es of the most disastrous peace Great Britain has
ever made had already been signed.

Nairne was now anxious to go home. But even in June, 1783, he could not
get leave of absence from Isle aux Noix for even a fortnight. Conditions
were still unsettled. American traders were now pressing into Canada but
Nairne sent back any that he caught; the cessation of arms was, he said,
no warrant as yet for commercial intercourse and many suspicious
characters were about. The troops from Europe were returning home.
General Riedesel, about to leave for Germany, wrote from Sorel on July
6th, 1783, a warm letter of thanks to Nairne for the attention,
readiness, and punctuality of his services. Not long after, in the same
year, Nairne was at last free. He now sold his commission, receiving for
it L3,000. With the sale he renounced all claim to half-pay, pension, or
other consideration for past services and the sum he received was,
therefore, no very great final reward for his long services. There had
been some competition for this commission and its final disposal throws
some light on promotion in the army under the purchase system. General
Haldimand insisted that Captain Matthews, who appears to have been his
relative, should get it, since the General "must provide for his own
family." At this time Malcolm Fraser too thought of selling out but he
made difficulties about terms and the opportunity passed; Fraser was,
indeed, to live to see recruiting service in the war of 1812. When the
war was over, Nairne hurried to Murray Bay and to the country life in
which he delighted, and in his correspondence we soon find him
discussing not high questions of national defence but the qualities of
"a well-bred bull calf" and of an improved plough. "I have more
satisfaction," he says, perhaps with a touch of irony, "in a country
life and [in] cultivating a farm than even [in] being employed as first
major of the Quebec militia." Henceforth his heart is wholly at Murray
Bay and in his interests there.

[Footnote 8: Diary of an English Officer. Proceedings of the Literary
and Historical Society of Quebec, 1871-72, p. 61.]

[Footnote 9: See Appendix C., p. 273, for the text of his letter to his
sister describing the operations of the winter at Quebec. It is an able
review of the campaign.]

[Footnote 10: Proceedings of the Literary and Historical Society of
Quebec, 7th Series, 1905, p. 75; "Blockade of Quebec," etc.]

[Footnote 11: The men's name