o see what one of them thar scientific
captings would do with his vessel last night on sech a track as I run
over! Wouldn't I like to run a race with him? an ef I did, wouldn't I
make a pile to leave and bequeath to the infant when his aged parient
air buried beneath the cold ground?"

While Captain Corbet was speaking, the schooner sailed past the
light-house, and the thick fog closed around her once more. On one
side, however, they could see the dim outline of the shore on their
right. On they sailed for about a quarter of a mile, when suddenly the
fog vanished, and, with scarce a moment's notice, there burst upon them
a blaze of sunlight, while overhead appeared the glory of the blue sky.
The suddenness of that transition forced a cry of astonishment from
all. They had shot forth so quickly from the fog into the sunlight
that it seemed like magic.

They found themselves sailing along a strait about a mile in width,
with shores on each side that were as high as Blomidon. On the right
the heights sloped up steep, and were covered with trees of rich dark
verdure, while on the other side the slope was bolder and wilder.
Houses appeared upon the shore, and roads, and cultivated trees. This
strait was several miles in length, and led into a broad and
magnificent basin.

Here, in this basin, appeared an enchanting view. A sheet of water
extended before their eyes about sixteen miles in length and five in
breadth. All around were lofty shores, fertile, well tilled, covered
with verdurous trees and luxuriant vegetation. The green of the shores
was dotted with white houses, while the blue of the water was flecked
with snowy sails. Immediately on the right there appeared a circular
sweep of shore, on which arose a village whose houses were intermingled
with green trees.

Into this beautiful basin came the old French navigators more than two
centuries ago, and at its head they found a place which seemed to them
the best spot in Acadie to become the capital of the new colony which
they were going to found here. So they established their little town,
and these placid waters became the scene of commercial activity and of
warlike enterprise, till generations passed away, and the little French
town of Port Royal, after many strange vicissitudes, with its wonderful
basin, remained in the possession of the English conqueror.

"Now," said Captain Corbet, "boys, look round on that thar, an tell me
of you ever see a beaut