adually from the water's
edge. Its streets are wide, well laid out, and handsome, mostly
crossing each other at right angles, and extending along the shores of
the harbour for a distance of two miles, and running inland about half a
mile. Fine wharfs, at which ships of any burden can discharge their
cargoes, extend along the water's edge; above them are the warehouses
and merchants' stores; and then come the public buildings; and, lastly,
the houses of the more wealthy inhabitants. The harbour is very fine,
and would hold as large a fleet as ever put to sea. The naval dockyard
is also a handsome establishment, and it is the chief naval station in
British North America. As it is completely open to the influence of the
sea air, its anchorage is very seldom blocked up by ice. It is
altogether an important place, and would become still more important in
war-time.

As soon as we had dropped our anchor, Captain Gale, taking me with him
to carry his papers and other articles, went on shore to find out the
owners of the _Dolphin_. Davidson and Stenning were their names, the
latter being the brother of the master, who was also part owner. He was
dreadfully overcome when Captain Gale announced his errand.

"What do you mean, sir? My brave brother Walter dead! murdered by
rascally pirates!" he exclaimed. "Oh, impossible!--it's too horrid!
What will his poor wife do?"

"I have my hopes that he may still be numbered among the living,"
replied Captain Gale. And he then recounted all that had occurred
connected with the Salee rover.

Both the gentlemen complimented the captain on the way he had behaved,
and then begged him to wait to see Mrs Walter Stenning, who was
residing there. After some time, during which her brother-in-law was
preparing her for the captain's communication, we were called in to see
the lady. She begged that I might come too, that she might question me
about having seen her husband in the rigging of the rover. She was not
very young, but she was handsome, and very modest-looking; and as she
was dressed in mourning, she appeared very interesting, and I for one
thought that I should be ready to do anything to please her. She
listened attentively to all the captain had to say; and after talking to
him some time, cross-questioned me very narrowly as to how I knew that
he was the man I had seen on board the rover.

"It was him--it was him, I am certain!" she exclaimed. "My good and
noble husband