New Brunswick for their hunting
ground, and are permitted to recruit Acadians; and Lieutenant
Ronald M'Donnell, of the Canadians, proceeds in a few days to
Pictou and the highland settlements on the coast and gulf: he
is an officer that appears to be eminently qualified for that
service, and he is sanguine that the proffer of lands in the
Scotch settlements of Upper Canada will induce great numbers
to enter. I am assured from various channels that the men I
have got are generally young, rather too much so, and of a
good description, there being very few Yankees amongst them.

I have long letters from my friends at home, giving me a
detailed account of the death of my excellent and best of
friends: the duke of York sat by his bedside for half an hour
the day before he died, and, Somerville says, was extremely
affected. Sir James, (Craig,) on the contrary, rallied from
the pleasure he experienced from this condescending kindness.
Sir James had a codicil written fair for his signature, the
chief object of which was to add a legacy for a female cousin
whom he did not know to be in existence, and to direct the
sale of the priory and freehold, which cost 12,000 guineas, to
enable the payment of the legacies: this instrument, not
having been executed, will lead to what he most deprecated and
wished to avoid, a lawsuit. The heirs at law will possess the
freehold; and Wilkie, who, besides L6,000, is left the two
houses in London, furniture, &c, as residuary legatee, will be
stripped of the whole that is not given by special bequest, to
make up the legacies: he will however, I believe, have at
least L10,000 left--very ample payment for his services.

Sir George has announced his intention of recommending
Battersby to be lieutenant-colonel of the Glengary corps, and
ordered him to take the command of the recruits assembled at
Three Rivers. Your major of brigade[50] will be recommended to
succeed to his majority in the king's regiment.

_Major-Gencral Brock to Sir George Prevost_.

YORK, May 16, 1812.

I have this day been honored with your excellency's
confidential communication, dated the 30th ultimo.

I have long since thought that nothing but the public voice
restrained the United States government from commencing direct
hostilities; and it is but reasonable to expect