General of the Ordnance; but
in the spring of the following year, he was again
appointed to that office; upon which occasion,
on the 29th of May, 1783, he gave a splendid
dinner at the Bull Tavern, on the top of
Shooter's Hill, to the military and civil officers
of the Ordnance, at Woolwich, in all one hun-
dred and thirty-one persons, at which my father
was present.
An event occurred somewhere about the
year 1784, which created a considerable sensa-
tion throughout the neighbourhood. A Dr.
Gore built a large red-brick house, on the
western declivity of Shooter's Hill, nearly at
the back of the Red Lion public-house, and
having insured the same, together with a consi-
derable amount for furniture, plate, &c., in one
of the London Insurance Companies, he shortly
after fired the premises, which were totally
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
9
consumed, and his female servant was burnt
to death. The crime of arson was fully
established against him; also that he had
cautiously and secretly removed the most valu-
able articles; and he was sentenced to death,
and hanged.
The skeleton of his house re-
mained during several years unrepaired, but was
at length rebuilt; and some twenty to thirty
years afterwards was inhabited by General and
Mrs. Grant, of the Royal Artillery, both of
whom died there.
In attempting to narrate the foregoing anec-
dotes and events so long gone by, partly from
my own recollection, and partly from the oral
tradition of my parents, aided in several cases
by my father's common-place book, I have
unavoidably been compelled to proceed without
much certainty in regard to their exact chrono-
logical order; but I do not think such irregu-
larity of much consequence.
In the year 1785, I was sent to a school close
at hand, kept by a Monsieur Dufort, a Frenchman,
who had taken a house, which during many
years afterwards was conducted as a school by
the Rev. Dr. Watson; it was subsequently
B 3
10 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
1
demolished, and on its site a Mr. Langham
erected the present dwelling. I was accordingly
sent daily to M. Dufort's, and there commenced
my acquaintance with the late Sir William
Congreve, Bart.
He had been destined for the bar, and
studied under Holroyd; but I know not what
caused him to abandon that pursuit. His in-
vention, or rather, his having perfected the con-
struction of rockets so as to render them fit
for war purposes, brought him into considerable
notice; and the military achievements of his
father, who commanded the artillery with the
army in Flanders, under the Duke of York,
and, particularly at the siege of Valenciennes,
no doubt materially tended to assist in advanc-
ing his prospects.
Congreve accompanied the army at the siege
of Flushing, and there conducted the practice
with his rockets, being exposed to all the risks
and dangers consequent on the nature of that
service; and having fully demonstrated the
importance of those projectiles, the Prince
Regent appointed him one of his aides-de-camp,
which conferred on him, ex officio, the rank
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
11
of Colonel; and his Royal Highness further
offered to place in him the regiment of Royal
Artillery as a full Colonel. Congreve was too well
aware of the jealousy that would be created by
such an infringement of the long-established
rights of the Ordnance corps, which requires
that every officer shall commence at the bot-
tom of the list of second lieutenants; he, there-
fore, very prudently declined the intended
honour; but did not refuse to accept a pen-
sion for life of £1200 per annum-equal in
amount to the one granted to Colonel Schrap-
nell of the Artillery, for his excellent invention -
of the spherical-case shot.
Towards the latter part of Congreve's life
our intimacy went on increasing, and in the
course of one of our conversations touching our
earlier days, he said to me:
"Not a very long time ago I met a lady with
whom I was much acquainted, when we were
both young, and she asked me if I recollected
being with her to some noted fortune-teller
in Ratcliff Highway, in order to learn our future
prospects; but I could not recall the slightest
remembrance of that event: upon which she
12 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
continued, 'why, do you not recollect, that he
told you that you were to rise by fire, and
live amongst princes?' All of which has to
the letter been fulfilled."
Congreve was undoubtedly very clever, and
it is much to be regretted that he wasted so
large a portion of his life in endeavouring to
discover perpetual motion; and also in attempt-
ing to devise some means for rendering forged
bank-notes, as easily detected to be such, by
the public at large, as they are said to be by
the
proper officers for that purpose at the Bank
of England. I shall merely add, that Con-
greve's pulse, when in apparently good health,
never fell below one hundred and twenty beats
per minute; and that he died in the South of
France, in 1828, of a diseased spine.
About the year 1784, or soon afterwards,
Mr. Verbrugen, a Dutchman, with a brother or
son and three daughters, resided in the Warren.
The house is now standing, almost detached,
opposite to the Arsenal gates. Mr. Verbrugen
had entered into a contract with the Board of
Ordnance to cast all their brass cannon, mor-
tars and howitzers; and was allowed the use
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
13
of the foundry for that purpose; one of the
conditions being that the castings were to be
perfectly solid, and free from any cavities. The
contractor proceeded during some years, to the
entire satisfaction of all parties, yet the secrecy
and mystery observed in the finishing of his
work, or perhaps some other circumstance,
created an increasing degree of curiosity, and
then a suspicion that all was not quite correct.
At length, Captain Thomas Blomefield (after-
wards Sir Thomas), the Inspector of the Artil-
lery, was induced to look closely into the matter.
He ordered a brass cannon to be well cleaned,
and particularly to be freed from any grease, and
then washed with strong vinegar over the whole
surface. This having been done, on the follow-
ing day a vast number of circles of verdigris of
different diameters appeared dispersed from the
muzzle to the breech. Blomefield now directed
that the same cannon should be sawn into two
longitudinal sections, as nearly through the
middle as possible, when, after washing the bore
first with soap and water, and then with vinegar,
fifty-six screws were discovered to have been
most ingeniously inserted into as many cavities
14
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
or defects in the casting; many of them having
been driven from the inside. The consequence
was, that Verbrugen lost his contract, his con-
duct being regarded as almost fraudulent, and
he shortly afterwards died through excessive
grief.
A curious circumstance occurred in the War-
ren at one of the provings of the iron cannon
supplied by contract, perhaps by the Carron
Company. It was then, and may be still, the
custom to prove a large number of cannon in
one day, sometimes one hundred or more.
These were arranged in two or three rows, on
a ground declining towards the butt, against
which the cannon were pointed. The port-fires,
about three inches in length, fastened with clay
on the vents, were lighted on one range at the
same time, whilst the cannon were placed at
distances of fifteen to twenty feet apart. Each
piece was loaded with the proof charge of gun-
powder, equal to half the weight of one shot,
upon which was rammed home two shots of
the corresponding calibre. One of the cannon
having burst, no very uncommon circumstance
in those days, a splinter flew out horizontally,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN
15
and struck the nearest cannon to it, which had
not yet fired off; the port-fire, which had been
lighted at the same time with the one that had
burst, was not deranged by the blow; this, how-
ever, had been so powerful that it completely
turned that cannon round: in a few seconds.
it went off, and sent the two twenty-four pound
shot whizzing over the heads of the persons
attending to the provings, who usually retired
to the distance of about two hundred yards.
On inspection, it was found that the cannon
which had been turned, had discharged its shot
exactly in the direction of Woolwich Church,
fortunately without doing any injury.
About this period some curious and interest-
ing experiments were tried with mortars, fired
at various elevations, and charged in different
ways some were fired off against a strong wind,
and others with it; some were charged with a
circular flat board, an inch in thickness, placed
between the gunpowder and shell, others had
only a sheet of cartridge-paper in the same
place. Then firing across the wind was tried,
and notes made of the ranges were carefully
preserved.
16
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
1
These experiments, as also the ordinary
mortar and howitzer practice, were conducted on
a spot nearly in front of the left wing of the
officers' barracks, and at a distance thence of
little more than two hundred yards. I was
present when a ten-inch or thirteen-inch mor-
tar was discharged at an angle of eighty-five
degrees; and although all the officers and
others connected with these experiments knew
theoretically that the shell must fall at some
distance, however short, in front of the mortar,
the shell ascended so perpendicularly, and so
returned towards the earth, that many of the
party involuntarily secured themselves from all
chances, by making a hasty move to the rear,
to the distance of twenty to fifty yards.
-
Another mortar battery was established at
the same period on Plumstead Common either
for regular practice, or for special experiments.
In the course of a morning's walk with my
mother and sister, we came to this battery just
as a mortar was about to be fired off. We
halted to see the effect, although by no means
with us an unusual sight; but on applying the
port-fire to the mortar, the explosion was so
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
17
loud that the whole of us felt completely
stunned, and at the same instant we were struck
by a shower of small gravel stones, which
bruised us slightly; almost every one of the
artillerymen round the mortar were knocked
down, without, however, receiving any severe
injuries. Upon inquiry, we learnt that a
cast-iron thirteen-inch mortar had burst into a
thousand pieces, and had been scattered to a
considerable distance.
Dr. Charles Hutton was my father's neigh-
bour in the Warren, and through some petty
event, no uncommon occurrence betwixt per-
sons residing in adjacent houses, visiting
had been suspended, and an unpleasant feeling
towards each other existed. Lieutenant Koehler,
of the Royal Artillery, was at this time, 1786,
quartered at Woolwich, and had long before
then been an almost daily visitor. My father
was permitted by the Master-General of the
Ordnance to give private instruction in fortifi-
cation and artillery to gentlemen, either in the
army or preparing for a commission in the line;
and amongst several others, the celebrated Lord
Edward Fitzgerald attended for that purpose
18
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
during the summer of 1786. The frequent
visits of Lieutenant Koehler brought about an
intimacy betwixt him and Lord Edward.
As Koehler was one day walking with Lord
Edward in the garden, they began repeating the
following doggrel to some tune of their own:
"The foolish Hutton,
He must be a glutton,
For he stole the mutton,
The foolish Hutton,
The foolish Hutton!"
This was overheard by the learned Doctor, and
brought on some very disagreeable and totally
unsatisfactory explanations.
Prince Rupert's Tower stood in my father's
garden, distant only thirteen feet from the
southern end of the building, erected by the
architect Vanburgh, and then used for the upper
class of the Royal Military Academy. It had
for some time been considered unsafe, and was
at last ordered to be taken down. The tower
was eighty-three feet high, was built of red
bricks, forming six stories, and the circum-
ference was exactly equal to the height. On one
occasion, during a very strong gale from the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
19
south-west, I was standing at the door of my
father's house, when I fancied I could perceive
Prince Rupert's Tower rocking to and fro. I
mentioned this to my father, who, at first,
treated my scientific observation with disre-
gard; but I pressed the subject so much, that
in order to determine the fact, he went up to
the highest room in the tower, of which he had
possession for his philosophical instruments;
and by suspending a plummet to the ceiling, he
ascertained that the tower actually did rock
backwards and forwards, five inches and one
quarter, or a little more than two inches and a
half each way.
In this building lived and died, in a state of
great poverty, the widow of the celebrated
Simpson, who so ably revised the "Elements of
Euclid." Mrs. Simpson was, at the time of her
death (in 1784), upwards of one hundred years.
of age. Her son, a poor tailor, and his wife, with
whom the old lady had resided, remained in the
tower until the period of its demolition. It was
one of a chain of towers, which had been erected
on the southern side of the Thames; and as
the sides of the top apartment were formed
20 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
almost entirely of windows, it was conjectured
that these buildings were used for telegraphic
purposes. I have seen the remains of two
others; one, consisting of the lowest room only,
and covered with a roof, was in a garden near
the western extremity of the present Powis
Street, at Woolwich; and the other, also
reduced to one floor, and roofed, was situated a
mile or more to the eastward of Plumstead
Church, and was occupied by a farmer. It is by
no means improbable that the remains of seve-
ral others might be discovered or traced along
the course of the Thames. A very perfect model
of Prince Rupert's Tower was made for my
father by the Ordnance modeller, Mr. Short (a
man six feet four inches high), prior to its
destruction, which left not one brick of its foun-
dations standing. I have lately presented this
model to the United Service Institution.
Several very antique bottles were taken out of
a cavity which may have served as a cellar; but
the liquid they contained, in no way resembled
any kind of spirituous liquor: I had many of
them some years since, and still retain two.
It was not long after this time, that George
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
21
III. was first very severely indisposed, and that
Doctors Willis and Fordyce were the physicians
who attended on his Majesty, and who effected
his restoration to health.
The
It was also at about the same period that the
great Lord Heathfield, who had so gallantly
defended the fortress of Gibraltar, against the
combined efforts of France and Spain, was
suffering under a severe paralytic affection
of his left side. His Lordship occupied a
house at Turnham Green, on the left.
hero of Gibraltar, having contracted a great
regard and friendship towards my father, my
family were often invited to pass a few days
at his Lordship's residence. I was at Turn-
ham Green on the memorable 23rd of April,
1789, when George III. attended by the royal
family and nearly all the nobility of the United
Kingdom, went in full state to St. Paul's
Cathedral, to return thanks to the Almighty
for his happy restoration to health, after his
severe indisposition. Lord Heathfield joined
the procession. This important event was
celebrated in an appropriate manner through-
out the British Islands. At Turnham Green,
22 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Lord Heathfield had been engaged in making
preparations for a public manifestation of re-
joicing during some weeks; a party of the
Royal Artillery, selected as the best fire-
work makers, were employed in arranging
the rockets and disposing of a collection of
wheels, maroons, &c., but more particularly
in manufacturing a large fire-ball to be erect-
ed on a strong iron pole, and placed on
the top of the 'house. This fire-ball was
in every respect similar to those used at
Gibraltar during the last siege, to illuminate
the approaches to the Rock, and to render
the works of the enemy so clearly seen from
the fortress as to enable the artillery to keep up
a destructive fire during the darkest nights.
These men were also occupied in making
various experiments for lighting all the lamps.
for some large and well-executed transparent
paintings by one train; cotton-wicks dipped in
spirits of turpentine leading from lamp to
lamp, were cleverly arranged; ultimately com-
municating with the grand fire-ball which was
three to four feet in diameter. Much care was
required amongst so much fire to guard against
{
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
23
the danger of destroying the premises; in con-
sequence of which two fire-engines were pro-
cured, and kept in constant readiness to act in
case of need.
وتا
At two o'clock of the morning, an ox with
gilt horns, stuffed full with potatoes, was spitted
and placed between two fires in a shed erected
for the purpose on the middle of the green in
front of the house; and during the afternoon
several butts of beer were distributed to all who
applied for it. The pressure of the crowd sur-
rounding the beer-casks was very great, appa-
rently they had never before felt so much thirst
but amongst them one man in particular became
so impatient to procure his share, that he con-
trived to raise himself up and actually succeeded
in getting on to the shoulders of the mob, when
every one, anxious to rid himself of the burthen,
pushed him upon the man before him; at last
he was bundled into the open cask of beer, but
was instantly saved from drowning in the too
valuable liquid. After this, I observed an old
woman running off with a coal-heaver's slouch
hat, carrying it with its two sides folded
together resembling a rush hand-basket, which
1
24
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
“
4
she had been so fortunate as to get filled with
beer. My father made an etching of the scene,
of which he distributed copies amongst his
friends, and sent twenty of them to Lord
Heathfield.
Between five and six of the evening of the
day, whilst we were at dinner, the King passed
along the high road on the opposite side of the
green, on his return to Kew; upon which, as
had been previously arranged, a royal salute
was commenced on the top of the house with
maroons. The loud reports called us all to
the stone platform at the front of the house;
and whilst Lord Heathfield, who had been
wheeled in his chair to the door, was waving his
hat to his Majesty, who had ordered his car-
riage to be stopped, and was leaning out of
the carriage window, bowing and waving his
hat in acknowledgment of the compliment, a
large piece of the parapet-wall coping was
thrown down by the repeated explosions: it
fell to the ground with great force, grazing
the left arm of his Lordship, but doing
him no further injury. On returning to the
dinner-table, he seized a bottle of port wine,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
25
મ
filled a bumper, and standing up, enthusiasti-
cally exclaimed, "Here's to the health of my
beloved King-George the Third, God bless
him !"
The kindness of his Lordship in allowing
Miss Mackay, daughter of the Quarter-Master
of his regiment, to fill his library with
kittens, produced a caricature, of which I
possess a copy, exhibiting, "The cock of the
Rock," as he was frequently denominated, sitting
in an arm-chair, on a battery, with one foot
bound up in flannels, supported on a foot-
stool, surrounded by cats gambolling and
playing many antics, to the great delight of
the General, who is
who is represented taking
special interest in their pursuits; underneath
is the title "Once a man and twice a
child."
I was once with his Lordship, when he
stopped the carriage before the shop of a baker
in Hammersmith. The master, an old man,
immediately came out, and Lord Heathfield
made inquiries respecting a boy, who, many
years ago, had been at a neighbouring school,
and used to buy hot rolls at this shop. The
VOL. I.
C
-
26 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
baker, after a little reflection, recollected him,
and related several anecdotes in his favour, not
forgetting to add, however, that he left the
place fourteen pence in his debt. Lord Heath-
field having, with great emphasis, animadverted
on this discreditable piece of intelligence, to the
man's intense astonishment, acknowledged him-
self the "young Elliott," whose character had
been so freely canvassed. Of course the debt
was paid, with more than compound interest.
His Lordship then asked to taste one of the
rolls he had been in the habit of enjoying
with such abundant relish. It was brought, a
mouthful satisfied him, and he declared it vastly
inferior to those that were made when he was a
boy. The roll, however, was exactly of the
same kind-the keen appetite of the schoolboy
only had altered.
I remember a servant of Lord Heathfield
being entrusted to bring home a valuable baro-
meter, with strict injunctions against careless-
ness whilst the instrument was in his custody.
Presently, the man made his appearance before
his master without the barometer.
"I know you have broken it, you rascal, by
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
27
your look," exclaimed his Lordship, looking the
footman sternly in the face.
"All to pieces, my Lord," replied the fellow,
as if he had done something to be proud of.
This impudence so amused his master, that
after laughing heartily, he satisfied himself by
telling the man to go to the, and took no
further notice of the transaction.
My father and myself were, on the 7th of
May, 1790, particularly invited to meet a large
party, amongst whom were the Polish Ambas-、
sador and a Polish General, the celebrated
General Roy, who commenced the great survey
of England, Colonel Elliott, Lord Heathfield's
only child, Captain Gunn, Sir William Fordyce,
Doctor Curtis, Mr. Barclay, and several others;
but Lord Heathfield having been detained in
London, by the King, did not join the party
until after the dinner was over.
Sir W. Fordyce now recommended his Lord-
ship to go to Aix-la-Chapelle, to try the
waters. Lord Heathfield pressed my father
very anxiously to accompany him; but on ap-
plying for leave of absence from the Royal
Military Academy, the Master-General of the
C 2
28
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Ordnance refused his consent. On taking
leave of us, his Lordship made to each a present
of slight value, excepting the one to my mother,
which was the broad crimson ribbon of the
Grand Cross of the Bath-the first which his
Lordship had worn on being knighted at
Gibraltar. This relic is still in my possession.
At Aix-la-Chapelle, his Lordship met with
a lady towards whom, in earlier days, he had
felt much esteem, and probably sentiments
of a more tender nature. Feeling himself
rapidly sinking, and being anxious to provide
for her future comforts, he offered to marry
her, but died before the ceremony could be
performed. Colonel Elliott of the ——, who
was on bad terms with his father, succeeded to
the title and entire property, with the exception.
of a
few small legacies, one in particular
amounting to six hundred pounds, to Lieu-
tenant Koehler of the Royal Artillery, who had
served his Lordship as aid-de-camp during the
greater portion of the siege of Gibraltar. The
Colonel became the second and last Lord of that
name.
The great Lord Heathfield had his pecu-
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
29
In those
liarities, as well as other great men.
days, the cocked hat was worn by men of every
rank and station in the army, as also by a
vast number of civilians; and was properly a
three-cornered hat, with all the sides turned up
nearly alike, and all nearly equal in extent; the
three cocks also were equally projecting: in
short, they were very similar to the hats lately
worn by the Greenwich and Chelsea pensioners,
and to those which still adorn the wigged-
coachmen, when driving to a levee or drawing-
room. This hat Lord Heathfield wore quite
square to the front, and so much pressed down
over his eyebrows, that the edge rested on the
bridge of his nose, which, by the bye, was very
high, and somewhat resembling that of the
Duke of Wellington. Lord Heathfield in-
sisted on having the hat worn according to
the above rule by every military man under
his command.
One day, at Gibraltar, his Lordship met a
private soldier with the cock of the hat, instead
of pointing straight forward, directed almost
perpendicularly into the air. The General very
angrily threw back his own hat into a similar
30 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
こ
​position, and drawing himself up full in front
of the soldier, exclaimed:
"C
There, Sir; look at me, Sir; don't I look
like a d-d blackguard ?"
The soldier, who had been too well disci-
plined to contradict a Commander-in-Chief,
replied, as he faced the General as upright as
an arrow, his heels together, whilst his right
hand showing the palm was placed across his
forehead:
"Yes, and please your Excellency, to be sure
you do."
was not
The severity which the General's features had
assumed instantly relaxed, and it was
without some effort that he suppressed a
hearty laugh. He hastily dismissed the man,
saying:
re
upon
Well, if you see the ill effect it has
me, you cannot fail to be assured it must very
badly suit you."
*
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
31
CHAPTER II.
Dr. Willis and George III.-Mrs. Burton, 21, Upper
Brook Street-Mons. Tremblé-La Chevalière D'Eon
-St. George and Mollard-Astley's circus-Wool-
wich-The Artillery Lieutenant Sutton Lord
Eardly-The Princesse de Lamballe-Serjeant Bell
and his inventions-The Royal George-At school at
Dr. Egan's-Robberies on Blackheath-Paul Sandby
-Major McLeod and Major Paterson.
DURING one of Sir W. Fordyce's visits at
Turnham Green, he stated that neither Dr.
Willis nor himself ever entered the presence of
George III., during his Majesty's malady,
without concealing their right hands under the
left facing of their coats, in order to induce the
King to suppose that they held some concealed
weapon; thus exciting in their patient's mind a
32 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
strong degree of curiosity, and perhaps some
fear.
During the summer of the year 1789, my
mother, my sister, and myself were invited to
pass a week with Mrs. Burton, at No. 21,
Upper Brook Street, Grosvenor Square. Mrs.
Burton was the widow of a general officer,
having but one daughter, an only child, and
was in affluent circumstances. Her greatest
satisfaction was to see her table daily sur-
rounded by her friends, and acquaintances;
several of them, almost constant attendants,
having received a general invitation. Amongst
the latter, was a French gentleman, a Monsieur
Tremblé, who was not only a decided epicure,
but also a gastronomist of the first order. His
dress consisted of a pea-green coat, white satin
waistcoat, black satin shorts, and white silk
stockings, with a very broad laced frill to his
shirt; whilst his hair frizzed up a quarter of a
yard high, with two rows of curls over his ears,
leaving a space behind sufficiently wide to admit
of a graceful queue--the whole abundantly
powdered, as also his coat over the shoulders,
and back, half way to the bottom of his waist.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
33
I recollect to have seen Monsieur Tremblé,
a very thin mahogany-faced man, whose age
must have been between sixty and seventy, and
who was
so privileged, that he would fre-
quently stop the dishes of the course embracing
the stews and ragouts, one by one as the
servants were removing them, exclaiming with
much warmth:
“I have not yet taste any of does dishes.
Pray, put dem down here, close to my plate,
dat will derange nothing;" thus sometimes
gathering round his plate five or six dishes;
and Monsieur Tremblé never failed to investi-
gate their respective merits, commenting on
them without reserve.
It was here, and on this occasion, that I had
the advantage of dining in company with the
celebrated and far-famed Chevalière D'Eon, on
the 25th July, 1789. She-or perhaps he, for
it has been seriously doubted which is the
correct pronoun-was dressed in the female
costume, composed of a black silk gown, made
of a moderate height, above which, in front,
rose a well puffed-up white muslin kerchief,
covering a double bustle before, instead of one
c 3
34
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
behind; and on her head-to be consistent with
the dress-she wore a high muslin cap, with
the broad muslin frill hanging down to her
shoulders, exactly resembling those at present
worn by the country women in the northern
provinces of France. From the upper edge of
her gown, on the left side, was suspended the
small Cross of St. Louis, the constant com-
panion of her person.' Her voice was gruff,
and as strong as that of a grenadier; her com-
plexion decidedly brown: in short, she had
every appearance of a man in a `woman's
apparel.
(
During the dinner she spoke but little; yet
when the ladies retired, La Chevalière reseated
herself, and drawing up her chair to the table,
said, as one released from much restraint:
tr
Come, now that the women are gone, we
may enjoy a little rational conversation." War,
battles, sieges and skirmishes, soon became her
favourite topics: and I have a most perfect
recollection of her saying, in reply to some one
who had related the measures adopted for the
purpose of bursting open the gates of a fortress:
((
Braquez-moi là deux pièces de quarante-huit
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
35
à bout touchant, et f-tre, je vous fais bien
sauter les portes en trois coups." Such were the
identical words used on that occasion by
Madame la Chevalière D'Eon.
At this period La Chevalière mixed in the
best society; but two or three years after-
wards she fell into disrepute, by exhibiting
herself on the public stage, to fence with the
celebrated St. George, a man of colour, by far
the most expert swordsman of his day.
St. George, some time after this, dined at
my father's house, at Woolwich, and Monsieur
Mollard, the fencing-master of the Royal Military
Academy, together with a select party of Artil-
lery officers, were invited to meet him. During
the afternoon St. George and Mollard were
requested to gratify the company with a carte-
and-tierce in the garden. I must here note
that Mollard was a very coarse vulgar fellow,
who, I believe, had received the whole of his
education as a private soldier among the gens-
darmerie at Paris. These heroes of the foil im-
mediately complied with the general wishes of
the company; and after the carte-and-tierce, a
little trial of skill was proposed by Mollard, and
36
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
}
most readily accepted by St. George. The
howlings now sent forth by the belligerents
strongly resembled the bellowings of wild beasts
at feeding time; but which, I have reason to
believe, was the ordinary practice with French
fencers. The vast superiority of St. George's
abilities was evident: but Mollard, having
several times denied that the button of his
antagonist's foil had touched him, the former
called for a piece of chalk, and chalking the
button of his foil, exclaimed:
Now, Monsieur Mollard, you shall not have
a chance of thus escaping."
They fell to, again, neither of them in the
pleasantest temper.
At the first lunge by Mollard, St. George
parried it, instantly spun completely round upon
his left heel, and then pinked Mollard on the
breast before he had been able to recover his
guard. This wonderful feat drew forth loud
and reiterated applauds from all the company:
the chalked button had left a most unequivocal
proof of St. George's superiority. The result
was, as might have been anticipated: the fenc-
ing-master regularly beaten, in the presence of
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
37.
several of his pupils, became exceedingly angry
and violent, loudly proclaiming that it was an
accident, and that St. George was in no degree
his superior; to prove which, he immediately
snapped off the button of his foil, calling
furiously on his opponent to do the same.
“The show of blood," said he, "shall decide
who is the best swordsman; if you refuse, you
are un f― poltron."
St. George, who had during some time pre-
viously experienced considerable difficulty in
suppressing his irritated feelings, immediately
accepted the challenge; but of course all such
hostile proceedings were stopped by the com-
pany, although not without great resistance from
the disputants.
Whilst on our visit at Mrs. Burton's she
treated us to a visit to Astley's horsemanship.
At the close of the performance, the old original
Astley came forward, by no means a young
man, mounted on the identical white horse
which Lord Heathfield habitually rode at
Gibraltar during the siege. His Lordship brought
him to England, and made a present of him to
Mr. Astley. Amidst the cheers and acclamations
38
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
of the audience, this animal was exhibited with
Astley on his back, whilst close to his nose, and
extending entirely across the amphitheatre, was
a range of fireworks, forming the words, "God
save the King," in letters about four feet
high.
The population of Woolwich did not, before
the war, which commenced in 1793, exceed
five or six thousand; and the whole of the
regiment of Royal Artillery was composed of
four battalions; whilst the corps of Royal Engi-
neers numbered only from seventy to seventy-
five officers; and these, as also the Royal
Artillery, were scattered throughout Great Bri-
tain and the colonies. Ireland, at that time,
had a distinct body of Ordnance troops.
Of the inhabitants, although there were
several very respectable, only three kept car-
riages: these were Squire Martin and Squire
Bowater, both opulent or at least independent
farmers, and a Mr. Whitman, who built a house
on the northern declivity of Shooter's Hill, long
since then inhabited by General Cuppage; in
front of that house is a piece of water, which,
owing to its peculiar position on the side of
F
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
39
the hill, appears out of level. None of the
officers of Artillery or of the corps of Royal
Engineers kept any carriages.
There was at this period a second Lieutenant
of invalided Artillery of the name of Sutton, who
attracted a good deal of public attention. He
had lost a leg during the American war; the
amputation had been unavoidably performed so
high up the thigh, that none of the artificial
substitutes were applicable. Sutton was a most
jovial companion; he sang a capital bachelor's
song, drank freely, and told the best stories in the
very best manner. Of course his society was sought
by all the bons vivants. His fame had spread
far and wide, and Lord Eardly, of Belvidere,
near Erith, never failed to invite him on every
occasion when he had some good fellows to
dine with him, and fully appreciated his fund of
wit. Sutton's reputation did not long remain
confined to Woolwich, Belvidere, &c. ; the Prince
of Wales, at length, entertained a wish to hear
Sutton sing some of his best and most piquant
songs, and he, therefore, very soon found him-
self seated at the royal table. The pecuniary
resources of our friend were quickly reduced
40
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
*
to zero; but that caused him little loss of
rest at last he found himself an inmate of
the King's Bench Prison. Lord Eardly, who
could not spare from his circle so valuable an
auxiliary, hastened to purchase his emancipation;
and, moreover, either his Lordship or some of his
wealthy companions presented him with a very
neat, very low phaeton and pair of beautiful
white ponies. Sutton now dashed about in
good style. The invitations to the Prince's
table were more and more frequent, and again
and again he visited the King's Bench Prison;
his furniture, ponies and phaeton, &c., were
scarcely ever free from seizure; but were
always released by his munificent friends. Sut-
ton often proclaimed,
'
"a short life and a merry
one for me," and his wish was to the letter
fulfilled.
About the same period (1788), Madame la
Princesse de Lamballe visited England; and as
she was the especial favourite, and most intimate
friend of the ill-fated Marie-Antoinette, Queen
of France, she received every demonstration
of respect and civility, from the Court of
England. Amongst the numerous efforts to
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
41
gratify her, a grand review and field-day of
the Royal Artillery was ordered to take place at
Woolwich. Accordingly, on the morning ap-
pointed for this purpose, five royal carriages
and four horses, and one with six horses,
containing the Princess and suite, properly
escorted, arrived in the barrack-field at Wool-
wich exactly at eleven o'clock. Nearly two
thousand men of the Royal Artillery (every man
that could be collected, even from Chatham
and other distant parts), as also the company of
gentlemen cadets, armed as privates, and serving
as such, were posted on the right. The greater
portion of these troops was accoutred as troops
of the line-a sufficient number only to man six
field-pieces being employed as artillery. I be-
lieve that Major Paterson was selected to take
the command, in consequence of his possessing
an exceedingly powerful voice.
On the arrival of the Princess, a salute of
nineteen guns was fired, and the troops pre-
sented arms, by which time she had alighted and
immediately advanced to the front, most grace-
fully acknowledging the compliment. Madame
de Lamballe was a tall and very elegant woman;
42 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
her movements were truly condescending. She
was evidently very amiable; raising every one
with whom she conversed to her own level,
without, however, sinking from her proper
position, or creating the slightest degree of
familiarity. On the above occasion, she was
dressed in a pale pink silk robe, with small
hoops, and a train full five yards long, bordered
by a very deep flounce, the extremity of which
was borne by a young negro page, whose age
might be from twelve to fifteen years; her hair
was dressed so as to rise very high, well supplied
with brown hair powder, à la maréchale, on the
top of which was perched a white or pink silk
hat, with many white ostrich feathers; but she
wore no veil.
After the review, the party went to the
Warren, there to witness some firing at the
target, and to inspect the making of various
fireworks, preparing of ammunition, &c., and,
finally, to walk through the Royal Military
Academies, then composed of two classes only,
which occupied the two wings of an ancient
building, designed and executed by the archi
tect Vanburgh. In the upper academy, my
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
43
father, as Professor, received the Princess, and
held a long conversation with her in the French
language, which he spoke perfectly; after which
the Princess accepted of a neat déjeuner which
my mother had prepared for her and suite; upon
which occasion I was presented to her with my
sister. The Princess in the kindest manner
took me by the hand, kissed me, and made me
a present of her bonbonnière.
During some considerable time prior to the
year 1789, the very clever Serjeant Bell, in the
Royal Artillery, had displayed much ingenuity,
having brought forward many curious and use-
ful inventions and improvements in pieces of
machinery, and implements connected with
artillery matters. Among the first of these
productions was a very expeditious mode of
extracting a fusee from a shell, which answered
the purpose most perfectly. The next was a
scheme for blowing up the wreck of the "Royal
George," which had been sunk at Spitheåd,
Portsmouth, in 1782. Serjeant Bell felt so
confident of being able to succeed in accom-
plishing that operation, that he offered to
carry his project into effect, on condition that
1
44
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
the guns should be given to him as his reward.
It was rejected; and as many clever persons had
declared that it would be impossible to ignite
the gunpowder at so great a depth under water,
Bell resolved on demonstrating practically that
he was master of the subject, and that the objec-
tion raised presented no difficulty in his mind.
Accordingly he placed a charge of fifty-four
pounds of gunpowder in a box, which he depo-
sited in a condemned vessel, sunk expressly in
the Thames, at some distance below Woolwich,
near Gallions, over which the tide rose so as to
cover the charge with a depth of eighteen feet of
water. These arrangements were all completed
so as to allow of the experiment being made
immediately after an examination of cadets,
which took place on the 11th of July, 1789,
at which were present the Duke of Richmond,
Master-General of the Ordnance; General Sir
W. Green, the Chief Royal Engineer; Colonels
Morse and Dauban, of the Royal Engineers;
Major T. Blomefield, and Captain Fage, of the
Royal Artillery; Dr. Masculine, the Astronomer
Royal; and a vast concourse of officers of the
Ordnance corps and others. The experiment
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
45
was attended with ample success; the vessel was
blown to pieces, which immediately floated,
Under the place where the mine had exploded,
the bed of the river was noticed at low water to
have been excavated to the depth of several feet;
and I may add, as a curious circumstance, that an
immense quantity of fish was found killed, even
to the distance of half a mile from the place where
the vessel had been destroyed. The whole of the
particulars of this interesting event have long
since been published by my father, in his work
upon mines. Notwithstanding the satisfactory
result of this exhibition, Serjeant Bell's reiterated
assertions of his being sure of destroying, in the
same way, the wreck of the "Royal George,"
which had, during about seven years prior to
this time, incommoded the navigation of the
outer harbour of Portsmouth, were disregarded,
and the "Royal George" was suffered to remain
undisturbed during another half century, when
Major-General Pasley, of the Royal Engineers,
accomplished that highly important service.
Soon after this, Bell exhibited a very simple
and convenient method of passing a rope to a
ship when grounded on rocks or sands at a short
:
46 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
distance from the shore. For this
For this purpose, he
constructed a small portable mortar, in order
that it might be easily carried along the coast,
or on the beach, to the nearest point to the
vessel in distress, whence he fired a shot having
á rope
fastened to it. The shot being fired so as
to pass over the vessel the rope fell upon her,
where it could be immediately secured. Upon
the same principle, Bell fired a carcass, to which
several long chains with hooks were appended,
in order to catch in the sails or rigging of an
enemy's ship, so that as soon as it had fastened
it would communicate its destructive fire.
In the latter part of the same year (1789),
my father took a house on Blackheath, and I
was sent daily to the school of which the Rev,
Dr. Egan was the master; he was
he was successor
to his wife's father, Dr. Bakewell. The site
of this school is close to the new church, at
the corner of King Street, and is now con-
verted into tea-gardens. During the two years
that we sojourned at Blackheath, robberies on
Shooter's Hill, along the Charlton Park wall,
the Lower Woolwich Road, and on Blackheath,
were exceedingly frequent; they were sometimes
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
47
}
perpetrated in broad daylight, and even in the
midst of a large concourse of people.
One Sunday afternoon, towards the close of
a sultry summer's day, I was with the other
members of my family promenading on Ches-
terfield Walk, where a considerable assemblage
of the well-dressed inhabitants of the vicinity
usually met every evening, after an early dinner,
when our attention was suddenly claimed by a
general rush of the company towards the south-
ern extremity of the walk; and in an instant
afterwards, every face was turned in the direc-
tion of the Green Man Tavern, and every right
hand was raised, pointing to a man on a horse
at full speed, who was making the utmost haste
on the road to London, all exclaiming: "There
he goes there he goes-there-there-do you
see him—there, that's he-there, he's gone," as
the gentleman, in a hurry, descended the hill
leading to the lime-kilns.
It is necessary here to explain that, at the
south-west angle of the park, there stood a very
good house, exactly within the wall, which had
a terrace extending into the angle, so much
higher than the ground on the outside, that the
48
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
top of the wall was at a convenient height for a
person to sit upon it, whilst on the outside it
was at least seven or eight feet high. On this
memorable evening, the gentleman who rented
the house, invited by the beautiful scenery and
refreshing coolness of the evening had, without
hat or stick, taken his book into the garden,
and seated himself on the angle of the park-
wall. Whilst in this position, actually in the
midst of the promenaders, a gentleman mounted
on a handsome horse, but little inferior to a
hunter, rode up to him, and with the utmost
familiarity addressing him by his name, said:
"How are you, my dear fellow? what a long
time it is since you have given me a call; come
and dine with me to-morrow; you will meet
some good fellows."
By this time, the horseman had closely ap-
proached the gentleman on the wall, who, how-
ever, did not answer his recognition. The
former then drew forth a pistol, and pointing it
at his head, declared in a subdued voice that, if
he did not instantly hand out his watch, purse,
&c., he should be under the very unpleasant
necessity of scattering his brains amongst the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
49
rose-bushes behind him. Frightened out of his
presence of mind, the victim instantly handed
over his valuables, and the thief declaring aloud
that he was a "d-d good fellow," cantered
off.
In a few seconds, the gentleman recovered
from his fright sufficiently to roar out to those
nearest to him. "Stop thief-stop thief! he
has robbed me."
The consternation which this daring act
created amongst the multitude that congre-
gated to learn the meaning of these singular
exclamations, had scarcely subsided, when a
post-chaise, containing two gentlemen and one
lady, with a man-servant on the bar in front,
on their way to London, stopped on the high
road just opposite to the celebrated south-
western angle of the park, when they all at the
same time hailed us, announcing that they had
just been robbed near the Rising Sun, by four
armed men on foot.
It was but a short time after these impudent
acts had been committed so successfully, that
the well-known Paul Sandby, who was Land-
scape Drawing-Master to the Royal Military
VOL. I.
D
50 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Academy, was returning to London in a post-
chaise, after giving his usual lessons to the
cadets of four hours, one Saturday morning,
having his daughter with him: just on arriving
at the south-eastern angle of Greenwich Park
wall, the chaise was stopped by a single robber,
at one o'clock in the day time, and both himself
and daughter lost their watches and money.
Miss Sandby was so much discomposed by the
alarm she had suffered, that her father brought
her to my father's house in Sot's Hole, now
Conduit Vale, on Blackheath; and on entering
he declared his intention to spare no expense
nor exertion in endeavouring to bring the villain
to justice; yet he was soon deterred from fol-
lowing up that intention on being informed
that if he mentioned the event, and the thief
should be caught, he would, most probably, be
compelled to prosecute, which might cost him
£80 or £100, without any certainty of recover-
ing the stolen property. Sandby agreed that
the most prudent course would be to keep the
robbery a secret.
Major and Lady Emily Macleod, of the Royal
Artillery, who resided upon Woolwich Common,
1
1
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
51
were returning home in a post-chaise, probably
from London, and were crossing the Common
from Charlton Park, by the road along the deep
ditch separating the barrack-field from the
Common. The heat of the day had been very
oppressive, and Lady Emily had felt some-
what faint, which induced her Ladyship to
have frequent recourse to a bottle of Colognè
water. When within two or three hundred
yards of home, a well-mounted highwayman
commanded the driver to stop, or have his brains
blown out-a hint very rarely disregarded. The
robber presented his pistol in the usual way, and
with extraordinary politeness claimed watches,
trinkets, pocket-books and purses, under pain
of immediate death in case of refusal. The
muzzle of the pistol was thrust into the car-
riage, almost touching Lady Emily Macleod's
face, and had well-nigh caused her Ladyship to
faint; but the Major's nerves were of sterner
stuff: he seized the Cologne water bottle, and
ramming it into the highwayman's face, declared
in a voice of thunder, that he would instantly
shoot him if he did not take himself off. The
highwayman fancying a pistol was at his head,
D 2
52 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
turned his horse round, and spurred off in the
direction of London.
Although not a week passed over without
some robbery, particularly on the lower road to
Woolwich and in Hanging Wood, very few
murders were committed.
Blackheath, at this period, was a favourite
place for reviewing both horse and foot regi-
ments. On one of these occasions, Major
Paterson of the Artillery, a very rough muscular
man, was present at a review, as a spectator
only, when he found it necessary to take off one
of his boots; and, for that purpose, rode up to
a hedge bordering the eastern side of the heath,
not more than one hundred yards distant from
the throng surrounding the troops. He had
no sooner released his foot from the boot than a
well dressed man, also well mounted, accosted
him with the outward demonstrations of an old
acquaintance. In a moment, however, out
came the pistol with the usual application for
watch, money, &c. The thief, having secured
his plunder, rode off at full gallop—perhaps
no further than the opposite side of the reviewing
ground, where, mixing with the spectators, he
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
53
was perfectly secure from detection. The Pay-
master to the Royal Artillery, Mr. Adair, of
Spring Gardens, London, was obliged to send
to Woolwich every month the subsistence or
pay for the Royal Artillery stationed at that
place, which amounted to a sum of between
two and three thousand pounds, under an escort
of Artillery soldiers, consisting of a non-commis-
sioned officer and six privates: three of the
latter walked on each side of the post-chaise
carrying the treasure in charge of a pay clerk,
and the non-commissioned officer marched in
the rear, to see that the party were alert and
discharged their duty; the whole having their
bayonets fixed and their muskets loaded with
ball. Whilst we resided on Blackheath during
1789, 1790 and 1791, I have a clear recollec-
tion of having seen this procession crossing the
heath on its way towards Woolwich.
Highway robberies were committed almost
with impunity on all the roads leading out of
London over Hounslow Heath, Bagshot Heath,
Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath, Hamp-
stead Heath and Hanging Wood near Wool-
wich, and in every place at all retired. There
:
54
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
was also robbing of another kind carried on with
equal success by picking pockets. Amongst the
professors of this art was the celebrated Bar-
rington who surpassed all his cotemporaries in
expertness.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
55
:
CHAPTER III.
Exeter Change Duke of Richmond's house burnt
down-Colonel Johnstone-Tom Paine burnt in effigy
-Dr. John Hunter-Dr. Manedoc-Captain Nut-
ting-The Author admitted a cadet-Lectures on
Chemistry-Tongue of a Prussian cat-Ford's trick
at Brighton-At Aix-la-Chapelle-On board a trans-
port-The easterly wind at Dover.
My father agreed to take me to the menagerie
at Exeter Change. I must here state, that
this peculiar place commenced nearly opposite
the opening from the Strand leading to Water-
loo Bridge; it thence extended one hun-
dred to one hundred and thirty feet towards
Charing Cross, and consisted of a covered
passage with stalls on each side, where cut-
lery, perfumery, and toys were sold, chiefly
exhibited under glass cases; and latterly some
}
56
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
saddlery, &c. The place was gloomy, dirty and
badly paved, and possessed no real merits
excepting that, during a shower of rain, it
provided a shelter to the pedestrian. All per-
sons who purchased any article, in the passage,
of the value of one shilling or more, received a
free ticket of admission to the menagerie,
without which, sixpence was the entrance money.
After passing over Westminster Bridge and
turning into Parliament Street, we were com-
pelled to leave the coach, the way being com-
pletely blockaded by a dense mob, which was
attracted by the conflagration of Richmond
House. This building was the town residence
of his Grace of Richmond, and was a large old
inelegant red brick house, which, together with
its surrounding gardens, occupied a very exten-
sive piece of ground, now the site of Richmond
Terrace. During the commencement of the
fire it was rumoured that, in the hurry of
escaping from the flames, a lady named Made-
moiselle Le Clère, who resided with the Duke's
family, had neglected to carry away with her a
favourite lap-dog, which, being mentioned to
some of the soldiers, one of them immediately
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
57
sought Mademoiselle, and, having ascertained
the window of her room, procured a ladder and
succeeded in saving the dog: he was rewarded
with a present of ten guineas. Having gazed
on the still smoking ruins, my father and myself
proceeded to Exeter Change.
In order that I might be in the fullest fashion
of the times for boys, on the night previous to
this great treat, my hair, which was a foot long
at least, was plaited in five or six tails, all round
my head, so that, on the following morning on
opening these plaits and combing out the hair,
it formed a complete furze-bush from near the
crown of my head quite over my shoulders; on
beholding myself in the glass, I was remarkably
well pleased with my appearance.
The apartments containing the menagerie
were exceedingly confined and dangerously
crowded by the cages for the animals. On one
side, were the large beasts in strongly grated
compartments; the lion at the end, and next
to him the tiger; then followed the hyenas,
leopards, and some very large monkeys or
baboons; whilst on the side facing, there were a
number of the inferior animals, some in cages,
D 3
58
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
but a great many of them merely chained to a
sort of table; amongst these were the blue-
faced and smaller monkeys, otters, racoons,
&c., leaving a space for the visitors much too
narrow between them and the larger animals-I
believe not more than ten to twelve feet.
Having examined the birds near the entrance,
and particularly the macaws (several of these
birds were hung in the streets below, near the
entrance), we advanced in the narrow walk to
hear the lion, the show-master having pro-
claimed that he was about to make him roar;
upon the animal extending his jaws, the keeper
put his face as far into his mouth as he could
reach, and began to roar down the lion's
throat; which feat was considered the most
interesting and boldest ever attempted.
In retreating from this exhibition, the tiger or
leopard made a sudden leap at the bars of his
cage, causing me to start backwards, which
brought me within reach of the monkeys and
other small animals that were chained to the
table. The nearest of them instantly seized hold
of my hair, and began pulling away with his
utmost strength, endeavouring at the same time
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
59
to scratch out my eyes. Nothing could have
saved me from suffering the severest injuries
but the stout resistance I made.
I
My first scream was the signal for a general
burst of the wildest uproar throughout the
whole menagerie. The lion, with his mane erect,
darted with surprising activity from end to end
of his prison, lashing the bars with his tail, and
thundering out his rage. The tiger sprang in
all directions, repeatedly turning head over heels
against the gratings, and making every effort
to catch hold of me by thrusting his fore-legs
out to their fullest extent, and evincing his
severe disappointment on perceiving that he
could only grasp the air with his claws. The
leopards and hyenas in like manner manifested
their eagerness to partake of the good fortune.
which they imagined had befallen the monkeys;
whilst immediately facing the spot where I was
struggling to escape, was an immensely large
black monkey or baboon, leaping from the
bottom to the top of his cage, and exhibiting a
state of rage which no one had on any former
occasion witnessed. Their wild and harsh
screeches excited the macaws, and parrots, pro-
60
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
ducing altogether such a deafening uproar of
discordant sounds as no pen can describe.
My father laid about with his cane, and
two or three of the keepers flogged away
savagely with their long hunting-whips. Of
course I was soon released; but my face was
covered with blood, issuing from numerous deep
scratches, and my head was bleeding where the
hair had been torn out, carrying with it pieces
of skin as large as four-penny pieces. Not-
withstanding my liberation, these ferocious crea-
tures continued to exhibit such a state of
insubordination that I was hurried away to the
proprietor's room, in the hope, that by with-
drawing me from their presence, tranquillity
might be restored.
It must have been about this period (1789
or 1790), that many attempts were made to
improve the air-balloon, and I believe that in this
Lunardi and Blanchard were amongst the most
successful. The former I recollect having seen
pass over Woolwich with his balloon, carried
northwards by a light air, and quickly after-
wards descended, either accidentally or design-
edly, in the marshes, not far distant from
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
61
Barking. The people of Barking were regarded
by the Woolwichers as a set of barbarians; and
it was commonly believed by the inhabitants of
the southern bank of the Thames, that the air
of Barking was so insalubrious to women, that
no female could survive a year's residence there.
The falling of the balloon in the vicinity of
such a people, was the signal for a general
rush from every habitation upon the monster
that appeared to them to have dropped from
the skies. In less than half an hour it was
torn into a thousand pieces, which were carried
away as so many banners waving upon sticks;
and Lunardi might have been awfully maltreated,
had not a number of persons from Woolwich
come to his rescue. I saw Lunardi land at the
Warren Wharf, accompanied by several officers
of the Artillery, after his escapè from the Bark-
ing savages; and he was still shivering with
cold, occasioned by the low temperature of the
lofty regions through which he had passed,
although we, upon earth, had been all day com-
plaining of the heat of the weather. He was
taken to dine at the Artillery mess.
A few years after this, his death was an-
nounced in the newspapers, in the following
62 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
terms: "Poor Lunardi's dead! and what's
more extraordinary, he died in his bed."
The spirit of republicanism, which made consi-
derable progress throughout the British Isles soon
after the outburst of the great French Revolution,
had now (1792) assumed an alarming aspect.
The publications of the notorious Tom Paine,
entitled, "The Rights of Man," "The Age of
Reason," and various others, were widely circu-
lated, and failed not to poison the minds of a
vast multitude, chiefly of the lowest and worst-
disposed of the people. Towards the close of
the year, the press teemed with pamphlets of
a similar tendency, which ultimately produced,
in every part of the country, revolutionary
meetings, both within doors and in the open
air, whereat sedition and treason were boldly
recommended.
The people of Woolwich, loyal to a man,
held counter-meetings where their loyalty and
attachment to the existing Government and
royal family were loudly and fearlessly pro-
claimed; and it was thought expedient to
call on persons of all ranks, even those holding
Government appointments, residing at Wool-
wich, that they might record their sentiments
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
63
by signing a declaration of their attachment
to the King and Constitution; for that pur-
pose, my father attended at Woolwich Church
vestry, on the 27th of December, 1792. Dur-
ing the afternoon of the same day, the effigy of
Tom Paine was dragged about the streets in
a cart, his notorious book fastened in his hands,
and escorted on each side by a chimney-sweeper,
mounted on a donkey, flourishing a wooden sword;
the procession was preceded by the drums and
fifes of the Royal Artillery, alternately playing,
66
God Save the King," and the " Rogue's
March." At about five o'clock in the evening
it arrived at a spot, then an open field, between
the Ship Tavern and Bowater House, and there,
amidst an immense concourse of people, the
effigy was hung up by the neck on a gibbet
sixty feet high, round which was stacked up an
immense bonfire containing many pitch or tar-
barrels which were soon blazing.
About this time my mother had been suffering
severely from ill health, and deriving no benefit
from the advice of the Woolwich medical men,
she resolved on consulting the celebrated John
Hunter, who, after listening with some degree
of patience to her narrative of all her sufferings,
-
64 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
At
remained silent during several minutes.
length, upon her asking him what he should
recommend her to do, he very roughly said:
Why, Madam, I have nothing to recom-
mend."
"Good God, Sir!" she cried, "is there no-
thing then to be done?"
<<
me?"
CC
No, Madam," Hunter coldly replied.
But, Doctor, what will become of
Why, Madam, you must die; your case is
quite incurable."
My mother could not restrain a flood of
tears, upon which the Doctor rose from his
chair, and ringing the bell, observed:
"I cannot have my time wasted in this way;
you must retire, and make room for other
patients, who are waiting their turn."
Notwithstanding this awful sentence of death,
pronounced by the cleverest surgeon of his day,
my mother did not quit this world before the
expiration of thirty-eight years after it had been
uttered.
It was about the same period, that a Dr.
Manedoc had acquired great celebrity in conse-
quence of his having started upon an entirely
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
65
new system of curing every disease without the
use of medicines, and without touching, nay, in
some cases, without even seeing the patient.
He was a rather good-looking man, between
forty and fifty years of age, square built, and of
middle stature ; his hair frizzed and queued, and
abundantly powdered; he wore a white satin
waistcoat, white breeches, and white silk stock-
ings; his chocolate-coloured coat was lined with
white silk, and the buttons very large, had
a beautiful little painting on each covered with
a glass, set in a gold rim. Such buttons were
worn by persons of fashion, and cost from
one to two guineas a-piece. On my mother
being introduced, Dr. Manedoc rose majesti-
cally from an elegant French fauteuil, and pre-
sented a chair for her at the furthest end of the
room. He made a few simple inquiries, after
which, standing up, without approaching his
patient, his left foot in front of the right, and
both knees quite stiff, he regarded my mother
with a serious look and rather stern manner,
then begged of her to be perfectly calm, as he
was about to operate. My mother, anything but
calm, was silent; she, however, kept her posi-
66 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
!
tion, looking the Doctor full in the face.
Manedoc now raised his arms slowly, keeping
them fully extended, the backs of his hands
upwards, and nearly on a level with his face;
his fingers were crooked, and pointed forwards,
as one preparing to scratch: he occasionally
moved them, and sometimes altered the posi-
tion of his hands, but he never changed the
direction of his arms. During this time his
fingers were entirely engaged in pretending to
feel various matters, as though calculating their
weight; all the while carrying on a sort of
communication in broken sentences, either with
himself or some invisible being. Every now
and then he kindly inquired of his patient how
she felt, adding:
"I hope you do not feel alarmed. You may
depend upon it, I am so perfectly acquainted
with the anatomy of the human body, I shall
not do the slightest injury to anything I
touch."
After a little more of this trash, he said:
"There now, Madam, do you not feel a very
peculiar sensation in the upper part of the right
side of your body? I am merely passing my hand
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
67
between your liver and the ribs! I beg to
assure you, I do not wish to cause you any more
inconvenience than is absolutely necessary, in
order that I may at once make myself com-
pletely master of your interesting, nay, I may
with much propriety say, your very peculiar case."
At the expiration of about ten minutes,
which Manedoc observed was double the time
he could generally spare for each patient, he
inquired how she was engaged for the following
day. Fearing that he was meditating another
visit, for the purpose of completing his mode of
investigation, my mother said that she was under
the most pressing necessity of leaving town
early on the following morning.
"Oh !" said the quack, "you mistake my
intention, if you think I wished you to call on
me to-morrow; but I was anxious to be in-
formed if you will be at leisure between eleven
and twelve o'clock to-morrow, as during a little
trip which I must then take into the country,
requiring that I should pass a few hours in my
carriage, I might, if convenient to you, devote
my attention to the further study of your case.
Therefore, if quite agreeable to you, it shall be
68
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
at twelve minutes to thirteen minutes past
eleven o'clock, up to fifteen minutes before
twelve."
My mother paid the usual fee, but of course
experienced no benefit from the impostor's
treatment at the time he had appointed for a
further investigation of her case.
Captain Nutting, of the Artillery, was a very
early riser, and whilst quartered at Woolwich,
he made it a practice to take a long walk before
breakfast. On one of these occasions, he was
walking on the high road to Dover, over Shooter's
Hill, when he saw a white paper crumpled-up
on the ground. On opening it, he discovered it
to be a one thousand pounds Bank of England
note. At a short distance further on, he found
another note of the same amount. On extending
his search he picked up four more.
He very
properly gave notice of his having found a large
sum of money in Bank of England notes, and
engaged to deliver them to any person who
should give satisfactory evidence of being the
proprietor; yet, strange as it may appear, they
were never owned.
At thirteen years of age, when called upon to
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
69
pass the examination for admission into the
Royal Military Academy, then almost nominal,
(for it extended no further than the rule-of-
three-of-vulgar-fractions), I had completed the
whole course required for obtaining a commission,
as an officer, in either of the Ordnance corps,
and which at that period was as follows: in
fortification, the three first systems of Vauban,
with Cohorn's and Cormartagne's systems, the
attack and defence of fortified places and field
fortifications, embracing mining and counter-
mining, as also estimating. In artillery, the
construction of all the various pieces of ordnance,
both of iron and brass guns, howitzers, mortars
and carronades, and their respective garrison
and travelling carriages and beds, all in great
detail. In mathematics, the whole of practical
geometry, solids and conic sections, the first six
books of Euclid, square and cube-root, mensu-
ration, logarithms, trigonometry, and algebra,
as far as simple and quadratic equations. To
these should be added landscape painting in
water-colours, and map drawing, representing
the irregular surface of the country, and some
knowledge of the French language.
70 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Amongst the numerous branches of education
taught the cadets, in addition to the above,
were chemistry, dancing, fencing, and drilling to
the use of the musket, and the management of
field-guns, &c. These, together with the other
studies, pretty nearly filled up the whole of the
day, from eight o'clock in the morning until the
same hour in the evening, and was really more
than my delicate state of health could endure.
In consideration of that circumstance, I was
permitted to employ the hours devoted to
lectures on chemistry (after the first course) in
walking exercise, and this was the more readily
granted as I had attended two courses prior to
my being a cadet.
Whilst mentioning this subject, it may be
as well to state here, that Lieutenant-Colonel
Stehelin, of the Royal Artillery, was at this time
the Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Military
Academy; Captain-Lieutenant Burslem, and Lieu-
tenants Godfrey, Write and Spicer, were the
military officers; whilst Captain Phipps, a retired
officer of the corps of Royal Engineers, was
the inspector of the studies. Dr. Crawford
lectured on chemistry, and Mr. Cruikshanks was
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
71
his assistant. The Doctor was most unas-
suming, very kind, gentlemanly and reserved in
his manners: he was tall, thin, very pale,
exceedingly delicate in health, and never took
any animal food. Cruikshanks, alias Black-jack,
as the cadets had named him, was short, wide-
shouldered, thick-set; had a large head, covered
with long curly black hair, very dark complexion,
short-necked, his shoulders high, his face cast
downwards, and invariably looking through his
very bushy eyebrows; he was, moreover, habitually
rough in his manners but not rude; although
he had received no polish, he was a very clever
chemist, and consequently a useful assistant to
the lecturer.
These lectures were delivered in the laboratory
in the Warren; and the arrangement was, that
the entire room, which was rather long, was
divided into two unequal parts by a table which
extended transversely, almost quite across, leaving
no more space at each end than was sufficient
for two persons to be there seated. Dr.
Crawford stood up at the middle facing the
audience, who occupied ranges of seats rising
amphitheatrically to the furthest end of the
72
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
room, where the cadets entered.
Behind Craw-
ford were the various furnaces, sand-baths,
forges, tanks, stills, &c., &c.; these being under
the immediate care and working of Serjeant
Robinson, of the Artillery, and clerk to the
inspector. During the lectures, Lieutenant-
Colonel Stehelin never failed to be present, and
occupied a seat at one end of the long table; and
his son, a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, and
during some time one of the officers attached to
the company of gentlemen cadets, had possession
of the other end by the side of Cruikshanks.
In the course of the lectures, particularly
when on the subject of minerals, it was thought
useful to exhibit specimens of many of these
substances; and in order that they might be
more perfectly examined by the audience, they
were handed first to the Lieutenant-Governor,
who, after inspecting them, passed them on to
the nearest of the cadets, whence each specimen
went round until it was returned to the table at
the end where Mr. Cruikshanks and Lieutenant
Stehelin were seated. Such were the arrange-
ments about the year 1790 or 1791, when Mr.
Ford (afterwards a Major-General of Royal
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
73
1
.
Engineers and Lieutenant-Governor of the
Royal Military Academy), was pursuing his
studies, as a cadet, in the said institution; and
on one occasion, whilst attending the lectures
on chemistry, he discovered that under the
bench upon which he was seated, there was
growing a fungus of large dimensions. In a
moment, by the aid of his pocket-knife, he cut
out a piece about two inches wide, and, perhaps,
eight inches in length-the root remaining
fastened at one end, whilst the other was cut
to a sharp point: the colour was not very unlike
that of a well-fried pancake. This strange-
looking specimen was, in imitation of all the
others that had been handed about, placed on a
piece of white paper and labelled: "The Tongue
of a Prussian Cat." It was sent forward in
the direction all the curious specimens had
been made to follow, so that in due course it
arrived at the end of the table occupied by
Cruikshanks and Lieutenant Stehelin, without
having passed through the hands of the Lieu-
tenant-Governor. Here Cruikshanks was rather
surprised, he looked at the specimen, held it up
in all positions, muttered a few words to Lieu-
VOL. I.
E
74 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
tenant Stehelin, who was also much perplexed.
At this moment, Dr. Crawford's attention
was attracted to the spot. Lieutenant-Colonel
Stehelin was rather deaf. The Lieutenant-
Governor did not understand the explanation.
he received, repeated his inquiries, and the
specimen was handed to him. He complained
at first, of its not having been submitted to him
before it went the round of the students; then,
with an air of perplexity, inquired how it
had been obtained, adding: "What sort of cats
have they in Prussia? Can this be the tongue
of the house cat? Have you ever seen one
alive? or have you the skin of one? They
must be of most extraordinary dimensions."
In this strain he went on, asking every
question that suggested itself to his mind,
without listening to the Doctor, who all that
time endeavoured to explain; when the Doctor
at length said: "It is a joke, Sir,-it is a
harmless bit of wit,-very innocent indeed,
Colonel."
"What do you say?" exclaimed the Lieu-
tenant-Governor, whose confusion of ideas had
greatly increased his ordinary deafness, "what
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
75
do you say? the animal is harmless? is full of
wit? and quite innocent? I don't understand
how such properties can belong to a Prussian
cat more than to any other cat in the world?
Why, they must be a very peculiar sort of cats.
Pray tell me of what colour they are?"
The Lieutenant-Governor went on in this
way, shutting his ears against every attempt at
an explanation, while every one else present was
laughing immoderately, which by no means.
paved the way for his taking a dispassionate
view of the subject. At length, after con-
siderable exertion on the part of his son, Dr.
Crawford and Mr. Cruikshanks, his eyes were
suddenly opened to the joke. He rose from his
chair, and having called out "Silence!" with a
loud and authoritative tone of voice, insisted on
being instantly informed of the name of the
individual who had been guilty of so gross an
insult, not only as regarded himself, but, signally,
towards the highly respectable lecturer, Dr.
Crawford. A general silence prevailed. After
a few minutes, having duly considered the
fittest course to be pursued, he ordered the
whole of the cadets to be marched off to their
E 2
76 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
1
barracks, and there to remain under arrest until
further orders! On the following morning,
Mr. Ford acknowledged his offence, made an
appropriate apology, promising never to do so
again, and it was looked over.
Ford, having obtained a commission, at first,
in the Royal Artillery, was ordered to join the
grand camp formed near Brighthelmstone, now
Brighton, at the commencement of the war with
France, under the command of the great Duke
of Richmond. Here, in 1793, about ten thou-
sand men were assembled under canvas, to be
drilled and practised in marching and manoeu-
vring upon a great scale, sham fighting, &c., in
order to qualify them for entering upon active
warfare with credit to themselves, and honour
and profit to their King and country. On Ford's
arrival at the camp, he soon discovered that a
young second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery
was a very inferior personage to a general
officer.
On the following day, Ford compiled a list of
all the general officers, and their respective
aides-de-camp, and of all the other staff officers
then with the army; and to each of them, ex-
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
77
cepting his Grace the Commander-in-Chief, he
sent a card, soliciting the honour of his company
on that day week, at nine o'clock, to partake of
a humble supper! Persons were now appointed
to ferret out all that could be known about that
Lieutenant Ford, whom nobody knew. They
reported, that although he was not in the enjoy-
ment of a fortune, he was one of the wittiest
and most entertaining fellows in the world. On
the morning of the important day, a number of
men were observed engaged in laying a very
extensive boarded floor, which was shortly after-
wards covered by an immense large tent; and
tables and benches, &c., in abundance attracted
general notice, as they were seen to be concen-
trating towards the same spot; whilst the master
was unceasing in activity; was here, was there,
was everywhere, from the mess kitchen to his
own tent, and thence to the great tent, super-
intending and directing the vast preparations.
As the hour advanced towards nine, the
various lamps suspended in the tent were lighted ;
and soon afterwards, each general, attended by
his personal staff, began to assemble. As no
one came forward to receive the company, they
**
78 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
anxiously, and indeed hastily inquired of one
another for their host.
"By your leave, gentlemen, if you please,"
was uttered near the door, by a man wearing on
his head a white cotton night-cap, and having
on no other clothing than a shirt, white shorts
and stockings, with well-polished shoes and
buckles. He carried a very large dish piled up
with apple dumplings, and was followed by two
servants in livery, also bearers of dishes of apple
dumplings. The man with the white night-cap
hastily slapped his dish on the table, and un-
covering his head made a bow to the company,
declaring that he felt most highly gratified by
the honour which so many officers of the highest
rank had conferred on him, by condescending to
partake of the humble fare of a poor subaltern.
(6
Pray, gentlemen, sit down," he added.
"Without throwing upon me the awful respon-
sibility of selecting the exact place which each
officer, according to his rank and seniority, has
a right to occupy; you cannot expect that I
should be able to discharge a task so difficult,
without incurring the certainty of failure.”
His guests seated themselves in no slight
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
79
astonishment as he took the chair at the head of
the table, upon which were the three dishes of
apple dumplings, flanked by a dozen of pewter
pint-pots, filled with malt liquor, with knives,
forks, and plates of various dimensions, colours
and patterns.
It would be quite impossible to follow our
friend through all the quaint and truly ridiculous
observations he made on the want of appetite
which every one manifested whom he was
pressing to taste of the dumplings, the vast
change which an active campaign would effect
on such delicate palates, &c.; all of which was
most cleverly managed, so as to avoid any per-
sonal offence. Finally, in order to excite their
curiosity, he assured them that he had made
the apple dumplings himself, boiled them in
his own night-caps, and that they were supe-
rior in flavour to any other apple dumplings
that had ever been eaten. Notwithstanding this
inviting explanation, he received the general
assurance that his guests never ate suppers;
some began to consult their watches, exchanging,
at the same time, significant looks with those
sitting on the opposite side of the table. The
80
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Lieutenant turned quickly to one of the servants,
and ordered him to run with all speed to the
mess-man, and endeavour to procure some cold
meat, or anything else, pronouncing the latter
sentence with great emphasis; and then looking
towards the company, as he rubbed his hands
together between his knees, and shrugging up his
shoulders, he exclaimed: "Je suis au désespoir."
On hearing these instructions, every voice
was raised, entreating that the order might be
rescinded, some even absolutely forbid the man's
obedience to his master's commands; but it was
too late the table was in an instant cleared of
its vulgar materials, and presently a train of ten
to twenty servants entered in procession, when
like magic, the table was covered with every
delicacy of the season, together with champagne,
burgundy, sauterne, and the choicest wines. A
most extraordinary alteration took place in every
countenance: the gentlemen who never ate
suppers, proved that it was a custom from which
they could deviate; in short, the surprise every
one experienced relaxed the muscles of the
severest disciplinarian, and all to a man joined in
the most unrestrained hilarity.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
81
By whistling, for which he was celebrated,
singing unheard-of songs, and telling the most
extraordinary stories, Ford made himself so
entertaining that evening, that afterwards he
was invited everywhere; indeed no party was
thought complete unless he was of the number.
In the course of the following year, Ford
removed from the Artillery to the corps of Royal
Engineers, and soon afterwards was attached to
the army in Flanders, under his Royal Highness
the Duke of York. At the siege of Valen-
ciennes, when the troops rushed forward to seize
the covert-way, Ford went in with his horse,
taking a tremendous leap from the crest of the
glacis-probably at some place where the pali-
sading had been destroyed.
Ford visited Aix-la-Chapelle, where, in the
public gardens, there is a high mount. He
caused his arrival to be announced to the public,
and that on the following Sunday he should
dress on the top of the said mount at that hour,
when the promenade was most crowded. At the
time appointed, a toilet-table was noticed on the
elevated pinnacle, and in due time Ford came
forth, having on a white waistcoat and shorts,
E 3
}
82
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
white silk stockings and shoes, with brilliant
buckles, and over all a rich silk dressing-gown.
Having bowed in a most condescending man-
ner to the gazing multitude, he seated himself
at the toilet-table, when the barber com-
menced his performances; he then washed
his face, hands and teeth, put on a handsome
laced cravat, and descended majestically. The
company received him with cheers and congra-
tulations, every one pressing round him to
obtain a perfect view of such an extraordinary
man.
With the expedition under Sir Ralph Aber-
crombie, Ford sailed for Egypt; and the
officers embarked with him in the transport,
considered themselves particularly fortunate.
He hailed a brig on a fine still morning:
Brig, a-hoy?"
(C
Ay, ay, Sir,” the skipper replied.
"Don't you see that ha-em-no-for-why-is-so-
go-no-in-same-maintop?"
The master of the brig unable to make out
this important communication, and finding no
one in the vessel capable of assisting him,
replied: "I can't hear what you say, Sir."
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
83
Ford, after a pause, repeated the information;
this being just as intelligible as before, the
master of the brig turned to the man at the
helm: "Port, there; port your helm."
"Port it is, Sir."
"Now what is it you say, Sir?"
When Ford, with the speaking-trumpet,
retorted quickly and with great volubility,
"Don't you see, how-now-so-he-why-flam-wap-
there-maintop."
The skipper looked up to the maintop,
observing: "What is it he says about the main-
top?"
"I don't see nothing the matter there, Sir,"
was quickly replied.
66
Step up there, boy, and look about you!"
The skipper growing impatient: "Do you hear
me, you young scamp; what are you playing
about with that rope's end? I'll make it fit
your back in a trice, you sculking fair-weather
lubber."
Up went the boy and hailed: "Upon
deck, there; I don't see nothing the miss,
Sir."
"What is it you say?" again inquired the
84
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
7
master of the brig. "I can't find nothing
wrong in the main-top." Then turning to the
man at the helm: "Port there."
"Port it is, Sir," was the reply.
((
(C
Hard-a-port."
Hard-a-port it is, Sir."
And as the brig sheered up very near to the
transport, with Ford standing on the hen-coops,
his speaking-trumpet all ready, the master of the
brig, fearful of shooting a-head, ordered: "Back
the main-yard," by which the vessel was brought
almost to a stand-still; upon which our skipper,
leaning over the side, again repeated: "What do
you say, Sir?"
The vessels were now too close to each other
to admit of any misunderstanding, when Ford
replied: "What do I say? Why—I say, that if
you had another leg where your nose is, you'd
make a d-d good washing-stool. Can you
understand that ?”
"What is that you say, you d―d,” &c., &c.,
exclaimed the enraged skipper, and out came a
broadside of abuse.
"Fill the main-yard-starboard your helm-
up with it, do you hear? hard-a-starboard, do
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
85
you hear? D-n the fellow! I only wish I
may catch him some dark night cruizing about
at the back of the Point at Portsmouth, or even
at the Barbican at Plymouth! I'm d-d if I
wouldn't serve him out. He should have more
than he could eat," &c.
Ford all this time was loudly hailing, and
turning everything about the brig into ridicule.
He compared her to a wash-tub, a dung-barge,
a hog-trough; and in like manner he treated
the master and mate, the crew, the sails and
rigging; in short, they had never heard of such
things. During the remainder of the voyage,
the brig was never once again within hail of
Ford.
General Twiss was the commanding engineer
of the South or Sussex district.
He was
advanced in years, very gentlemanly, suffered
much from rheumatism, and made periodical
tours of inspection to enable him to report on
the due progress of the works of fortification,
constructing under the immediate direction of a
number of officers of engineers stationed in the
district, and principally along the coast of Sussex;
and also that they were being executed in strict
86
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
He
conformity with the orders and plans approved
of by the Master-General of the Ordnance.
Twiss was very fond of Ford, and always
received from him every possible mark of atten-
tion, invariably taking up his quarters at his
house. On one occasion, the latter consi-
dered that some rather extensive deviation from
the plans that had been furnished from Pall-
Mall would be a great improvement.
ordered the alteration to be carried into effect
with the utmost dispatch; but to his con-
sternation, the General arrived unexpectedly,
when the completion of Ford's works still
required several days of activity. Ford had
never yet exhausted his fund of wit, and quickly
ordered the weathercock on the flag-staff to
be nailed pointing east. At the usual hour
for breakfast the next morning, the General
entered the room evidently much dejected,
exclaiming,
"There look," as he pointed to the vane,
"there look-a due east wind; you know, I
believe, that I dare not venture to expose
myself to that deadly blast: it was at the same
period last year, I think, that I was then held a
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
87
prisoner here during five or six days, wasn't
it ?"
True," replied Ford; "I do recollect it was,
now that you mention it; but we must endea-
vour to make you as comfortable as we can.'
""
On the second, third, fourth and fifth days,
the General suffered from that lowness of spirits
which an easterly wind never failed to occasion
him. By working night and day, Ford com-
pleted the alterations he had commenced prior
to the arrival of the General; on the morning
of the sixth day the vane pointed westerly.
The General was in high spirits, free from all
the distressing feelings caused by the opposite
wind, made a good breakfast and sallied forth
to inspect the works, repeating with much viva-
city: "I am now quite a different creature.'
""
On viewing the alterations, which were by
that time perfectly finished, and the rubbish
cleared away, the General observed: "Well this
is, I must admit, a very capital improvement:
but I don't know how I shall get over the want
of an authority for its execution. You take
great liberties, Master Ford." The General's
report thereon protected Ford from censure.
}
88
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
This very clever, very amusing and excellent
officer, in due course of time was appointed to
be Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Military
Academy at Woolwich, where he died a Major-
General, universally esteemed and sincerely
regretted.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
89
CHAPTER IV.
Captain Grose-Historical note on the early esta-
blishment of the regiment of Artillery-General
Broom The first panorama Shower of frogs-
Examination of Dubresney - Hutton, the mathe-
matician.
ABOUT this time, I used occasionally to meet
the celebrated Captain Grose. To amuse his
friends, he often caricatured himself, commencing
by drawing a perfect square; then he sketched
his own figure within it, touching the four sides,
showing that he was exactly as wide as he was
high upon which he would observe that he
considered his extraordinary dimensions as for-
tunate, for he could have no more chance' of
falling down than an orange.
Grose was a
most amusing companion.
7
90
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Having said so much about Woolwich and
the Royal Artillery, it may not be uninter-
esting here to insert the copy of a memo-
randum I found amongst my father's papers,
regarding the early history or construction of
the Royal Artillery and company of Gentlemen
Cadets; which is as follows: "In June
1753, the Royal Artillery was commanded by
Colonel (Lieutenant-General Albert Borgard),
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Pattison, and Major
Jonathan Lewis, with the following staff officers,
viz., a chaplain, an adjutant, quarter-master,
bridge-master, surgeon and mate.
"The first who had a commission of Colonel
of the Royal Artillery was Lieutenant-General
Albert Borgard, dated 1st of November, 1727.
The regiment was composed of four companies.
The establishment of each company was one
captain, one captain-lieutenant, one first lieu-
tenant, one second lieutenant, three lieutenant's
fire-workers, three serjeants, three corporals,
eight bombardiers, twenty gunners, sixty-four
matrosses and two drummers, making a total
of one hundred and seven for each company.-
The pay of the officers was the same as at
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
91
present (1783); that of the lieutenant's fire-
workers three shillings per day, two shillings
and threepence subsistence and ninepence arrears.
The uniform dress of the officers was a plain blue
coat, lined with scarlet, a large scarlet Argyle
cuff, double-breasted and with yellow buttons to
the bottom of the skirts; waistcoat and breeches
-the waistcoat trimmed with a broad gold lace;
and a gold laced cocked hat. The serjeants'
coats were trimmed, the lappels, cuffs and
pockets with a broad single gold lace; the
corporals and bombardiers with a narrow single
gold lace; the gunners and matrosses, plain
blue coats; all the non-commissioned officers
and privates having scarlet half lappels, scarlet
cuffs and slashed sleeves, with five buttons on
each, and blue waistcoats and breeches: the
serjeants' hats were trimmed with a broad, and
the non-commissioned officers and privates
with a narrow, gold lace. White spatterdashes
were then worn.
The regimental clothing was delivered to
the non-commissioned officers and privates once
a-year, excepting regimental coats, which they
received only every alternate year, and the inter-
92 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
}
mediate year a coarse blue surtout, which served
for laboratory-works, barrack duties, fatigues,
&c., and was delivered with the usual small
mountings.
"The arms of the officers were fusees without
bayonets, and were not required to be uniform.
The serjeants, corporals and bombardiers, were
armed with halberds and long brass-hilted
swords; the gunners carried field staffs about two
feet longer than the halberds, with two linstock
cocks, branching out at the head and a spear pro-
jecting between and beyond them: great atten-
tion was paid in keeping them very bright: a
buff belt over the left shoulder, slinging a large
powder-horn mounted with brass over the right
pocket, and the same description of long brass-
hilted sword as worn by the non-commissioned
officers. The matrosses had only common
muskets, with bayonets and cartouch-boxes.
"In 1743, the eight companies composing
the regiment were thus distributed: one com-
pany in Minorca, one at Gibraltar, one at the
fishing coasts in Newfoundland, three with the
army in Flanders, and two at Woolwich: the
two last furnished all detachments, which, at
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
93
that time, were limited to bomb-vessel service
with the fleets in the Mediterranean and West
Indies.
"1744. In March, two companies were
added to the regiment, which now consisted of
ten companies, and were stationed as follows:
In Minorca, Gibraltar and Newfoundland, one
company at each; one company was sent to
Flanders in addition to the three already there,
and three remained at Woolwich.-In June, his
Royal Highness William, Duke of Cumberland,
went to Woolwich to witness some experiments
and a proof of cannon, when the three com-
panies of Royal Artillery were drawn up under
arms to receive his Royal Highness, and twenty
gentlemen cadets were formed in rank entire on
the right, without arms, uniforms, or officer at
their head. The officers did not then practise
saluting with the fusee, and only saluted with
their hats as the Duke passed.
The following event deserves to be recorded.
The King of Sardinia, at that time in alliance
with Great Britain, being threatened with an
invasion by the combined armies of France and
Spain, applied to Admiral Mathews, command-
94
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
ing the fleet in the Mediterranean, soliciting his
aid; the detachment of the Royal Artillery,
serving on board of four bomb-ketches in his
fleet, were sent on shore to take charge of the
most important ports and batteries on his fron-
tiers; the King, it is presumed, regarding them
as more trustworthy than his own troops. This
detachment consisted of one captain, four
lieutenants and twenty-four bombardiers, per-
formed all that was required of them with
perfect satisfaction. They were made prisoners
in the defence of Montalban and Montleuze,
two strong posts, which were captured by the
French and Spaniards by assault in April.
“1745.—In January, a company of gentle-
men cadets was first established and added to
the regiment; the cadets mentioned above were
two cadet gunners, and two cadet matrosses,
up to that time mustered in each company; the
former received one shilling and fourpence, and
the latter one shilling per diem, paid them
monthly by the captain in whose companies they
were mustered. A few of these young gentle-
men, who were generally the sons of officers
residing at Woolwich, and attended the Royal
書
​OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
95
Academy when they pleased, were under no
command, wore no uniform, and were generally
so young that few of them were fit to be pre-
ferred to commissions; so little were these young
gentlemen under any kind of constraint, that it
was the business of the officer on duty at the
Warren-guard, who occasionally visited the Aca-
demy, to use his best endeavours to preserve
good order.
"The Royal Academy was founded in 1741,
by the Duke of Montague, then Master-General
of the Ordnance.
"The distribution of the three companies of
Artillery, remained as last year: at Gibraltar,
Minorca and Newfoundland. Three companies
remained at Woolwich till August, when, upon
the capture of Cape Breton, one of these was
sent to garrison Louisbourg; and in the month
of October, the four companies in Flanders were
ordered home, in consequence of the rebellion in
Scotland, and were employed in North and
South Britain, with the several corps of troops
which were assembled on that occasion. A de-
tachment of three officers and fifty men was
sent from Woolwich in August, with a battalion
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ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
of guards and the 15th regiment, to strengthen
the garrison of Ostend, then besieged by Count
Lëivendahl, which held out about fourteen days.
—8th of December, two companies, with a train
of artillery, commanded by Colonel Lewis,
marched from Woolwich to Finchley Common,
where a corps of troops was to have assembled,
under the immediate orders of the King, had
the rebels advanced to London, as was then
apprehended: but they retired northward from
Derby, and these two companies and the train
of artillery returned on the 11th to Wool-
wich.
"1746. The four companies at Gibraltar,
Minorca, Newfoundland and Louisbourg, re-
mained as last year; one company was stationed
in Scotland, and five companies remained at
Woolwich till after the suppression of the rebel-
lion in April, by the victory of Culloden, when
two of these companies were sent home with
seven battalions to join the allied army in
Brabant; and one company embarked in May
with six battalions, commanded by Lieutenant-
Colonel Sinclair on an expedition to the coast
of France, where a fruitless attempt was made
OF COLONEL LANDMANN..
97
on Port l'Orient: this expedition was origin-
ally intended against Quebec. Two companies
remained then at Woolwich. The one detached
on the expedition to the coast of France,
commanded by Captain Chambers, by express
orders of the Master-General, was put under
the command of Mr. Armstrong, the chief
engineer on that service, who had not at that
time, nor ever had before or since, any rank
or commission in the army, for the corps of
Engineers had no military rank or title till the
year 1757.
"1747.-Early in this year three companies.
were added to the artillery, now augmented to
thirteen companies.
"1749.-6th of July. On the death of the
late Master-General, the Duke of Montague,
the King signed a commission constituting and
appointing General Sir John Ligonier, then
Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance, to be
Colonel en second of the Royal Artillery, and
Captain of the company of gentlemen cadets."
I regret that my father's notes on this subject
go no further.
It is remarkable that the Royal Military
VOL. I.
F
98
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
.
Academy at Woolwich was founded in 1741,
on the day of my father's birth, (Isaac Land-
mann), who afterwards filled the chair of Pro-
fessor of Fortification and Artillery in that
institution, during the long period of forty-five
years; and it is also curious, that on the day
on which, had my father lived so long, he
would have completed his hundredth year, I,
his son, laid the first stone of the South widen-
ing of the London and Greenwich Railway, in
1841.
In those days there were vehicles called
long coaches, just resembling the omnibuses of
modern times, but with this difference-they
had ten wheels, and were thence called santepees,
that is, centipedes.
I must not forget to notice General Broom, a
reserved and distant man, who mixed but little
with the society of the inhabitants of the
Warren. Broom was the Commandant; and I
remember well, on one occasion in 1795, when,
on his returning into the Warren, he received the
honours due to a Lieutenant-General by the guard
at the gate; they turned out, presented arms,
and the drummer beat two ruffles; little Broom
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
99
ran up in great displeasure to the drummer,
and upbraiding him for his inefficiency in the
art of drumming, snatched the drum away,
passed the suspending belt over his own neck,
and began to rattle away in a very superior style;
finishing with the two ruffles, he exclaimed:
"There, you young dog, that's the way I
used to beat the drum when I was a drummer."
It is almost needless to add that Lieutenant-
General Broom, then eighty-four years of age,
had commenced his military career as a drummer,
and was proud of it.
During the spring of the year 1793, the
first panorama exhibited in this country, was
painted by Barker in Leicester Square. The
subject was a faithful representation of the grand
fleet, under Lord Howe, lying at anchor in two
parallel lines at Spithead; and the whole was
very beautifully executed. The details were well
considered, and the drawing very good, and all
moving objects were most properly and carefully
excluded, with the exception of a boat with two
men rowing in it. No exhibition of any descrip-
tion had previously attracted a greater concourse
of people, and I have never been better pleased
F 2
100
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
with anything of the kind; and a stronger cer-
tificate of the excellence of the painting cannot
be desired than the following: An officer of the
Royal Navy having been attracted to view this
panorama, paid his shilling and ascended, taking
with him his Newfoundland dog, Cæsar. On
reaching the platform whence the whole pic-
ture was viewed, he was so much delighted with
the fidelity of the representation, that he called
Cæsar to "hey-in," upon which the dog, being
completely deceived, without hesitation bounded
over the railing, as he thought, into the sea. This
is a well-authenticated fact.
I do not remember the exact date, but it must
have been about the year 1792 or 1793, that I
was taking a walk with my father from the
Warren towards the Artillery barracks, when we
followed Love Lane, which I believe is now
closed up, and built over, but then extended
from opposite the public-house called "the For-
tune of War," in a direct line to the back of the
Horse Artillery riding school, or more properly to
the westward of it. On arriving at the top of
Love Lane, which there entered a large field,
now entirely covered with houses, my father
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
101
observing a few drops of rain falling from an
exceedingly black cloud which had gathered in
a very sudden manner over our heads, opened
a green cotton umbrella. In a few seconds the
pelting was remarkably heavy, so much so, that
both of us were much surprised, and we thought
that some very large hail-stones must have
fallen on the umbrella. We were not long left
in suspense as to the real cause, for on looking
about us to find some of the hail-stones, we were
struck with the utmost astonishment on dis-
covering that the surface of the ground in every
direction was swarming with small frogs, from
the size of a four-penny piece to that of a
shilling.
My admission to be a cadet in the Royal
Military Academy at Woolwich, has already been
noticed-the head of the first room to which
I was appointed was the present Lieutenant-
General Eveleigh; and I soon afterwards became
the newks or youngest in a room of which the
name of the head, or senior cadet was Desbrisay.
He was tall, stout, had a black beard, and in
short was a man in every respect. Desbrisay,
moreover, was an Irishman, a sterling, right good
102 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
fellow, possessing a great deal of that clever
off-hand wit for which his countrymen are so
justly celebrated. Notwithstanding this talent,
Desbrisay had not been able to retain a know-
ledge of the demonstrations contained in Simp-
son's "Euclid;" he read them and studied them
over and over again, learnt each proposition
perfectly, and could repeat it without one mis-
take, even after the lapse of an hour; but then
his memory failed him so totally that, his
labour in learning, and ours in endeavouring to
cram him, were of no avail.
Desbrisay's turn
a commission at
to be finally examined for
length was at hand, when about a dozen of those
cadets, who had completed the course of studies,
were directed to prepare themselves to appear
for examination before the Master-General of
the Ordnance, the Duke of Richmond; Dr.
Masculyne, the astronomer royal; Sir William
Green, the chief royal engineer; General
Daubant, of the Royal Engineers; Lieutenant-
Colonel Thomas Blomefield and Captain Fage,
of the Royal Artillery, and a few more, whose
names I do not remember. These examina-
tions were, at that period, conducted with much
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
103
1
1
pomp and ceremony; they were held in the
upper academy, fitted up with seats forming an
amphitheatre, and were open to all well-dressed
persons. As time advanced, Desbrisay passed
day and night with his nose hanging over his
Euclid, without however making the slightest
progress excepting in regard to the forty-
seventh proposition of the first book, of which
he was perfectly master.
At length, the 12th September, 1793, was ap-
pointed for the examination day. By nine o'clock
the examiners, the great Duke of Richmond at
their head, had taken their seats on one side of
a long table covered with a green cloth, and the
young gentlemen to be examined were ranged
standing on the other side facing them. The
Lieutenant-Governor, the Inspector, and the
two Professors-Landmann of fortification and
artillery, and Hutton of mathematics — were
seated in a line behind the examiners, ready to
afford any information that might be required.
The remainder of the cadets occupied an elevated
gallery, a part of which was immediately over
the table at which the examiners were seated,
and, consequently, they could hear and see
104 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
1.
distinctly all that was going on. The exami-
nation proceeded in a satisfactory manner up to
Euclid; and when it came to Desbrisay's turn to
demonstrate a proposition, every heart amongst
us in the gallery, began to beat heavily, and our
breathing was seriously affected; our ears and
eyes were strained to their utmost in painful
sympathy and anxiety at the almost certainty of
the ruin of poor Desbrisay which seemed to
threaten him.
Dr. Masculyne now opened the awful
Euclid in the usual manner, quite at random,
and, presenting the same across the table to
Desbrisay, with his never-failing kindness and
urbanity, said: "Will you do me the favour,
Sir, to demonstrate that proposition?" which,
as every one in the gallery had expected, was
not the forty-seventh of the first book. Des-
brisay's manly appearance, which contrasted
strongly when compared with the other youth-
ful candidates, had attracted the Duke of Rich-
mond's notice, and now caused him to turn
round on his chair and inquire of Stehelin, the
Lieutenant-Governor, the name of the gentleman.
with the black beard. Even at this last moment,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
105
1
Desbrisay retained his presence of mind and
fullest composure, and seizing the happy oppor-
tunity, which the Duke had given him by
turning his back to consult Stehelin, he, with
the utmost impudence, leant over the table to
the Doctor, and, returning him the book, said in
an under-tone: "Pray excuse me, Doctor; any
other proposition, if you will do me that favour."
Dr. Masculyne was obliging, and, receiving the
book, closed it and allowing it to fall open without
control, presented the forty-seventh of the first
book. Our friend Desbrisay now boldly stepped
up to the black board, and acquitted himself so
well, that the Duke of Richmond complimented
him on his perfect knowledge of Euclid, and
desiring the Doctor to pass on to the next
gentleman, adding: "I am quite satisfied that
Mr. Desbrisay is fully qualified in that branch. I
shall be well pleased if every gentleman before
us should prove himself to be equally so." It is
well to explain, that the book above named was
the property of Desbrisay, which may account
for its readiness to open at that particular pro-
position.
Whilst on this subject, it reminds me that on
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106
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
my being examined by Dr. Hutton, in order to
be admitted into the upper academy, one of the
first questions he wrote upon my slate, was:
"If a herring and a half cost three-halfpence,
how many would you get for threepence?" I
was, as usual with cadets under examination,
standing at the Doctor's desk and immediately
facing him. I received the slate with the
puzzling question upon it, when I very quickly
understood it, and it caused me to smile.
Hutton was stooping down his head, as one
occupied in writing, but in fact was watching
my countenance, looking over his spectacles and
through his bushy eyebrows; for the next
moment he said, as he in vain tried to smile;
for it was no easy matter for him at any time
to look pleased: "I see you are up to it, boy.
Give me the slate.”
That mode of addressing the gentlemen
cadets by the epithet, Boy, together with his
invariable roughness of manner, drew upon him
the sobriquet of Old Crump; and my father,
the Professor of fortifications and artillery, was
usually designated as Old Snout, in consequence
of the extra dimensions of his nose: thus, every
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
107
one of the officers and masters, and also the
cadets, and even the servants, were distin-
guished by some nick name, founded on any
peculiarity of person or manners.
On another occasion, after I was admitted to
the upper academy, on my having acquitted
myself decently in demonstrating a proposition
in the fifth book of Euclid, Hutton said: "Very
well, boy; do you understand it?" to which I
of course replied that I did; but Hutton, with
his bass tone of voice, grumbled out: "That's
more than I do, boy," adding, he had never
been able to understand the fifth book perfectly,
and I soon afterwards discovered that I did not
myself understand that book.
I have mentioned these trifles, merely as
being connected with the history, and more
particularly as marking the manners, of a cele-
brated author, and first-rate mathematician.
And I feel some pride in having been requested
by the Doctor to assist him in reading and
correcting the sheets of his tables of logarithms
whilst they were printing.
1
108 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
CHAPTER V.
Frazer saves a man from drowning in the Thames-
Horse brigade formed-I am examined for a com-
mission and pass Ferry across the Thames at
Gravesend by a rope-Departure for Plymouth-
The British Houlans at Plymouth-Colonel Davies
and his blind son-First Fuschia-I dine as com-
manding engineer with Lord G. Lennox-Dutton'
East Indiaman Captain Pellew-Captain Campbell,
his story of the goats-Visit the Mew Stone-
Captain Phillip, R.N.-Smuggling women-Sailors
and prize-money-The Amphion' blown up.
It must have been about the year 1794, that
I was on the water-side of the Thames, at a
place then called Prince Rupert's Walk-now
occupied by a considerable range of ware or store-
houses-when a number of cadets were bathing
in the river, some of them swimming out and
round the old 'Stanislaus,' convict hulk. Sud-
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
109
denly a cry of a man drowning, was heard to
proceed from the hulk; upon which Mr. Frazer,
a cadet, since then Sir Augustus Frazer, dashed
into the water, whence he had but an instant
withdrawn, and saved the drowning person,-I
believe, but am not sure, a brother cadet.
At the commencement of the year 1795, the
British army, under the Duke of York, had
been compelled to retire from the continent,
and the war with France had assumed a more
serious aspect: the revolutionists, who at first
had been worsted on all sides, had now learnt
how to conquer their enemies; it was, therefore,
resolved to increase our forces, and to act upon
a more extended scale. For this purpose, to the
foot artillery, the horse brigade had already been
formed to the extent of about four troops, and
now an additional battalion of foot artillery was
ordered to be raised. The officers required by
these augmentations were furnished by the
Royal Military Academy; but that establish-
ment was totally inadequate to supply such
increased demands of fully educated men. The
case, however, was urgent, and it was thought
that gentlemen partly instructed were more
110 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
deserving commissions than others who had
not received any portion of the required infor-
mation; so that an order was received by the
Lieutenant-Governor to supply thirty-five cadets,
to be immediately promoted to the rank of
officers in the Royal Artillery, and their com-
missions were dated on the 6th of March,
1795.
I was at this time at the head of the upper
academy, first in every branch of the studies;
but as I had been destined to enter the corps
of Royal Engineers I was left at the academy,
to pursue the course of instruction, for there
was not one vacancy in that corps. One hav-
ing soon afterwards occurred, I was examined
alone with much parade-although not publicly,
the Master-General, the Marquis Cornwallis,
was present, as also some of the usual exa-
miners. Having acquitted myself satisfactorily,
I received a commission as a second Lieu-
tenant in the corps of Royal Engineers, which
was dated on the 1st of May, 1795, without
passing through the Royal Artillery, as was
at that time the custom, in order that those
officers might learn the artillery duties. I was,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
111
nevertheless, ordered to do duty with the Artil-
lery during some months, for the purpose of
acquiring a knowledge of the duties of that
service.
During this period, a camp had been formed
on Warley Common, Essex, to which some
artillery was ordered to proceed, and amongst
these was a troop of horse artillery, com-
manded by Captain (the late Lord) Bloomfield.
As it had been thought that by stretching a
rope across the Thames, at Gravesend, the
ferry at that place would be rendered more
convenient and the transit more expeditious, this
troop of horse artillery was ordered to proceed
to Gravesend, and in this way to cross the
Thames. My father and myself proceeded to
Gravesend on the 21st of June 1795, and
on the following morning we crossed the
river in the same barge with Captain Bloom-
field. The rope was made to pass over the
bows of the barge on a friction-roller, and having
a spring, or a rope, extending from the stern of
the barge to the grand rope, where it was con-
nected by a snatch-block; by which means the
exact position of the barge in regard of the
112 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
direction of the tide could be regulated. By
this spring, as the sailors term it, the boat was
placed, and there firmly held, in a slight degree
across the tide, which acting on the same
principle as on the flying bridges, the barge
was propelled towards the opposite shore. The
operation occupied about fifty-four minutes.
This was a failure in point of time, which,
together with many other difficulties and
inconveniences attending this new mode of
ferrying troops from Gravesend to Tilbury,
caused it to be abandoned. The passing of the
shipping up and down the river was in no way
obstructed, for the rope lay on the bottom of
the river, and as they passed on, it fell again
immediately.
Towards the close of this year I was ap-
pointed to serve at Plymouth Dock, now Devon-
port, in the western district. I lost no time in
making all the necessary preparations for this
departure from home; and fifteen days before I
was appointed to be at my post, I forwarded
all my baggage, excepting one portmanteau, to
Russel's waggon-office, in Friday street, Cheap-
side, from fifteen to sixteen days being the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
113
usual time required for those ponderous wag-
gons, drawn by eight very powerful horses, to
perform the enormous distance of about two
hundred and twelve miles.
I proceeded to Plymouth Dock and placed
myself under the orders of Colonel Mercer, the
commanding Royal Engineer of the district, and
there had the pleasure of meeting my former
brother cadets, Lieutenants Henry Anderson,
Glasgow and Holberton of the Royal Engineers,
who were stationed there. At the same time,
Colonel Davies, Major Laye, Captains Rogers and
Unite, Lieutenants Tullock, Milbank, Crawford,
Hugh Frazer, Brownrig, and perhaps some
others, were the officers of the Royal Artillery.
The remainder of the garrison was composed of
militia-the North Hants, and South and East
Devon. I was immediately proposed and
admitted a member of the joint Artillery and
Engineer mess; and very shortly after this the
troops we had sent to Quiberon Bay returned
to England.
Amongst these was a regiment called the
British Houlans, composed, I believe, entirely
of French emigrant officers. During their short
114 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
stay at Plymouth, many of them dined very
frequently with our mess, and one, whose
name was De l'Estour, an exceedingly hand-
some man, astonished us all by his display
of the sword exercise, as practised by the Bri-
tish Houlans, leaving us perfectly convinced
that nothing could surpass it in point of
defence, both of the man and of his horse.
The way he managed his sword was by what
he termed the moulinet, that is, by cutting
right and left, in rapid succession, forming
a figure of eight, just in front of his horse's
nose, which of course required that he should
rise in the stirrups and lean forward. This
exhibition of De l'Estour's abilities, made a
deep impression on most of us, and we forth-
with commenced practising the moulinet; but
having imprudently made our first essays with
real swords, instead of single sticks, several of
the party gave themselves some ugly cuts about
the legs, which very soon put a stop to any
further endeavours to excel in the moulinet.
I was much delighted in meeting again my
early friend, Mr. George Davies, who had lost
his sight by the small-pox, when about four
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
115
years of
age. He was educated at Dr. Burney's
well-known school at Greenwich; and became
a good mathematician and geometrician, was
master of Euclid, played remarkably well on the
piano, and was in other respects very clever.
His tact in recognising any person with whom
he had been acquainted, after a long absence,
was wonderful-frequently without hearing the
sound of his voice, but merely by passing his
hand over the shoulders and hands of the incog-
nito. Another very extraordinary circumstance
indicative of acute memory he displayed on
various occasions, was that when we walked to-
gether in the vicinity of Plymouth, he directed
my steps over fields and ditches in order to
bring me to some interesting spot, where the
scenery was remarkable or particularly interest-
ing, and in which he appeared to be as well
pleased as any one in possession of his sight.
Colonel Davies, his father, was a celebrated
naturalist, and had formed a splendid collection
of stuffed birds, butterflies and reptiles, together
with fossils, organic remains and minerals; his
drawings of fishes and rare flowers were ex-
quisite. On one fine morning, when I called
:
116
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
at his quarters, I met the Colonel just sallying
forth with his drawing apparatus. Calling me
to join him, we hastened out by Stoke Gate,
walked on about three miles to Manedon, the
seat of Mr. Hall, to whom Davies introduced
me, and without loss of time proceeded to the
green-house, where the Colonel pointed out a
small fuschia in full bloom, of which he made a
beautiful drawing on vellum. It was the first
of these now favourite flowers brought into
England.
It was about this period, that Colonel Mercer,
being absent visiting the works of fortification,
executing at Berry-head near Brixham, Torbay,
and Lieutenant Anderson having been sent to
Pendennis Castle, near Falmouth, I was left
senior officer of Engineers at Plymouth Dock.
At this period, General Lord George Lennox
was the Governor, and gave one of the official
dinners, at which the general and staff officers,
together with the heads of departments, were
invited; it thus fell to my lot to dine at Govern-
ment House, as commanding royal engineer of
the district, although I was then under sixteen
years of age. I was, nevertheless, seated on his
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
117
Lordship's left, whilst Colonel Davies, command-
ing the Royal Artillery, was placed on his right.
The names of some of the other officers at
table were Lieutenant-General Greenfield, Major-
General Coats, Major Losac, Deputy Adjutant-
General, Captains Campbell, Sabine and Tees-
dale, aides-de-camp; Colonel Bustard, Sir Wil-
liam Lemon, and other officers commanding
militia regiments were of the party; but there
were no ladies excepting Lady Louisa Lennox
and Miss Lennox.
My extreme youth, as head of a department,
amidst so many grey heads, caused a good deal
of good-natured merriment, and I exerted my
best efforts to bear without visible vanity the
high position in which accident had so suddenly
placed me.
In January, 1796, during a severe gale of
wind from the south-west, the 'Dutton,' East
Indiaman, or transport full of troops, was
wrecked under the citadel. I hastened to the
spot, and a more awful sight I had never before
witnessed. The sea was dashing up the pre-
cipitous rocks to the height of fifty feet at least,
and falling back, made a complete breach over
118 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
the devoted ship, driving it with fearful violence
to a great elevation against the rocks, and
then leaving it to fall back by its own
gravity, into the abyss below, grating down
with frightful groans, and tearing away her side.
planking.
On my arrival, I found an immense concourse
of people looking on, but no one doing anything
useful. Here I soon came in contact with Captain
Edward Pellew (Lord Exmouth), of the Royal
Navy, who asked me to follow him on board
the wreck, by a rope which had been passed to
the ship, and assist him in maintaining discipline
and proper subordination on board. I followed
without hesitation, and during this perilous
voyage, I was, as was also the Captain, dipped
at least a dozen times deep into the sea. I
remained on the wreck until all the people, men,
women and children, were safely landed; then
returned with a child of four or five years of age,
tied on my breast. Captain Pellew was created a
Baronet for this service, and I was confined to
my bed during the following six weeks, attended
by Dr. May, the Ordnance surgeon; for on
returning to the shore, I received several severe
!
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
119
bruises: the ship by this time going to
pieces.
Captain Campbell, the Governor of the
citadel, a very aged man with a wooden leg,
was so much pleased with my conduct, that he
had me conveyed to his residence and carefully
attended to. After my recovery, I was fre-
quently invited to dine with him. He was an
old soldier, and told old stories of former wars,
of former times, and of strange adventures in
strange countries.
One of these he related, with the strongest
assurances that every word of it was scrupu-
lously true. He commenced:
You have all, no doubt, observed that I
have a good many goats, running about the
works, and that they are fond of walking round
the outside of the walls on the cordon," a small
semi-circular projection of stone near the top of
the escarp, about one foot wide, and above
which the revetment of the parapet rises, per-
pendicularly, four or five feet.
"Now it happened one day," he continued,
"that two of my goats commenced their rounds
at the same point by leaping out of one of the
1
120 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
embrasures, but started back to back, and, con-
sequently, ultimately met at the opposite side of
the citadel face to face. Neither could proceed
any further, for they could not pass each other
nor turn. They remained motionless for two
hours, their eyes fixed upon each other; and
just as I thought I could perceive a disposition
in one to retreat, for it had taken three or four
steps to the rear, the other laid down, with its
head as low as possible; the first then sprang
forwards at a canter and leaped over him.”
The 21st of June, 1796, was a beautifully
clear, calm and warm day, so that a party which
we had, long before this, formed for visiting
the Mew Stone-a large high rock, at the
eastern side of the entrance of Plymouth Sound
—now embarked in the engineers' boat, and
proceeded, well laden with provisions. We had
several times before attempted to carry this
project into effect, but each time the sea had
rendered landing on the rock impossible. On
our way, we passed the 'Concorde,' a French
frigate, which had been captured by our cruizers,
and was either the second or third of that name
we had taken.
One of our party was the son
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
121
of Colonel T. Davis, already mentioned. It
was truly astonishing to observe the success with
which this blind young man, accomplished a
landing from a boat, heaving up and down by a
considerable swell, against the face of a rock, the
first ten to fifteen feet of which was almost
perpendicular, and the intrepidity with which
he finally scrambled quite to the top; but,
above all, it is difficult to comprehend what
gratification he could experience in hearing the
exclamations of delight which burst forth from
each individual as he reached the pinnacle of this
huge rock, whence the prospect is magnificent.
In the course of the same summer my father
paid me a short visit, and here had the unspeak-
able pleasure of meeting his oldest and most
intimate friend, Captain Phillip of the Royal
Navy. At this time Captain Phillip had been
the first Governor of New South Wales, and
during a short time before his departure I was a
midshipman of his ship. Phillip pressed my
father very much to entrust me to his care
during his meditated voyage to Botany Bay,
assuring him that I should never do any duty
nor should he trust me out of his sight; but I
VOL. I.
G
122 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
was too young, and neither father nor mother
could be induced to part with me.
Here, at Plymouth, Phillip commanded the
'Swiftsure' of seventy-four guns, lying in Cau-
sand Bay; and he invited my father and myself
to go on board, taking with us Mrs. Phillip, a
lady he had recently married. On arriving at
Mutton Cove, where the boat was waiting to
carry us off, the wind was so strong from south-
west, directly contrary, that no boat could have
performed the voyage: we, therefore, pulled
away to a very small king's lugger, I believe
called the 'Bull-Dog,' held always in readiness
to communicate with ships of war in Causand
Bay; for there was no breakwater in those
days. We were under sail in a few minutes.
It took us some time to beat out so as to clear
St. Nicolas' Island, during which time the spray
was continually flying over our masts. On
entering the open Sound, our progress was
exceedingly slow, for, although we were running
perhaps six knots per hour, yet we gained but
little to windward: the sails were all close-reefed,
yet the lee gunwale was ever under water. I
had never before been at sea, and, although the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
123
waves were exceedingly high and every one
washing over us, I was not sick, nor was either
my father or Mrs. Phillip; but the Commodore,
who had doubled every cape, had navigated
every sea, had been tossed by the severest hurri-
canes, and, in short, had been longer on the
seas than on the land, suffered in this way
severely.
Well I remember his little figure smothered
up in his brown camlet cloak lined with green
baize, his face shrivelled, and thin aquiline nose
under a large cocked hat, gathered up in a heap,
his chin between his knees, sitting under the
lee of the main mast; his sharp and powerful
voice exclaiming: "I cannot bear this, I am as
sick as a dog!"
At length we arrived under the stern of the
Swiftsure,' when it was evident we should
have experienced considerable difficulty had we
attempted to go on board, so that Phillip having
given some orders to the first Lieutenant who
was at the gangway, we ran away into Causand
Bay and there landed in a heavy surf. Here
we dined at a miserable public house; but we
had brought with us the best excuse for very
a
G 2
124
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
bad fare, a good appetite, caused by beating to
windward against a south-west
a south-west gale with
drizzling rain for four hours. At an early hour
we departed on foot, and walked over Maker
heights by the side of Mount-Edgecomb towards
the harbour, and on our way met an immense
number of thin women proceeding with the
utmost expedition, whilst all those we overtook,
about equal in number, were large stout females,
evidently waddling along with difficulty; on seeing
these, Phillip explained that the latter were all
wadded with bladders filled with Hollands gin,
which they managed to smuggle under these
dresses, whilst the others were thin and light,
having delivered their cargoes at the water
side.
It is surprising how such wholesale contra-
band should have been permitted, for every
body knew the trade they were engaged in.
Plymouth Dock was at this period full of
gaiety. Fore Street was almost crowded with
the officers of the navy and army—the former
swimming in prize-money-whilst the dillys
(hackney-chariots) plying between Dock and
Plymouth via Stonehouse, at sixpence each
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
125
person, or eighteenpence for the whole, were
continually not only filled with sailors, but
covered by them, all anxious to expend large
sums of money, which had just been paid them
in guineas, and which they were frequently
seen carrying about the streets in their hats
under their arms. A sailor in those days had
no idea of saving up anything for the future.
His only thought was to get rid of his money,
and to such an extent was this desire for
squandering it carried, that I recollect being on
board the Swiftsure' with Captain Philllip, when
a sailor carrying a pewter pint pot in his hand
nearly full of guineas, came to his captain on
deck, and begged very earnestly to be allowed to
go on shore for the remainder of the day, in
order to expend his prize-money. Phillip knew
the man, and stiffly refused his petition; the
man soon reduced his demand to "one hour on
shore if you please, dear captain, and I promise
you most sincerely to have then spent the last
guinea.
66
""
C
"No," replied Phillip, "I know you will not
return but when brought off by force;" and
quickly turned away towards the cabin.
126
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
The sailor again hat in hand, followed his
commanding officer, begging for leave to go in
the boat about to push off to the shore, and
assuring the captain he would remain within
sight of the officer in charge of the boat; still
he was denied.
((
Then," exclaimed the tar, as he uttered a
deep groan,
"what's the use of money if a
man can't get leave to spend it?" and at the
same moment he dashed the pot and guineas
overboard, and hastened away to the forecastle,
without uttering another word.
On witnessing this piece of folly, Phillip
related to me that some time before this event,
having refused to permit one of the seamen to
go on shore for the same purpose, the disap-
pointment was so severely felt by the tar, that
he immediately stabbed himself with a sharp-
pointed knife in the right breast. The surgeon
attended instantly, and after an anxious investi-
gation, looked serious, but expressed no opinion.
The sailor, mistaking his conduct as an indica-
tion of his 'entertaining some doubt as to the
depth to which the weapon had gone, gruffly
observed:
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
127
There, now, if you want to know how
deep it has gone, I'll soon show you," upon
which he drew in his breath, and then closing
his mouth and nostrils, forced the wind to pass
out by the wound, which spirted the blood over
the surgeon's face; then laughing ferociously,
he exclaimed: "Take that, Master Splice-bones."
One morning, I was with many others stand-
ing at the
at the door of Mr. Hoxland's library,
printing-office and gossiping shop, in Fore
Street, the usual rendezvous of the navy and
army, where all the real and false news of the
day was circulated, when our attention was
drawn to the assembling of three post-chaises
with four horses to each, at the door of The
King's Arms' Hotel. They were immediately
driven off. On our inquiring what great per-
sonage had landed without the customary
salutes, we were informed that all this display
was by a common sailor, who had just received
prize-money to the amount of £500. Having
been allowed one week to get rid of it, his
ingenuity had devised the most noble way of
doing so, by hiring one chaise and four for
himself, another for his hat, and a third for his
128 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
cudgel. He intended to go to London and
back to Plymouth in that style, which, together
with some £200 for road expenses, &c., would,
he hoped, nearly consume the whole of his prize-
money.
On my landing at Mutton Cove, one day, on
returning from Mount Edgecomb, in a boat
rowed by two of the women, who always plied
the ferry at that place, I observed a group of
sailors, women, and Jews, anxiously watching
some proceedings going on within a ring they
formed. I was attracted to the spot, and soon
perceived two sailors sitting on the ground, each
of them holding a shoe by the toe and with the
heels hammering a watch to pieces, whilst there
were several other watches lying by their sides,
seemingly waiting their turn to undergo the
same operation. I was quickly informed by
some of the lookers on, that the two watch-
pounders were " Poor fellows whose hard-hearted
captains not allowing them one hour's liberty on
shore to spend the prize-money they had that
day received, amounting to more than £70
each, had obliged them to remain on the
water-side in sight of the middy in charge of
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
129
the boat." To all the women looking on they
had behaved with great liberality by dividing
amongst them a considerable share of the
money, and I was further informed that they
were now endeavouring to get rid of the remain-
der by breaking watches.
"But tell me,” said I, "how and by what
rule are they going on?"
((
Why," said a large, heavy-looking woman,
with short petticoats and bloated face, "I don't
suppose it of any use to tell you nothing about
it. The way on it is, they buys a dozen of
them there watches for £5 a-piece from that
tall half-starved looking Jew, as you sees tother
side; but they isn't worth £1 a-piece, God bless
you, and then they goes to work and tries which
can beat to crumbs his half first for a glass of
grog all round.”
Amongst the numerous captains of the navy,
whom I recollect to have seen here strutting
down on the left-hand side of Fore Street, in
going towards the Dock-yard gates, and with
all of whom I was more or less acquainted, were
Captains Minchin, Urquhart, King, Nagle, Bris-
bane, Sir Edward Pellew, Izrael Pellew, Durham,
G 3
130 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Hotham, Oliver, Owen, and probably some
others, most of them commanding frigates, and
almost daily bringing in prizes. I was par-
ticularly acquainted with Captain Courtland,
who resided at Plymouth Dock, and received
many kind invitations to pass the day at
Thanks, on the opposite side of the harbour,
the seat of Lord Graves; and of course always
danced with one of the three daughters—most
amiable girls.
On the 22nd of September, 1796, being the
anniversary of George the Third's coronation,
the ships of war fired a royal salute, and just as
I was sitting down to dinner in Clowance
Street, at about four o'clock I was surprized by
a tremendous explosion which rattled the win-
dows as when struck by a sudden blast of wind,
and caused the knocker on the street-door to
give a double knock. I ran out and was
quickly informed that a ship-of-war lashed to
the sheer-hulk, had blown up just opposite to
the dock-yard. I hastened to the gun-wharf,
engineer's boat, and speedily
On arriving there, I learned
ordered out the
got to the spot.
that the 'Amphion,' a 32-gun frigate, had blown
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
131
up full of people, many of them residents at
Plymouth, who had gone on board to take leave
of their friends—the ship having been appointed
to sail on the following day.
We arrived too late to be of much service,
for the only person we could pick up was
a woman, lying on some pieces of wreck;
although she had lost both her arms just above
the elbows, and both her legs were nearly off,
yet she spoke very distinctly. She uttered no
screams, but was bleeding so profusely that
before I could convey her to the hospital-ship,
she expired. I was afterwards informed by an
eye-witness, that the foremast only had ascended
into the air, proving that it was the forward
magazine that had exploded, containing as I
was informed, thirty-two rounds of ammunition
for each gun, and in less than two minutes
after the explosion, the frigate went down head
foremost.
Captain Izrael Pellew was the commander of
the 'Amphion,' and was saved; but Captain
Swaffeild who had been invited to dine with
Pellew, went down with the ship and perished;
the First Lieutenant who was also invited to dine
132
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
with the captain, was saved by jumping out
of the cabin window. It was reported that
Captain Joshua Rowley was within a few yards
of the 'Amphion,' in his boat, going to join the
dinner-party, when the ship blew up, and also
that a black man-servant was at that moment
entering the cabin-door with a dish of rump-
steaks.
The total number of lives lost on this melan-
choly occasion, was generally understood to
have amounted to two hundred and seventy-
eight, amongst whom were a great number of
the inhabitants of Plymouth Dock (Devon-
port); for the 'Amphion' had been a con-
siderable time on the Plymouth station, and
the crews had formed numerous connections
and acquaintances amongst the inhabitants, so
that on the following day half the shop-windows
in Fore Street, had their shutters closed. More-
over, as the frigate was to have gone to sea the
next morning, a considerable number of the
crew were on shore with their friends and rela-
tions, whilst many of the shore people were on
board to take leave of their friends, who could
not be spared from the duties of the ship.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
133
Several of the guns of the 'Amphion' were
merely lifted into the sheer hulk, to which
the Amphion' had been lashed, and it was
related at the time, that the sentinel at the
gangway was so gently transferred from the
deck of the 'Amphion' to that of the hulk, that
the next instant an officer passing him, he car-
ried arms to him as if nothing had occurred.
The raising of the wreck now occupied the
attention of all the scientific and unscientific
people of the three towns and vicinity. After
due consideration, some very large cables were
made for the purpose of sweeping for the wreck,
one to pass under the stern and the other under
the stem, and then the two ends of each were
drawn as tight as possible. Two frigates were
unloaded of everything that could be removed,
and placed on each side the 'Amphion.' The
ports of these ships were closed and ren-
dered water-tight, and then nearly filled with
water in order to sink them as deeply into the
water as might be done with safety; this was
accomplished at low water, and the cables drawn
in taut. It is evident that as the tide rose, and
by pumping out the water, the frigates rose con-
134 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
siderably more than the mere rise of the tide,
and thus lifted or weighed the 'Amphion'; when
no time was lost in proceeding into the shal-
lowest water the suspended ship would allow
of, and thus at low tide the wreck was con-
siderably out of water.
The hauling in of the cables was a curious
and somewhat complicated operation; after
passing into the frigates on each side, they were
taken on shore into the Dock-yard, where some
hundreds of men were engaged in winding them
in by the united power of a great number of
capstans; this, it was important should be
accomplished at low water. A large portion
of the persons who had been between decks,
and who had sunk with the frigate, were
found there, and it was said that a black man
was discovered in an upright position, with his
feet upwards, although five or six months had
lapsed since the lamentable event had occurred.
The key of the forward powder-magazine door,
which had blown up, was found hanging up
in its proper place, in the cabin of the First
Lieutenant. This at the time was regarded
as exonerating him from any neglect of his
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
135
duty; and, I believe that the cause of the
accident was never satisfactorily determined.
I well remember that neither shrimps nor
other shell-fish were saleable at Plymouth for
many months after this event, such being sup-
posed to devour human bodies, in preference to
all other food. I shall merely add on this sub-
ject, that, notwithstanding the general gloom
which such a calamity was calculated to throw
over the three towns of Plymouth Dock, De-
vonport, Stonehouse and Plymouth; on the
same evening, being on a Thursday, the long
rooms at Stonehouse, where balls were held,
every Thursday, the assembly was as numer-
ous of both army and navy, and the dancing
kept up with as much spirit as on any other
Thursday in the year.
136 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
CHAPTER VI.
I proceed to Falmouth-Bingham and Stackpole in
West Indies-Pendennis Castle-Admiral Spry-
Mr. Tippet-Captain Melville-Flora Day-Ordered
to Quebec-Sell my horses.
My mother and sister were at this time on
a visit to me at Plymouth Dock, and they re-
ceived many kind invitations from Lord George
and Lady Louisa Lennox, to dine at Govern-
ment House, and more frequently to pass the
evenings, when but little ceremony was observed.
Towards the close of the year (1796), we
occupied a small house in Clowance Street, and
had very pleasant neighbours in a Lieutenant
and Mrs. Richardson, of the Surrey-Fencible
Cavalry; and we had invited them to meet a
small party on Christmas-day, at my house.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
137
I, in particular, had anticipated much pleasure
on that day; but, about eight o'clock on the
eve of Christmas, we were somewhat startled
by a very loud treble knock at the door, and
in a few minutes General Mercer, my com-
manding officer, entered the room, with his
sourest aspect, by no means uncommon with
him, for it had drawn upon him the sobri-
(6
quet of Vinegar Mercer." My General
sat down, quite out of breath, for he had
walked very fast against a south-west gale and
a heavy fall of snow; having at length re-
covered the faculty of speech, he said he was
very sorry to be under the necessity of disturb-
ing our family arrangements for the next day,
"but his Majesty's service must supersede all
other considerations." He explained that he
had received instructions from head-quarters,
for Lieutenant Henry Anderson of the Royal
Engineers, then on detached duty at Fal-
mouth, to hold himself in readiness to embark
for the West Indies forthwith, and that I must
proceed without delay to relieve that officer at
Falmouth.
Accordingly I crossed the Tamar to Tor-
;
138
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
point, and thence proceeded, in a post-chaise,
with my servant, Lilicrap (a private soldier in
the corps of Royal Military Artificers, now the
Sappers and Miners), mounted on my poney.
The snow had not ceased falling during the
night, and had accumulated to such a depth on
the road, that we proceeded but slowly; and
by the time we arrived at St. Austle, the night
was so dark, and the snow so deep that I could
not procure any horses to carry me forward.
Here I found Captain Sheldrake and Lieutenant
Philip Durnford of the Royal Artillery; they
were old acquaintances, and we passed the
evening pleasantly together.
On the following day, I arrived at Williams'
Hotel at Falmouth, amidst a deluge of rain,
and a most severe south-west gale of wind.
I very soon released Lieutenant Anderson
from the charge of the construction of some
important additions to the defences of Pen-
dennis Castle, and he departed to prepare for
the voyage to the West Indies, under the fullest
conviction that he should never return to Eng-
land. Nevertheless, he returned, after a stay
of nine months in these pestilential islands,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
139
married Miss Elizabeth Morshead, of Wyde,
near Plymouth, and lived and rose to the rank
of Colonel; he subsequently added the name of
Morshead to that of Anderson, and left a
numerous and amiable family.
An order to proceed to the West Indies was,
in those days, almost equivalent to a death-
warrant; and, indeed, such was the fury of the
yellow fever throughout the whole of the
islands, and some parts of the continent, that
out of seventeen officers of engineers who sailed
to that destination, nearly at the same time,
about 1795, only two of them survived the
expiration of two years. I have heard it as-
serted that they carried out with them from
England their own coffins, which they caused
to be fitted with temporary shelves, hinges to
the lid and lock and key, so as to come into
immediate use, en attendant, as a bread and
cheese cupboard. Whilst adverting to the
awful ravages committed by the yellow fever
at this period in these islands, it reminds me
of an event recounted to me by Lieutenant
Charles Bingham (he died a Lieutenant-Colonel)
of the Royal Artillery, in reference to his service
140
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
T
in those islands. He said that about 1795,
Lieutenant Stockpole, also of the Royal Artil-
lery, and himself had proceeded to the West
Indies; that soon after their arrival, he (Bing-
ham) was attacked with the yellow fever, and
was anxiously attended by his devoted friend
Stockpole, who, on hearing him in a state
bordering on delirium, exclaim that he was
burning to death in the fire of hell, seized him
in his arms regardless of all personal danger
from the contagion, and carried him with all
possible speed to a pond, and as he pitched
him into the water, shouted:
"That will cool you, my dear fellow, if any-
thing can;" but as quickly snatched him up
again, and restored him to his bed.
The medical officer having just arrived to
feel Bingham's pulse, and calculate how many
hours he might be expected to live, ordered
him to be well rubbed from head to foot, and
covered with blankets. A profuse perspiration
was the result, and Bingham's life was saved.
Stockpole's exertions, however, cost him his
life: for he caught the infection, and fell a
victim to his friendship.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
141
My first occupation at Pendennis Castle, was
to proceed with all convenient dispatch with the
construction of four cavaliers (raised batteries),
on the land front, in order to command the
ground on the outside in that direction, which
prior to this was very imperfect; and I also
completely renewed the palisading in the ditch.
Soon after my arrival, I was ordered to take
possession of as much ground on St. Anthony's
Head (which is the eastern promontory at the
entrance to the harbour, and on which stood the
signal-staff), as might, in my opinion, be neces-
sary for the site of a battery, for four pieces
of cannon, to form a cross fire with those on
the works of Pendennis Castle, and the battery
at Crab-key, near the sea-shore. Accordingly,
I took a boat, and crossed the harbour to St.
Maws, in order to pay my respects to Admiral
Spry, the proprietor of the ground at St.
Anthony's head. I stated to the Admiral the
object of my visit, and that my instructions did
not admit of delay, for that I had been ordered
to commence by taking possession. He was
much offended, dared me at my peril, to break
ground on his property, giving me a formal
142
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
notice, that if I ventured to trespass on his
ground, he would cause me to be immediately
apprehended, and sent to Bodmin gaol.
As he finished his menace, I bowed; he
then rang the bell, and ordered his gamekeeper
to see me off his grounds.
In the course of a day or two, having made
all my arrangements, under advice of Mr.
Tippet, a solicitor, I landed just within St.
Anthony's Head, and scrambled up the pre-
cipitous rocks to the signal-staff, where I found
Lieutenant Jewel, of the Royal Navy-the signal-
officer in charge of the telegraph. He received
me with great kindness, and in a most gentle-
manly way acquainted me, that in compliance
with the Admiral's orders, he must send off a
messenger to acquaint him with my arrival.
The Admiral's house was, I think, nearly two
miles off, and in the meanwhile I proceeded to
mark out the ground I required, having people
with me prepared with the necessary imple-
ments. I had nearly completed the operation
when the Admiral came up. Long before he
had arrived within hailing-distance, I distinctly
understood that he was in a great rage.
His
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
143
gamekeeper and two assistants, provided with
double-barrelled guns, followed close up in his
wake, whilst in the distance, some half-dozen
of country loons, in smock-frocks were crowding
all sail to join the van. My force consisted of
about twenty men, with pickaxes, spades, and
bill-hooks.
The Admiral came up in a tremendous
passion, repeated his threats to send me to
Bodmin gaol; several times declaring that he
would take the law in his own hands, unless I
withdrew.
"Not that that shall save you, young gentle-
man," he added, " from prosecution; but it may
prevent my ordering my people to bundle you
all, neck and heels, down the cliffs into your
boats."
I took the liberty of suggesting that he
should instruct his solicitor to communicate
with the Ordnance solicitor, Mr. Tippet, on this
subject, which, I observed, would put the affair
in a proper course of adjustment. In the mean-
time I continued working, the Admiral and his
people looking on, neither silently nor very
patiently, until I had completed the marking out
144
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
by trenches the whole of the intended battery;
I now turned to the Admiral, and making
him a low and respectful bow was about
to follow my working party to the boats,
when he advanced towards me, his hand
extended, and in a most polite and gentlemanly
way, said:
"Our official intercourse, Sir, for to-day being
now closed, I must shake hands with you, Sir,
and must insist on your dining with me. My
behaviour to you was in reference to your
official proceeding; that is now over, and I am
very anxious to show you that I am a gentleman
as well as yourself."
Under any other circumstances, I should have
declined the honour; but in order to assure the
Admiral that I retained no resentment for his
rudeness, I accepted the invitation. Nothing,
however, could have been more agreeable, than
was the conduct of the Admiral whilst doing the
honours of his table. We parted on the most
friendly terms, and he instructed his solicitor to
confer with Mr. Tippet, and I instructed Mr.
Tippet to confer with the Admiral's solicitor,
in order to settle the difference betwixt the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
145
Admiral and the Board of Ordnance on the
most reasonable terms.
After a long delay, usual on all such oc-
casions, Mr. Tippet acquainted me that the
best terms he could amicably obtain were,
that the Ordnance should pay to the Admiral
a ground-rent amounting to the moderate sum
of twenty-five guineas per annum, for about
a quarter of an acre of unproductive ground
covered with furze, situated close to the tele-
graph on St. Anthony's Head, including a
right of way to and from the quay near the
Admiral's house, &c., which Mr. Tippet, having
declared, under the circumstances, to be reason-
able, I consented thereunto, and executed the
necessary document on behalf of the Board
· of Ordnance. With this arrangement the
Admiral was well pleased, the Board of Ord-
nance was well pleased, and sent me a letter of
approbation and thanks; the solicitors were
both well pleased; and reviewing the difficulties
of the case, I felt I had no reason to be dis-
pleased.
庸
​My duties at Falmouth, or more properly, at
Pendennis Castle, were chiefly the erecting four
VOL. I.
H
146
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
elevated batteries on the ramparts, denominated
cavaliers, directing their fire on the approaches,
by the high ground on that side, nearly facing
the town. These works were intended to pro-
cure a more perfect command over the land side,
the only approach open to a regular attack. I
must here mention, that the officer commanding
the little garrison of Pendennis Castle, was at
that time, (1796,) a captain of invalids, I believe
a Scotchman; a bilious little man, one of the
very few persons who had survived their former
imprisonment in the celebrated black hole at
Calcutta. He had suffered greatly through
that confinement; one of his hands was con-
tracted so that he could not extend it, but he
invariably carried in that hand one of his
gloves by the tips of its fingers with which he
marked the state of his temper, by flogging his
thigh.
The command of a company of invalids, toge-
ther with that of the Castle of Pendennis and
dependencies, extending down to the water's edge
on three sides, and including a small tower and
landing-place called Crab-quay, had inspired him
with a vast idea of the responsibility which had
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
147
fallen upon him, particularly as an active war was
at that time raging with France. Under such
trying circumstances, the captain resolved to
conduct the duties of his important office with
a very high hand. He lost no opportunity of
expressing his displeasure at the slightest de-
viation from the strictest rules of the service;
and the manner of his noticing it was by no
means calculated to produce a friendly inter-
course betwixt himself and those who were
placed under his authority. For instance, if
he had occasion to make any of these communi-
cations, his practice was to send a peremptory
order to the individual to attend at his residence
in the Old Keep; but instead of allowing him
to enter his quarters, he dodged his approach
from a small window near the entrance, and sal-
lied forth meeting his man, some ten to fifteen
yards in front of his door, drawing up his head,
his right foot advanced and his left arm a-kimbo,
whilst his right hand was engaged with the
never-failing glove. At three or four yards to
his left, and a little to his rear, stood his worthy
lieutenant, with a sort of orderly book under
his arm.
H 2
148
}
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
I was sent for, and met by the Command-
ant in his usual way. I saluted with a full
drop of my hat, which the Captain returned
by merely making one cut at his own hat
with his glove, and at once commenced the
attack:
"So, Sir, I regret to find that you have been
guilty of a most flagrant breach of subordi-
nation, highly subversive of military discipline,
inasmuch as such conduct is calculated to bring
discredit upon His Majesty's service!" &c.
I was perplexed on hearing this accusation,
and expressed my total ignorance of having
done anything that could justify it; upon which
the little man having commenced a sharp
cutting with his glove, with a smile of contempt,
replied:
"What, Sir, do you mean to prevaricate?"—a
favourite expression with him-and instantly
turning to his lieutenant, at whom he flourished
his glove, as a signal to proceed in the discharge
of his respectable duty, he called out, full of
irritation, "mark that Mr. K-t;" upon
which the worthy lieutenant drew forth from
under his arm his book with a clasp, and therein
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
149
made a full and perfect verbatim entry of the
words I had pronounced.
After a little explanation, I proved that he
was labouring under a total misapprehension,
upon which, without the slightest expression of
regret, he turned upon his heel, giving one
ferocious cut at his thigh with the glove, and
muttered, “Ay, ay, it is well for you, Sir, it is
very well." And to gain time in order to close
the interview with credit to himself, without the
manifestation of the smallest degree of self-con-
demnation, he, turning again to me, for I had
not stirred from the spot, added, "If you had
been guilty, I should have considered it as
my bounden duty, from which no personal
regard for you or your inexperience could have
made me swerve for an instant, to have brought
you to a court-martial. Hark ye, Sir, let this
be a lesson to you, Sir, for the future ! ! !”
""
"In what way, Sir?" I quickly retorted.
"Don't reply, Sir: mark that Mr. K——t.'
Having terminated this affair, he darted off
towards the Old Keep, vigorously flourishing his
glove.
150 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Notwithstanding these annoyances, I passed
my time very agreeably. I subscribed to the
balls held at Blunstone's Hotel (since then
Wynn's and Pearce's), in the middle of the town
of Falmouth; and also attended the balls at
Penryn and Truro; and sometimes extended
my
search after amusements of that sort to the
town of Helston. My last visit to the latter
place was on Flora-day, the 8th of May (1797).
At the time of which I am writing, this was
one of the gayest and most interesting festivals
of olden times.
At an early hour of the afternoon lads in their
best attire, with their full dressed belles, having
real flowers in their hair, and carrying large bou-
quets of wild flowers, began to arrive from the
surrounding country; their appearance in the
town served as a signal for the residents to sally
forth, and join in the promenading about the
principal streets. Presently the music, con-
sisting of a drum and fife only, was heard calling
those who were willing to dance, to assemble in
the market-place, whence they quickly advanced
in couples, dancing through the streets to a
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
151
particular tune played on the fife and drum.
At certain corners of streets or other fixed places,
they all stopped and faced each other in country
dance order, when the leading couple danced
down to the bottom; they then proceeded as
before in couples to the next halting place, upon
which the couple at the head began to dance
down as the first had done, and the whole
again progressed to the next corner. In this
manner the procession went on until every couple
had had its turn: those joining the dance on the
way after leaving the market-place, no matter
who they were, went to the bottom of the couples
that had not danced down.
In this the higher classes joined without
reserve or distinction, all mixing in perfect
equality; and the party I was with, which had
required several carriages to bring them from
Falmouth, shared in this truly innocent and
joyous amusement. We had dined at one of
the hotels, and by five o'clock turned out to join
the dancers in the streets. At about seven
o'clock, long before the sun had disappeared, all
those usually admitted to the subscription balls
152
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
retired to the assembly-room, and kept it up
until twelve, when the whole dispersed.
At length, towards the latter part of the
month of April, I received an order from General
Morse, acquainting me that the Master-General
of the Ordnance had appointed me to serve in
Canada.
I was surprised at receiving a visit from
Lieutenant St. John, of Plymouth, and from
whom I had purchased one of two ponies I
now wanted to sell. He soon informed me that
he wished to re-purchase him, and thankfully
handed me the amount I had previously paid
him; exultingly declaring, as he mounted his
purchase, that so desirous had he felt to have
him back, that he had made up his mind to
give me five guineas more for him rather than
be disappointed; to which I quickly replied,
that having received an order to embark for
Canada, I should have been glad to have got
rid of him for half the money.
Through the activity of my man, Lilicrap, a
raffle was got up for the other pony, but one
of the chances could not be disposed of, I there-
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
153
fore took it myself, and desired Lilicrap to
throw for me.
him gallop to my door on the pony, which he
had won.
I immediately sold him, at a small
loss on the price he had originally cost me.
In less than one hour, I observed
H 3
154
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
CHAPTER VII.
I leave Falmouth to go to Quebec-Mutiny in the
Fleet at Plymouth-I return to Falmouth to embark
there Passage to Halifax Calm in the Bay of
Biscay-Tricks of the Woolwich cadets-I volunteer
to board a large ship at sea, believed to be French-
Narrow escape Banks of Newfoundland-Land at
Cape Canso.
I LOST no time in proceeding to London in
the hope of procuring a passage in one of the
Ordnance transports, which in those days it was
the practice to despatch to Quebec with the first
convoy in the spring. I took the road vid
Plymouth, for the purpose of making some final
reports to General Mercer, on the state of the
works I had been superintending at Pendennis
Castle; and on my crossing the river Tamar,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
155
from Tor Point to Plymouth Dock, at a short
time before sun-set, I witnessed a very imposing
sight. Every ship of war then lying at anchor
in the harbour, and they were very numerous,
had her yards and masts manned-the whole
of the sailors being dressed in blue jackets and
white trousers-and on the top of each mast a
man stood upright; but on the top of the
highest mast in the fleet, the man standing
thereon was engaged playing "Rule Britannia,"
on a fiddle. As soon as the gun had been fired,
which announced that the sun had descended
below the horizon, the whole of the masts and
yards, with the speed of magic, were stripped
of their living ornaments.
I must here observe that though the crews
of the British ships of war, lying in the har-
bours at home, had mutinied, and had sent all
their officers on shore, the severest discipline
was, nevertheless, maintained by a certain num-
ber of the sailors, who had been selected by
their companions to discharge the duties of the
officers; whilst others, denominated delegates,
formed general councils on board of the flag-
ships and I have heard it asserted that at
:
156
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
no period, before or since then, has there been
so much flogging practised. The slightest
offence against the naval articles of war, was
instantly visited with punishment, inflicted with
extreme rigour. Many were the adventures
daily related on shore of narrow escapes expe-
rienced by officers of the royal navy, from men
who availed themselves of this temporary power
to revenge real or supposed ill-treatment. Other
stories were also current of a very different
character, amongst them the following:
The gallant Captain Nagle (Sir Edmund),
commanding the 'Artois' of forty-four guns,
had been out during a six or eight weeks'
cruize, and just at this critical moment was
returning into Plymouth Sound, in order to
refit and prepare for another expedition; but
the 'Artois' had no sooner been recognized in
the offing, and reported to the council of dele-
gates, than a well-manned boat, carrying a
certain number of delegates, was despatched off
to revolutionize her. On arriving alongside
of the frigate, the absence of any officer in
the boat no doubt created surprise, and excited
curiosity amongst the officers and crew of
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
157
the frigate. This was not lessened when the
principal delegate, standing up in the boat,
announced in a tone of authority, that the com-
mand of every ship had been taken from the
officers, who had been sent on shore, never to
return on board until the demands of the sailors
for redress of certain complaints they had pre-
ferred should be granted; that, in the mean-
time, every ship's crew in harbour had appointed
their own officers from amongst themselves, and
had sent delegates to the general council on
board of the flag-ship.
"And now we call upon you," added the
orator addressing the sailors, "to do the same;
but if you refuse to comply, we have only to
tell
you that we shall immediately bring down
the Powerful' and the Gibraltar' alongside of
you, and blow you clean out of the water."
((
Immediately upon the close of this thundering
speech, Nagle called his crew aft and said:
'Well, my lads, what do you mean to do?
Are you willing to turn me and your officers
adrift, like so much useless lumber, or shall we
up helm and go out to sea for a fortnight, and
pass that time in a far more profitable manner?
158
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Who knows if we may not pick up a stray
galleon or two, whilst these fellows are kicking
up a rumpus in port. At all events, the busi-
ness is sure to be as well done without as with
you! What say ye, my hearties?"
Upon which they all shouted with one voice,
"We will obey you, captain, to a man.
(
"Then helm's a-lee, and three cheers my
brave lads," Nagle vociferated at the top of his
voice. The Artois' shot off to sea, and did not
return until after the mutiny had been put
down.
Having taken leave of General Mercer and
all my friends in the artillery and engineers at
Plymouth Dock, I proceeded to London by one
of the fast coaches of those times, carrying six
passengers inside, which only stopped during
one night on the way, at the London Inn at
Exeter, and I entered the capital on the evening
of the third day.
Finding it more difficult to get out to Quebec
than I had anticipated, a passage in a transport
not being to be had, I consulted friends who
had been in Canada; they agreed that the season
was then (July) too far advanced to procure a
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
159
passage direct to Quebec, and I was advised to
go to Halifax.
My heavy baggage having been sent off by
one of Russell's eight-horsed waggons, I left
home on the 29th of July, 1797, and proceeded
to Falmouth.
The 'Swallow' packet was a most wretched
vessel, about one hundred and ten tons burden,
carrying a crew of twenty-eight men and a
surgeon, and six four-pounders; she had been a
French privateer, and was so low between decks
that, when sitting in the cabin at dinner, the
top of my head was within a few inches of the
beams. Captain Jones, the commander, was a
short square-built man, a very unfinished gentle-
man, and so mercenary that, although a fellow-
passenger and myself had paid fifty-four guineas
for our passage, the whole of the live stock
amounted to eighteen fowls, nine ducks, six
geese, two sheep and one pig. Three dozen
bottles of port wine and six dozen of porter,
with three or four bottles of rum and brandy,
constituted the liquor department. He provided
not a single article of dried fruit, nor any kind
of biscuits superior to the commonest flinty
160
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
hard brown biscuits, which at sea is impudently
called bread.
On our embarking, Captain Jones was
pressed to fix as nearly as he could the pro-
bable length of the passage, and he, having
due regard to the unfavourable period of the
year, and with all the necessary ifs which
sailors unavoidably introduce on such occasions,
and barring all accidents, ventured to assure
us we should be in Halifax harbour in the
course of twenty-eight to thirty days: adding
that he should keep well to the northward in
order to be at all times ready to profit by
the north-westerly winds so prevalent at that
period of the year, and also to avoid any
chance of being shipwrecked on the frightful
Sable Island, which stands exactly in the direct
course to Halifax; and is so low that, as soon
as a vessel is near enough to allow its people
on board to see the island, the vessel is in such
shallow water as to endanger her safety. In
the course of conversation, I discovered that
neither the captain nor any of the officers or
seamen on board of the Swallow' packet, had
ever been on the coast of North or South
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
161
America, and that Mr. Cochrane, my fellow-
passenger, was the only individual on board who
had ever crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
The wind from the north-west quarter, with
which we had sailed, was very moderate, the
sky exceedingly bright, the sea much smoother
than I had anticipated, and the brig glided along
under the lee of the land towards the Lizard
Point with very little rolling or pitching, yet
there was quite enough motion to keep me on
deck during the dinner, having no inclination to
take any kind of food, this being my first
acquaintance with the sea. The sun went
down filling the sky with his glory, and shortly
afterwards we began to pass on clear of the
double light-house on the Lizard Point, when we
felt the loss of that shelter from the north-west
swell, and this very soon sent me to my cabin.
I remained in my bed a week, taking no interest
in any thing, except when a strange sail was
reported to be in sight-which, in times of war,
usually excites certain apprehensions. Such,
however, was my suffering, that these reports
raised in me a kind of hope that the stranger
162
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
might be an enemy, and be the means of putting
an end to my intolerable discomfort.
Hitherto the weather had been very moderate;
the gentle winds, steadily from the north-west,
had carried us to about the middle of the Bay
of Biscay, where it gradually decreased, and
ultimately failed altogether, leaving us to roll
and tumble, an unmanageable log, without
power sufficient to alter the position of the head
of the vessel. In this condition, notwithstand-
ing the total absence of any wind, the heavy
rolling sea from the north-west quarter, con-
tinued unabated, so that when lying broadside
to the sea, the vessel would roll from side to
side, the gunwales, turn about, plunging under
water, and the yards nearly dipping into the
sea. After this, by way of a change, the vessel
would begin to half roll and half pitch too,
sometimes presenting the head, sometimes the
stern, to face the enormous mountains as smooth
as oil, whilst they swiftly raised us high above
the horizon, and as swiftly dropped us into the
gulf below as they hurried on at the rate of
twenty miles per hour, in order to dash them-
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
163
19
selves upon the distant shore of France and
Spain.
Notwithstanding all this, I soon got my sea
legs, as a sailor would describe it, that is, I
acquired the art of balancing myself on deck.
My fellow passenger having alluded to a
friend of his, Andrew Durnford, who had been
educated at the Woolwich Academy, I informed
him of the treatment he received there from
his seniors.
Young Durnford was cold one winter's
evening, and seated himself by the barrack-
room fire; he was ordered, by the head of the
room, to take post near the door, observing
that it was a place quite good enough for a
"newks" (youngest in the room). Durnford
resisted, but he was very soon satisfied that he
could not enforce his claim to the fourth part of
the frontage of the fire-place. The morning
was frosty, and the ground covered with snow,
yet he was ordered to go to the pump, distant
one hundred and fifty yards, and fill the tea-
kettle; then to bring three basins full of water
for the others to wash themselves. Afterwards
164
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Yet
he had to wash the cups and saucers, then
toast the bread, spread the cloth, and in short
make all the preparations for breakfast.
no part of these occupations provided anything
for himself; for although he had to go to the
hall, and carry thence to the barrack-room, the
usual allowance of a basin of milk for each, he
himself was not permitted to sit down with his
brother cadets, but ordered to take his bowl of
milk in the hall. Moreover, the white cloth or
kerseymere breeches and waistcoat, belonging to
the head of the room, the constant uniform of
the cadets at that time, he must clean with
whiting to perfection. These were but a very
few of the ordinary duties expected of a newks,
who was often tumbled out of bed, whenever
the head of the room fancied he should like a
pint of porter and a few oysters.
On such occasions he was hailed, "Newks,
come Sir, you sleepy-headed fellow, turn out
Sir, and be off; get me some oysters and
porter, bread and butter, and cheese and vinegar,
and let me see—and some gin too: now, Sir,
begone."
t
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
165
"But how am I to get out of the barracks,
and of the Warren?" inquired Durnford, in a
tone of lamentation.
"Oh, that shall not be any difficulty," he
was instantly informed, "you must get out at
the back window, where one of the bars is easily
removed, and then climb over the roof of the
shed, where the breeches and waistcoats are
cleaned, and then it is but four or five feet
higher to get over the wall; you must mind
how you get over the iron spikes (six or seven
inches long), and then you must hang over into
the Plumstead Road, and drop into it; you
can do that very well, it is not more than
eighteen feet high, and that's nothing of
a drop."
66
Well, but how am I to get in again?"
poor Durnford most piteously exclaimed.
"We shall look out in about half an hour for
you, and let down a basket, into which you
must put all the things, and we'll draw them up
carefully," the head of the room replied.
66
Why, you can't draw me up in that way,
can you?" inquired Durnford.
"Draw you up indeed, who ever dreamt of
166
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
such a thing? Draw you up, you young
monkey, upon my word there's impudence!
Why, as soon as you have delivered the things
in the basket, take yourself off, and walk about,
or go to sleep, or go to the devil until morning,
when you may walk into the Warren by the
gates without a question being asked by
any one.'
"
Poor Durnford threatened to complain to
the officer on duty. This unguarded declara-
tion brought on him a systematical course of
all the usual severe tortures which such re-
fractory gentlemen newkses never fail to ex-
perience. He was accordingly, cach night,
either roasted, bolstered or cramped without
mercy, when he at length actually carried his
repeated threats into effect; but as he could
not identify the operators, the officer could not
punish any one.
Increased resistance, brought
on him increased tortures.
Accordingly between the hours of study,
Durnford on entering his barrack-room was in-
formed that the singing-master had expressed
his marked disapprobation at his absence from
instruction; but, he rejoiced on discovering that
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
167
something gentlemanly formed part of the in-
struction at the academy. An elegant young
music-master quickly presented himself, and
after some expressions of reproof at his neglect,
he desired his pupil to let him hear the sound
of his voice, and having understood that he
never yet had received any instruction in music,
he expressed the utmost astonishment.
teacher of the elegant accomplishment now
raised his eyes in disgust at a state of such
gross ignorance, and finally exclaimed: "Why
you must have been brought up in a workhouse."
The
After a few hints, the merest rudiments, the
pretended master of music, who, it need scarcely
be told, was one of the elder gentlemen cadets,
disguised in plain clothes, now proclaimed him
a conceited, obstinate and ignorant ass," an
excuse for giving him a severe caning.
CC
Next day, in like manner, a boxing-master
presented himself to give him a few ideas in
"the noble art of self-defence," absolutely
necessary to every military gentleman, adding:
(6
What, Sir, would become of you if in action
you should either break your sword or be dis-
armed? what, I say would you do? You must
168
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
use your fist, a valueless appendage to your
body, unless directed with science. Now, Sir,
put on these gloves, and defend yourself. I'm
at your nose," and Durnford was instantly
rolling under the bed. "Oh! I beg pardon,
Sir," cried Mendoza (Mr. Stackpole, brother of
the late Captain Stackpole, R.N.), "but I could
not have suspected you had no more spunk
in you than a caterpillar. Now, Sir, stand up
again; never mind your nose, you can wash off
the blood after next round. Now, Sir, I say,"
the professor throwing his arms widely extended,
"strike me as hard as you can; anywhere, Sir,
above the line." But next moment, the
second round, stretched the pupil under the
grate.
At this time, the regulation in regard of the
hair was, that it should be allowed to grow a
foot or fifteen inches long at the back of the
head. This was tied with black ribbon so as
to form a queue, commencing close to the head;
the sides hung down over the ears, and cut off
level with their tips; and the top was cut very
short, and rubbed up with hard pomatum.
But few days after the singing and boxing
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
169
!
lessons, at an early hour. before morning parade,
a dashing young hair-dresser inquired for the
recently admitted gentleman cadet; and Durn-
ford was pointed out.
"I attend, Sir, upon you for a short time,
to get your head in decent order.”
Our friend hurried on his dressing-gown and
was quickly seated, when the comb was rattled
through the tangled hair without mercy; and
after a liberal besmearing of pomatum and
powder, the latter filling his eyes, his queue
was formed; but it was tied so close to the roots,
that instead of pending gracefully between his
shoulders, it remained in a perfectly horizontal
position; whilst the skin had been drawn so
tight that he could not shut his eyes. The
performer next attended to the top, which he
declared was growing so perversely, that much
time and trouble would be required to make
him look like a gentleman; and immediately
applied a hard crust, and rubbed it back until
his head was covered with deep scratches.
Durnford's family withdrew him from the
Royal Military Academy, and purchased for him
a commission in the Line.
VOL. I.
I
170 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
During ten days we remained becalmed-
tossing and rolling over the north-west swell,
which had in no degree abated. I here made
some observations on the space betwixt the top
of one wave and the top of the next, which I
ascertained to be from two hundred to two
hundred and fifty yards.
The heat of the sun shining on the deck was
exceedingly annoying, but we suffered still more
from the effluvia arising from the sea; or, more
properly, from the vast accumulation of every
description of refuse and filth which is daily
thrown overboard from a ship at sea; so that
the surface, to the distance of many yards
around, was covered with the offals of poultry,
the sweepings of the pig-sty and sheep-pen,
vegetable waste and other equally corruptible
matters, all of which, through the powers of
attraction, obstinately clung to the vessel, and,
to our great surprise, had continued unconsumed
by fish, especially the shark, of which up to this
time we had not seen one. This rubbish had
now become putrid: moreover, the calm had
been so perfect, that the surface of the sea emitted
very fetid effluvium. It thus became necessary
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
171
to hoist out one of the boats, and actually tow
the vessel to the distance of a mile at least from
the spot.
We had now been fifteen days at sea, one
half of the time calculated by the captain as the
duration of our voyage, yet we had not run more
than a tenth part of the distance.
At length, thirty-five days after our departure
from Falmouth, the captain estimated the
position of the ship to be about three hundred
miles to the north of Corvo, one of the
Western Islands, or the Azores, just about
half way from Falmouth to Halifax. The wind
was still blowing from the north-west, was
light, but the sea high, when a strange sail
was observed bearing south-west.
This ship
was steering for the British Channel, and
consequently we approached one another very
fast; so that, by mid-day, we were sufficiently
near to ascertain that the stranger was a
large merchant ship. Jones, commanding a
'brig with six 4-pounders, and a crew of twenty-
eight men, immediately gave chase, upon which
the stranger made all sail possible right away
from us; our pursuit was so successful, that,
I 2
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ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
in twenty-four hours we hoisted our colours,
and the merchantman did the same, showing
a red flag with a white cross. A shot was
fired across her bows, and she shortened sail.
We ran up to within hail, when to our interro-
gatories, the commander informed us he came
from the island of St. Thomas, and was bound
to Copenhagen. Not believing this, I volun-
tered my services as a boarder.
Jones took me at my word, and down I
went to arm myself for the occasion. I loaded
my horse-pistols, each with a ball and slugs; I
put in new flints, and stuck the pistols into
my sash. I then belted on a ship's cutlass, the
uniform sword of the engineers being, in my
opinion, a very unfit tool for such service;
and instead of my military hat, covered over
the crown with a piece of bear's-skin, forming
queer kind of compound betwixt a hat and
a helmet, I preferred a plain round hat, being far
lighter and certainly much more convenient.
The boats were now alongside, taking in the
volunteers eight in each boat, every man armed
with a cutlass and a musket. The first mate
took the command of one of the boats, and
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
173
I had the honour of being intrusted with that of
the other, at my special request. This was the
first time in my life I had got into a boat at sea,
and which was running mountains high as a
sailor would have described it.
(
When it came to my turn to go over the
side of the Swallow,' and descend into the
boat, I discovered that it was a far more difficult
affair than I had expected; and again, when
we had proceeded towards the ship about half
way to her, I began to contemplate with some
anxiety the means by which I should accomplish
my ascent, for the ship appeared very light, and
as she rolled from us I could at times almost
see her keel, presenting an insurmountable wall.
I looked in vain for some rope's-end hanging
over the side, by which I might have a chance
of hoisting myself up, but this had been
carefully attended to, and removed by the people
on board.
At length we observed, that at each roll
the main and fore chains almost touched the
water, upon which it was agreed with the mate
in the other boat, that he should board by
the fore chains on one side, whilst I should
174 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
do the same by the main chains on the
other.
'
Now, give way there, my lads," was the
order, and in a few minutes we had arrived
at our stations, when we instantly laid in the
oars, and with a boat-hook at each end of the
boat kept her off sufficiently to prevent being
injured or sunk by the rolling of this large
ship.
"Now is our time," I exclaimed, as the ship
was rolling over towards my boat. "Now is
the time for it: together into the main chains,
my lads," addressing three of the men in the
boat, who were at the next roll to be followed by
as many more, if they could not find room
to rush in all together; and so catching hold
of the chains I instantly scrambled on to the
plate, and flying up with the rolling of the
ship; but in an instant I discovered I was
the only one who had left the boat, and at
the same moment one of the enemy made
a thrust at me with a boarding-pike.
In this predicament, I had no alternative but
to seize the pike with both hands, when a sharp
struggle commenced for the possession of this
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
175
formidable weapon, and we performed the " “pull
devil, pull baker," during several seconds; but as
soon as the ship rolled over again towards my
boat, by which I was placed in a leaning
position, my back downwards, almost on the
water, and in a horizontal position-for I was
holding by the pike only-my antagonist, very
scientifically, gave up the contest, and allowed
me the undisputed possession of the weapon;
and I, at the same moment, fell backwards into
the sea.
The men in the boat, luckily foreseeing my
fate, caught me before I had time to sink, for
laden as I was with pistols, cutlass, &c., I must
have gone down like a stone. By this mishap,
my pistols having been so wetted as to be
useless, I threw them down in the boat; and my
clothes streaming with water, and without a
hat, which I had lost, I flourished my cutlass at
the men who ought to have followed me into
the chains, and declared I would show no mercy
to the man who should again behave like a
lubber.
We all stood ready for the next roll, and
together secured our footing on the plate,
176
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
whence we all leaped over the bulwark on to the
deck; whilst, at the same moment, we had the
pleasure of seeing our companions, with the
mate from the other boat, gain possession of
the forecastle by the fore chains.
The attention of the ship's crew was by this
event divided, and instead of keeping together,
they scattered, and the deck was forthwith
covered by our people and their's fighting, man
to man; but such was the confusion, that I can
only relate what fell to my share.
On my advancing from the gangway, with
my cutlass raised high over head, one of our
opponents ran at me with his musket pointed
at my face, and when at the distance of a
couple of yards from me, he pulled the trigger
-fortunately for me, the priming had been
damaged, so that the powder went on fizzing
away, which gave me time to run at him. This
caused him to retreat hastily, his only hope
resting on the discharge of the musket, which
would not go off. All this was the work of
five or six seconds at most, by which time I
had backed my friend, against the cabin sky-
light, through which he presently fell. At the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
177
same moment the musket, which he still grasped
tightly in his hands, went off, discharging its
contents in a vertical direction amongst the sails
and rigging. At this instant, the master, who
had stood aloft without seeming to take any
part in the proceedings, now perceiving that we
were by far too powerful for his crew, ran about
the deck with up-lifted hands forbidding any
resistance, and declared that his men had acted
without his authority. He endeavoured to
excuse himself, in very broken English, aided
by all the signs and protestations he could
devise-assuring us that he had never for a
moment intended to oppose our investigation of
his papers. The fight now terminated, and the
master's papers were produced, by which a
tolerably clear case was made out that the ship
was a Dane. We, nevertheless, maintained that
the vessel belonged to France, in which we were
justified, to a certain extent, having discovered
that the greater part of the crew could speak
the French language well, and no other; and
only one man out of the whole could speak the
Danish language.
Our mate, who understood this business very
I 3
178 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
well, having served on board of a privateer,
commenced a very active search after the real
papers, which it was supposed had been con-
cealed; but he was unsuccessful. Whilst this
was going on, the master was exceedingly civil,
and invited me to partake of refreshments in
the cabin. Although no other papers were
found, yet a variety of circumstances increased
our suspicions, and almost convinced us that the
vessel did belong to France, still we could not
detain her; but in revenge of some cutlass
wounds which two of our people had sustained,
we helped ourselves very freely to several
boxes of oranges, two or three bags of coffee, a
quantity of sugar, a cask of rum, &c.; and to
compensate myself for the ducking, and danger
of being piked, or shot through the head, or
drowned, I merely took two cases of Martinique
liqueurs, which the master almost forced me to
accept, in consideration of my not demanding
that the man who had so pertinaciously en-
deavoured to shoot me in the face should be
hung up at the fore-yard-arm, and also for the
like humane treatment of the man who had so
cleverly given me a cold bath.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
179
On our preparing to leave the ship, we
discovered that two of the crew were very
dangerously ill, one of them dying through the
want of medical aid; we therefore, acquainted the
master that we should send our surgeon to his
assistance, which was fulfilled, and this saved.
one sick man's life. As I was leaving the
vessel, the master asked me the name of our
brig; but when I told him that it was the
'Swallow,' a King's post-office packet, he smiled
as he shook his head significantly, to mark his
disbelief; and then said: "No, no, you pee one
prifateer!" and he might have added, "or
perhaps one pirate." We nevertheless con-
ferred on these people a very important service,
by giving two of their men medical assistance
and medicines, without which one of them must
have ultimately lost his life.
After this adventure, we pursued our course
just as well without capturing, or rather without
carrying on with us the Dane, for, as a packet,
we could have no letter of marque, and therefore
could not make a prize; had we attempted it,
on arriving into Halifax harbour, the first King's
ship that might have chosen to send a boat
180 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
on board of her, would have secured her as a
good prize, and there can be no doubt that some
one of them would have done so.
Having sailed on during many days under
varied circumstances, I one afternoon inquired
of the captain how long he thought it might
be before we should complete the voyage.
"Let me see," replied our best navigator in
the world, and a man not easily surprised into
a hasty or unguarded statement; "let me see-
this is Thursday," as he carefully passed his
hand very slowly over the four-days-old bristles
on his chin; "why, if the wind will but
continue just as it is now, I think we ought
to be on the Banks (of Newfoundland) by
Monday afternoon."
Early on the following morning I happened
to be on deck, when I perceived a very material
change had taken place in the colour of the
water, which, from a sort of neutral tint, had
assumed a pale-greenish shade, which I suppose
was a sea-green. Upon this, I expressed a
strong opinion that we were in soundings, at
which our worthy captain laughed, and sneer-
ingly asked me where I had learnt how to be
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
181
so good a judge of such matters, when the
oldest sailors were frequently deceived by such
appearances. I nevertheless insisted upon it
that we were on the Banks, without succeeding
to procure the heaving of the lead. At length,
well aware of Jones' mercenary temperament, I
offered to bet him five shillings that we were
actually in soundings. My friend was too good
a judge to miss such an opportunity of obtaining
five shillings without risk, and gave orders to
bring the vessel to, and heave the deep-sea
lead.
Whilst these preparations were making, I
sent over the stern a cod-fish line and hook well
baited, and before the deep-sea lead had reached
the bottom, I brought a fine cod-fish to the
top. Jones had lost his bet, for it was quickly
ascertained that we were in seventy fathoms
water, or nearly passed the Banks over which
we must have been running nearly all night.
He, therefore, to get some compensation for such
a severe loss, directed that all the lines in the
vessel should be put into action, and in the
course of about four hours, we had pulled up
more than one hundred and fifty cod-fish, and
182 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
fifteen halibuts. Some of these fish were
salted, and others served out to the crew, by
which friend Jones economised the ship's
provisions, which began to be very scarce, and
during many days previous to this, we had been
on half allowance.
This bet no doubt saved us from shipwreck,
for it proved that we were at least one hundred
and fifty leagues ahead of our reckoning; and
the only way I could account for so great an
error, was that during the long time we
had been becalmed in the Bay of Biscay, we
must have been imperceptibly carried away to
the westward by a strong current.
About thirteen years after this period, I
experienced an exactly similar event, also on
board a post-office packet, on this occasion
bound to Lisbon, when we had experienced a
long succession of south-westerly gales at the
mouth of the Channel and in the Bay of Biscay;
and on reaching the latitude of Lisbon, we
sailed away east, thinking to be in the Tagus
before next morning; but we discovered that
the position of the vessel had been carried some
very considerable distance to the westward,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
183
1
requiring twenty-four hours more to
to enter
the Tagus than we had at first calculated
on.
In our voyage to Halifax our provisions of
all sorts had become so much reduced, that we
found it necessary to run for that part of the
coast for which the wind was most favourable,
and we accordingly came to anchor in Cape
Canso Harbour, where there was at that time
(1797) but one settler.
184 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
CHAPTER VIII.
Go into several harbours-Arrive at Halifax-Lieu-
tenants Roscridge and Mercer, R.A.-Prince Edward
and Major Stratton-I dine with the Prince and
Madame St. Laurent-I dine with Sir John Went-
worth, Thesiger, &c.-Prince Edward gives me letters
to introduce me at New York, and I embark in the
'Carteret' packet-Loss of the 'Stag'-Passengers
to New York-Water-spouts off the Capes of the
Chesapeak-Arrival at New York-Yellow-fever.
I WAS greatly delighted at finding myself on
the American continent; the air was purer, and
seemed to give fresh vigour to my faculties.
I soon discovered that I might, without a
licence, shoot game of any sort, and eat it
or carry it away; and catch all the fish in the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
185
harbour without giving offence to any one.
In short, I could ramble to the right, to the
left, or go right a-head, without meeting with
the slightest notice board, warning me not to
commit an act of trespass; besides which, I
could gather cranberries enough to load a larger
vessel than the 'Swallow' packet brig, and ship
them without fear of being prosecuted.
Here our captain, for the sum of ten pounds,
purchased a bullock from the settler: but as
the animal was far away in the woods, where
he was at full liberty to run in any direction,
it was agreed that a party should be sent from
theSwallow' early on the next day, armed
with guns to shoot the bullock, as the owner
stated he would be found much too wild to
drive to the landing-place. I was delighted at
the prospect of an excursion so full of novelty,
and promising much sport. On landing next
morning from the boat, I sprained my ankle
rather severely, which compelled me to remain
in charge of the boat, whilst the rest of the
party pushed forward, carrying with them two
days' provisions in case of need, and attended
by the owner of the bullock.
186 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
All started in high spirits, every man carry-
ing a musket, plenty of powder, flints, balls
and small shot. I saw them depart with an
aching heart, and threw myself back on the
stern seat, whilst the head of the boat was
hauled on shore, fully anticipating a tedious
time of it. No plan had been formed, nor
any arrangements made as to what was to be
done in the event of the bullock hunt keeping
the hunters away all night. These matters
crossed my thoughts as time advanced, and in
this state of mind, sometimes watching, without
interest, a large flock of small birds which flew
from one projecting point of the sandy beach
to another, carefully describing a wide curve in
passing my boat; and then sometimes casting
an unmeaning look into the water, a foot or
eighteen inches deep, but very transparent,
which enabled me to see distinctly the rocks
partly buried in sand and interspersed with
sea-weeds.
At length I fancied I saw something moving
about on the bottom, which at first I mistook
to be the weeds agitated by the action of the
tide. Upon closer investigation, I discovered
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
187
innumerable lobsters crawling about in every
direction. My desire to catch some was in-
stantly excited to a high degree; but possessing
no other utensils than the oars, a boat-hook,
and a musket, my chance of gratifying this
desire seemed very remote. It occurred to me
that it was possible to strike one of them with
the point of the boat-hook, and either stun or
crush him; but this could not be repeated, as
the commotion it must unavoidably occasion
would frighten away the others; I then consi-
dered that a shot from my musket, if successful,
would at best produce a similar result.
length it occurred to me that I might perhaps
spear one through the body with the thin end
of the iron ramrod of my musket: this was
immediately tried, and by slowly pushing
forward the ramrod, first into the water, and
then to within a few inches of one of the
lobsters, before I attempted to dart it into him,
I succeeded perfectly without creating any alarm.
In order to retain them in the vicinage I threw
large fragments of sea-biscuits into the water.
At
I was thus encouraged to persevere, and by
the time my party returned, just before dark,
188 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
I had secured about one hundred of the finest
lobsters I have ever seen-some of them of
extraordinary dimensions.
Our sailors were very much exhausted,
having failed in every attempt to drive the
bullock towards the harbour, which ultimately
left them no alternative but to shoot him, at a.
distance, as they stated, of at least ten miles
from the boat, where the animal was cut up
to render him portable, and each man shoulder-
ing his portion, they returned, but not before
they had cooked on the spot as much as every
one of them could eat.
We left Canso Harbour at daylight next
morning for Halifax, but so much did Jones
fear being blown away to sea, and perhaps
wrecked on Sable Island, that each night we
ran into one of the harbours which abound on
this coast; thus, the first night we anchored
in Country Harbour, then in Ship Harbour, and
lastly in Crow Harbour, whence we ventured
on to Halifax Harbour-the whole of which we
performed without pilot, being entirely guided
by the admirably correct charts by Debarres.
All these harbours were, at that time, almost
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
189
totally uninhabited; and such was the value of
land, that Mr. Cochran offered to make me
a present of forty thousand acres on the borders
of Country Harbour. I declined to accept
this, being unwilling to pay sixpence per acre,
the cost of the survey, which the donor re-
garded as more than the land was worth.
The view of Halifax from the sea is very
interesting, and on our landing we were met.
on the wharf near Williams' store-a very
extensive building with a flat roof-by a large
concourse of persons of both sexes, of all
ranks, of all ages and of all colours, for there
were numerous negroes, some West Indian
creoles, some Micmacs savages, a few Esqui-
maux, and a great number of Europeans,
amongst whom were many officers and privates
of the 7th Fusiliers, and some of the Royal
Artillery.
I was met by Lieutenants Roscridge and
Mercer, of the Royal Artillery, both old Wool-
wich Academy friends; and after the usual
expressions of satisfaction at meeting, and all
sorts of inquiries after mutual friends, they'
lodged me at a tolerably good inn; and it was
190
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
settled that we should mess together. The
officer commanding the Artillery was Brevet-
Major Desbrizay, and Captains Wright and
Dodd, both on the staff of his Royal Highness
Prince Edward. The only officer of Engineers,
then at Halifax, was Brevet-Major Stratton,
a very worthy fellow, in high favour with his
Royal Highness, afterwards Duke of Kent, in
consequence of being an excellent amateur
comedian. On the day following my arrival,
he lost the Prince's favour through his own
folly and want of judgment.
The story related at the time I was there
is as follows: Stratton, although commanding
engineer, had no house provided by the Ord-
nance for his residence; but having discovered
that the house or palace which had been, I
believe, purposely erected for his Royal High-
ness Prince Edward, or at least had been
greatly improved to render it a fit residence for
a member of the royal family, was standing
on property belonging to the Board of Ordnance.
Stratton most foolishly wrote a letter to the
Board of Ordnance, stating the fact that such a
house had been built on Ordnance property;
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
191
and soliciting that he might be allowed to
occupy it as commanding royal engineer. The
Board of Ordnance, without duly entering into
the consequences or inconveniences which might
result, sent a Board's order, no doubt in
civil terms, but still it was a Board's order,
addressed to Lieutenant-General his Royal High-
ness Prince Edward, commanding at Halifax,
requiring that the house adverted to by Major
Stratton, be immediately, or perhaps as soon
as convenient, given up to that officer as the
future residence of the commanding royal engi-
neer at Halifax.
This letter had reached the hands of his
Royal Highness by the mail which the 'Swal-
low' packet had carried out. On the day of
my arrival, I had waited on Major Stratton
to pay my respects, and report my being on
my way to Quebec, when it was agreed that
he should introduce me to his Royal Highness
on the grand parade at guard mounting, on
the following day. At the proper hour I
was on the parade, and I shall never forget the
severe glance which his Royal Highness cast
towards Stratton on seeing him advance to
192 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
pay his respects to him.. The Major having
introduced me to the Prince, his Royal High-
ness said in the kindest manner:
"How is my
old friend, your father?" and put to me several
obliging and flattering questions; after which
his countenance assumed an air of displeasure,
as he fixed his piercing eyes on Stratton;
and quickly drew from his breast-pocket a letter,
and handed it to the Major, saying: "Read that
letter, Sir; and then tell me if you have treated
me like a gentleman.” It need scarcely be
stated that this was the letter from the Board of
Ordnance above mentioned.
Stratton seemed overwhelmed with embar-
rassment. The communication ought not to
have required two minutes reading, but he
remained speechless with it in his hand, unable
to get beyond the first two or three lines, fully
sensible of the folly of his conduct; his Royal
Highness then sternly addressing Stratton, said:
"You may write to the Board, Sir, and
state that I shall not surrender possession of
my residence," and contemptuously turned
away.
I had not been many days at Halifax, when
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
193
I had the honour to receive a card stating, that
"Major Vesey had been commanded by his
Royal Highness to invite me to dine at his
country residence," on Bedford Bason, a few
miles from town. The party was very small,
and amongst them were Sir John and Lady
Wentworth, with the aide-de-camp to the
Governor, Captain Thesiger, a Captain Lyman,
and the Prince's staff, Major Vesey, Captains
Smith, O'Hara, Dodd, Wright, and Lieutenant
Mercer of the Royal Artillery.
After dinner, about three glasses of wine
only were allowed, when the whole company
followed his Royal Highness to join Madame St.
Laurent, Lady Wentworth, Mrs. Dodd, and, I
believe, Mrs. Wright.
Coffee and tea being
over, the Prince, condescendingly, sang a duet
with Madame St. Laurent, accompanied by Cap-
tain Smith, a first-rate pianist. Having passed
a very pleasant day, Mercer and myself jumped
into a gig we had hired for the occasion, and
by ten o'clock we were all at home in Halifax.
I had made every effort to procure a passage
in any vessel proceeding to Quebec, without
success, and to attempt going thither by land
VOL. I
K
1
194 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
!
was regarded in much the same light, as now
would be attempting to traverse the whole of
the continent to the Pacific Ocean; I, therefore,
remained full of perplexity as to the course I
ought to pursue. Whilst in this state of doubt,
one morning the waiter hastily entered my apart-
ment, announcing "an aide-de-camp, Sir, from
his Royal Highness Prince Edward." When
that officer entered, he stated that he had been
commanded by the Prince to acquaint me that
I must quit the garrison within twenty-four
hours. Then, to lessen any alarm this an-
nouncement might create, explained that his
Royal Highness had directed him to assure me
that the order had no reference to any part of
my conduct; briefly adding, that the Prince
having, in a few instances, detained officers to
serve at Halifax, who had touched there like
myself, on their way to join their respective
corps in Canada, General Prescott, who, at this
time, was Captain-General of British North
America, had sent a letter to his Royal
Highness, requesting that he would in future
press all officers under similar circumstances
with myself to proceed to their destinations
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
195
with the least delay, and not to detain them at
Halifax. Finally, I was told that the Prince
desired to see me at nine o'clock on the follow-
ing morning at the palace.
By daylight on the following morning, I was
so fearful of being late in paying my respects to
the Prince, that I had sent off my luggage to
the packet that had just come into harbour, and
was at the iron gate of the palace three-quarters
of an hour too soon. Not knowing exactly
what to do, I stood mechanically near the gate
with my back turned towards it, but had not
been in that position two minutes, when I heard
a voice from within calling to me by my name
to come forward. This was Prince Edward,
who, as I entered, said in the kindest manner,
Landmann, I am glad to see you before the
time I had appointed; I suppose you are
anxious to embark, be assured that I regret to
have been under the necessity of sending you
such an order, for I had intended to employ
you here in a particular way, but General
Prescott has deranged my plan for serving the
son of my old friend the professor. I have
written two letters for you to take to New
K 2
196 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
York, and I desire you will not fail to deliver
them personally, they are of consequence, and
you will find both Mr. Beech and Mr. Badcock
very ready to afford you any assistance you
may require."
I promised to obey his Royal Highness's
commands most punctually, and was about to
take my leave, when the Prince said "go in and
take charge of something which Madame
St. Laurent has to send to New York." I
found Madame alone, who, after a short conver-
sation, handed to me a parcel, which she said
was a present of harp-strings for Madame de
Buc, in Greenwich Street, New York, and
which I was required also to deliver personally.
On returning to the lawn in front of the
palace, I found his Royal Highness engaged
with a man in examining the leg of a
mahogany dining-table, which had been nearly
broken, when the workman in reply to the
Prince's desire to be informed if it could be
well repaired, said: "Why, yes, certainly, it
can be patched up somehow, for a while, your
Royal Highness." But his Royal Highness
quickly retorted: "If it is worth doing at all,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
197
}
it is worth doing well;" a maxim I have never
forgotten. Prince Edward then turning to me
shook my hand
very kindly and said, "I wish
you a safe arrival at New York; and although
you are very young to be travelling alone
through a foreign country, yet I place great
confidence in your steadiness, which I have
noticed with satisfaction, and I anticipate that
you will do nothing that can involve you in any
kind of difficulty; take care that you waste no
time on the way, and arrive at Quebec as soon
as possible." I thanked the Prince in the best
manner I was able, bowed, and instantly em-
barked on board of the 'Carteret' packet, com-
manded by Captain Taylor.
On the following morning, 15th November,
1797, after breakfast, the passengers going
with us to New York, hastened on board, and
by twelve o'clock the 'Carteret' was running
down the harbour almost before the wind. In
passing McNab's Island, which lay on our left,
we saw on the shore the carcases of several of
the horses which were drowned on the upsetting
of a fine vessel, I believe named the 'Stag,' and
which had sailed but a few days before, bound
to the West Indies, carrying on her upper deck.
198 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
·
as many horses as could be stowed there, and
over which a temporary flooring had been
formed for as much hay as reached half-mast
high.
I had been attracted with many others to go
on board of the 'Stag' on the morning of her
departure, but was so struck with the im-
propriety of the arrangements above noticed,
that I declared to the master I would not
sail in that vessel on any account. I had not,
however, left the wharf whence I was watch-
ing the progress of the 'Stag,' when I saw
her catch a puff of wind on her starboard,
or right side, and instantly fall over; but she
did not sink. It was strange that, in less than
two hours after I had expressed my fears of
her safety, I was in the first boat that hastened
to assist in rescuing the crew, and we took up
the Captain from the vessel, where he was in
the water, holding by a rope's end. The first
expression he uttered, pointing to me, was:
"Ah, if I had taken that boy's advice, I should
not have got in such a mess!" It was very
fortunate that this had happened at so early a
period of her voyage, as had the 'Stag' upset
in the open sea, all hands must have perished.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
199
In proceeding a little further, we passed the
rocks upon which the Tribune' frigate was
lost, I believe on the 18th of November, three
days after our departure from Halifax. Our
passengers were: Mrs. Browne, on her way
from England to join her husband, a merchant
at New York; a young man also named
Browne, with his tutor, a Mr. Richardson, a
very gentlemanly fellow, and in every respect
qualified for his important trust. These had
sailed from England in the Carteret.' At
Halifax a Mrs. Davies, a handsome young
widow, and her sister, or niece, a Miss Herd,
a very lady-like woman, both proceeding to
join some relatives who kept the Belvidere, a
place of amusement open to the public, on the
outskirts of the city of New York.
The wind continued exceedingly fair, and
although strong, yet going almost before it,
we did not suffer any inconveniency from its
strength; on the contrary, so delightfully did
she skud along, that in crossing the entrance
to the Bay of Fundy, we ran over a distance of
forty-two miles in three hours, during which
time the wind, through the speed of the vessel,
200
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
was almost imperceptible on deck, when the
Captain ordered a lighted candle to be brought
up and placed on the companion-cover, where
it remained during a quarter of an hour without
being extinguished, nor was the flame blown
about so as to indicate a risk of being extin-
guished. All this time the vessel glided on so
quietly, that we danced reels to the music of
young Browne's fiddle every evening, and passed
many very agreeable evenings.
One night, in running along the shore of
Long Island, we heard several guns fired off
in the direction of the island. We could even
see the flashes that preceded the explosions, and
these being at intervals of three to five minutes,
we concluded that the guns had been fired by
some vessel on shore, or otherwise in distress.
Although the wind was strong, yet as it pro-
ceeded from the coast, any vessel that had
struck might either be got off again, or the crew
might be saved. After our arrival at New
York, we learnt that the guns had been fired by
the 'Hunter' sloop of war, which had run on
shore, and that she had been got off without
sustaining very severe damage.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
201
In the short space of four days after leaving
Halifax, we arrived off the lighthouse on Sandy
Hook, at the entrance to the harbour of New
York, and there we were compelled to remain
during three days, a great portion of that time
at anchor, firing guns and making signals for a
pilot. None came out to guide our ship into
port, nor was any kind of notice taken of our
efforts to attract attention. On the third night,
a severe gale came on, and forced us off to
sea, and as it blew from the north-west, the
wind being nearly off-shore we steered away
to the southward, keeping as much in shore as
might be safe under the circumstances. On
arriving off the Capes of the Chesapeake, we
experienced some very severe squalls and
frequent snow, followed by a hard gale. At
length, on the fourth day, we were suddenly,
whilst at breakfast, called to the deck to see
several waterspouts which were hovering about
the ship in various directions and various forms;
one in particular was bent in the middle,
forming a complete elbow, the whole length
revolving upon its angular axis, so that the
elbow remained without any other motion:
}
K 3
202 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
others were springing from the surface of the
sea, where the water appeared to be exceedingly
agitated, and rising up quite erect, wide at top
and bottom, but hour-glass formed that is,
thinner in the middle, and some of them
extended from clouds to sea, in one oblique line,
but all were continually changing these figures
to assume new ones.
In another place, I observed the water
spinning round and round as we sometimes
see for a moment the dust on the road, near
some high corner of wall, rising into the air,
and as quickly dispersing, and from the centre
of this whirl there arose a large mass of water
like a flat pyramid, with the apex sharp, and as
it rose up became dispersed. This frequently
broke up, or, as it is said, came to nothing, but,
as sure as a gun, recommenced close by, and
ultimately, after frequent failures, succeeded in
raising a solid column to an immense elevation,
where it necessarily dispersed, forming a black
circular cloud, with thin and spreading edges.
These water-spouts amounted at one time to
seven in number, and ran about sometimes with
and sometimes against the wind, retreating and
:
1
2
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
203
advancing. I did not notice any two of them
to run into one another, although at times they
seemed to pass within fifty yards. In this very
alarming company, some a mile or more distant,
others much nearer, we had much reason to fear
that we might, notwithstanding every effort to
sail out of the way, come in fatal collision with
one which seemed to be coquetting around us,
frequently assuming the most alarming evolu-
tions, and rushing about in many directions with
incredible velocity. Our Captain declared he
had never been so beset by these sea monsters,
and soon resolved on trying the result of a
cannon-shot. Consequently, one of our guns
was loaded and double-shotted, which turned
out as we thought, a most fortunate measure,
for we had no sooner assumed the offensive,
than our foe ran at us with extraordinary
ferocity, and in a most unusually direct line.
coming towards our lea beam, on which side the
gun had been prepared for action, which enabled
us to fire without materially altering the course
of the ship. The gunner had been well drilled
on board of a ship of war, and was reputed a
capital marksman. The gun was fired, both
1
204 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
shot I have no doubt passing through the
column, for in an instant the mass fell and
dispersed so rapidly, that even the whirling of
the water out of which it ascended, and by
which it was fed, was, in the short space of
fifteen seconds, no longer perceptible.
Three cheers, the most hearty and spontaneous
I have ever heard, burst from all on board,
the ladies even joining the demonstration; then
a purse containing about ten guineas was col-
lected, and with a short but suitable compliment,
in reference to the important service, was pre-
sented by the eldest of the ladies to the
gunner.
Very shortly after this, the other water-spouts,
after capering about in a very amusing way, to
those who might fancy themselves out of their
range, retired to a greater distance from us;
and in less than an hour or two we could
see nothing of any of them. As it usually
happens after these water-spouts, the wind
veered about and came from the southward and
westward; we gladly availed ourselves of that
change to return to Sandy Hook, where we fired
two or three guns for a pilot as before; but as
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
205
no more notice was taken of this appeal than
on the former visit, we now fired a shot at the
lighthouse, which had the desired effect, for in
less than three hours we had received a pilot
on board, and were sailing away across the Bay
of New York towards the city.
The country, which I have no doubt during
summer is very beautiful, was now dreary, and
covered with snow; and we suffered from cold,
more and more as we advanced upon shallower
water. I was seriously and rather unexpectedly
alarmed at the accounts given by the pilot of
the yellow-fever, which he stated was com-
mitting dreadful ravages in the city. He
assured us that out of a population amounting
to fifty-two thousand persons, prior to the ap-
pearance of the yellow-fever, fourteen thousand
persons had been swept away, during the latter
ten or twelve weeks; and of that number one
hundred and five were medical men.
Whilst at Halifax, I had heard that New
York was suffering from this malady, but I had
not the slightest idea that the mortality had
been so extensive. This intelligence instantly
removed the ardent desire I had during a long
206 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
{
time entertained, to visit this celebrated city.
My mind was at once made up to quit New
York as early on the following morning as I
should be able, after complying with Prince
Edward's commands by personally delivering
the letters which his Royal Highness had so
kindly entrusted to my care.
Two hours after dark we anchored; and at
about eight o'clock the same evening we landed
at a wharf in Water Street.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
207
CHAPTER IX.
Arrival at New York--Tontine Coffee House-Washing-
ton-The Theatre-Generosity of Prince Edward-
The yellow-fever in the West Indies-Cobbett and
porcupine's quills-Proceed to Albany by water -
Mrs. Livingston-Catskill-Mr. Brockway-General
Cuyler-Grave of General Frazer-Crack in the ice
Choke a horse-La Prairie - Frozen Madeira—
Cross to Montreal in a wooden canoe amidst floating
ice-The refoulment of the St. Lawrence-Sullivan's
Hotel-Conviviality at Montreal-Arrival at Quebec.
THE silence which everywhere prevailed, the
total absence of every city-like sound, the de-
serted appearance of every house, where not
even a rushlight was seen to glimmer, rendered
my entrée into the great city of New York
strongly resembling a midnight visit to the
catacombs or pyramids of Egypt; but on ad-
vancing from the wharf into the streets, where
the pavement was covered knee-deep by grass
208
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
and weeds, I felt a sensation of awe which I
cannot describe. "The sweeping ravages of
the plague could not have rendered this place
more desolate," thought I, as I advanced
cautiously, lifting up my feet half a yard high,
at every step expecting to tread on some poor
wretch, who, after watching and administering
to the last wants of the last relative, might
have died there without a friend to close his
eyes. In this way we proceeded slowly, care-
fully following two or three of the few porters
who had offered to guide us to an hotel, and
carry our luggage on a truck, when at length
I joyfully perceived, still at some distance, a
few thinly scattered lights, indicating that we
were emerging from amongst the dead.
At a
short distance further on, I believe at the corner
of Wall Street, we entered the Tontine Coffee
House.
The coffee-room was full of company, every
one with a cigar in his mouth, and a glass of
liquor before him. Amongst
Amongst the party I
observed a handsome young Irishman, with a
round merry face and fair hair. He talked
more and louder than any one; he drank more
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
209
whisky, smoked more cigars, and sang more
songs-there could be no question that he was
extremely popular. His name was O'Reily,
and being dressed in the extreme of the fashion,
he was dubbed and invariably addressed as
Count O'Reily.
I went to bed at an early hour, in order that
I might carry into execution my determination
of leaving New York before the close of the
next day. By ten o'clock the following morning,
I entered the counting-house of Mr. Beech with
the letter from Prince Edward. That gentle-
man received me like a wealthy man of business,
standing covered, and without making any in-
quiry. I stated that I had another letter for
a gentleman of the name of Badcock, upon
which Mr. Beech pointing to a person present,
said, "that is Mr. Badcock, Sir," to whom I
presented his Royal Highness's letter. These
gentlemen now opened the letters I had delivered,
and having read them almost at the same mo-
ment, took off their hats, and Mr. Beech offering
his hand, said, "The Prince has imposed on me
a most agreeable task, by commanding me to
do everything in my power to render the short
ļ
210 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
time you are likely to remain here, as com-
fortable as it may be in my power. He then
inquired the name of my hotel, and adding,
"you must allow me to send there immediately
for your luggage, for I must insist that you
take up your quarters at my house."
(6
'No, I cannot allow that," sharply observed
Mr. Badcock, "that is my duty; the Prince
has particularly directed that I am to have that
pleasure."
A sort of contest now ensued between these
gentlemen, each insisting on my accepting his
hospitality. I declined both, declaring that I
should remain at the Tontine Coffee House; but
that I should dine first with one, then with the
other, notwithstanding my very firm resolution
to quit New York forthwith.
After this, I lost no time in delivering the
letter and present of harp-strings to Madame de
Buc in Greenwich Street. Here again I ex-
perienced every civility, and was obliged to
accept of a dinner for the third day, and on my
return to the Tontine, I found Mr. Browne, the
husband of Mrs. Browne, our fellow-passenger,
who was waiting to see me, as also the two
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
211
other gentlemen who had arrived with me from
Halifax, and I was compelled to accept of an
invitation to dine at his house, and the Battery
on the fourth day. At every moment, the
dread of the yellow-fever went on diminishing,
so that by the next day, I had totally forgotten
that any such calamity was present.
Our parties at Beech's and Badcock's were
thinly attended, because so many persons had
fled to their country-houses on Long Island.
The intensity of the cold, which this winter,
caused the Bay of New York to be frozen en-
tirely across, soon arrested the further progress
of the yellow-fever. Day after day, my depar-
ture was postponed; and an invitation to dine
with a gentleman, living at the same boarding-
house with General Washington, then at New
York, induced me to postpone it still further.
My recollection of that great man, is that
he was very tall, perhaps six feet two inches
to six feet four inches, very reserved and polite,
clear and quick-sighted; had an aquiline nose
and high forehead falling back.
On being
introduced to him as a British officer, he in-
quired if it were usual for gentlemen to enter
212 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
the army as young as I appeared to be; he
particularly asking if I were a German, the
name belonging, he thought, to that country.
On my replying, he asked if I were related to
the professor of fortification at Woolwich, he
claimed me as an acquaintance, when he heard
that I was his son. "Not personally, Sir," he
added, "but I have read some of your father's
valuable works, which I admire, and have intro-
duced them into the course of education at our
military college."
No further conversation occurred worthy of
being recorded. As soon as the cloth was
removed, he rose, bowed and left the room.
During my short sojourn at New York, I went
several times to the theatre, and was much
pleased with the wonderful performances of the
Voltigeur, Mr. Ricketts, whom I saw fly over
the heads of twenty soldiers with their bayonets
fixed. The soldiers were drawn up in line two
deep; were made to face to the right, and then
closed up as much as possible, touching face to
back; their muskets were also made to lean
outwards, that is one half to the right and the
other to the left, so that Ricketts passed between
!
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
213
the muskets of the soldiers, not over the points,
still it was a wonderful leap. This feat was
exhibited in the pit, where there were no seats,
although formed in very wide steps; but there,
smoking to any amount was allowed.
On taking leave of my kind friends, Beech
and Badcock, they inquired as to the state of
my finances, adding that they had been com-
manded by his Royal Highness, to supply
me with any funds I might require, without
limiting the amount, to be charged to his
personal account. I was, as may be supposed
greatly surprised, nevertheless I declined to avail
myself of the Prince's generosity.
On my return to the Tontine, I wrote to his
Royal Highness my warmest gratitude for his
having placed so much confidence in my pru-
dence, and did not omit to relate the particulars
of the kind offers made me by Mr. Beech, and
also by Mr. Badcock. I never received any
communication from his Royal Highness in
reply to that letter; but many years afterwards,
about 1813, having had occasion to ask a
favour of his Royal Highness, I received a reply
occupying three pages of letter paper, wherein
;
214 ADVENTURÉS AND RECOLLECTIONS
his Royal Highness kindly granted my request,
and took that opportunity of expressing that it
was with pleasure he recognized in me the same
officer who had been presented to him, on the
grand parade at Halifax, by Major Stratton, on
the 2nd of October, 1797.
Having agreed for my passage on board a
sloop to carry me to Albany, by the North or
Hudson River, and which was to sail on the
following morning with the commencement of
the flood-tide, I resolved on dining at the table
d'hôte of the Tontine, for the first and last
time. On entering the dining-room, I was
agreeably surprised at meeting there an English
officer in uniform, whom I soon ascertained had
that day arrived from the West Indies for the
benefit of his health; and from the emaciated
state of his person, it was very evident that had
he sunk any lower, it must have been into the
grave. He appeared in very good spirits, and
on my mentioning the yellow-fever, related the
following anecdote.
"On my arrival from England in the West
Indies, I met an old friend and a brother officer,
to whom I communicated my great anxiety
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
215
{
about the yellow-fever, adding I was so deter-
mined to escape death, if possible, that I was
quite willing to adopt any manner of living or
of conduct which his experience could recom-
mend. My friend shrugged up his shoulders,
and seemed for a few moments much perplexed:
at length said, 'Twelve months ago, thirteen of
us landed together, and we had frequently, on
the passage out, discussed what to each of us
appeared the best course to preserve our lives.
Some were favourable to a careful system of
diet, others rejected every kind of self-denial;
some had no fixed opinion on the subject,
and a few abandoned themselves to despair.
In this way we became completely divided, so
that seven out of the thirteen determined on
living every day of their lives without any
restraint, and drank to excess; the remaining
six thought, that by drinking water only, going
to bed early, avoiding the night dews and chills,
they should have a very good chance of some
day or other returning to old England. What
do you suppose was the result? why the whole
of the sober boys died to a man, and I am the
only one of the drunken dogs left alive.'
216 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Another story he told me of his having been
at a party, where a dozen of the best fellows in
the world sat down to dinner, but that before
the following night ten of them were under
ground, while the eleventh could not be buried
through the want of a coffin. I am not dis-
posed to vouch for the accuracy of these narra-
tives, yet from various quarters I have received
corroborating testimony. On this subject, I
remember that Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas, who
commanded the 41st regiment at Montreal, in
1800, one day when I was dining with him,
related that during the time he had commanded
the 54th regiment in the West Indies, in a very
short space of time he had lost by yellow-fever
an entire complement of officers, non-commis-
sioned officers and privates, three times over,
he being the only individual remaining alive
who had been landed in those islands with the
regiment.
I rambled about the city, in order that I
might not neglect seeing every part of it; and
in passing through Pearl Street, a stationer's
shop then occupied by the afterwards cele-
brated Cobbett, was pointed out to me.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
217
鲁
​Cobbett was then the editor of a newspaper,
denominated the "Country Porcupine ;" and in
mentioning himself, he assumed the name of
Peter Porcupine. The person in whose company
I happened to be, related that, a few days only
before that time a dandy walked into his shop,
and asked to be served with a quarter of a
hundred of quills. On receiving them, he ex-
claimed: "Oh, Mr. Cobbett, I think you have
made a mistake."
"How so?" replied Cobbett, sternly.
"These are porcupine's quills, are they not?"
tittering.
Cobbett looking grave and contemptuous,
coldly observed, "No, Sir-they were-but are
now goose quills."
At the appointed time I embarked in the
Albany sloop, and made very rapid progress up
the North River, we soon passed the celebrated
West Point, or Highlands, but the darkness.
of the night deprived me of the satisfaction.
I had anticipated, from a sail through such
romantic scenery.
The cold was now very severe, so that by
next morning we found our way much ob-
structed by the ice, and shortly afterwards
the vessel was frozen-up hard and fast. I
VOL. I.
L
218
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
went on shore at Red-Hook, and proceeded
next day to Levingston's wharf, and there
experienced the kindest attention from Mrs.
Levingston. On the following morning I
continued my way in a waggon to Catskill,
a distance of about twelve miles. Catskill was
at that time a small village, beautifully situated
amongst hills on the western side of the North
River. After a delay at Catskill of about
a week or ten days, our little vessel, the
Albany sloop, had been brought up to that
place by sawing out a canal in the ice; and
having obtained my baggage, I agreed to take
a sleigh with a Mr. Brockway, a solicitor,
residing at Catskill, with whom I had boarded
during my stay at a wretched public-house,
the only one of any kind there. He was not
sorry at meeting one, who would share with
him the expense of a journey to Albany, thirty-
eight miles distant.
On my departure, my landlord demanded
one Spanish dollar, merely for my bed, each
night, which Brockway declared was twelve
dollars too much, and as by this time my
baggage had been placed in the sleigh, and
had proceeded to the solicitor's door, I gave
the landlord five dollars for my fourteen night's
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
219
lodging, and pushed away, when he followed
and threw the money into the sleigh, saying,
he should very soon overtake us.
We started off and, having excellent horses,
we had performed nearly half of our journey,
before my friend the landlord came up on
a galloping horse attended by a constable,
who immediately arrested me. Brockway
now took up my cause, and although I know
not how many flaws or errors he discovered
in the proceedings, but amongst a great
many others he stated, the writ or warrant
had been served by a constable out of the
limits of his jurisdiction. Brockway advised
me to pay the whole demand, together with
cost of writ, and fifteen pence per mile for
expense of following me; but not until I
had been detained a sufficient length of time
to serve some legal purpose; after this we
proceeded without further delay and arrived
at Albany in good time for a late dinner.
Before leaving Albany, I gave Brockway a
power of attorney to institute and follow up
such proceedings against the landlord, as he
should think fit, and I agreed to leave the
solicitor the full and entire benefit of any
L 2
220
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
fines or monies which might be awarded by
a jury or otherwise. About two or three
months afterwards, I received a letter from
Brockway, announcing that he had obtained
a verdict, depriving the landlord of his license,
and inflicting a penalty on him of one hundred
pounds, New York currency.
On the day following that on which I had
arrived at Albany, I hastened to call on a
General Cuyler, residing a mile or two below
the city and on the other side of the Hudson,
and I delivered to that officer a letter of
introduction, which I had received at Wool-
wich from Colonel Johnstone of the Royal
Artillery. General Cuyle. was a retired British
officer, and, I believe, had a son in the Guards.
He received me with great kindness, and
insisted on my passing the day with him. His
daughters were very amiable girls, and one of
his sons had the goodness to accompany me on
my return to Albany, where, on the next morning
he arranged with an old discharged British
soldier to carry me to Montreal, in a sleigh and
pair of horses, in five or six days, for the
sum of fifty dollars, and that he should defray
his own and his horses' expenses. Under
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
221
these circumstances I left Albany, in high
spirit, well pleased with the arrangement made
for me, and very particularly at the prospect
of my arriving, so speedily at the end of my
long journey.
I must here remark at the time I performed
that journey, there were no public conveyances
on that tract and very few in any part of the
United States. I shall not enter into the details
of this trip; let it, therefore suffice that I
mention on my passing the ground upon which
the battle of Brandywine was fought near
Saratoga, my driver pointed to a rising ground
on our left hand, and called my attention to a
post and two rails hanging from it to the
ground, which he said, as he groaned out a
sigh, “There—those are the scanty remains of
the railing which once enclosed the ground in
which the body of General Fraser was intered
after the battle, in a year or two more there will
be nothing left to mark the spot.
""
On receiving this information, I ordered
the driver to put up at a public-house at
hand, kept by W. Carpenter, and soon agreed
with a man to renew the fencing in of the
grave for a few pounds, and by the middle
222
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
of the following day I had the satisfac-
tion of seeing the work completed. My old
driver had followed me to see the new erection,
and on coming up to the spot he fell on his
knees, crying with joy, after which he gave me
a full account of the funeral at which he had
been present; and also of the inhuman conduct
of the Americans, who fired upon the concourse
of officers and privates, together with the clergy-
man, standing round the grave during the read-
ing of the funeral service.
Having completed this interesting affair, we
proceeded by Skeensburgh, Burlington, and
across Lake Champlain to Hillsborough, and
we soon entered Canada, passing the Isle aux
Noix, and arrived at St. John's, where I slept
one night, in order to pay my respects to the
commandant, and quickly proceeded to La
Prairie, a small town or village on the St.
Lawrence, opposite to Montreal. I must, how-
ever, mention that in crossing Lake Champlain
on the ice, here about four miles wide, I was
suddenly startled by a swelling thunder-like
noise, which sounded to me as passing with
great rapidity from one end of the lake to the
other. The horses did not appear to notice the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
223
sound as might have been expected, but either
stopped of their own accord or by the pulling
up of the driver. I learned from him that
the alarming sounds
cracking of the ice. I very soon noticed the
horses of a sleigh that was before us take a leap
at a wide crack in the ice. They failed, and
were instantly plunging in the water.
were produced by the
We now urged on our good steeds, and on
our arriving at the spot found that one of the
horses had been cut away from the sleigh, and
was extricated; but none of the three Ameri-
cans belonging to that carriage could get at the
other. The reins of one of our horses were
quickly slipped round his neck, with a sliding
knot, which choked him, No time was now
lost in passing traces round his body, and
presently he floated like a bladder, when, by
means of our united strength, we succeeded in
hauling him out of the water, upon the side
of the crack from which they had attempted to
leap. The ligature round his neck was un-
fastened, and by rubbing him over with straw
till dry during some minutes, every one con-
tributing his great-coat to preserve some warmth,
the poor creature revived, and rose on his feet.
224 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
I had scrambled across somehow or other, when
my man, alone in the sleigh, taking a short
run with his horses, cleared the crack in good
style. The half-choked, half-drowned horse
was harnessed and put to, but at first only made
to walk; yet in less than twenty minutes he
was at our heels, in full vigour and spirits.
On the sixth day after my departure from
Albany, we arrived at La Prairie, a small town,
perhaps a village, on the banks of the St.
Lawrence, nearly opposite to the city of Mon-
treal; that is, they face each other in conse-
quence of a double bend with a reach between
the two places about nine miles in length. The
cold had been very severe, and on the day of my
arrival had been more intense than before, so
that the St. Lawrence was covered with floating
ice, leaving but few open spaces. In conse-
quence of this I was under the necessity of
passing the night at La Prairie, none of the
ferrymen deeming it possible to cross without
the fullest daylight.
On leaving New York, I had been advised
to provide myself with a small stock of pro-
visions to be reserved until absolutely required,
and I still had left two bottles of Madeira wine,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
225
"This is fortunate," thought I, as I drew them
from the basket with some cold meat, for the.
people here could only supply me with bread,
butter, and eggs, the usual resource which in
those days a Canadian public-house could be ex-
pected to possess, besides a bed without curtains.
I
I ascertained the temperature to be 18°
below zero, of Fahrenheit's thermometer. I
was perfectly chilled, and thought a glass of
Madeira would procure a more rapid circulation
of the blood; whilst the cloth was spreading,
I drew the cork of the first of the two bottles
upon which my hand fell; but to my extreme
disappointment no liquid would flow.
quickly held up the bottle to the candle, and
perceived its contents were frozen, with the
exception of a globule in the centre, the
remainder being like snow. I now made a
hole into that portion with a long pencil, and
poured out the liquid, which I drank off,
amounting to little more than half a wine-glass
full-then deposited the bottle by the side of
the hot stove, in order that it might thaw and
supply me during the dinner. The second
bottle was exactly in the same state, and I
treated it as I had done the first, and placed it
L 3
226
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
beside the other. I then went out to make
some inquiries about the ferry, and the prospects
of our crossing on the morrow, and I extended
my walk to the river, where I at once perceived
the necessity of plenty of light in order to
make the attempt with a tolerably good chance
of accomplishing the passage; but I almost
immediately returned staggering, and my head
swimming. I very soon came to the conclusion
that I was drunk; I lay down on the bed for
an hour, and then felt perfectly recovered.
This event was by no means extraordinary,
since in point of fact, I had drank the concen-
trated spirit of two bottles of Madeira, and that
too upon an empty stomach, after suffering
severely from cold. I was, however, not con-
scious of the cause of my having been so intoxi-
cated until after eating some dinner, I applied
to one of my bottles, when I discovered it
merely contained water, and on inspecting the
second it was exactly in the same state.
Having, on the following morning, dismissed
my driver with his sleigh, I jumped into a
wooden canoe at day-break and amidst the
most alarming confusion of floating ice rushing
along at a frightful speed we started; my two
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
227
navigators crossing themselves, and reciting a
pater noster. After numerous escapes from
being crushed between large moving islands
driving upon each other whilst we were betwixt
them, and from which we could extricate our-
selves in no other way than by landing upon
one of them (if I may so describe the getting
on one of the pieces of ice) and then dragging
the canoe after us to the opposite side, where
we launched it into the uncovered water, and
paddling off to another island we traversed it
in like manner.
We had nine miles to travel in this way, and
frequently were under the necessity of working
with all possible exertion against the current in
order to avoid being carried beyond the city.
Six hours of this tantalizing state brought us
to our destination, amidst some hundreds of
persons, who had gathered on the shore to
watch our movements, and who now congra-
tulated us on our safe arrival.
Pat Sullivan's hotel, near the market place,
was the only one in town, and consequently
desired my luggage to be carried there. The
back of that house having galleries along each
floor towards the river; in summer
in summer
must
3
228
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
have been very pleasantly situated. My bed-
room was on that side, and on the follow-
ing morning, at an early hour, I was awoke
by an exceedingly loud noise of a peculiar
description, which induced me to hasten to the
window whence I saw that the river was com-
pletely covered with ice, which I was informed.
had been frozen fast entirely across, but which
now started off again, through the force of the
current.
The city of Montreal is seated exactly in the
bend of the river, so that the stream from La
Prairie runs directly towards the city, where the
banks are high and steep, and which turn off the
current; except during the refoulements as the
Canadians describe it, or the jamming up of the
ice, which always occurs twice or thrice each
winter, before it is perfectly wedged up or fixed
for the remainder of the season. The above-
mentioned movement was the first, which had
occurred after the ice had stopped, and during
the time I remained at Sullivan's hotel, I
witnessed the two others, which in the estima-
tion of the inhabitants, founded on long expe-
rience, would be the last. The third happened,
whilst I was in my room on the second floor,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
229
twenty-five feet, at least, above the river bank,
which was in like manner twenty to twenty-five
above the water, so that my room windows -
must have been from forty-five to fifty feet
above the surface of the river.
At each movement of the ice, in rushing
down the river directly towards the house I was
in, from La Prairie, the ice had gone on piling
up particularly at the back of Sullivan's hotel;
large masses of eighteen to twenty inches in
thickness and some of it two feet, and which
had advanced sliding up the bank one piece
above the other, until, at the commencement
of the third refoulement, it had accumulated to
a height considerably higher than the top of
the bank.
I remained gazing with intense curiosity from
my window, almost bewildered at the slow,
but steady and irresistible force by which the
large masses of ice which on reaching the
summit of the chaos, were as certainly pushed
over towards the hotel by others, which in like
manner were in their turn chased and driven
forwards by those behind them. In an incredibly
powerful manner and short space of time, the
surface betwixt the hotel and the crest of the
230
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
river bank, about sixty to seventy feet in width,
was almost totally filled by pieces of ice which
in succession had been impelled up the bank,
fifteen to twenty-five feet high and form-
ing on the top a confused wall of broken ice
twenty feet higher than my window on the
second floor.
I noticed one immense sheet fifty to sixty
feet in extent each way, rearing a terrific sharp
pointed portion, which went on rising so high
before it arrived at its point of equilibrium,
that I darted from the room down stairs to the
street, and felicitated myself on reaching the
open air in time to escape from being crushed
to death. I immediately afterwards beheld it
from the bank of the river at a short distance
above, balancing on the top of the ridge where
it had remained, requiring only the slightest
puff of wind to annihilate the hotel. The weight
of this mass of ice must have amounted to a
thousand tons at least.
A state of things so alarming could not be
tolerated; Pat Sullivan, therefore, very prudently
collected a large body of Canadians bearing
poles, ropes, ladders, and all the implements
necessary to turn the scale in favour of the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
231
Had any
side towards the St. Lawrence.
individual possessed sufficient courage or
perhaps recklessness to ascend, and place his
shoulder under the majestic slab of ice, his
individual strength would have been sufficient
to have sent it back whence it came; for on
the first touch in adjusting the rope by which it
was to have been hurled down, it went amongst
its innumerable companions on the river.
My first care after arriving at Montreal, was
to find out any officers of Engineers who might
be quartered at that place, when I was informed
that Captain Humfrey was the only one, I
immediately introduced myself, and was agree-
ably surprised on finding there Lieutenant Lacy,
of the Engineers, whom I had been appointed
to relieve in Canada. He had just arrived
from the island of St. Joseph, in Upper Canada,
and was then on his way to Quebec, prepara-
tory to his embarkation for England.
One morning, when the thermometer was at
38° below zero, having been invited to breakfast
by Humfrey, on my arrival there, although not
more than a third of a mile from Pat Sullivan's
hotel, I found my left ear completely frozen.
At first I had thought that Humfrey and Lacy,
232
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
who were the first to apprize me of it, were
endeavouring to alarm me-a
a common joke
practiced on Johnny Newcome; but on applying
my hand I ascertained that my ear was frozen
as hard as a piece of earthen-ware. By the
application of a handful of snow, the usual
remedy, and by keeping out of the house, in a
few minutes the circulation was restored, but
not without considerable pain. In the course
of a few hours, the skin of that portion which
had been frozen, blistered; and in every respect I
experienced the same effect as might have been
produced by a severe burn; but that part was
ever afterwards much more liable to be frost-
bitten than it would have been had it never been
frozen.
I had not been twenty-four hours at Montreal
before I was invited to dine for every day in
succession, during a week or ten days. Amongst
the names of the persons from whom I ex-
perienced much attention were Sir John Johnson,
Superintendant-General of Indian affairs, Gene-
ral Christie, an old general officer, upwards of
eighty years of age, proprietor of corn mills
at Chamblie upon a large scale; and always,
according to the fashion of those days, "had
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
233
}
just discovered two or three bottles of the old
Madeira, therefore, pray come my dear Sir,
and take your leave of that capital pipe, which
has frequently procured me the pleasure of
your agreeable company.
""
There were also Sir Alexander Mackenzie
and William McGillevray living together,
and partners in the North-West Company;
Mr. McTavish, and Mr. Frobisher, also of
the North-West Company; Mr. Shaw, Mr.
Roderick Mackenzie, Judge Ogden, Judge
Walker and his brother Tom, Mr. Maitland,
partner of Andjo, Isaac Todd, Doctor Gould,
and many other merchants; of the army, were
Colonels McIntosh and Hughes of the 2nd
battalion of the 60th regiment, and Major
O'Brien of the 24th regiment, who had
married Miss Frobisher, an only child. From
the greater part of these persons and from many
more whose names I do not at present recollect,
I experienced the greatest civilities.
After many days of feasting and hard drink-
ing, I was engaged as also Humfrey and Lacy,
to dine with Sir Alexander Mackenzie, and
McGillivray. The party was composed of many
234
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
of the above named, and in all amounted to
about twenty in number.
In those days we dined at four o'clock, and
after taking a satisfactory quantity of wine,
perhaps a bottle each, the married men, viz.
Sir John Johnson, McTavish, Frobisher,
O'Brien, Judge Ogden, Tom Walker, and
some others retired, leaving about a dozen to
drink to their health. We now began in
right earnest and true highland style, and by
four o'clock in the morning, the whole of us
had arrived at such a degree of perfection, that
we could all give the war-whoop as well as
Mackenzie and McGillivray, we - could all
sing admirably, we could all drink like fishes,
and we all thought we could dance on the table
without disturbing a single decanter, glass or
plate by which it was profusely covered; but
on making the experiment we discovered that
it was
a complete delusion, and ultimately,
we broke all the plates, glasses, bottles, &c.,
and the table also, and worse than all the heads
and hands of the party received many severe
contusions, cuts and scratches.
I have to this day a perfect recollection of
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
235
having walked home alone, a distance of more
than a quarter of a mile, and that I answered
all the challenges of the sentinels, in a soldier-
like manner. On my arrival at my hotel,
Pat Sullivan opened the door himself, but he
very quickly perceived that I was by no means
a safe personage to be intrusted with a lighted
candle. Having accomplished the arduous task
of ascending to my bed-room, I locked the door
and without delay proceeded to get into bed.
I deposited each article of my dress in a proper
manner on a chair, with the same regularity as
usual, but with this small difference, I was far
more litigious, and folded and unfolded each
article some ten or twelve times, before I felt
satisfied that I had done it in the best manner.
Nevertheless, in the morning I discovered that
several of them had become dispersed about
the floor in a most unintelligible manner.
Having completed these important arrangements
to my satisfaction, I jumped into bed, and went
off to sleep, without forgetting to place my
famous horse pistols which I had purchased at
New York, by the side of my bed. How long
I remained in that happy state, I do not find
recorded in my journal, but I remember having
$
236
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
been disturbed during the night by some
suspicious noise, that upon looking about me,
I perceived a man working his way through
an aperture about a yard square which had
been made in a boarded partition, separating
my room from one adjoining; and which
opening was commonly filled by a close cast-
iron stove, so that two rooms should be warmed
by one fire.
Immediately on my satisfying myself that
a man was actually endeavouring to force an
entrée into my apartment, I snatched up one
of my trusty companions; and before I could
obtain any very clear answer to my brief in-
terrogatory, I fired at his head; upon which a
loud screech, followed by a hollow groan was
heard, and the man fell. A general confusion
very soon afterwards spread itself throughout
the house; every individual it contained, came
stumbling over each other, all directing their
hurried steps to the point whence the report
of a pistol had issued, and I was compelled to
allow them a free admission into my room.
It was now ascertained that Pat had been
most fortunately but slightly wounded, the ball
having merely scratched the skin of his bald
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
237
head. After dressing his wound with a piece
of court-plaister, Sullivan related that, having
observed I could not have walked along two
yards of a single board, he had remained on
the alert to watch my movements, and that
having perceived I had got into bed without
extinguishing my candle, he had tried in vain
to draw my attention to that important fact by
battering on my room-door. At length it had
occurred to him that he could make his way to
my candle by squeezing his corpulent body
through the hole in the partition already men-
tioned, without disturbing me; but unfortu-
nately I had been sufficiently aroused by the
battering, and the result I have described.
It had been settled at Sir Alexander
MacKenzie's party, that on the following
morning Lacy and myself should proceed to
Quebec, distant about one hundred and eighty
miles, in consequence of which, by nine o'clock
he came to press me to rise and prepare for
the journey. Lacy was quickly followed by
Mackenzie, W. McGillivray and others who
had been of the drunken party. By twelve
o'clock we started, accompanied by Mackenzie
and McGillivray, as far as Point-au-Tremble,
238 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
where they took leave and returned to town,
whilst Lacy and myself continued our journey
with post-horses and sleighs. We had both
suffered so much through this heavy debauch,
that it was not until late on the fourth day
that we arrived at Quebec, (31st. December,
1797).
I was afterwards informed that one hundred
and twenty bottles of wine had been consumed
at our convivial meeting, but I should think a
great deal had been spilt and wasted.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
239
•
#
CHAPTER X.
New Year's Day at Quebec-Lieutenant-General Pres-
cott-Mrs. Stuart and her children-An introduction
at Court-Ball at the Château-The Minuet de la
Cour-Beef-Steak Club at Quebec-Sleigh accidents
-Severity of the cold.
AT Quebec we took up our night's lodging
at an hotel kept by a man whose name was
Pond, situated at the top of a flight of steps
leading from near the château to the lower
town. I thus commenced my career at Quebec
on the 1st January, 1798-a great day in
Lower Canada at that time-a day of extra-
ordinary festivity, which was extended to the
two or three following days. Amongst the
Canadians it was, and perhaps may be still,
the fashion for everybody to visit everybody
during one of the three first days of the year,
240 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
when a glass of noyeau or other liquor was,
with a piece of biscuit or cake, presented to
the visitor, which, after a hard day's work in
calling at some twenty or thirty houses,
frequently terminated in sending a number of
very respectable people home in a staggering
condition towards the close of the day.
After paying my official visit to my com-
manding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Gother
Mann, who at the same time commanded the
garrison of Quebec, and to whom Lacy intro-
duced me, the Lieutenant-Colonel conducted
me to the château, the residence of the governor,
and presented me to his Excellency Captain-
General Prescott. The General was a little
man, not exceeding five feet four or five inches
high, very slender and certainly not much under
eighty years of age; he was nevertheless active,
a good officer, but exceedingly peppery.
When we had secured a lodging for Lacy
and myself in the house of one Mackenzie, a
drunken old Scotchman in Palace Street, near
the gate, we commenced our New Year's Day
rounds, and amongst my numerous visits was
one to the renowned Mrs. Stuart, one of the
lions of Quebec. This lady was of large
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
241
7
proportions, about sixty years of age, dressed
in the extreme of a fashion forty years gone
by; her hair frizzed up a yard high above her
head, increasing in width as it rose in height,
the whole well covered with maréchal and pink
powder, with some decorations of lace and
ribbons scattered about the top, and sur-
mounted by a splendid plume of ostrich feathers.
Her body was cased in a long and stiff pair
of stays, displaying an elegantly-carved and
ornamented busk, and leaving the neck and
bosom almost completely uncovered: an im-
mense pair of hoops spread out her dress to
the extent of a yard at least on each side, so
as to cover the entire length of the sofa, upon
which she was seated quite erect.
Her sleeves just covered her elbows, and
were profusely trimmed with rich lace; from
her ears depended a mass of gold and valuable
stones; round her neck were four or five
necklaces of coral, of amber, of pearls, of beads
of various colours and some gold chains; but
there was one in particular, larger than all the
others, and hanging so low as to require being
supported from falling on her lap by a large
clasp or hook fastened to the centre of the
VOL. I.
M
242 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
lap of her dress-this caused the said chain to
hang in two festoons, upon each of which were
fastened four family miniatures of the largest
dimensions, and round each arm, which was
left quite uncovered, there were three similar
portraits, together with sundry other bracelets:
her fingers were plentifully supplied with rings,
and she had one on each thumb.
But the watch formed not only the most
conspicuous, but also the most costly of all
the ornaments, being set with diamonds and
fastened to her side by a large flowered hook,
from which some ten to twelve short chains
were suspended, each finished with a small
swivel holding a large seal or a key of the
diameter of a half-crown, a scent-bottle, a
gentleman's mourning-ring, or other trinkets of
the like description. I cannot close this already
too-lengthy detail of the dress of the very
celebrated Mrs. Stuart, of royal ancestry, with-
out adverting to the pink stockings, short
dress, and white satin shoes, having heels two
or three inches high, neatly covered with red
morocco leather, and fastened by a handsome
pair of buckles containing many brilliant
stones.
OF. COLONEL LANDMANN.
243
After pronouncing all the usual compliments
in reference to the commencement of the new
year, and passing some very absurd flattery
on her ornaments, but which my friend Lacy
conducted with exquisite talent, and having
sipped a glass of noyeau, we most respectfully
inquired if we might be permitted to have the
honour of paying our respects to the young
ladies; when, after a short pause, Mrs. Stuart
observed, "well, gentlemen, since you are so
obliging as to wish to extend your visit to the
children, I shall ascertain if they are prepared;"
then, ringing the bell, she ordered the servant
to see if the children were dressed, and if so, to
desire. they might be brought in. In a few
minutes, the children were ushered into our
presence, and proved to be three very fine
young women, the youngest about twenty years
of age: but we were merely permitted to bow
and pass the usual compliments of the season,
after which, Mrs. Stuart, in a very commanding
tone, addressed them, "there—there—children,
don't make yourselves disagreeable-away with
ye!" the poor girls instantly obeyed, and ran
off to the nursery. One of these adult babies,
some time afterwards, contrived to get married
M 2
244 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
to a Captain S― in the 24th regiment, then
stationed at Quebec.
At four o'clock I was introduced to the
officers of the artillery and engineer mess by
my commandant, with whom I had the honour
of dining on that day, and was, as a matter
of form, proposed and admitted a member.
Our mess-room was a very comfortable place;
it was arched over about thirty feet in length,
and although there was a crack in the arch
extending from one abutment to the other, I
believe it has not yet fallen. The members
were, to the best of my recollection, Lieutenant-
Colonel Mann, Chief Engineer; Major Schalch,
Royal Artillery; Lieutenants Caddy, Kidgel,
Rogers, Truscott, also of the Artillery, Captain
Bryce, and Lieutenants Lacy and myself of the
Royal Engineers; in addition to these there
were, as honorary members, George Hariot, Esq.,
soon afterwards Postmaster-General in North
America, Doctors Graham and Sone, and
perhaps some others.
At an early hour we broke up from table,
in order to prepare for the grand ball and
supper at the Governor's residence, and as it
was necessary that I should be presented in
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
245
due form, I was directed to be at the château
by half-past seven o'clock punctually. Accord-
ingly at the stated time, I was ushered into
the presentation chamber, adjoining the ball-
room, and there, amidst some fifteen or
twenty ladies and gentlemen, all under the
same circumstances, I waited, standing, the im-
portant moment; for, in order to prevent the
possibility of any one being caught sitting in
this imitation royal apartment, every chair and
seat of every description had been carefully
removed.
At length the General and his lady, Mrs.
Prescott, attended by the aids-de-camp, the
Deputy-Adjutant-General, Deputy-Quarter-Mas-
ter-General, &c., and a number of other officers
on the staff made their entrée. His Excel-
lency, standing rather prominently, and the
retinue, forming the usual crescent, slightly
retired. Each individual, as governed by acci-
dent, was presented by the aide-de-camp in
waiting; the gentlemen made well-studied
court-bows, upon which his Excellency had
always some obliging inquiry to make, which,
however, did not exceed two or three questions.
On being led up to the Captain-General, each
246 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
lady made a very low courtsey, her knees
almost touching the carpet, and retained an
erect posture; immediately on rising his Excel-
lency advanced and kissed her, and although
eighty winters at least had passed their chills
through his blood, it was remarked that he
performed that agreeable part of his official
duties with the warmth of his most youthful
days. Each individual was in like manner
and with equal pomp presented to Mrs. Pres-
cott.
All the ladies and gentlemen thus newly
admitted into the aristocratic sphere, moved on
into the ball-room, as quickly as each presenta-
tion had been completed; after which a flourish
of trumpets was sounded in the orchestra, as
two doors at the opposite extremity of the
room opened, announcing that the King and
Queen, represented by the Governor and his
lady, were about to make their entrée. The
King, preceded by the master of ceremonies,
and followed by his numerous staff, entered by
the door on the right, and the Queen, attended
by her daughter, Mrs. Baldwin, who had been
married to one of the General's aides-de-camp,
and by four or five other ladies, in some way
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
247
#
either connected with the Governor's family,
or with the principal officers of the Govern-
ment, entered by the door on the left.
The trumpets having instantly ceased, the
full band struck up "God save the King!"
and continued playing that celebrated national
anthem during the whole of the time that the
King and Queen were walking round the room,
addressing a few words to each person as they
passed, who were all standing, and until they
arrived at the upper end of the room, where
the royal seats were placed under the orchestra.
The music now stopped, upon which the master
of ceremonies advanced to the royal personages,
bowed to the ground, and was ordered to lead
forth the couple destined to dance the menuet
de la cour, a formality never omitted on these
grand nights. The master of ceremonies
bowed again, and accordingly proceeded, and
immediately led out a Monsieur de Chambeau
and Miss Robe, who advanced to the King
and Queen, saluted, and proceeded with the
minuet.
The former was a perfect Frenchman in
manners; had a large head, with a brown face
pitted with the small-pox, large eyes, and
248 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
elevated, arched eye-brows, and an astonishing
mouth, containing an abundance of exceedingly
long teeth, of various colours, his body was
small and short, his legs thin, and feet and
hands were of good dimensions. Miss Robe
was tall and elegant, had been very handsome,
and danced the minuet to perfection, and
received loud and reiterated applause on being
reconducted to her seat, and saluting after and
before advancing to the royal representative.
Several iron stauncheons were at this moment
brought in by the servants, and screwed into
the floor in a line, through the top of which
a rope covered with baize was passed; by this
arrangement the room was divided longitudinally
into two equal parts. The long country dance
was forthwith commenced, one in each division,
and was kept up with great spirit until past
twelve, when all the company descended to the
supper, which was prepared with great elegance,
totally regardless of expense. In the course
of the evening, Mrs. Prescott kindly introduced
me to her son, Sash Prescott, about fourteen
years of age, aide-de-camp to his father.
Captain Baldwin, another aide-de-camp, had
married Miss Prescott, and the third aide-de-
#
OF COLONEL LANDMANN,
249
camp was François de Bouillie, son of the
Marquis, and a lieutenant in the 64th regiment ;
he had emigrated from France, and at the
restoration of Louis XVIII., returned to his
native country. The other officers of the staff
were Lieutenant-Colonel W. Doyl, Deputy-
Adjutant-General, who married a Miss Smith,
and Lieutenant-Colonel Bumbury, Lieutenant-
Colonel Joseph Barnes, of the Royal Artillery,
was Deputy-Quarter-Master-General and Deputy-
Barrack-Master-General, to whom I had brought
a letter of introduction.
One of the first objects of necessity on
arriving in this country is to be provided
with a good horse, and a fashionable high-
runner sleigh. My inquiries in search of such
an equipage were anticipated by an offer from
de Bouillie, to sell me his set-out complete,
horse, harness, and sleigh, for the moderate
sum of one hundred dollars, or little more than
twenty pounds. The horse was handsome, and
named Cupid, but was rather aged, and had
seen his best days, and the sleigh, which was
painted pale blue, although very pretty, and
exceedingly light, soon afterwards required
M 3
250
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
numerous repairs. All this was not surprising,
having regard to the price I had paid.
The possession of this most indispensable
accommodation enabled me to join the beef-
steak club, consisting of some twelve to fifteen
members, and we met in the country to dine
at the distance of eight, or ten, or even fifteen
miles from town. The chair was taken by
rotation, when the president was expected to
furnish the rump of beef, and one bottle of
wine and another of porter, whilst the vice-
president was required to supply two bottles
of wine, and two of porter; all the other
members brought with them one bottle of wine
and one of porter, two plates and knives and
forks; each member was permitted to bring
a friend, for whom he was required to provide
the bottle of porter and of wine.
In this way all went on very pleasantly,
for no one felt any inconvenience in being the
president, to supply the rump of beef, which
rarely exceeded thirty pounds in weight, and
cost as many pence; the price being one penny
per pound for newly-killed meat, whereas that
which had been killed in the commencement
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
25.1
of the winter and frozen, was only half that
price.
Very soon after I had made the purchase of
de Bouillie's horse and sleigh, and had been
duly elected a member of the club, the place
agreed upon for our next weekly meeting, was
at the Red House, about six or eight miles
above Quebec, on the road to the falls of the
Chaudière, and to which we had to descend by
a very steep road cut out of the face of a
very precipitous bank of great elevation: this
although rather narrow, had no fence nor other
protection.
Major Schalch of the Royal Artillery and
myself agreed that we should go together,
he supplying the horse and I the sleigh. Ac-
cordingly on the Thursday following, we set
out, the major driving. We found all matters
to our satisfaction; and proceeded to descend
from near the plains of Abraham towards the
St. Lawrence, by the road above described
when suddenly I perceived that the shaft was
unhooked on my side, in consequence of the
backing of the horse to resist the too rapid
progress of the sleigh. I instantly, in great
alarm, for I was next to the precipice, commu-
;
252 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
nicated my discovery to Schalch, who could not
see what had happened, but thinking it would
be better to put on a little speed to relieve the
horse from the sleigh which now begun to run
upon his heels, agitated his whip, and upon
which the horse started off, but in so doing
the sleigh being drawn by one side of the
shaft, unavoidably ran off the road over the
precipice, exactly at a place where it was the
steepest and most alarming.
In one instant the sleigh swung round
entirely off the road, hanging almost perpen-
dicularly from the horse whose hind legs had
by the jirk been also dragged off the road, the
horse making many efforts to sustain the
weight of us two and of the sleigh, by the
strength of his fore legs, I knew nothing
of Schalch's speculations on the result, but
I well knew that I thought my life was not
worth ten minute's purchase, yet in order to
relieve the horse from my weight and to snap
at a chance, I disentangled my feet from the
apron, which was as usual in Canada during
the winter, very tightly and closely buttoned
up-when away I went, plump down over the
back of the sleigh, head foremost down the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
253
-
precipice twenty-five feet, at least, without
touching anything, and fell on my side into
immensely deep snow, fortunately missing the
trees growing lower down, where the bank
was not quite upright; with the utmost
despatch I scrambled, rolling further down,
but got my head out of the snow just in
time to see Schalch come down as I had, and
he fell past me, still the horse was holding
on and such were the exertions the poor
creature made that, had any two men been at
hand, I believe he might have been replaced
on the road; but at length quite exhausted,
he also together with the sleigh came down
turning head over heels. We had fortunately
profited by the delay of a few seconds that had
occurred before the falling of the horse to get
behind a large tree.
The horse lay nearly covered over in the
snow ten to fifteen feet deep, without the least
struggling, and I thought him killed; but
after a while, and with much difficulty we
worked our way round to a less perpendicular
spot; and having succeeded in procuring the
assistance of five or six men, we ultimately
accomplished the heavy task of removing the
254 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
horse and carriage to the bottom of the bank
and thence to the road; and to our unspeakable
surprise and delight, neither the horse nor the
sleigh having sustained any serious injury.
Although I had desired the shafts of my
sleigh to be better secured, but a few days
after I had another narrow escape whilst
taking a drive about the town; I met Lieu-
tenant T. Paterson of the Royal Artillery, and
invited him to jump into my sleigh. Having
some motive for wishing to go into the lower-
town, he requested I would drive him thither,
and accordingly I proceeded to the gate at
the top of the steep hill leading to the lower-
town. The road during winter was rendered
very inconvenient by the necessity of cutting
away the snow and ice in order to close the
gates at night, a ceremony never omitted whilst
I was at Quebec.
Here in making the plunge into the gateway,
the shaft again became unhooked, and was not
perceived until Monsieur Le Houillier, the per-
fumer, who was standing at his shop door, gave
me the first notice of it. It was, however, too
late, for my friend Cupid had taken the alarm,
and was off at a hand canter down the steep
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
255
hill. Before reaching the sharp bend to the
left in the middle of the hill, Paterson threw
himself out, but I remained in the sleigh in the
hope of being able to stop the horse. I was
mistaken, for he turned the corner with such
speed that the sleigh was upset-pitching me
out with such force, that my head, fortunately
well covered with my military fur cap, was
dashed through the window of Monsieur
Michel Forton, a very little man, and the
only working silversmith in all Quebec. On
this occasion the repairs of my sleigh amounted
to several pounds.
On viewing the St. Lawrence from this place
(Quebec) I felt greatly surprised on being in-
formed that it frequently was frozen across
to Point Levy and even down to the island
of Orleans. The narrowest part of the St. Law-
rence along many miles of its course is at
Quebec, and measures thirteen hundred yards;
I learnt at the same time that very severe cold
alone was not sufficient to form what is locally
called a pont. In addition to a very low
temperature, at the moment of the turning of
the tide at high water, there must also be no
256 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
wind, whilst a slight fall of snow should accom-
pany the above conditions.
Whilst all the beau monde are anticipating
the pleasure of driving on a beautifully clear
sheet of ice, and the inhabitants generally and
the market-people residing on the opposite
shore, hail the pont with much satisfaction,
and even enthusiastic joy, yet as that event
necessarily throws out of employment a con-
siderable body of boatmen, and particularly
all those persons connected with the manage-
ment of the ferry, it is not unreasonable to
expect that those people should put in requi-
sition every effort in their power, which may
hold out a chance of preventing the freezing
of the St. Lawrence at this place. With this
object in view, as often as there are any symp-
toms unfavourable to their interests, they vigi-
lantly watch the river, constantly having at their
command a large force; every man armed with
a long pole standing at intervals of a few feet
apart, along that portion of the shore which
projects the most, and which is the most likely
to impede the ice from following the current of
the tide when turning at the commencement of
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
257
ebb; and this place is exclusively along the
lower town.
Should a thin sheet of newly formed ice
at high water stop at the first of the ebbing
of the tide, the whole of the gentlemen with the
long poles commence smashing the edges, in
order that nothing shall detain it from being
floated away by the receding stream, which
here runs at the rate of four or five miles
per hour; and in this way they have occasionally
been successful.
During the night of the 18th of January
1798, soon after my arrival at Quebec, the
pont was formed, and at an early hour on the
following morning, the news of the joyful event
was spread throughout the city and circumjacent
country; upon which, swarms of sleighs for
pleasure and business descended to the river on
both sides, and, without inquiring into the
strength of the ice, darted off on the newly-
formed pont, in the fullest confidence that it was
abundantly strong, although but six hours old.
It was very interesting to observe the bold-
ness of the horses, in stepping from the shore
on to a sheet of ice as bright as a looking-
glass, without shyness or perceptible alarm.
258 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Persons residing in Europe are usually im-
pressed with a belief, that skating is a very
ordinary amusement here, yet, as the first fall
of snow, after a fine sheet is formed, covers
it up for the winter, it is at best but of very
short duration; and even then the severity of
the temperature renders the ice so hard that the
edges of the skates make but little impression
on it.
The ice in a few days after it is formed,
usually acquires a thickness of two feet to
two feet and a half, and that which is carried
away to the ice-houses is always in the largest
manageable masses, and as transparent
crystal.
as
In summer, this clear ice is an important
article of luxury, for although short, the heat is
at times, very severe. The usual subscription
to our military ice-house was one dollar, to
defray the expense of filling the place, and
for which we had, a block of ice, every
morning, as large as a persons' head, and
after dinner at the mess, we had, in addition
to the quantity necessary for cooling the wine,
water, and butter, plates full of broken lumps
of ice, the size of white sugar prepared for tea,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
259
and which we used to throw into each glass
of wine.
I believe that on the night above mentioned,
when the river was frozen over to Point Levy,
the temperature was lower than it had been
known by the oldest inhabitants, or recorded on
the numerous registers kept in Quebec; for on
the following morning I met Doctor North, the
chief medical officer in Canada, and he told me,
that on returning home from the grand ball
given by the Governor in honour of the
Queen's birthday, he had immediately consulted
his thermometer when it indicated a tempera-
ture of 43° below zero. Now, as that is about
the temperature at which mercury is said to
freeze, the Doctor without hesitation, broke his
thermometer in order to ascertain if the
mercury were frozen, when he found that the
ball of quicksilver retained the spherical shape
and rolled about, resembling a newly cast pistol-
bullet. I was afterwards informed, that a spirit
thermometer had, on that occasion, indicated
a temperature of 47° below zero.
During the continuance of such intensely
cold weather, officers and non-commissioned
officers commanding guards had a discretionary
260 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
ง
power to relieve their sentinels as often as they
might think it expedient, and although in some
extreme cases they have been relieved every
quarter of an hour, yet some instances are on
record of sentinels being found standing up in
their boxes frozen to death. Amongst the
peasantry and market-people, I have myself
seen two cases of that nature in full daylight.
One in particular, a Canadian, was sitting alone
in his sleigh, on the road to St. Foix, with the
reins in his hand and the horse advancing at a
walking pace against a most cutting north-
wester; and, excepting that his face had
assumed the colour of hogs' lard or white wax,
there was no indication of death or of his
having suffered any pain, his eyes being closed
as one sleeping, and he had probably been
drinking a glass or two of strong liquor and
fallen asleep- the frequent cause of death by
frost.
Having often heard it asserted by persons
who had experienced very severe temperatures
at Petersburg, that a glass of water thrown
out of an upper window would fall in the shape
of ice or snow, I here availed myself of an
extremely cold temperature; when the ther-
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
261
mometer showed the quicksilver down to 25°
below zero. I went up to the first floor,
carrying with me a pint pot full of water nearly
boiling, when, dashing its contents upwards
into the air, so as to divide the particles, the
whole of the water thus dispersed, was instantly
frozen and carried away by the breeze in the
form of snow. I soon had occasion to notice
that an agitated atmosphere and a low tempera-
ture were incompatible with each other, so that
severely cold weather is invariably attended by
a calm; were this not the case, the effect
of a sharp north-wester, when the thermometer
should indicate any temperature below zero,
would be quite insupportable by the human
system.
During very severe cold weather, in inhaling
the breath the moisture of the air in the mouth
and throat becomes frozen, producing a very
remarkable sensation, which in some degree
is felt like the first effects of breathing carbonic
acid gas. By opening a window suddenly of
a well-heated room, the whole of the moisture
contained in the atmosphere of the room is
instantly converted into sleet, and falls in the
course of a minute. Hence it must be evident
262
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
that the winter atmosphere in Canada is per-
fectly dry, and may account for the extraordinary
salubrity of that climate. One of the strongest
proofs of the severity of the cold is, that at
an early period of the winter, every bird seeks
for a warmer climate, more to the southward,
even the crows and the like species of birds
withdraw themselves from Lower Canada, and
when, towards the beginning or middle of
April, some of them are seen hopping about
on the ice, searching along the roads for food,
it is regarded as a sure indication that the winter
is breaking up, and no return of extreme cold
need be apprehended.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
263
CHAPTER XI.
Inconveniences of the severe cold in Canada-New-come
soldiers' tricks-The Canadian market-people-The
sleighs-Dearness of furs in Canada-Ice-huts of
fishermen-Optical deceptions on the ice-Sleighs
for field-guns-Tommy Cod-Colonel T. D.— His
miraculous stories - New Year's Day, and balls at
the château-Le Maître-Lord and Lady Dorchester
The last Jesuit-Military honours paid to the host.
ON the arrival in Canada of Englishmen,
they are exposed to numerous annoyances,
caused by the intensity of the temperature.
One of the first is, touching a knocker on
a door or a thumb latch without gloves, when
the imperceptible moisture on the skin instantly
freezes the fingers to the metal, to which the skin
must be left attached; but they soon acquire the
habit of never handling any metallic substance
that has been a short time exposed to a low
264 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
temperature without gloves or mittens, and
in the absence of that protection a handker-
chief or skirt of the coat is a good substitute.
Recently arrived recruits are considered by those
who have been played upon, on their coming
into that country, as fair subjects on whom to
practice a variety of tricks, many of them of
a cruel nature. One, which I recollect to have
witnessed in the Jesuits' barracks, as they are
styled, then occupied by the 24th regiment,
and happened whilst I was in conversation with
Lieutenant Forster, of the Grenadiers, that an
old soldier, addressing a new comer, said:
"I say, Tom, take this here hammer, and drive
that ere nail in the wall out there to hang up
this bedding," pointing to a large spike nail
on the snow just under the spot where the
nail was to be driven. Tom did as he had
been desired, but he could not withdraw his
hand from the nail, which had been expressly
exposed to the severe cold. He hallooed and
uttered various cries of distress, but no one
came to his assistance, and he was ultimately
compelled to leave the skin of his fingers on
the spike, just as would have been the case
had it been red-hot. The Canadian market
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
265
people soon discover the new comers from
others, and sell them frozen milk, which they
pass off as hog's lard, and to which it bears,
in a frozen state, a strong resemblance.
Our first winter at Quebec discloses to us
many novel and very interesting matters pecu-
liar to a severe climate. Thus I was much
pleased with the elegance of the high runner
sleighs, only used by the upper classes of the
Europeans. These vehicles resemble the body
of a gig raised on four branches, or standards,
of iron eight or ten inches long, resting on
two skates. These were always drawn by one
horse, excepting here and there when a tandem
was started, and many of these carriages are
made very elegantly. The horses are small,
under fifteen hands, active, and frequently very
good trotters, yet a pacer is much esteemed,
each having two or three small, clear-sounding
bells suspended from a hoop of iron rising
from the collar. These bells are required by
law, to prevent persons from being run over in
the streets; for the sleighs make so little noise
in passing recently fallen snow, that it would
be difficult for pedestrians to get out of their
way without that notice; and in the country
VOL. I.
N
266 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
during dark nights in woods the jingling is
equally useful as a warning.
The extensive use here of furs by gentlemen
as well as ladies attracted my notice on my
arrival. I called on Mr. Wolfe the furrier in
the market-place at Quebec, and provided
myself with a large black bear-skin muff,
which I used only after dark or when travelling
-of course not when I was driving. A muff,
under such circumstances, is a most excellent
and very important addition to our comfort,
particularly in travelling against the wind,
sheltering our faces from the severity of the
cold, in short, is equivalent to an additional
great-coat. I also purchased of Mr. Wolfe
a pair of mittens, which thoroughly keep the
hands warm, and are made of double cariboo-
skin, with flannel between the two, and the
wrists are trimmed with beaver, otter, or other
compact fur. I also purchased of the same fur-
rier a military fur cap of martin-skins, for which
I paid four guineas, and very soon discovered
that every description of fur was more expensive
at Quebec than in England. Of this I will give
a convincing proof.
From the time of my being appointed to
儡
​OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
267
serve in Canada, I had resolved on sending
home to my dear mother a handsome martin
muff and tippet, for which I paid sixteen
guineas. In a few months afterwards, my
friend Lieutenant Lacy sailed with them for
England, where on their arrival they were
valued at less than half the cost price.
The costume of the Canadian farmers and
market people was in winter, and may still
be the same, frequently consisting of a white
deer skin leather coat, fancifully painted by
the Indians, fastened round the waist by a
party coloured worsted sash, a red worsted cap,
or sometimes one of fisher or raccoon skin
covers the head, whilst on the feet they have
shoes of brick-red colour of home tanned
very thick leather; these shoes are as soft
on the soles as on the top; are made like those
of the Indians, and if they are well greased
they keep out the wet and cold very satis-
factorily.
In arriving from a distance of a few miles
in the country, the frozen breath and moisture
from the horses' noses form thick icicles that
hang almost to the ground, giving them some-
what the air of young elephants. I was also
=
N 2
268 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
much struck at the appearance of the soldiers,
who here assume a novel aspect, all were
provided with military fur caps and great coats,
made of blankets.
In descending to the river Charles, which at
Quebec unites with the St. Lawrence, our
curiosity is aroused at perceiving the river
thickly covered with small huts, eight to ten
feet square, built entirely of large slabs of ice
sawn out of the frozen river, and set up edge-
wise, and covered in like manner: they are
cemented by throwing water over the joints.
which instantly freezes. These huts I found
to be occupied by persons fishing with a line
through a hole in the ice to which the fish
were attracted in order to procure air, and
I was greatly surprised on discovering that
each of these huts contained a stove with a
fire, rendering the temperature of the interior.
considerably higher than I had expected, yet
not sufficiently warm to melt away the floor or
walls.
All the roads were then marked during the
winter, both on land and on the ice, with young
pine trees, about ten to fifteen feet high; the
lower branches being stripped gave them the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
269
:
appearance of small trees planted in the earth.
On the ice this arrangement enlivens the roads,
they are denominated by the Canadians balises;
and as the trees are planted at short intervals,
not exceeding forty or fifty feet, they are of the
utmost importance to travellers, by preventing
them from losing the road, when every trace of
it is frequently, during a snow storm, completely
effaced in twenty minutes.
It was during a calm morning after a con-
siderable fall of snow, which had completely
covered every trace of a road on the ice,
extending from Quebec to the island of
Orleans, that I took a walk, and without
any premeditated object I set forward and
found myself rambling about on the ice, thus
newly covered with snow, before the balises
had been planted. I had been more than
an hour walking forwards, when a fog began
to form sufficient to conceal from my view
every portion of land. I felt no uneasiness
at this event, for I could still readily distinguish
objects at a considerable distance as I supposed
in every direction. Let it be clearly understood
that the whole of the surface I was on, as far
as I could see, was free from irregularities, free
270 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
from masses of ice, free from any perceptible
object, in short it was one uniform surface,
blending with the horizon, whilst the sky over
head was perfectly clear. During some time I
proceeded without taking much notice of the
singular effect produced by the state of the
snow.
At length, on looking around, in the hope of
discovering some object which might assist me in
forming a judgement of distances, I fancied I saw
a small animal in motion: I instantly took a few
steps in that direction, when supposing myself to
be within eight or ten yards, threw my stick at it;
but the missile seemed to fall almost at my feet,
without in any degree attracting its notice. I
then advanced quickly, and having recovered
my stick, during a minute or two I remained
plunged in the deepest perplexity of thought.
After a while, however, I recollected I had in
my pocket a small spy-glass, which I usually
carried with me when out of town. To this
valuable auxiliary I had immediate recourse,
when, to my unspeakable astonishment, I soon
perceived that, the little creature apparently
within ten or fifteen yards of me, was a
horse and sleigh, on the road to the falls of
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
271
Montmorency, distant at least three quarters
of a mile.
I now turned back under some anxiety,
intending to find my way to Quebec, and
had proceeded about half a mile in that direc-
tion, guided by the sun, when I thought I
perceived the promontory on which the city
is seated, yet it seemed to be much larger
than it should be; this, however, I attributed
to the fog. Here again I was deceived for on
advancing but some twenty yards, I ascertained
that it was simply a fragment of ice, not a foot
in height and perhaps ten to twelve feet long.
I have witnessed many other equally singular
optical deceptions, under similar circumstances,
entirely occasioned by the absence of a scale to
guide the judgment, in forming an estimate of
the dimensions and distances of objects. A year
or two after this I was at Niagara, the ground
covered with snow, and having lost my way at
night, on the plains, extending about a mile, be-
tween Fort George and the town of Newark, I
suddenly, as I thought, saw a man at some dis-
tance; upon which, lest I might lose sight of him,
before I should have time to inquire my way, I
sprang forward to intercept him, when, to my
272 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
astonishment, I came in contact with the stump
of a tree, about two feet high, which at the
moment of my advance could not have been
further from me than a couple of yards.
About the winter of 1798 or 1799, it was
thought desirable to make some arrangements
for enabling field artillery to act during the
winter season, which would have been quite
impracticable with wheeled carriages, even on
the roads, since their guage was much greater
than the span between the runners of the sleighs.
Accordingly sleighs were constructed of such
dimensions as should admit of the ordinary
field pieces with their carriages entire, to be put
upon them, and were drawn either by horses or
by men.
As soon as all things were ready, the first
experiment was made on the ice between
Quebec and the island of Orleans; it answered
very well until a shot was fired to ascertain the
strength of the sleigh, and also to notice the
range of such guns when fired on the ice; but
at the first discharge the recoil was so enormous,
I forget how much exactly, but certainly from
fifty to one hundred feet, it was ordered that no
more shot should be fired until some mode
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
273
could be devised for checking that evil. The
next experiment with that view was by a
vertical piece of iron made to slide perpendi-
cularly downwards, like a bolt, the lower end
being made in the form of a chisel, and on pre-
paring to fire, this bolt was struck down so as
to enter a half inch or so into the ice; but the
back of the chisel was placed towards the rear
of the gun, offering a perpendicular resistance
to the recoil. The gun was now fired, when
the chisel-bolt offered such unyielding and
rigid opposition to the powerful and sudden
effect of the recoil, that the field piece with
its travelling carriage and sleigh made a leap
a yard high at least, and throwing a summerset,
fell on its back, and went on sliding and
twirling towards the rear to a considerable
distance.
It now appeared, on duly considering the
subject, that a resistance by severe friction, more
on the principle of the mode of checking
progress and stopping with skates, would be
better and more likely to succeed; this was
accomplished by turning the chisel-bolt so as
to present the oblique side of the cutting-part
to the ice at an angle of about 40°, instead of
N 3
274 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
the perpendicular back, and a weight of some
pounds was placed on the top of the bolt.
Upon trial, I believe, this was found to answer
tolerably well. As to the range of the shot, I
do not recollect it exactly, but I think, that
although the first graze could not, of course, be
affected by the ice, yet the length of the
ricochet, and extent of the final rolling of the
shot was, I should say, quite double of the
same on ordinary hard gound.
During one of the various excursions I
made from Quebec, I saw some people on the
ice at about ten miles above Quebec, and they
seemed to be very busily engaged near a large
hole which, at first, I thought, had been made
for the purpose of procuring water. I was
curious to learn the nature of their pursuits,
so, leaving my sleigh, I contrived, not without
some difficulty, to descend the banks of the
St. Lawrence, to the river, and reached the
spot. I then ascertained that they were fishing
with a net stretched on a frame resembling an
earthenware crate, with one of the small ends
open, and which seemed to be just about the
size of the hole through the ice. This framed-
net was let down with the open end towards
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
275
the direction of the tide, so that, as the fish
came up or went down with the current, they
would enter the net and be caught; for it
would seem they had not the wit to turn back.
The net had not been many minutes in the
water when it was drawn up, and its contents
cast out on the ice, amounting to several
bushels of a small fish about the size of
large smelts exactly resembling a cod-fish,
through which reason, I suppose, it is called
Tommy-cod. Immediately on the net being
drawn up, I observed the cattle on the shore
running towards us from various quarters, and
they devoured the fish with great relish. These
people assured me those fish were very good,
and they eat them with as much relish as their
cattle. This induced me to carry away with
me a hundred or two in the seat of my sleigh,
but before I could place them there they were
completely frozen. On the following morning,
out of a couple of dozen I desired to be broiled
for breakfast, three of them were restored to
life whilst thawing them in a bucket of cold
water, and they seemed to be as lively and
active as they had been before they were
taken.
1
276 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
It was, and may still be, a common practice
amongst the farmers at the commencement of
winter to kill all the cattle, sheep, hogs, poultry,
&c., which they intend for their own consump-
tion, or for market; these are immediately
exposed to the severe frost, are packed in snow,
and when a portion is required it must be
thawed by immersion in cold water, before it
can be cooked. In this way fish is also pre-
served quite fresh throughout the winter,
particularly oysters, which were brought to
Quebec as late in the season as possible prior to
the close of the navigation from the gulf.
With regard to such shell-fish I do not think
freezing kills them; for I have always found
them as difficult to open after being thawed as
they are when fresh taken from the beds.
In mentioning this subject of frozen animals
recovering their habitual activity after such a
total suspension of the circulation, sometimes
for several months, that it reminds me of a most
extraordinary story I heard narrated, before I
went to Canada, by a Colonel Thomas D
of the artillery, who, had been several years in
that country. The colonel was celebrated on
account of the very extraordinary events which
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
277
he related of his peregrinations in Canada. He
stated that whilst in Canada and quartered in
the vicinity of 'Niagara's stupendous' falls, he
was one day taking an agreeable walk, in the
spring of the year, when he was greatly pleased
on finding a most beautiful stick lying on the
path, and which was surprisingly marked in a
regular manner with the most splendid colours.
Much pleased with his good fortune, he carried
the stick home, and having placed it in the
corner, of the room, which was well warmed
by a stove; after attending to some unimpor-
tant matter, he was startled on observing his
stick quitting its corner, and he saw before
him one of the most venemous snakes, that can
be found on the whole continent of North
America.
The colonel whilst quartered at Niagara, was
one morning in the spring of the year, engaged
in writing and completing several letters, in
order to be ready in time to be forwarded to
England. He had been some considerable time
thus occupied, when, to his great annoyance,
the daylight seemed to be ebbing fast and very
suddenly too. He ordered candles, but after
some two hours time, to his fullest amazement,
278 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
he perceived daylight had returned, and the sky
beautifully clear, the sun shining as bright as ever.
This darkness, said he, had been caused by an
immense flock of pigeons flying over our quarters,
on their way from the south towards the north.
I must do the colonel the justice to observe,
that the flocks of pigeons in America, surpass
everything that can be thought possible by a
European who has never been in that country;
and I well remember, when at Niagara, our
making various calculations with a view to
arrive at some approximate amount of the
number composing one of these flocks; but
estimates so formed are unavoidably based on
so many if's, that no satisfactory result could be
obtained. I have seen a flock of pigeons,
undoubtedly two or three miles wide, and which
was three or four hours flying past one spot.
They are said to fly at the rate of seventy
to ninety miles per hour; and I have seen
the Indian boys on the plains of Niagara,
knock down more with their sticks, than an
equal number of persons occupied at the same
time with their guns. The flight is frequently
so low as to pass within two or three feet from
the ground; but I have never noticed that the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
279
light of the sun had been in any way diminished
by them.
I shall record but one more of this celebrated
naturalist's anecdotes, and I think it was his
favourite story. The colonel, speaking of
Canada, often would observe, "that, Sir, is
the finest country in the world for the sports-
man; shooting, flying or on the branch, game
of all sorts, wild animals, such as bears,
deer, stags, carriboo's, moose-deer, hares, foxes,
&c., and a vast number more. But the
fishing surpasses them all; trout are there in
the greatest abundance: fifty dozen have I
taken in one day out of Lake Charles, near
Quebec. Why, Sir, I went out one day to
shoot salmon at a leap not far distant from
Quebec. I had not taken up my ground many
minutes, on the banks of a shallow and narrow
rivulet, when I observed a fine salmon working
up in an eddy, and getting ready to leap up the
falls about ten feet high, upon which I knocked
my gun, and, as he sprang out of the water, I
let fly, and down he fell. Strange as it may
appear, yet it is no less true, that just at the
same moment, a partridge flew right across in
the same direction as the fish, and caught a dose
280 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
of the shot, upon which it went on flying but a
short distance, and fell in a bush exactly
opposite, on the other side of the rivulet, which
of course I carefully marked. The stream was
running very swiftly, and I feared my salmon
would be floated away into deep water where
I could not follow him, so I hastened to secure
him with my landing-net.
I then took my
time about the partridge, and having stripped
my legs, I waded to the other side, and what do
you think, Sir? why I found the partridge
lying in the bush on a hare, Sir, I had shot
at the same time, he was struggling in his last
moments. Thus you see, Sir, I killed flesh,
fish, and fowl, at one shot." Having said this,
throwing up his spectacles to the top of his
forehead, as was his custom on these occasions
with an air of exultation, he exclaimed several
times, "oh, it's a most marvellous country
for the sportsman.
""
On the 18th of January, the anniversary of
the Queen's birthday, a grand ball was given
by the governor at the château. This was one
of the public nights, when all persons holding
certain offices under government, all officers of
the provincial militia, in addition to the military
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
281
and naval officers, had the privilege of attending
without special invitations. Many of those
individuals looked forward to that day with
extraordinary anxiety and impatience. Amongst
these was a Monsieur M, a Canadian, about
fifty to sixty years of age; a very large man,
and he prided himself on dressing in the best
court style, and also on his superlative polite-
ness and elegance of deportment.
Monsieur
Mwas fond of the good things composing
such a splendid supper, as never failed to be
provided on these occasions.
On this celebrated 18th day of January, 1798,
Monsieur M exercised his privilege of
being present at the ball and supper, and at
the latter took his seat on one of the long
benches covered with green baize, his back
turned towards the middle of the room-for
the tables followed the walls, leaving a consider-
able space in the centre. It was not necessary
that every person should sit down, nor indeed
would there have been sufficient space; the
officers in general prefered to remain standing
behind the ladies, displaying their zeal in
attending to their wants.
We now, as if by previous concert, began
T
282 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
to drink wine, who
was,
to invite Monsieur M
was exceedingly flattered by this frequent notice
taken of him by the officers. Monsieur had
been engaged many hours during the morning
in paying noyeau-visits, as we described those
calls on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of January, for
his acquaintance spread far and wide, and he
had not been able to complete the round of his
extensive circle during the limits of the three
first days of the year. Monsieur M
therefore well primed before he came to the
governor's ball; and whilst some of the wags
were engaging him in the flattering occupation
of drinking wine with them, others at his back
were filling his outside pockets gradually and
slyly; first the leg of a chicken was dropped
in, then a slice of tongue, some hard eggs and
beetroot salad, a custard, a glass of port-wine,
then a little punch and maccaroons, and so on
until it was thought prudent to desist.
Monsieur Mat length rose from his
seat, and commenced his voyage up the grand
stairs to the ball-room; but, from the dimen-
sions of his person, his age, or the deranged
head, I know not which, he clung to the
banisters with extended arms, whilst he
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
283
laboured, from step to step, his feet a yard
apart, causing him to swing from side to side,
the skirts of his ample fawn-coloured silk coat,
lined with white of the same material, swinging
from right to left and from left to right, partly
caused by the weight of the well-filled pockets.
His ambition was first to arrive at the top,
whence, with majestic gait, he traversed the
saloon many times, to the great satisfaction of
himself, for he was not blind to the attraction
his presence had created, since the eyes of the
company were almost exclusively concentrated
on himself, which strengthened his previously-
established conviction that he was by far the
best dressed and most elegant man in the
room.
The winters are so severe in Canada, but
particularly in the lower province, that all
out-of-door business at that season is necessarily
suspended; even the public works of every
description are stopped. Consequently, as an
officer of engineers, I had no duty to perform
nor any kind of official occupation. The
merchants gave themselves up to pleasuring
with the rest of the fashionables, since there
were no ships with goods to dispatch nor cargoes
284 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
expected. Parties of pleasure into the country,
beaf-steak clubs, pic-nics at the farmers' houses;
in short, every kind of recreation was sought
after and industriously pursued.
My best friend, Lieutenant Backwell of the
Royal Engineers, had arrived at Quebec a few
months before me, with his amiable wife,
formerly Betsy Le Maistre, of Jersey; and he
introduced me to Colonel Francis Le Maistre,
Mrs. Backwell's uncle. The Colonel was
governor of Gaspé, had been many years a
resident at Quebec; and at his house in the
society of his amiable family, consisting of his
lady and two daughters, with one son, then a
boy of twelve years of age, I passed many
very agreeable hours. Le Maistre was especially
fond of good living, and had grown to an extra
size; and whilst engaged in the pleasures of
the table, he frequently entertained his friends
with many anecdotes of days, long since gone
by.
He related, that a few years prior to the
time he was then speaking of, when Lord Dor-
chester was governor at Quebec, a young ensign,
who had just arrived from England to join his
regiment in Canada, was, according to custom,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
285
invited to dine at Government House. Lord
Dorchester was a very precise man, admired,
perfect carving, and was partial to all the little
niceties of society. His lordship had already
formed an unfavourable opinion of this young
man. He was too dégagé, and somewhat
careless, he had already spilled a little gravy,
but now he threw over a bumper of port wine,
which sent forth a long purple streak across
the white damask. The Governor was un-
fortunately sitting nearly opposite, and imme-
diately exclaimed: "Good God! Sir, where
could you have been brought up ?" fixing a
sharp reproachful look on the ensign, which
in nine cases out of ten would have started a
youngster from the table; but our friend, who
was of an aristocratic family, was not so easily
dismayed, and resting his case on its simplicity,
respectfully replied: "My lord, I was brought
up at my father's table, where we had a clean
table-cloth every day.”
A few days after this, Le Maistre proceeded,
our ensign was on duty at the main-guard
near the château occupied by the Governor,
when Lady Dorchester and her children, some
of them very young, were passing on foot in
286 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
front of the guard, and had to cross a very
insignificant gutter, which, however, was fre-
quently the channel of a very offensive drainage,
descending from the entrance into St. Louis
Street, and crossing the open space between
the château and the court-house. Lady Dor-
chester and her children proceeded towards the
saluting battery, and one of the children of
tender age, in attempting to leap over this
drain, not a foot wide, slipped and fell on his
back in the middle of it. The ensign, who
was lounging about in front of his guard, ran
to the assistance of the child, and replacing
it on his feet, with his own handkerchief wiped
off the mud, and endeavoured by kind and
affectionate words to silence the distress and
grief of the child; but in an instant, Lady
Dorchester, the proudest woman of her days,
on seeing the efforts of the young officer to
soothe the infant, and recognising in him the
impertinent ensign who had dared to insult
the Governor at his own table, and that too
in her presence, darted up to him full of rage,
angrily demanding: "How dare you, Sir, touch
my child with your unwholesome hands and
filthy handkerchief? How dare you, I say,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
287
again to repeat your insults and vulgar im-
pertinences ?"
"Oh, my lady, the mischief can be very
easily repaired," coolly retorted the offender,
and without allowing his temper to be in the
slightest degree ruffled, he took up the child
and laid it down again at his full length in the
gutter, then made one of his best bows to my
lady, and retired into the guard-room.
It was during the early part of the year
1798 that the last surviving member of the
Society of Jesus died at Quebec in the building
which had been the property of his order, up
to the period when Canada, and more particu-
larly Quebec had passed into the hands of
the British Government. On that occasion it
had been agreed that the Jesuits should retain
so much of that immense building as was
necessary for their accommodation, but that no
new members should be admitted, and that as
soon as the last should have expired, the whole
of the property was to be occupied by Govern-
ment. In proportion as the members of the
society diminished, so the Government ex-
tended its possession, and at the time when the
last Jesuit died, the convent was used as a
288 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
barrack by the 24th Regiment, excepting so
much as had been reserved for the residence
of the venerable father.
I was not present at the funeral procession
of this worthy Jesuit, who had attained a great
age, I believe nearly one hundred years. I was
informed that his body was carried through the
principal streets in an uncovered coffin, followed
by a numerous train of Roman-Catholic, clergy,
and an immense number of people of all classes
and persuasions, and that every honour was
shown to his memory. I do not know if the
procession was directed to pass any of the
military guard, but I well remember that when-
ever the host was carried past any of them,
it was not only expected, but it was ordered,
that the guard should turn out, open ranks,
present arms, and the whole to kneel on the
ground on one knee, then take off their hats,
and remain in that position until the procession
had passed on to the usual distance for con-
tinuing military honours. Our officers and
soldiers grumbled, but the order was nevertheless
strictly enforced.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
289
CHAPTER XII.
Order to go to the Island of St. Joseph-My first
gambling - Sir A. Mackenzie gives me a passage
in his canoe-Drunken party at La Chine, and its
consequences-The Ottaway river-The details of
canoe loads-Point-aux-Croix-Some of the rapids
-Arrival at St. Joseph's-The garrison—A scientific
traveller-Purchase of the island from the Indians-
Execution of McLean for high treason Salted
rations-Natural vegetation.
ON the 25th of April, the snow having
melted away so as to leave various places bare,
I received a note from Colonel Mann desiring me
to be with him on the following morning, when
he put into my hands an order to proceed to
the island of St. Joseph, the furthest military
post in Upper Canada, seated at, or near, the
junction of Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan.
I also received some general instructions and
VOL. I.
290 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
two estimates, one for executing the works
necessary to form a complete military post,
consisting of a large block-house, a guard-house,
a powder-magazine, a provision-store, an Indian
department store-house, an Indian council-house,
and a baking-house, the whole to be enclosed
by palisades; moreover, I was ordered to
construct a wharf for the use of the shipping;
but there were no plans, sections, nor even
descriptions of the buildings. In regard to the
financial department, I was desired to draw
bills on the commanding engineer for such
sums as might be required for payment of
the workmen. In consequence of the great
distance of the island of St. Joseph from
Quebec-about fourteen hundred miles-a valu-
able portion of the summer would be consumed
before I could arrive at my destination, were I
to proceed by the ordinary military route; that is,
by Kingston, Niagara and Amherstburgh, I was
therefore desired to use my best efforts to obtain
a passage in one of the North-West Company's
canoes, which annually proceeded by the River
Ottaway.
I secured a passage in a small trading-sloop
to Montreal, and, as the hour for her sailing
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
291
was about two o'clock in the morning, my
friend Captain-Lieutenant Edward Vincent Eyre,
of the 26th regiment, invited me to pass the
evening preceding my departure at his lodgings,
where I met a party composed chiefly of officers
of the 24th and 26th regiments, and there
were also some of the Artillery, and my friend
Lieutenant Backwell of the Engineers, who, was
also under orders to proceed to Amherstburgh,
to relieve Lieutenant Cooper of the same corps.
The party assembled, and as many whist-
tables were opened as necessary, and thus
all proceeded quietly until near supper time,
when one of the party took up the cards, and
whilst the cloth was spreading, offered to play
at lansquenet for six-pences; this did not con-
tinue longer than a few minutes, when the
whole sat down to the cold meat.
As soon as the cloth had been removed,
Lieutenant Sheerman, of the 26th, who had
lost a few six-pences, took up the cards, and
recommenced the lansquenet, when from six-
pences to shillings, from shillings to half-dollars,
from half-dollars to dollars, and then half
guineas, and guineas, the game assumed a
formal gambling, in right good earnest. I
o 2
292 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
soon not only lost every penny of ten pounds,
I had provided for my journey, but had lost as
much more which I had borrowed from my
friends, Backwell and Eyre, who, moreover, lent
me six pounds to carry me on my journey to
St. Joseph's.
The hour had arrived for my embarkation,
when Backwell and Eyre escorted me to the
market-place, in the lower town. Groping
our way through the silent streets, for it was
past midnight, and we neither met a human
being, nor did we even see a light, such was the
tranquillity of the streets of Quebec at the time
I am writing. Not without some difficulty we
procured a boat, and on arriving alongside of
the little sloop, we learnt that another vessel
had run against her by which she had been so
damaged, that she could not proceed that night
-nor indeed for at least a couple of days.
We returned, and Eyre gave me a shake-down
for the remainder of the night.
On the next evening, Backwell, Eyre, and
myself went to pass an hour or two at Colonel
Le Maistre's. There was no formal party, Mrs.
Backwell being the only lady in addition to the
Colonel's family, and we played a sixpenny pool
OF COLONEL LANDMANN,
293
"
at commerce, when the ladies left the room to`
attend to the supper arrangements; upon this,
having the cards in my hand, I remarked to
Eyre and Backwell, who were standing at the
table, "do you remember last night," as I
turned up for the company and self?
I
Eyre at once said: "I'll set a pound," "So
will I," exclaimed Backwell. "Done," I replied,
when before three cards had been turned up,
had won. "Double or quits," they both ex-
claimed, "it's done," said I, and I won again.
I was very young indeed, for I four times
accepted to double, but had the good fortune
each time to win; another doubling was pro-
posed, but I saw the folly of going on, and I
said no I should set one guinea each, which I
again won, and so went on till I had won
twenty-six pounds, at which moment the ladies
coming in, I surrendered the cards, and we
proceeded to supper. This piece of good
fortune enabled me to repay my friends, and
I very solemnly resolved, never to play again
for more than a very trifling stake. I have
ever since that day most rigidly observed my
determination.
On my arrival at Montreal, Sir Alexander
294 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Mackenzie was so kind as to give me a passage
in one of the light-canoes of the North-West-
Company, about to proceed to the Grand-
Portage, on Lake Superior, by way of the
Grand or Ottaway river; and it was arranged
I should take my seat in a canoe with Mr.
William, McGillivray, Mr. Shaw, and one of
the company's clerks, Mr. Wells. All the
preparations for this stupendous journey, being
completed, on the 12th of May, the earliest
day in the spring, when it was judged prudent
to set out in order to avoid meeting with
obstruction from the ice, I left Montreal in
a calèche with McGillivray, and in the moderate
space of three hours, arrived without broken
bones or sore injuries, at La Chine, distant nine
miles from Montreal.
The road we had followed, the only one
between those places, which scarcely deserved
such a name, was at first rough enough, but
on advancing it entered a sort of wood, where
every one followed his own fancy. The surface
was covered or scattered thickly with stones,
each of them large enough to upset any kind of
vehicle, and these were partly standing in water,
so that in proceeding it not unfrequently hap-
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
295
pened, that in turning this way to avoid one of
those masses you plunged the wheel of your
carriage, on the other side, into a deep hole in
the ground, concealed by the water.
At La Chine we found the two canoes,
destined to proceed with us, by the shore
opposite to a house belonging to the North-West
Company; and wherein an abundant luncheon
was waiting our arrival. Several officers in the
army, amongst them Colonel Gordon and
Lieutenant McArthur, of the 60th regiment,
and some of the North-West Company, not about
to form part of our expedition, had accompanied
us, all of them, I believe, natives of the High-
lands of Scotland, so that I was the only
foreigner amongst them. We sat down, and
without loss of time expedited the lunch in-
tended to supersede a dinner, during which
time the bottle had freely circulated, raising
the old Highland drinking propensity, so that
there was no stopping it; Highland speeches
and sayings, Highland reminiscences, and High-
land farewells, with the dioch and dorich, over
and over again, was kept up with extraordinary
energy, so that by six or seven o'clock, I had, in
common with many of the others fallen from
296 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
7
my seat. To save my legs from being trampled
on, I contrived to draw myself into the fire-
place, and sat up in one of the corners there
being no stove nor grate.
I there remained very passive, contemplating
the proceedings of those who still remained at
table, when at length Sir Alexander Mackenzie,
as president, and McGillivray, as vice-president,
were the last retaining their seats. Mackenzie
now proposed to drink to our memory, and then
give the war-whoop over us, fallen foes or friends,
all nevertheless on the floor, and in attempting
to push the bottle to McGillivray, at the oppo-
site end of the table, he slid off his chair, and
could not recover his seat whilst McGillivray,
in extending himself over the table, in the hope
of seizing the bottle which Mackenzie had at-
tempted to push to him, also in like manner
began to slide on one side, and fell helpless on
the floor.
During this long and unprovided for delay, the
clerks of the North-West Company had thought
it best to send off the two canoes with all the
baggage to the bout-de-l'ile, (the end of the
island), and had made arrangements for us
to follow in calèches by land, a distance of
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
297
eighteen miles along the bank of the river.
Accordingly, at about nine o'clock, the night
being very dark, the wind strong, and a drizzling
rain beating in our faces, those destined to com-
mence their long and perilous voyage by the
Grand River, Lake Nipisang, the French River,
and thence along the northern rocky coast of
of Lake Huron, then an uninhabited tract of
about nine hundred miles, were bundled up in
couples into four calèches, whilst Colonel
Gordon of the 60th regiment, a man full six
feet and five or six inches high, Lieutenaut
McArthur of the same corps, a short, stout
man, both Highlanders, and several others,
whose names I cannot now recollect, mounted
their horses with more or less difficulty, vainly
expecting they should be able to grope their
way to Montreal, in the darkest night, when
he who accomplished that feat at mid-day,
unless a constant performer, might be deemed
a clever fellow. On my return to Montreal
twelve months afterwards, I learnt Gordon had
wandered about, without knowing where, for
twenty-four hours, and reached home on the
following night, whilst McArthur had dropped
from his horse, and there fallen asleep or
0 3
298 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
remained senseless until found by some of the
peasantry, and on the second day had reached
his quarters at Montreal.
I was placed in a calèche with Mr. McLeod,
and my little favourite dog, which I had brought
from England. The road, as already stated,
closely followed the top of the steep bank of
the St. Lawrence, and having no fence nor pro-
tection of any kind to prevent vehicles from
running off and plunging into the river below at
the depth of twelve to twenty feet, or perhaps
into a narrow border of mud formed in many
parts by the washing down of the banks during
the freshes in the spring of the year.
We started off bravely, but had not advanced
very far, when from the seat, upon which I had
been so carefully placed, one pitch into a hole
or rut, full of water and mud, into which the
wheel on my side had suddenly plunged, I was
bounced off into the bottom of the calèche,
where I sat doubled up, my knees above my
ears. The road was so full of holes and ruts,
concealed by the deep mud, that we were in
constant danger. Whilst in the position just
described, from which I was either unable or
unwilling to move, another pitch into a rut,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
299
with a corresponding reaction, sent me flying
out of the calèche. I fell head foremost towards
the ground, but the instinct of self-preservation
directed me to hold on by the footstep and
shafts with both my hands, whilst my feet and
legs up to my knees were still in a manner
hooking on to the sort of side door made to
open for the conveniency of getting in or out.
My head received most fearful bumps on the
road, now most happily, for me, rendered
delightfully soft by the abundance of mud,
neither solid nor liquid, but somewhat of the
consistency of pudding and sauce. In this
attitude, the driver, sitting on a small seat over
the apron, was quite unconscious of my danger,
and, mistaking my roaring out to stop for
exhortations to make better speed, applied the
whip without mercy. At length, however, he
stopped, but not before we had gone on at
least fifty yards. On recovering my seat in
the calèche and my scattered senses, I discovered
that my hat, watch, money, and every other
article I had had in my pockets had been
scattered along the road. But a short time
was I allowed to enjoy my returning wits-for
I had had enough to kill or cure any drunken
300
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
man-when I felt the carriage begin to heel
a great deal too much for our safety. This
was on the left side, next the river, and I was
on the right side, at the same moment, the
Canadian driver, lustily, roared out:
"Ah,
mon Dieu ! nous versons dans la rivière." This
declaration was in perfect unison with my own.
conviction, judging from the inclined position
of the calèche, and I required no further pro-
vocation to endeavour to save myself from the
awful fate of a pitch down the river bank into
the water or deep slimy mud. I therefore,
without waiting a moment, either to consider
or take McLeod's advice, bounced out any
how, and as I tumbled on the muddy road, the
calèche, the driver, and McLeod turned head
over heels down the bank some fifteen feet
deep, fortunately into very shallow water cover-
ing the mud.
People from the adjoining houses yielded
their assistance most good-humouredly with
lanthorns, ropes, ladders, and the apparatus
necessary to drag the horse and carriage up a
bank that was almost perpendicular. It was
probably long after midnight when everything
was restored to a travelling position and we
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
301
proceeded. The nerves of the driver had
suffered a severe shock, and he went on in fear,
for he repeatedly declared he could not see his
way. Thus he was constantly on the alert,
and in a very short time he bawled out we
were going over the bank a second time. I
had done so well on the first event of this
nature, that I instantly made but one spring,
and fell, not on the road, but into a large piece
of water, which took me up to my knees. From
this I was easily extricated, and dripping wet
with water and mud, I remounted the calèche
and away we went as before.
During this wretched night we had many
more escapes, and we arrived at the end of
the island long after daylight, at about six
o'clock, having been ten hours on the road.
Our appearance, as we approached our friends
who were all on the look for us, created a
considerable degree of merriment, particularly
my head, which strongly resembled a mop
which had been first dipped into water and
then into a dust-hole. All however, upon
inquiry, had been in like manner turned
over, some in the river, others into ditches
or pools of water, and every one had to
302
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
lament the loss of some article of great
utility on such a journey.
Having prepared myself for resuming my
journey, the twelve voyageurs, as the canoe-
men are called, were ordered into their respective
stations, and the bourgeois, or masters, em-
barked four in each, and away we started,
with hearty expressions of goodwill from those
who remained. Our people reiterated Indian
war-whoops as long as the windings of the
waters we were on, allowed of our remaining in
sight.
After passing the Lake of the Two
Mountains, we entered the narrower, but more
rapid waters, and then commenced the heavy
work. Without enumerating the names of
the various rapids, cascades, and shallow waters,
I shall merely state that from the starting-place
to Lake Huron, there were fifty-four places,
even in the spring of the year, when the waters
are high, where the whole of the contents
of the canoes had to be carried by the canoe-
men in order to pass some of the rapids or
cascades, and of these there were thirty-six
where even the canoe also was unavoidably
carried, where the navigation was totally ob-
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
303
structed. One of these latter places, I think
named the Roche Capitain, was three miles
long, but the others were chiefly of much less
extent than a mile. In one of the portages
I was shown a sharp, axe-formed rock, project-
ing edge upwards above the surface of the
ground about six or eight inches, and upon
which, one of the men engaged in carrying
a canoe, fell with his neck exactly on the edge,
whilst the edge of the canoe fell on the opposite
side of the poor creature's neck, by which he
was completely decapitated. A rough cross
made of wood marked the spot where his body
was buried, close to the fatal stone.
These canoes were exceedingly strong and
capacious, they were about thirty-six feet in
length, by six feet wide, near the middle; and
although the birch bark which formed a
thin external coating over their ribs of white
cedar, and their longitudinal laths of the same
wood, appeared to compose but a flimsy vessel,
yet they usually carried a weight of five tons.
It may be as well to state that this cargo was
very carefully stowed, in order to remove any
unequal pressure, which would have been fatal
to such a vessel. Four poles, three or four
inches in diameter at the thickest ends,.denomi-
304 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
!
nated by the Canadians, grand-perch, and
nearly as long as the canoe, were laid side
by side in the middle of the bottom of the
canoe. On these poles, the cargo was carefully
arranged so that all the weight rested on them,
and none allowed to press against the bare and
unprotected sides of the canoe. Every package
was made up of the weight of ninety pounds.
and none heavier.
The five tons included the provision for ten
men, sufficient to support them during about
twenty to twenty-two days. Each canoe was
provided with a mast and a lug-sail, and also
each man had a ten-foot setting-pole, of good
ash, shod with an iron ferrule at each end, for
assisting the men towing with a strong line in
ascending the rapids. The paddles were
supplied by the canoe-men, each bringing his
own. Each canoe had also a camp-kettle,
provided by the owners, as also a few Hambro
lines, a bundle of watap, roots of the pine-tree,
for stitching up any seam that might burst, a
parcel of gum of a resinous nature, for paying
over the seams when leaky, a piece of birch-
bark for repairs, hatchet, crooked knife, and a
few more indispensable articles.
The crew consisted of a guide, a steersman,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
305
and eight common paddlers, but all worked
alike. The guide was paid about as much
as four ordinary men, and the steersman half
as much. Sixteen to twenty pounds was
about the wages of a good guide. On arriving
at a carrying-place, everything was unloaded
with expedition and care; and whilst six men
were required to transport the canoe, the others
hastened to carry the goods, each man bearing
two packs, and sometimes, as a display of
strength, three. The canoe I was in had twelve
men, as also the other one in company, and no
merchandise, nothing but provisions and our
baggage, which gave us a wonderful advantage
in passing the carrying-places, as two trips was
always found to be sufficient to carry the whole.
The carriers of the canoe had the severest work,
and as it weighed about fifteen hundred pounds,
it is clear each man of the six was expected to
bear, on level ground, about two hundred and
fifty pounds; but under many circumstances,
when the ground was at all uneven, the whole
weight was unequally divided. It was very
interesting to me to see the extraordinary
facility with which these men reversed the
canoe and in an instant shouldered it, which
305 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
required great expertness, as any slip or accident
would have destroyed the vessel, beyond the
power of repairing.
The only incidents that I recollect to have
occurred on this journey, are that on arriving
at the first encamping place for the night, my
shoes were still so damp that I placed them
with the upper leathers towards the fire, but
at such a distance as I thought beyond the
range of mischief, yet on the following morning
I found the toes and heels drawn together, and
the leather so brittle that on attempting to
straighten the soles, they broke to pieces like
earthenware. I had no second pair; I was
reduced to the necessity of going bare-footed
until I arrived at St. Joseph's.
The most unpleasant part of the journey
was when we arrived at the highest land, where
there was a chain of small lakes called the vazes
or mud ponds: they were very shallow, the
spaces between them were swamps covered with
long grass and rushes, in passing which without
shoes, I felt much alarm, lest I might tread on
some of the numerous tribes of deadly snakes.
This tract was moreover, infested by musquitoes,
sand-flies, and brûlots; the former are veno-
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
307
mous in a high degree, but the latter were, if
possible, more annoying, for in striking the face,
at the same moment, they made a hole so large,
that the blood would run down to the tip of
the chin, from a single bite. Point-aux-Croix,
in Lake Nipisang, is so named in consequence
of the loss of a canoe in a gale of wind, on a
rocky shore, when eleven persons perished; to
commemorate the event and mark the spot where
these people were interred, a rough wooden cross
was erected on each grave. Point-aux-Croix is a
low, barren, rocky, flat surface, treeless, and
I think shrubless, and even not much grass.
Here we found a family of Indians, from whom
we purchased two fine sturgeons, weighing
about sixty or seventy pounds each, and for
which we paid a bottle of rum, (half water).
The day was too far advanced to proceed
further, and we accordingly prepared to encamp
on this spot. Whilst the tent was erecting, I
observed one of our men cut off the tail and a
peice of fish weighing about seven pounds, and
toast it at the fire; in the course of an hour he
had eaten it all; and seeing me standing at a
short distance looking at him, he held up the
bone with a grin of exultation. In like manner
308
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
the others played their parts, and finished every
morsel of the one hundred and forty pounds of
sturgeon, long before the hour of departure in
the morning. From this place we soon entered
the French river near its source, and commenced
to run down its rapid stream.
The Parisien Rapid is one of the worst of
those inclined shoots, it is very narrow, and
requires an extraordinary degree of skill, to
descend it with safety through its turbulent
waters, and avoid two large rocks under water,
one at each end, but on contrary sides, render-
ing it necessary to cross through the middle of
a high ridge of water formed by the velocity of
the current.
We also had to run down a long tract of
exceedingly swift water, though not rough; the
channel is so narrow that I do not think there
is more than two or three feet to spare on each
side of the canoe, whilst we were darting along
at the rate of ten miles or more per hour-
fortunately the rocks forming the sides are a
very smooth decomposing granite with a few
thinly scattered pines or white cedar stunted
shrubs. This rapid is eight or ten miles long
and is called the Dalls.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
309
$
No men in the world are more severely
worked than are these Canadian voyageurs. I
have known them to work in a canoe twenty
hours out of twenty-four, and go on at that
rate during a fortnight or three weeks without a
day of rest or any diminution of labour; but it
is not with impunity they so exert themselves ;
they lose much flesh in the performance of such
journies, though the quantity of food they con-
sume is incredible. They smoke almost inces-
santly, and sing peculiar songs, which are the
same their fathers and grandfathers and probably
their great-grandfathers sang before them; the
time is about the same as that of our military
quick marches, and is marked by the movement
of their paddles.
They rest from five to ten minutes every two
hours, when they refill their pipes: it is more
common for them to describe distances, by so
many pipes, than in any other way. In regard
to the use of spirits they are always allowed a
dram of high wines, a strong distillation from
corn, in the morning and one at night. They
are short lived and rarely are fit to voyage after
they have attained their fortieth year, and sixty
years seems to be the average of their existence.
310
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
It must not, however, be supposed that they are
tempted by high prices or by any other allure-
ment thus to shorten their lives; I believe they
are ambitious of being styled, homme-du-nord, a
Northman, one who voluntarily leaves his family,
and the comforts of a tranquil life, to voyage in
the Indian country, and pass at least one winter
in the North, usually understood to be beyond
the western banks of Lake Superior. These
men, hommes-du-nord, regard themselves, and
are regarded by their friends, as very superior
beings-men of a high courage, who have
proved that they hold the effeminacies of civi-
lised life in contempt, and that they can cheer-
fully submit to every kind of hardship; as they
live upon Indian-corn and grease without any
salted or other meat but that procured by the
gun-they apply the epithet of mangeurs-de-
lard, or pork-eaters to all those who have never
passed a winter in the north.
This short life does not in any way apply to
the remainder of the Canadian people; for the
climate is so salubrious, owing chiefly to its
exceeding dryness in winter, that I have known
a considerable number of them live to a great
age. One poor man, an authorized beggar,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
311
known by the Canadians as Père André, was
ninety-eight years of age when I saw him, and
when I made a sketch of him at Quebec, in
1798, Père André was then hale and strong.
He almost daily, without respect to the severest
winter weather, walked into town, some four or
five miles from his home, with his large bag
over his shoulder, for carrying back the collec-
tion he made of provision.
At Montreal, I saw a beggar who resided on
the Mountain, about three miles from town;
and this man, also, habitually walked into town
daily, although in 1799 he was one hundred
and sixteen years old. He was greatly respected
in consideration of his age; and no one would
think of offering him a less sum than a small
silver coin of the value of about three pence.
So healthy and dry is this climate, that it was
a general remark that we could always hear
every word of the church service and sermon
even in the winter-no one, Canadians or
Europeans, ever seeming to be afflicted with
a cough.
I must now return to our canoes, which after
passing the vazes we re-entered and proceeded
down the French river to Lake Huron: thence
312 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
to the island of St. Joseph, we followed the
north side of Lake Huron, a very interesting
tract of country, composed of granite forming
innumerable islands, most of them exceedingly
dimunitive, and producing very little vegetation
--dwarf pine or white cedars. These islands
are very useful in protecting the navigation by
small craft from exposure to the heavy seas or
more properly waves, raised by the winds which
are frequently severe, and the water is so deep
close to these rocks and islands, that I several
times have sounded in eight or nine fathoms water
whilst standing on a mere rock, moreover, it
is so clear that the bottom can be seen distinctly,
at the depth of five or six fathom or more.
As we advanced we gained a view, in the
offing, of the celebrated Manitoualin islands,
and without losing sight of them, arrived at
the island of St. Joseph, distant between two
hundred and fifty and three hundred miles from
the mouth of the French river. This island is
seated at about forty miles from the falls of St.
Mary, at the entrance to the straits between
Lakes Huron and Superior, and is about fifty-
two miles in circuit. I was very politely received
by the officers of the little garrison occupying a
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
313
temporary fort, some three or four miles distant
from the post I was about to form, more
towards the West. Here my friends of the
North-West Company most kindly made me
many little presents of small intrinsic value, but
where nothing could be purchased they were of
the highest utility, and then proceeded on their
way
to their destination at the Western extre-
mity of Lake Superior, known as the Grand
Portage. I shall never forget my obligations to
those amiable men, and on parting I felt most
severely the loss of their society.
Having remained a couple of days with the
officers of this post, I left them to take posses-
sion of my quarters in a hut which had been
built by my friend, Lieutenant Lacy, during the
preceding summer; and I lost no time in
making all the arrangments for carrying my
orders into effect.
The garrison consisted of one company of the
2nd battalion of the Canadian volunteers, com-
manded by Captain Peter Drummond, who, I
believe had served in the American war, Lieu-
tenant Johnson, and Ensign W. Dace, and thirty-
five non-commissioned officers and privates, in
addition to these there was an interpreter, a store-
VOL. I.
P
314 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
keeper, and an Indian department armourer. My
hut was about twenty feet square, formed of
logs in the usual way, but had no chimney;
this defect was remedied by a wide space paved
in the middle for the fire-place, and a hole two
feet square in the roof to let out the smoke-
for there was no ceiling and no boarded floor,
but it could boast of one window with oiled
paper, a tolerably good substitute for glass.
The first night I occupied this mansion, I
awoke under considerable alarm, fully believing
the place was on fire, but my servant who un-
avoidably slept in the same apartment, there
being but one, soon undeceived me, by ex-
plaining that the quantity of sparks I fancied
I saw, were fire-flies, of which there was a vast
number.
After the arrival of my luggage, which I had
despatched by the usual military rout, viâ the
lakes, I was far more comfortable, having
amongst other matters provided myself with
a small but useful library. I rose every morning
at break of day, and occupied myself until eight
o'clock in cutting down trees and reducing
them to the proper dimensions for fire-wood,
and carried the same to form a high wall round
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
315
three sides of my hut, to shelter it during
winter, and supply the fire. In this way I
gained appetite for breakfast, I acquired strength,
and improved my health and constitution, and
moreover, I failed not to sleep soundly every
night. After breakfast, my time was exclusively
devoted to the works.
The only interruptions, or more properly.sus-
pensions, of these very regular pursuits, I
experienced during the summer of 1798, was
caused by the arrival of a Mr. Mason, a natura-
list, whom I understood was employed in some
way by government. Mr. Mason was at that
time about sixty years of age or perhaps more;
very kind in his manners, very plain and unas-
suming; and I thought him very scientific.
He accepted of a shelter and what trifling
nourishment I could provide, with unaffected
diffidence, and submitted to the thousand incon-
veniences of the want of every comfort, without
an expression of regret, excepting his frequent
mention of the fear he entertained of incom-
moding me. He showed me a species of rat,
or an animal greatly resembling one, which he
had very recently procured, and which had a
large pouch or bag on each side of its under-
P 2
316 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
jaw about the size of a pigeon's egg, and pend-
ing almost as low as the ground. This bag was
a mere membrane, exceedingly thin. Mr. Mason
told me it was an animal hitherto unknown, and
that he should send it to the British Museum,
naming it after himself-Masonian.
Soon after Mr. Mason, came a short strong-
built man, whose business no one could fathom,
nor could any of us find out the country that
owned him. His name, he said, was Birkett,
but he seemed to have no object in view, or real
pursuit.
A little later, came from Amherstburgh
one of the Government vessels, partly laden
with the goods to be delivered to the several
Indian tribes, owners of the island of St.
Joseph, in payment for the purchase thereof;
and with the goods came some three or four
officers of the Indian department. Amongst
them was a Mr. Pollard, afterwards the Reve-
rend Richard Pollard and Mr. Selby. These
gentlemen were charged with the ceremony
of completing the purchase, by paying the
price and executing the title deeds. The whole
of the Indian tribes to whom the goods were to
be delivered, having assembled on the ground
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
317
adjoining the old fort; the merchandise, consist-
ing of blankets, broad-cloths of every colour,
guns, flints, powder, shots, ribbons, a few large
silver medals for chiefs, steels for striking fire,
some silver brooches, ear-rings and drops, and a
very moderate quantity of rum, reduced to one
third of the ordinary strength; the whole of
these articles were worth, according to their value
at Montreal, five thousand pounds.
The deed, on parchment, drawn up no doubt
in the usual form was produced, and read by
Mr. Prideau Selby, the secretary to the Com-
missions, and interpreted to the Indians by
Captain La Mott, the interpreter; when it
appeared that the island of St. Joseph is fifty-
two miles in circumference. Each of the
chiefs of the various tribes was required to
execute the deed, which he did by drawing the
animal or hieroglyphic representing his name
or that of his tribe, and the officers comprising
the garrison, including myself, signed as
witnesses.
After partaking of some refreshments of
a very humble description, and the Indians
having, on the other hand, heated themselves
with the spirits, began to be noisy: we found
318 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
it quite impossible to resist their forcing
their company upon us, and although they
in no way committed any acts that might
be alarming to those habituated to their harm-
less familiarities, yet our visitors the commis-
sioners, began to view their position as dangerous
and entertained some serious alarm for their
personal safety.
Some of the first-rate Indian dancers came
forward and gratified us with the Eagle dance,
the Beaver dance, the War dance, and some
other extraordinary feats requiring great muscu-
lar strength; the whole of them in their gala
costume and painted in the most whimsical
manner. Our commissioners, unused to be
surrounded by six hundred or seven hundred
savages, could no longer control their fears, and
without much hypocrisy started off, and lost not
a moment in securing themselves from these
wild-looking people, on board of the vessel;
hastily requesting Captain Drummond to protect
the property which they had no time to carry off
with them.
Prior to the departure of the commissioners,
my worthy friend Mr. R. Pollard related to me,
with much humour, an event which in the
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
319
preceding year had filled all Canada with
surprise, horror, and some merriment - the
discovery of a conspiracy, having for its object.
the assassination of all the officers at Quebec,
both military and civil; but I never learnt the
further particulars of the scheme.
Only one individual was apprehended and
condemned as guilty of high treason, and was
executed accordingly. I shall proceed, preserving
as far as my notes and memory will serve, in
Pollard's own words. "Last summer (1797),
one McLean, supposed to be a native of the
United States, was arrested under a charge of
high treason; he was tried, and condemned to
suffer death according to the barbarous and
disgusting form of the law practised in those
days; that is, to be hanged for a quarter of an
hour, cut down, his face beaten with his heart,
his head cut off, and his body divided into four
quarters. During many years prior to this
event, the sheriff, Mr. S-, an aged and amiable
man, had not been called upon to carry into
effect the extreme penalty of the law, so that
there was no regularly-retained public executioner
at that time in all Canada. The chance of a
respite being quite out of the question, the
sheriff at once advertised for an operator; yet,
320
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
up to the evening immediately preceding the
day appointed for the execution, no one had
offered his services. The clock had struck
eight, when the sheriff, almost driven to mad-
ness, was revolving in his mind by what means
he could extricate himself from his awful position.
He had twice determined on resigning his office,
the salary of which was about £600 per annum,
when a very gentle, single knock at the door
filled his mind with the deepest anxiety, and
raising his expectation that he still might be
released from the most overwhelming alterna-
tive. The sheriff rang the bell violently, against
his usual practice, and rebuked the servant for
not attending more promptly. In a few mi-
nutes he was informed a very mysterious-
looking individual waited to be admitted.
Who is he?" demanded the sheriff with
palpitating heart; "what does he want?" and
similar interrogatories, which the servant could
satisfy; "what is he like ?"
Upon which he was informed the man wore
a broad-brimmed hat, his face covered with
crape, and the remainder of his person so con-
cealed by a sack or smock-frock, that he could
give no better description of him.
"Show him in directly," ordered the sheriff,
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
321
who, at the next moment exclaimed in an under
tone, “thank God, I have found the man."
He seated himself near a table, snatched up
a book, and assuming the greatest degree of
composure he could command, pretended to be
reading. The mysterious visitor was quickly
introduced, and waiting until the door should
be closed by the servant seated, himself, and
with a hollow sepulchral voice, addressed the
sheriff :
"I suppose you can guess my business,
master? You have to hang a man to-morrow
morning, I hear, and you want a helper, or
perhaps some one to do the work for you."
"Yes," replied the sheriff in a trembling
voice scarcely audible.
Well," proceeded the man, "I am willing
to take the job, if we can agree about the
price."
The sheriff hastily swallowed a glass of
brandy in an adjoining room, and having re-
occupied his seat, boldly observed:
"Now, my fine fellow, state your terms, and
if they are more favourable than any of the
others, I shall accept them."
"Master Sheriff," retorted the contractor,
322 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
shaking his head significantly, "you must not
think of gammoning of me with such stuff,
because if you do, let me tell you I know as
an't had one from any
mind, in twelve hours the
well as you that you
man; and please to
work must be done.
I am willing to hang the
man for a thousand dollars, or you may save
the money and do it yourself."
After a pause of two seconds the man rose,
and, addressing the bewildered sheriff, said:
"I have no time to stand here jawing about
it; if you can do better do so, for to speak
plainly, I don't half like the job."
"The night-fog is heavy outside; will you
take a glass ?" observed the alarmed sheriff.
"Thank you, master," the stranger hoarsely
replied, "I don't care if I do."
Without following this conversation further,
the glass of brandy had reopened the negociation.
The stranger ultimately agreed to hang McLean,
for the moderate sum of six hundred dollars
down; and in conformity with the agreement,
was locked up in the prison to secure the due
performance of the contract. Our friend, Mr.
made a hearty supper, slept soundly,
and rose at an early hour, in better condition
S-
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
323
than he had expected, to fulfil his distressing
duty as master of the ceremonies on so awful
an occasion; and to keep up his courage, he
failed not to retain ever present to his mind the
wholesale slaughter which the criminal about to
suffer the utmost penalty of the law had medi-
tated.
At the hour appointed, the sort of funeral
procession, with the executioner leading his
victim, arrived at the place of execution on the
glacis near St. John's gate, and in a few minutes
the culprit was turned off from the ladder, when
the gentleman with the craped face turned upon
his heels, and addressing the sheriff, said:
"Now I have done my part, good morning
to you, Master Sheriff."
"No, no," cried the latter," you have not
half done yet."
"I agreed to hang the man," exclaimed the
executioner; "I have done so, and I have my
money; you said nothing of the rest of the
sentence, so I thought you wanted to have a
finger in the pie, just to show you are not above
your business."
The sheriff became almost speechless with
terror, when the officer of the guard whispered
to him:
324
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
"The man has already been hanging eight
minutes, and must be cut down in seven minutes
from this moment.'
""
The man began to move off, and the sheriff,
feeling he had no alternative but to yield and
increase the amount by a further payment, or
himself go on with the most repugnant portion
of the execution; he therefore caught the man
by the arm, and said:
Come, come, my good fellow, do the re-
mainder, and I shall reward you handsomely."
With an awful severity of countenance and
bass tone of voice, the executioner slowly replied:
"I have lived too long amongst men, and
particularly men in office, to place any trust in
such fine promises; I must know how much
you call a handsome reward."
Then sneeringly:
"Make up the thousand, and I'll go on.'
..
Split the difference, and I'll say yes,” the
sheriff with spirit ejaculated; but to which the
hangman retorted:
"Put down the stuff, old fellow."
Here again the sheriff was plunged into de-
spair; he had no means of complying with the
demand on the spot.
The villain saw his difficulty, and pressed for
cash.
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
325
The officer reminded the sheriff that in two
minutes the man must be cut down.
In an agony of despair the sheriff implored
of the executioner to give him credit, and de-
claring in one hour he should be paid.
tr
"Well, then, another hundred for the credit,
and your solemn oath you will keep your word,
and I'll go on."
The sheriff gladly complied, and the crape-
faced man held out his polluted hand, into which
he spit for luck.
"Come," said he, "it's no bargain without
we shake hands, you know that well enough,
old fellow."
The poor sheriff had no resource but to com-
ply. Let any one figure to himself the wounded
feelings of a man of high principles of honour,
and acute sensibility, shaking hands with the
hangman, under the body of a man he had just
suspended, and was still swinging.
In the next moment the body of McLean
was cut down; and as the performer had pro-
vided himself with a butcher's knife and an axe,
it was justly suspected he had already under-
stood he was to complete the whole operation;
but that a sudden thought had entered his mind,
that he might turn the hapless condition of the
326
ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS
poor sheriff to a profitable result, in which he
succeeded. Hewing a tolerably deep cut into
the breast of the man's body, in form of a cross,
he clapped the back of the knife between his
teeth, and actually began to feel about for the
heart, and being unsuccessful, he exclaimed:
"D-n the fellow, he is so fat I cannot
find his heart!" upon which he was informed
a small piece of flesh thrown into his face would
satisfy the purpose. The executioner chopped
off the head, and holding it up by the hair,
should have proclaimed to the horrified multi-
tude: "Behold the head of a traitor!" but,
not satisfied with that short announcement, he
shouted: "Here's the head of a traitor to his
king and his country!" which he thrice repeated
with a strong Irish accent, and then cast the
head upon the body, with the most perfect air
of indifference. It was nevertheless generally
believed that the man was an American, who
had imitated the Irish accent in order to conceal
his identity.
My table whilst on that island was very
sparingly supplied: there was but little fish
in the adjacent waters, and no vegetables were
to be procured. The only addition to my
government ration was a few pigeons, but even
OF COLONEL LANDMANN.
327
these were only obtainable in the month of
September and October, when the birds were
passing from north to south, as I had arrived
too late for the flocks going northwards.
My weekly ration consisted of four pounds of
salted pork, three pints of dried peas, six ounces
of butter, six ounces of rice, and seven pounds
of flour; the pork and butter were as rancid as
might be expected, from having been salted
about fifteen to twenty years. It will not be
difficult to believe that with such materials it
was no easy matter to make any great variety
betwixt the dinner served on one day from that
produced on the next; it was, therefore, reduced
to pork and pea-soup on one day, and pea-soup
and pork on the day following. This was not,
however, the most serious part of the case, for
the four pounds of pork when cut up into
seven pieces, and then boiled, shrunk up to a
Vauxhall-sort of slice, merely serving to grease
the soup a little and give it an agreeable rusty
bacon flavour. It was, nevertheless, fortunate
for me, my palate, by degrees, accommodated
itself so effectually to this abominable flavour;
that afterwards I was not at all satisfied with the
taste of good, fresh butter and recently-salted
pork which I found insipid and disagreeable.
*
328 ADVENTURES AND RECOLLECTIONS.
In the course of my rambles, in my little
birch-bark canoe, I had made various trips to a
large island between the fort St. Joseph and the
American shore, lying about south-west from
my hut, and which was exclusively covered
with pine timber. I had often been anxious
to make some experiments on the natural
succession of vegetation, after the first had been
burnt down. Accordingly I set fire to the
woods during the dried part of the summer,
and so completely destroyed the whole of the
vegetable production. Having returned to the
Island of St. Joseph on the following year, I
examined the ground and perceived, towards
the latter part of the summer, that the only
vegetable then growing was the Canadian
poplar or the Populus monilifera.
END OF VOL. I.
LONDON:
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LORD GEORGE BENTINCK,
A POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY.
BY B. DISRAELI, M.P.
FROM BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE.-" This biography cannot fail to attract the
deep attention of the public. We are bound to say, that as a political biography
we have rarely, if ever, met with a book more dexterously handled, or more
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of 1846, as written by Disraeli in that brilliant and pointed style of which he
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mentary proceedings.”
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Lord George Bentinck by Mr. Disraeli must needs be a work of interest and
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which he has combined the warmest enthusiasm of affectionate attachment with
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but we verily believe must increase his influence even as a politician.”
FROM THE MORNING HERALD." Mr. Disraeli's tribute to the memory of
his departed friend is as graceful and as touching as it is accurate and impartial.
No one of Lord George Bentinck's colleagues could have been selected, who,
from his high literary attainments, his personal intimacy, and party associations,
would have done such complete justice to the memory of a friend and Parlia-
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is seasoned with some of those piquant personal episodes of party manoeuvres
and private intrigues, in the author's happiest and most captivating vein, which
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force and extraordinary impartiality."
4
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BY WILLIAM AND MARY HOWITT.
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They
English readers have long been indebted to Mr. and Mrs. Howitt.
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Sun.
Our
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COLBURN AND CO.'S NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NEW HISTORICAL WORK BY MISS PARDOE.
In 3 vols. 8vo., with Portraits and other Illustrations.
LO
5
THE LIFE OF MARIE DE MEDICIS,
QUEEN OF FRANCE,
CONSORT OF HENRY IV., AND REGENT OF THE KINGDOM UNDER
LOUIS XIII.
BY MISS PARDOE.
Author of "LOUIS XIV. AND THE COURT OF FRANCE IN THE 17TH CENTURY,"
"THE CITY OF THE SULTAN," &c.
The life of the illustrious daughter of the Medici, and the no less famous
Queen-Regent of France, which forms the subject-matter of these volumes, was
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a Princess, reared "under the purple," married in the bloom of her proud
beauty to one of the most powerful monarchs in Europe, wielding during her
maturity the sceptre of a mighty state, and ultimately wandering through foreign
lands in her decline a forsaken exile-forsaken alike by her children, and by
the haughty subject whom she had herself raised from obscurity, and invested
with almost sovereign authority-to perish at last of disease and want in the
obscure street of an obscure city: such was the fate of Marie de Medicis;
while around the principal personage of the work is grouped a galaxy of those
undying names from which France derives much of her past glory, and many of
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quainted, not only with the public measures of these great men, which have
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Epernon, Bassompierre, Luynes, Rohan, Gaston d'Orleans, Louis XIII., Soissons,
the Guises, Montmorency, Marillac, Rubens, and many other distinguished
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the array of female celebrities is scarcely less brilliant, combining as it does,
the names of Marguerite de Valois, Anne of Austria, "La Belle Gabrielle," the
Marquise de Verneuil, Anne of Clèves Duchesse de Guise, the Princesses of
Condé and Conti, the Duchesses of Nemours and Aiguillon, the beautiful and
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Regent, the still more unhappy Maréchale d'Ancre. This work, for which a
wide canvass was essential from the vast amount of material which it involved,
and which combines the records of two reigns and a regency, will be found to
contain not only all the leading events of the period of which it treats, but also
those more minute details which tend to throw a light upon many public mea-
sures, of which the motives, without such a revelation, would occasionally appear
obscure, and even contradictory. The varied career of Marie de Medicis,
considered under its several phases, is assuredly one of the most striking romances
of real life; and in the composition of the present volumes the greatest care has
been taken not to sacrifice to the fascinations of fiction the stern truths of
history.
6
COLBURN AND CO.'S NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NEW TRAVELS IN THE HOLY LAND.
Second Edition, in Two Vols., with Illustrations, 21s. bound.
EIGHT YEARS
IN PALESTINE, SYRIA, AND ASIA MINOR,
FROM 1842 TO 1850.
BY F. A. NEALE, ESQ.,
LATE ATTACHED TO THE CONSULAR SERVICE IN SYRIA.
Opinions of the Press.
"One of the best accounts of the country and people that has been published
of late years."-Spectator.
“A highly entertaining book, presenting a lively picture of Levantine life
all its varied aspects.”—John Bull.
A great
"A very agreeable book. Mr. Neale is evidently quite familiar with the
East, and writes in a lively, shrewd, and good humoured manner.
deal of information is to be found in his pages."—Athenæum.
+
"Deeply interesting volumes. We have rarely met with a work from which
we have derived so much pleasure and profit."-Messenger.
"We have derived unmingled pleasure from the perusal of these interesting
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and just.
There is no guide-book we would so strongly recommend to the
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information it affords is especially valuable, since it is brought up almost to the
last moment. The narrative, too, is full of incident, and abounds in vivid pic-
tures of Turkish and Levantine life interspersed with well-told tales. The
author commences his narrative at Gaza; visits Askalon, Jaffa and Jerusalem,
Caipha and Mount Carmel, Acre, Sidon and Tyre, Beyrout, Tripoli, Antioch,
Aleppo, Alexandretta, Adana, and Cyprus. Of several of these famous localities
we know no more compact and clearer account than that given in these volumes.
We have to thank Mr. Neale for one of the best books of travels that we have
met with for a very long time.”—Literary Gazette.
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His long wandering of eight years in the regions he describes have made him
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He tells us everything of such places as Jerusalem, Antioch, Aleppo, Beyrout;
but we now go for the first time to Beilan, Nargheslik, Alexandretta, Daphne's
Cataracts, &c., &c. As might be expected in the narrative of one so familiar
with what he treats of, the book is replete with new and valuable information.”
-United Service Magazine.
COLBURN AND CO.'S NEW PUBLICATIONS.
CAPTAIN SPENCER'S NEW WORK.
7
In 2 vols. 8vo. with Illustrations, and a valuable Map of European Turkey, from
the most recent Charts in the possession of the Austrian and Turkish
Governments, revised by the Author, 28s. bound.
TRAVELS IN
EUROPEAN TURKEY
IN 1850:
THROUGH BOSNIA, SERVIA, BULGARIA, MACEDONIA, ROUMELIA, ALBANIA, AND
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WARD TOUR THROUGH HUNGARY AND THE SCLAVONIAN PROVINCES
OF AUSTRIA ON THE LOWER DANUBE.
BY EDMUND SPENCER, ESQ.
Author of "TRAVELS IN CIRCASSIA," &c.
"These important volumes appear at an opportune moment, as they describe
some of those countries to which public attention is now more particularly
directed: Turkey, Greece, Hungary, and Austria. The author has given us a
most interesting picture of the Turkish Empire, its weaknesses, and the em-
barrassments from which it is now suffering, its financial difficulties, the discon-
tent of its Christian, and the turbulence of a great portion of its Mohammedan
subjects. We are also introduced for the first time to the warlike mountaineers
of Bosnia, Albania, Upper Moesia, and the almost inaccessible districts of the
Pindus and the Balkan. The different nationalities of that Babel-like country,
Turkey in Europe, inhabited by Sclavonians, Greeks, Albanians, Macedonians,
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porary history are vividly described. The Ionian Islands, Greece, Hungary, and
the Sclavonian Provinces of Austria on the Lower Danube, are all delineated in
the author's happiest manner.
"We cordially recommend Mr. Spencer's valuable and interesting volumes to
the attention of the reader. They are replete with information upon countries of
which we know but little; they will be interesting to the military man for the
details they give of the strength and defensive' positions of the various countries
through which the author travelled; to the merchant for the insight given into
the state of trade; and to the man of the world as they place before his view the
present political and social state of an empire, whose welfare it is the interest of
England to promote. The work must be considered a standard production,
enriched, as it is, by an excellent map derived from the most authentic modern
charts, added to, and improved by the observations of the author during his
travels."-United Service Magazine.
ས
“A work of great merit, and of paramount present interest."-Standard.
"This interesting work contains by far the most complete, the most en-
lightened, and the most reliable amount of what has been hitherto almost the
terra incognita of European Turkey, and supplies the reader with abundance of
entertainment as well as instruction.”—John Bull.
"An excellent and admirable work. Mr. Spencer is a very able writer, a
shrewd, experienced and philosophical observer, an eminently thinking and yet
practical man. His work forms the most valuable addition that our literature has
lately received. He sets forth to inquire and learn; he returns to inform and
suggest; and information most valuable and interesting has he here bestowed
upon us."-Tait's Magazine.
8
COLBURN AND CO.'S NEW PUBLICATIONS.
ARCTIC MISCELLANIES,
A SOUVENIR OF THE LATE POLAR SEARCH.
BY THE OFFICERS AND SEAMEN OF THE EXPEDITION.
DEDICATED BY PERMISSION TO THE LORDS OF THE ADMIRALTY.
SECOND EDITion, with a new Preface and IntroducTION BY P. O'BRIEN, ESQ.
1 v. with numerous Illustrations, 10s. 6d., elegantly bound.
Amongst the Contributors to the "Arctic Miscellanies" are Admiral Sir John
Ross, Captain Ommaney, Commanders McClintock and Cator, Lieutenants
Osburn, Meecham, Browne, and Markham, Dr. Donnet, and Dr. Ede.
FROM THE
"TIMES." This volume is not the least interesting or instructive
among the records of the late expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, com-
manded by Captain Austin. The most valuable portions of the book are those
which relate to the scientific and practical observations made in the course of the
expedition, and the descriptions of scenery and incidents of arctic travel. Many
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which attaches to all that relates to the probable safety of Sir John Franklin and
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redounds to the honour of the national character.
FROM THE "GLOBE."-Captain Austin's little squadron, which sailed in
May, 1850, in search of Sir John Franklin, consisted of the Resolute, com-
manded by Captain Austin; the Assistance, commanded by Captain Ommaney;
and two steamers under the command of Lieutenants Osburn and Cator. To
assist in whiling away the dreary time in the arctic regions, the officers and
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luxury of their own newspaper. That journal has now been brought before the
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of its intrinsic merits, beautifully printed, and carefully illustrated. All the
varied incidents, pleasant and painful, of life in the frozen zone, are vividly
and good-humouredly chronicled in the "Arctic Miscellanies," which contains
besides some capital seamen's stories superstitious "yarns" and drolleries. As
a record of the pastimes, adventures, fancies, and feelings of our true-hearted
gallant sailors, while undergoing the most appalling hardships in the frozen
seas, the volume is invaluable; and it is unusually interesting as demonstrating
the high intellectual capacities, the mental vigour, and the refined tastes of our
rough-looking blue-jackets.
FROM THE "UNITED SERVICE MAGAZINE."-Beautifully got up, and
profusely illustrated, this most pleasant book really charms as much by its
appearance and its matter, as its novelty. We cannot take leave of this Arctic
Souvenir without expressing our admiration of it in every point of view. Such
productions should be encouraged by those in authority, and a copy of this
work ought to be found on board every ship in commission.
COLBURN AND CO.'S NEW PUBLICATIONS.
DARIEN;
OR,
THE MERCHANT PRINCE.
BY ELIOT WARBURTON, Esq.
Author of "THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS," &c., SECOND EDITION. 3 v.
9
"The present production, from the pen of the author of The Crescent and the
Cross,' has the same elements of a very wide popularity. It will please its
thousands. It is a tale of substantial interest."-Globe.
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It is full of absorbing interest."- Messenger.
"The theme of this book is a fine one. It is full of eloquent writing."—Examiner.
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deserves to be so.”—Daily News.
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tions are remarkable for splendour of illustration and brilliancy of language, and
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last."-Morning Post.
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disappointed if the charming story of Darien' does not obtain an equal degree of
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be read with breathless interest. Mr. Warburton excels in the delineation of
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felicitous touch of a master."-United Service Magazine.
"The scheme for the colonization of Darien by Scotchmen, and the opening
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high reputation which the author of the 'Crescent and the Cross' had already
made for himself. The early history of the Merchant Prince introduces the
reader to the condition of Spain under the Inquisition; the portraitures of
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the scenes in America exhibit the state of the natives of the new world at that
period; the daring deeds of the Buccaneers supply a most romantic element in
the story; and an additional interest is infused into it by the introduction of
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and Paterson, the founder of the Bank of England. All these varied ingredients
are treated with that brilliancy of style and powerful descriptive talent, by which
the pen of Eliot Warburton was so eminently distinguished."-John Bull.

10
COLBURN AND CO.'S NEW PUBLICATIONS.
JUDGE HALIBURTON'S NEW HISTORICAL WORK.
In 2 vols. post 8vo. 21s. bound.
RULE AND MISRULE OF
THE ENGLISH IN AMERICA.
By the Author of
"SAM SLICK," "THE OLD JUDGE," &c.
"A most attractive work."-Standard.
"The cleverest volumes Judge Haliburton has ever produced."-Messenger.
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and racy, and at the same time overflowing with the milk of human kindness
--which his writings display on one hand, and the wonderful knowledge of
man's character, in all its countless varieties, which they exhibit on the other,
have insured for them a high, and honourable, and enduring station in English
literature. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to arise from the perusal of
any of Mr. Haliburton's performances without having become both wiser and
better. His 'English in America' is, however, a production of a yet more
exalted order. While teeming with interest, moral and historical, to the general
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politician and the statesman. It will be found to dissipate many popular errors,
and to let in a flood of light upon the actual origin, formation, and progress of
the republic of the United States."-Naval and Military Gazette.
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as a warning to guide mankind amid the many perplexing political questions of
the day. The spirit of impartiality animates every page of this work. It is
deserving of a place in every historical library."-Morning Herald.
"We believed the author of this work to possess a power of humour and
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worthy of Henry Fielding or Charles Dickens. In his particular line of literature
we believed him to be unrivalled. In the volumes before us he breaks upon a
new, and—according to his method of breaking the subject-untrodden ground.
We hail this book with pleasure; we cons.der it an honour to Judge Haliburton,
as by it he has proved himself to be a Christian, a scholar, a gentleman, and, in
the true sense of a mis-used word, a patriot. Mr. Haliburton places before us,
fairly and impartially, the history of English rule in America. The book is not
only a boon to the historic student, it is also filled with reflections such as may
well engage the attention of the legislating statesman. Mr. Haliburton also
shows us the true position of the Canadas, explains the evils of our colonial
system, points out the remedies by which these evils may be counteracted, that
thus the rule of the English in America' may be something better than a
history of the blunders, the follies, and the ignorant temerity of colonial
secretaries."-Irish Quarterly Review.
COLBURN AND CO.'S NEW PUBLICATIONS.
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In 3 vols. post 8vo. 31s. 6d. bound.
11
TRAITS OF AMERICAN HUMOUR.
Edited
BY THE AUTHOR OF "SAM SLICK," &c.
"We have seldom met with a work more rich in fun or more generally
delightful."-Standard.
"Those who have relished the racy humour of the 'Clockmaker,' will find a
dish of equally ludicrous and amusing Transatlantic wit in the volumes before
us."-Herald.
"A new book, by the author of 'Sam Slick' causes some stir among the
laughter-loving portion of the community; and its appearance at the present
festive season is appropriate. We hold that it would be quite contrary to the
fitness of things for any other hand than that of our old acquaintance, the
facetious Judge Haliburton, to present to us a Christmas dish, and call it 'Traits
of American Humour.' But even without the recollection of Sam Slick' to
evoke the spirit of fun within us, we should have been forced to yield to the
racy humour of these American Traits.' Dip where you will into this lottery
of fun, you are sure to draw out a prize.”—Morning Post.
•
"The untravelled European who has not made the acquaintance of Sam
Slick, can have but little knowledge of the manners, customs, humours, eccen-
tricities and lingos of the countless varieties of inhabitants of North America
who we are accustomed to conglomerate under the general name of Yankees.
Assisted, however, by Sam Slick's graphic descriptions, literal reports, and racy
pen-and-ink sketches, gentlemen who sit at home at ease, are able to realize with
tolerable accuracy the more remarkable species of this lively family, to compre-
hend their amusing jargon, to take an interest in their peculiarities of person
and speech, and to enter into the spirit of their very characteristic humours.
No man has done more than the facetious Judge Haliburton, through the mouth
of the inimitable' Sam," to make the old parent country recognise and appreciate
her queer transatlantic progeny; and in the volumes before us he seeks to render
the acquaintance more minute and complete. His present collection of comic
stories and laughable traits is a budget of fun full of rich specimens of American
humour."-Globe.
'The reader will find this work deeply interesting. Yankeeism pourtrayed, in
its raciest aspect, constitutes the contents of these superlatively entertaining
volumes, for which we are indebted to our facetious old friend, 'Sam Slick.' The
work embraces the most varied topics,-political parties, religious eccentricities,
the flights of literature, and the absurdities of pretenders to learning, all come
in for their share of satire; while in other papers we have specimens of genuine
American exaggerations, or graphic pictures of social and domestic life as it is
more especially in the ruder districts and in the back settlements, or again
sallies of broad humour, exhibiting those characteristics which form in the
country itself the subject of mutual persiflage between the citizens of different
States. The work will have a wide circulation."-John Bull.
12
COLBURN AND CO.'S NEW PUBLICATIONS.
KHARTOUM,
AND THE BLUE AND WHITE NILES.
BY GEORGE MELLY, ESQ.
SECOND AND REVISED EDITION.
2 v. post 8vo., with Map and Illustrations, 21s. bound.
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