AN ENGLISH SPORTSMAN ON THE PRAIRIES. 305 



more characteristic of his style, than the significant sim- 

 plicity of the single word " Blake," in gold letters over his 

 cabin door, instead of the invariable " Captain's Cabin." 

 It reminded us of all the awful notices, " Spring-guns 

 aet here," or "Beware the dog," of the old country. I 

 thought of our own old Blake, too, and of his famous 

 apophthegm, " Sailors must not mind politics, but only 

 keep foreigners from fooling us." 



At Mackinaw, that gem of the Lakes, so warmly and 

 deservedly lauded by Mrs. Jamieson, we enjoyed a stroll 

 of two hours on shore, visiting the fort, now held by a 

 small garrison of United States' Artillery, and the 

 ruined redoubt of the British, on the very pinnacle of 

 the island, from which a most striking prospect, embracing 

 an extensive archipelago of wooded isles, lies spread-be- 

 neath the spectator. The beauty of this island is more 

 remarkable from its possessing so happy a foil in the 

 hideous and dismal shores of neighboring Michigan. 



Running at the rate of twelve knots down Lake Hu- 

 ron, and darting like a kingfisher along the rapid stream 

 of Detroit river, our swift vessel reached the city of that 

 name, on the evening of the 15th ; a passage of about 

 sixty-seven hours from Chicago. From Detroit, I was 

 tempted to accompany my brother-sportsman of the 34th, 

 to Amherstburgh, the present station of that regiment ; 

 whilst my regimental friend, whose home was more at- 

 tractive than mine, pursued his course to the Falls. The 

 annual races were going on at Amherstburg, on my arri- 

 val,* and the quail shooting was at its height, so that I 



* I had, by my arrival at this place, the great satisfaction of ac- 

 complishing an object which 1 had long set my heart upon, namely, the 

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