The steam-boat Frontenac, arrived in the evening after our return, and was to sail on the following day for Kingston. We went on board and examined her cabin. Around the dining-cabin there are six chambers, each containing four births. I was shown into one of these, in which I could lie at full length. In the ladies cabin are fourteen births. A great part of the deck was covered by an awning, so that passengers could enjoy the fresh air at the same time that they were protected from the sun or bad weather. The boat carries seven hundred and fifty tons, and has an engine made by Bolton and Watt, at Soho, near Birmingham, of twenty-seven horse-power. Sir Peregrine Maitland conveyed me to this vessel in his carriage. She lay at anchor off Fort George. Sir Peregrine had the great politeness to station one of the companies of the seventy-sixth regiment with a flag, to fire a salute of twenty-one guns; and his attention was still farther shown in sending his son along, that I might have no difficulty in seeing the navy-yard, at Kingston. The Frontenac sailed at half past five o’clock. In a few moments we were on the lake, and in a short time lost sight of land, and were apparently in the open sea. There was but little wind, and the vessel, in consequence of its great size, produced no disagreeable rocking. During the whole evening we were entertained by Mrs. Grymes, by her delightful performance on the guitar, and by her singing French and Spanish songs. The night passed quietly; but it was otherwise at break of day. It rained repeatedly; the wind grew stronger; the vessel pitched, and several persons became sea-sick. Lake Ontario is of an elliptical form, is about two hundred miles long, and fifty-five miles at its widest part. It is everywhere very deep, in some places five hundred feet, and never freezes completely over. It contains several good harbours, and the 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 evening 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, accompanied by a band of music. I dismissed them of course immediately, 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 appeared 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 suffered 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 mistrust 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 building. The stairs are of stone, and are built into a tower; they intend 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 contains the different articles used in ship-building. Opposite to the dock-yard, on a neck of land, is Fort Frederick, which I had not time to visit. Behind the dock-yard, upon a small height, stood a number of tents. We were informed that about four hundred Irish emigrants had encamped there, who had been sent to this country at the expense of the English government, to settle a piece of land on the north-western bank of Lake Ontario, whither they were soon to go. The town of Kingston contains about two thousand inhabitants, and is built in the usual style.
We left Kingston after eleven o’clock, on board the steam-boat Lady Dalhousie, for Prescott, sixty-eight miles from Kingston, on the left bank of the St. Lawrence. Adjutant Maitland left us at Kingston, but the rest of the company remained. We had scarcely left this place before we sailed round a promontory on which stands Fort Henry, into the St. Lawrence. This river is here very wide, and forms an archipelago about fifty miles in length, called the thousand islands. The English and American commissioners for determining the boundary line, took the pains to count these islands, and found that they amounted to sixteen hundred and ninety-two; in this calculation, however, they have included every projecting rock, even if it had but a single tree. This archipelago presents a beautiful prospect; most of the islands are rocky, and are overgrown with trees, generally cedars. Here and there a fir reared his lofty head, which, generally growing upon the bare rocks, where the trees are less numerous, presents a picturesque appearance. We observed something similar to the picture of Frederick, of which we were often reminded in descending the St. Lawrence. Eighteen miles from Kingston our vessel stopped at the village of Gananoqui, on the Canada shore, to take in wood. I went for a moment ashore and found an insignificant village, in the neighbourhood of which the river of the same name falls into the St. Lawrence. The Gananoqui river has a rocky bed, and is crossed by a wooden bridge, beyond which, upon a small eminence, is a square two story log-house, the upper story of which was formerly occupied as a garrison by about forty men. During the late war the Americans got possession here of an English post and a magazine, in consequence of which they built this block-house. At the extremity of the archipelago of the thousands islands is a similar block-house for the protection of the navigation of the river.
On the Canada shore, about fifty miles below Kingston, where the archipelago terminates, is the small village of Brockville, where there are some fine magazines near the river. At this place the night set in, which was warm and moonlight. We found two taverns in the village, but they were so full of people, and had such a dirty appearance, that I preferred spending the night on board the steam-boat, and my example was followed by the families of Messrs. Clare and Grymes. The steam-boat carried one hundred tons, and was of twenty-five horse power, but she was by no means so convenient and comfortable as the Frontenac.
At this place commence the rapids of the St. Lawrence. They are formed by rocks, which extend obliquely across the river, over which the water rushes with tremendous force, so that between this place and Montreal, a distance of one hundred and thirteen miles, the steam-boats can run only a part of the way. On this account, therefore, there is a line of stage-coaches and steam-boats between Prescott and Montreal, which take the passengers alternately, and produce much vexation in consequence of the baggage. The rapids may be descended in bateaux, or Durham-boats, which are small, flat vessels of about forty tons, have but half deck, and draw eighteen inches of water. The Durham-boats have a mast and two sails, and carry large cargoes of goods. We were anxious to undertake the passage, in order to see the rapids, and to ascertain the danger of which so much has been spoken. We therefore went on board a Durham-boat, the Flying Dutchman, paid two dollars for each passenger, and were assured by the captain, that, if the wind should be good, we should be at Montreal in a day. Sir Michael resolved to attempt the enterprise, and his lady accompanied him, in spite of her fears. Mrs. Grymes, however, was so much afraid, that she preferred travelling partly in the stage and partly by steam-boat.
We embarked on board the Flying Dutchman, at about 6 o’clock, early in the morning of the 30th August. The morning was delightful, and as we were much pleased with the beautiful prospect of Prescott, in the neighbourhood of which is Fort Wellington, a redoubt, which was built during the late war.
On the American shore we saw the town of Ogdensburgh, which was fortified by the Americans during the late war, but soon fell into the hands of the British. The comforts of our vessel were not, as we have remarked, very great. It was open, a few barrels of potash served us as a floor; and boards laid across our trunks as seats. Six miles below Prescott we arrived at a few islands called the Gallop Islands, and the first rapids. As we approached, the water appeared to be boiling, and high foaming billows arose, over which our boat passed rapidly. They are not so high as the swells at sea, but they are very short and rapid in their movements. As our Durham-boat, however, was remarkably long, it divided them without producing any disagreeable motion. Scarcely had we passed the rapids before the river became again smooth, and as we had scarcely any wind, our progress was but slow. Another set of rapids, nine miles long, were passed in an hour, and with no more danger than the preceding. We were assured, however, that a branch of these rapids, from which we were separated by an island, are very dangerous. It is called the least channel; and Duncan, in his Journal, gives a beautiful description of a shipwreck that occurred here, in which many lives were lost. Our vessel was not only flat at the bottom, like all the others that pass these rapids, but had also an ingenious false keel, which could be lowered and raised as the water was either shallow or deep. Our passengers were principally of the lower class of Canadians, who spoke bad French, somewhat like the Walloon. There was also a lively young black bear, three months old, on board.
About twenty miles below Longsault, we reached the village of Cornwall, on the Canada shore. The wind was so feeble that we had no hopes of reaching a good tavern before dark, we determined, therefore, to stay here all night. Towards evening, Mr. Grymes’ family also arrived by land, and took lodgings at the same tavern. The village is small, but the streets intersect each other at right angles, and contain several new stone houses. It appears to be a place of little business. The country is pretty flat, and the plain near the village is used by the British as a race-ground. A race was to take place in a few days, horses had already arrived and lodgings were bespoken. The British government sends many Scotch emigrants into this part of the country.
Our departure on the following morning was delayed two hours by the ladies; and it was not until about 7 o’clock that we left Cornwall in our Durham-boat. The morning was very pleasant, and in consequence of a rather strong southerly wind, we glided rapidly along. Five miles below Cornwall, on the right shore, we saw the village of St. Regis, the last belonging to the United States. The American line here leaves the St. Lawrence, both shores of which belong to Canada as far as its outlet into the sea. On the left bank of the river we descried a new Scotch village, called Glengary Settlement. Farther on, you reach a lake, called Lac St. François, through which the St. Lawrence flows, and through which the boundary line between Upper and Lower Canada is drawn. This lake, which is about forty miles long, and six broad, contains a number of islands. Not far from St. Regis we passed one of these islands, which is inhabited by some Indians, who have been baptized by a Catholic missionary, and have their island in a good state of cultivation. One of the Indians, with his wife, came along side of us in a canoe, and sold us some fish. At the point where Lac St. François terminates, and where the St. Lawrence again commences, is the village of Coteau de Lac, on the left bank of the river. At this village is a pretty strong rapid, stronger than those we passed yesterday. In order that this rapid may be avoided, and that vessels may ascend with more ease, the government has had a canal dug along the river, which has two locks, and is covered by a small fort, Fort du Coteau.
Our captain had business at the custom-house; he stopped therefore for an hour, during which I had time to look at the fort; after which we continued our course in a strong wind which was brought on by a thunder-storm. The shores and islands of the river are generally covered with cedar trees, and amongst them we observed some neat houses and churches, with bright tin roofs. At the village of Coteau des Cèdres, we were obliged to encounter the last and most dangerous rapid, called the Cascades. The waves were uncommonly high, and our vessel passed over the dangerous parts with incredible velocity. Along these rapids there is also a canal provided with locks, and intended to facilitate the ascent of vessels. If these rapids are viewed from the shore, it appears incredible that a canoe should venture in without being swallowed up. Such a misfortune, however, does not happen, as we had just proved. Below this rapid the river, where it receives the Ottawa, again spreads out so as to form another lake called Lac St. Louis. North of this lake, and at the place where the Ottawa unites with the St. Lawrence, it forms another lake, Lac des deux Montagnes, which is separated from Lac St. Louis by three islands, called Jesus, Perrot, and Montreal. The thunder-storm passed close by us; the wind blew heavy, but favourably. We met a steam-boat, having a corpse on board, and her flag at half-mast; this was a bad omen! Another steam-boat got ahead of us as we were passing towards La Chine, and excited our desire to sail faster; but suddenly we saw a terrible storm approaching. In an instant every hand was endeavouring to take down the sails, and the small one was fortunately drawn in before the arrival of the squall, but the large one, in consequence of its bad cordage, was only half way down when it struck us. Near us we observed a sound, with a dangerous cliff, which it was necessary to avoid by steering to the left, but we were driven directly towards it. Six men could scarcely manage the helm. Half of the sail floated in the water, and our destruction appeared inevitable. No one knew who commanded; the sailors thought themselves better qualified than the captain, and every thing was hurry and confusion. I deemed it best to remain silent, and commit myself to the care of Providence, who guides the destinies of man. At length a sailor climbed the mast and cut the cord, so that the sail could be taken down, by which time we had fortunately passed the sound. The storm also, which altogether did not last much longer than five minutes, began to abate. The steam-boat ahead had been in the same dangerous situation, and would have been cast upon the rocks in the sound, had she not speedily returned into the lake, where she cast anchor. Immediately after the storm, during which it had rained, we observed a remarkable phenomenon, viz. a fall of white-winged insects, of which a great quantity fell upon our boat. It continued during five minutes. These insects had in all probability been driven from the neighbouring forests. The storm, though unpleasant, had the effect of propelling us swiftly forwards. After 6 o’clock in the evening, we reached without any other unpleasant occurrence La Chine, a village, which has a harbour situated upon the island of Montreal.