VISIT TO PICTOU. 155 
At each pause of the musicians, refreshments 
were handed round, not the slightest surprise 
being manifested at the evident alacrity with 
which glasses of pure rum were swallowed by 
the robust ladies of that inclement clime. 
To the surprise of Audubon, who naturally 
supposed them to be entirely free from mauvaise 
honte, some of them whom he and his compan- 
ions afterwards met in their rambles, fled from 
them like “ gazelles before jackalls.” One bear- 
ing a pitcher of water, dropped it, and ran to 
the woods. 
Another in search of a cow, took to the water, 
and waded through it more than waist deep, and 
then made for home with the speed of a fright- 
eased hare. So marvellous is the transformation 
effected by the genial influence of that extraor- 
dinary occurrence—a ball in that portion of 
Newfoundland. 
After a few days of delightful wanderings 
over the mossy hills, and many a pleasant row 
up the indentures of the beautiful bay of St. 
George, he bade adieu to the rude, but most 
hospitable English and French of that isolated 
port, and a few days of easy sailing saw the 
Ripley at anchor a few miles from Pictou, and 
a boat, containing all the party but the captain 
and crew of the schooner, was pulled cherrily 
on to the beach, where Audubon, followed by 
