RECEPTION AT THE FORT. 231 



of whom stared hard at me in the dusk of the evening, but 

 none of them questioned my business ; when at last (the 

 distance was longer than I thought for) I came to the 

 top of the hill, I saw " the Fort," as it was called, but 

 which had nothing of a fort about it, not so much as our 

 barracks have in England, for it was not protected nor 

 shut in even by a wall. At the two ends of an elongated 

 square or ample parade-ground were buildings, the quar 

 ters of the officers, and on the other two sides commodious 

 barracks for the men ; a wide interval being left at the 

 four corners, by which the parade could be attained, and 

 which remained free to any ingress, save as the sentinels 

 might interfere. On trotting up to the officers' quarters 

 on the left hand, as I made my entry, I saw several, as 

 well as one or two of their ladies, in the verandah which 

 fronted their houses. To one of these officers I addressed 

 myself, asking to be directed to the quarters of the com 

 manding officer. He referred me to the buildings at the 

 other end of the parade, adding, " Any news ? " He evi 

 dently expected, perhaps from my jaded and dusty look, 

 that I was the hurried bearer of further disasters from the 

 redskins. " None," I replied ; " but I bring a private letter 

 of introduction." 



On trotting across the parade to the quarters indicated, 

 there again I saw a couple of officers and a lady, when, pull 

 ing off my hat, I asked for the officer in command. Major 

 Wassells then came forward and said he was in command, 

 and to him I delivered my letters, which, being glanced 

 at, he said " the commanding officer to whom the letter I 

 bore was personally addressed was absent." On this I 

 replied, " I take it on myself to say it is free to your in 

 spection." Major Wassells then broke the seal and read 

 the contents, when stepping forward, in the kindest way 



