seen, we gathered round him with curiosity and listened to his broken
English with pleasure, for the tone was kindly and he was so polite,
even to us boys. He brought no very late news, for he had left Quebec
ten days before, when the weather was so hot that laborers loading ships
dropped in the coves from sunstroke. Each tack that brought the brig
higher up the river changed the scenery, a range of forest-clad trees on
the north bank, and on the south bank a row of whitewashed cottages, so
closely set that they looked as if they lined a street, broken at
intervals by the tin-covered roof and steeple of a church. There were
discussions among our farmers as to the narrowness of the fields and
what kind of crops were on them, for they looked patchy and were of
different colors, which the pilot was generally called on to decide, and
it was funny to watch his difficulty in understanding their broad
Scottish speech. Reaching where the ebb tide was stronger than the
breeze, anchor was dropped for the first time. Before the tide turned,
the pilot cried to dip up water, and there was a shout of delight when
we tasted it and found the buckets were filled with fresh water. Wasn't
there a big washing that day! As much splashing as the porpoises made
who gambolled at a distance. Cool, northerly breezes helped us on our
way, and exactly five weeks from the day we left Troon we came to anchor
off Cape Diamond, which disappointed us, for we looked for a higher rock
and a bigger fort. On the ship mooring, the pilot sat down, and in a
frenzy of delight at his success in bringing her up safely, flourished
his arms and chuckled in his own language. Darting from a wharf came a
fine rowboat with four oarsmen, and an official in blue with gilt
buttons holding the helm. We were so engrossed in watching it, that we
did not notice Mr Snellgrove had joined us, decked out grandly in
finest clothes. Before the captain could say a word to the
customs-officer, Mr Snellgrove asked him whether the governor-general
was at his residence, and on being told he was, said he would accompany
his majesty's official on shore, and, so saying stepped on the boat and
seated himself in silent dignity in the stern, turning his back to us
who were looking on. The officer's visit was brief; the boat pushed off
and we had our last look of Mr Snellgrove, transformed from a
steerage-passenger into a dandy expecting to mix with the grandees of
Quebec. Next day, in talking