THE LAKE OF THE THOUSAND ISLES. 145 



forty miles in length ; forming the termination of Lake On 

 tario, and commencement of the river St Lawrence. The 

 islands are generally small rocks, a few feet above water, 

 covered with stunted trees, standing as close together as curl 

 ing-stones on a rink of ice in Scotland, and completely exclu 

 ding a sight of the mainltind. The weather was unfavourable, 

 a drizzling rain having set in, which perhaps affected my 

 feelings, and increased the sombreness of the scenery, which 

 at all times possesses little interest from the want of life. So 

 much is this felt, that a gentleman of my acquaintance, pass 

 ing up the Lake of the Thousand Isles a few weeks before, 

 was sitting by a traveller engaged with his note-book, when 

 a crow came in sight. He interrupted the writer, and begged 

 he would notice the crow, as it was the only moving thing he 

 had seen during three hours sail. 



On board of the United States I had a long conversation 

 with a fellow-passenger, Andrew Dinwucldie, from Dumfries 

 shire, in Scotland, and I hope he will pardon me mentioning 

 his name. Andrew was an excellent specimen of his cautious 

 countrymen, and showed credentials highly honourable to his. 

 honesty and integrity. He had come to America in spring, 

 accompanied by two brothers, who had purchased land near 

 Prescott, paying L.300 for 200 acres, seventy of them being 

 cleared. Andrew was unmarried, and determined to look 

 about him before sitting down for life. After assisting his 

 brothers to plant their potatoes, he worked with an English 

 farmer in the neighbourhood of Ogdensburgh for a month, 

 and was now on his way to Geneva and Canandaigua in the 

 state of New York, at which places he intended to work 

 for some time. Andrew seemed to have belonged to what is 

 called in Scotland the class of small farmers, and was much 

 pleased with the change of country he had made; having- 

 assisted at the Englishman s hay and wheat harvest, for which 

 he got $8 a-month, working moderately, and messing with 

 his employer on the best of fare. He had found no difficulty 

 in mowing during the warm weather ; and greatly preferred 

 American butcher-meat three times a-day, to the oatmeal 

 porridge, barley bread, and sour milk of Scotland. 



While at Kingston, ten short-horned cattle, nineteen South- 



K 



