THE ROARING FORTIES 93 



shed. At the same time the popular party in 

 Upper Canada were led to venture on revolt, 

 headed by a Scottish editor named Mackenzie. 

 An attack was made by a disorderly body of 

 the disaffected on Toronto, but it had no more 

 effect than the rising in the lower province. 

 The insurgent leaders who escaped death and 

 capture succeeded in crossing the line into the 

 United States. Papineau and Mackenzie were 

 both among the number. Many of the rank and 

 file of the insurgents also took refuge across the 

 border, and found there a measure of sympa 

 thy and support that had serious consequences. 

 For a year or more the Canadian frontier was 

 harassed by a series of petty but exasperating 

 raids organized and directed in the States of 

 Vermont, New York, and Michigan. 



The most important of these border forays 

 was that conducted from Buffalo as a base in 

 December, 1837. A force of several hundred 

 men took possession of an island on the Canadian 

 side of the international boundary, as a first 

 step toward attack on the mainland. Supplies 

 for the invaders were drawn from the Amer 

 ican side by means of the small steamer Caro 

 line. Canadian troops, sent to destroy the 

 steamer, found her lying at a wharf on the Amer- 



