e pickets belonging to either party, who were very apt to suspect a
man they found creeping about without any ostensible object, and anyone
suspected of being a spy in those days had a short shrift and a long
rope applied before he knew where he was. More from a spirit of
enterprise than from any other reason, I determined to see what the land
blockade was like, and while at Richmond, happening to meet another
adventurous individual also so inclined, we commenced our plan of
campaign.

First of all (by the way, I ought to mention that we were both nautical
parties) we engaged a pilot, thereby meaning a man who had a canoe or
two stowed away in different parts of the woods, and who was well
acquainted with the passes on the river. Our amiable friend, the
correspondent of the 'Times.' showed so much confidence in our success
that he entrusted to our care a packet of despatches, which were
intended, if we got through successfully, to delight the eyes of the
readers of the 'Thunderer' some weeks afterwards.

We had to buy a horse and buggy, as naturally enough no one would let
them out on hire for such an enterprise; besides, those were not days
when men let out anything on hire that they could not keep in sight.
However, we sent a man on before us, in company with the pilot, to a
station some miles from the frontier, whose business it was to bring the
trap back when we had done with it. We stowed in our haversacks a pair
of dry stockings, a good stock of tobacco, and a couple of bottles of
brandy, against the road; we also had passes to produce in the event of
questions being asked by the patrols on the Southern side of the
frontier.

All being ready, we started, leaving Richmond at four o'clock in the
morning. We travelled on a long, dreary, dusty road all day, stopping
about noon for two hours at a free nigger's hut, where we got some yams
and milk, and about sunset arrived at the station above mentioned, at
which we were to dismiss our conveyance; and right glad we were to get
rid of it, for we were bumped to death by its dreadful oscillations.

At this station our pilot was waiting for us. There were also
bivouacking here a picket of cavalry, who told us they had seen some of
the enemy's patrols that morning, scouring about on the opposite bank of
the river just where we proposed to land. Somehow or other, people
always seem to take a pleasure in telling you disagreeable things at a
time when you rather want encour