of firing, during which it appears the enemy troops under Colonel Scott, did not increase was employed in bringing up the whole of it to more than two thousand eight hundred his remaining force; and he shortly after- of every description. To lieutenant-colonel Harvey, deputy-ad wards renewed his attack with fresh troops, A very difficult, but at the same time a but was everywhere repulsed with equal gal- most gratifying duty remains, that of endealantry and success. About this period the vouring to do justice to the merits of the offi remainder of major-general Riall's division, cers and soldiers by whose valor and discipwhich had been ordered to retire on the ad-line this important success has been obtained. vance of the enemy, consisting of the 103d I was, very early in the action, deprived of regiment, under Colonel Scott; the head-major-general Riall, who, I regret to learn, quarter division of the royal Scots; the has suffered the amputation of his arm* and head-quarter division of the 8th, or king's; whose bravery, zeal, and activity, have flank companies of the 104th; and some de- always been conspicuous. tachments of militia, under lieutenant Colonel Hamilton, inspecting field officer, joined the troops engaged; and I placed them in a jutant-general, I am so deeply indebted for his second line, with the exception of the royal valuable assistance previous to, as well as his able and energetic exertions during, this Scots and flank companies of the 104th, with which I prolonged my line in front to the severe contest, that I feel myself called upon right, where I was apprehensive of the eneto point your excellency's attention to the distinguished merits of this highly deserving my outflanking me. officer, whose services have been particularly The enemy's efforts to carry the hill were conspicuous in every affair that has taken continued till about midnight, when he had place since his arrival in this province. The suffered so severely from the superior steadi- zeal and intelligence displayed by major ness and discipline of his majesty's troops, Glegg, assistant-adjutant-general, deserve that he gave up the contest, and retreated my warmest approbation. I much regret with great precipitation to his camp beyond the loss of a very intelligent and promising the Chippewa. On the following day he young officer, lieutenant Moorsom, 104th abandoned his camp, threw the greater part regiment, deputy-assistant-adjutant-general, of his baggage, camp equipage, and provi- who was killed towards the close of the sions, into the Rapids, and having set fire to action. The active exertions of captain Street's mills, and destroyed the bridge at Eliot, deputy-assistant-quarter-master-geneChippewa, continued his retreat in great ral, of whose gallantry and conduct I had disorder towards Fort Erie. My light troops, occasion on two former instances to remark, cavalry, and Indians are detached in pur- were conspicuous. Major Maule and lieut. suit, and to harass his retreat, which I doubt Le Breton of the quarter-master-general's not he will continue until he reaches his own department were extremely useful to me : the latter was severely wounded. shore. The loss sustained by the enemy in this Amongst the officers from whose active severe action cannot be estimated at less than exertions I derived the greatest assistance, 1,500 men, including several hundred of I cannot omit to mention my aides-de-camp, prisoners left in our hands; his two com- captains Jervoise and Loring, and captain manding generals, Brown and Scott, are said Holland, aide-de-camp to major-general Riall. to be wounded, his whole force, which has Captain Loring was unfortunately taken never been rated at less than 5,000, having prisoner by some of the enemy's dragoons, been engaged. whilst in the execution of an order. (To be continued.) Enclosed I have the honour to transnit a return of our loss, which has been very considerable. The number of troops under my command did not, for the first three hours, general-Riall, though severely wounded, did exceed 1600 men; and the addition of the not lose his arm. It was afterwards ascertained, that major THOUGHTS FOR AUGUST. Then cometh harvest. Lift up your eyes, and look in the fields; for they are white already to harvest.-JOHN iv. 35. Spring and Summer, with all the bright hopes they inspired, have now all but passed away, leaving to us the realization of those hopes to which the advent of the former gave birth, and which were fostered by the heats of the latter. disciples the verses with which this notice is headed. The second quotation we make shows us that the harvest season is the fulfillment of a covenant promise, pledged to man with all the solemnity and earnestness with which we can conceive the Divine condescension capable of yielding to man. "One summer-evening after the deluge, Noah was seen standing by an altar of burnt The year has now assumed the appearance of offering. No sooner did the blood of slain a matron, who, having laid aside the girlish animals stream over its sides, and the columu graces of early youth, appears in the full per- of smoke from the blazing sacrifices reach the fection of womanly beauty, and in whom the sky, than a rainbow was observed to span the transition from youth to maturity has been so sky. God pointed out to that aged worshipper gently developed as to create a doubt whether that bow in the cloud. He told him it was the instead of beauty lost, fresh charms have not been added. In like manner it may be said of the present month, that it partakes in some degree, of the beauties of those preceding; and the meadows, from which has been already gathered the crop that now fills the barn yard, again smile with the renewed herbage springing up in the first mown fields. In a little work, entitled a "Harvest Tract", the harvest and its associations have been made the basis of many interesting and apposite reflections. The allusions to pastoral and agricultural sign and seal of a new covenant. In that grant the harvest has a foremost place: while the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease." When we remember that we read in sacred narrative of the consequences of the failure of the harvests in Egypt, and when we reflect on the misery entailed on European countries, in modern days, by a similar failure, we cannot but feel convinced that the promise "that seed time and harvest shall not cease", was well suited to the advent of that new order of things which succeeded the deluge. labours in the Old Testament are indeed calcuAgain, harvest may be looked at by the lated to awaken in all minds a lively interest, Christian in another light; by him it may be as links connecting those old times with our own; while, in the New Testament, the har- regarded as a picture of true religion, which vest is made the type of the most solemn and having plucked out the tares of this world is momentous of all coming events relating to man. now about "to reap in joy", and this view is confirmed when we remember that the Bible "From the time of Adam," runs the tract, takes a harvest field to describe the joys of 66 salvation. They joy before thee according to "who was himself the first harvest reaper, the Bible gives many notices of harvest time. the joy of harvest." read of Cain being a tiller of the ground, and We August owed its name to Augustus, in the bringing his first harvest fruits as an offering same way that from Julius Caesar was July to the Lord; again we read of Noah becoming named, by our Saxon ancestors it was, however, a husbandman, or man of the ground, gather- called, according to Verstegan, Arn-monath, ing, doubtless, rich crops from the renewed barn-month, from the filling of their barns ; It was also named, face of the earth. Next, of Ruth following her arn meaning harvest. kinsman's reapers during the barley harvest in according to other authorities, Woed-monath. one of the valleys of Bethlehem; two hundred To the sportsman, August in this country years later, we read of the prophet Samuel, lacks one great attraction; to him the 12th when he was bent with age, at the time of the sounds no note of preparation. To him the wheat harvest, calling down rain and thunder bloody harvest to be gleaned on the moors is from heaven." Before giving another extract denied, and true cause of thankfulness have we from the same work, it may be added that our all that such is the case. In our happy land Saviour himself when looking around on the the frightful list of poaching penalties is unglories of the harvest season, uttered to his known, and to every man is conceded the right VOL. V.-I. of taking that which the Almighty gave for the use of all. Our adopted country has yet to don a garment worn by some of the counties of Merrie England at this season. Our fields have yet to clothe themselves with the nodding honours of the hop harvest. Howitt, speaking of this cultivation, observes, "we cannot boast of our vineyards; but we question whether Italy itself can show a more beautiful or picturesque scene than an English hop garden in picking| time." This feature will not, however, be long wanting in our Canadian landscape, and some future Canadian poet may then be able to dwell on all the beauties of his, or her, native land as sweetly as Mary Howitt does, concerning an English August, in her Lays of the Seasons: Arise, thou child of nature, rise! Arouse thy slumbering spirit now! The Autumn sheaves are on the hill, And solemn are the woods and still, With clustering fruits on every bough. There's merry laughter in the field, And harmless jest and frolic rout; And the last harvest-wain goes by With its rustling load so pleasantly To the glad and clamorous harvest shout. There are busy gleaners in the field— The old, whose work is never done, And eager, laughing, childish bands, Rubbing the ears in their little hands. And singing 'neath the autumn sun. There are peasants in the hamlets low, Busied among their orchard-trees, In the gardens of the Hesperides. And boys are busy in the woods, Gathering the ripe nuts, bright and brown ;— -Grey mists at morn brood o'er the earth, Hangs on each leaf in its decay. Go to the silent autumn woods! There has gone forth a spirit stern; Its wing has waved in triumph here, The Spring's green tender leaf is sere, And withering hangs the summer fern. Now to the mountains turn thine eye, How shine they through the burnished air! The little flocks, like drifts of snow, The shepherds' sheiling grey and low, Thou seest them in their beauty there. Oh to lie down in wilds apart, Where man is seldom seen or heard; In still and ancient forests, where Mows not his scythe, ploughs not his share, With the shy deer and cooing bird! To go in dreaminess of mood, O'er a lone heath, that spreads around A solitude like a silent sea, Where rises not a hut or tree, The wide-embracing sky its bound! Oh! beautiful those wastes of heath, -Far sails the thistle's hoary down; All summer flowers have passed away→ This is the appointed time for seed, From the forest-oak to the meanest weed, A time of gathering and decay. But go not to the autumn hills, Stand not beneath the autumn trees, If thy unchastened spirit brook Now lift thine eyes, weak child of pride, And lo! behind yon branching pine, Broad, red and like a burning sun, Comes up the glorious autumn-moon, God's creature, like a thing divine! It is not, as our childhood deemed Oh high magnificence of eve! Thus silent in thy pomp of light, A world self-balanced thou appearest, An ark of fire, thou onward steerest Thy upward, glorious course aright! The peasant stands beside his door, Gazing in silent wonderment. 'Tis well when aught can wake the heart That breathes through nature day and night! THE PURSER'S CABIN. YARN II. EMBRACING MATTERS WHICH WILL BE PATENT As I wish to be as candid as is consistent with the preservation of my incognito, I hereby depone that I sail under a "purser's name." This declaration is rendered necessary from the fact, that since the spinning of my first " "yarn," not a few of my professional confreres have been interrogated by peripatetic Yankees, whether they responded to the cognomination of Stobo! In some instances this line of examination has proved so unpalatable, that it has eventuated in the doubling of fists, and the unfolding of bowie knives! Sincerely do I trust that for the future no cognate disputes will mar the amenity of our steam mercantile navy! During the currency of the last month, multiform and multitudinous specimens of the genus homo have been temporary tenants of my cabin. I have been favoured with the society of, at I almost regret having commenced these least, a baker's dozen of M.PP.'s, en route for papers! The "coil and pother" which my their several constituencies, brimful of patriotprimary "Yarn" has excited amongst the pur-ism and bunkum! If credence could be reposed ser fraternity of Old Ontario, almost passes be- in the asservations of these single-minded genlief! They deem that it is unprofessional for try, the destinies of Canada hinged upon the one of their number to tell tales out of ship; fact of their re-election! Not a mother's son and during the last month the most strenuous of them did covet a prolongation of political life exertions have been used by them to discover-far, very far from it! But then there was the obnoxious delinquent. something so crushingly overwhelming in the Hitherto, however, the finger of suspicion has idea of such wretches as Gammon of Gooseville not pointed in the direction of your humble or Thimblerig of Turncoattown being returned servant. Whenever the subject is mooted, I in- to serve in the ensuing Parliament, that, like variably assume an air of utter ignorance, and Curtius, they were determined to plunge into even go the length, at times, of denying, point the gulph in order that they might secure the blank, that I have so much as read the de- regeneration of the Province! nounced article! It is with sorrow I am constrained to state Some rigid moralists may feel inclined to haul that the open sesame of a goblet frequently disme over the coals for adopting such a line of closed secrets, which somewhat detracted from procedure, but, in my opinion, without any le- the "severe virtue" of these colonial IIampgitimate ground. From time immemorial authors dens! At the outset of a communing, Noodle on the anonymous "lay," have been permitted would denounce his opponent Doodle, because to wear their vizards with impunity, and to he went for the secularization of the Clergy adopt every ruse and "doublement" to prevent Reserves. When, however, the truth-expiscatquidnunes from peeping behind the same. There ing alcohol had done its work, I generally found can be no question but that the inditer of Ju-out that the "head and front" of Doodle's denius's Letters—that matchless cento of sparkling linquency consisted in his having an interest in Billingsgate-frequently must have turned up the line of some railway, which, if adopted, his eyes in simulated horror, when the subject would deteriorate the value of Noodle's proof the epistles was alluded to, in his presence, perty! Jupiter knows that I have not one farat court. Who ever dreamed of calling Sir thing at stake in " this Canada," and hence I Philip Francis (supposing Sir Philip to have may be permitted to record my deliberate opibeen nominis umbra) a knave, for thus acting? nion that, in nine cases out of ten, "public Surely, according to every canon of fair play, spirit" and "breeches pockets" are, in these the "sauce" which was conceded to the vitupe- latitudes, synonymous and convertible terms! rative knight, will not be withheld from the Fully do I concede that on both sides of the pohumble purser of the Hamilton and Montreal litical blanket bona fide theorists are to be found, "through" steamer whe are guided by principle in their proceedings. Like angels' visits, or plums in a poor's-house Having waxed stale as a third-rate provincial REMINISCENCES OF A POOR PLAYER. But I must turn over a new leaf in my log! The sweltering temperature of a Canadian July is ill-adapted for the discussion of such feverDuring the voyage my new acquaintance reengendering topics. I do this the more readily counted to me sundry of his "experiences," a because a purser is ex officio a non-politician! few of which I have jotted down for the enterLike his vice-regal betters, he is bound to pre-tainment of the perusers of these pages. serve a "dignified neutrality," and smile equally In order to avoid the irksomeness and confuupon Conservative and Clear Grit, provided sion of inverted commas, the reader will be so always, that the dollars are forthcoming! good as imagine that instead of Denis Lynch About a fortnight ago, my attention was ar- Stobo, it is Alonzo Fitz Mortimer who is now rested by the appearance of one of our deck holding forth. passengers, who was making an aquatic pilgrimage from Hamilton to Montreal. There was James Sheridan Knowles! How my heart something in the cut of the gent's garments, warms at the name of that single-minded and and the Silvester Daggerwood disposition of his enthusiastic son of genius! For more than "unlovely love locks" (as the old king-killers two years I was a member of his elocution class of Cromwell's time would say), which convinced me that he had "faced the music" in his day which I spent under his tuition as amongst the in Glasgow, and I look backward to the days and generation. This impression was strength-brightest and most genial of my life. ened by the manner in which he received my demand for the honorarium exigible for the conveyance of his person. Opening his purse, he drew forth the requisite number of bills, exclaiming, with a ten-horse sigh, as he placed them in my hands, "Farewell! a long farewell! Ye come like shadows, and ye so depart!" Being myself a waif and stray of society, I have always cherished a kindly feeling towards Paddy Knowles," as in kindly familiarity we that hair-brained tribe who are "vagabonds by called him, almost to his face! The severest Act of Parliament!" Consequently, having chastisement which he could inflict upon offencertiorated myself that my customer was a son ders was to debar them from the school-roomof Thespis, I requested him to keep his money for a certain number of days. In other semiin his purse, and to visit my pursorial domain naries holidays are the reward of merit and di-,when the hurry of business was over. The in-ligence, with us they were regarded as penivitation was accepted with a profusion of tential penalties! thanks, and after the from Browne's wharf, Mr Alonzo Fitz Mortimer, for so did my guest designate himself, made his "first appearance" in the "Purser's Cabin." He To become a pupil of Knowles was to become, 66 "Even his failngs leaned to virtue's side." had cleared out Though in the receipt of a considerable income from class fees, Knowles, in process of time, degenerated into poverty. This untoward state of things was not attributable either to The heart of Alonzo being warmed by a cigar, extravagance or dissipation. In the words of and some kindred accessories which it is not a kindred spiritessential to specify, he, like the jealous Moor of Venice, recounted "all his story's history." Never could he hear unmoved the tale of sorrow, That story I do not intend inflicting upon my or the supplication of penury. His last shilreaders. It was the "thrice told tale" of life's ling was always at the service of the man who gay morn dissipated in dreamy idleness, follow-could make out a plausible case of hardship or ed by the scorching meridian of disappointment, want. and the cold, grey afternoon of poverty and carking care! Unfortunately the designing and fraudulent took advantage of this generally known temper T |