292 PEAIRIE AND FOREST. 



been in many towns less pleasant; the inhabitants are 

 hospitable and genial, the society is good, and the ladies 

 have no small pretensions to being considered beautiful. 

 Having spent a couple of weeks lounging about 

 Halifax with nothing to do, at length I decided to go in 

 search of adventure, and, if possible, get a few days' salmon 

 fishing. 



Having come to this conclusion, on examining the local 

 papers, I found that the good schooner Alert, registered 

 A 1, would sail on the morrow for the Straits of Belle Isle, 

 to collect salt fish from the coast, weather permitting ; so 

 without delay I hastened to the designated wharf to 

 examine the craft, and strike a bargain with the skipper. 

 The captain was below, in the cabin, one of the deck hands 

 informed me, as I passed the gangway, indicating the 

 position of the companion-ladder with a jerk of his finger 

 over the left shoulder. On getting at the bottom of that 

 most inconvenient piece of mechanism in every small craft, 

 a little faster than expected, having slipped my foot on 

 the second or third step, and slid the rest of the way to 

 the bottom, only saving my neck by the hold I had of the 

 bannisters, and making a tremendous racket by my rapid 

 descent, I was saluted with, " Jock, you careless lubber, 

 can't you mind your feet ? This is the second time you 

 have made that infernal clatter this day ! " And what 

 more would have come I know not, for I interrupted the 

 speaker in his invective by knocking with considerable 

 energy at the door which appeared to stand between us. 

 On being desired to enter, I turned the handle, when 

 Captain MacGregor was presented to my view, lathered all 



