132 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



we endeavored to induce old time to pass as pleasantly as possible, by 

 testing our skill in phreneology. — Every phiz afforded a touch stone, but 

 then the difficulty was to ascertain whether or not we could distinguish 

 a Eadical from a constitutionalist. To put the question to strangers 

 was rather too yankeefied for our notion, and to retain every face in our 

 " mind's mirror," until " the hour of demonstration should arrive " was 

 a pretty considerable difficult task. Long faces, smooth brows, and lank 

 hair were in our opinion characteristic traits of grievance mongers; 

 while innumerable bluff chops, well grown whiskers and bushey noddles 

 were evident proofs that the British Lion would that day be lord of the 

 ascendant. As we approached the town, the sun hitherto enveloped in 

 clouds, suddenly burst forth in meridian Majesty, a^^ if to exhibit to our 

 view, in more brilliant colors the innumerable British flags that now 

 presented themselves on the hill beneath which our carriage slow rolled 

 along. As we entered the town we were met by a number, in carriages 

 heavily laden by true British timber, in the first were about 15 passen- 

 gers, one of whom gracefully waved a splendid scarlet flag in the centre 

 of which was a crown, around which were the words Sir John Colborne 

 and the British constitution. Almost immediately after a gallant band 

 of 2 or 300 footmen appeared preceded by a fife and drum, playing Kule 

 Britania. At about a quarter before 18, upwards of 200 horsemen with 

 a bugler at their head proceeded towards Port Talbot to meet the Col 

 and accompany him to Town; while an immense assemblage placed 

 themselves on the top of Sterling Hill to await his arrival. Between the 

 Hill and the town, at the residence of Col Warren a party of gentlemen, 

 with a band of music " of no ignoble blood," prepared to greet his com- 

 ing. On his appearing on the Hill west of the creek, his approach was 

 announced by a thousand tongues : the party at Col Warren's of which 

 we had the honor to be one, then drew up in front of his house to salute 

 him as he past, just as we had formed we observed the Col ascending 

 the hill, uncovered, amid the most deafening cheers, the bands playing 

 the British Grenadier's march. As he passed our party, he again un- 

 covered, and with a look of conscious victory eyed every individual as if 

 to ascertain if an enemy to Britain could be found in such company. 

 He then rode up to the King's Arms Hotel, where a platform, was 

 erected for his reception. On one angle of the platform proudly waved 

 the British Union Jack and on another a splendid merchant flag and on 

 the third the one to which we have before alluded, with the words Sir 

 John Colborne and the British constitution, splendidly guilded on both 

 sides. 



Innumerable flags were interspersed among the crowd, and on the 

 whole the scene was the most grand, and exhilerating of any, which dur- 



