LEAVES THEY HAVE TOUCHED. 107 



The name of Gen. Sheaffe — afterwards Sir Roger Hale Sheaife — is 

 associated with the liistory of Toronto. It was he who retired with 

 the remains of the small regular army under his command towards 

 Kingston, when Toronto, then York, was taken and partially sacked 

 by the Congressional invading force. I possess an autograph letter 

 of his. It is addressed to Col. Givins at York, and introduces to him 

 and to us Capt. Basil Hall. " I have the pleasure of introducing to 

 you," Gen. Sheaffe says, " Capt. Basil Hall of the Royal ISTavy. In 

 granting him the benefit of any kind offices in your power, and in 

 procuring from others any aid that may promote the purposes of his 

 visit to Canada, you will confer an obligation on, yours very truly, 

 R. H. Sheaffe." This letter is dated Edinburgh, 8th April, 1827. 

 Capt. Basil Hall's three volumes of Travels in North America in 

 1827-8 appeared in 1829. He preceded Mrs. Trollope by a few 

 years, and, like that lady, he gave great offence by his criticisms, which, 

 like hers, were not always of the most enlightened kind. An autograph 

 letter which I chance to have of Capt. Hall's relates wholly to America. 

 It is addressed to W. R. Hamilton, Esq., Secretary to or otherwise 

 connected with the Athenfeum Club, and it offers some recommenda- 

 tions in regard to the newspapers of the United States some forty 

 years ago. The letter is dated 4 St. James' Place, Wednesdaj^ 23rd 

 June, 1830. " My dear Sir," it proceeds, " in reply to your question 

 about American papers, I beg leave to mention to you, that I think 

 your best plan would be to take one of the New York Tri-weekly 

 Papers, as they are called, and Niles' Weekly Register. The ISTew 

 York Paper will give you all the interesting transatlantic information 

 current at the moment, including as good a report of the Debates in 

 Congress as can be required in this country ; Avhile Niles' Register 

 will be found very useful, from its containing all the Reports made to- 

 Congress and a great mass of other information pretty well arranged,, 

 and carefully indexed. These qualities make Niles' Register a good 

 work of reference ; and it is my intention to offer to the Athenfeum a 

 complete set from its commencement, I think in 1811, up to 1828. 

 This can easily be completed to the present day; and if the Committee 

 think fit, it may be continued in future as a document to be referred 

 to. With respect to the National Intelligencer, it strikes me that 

 this would be superfluous, if you get Niles' Register and a New York 

 Tri-weekly Paper. When Congress is sitting, indeed, the reports of 

 the Debates are mox-e fully given in the Intelligencer than in any 



