boundary line between Canada and the United States, divides it 
into two nearly equal parts. 
In the afternoon we saw a small peninsula towards the west, 
called Prince Edward’s Island, and passed between a cluster of 
small islands, called the Ducks. About nine o’clock in the even¬ 
ing we reached Kingston, the British harbour on Lake Ontario. 
We cast anchor close by the town. I spent the night on board, 
and in the morning, as I awoke, I found one of the companies of 
the thirty-seventh regiment, who are here in garrison, marching 
along the quay, near the vessel, as a guard of honour, accompa¬ 
nied by a band of music. I dismissed them of course immedi¬ 
ately, and after having received the visits of a few officers, we 
rode over the bay to the dock-yard, which lies opposite to 
Kingston, surrounded by a high wall and protected by a strong 
guard. By the navy-list I ascertained that there are ten ships 
here, with three hundred and six guns, in ordinary. It appear¬ 
ed to me, however, that the number of guns was greater, for the 
St. Lawrence, one of these vessels, carried one hundred and 
twenty guns, and two which are yet on the stocks, the Montreal 
and Wolf, have three decks, and ports for one hundred and 
thirty guns each. According to the stipulation of the treaty of 
Ghent, they are not permitted to build any ships here during 
time of peace; so that the soldiers at the arsenal consisted merely 
of the necessary officers, besides twelve carpenters, who had 
scarcely any thing to do, but to work at an elegant little schooner, 
which was shortly to be launched to serve as a yacht. The large 
vessels on the stocks were uncovered, and appeared to have suf¬ 
fered much from the weather. The St. Lawrence was the largest 
vessel in the river, and is said also to be in a state of decay; 
her bottom especially has suffered from the effects of the fresh 
water and worms. The wharves of the dock-yard are built of 
wood, and bear marks of the haste in which they were erected; 
they were in a bad condition. Within a few years they have 
erected a magazine, three stories high and one hundred and ninety- 
two feet long, with iron doors and shutters, for the preservation 
of the sails and cordage. The partitions in the inside are made of 
wood. Immediately on our entrance into the magazine the large 
iron door was locked and kept so, inasmuch as they greatly mis¬ 
trust the Americans. Beneath the building is a cellar, which is 
also occupied as a magazine, and the floor of which consists 
of limestone, which serves for the foundation of the whole build¬ 
ing. The stairs are of stone, and are built into a tower; they in¬ 
tend also at some future period, to make the different floors fire¬ 
proof, like the magazine at Plymouth, by covering them with 
iron. In a distinct massy building are the forges, and in a third 
the offices. By the side of the offices is a large room, which con- 
