onder deeply.

Canada's entire population was nearly 320,000--about the same as that of
Toronto to-day--that of the United States was 8,000,000! To defend her
broken frontier Canada had only 1,450 British soldiers and a militia--at
that moment--chiefly on paper. If the Indians in the West were to be
impressed with British supremacy--for they were making a stand against
2,000 American soldiers on the banks of the Wabash, in Ohio, where
eighteen years before they had been beaten by General Wayne at
Miami--then Amherstburg must be greatly strengthened and the Americans
deterred from attack. How was Brock to obtain troops, and how were they
to be equipped? The stores at Fort York were empty, provisions costly,
and no specie to be had. All the frontier posts needed heavier
batteries. On Lake Erie the fleet consisted of the _Queen Charlotte_ and
the small schooner _Hunter_. As to the militia, he had been advised that
it would not be prudent to arm more than 4,000 of the 11,000 in all
Canada prepared to bear arms.

To Brock's citation of thirty pressing wants Sir George Prevost wrote
him, "You must not be led into any measure bearing the character of
_offence_, even should war be declared." Prevost had a fluid backbone,
while Brock's was of finely tempered steel.

While affairs were in this precarious state His Excellency the
Lieutenant-Governor, Major-General Brock, opened the Legislature at
York. With what pride the news was received by the good people at St.
Peter's Port can be imagined. To think that this great man, gorgeous in
a purple Windsor uniform and slender court sword, with gleaming silk
hose and hair aglitter with silver powder, was none other than "Master
Isaac," whom the humblest Guernsey fisherman claimed as comrade, seemed
past belief! To think that this important gentleman, with frilled
waistcoat and cuffs of delicate lace--actually the King's Deputy--before
whom, as "Your Excellency," Indian and paleface, gentle and simple,
bowed low, was the small boy who used to play "uprooting the gorse"
with the Guernsey fisher-lads--was beyond comprehension. Probably the
one least affected by these honours was our hero himself. While it
gratified his honest pride, it did not in the least cloud his vision.
His speech from the throne proves this.

"It is a glorious contest in which the Empire is engaged," he said, "to
secure the independence of Europe, but what can we think of the American
Government, which is trying