64 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



The quiet Village of Chippewa suddenly assumed quite an 

 animated appearance from the Influx of so many strangers. So 

 rapid had been the Movements of the Troops that in a very short 

 time upwards of 4000 had arrived to our protection. — Bands of 

 Music — Bugles — Marching — Countermarching — drilling — firing — 

 Cannon exercising — the bustle and stir of the Commissariat depart- 

 ment — ^waggon loads of Bread — Beef, pork & potatoes moving along 

 the road from the surrounding farms — presented a spectacle quite 

 Novel to me, who for the first time was located in the very heart of 

 the Contending parties — Private Houses were all turned into Barracks 

 and the Methodist Chapel into a Hospital — our worthy Clergyman 

 turned the sword of the Spirit into an Instrument of war, nothing in 

 fine being thought of but preparations for defence in the Event of an 

 Invasion — This all-engrossing Topic superceded every other consider- 

 ation. 



I should tell you, that in conformity with the Colonel's assurance, 

 preparations were made for going over to the Island to make re- 

 monstrance against American Citizens taking possession of our 

 Territory.^ Accordingly, some of the Magistrates, accompanied by 

 Volunteer rowers, proceeded on their way thither. This was an ill- 

 judged Experiment,^ as they must have been aware that the Brigands 

 were too numerous and too well armed to allow them to land, although 

 it was their policy to have done so, which would have secured the 

 party prisoners, and secured the Boats. — Willing, however, to shew 

 us that they, in reality had commenced their fortifications, and 

 possessed Cannon; — so soon as the Boat neered the Northern Ex- 

 tremity of the Island, they opened their Battery and fired a Six 

 pounder upon the adventurers. This was too warm a reception, so 

 they deemed it most prudent to return, which they quickly did, 

 without accomplishing the End in view. Two or three more shots 

 were fired, but without effect, their artillerymen not being in sufficient 

 practise to level a good aim, or make that allowance in the art of 

 Gunnery with a Moving object, so as to do any injury. 



So incredulous were the authorities in power, as to their numerical 

 force, considering that merely a few lawless fellows had gone there on a 

 freak, that they determined on another Experiment, which took 

 place shortly after, and would doubtless have succeeded had they 

 manned a sufficient Number of Boats. Unluckily however, as I 

 hinted at the outset, we had no Boats of any consequence, but they 

 were very quickly supplied from Queenston and Elsewhere. The 

 Sleighing being good, a grand Movement took place, and it was really 

 curious to see the rapid arrival of so many Boats. In a few days, 



