EARLY LIFE 23 



cheer me up, and pretty soon my boyish spirits 

 returned. Our trip was long but uneventful; we 

 were delayed by calms and at other times head 

 winds, and passed several days at anchor, but 

 eventually reached Quebec, sixteen days after 

 leaving Mingan. My destination was Three 

 Rivers, and the Captain had orders to see me off 

 and pay my passage, &c., which he did on the 

 day after our arrival at Quebec. In the mean- 

 time I had taken advantage of this delay to run 

 around and see the sights; my first glimpse of 

 a city. Many were the wonderful things that I 

 saw on that first day, not the least of which were 

 the big guns on the Ramparts, the gates with the 

 guards, and the sentinels on duty, with their 

 gaudy red uniforms. Their guns were especially 

 interesting, as they were the first percussion cap 

 guns that I had seen; great big caps, like a 

 miniature beaver. How I longed to have a look 

 at them ! But I was too shy to ask. In due time 

 I reached Three Rivers, where I had some rela- 

 tives and a letter of introduction to the school 

 master, Mr. G. W. Lawler, who kept a Commer- 

 cial Academy. This was open all the year round, 

 with only a week's vacation at Christmas, and an 

 odd holiday or half-holiday on certain occa- 

 sions. I arrived on the 5th of July, and entered 

 school the next day, and left on the 30th of April 

 the next spring ten months' schooling, which 

 was all I ever had the chance to get. Our family 



