After travelling about two hours on the river, we began to think it was more than time to reach the other side. We continued our course for half an hour more; still no appearance of the place of our destination. In fact, we had lost our way. The weather was so thick and hazy we could see but a very short space, and our driver had struck into a wrong track. There were a variety of tracks on the river, formed by the people coming from different parts of the opposite side, with fire-wood, &c. for Montreal. Indeed, I reckoned from 2 to 300 sleighs on that part of the river alone, all directing their course to Montreal.

On inquiring of some of these people, we found that instead of crossing the river we had taken a direction upwards, and. were very near the rapids, a little below a part of the country inhabited by a tribe called the Caghnawaga Indians, at a considerable distance from Montreal. We had to retrace our steps; and in about two hours more, we arrived at Laprairie.

This circumstance is trifling in itself; I mention it merely to shew you the liability to go astray, when travelling over a

T

level surface of snow.

You can hardly

imagine any thing more easy than to cross from one side of a river to another, over a track which we had been accustomed to look at every day, and yet, we went a considerable way out of our road, in a very short space of time. It was a good lesson for us, as we had to go on Lake Champlain ; where, if we once lost ourselves, it might be long enough before we again found out the right road.

After leaving Laprairie, we very soon got into a primeval forest, through which a road has been cut as far as the American boundary line; and it is continued onwards to Lake Champlain. This is the principal communication in this district, between Canada, and the United States. For many miles the country is very level, and completely covered with large timber, principally pines. I saw no cross roads, so that it is a kind of pass that might be defended with very few men.

The vicinity of Montreal to the United States, encourages the soldiers occasionally to desert, by the road we passed; to prevent which, a few invalids are stationed in

the wood; they live in log-houses, not the most comfortably in the world. There is another road by way of St. John's, but the deserters avoid it on account of the garrison or fort. As we approached the American boundary, we found a few settlements, what the Americans call a pitch. They cut down some trees, make a log-house, sow some corn; next year they cut down more trees, and sow more corn, and so on till they produce something in the style of a farm. Instead of cutting down the trees, the Americans very frequently ring them, as they term it, which is cutting a section of the bark quite round: soon after which the tree decays. We saw several potash manufactories as we approached the Lake, and the woods are continued close to the water. We found near the Lake a kind of public-house, where we stopped during the night.

Next morning we could not proceed, because, during the whole night it had blown very fresh, accompanied with a heavy fall of snow, which continued till near mid-day;, and as every track on the Lake was covered, we could not venture to go upon it, our conductor not being well

acquainted with the different bearings of the land marks.

The Lake, though 120 miles long, is not broad, seldom above 10 to 15 miles; and there are a great many islands and headlands, which direct the course of the pilot in summer, and the cariole or sleigh driver in winter.

So soon as the weather moderated, we set out on the Lake; and took a guide for some time, till we should fall in with some one going our way, or discover a track in the snow to direct us.

Travelling on Lake Champlain, is, at all times, really dangerous; and I would not advise any one to attempt it, if it can be avoided; which may generally be done by lengthening the route. Instead of going on the Lake to Burlington, or Skeensboro, you may go by way of St. John's, Windmill-point, and Sandbar, to Burlington, and from thence to Skeensboro.

It is very common, for sleigh, horses, and men, to fall through the ice, where the water is some hundred feet deep; and you have no warning of your danger till the horses drop in, pulling the sleigh after them; luckily the weak places are of no

great extent; you extricate yourself from the sleigh as quickly as possible, and you find the ice generally strong enough to support you, though it would not bear the weight of the horses. You instantly lend your aid in pulling out the horses, and in endeavouring to save them, which is done in a manner perfectly unique, and which will require the greatest stretch of your faith in my veracity, to believe-the horses are strangled, to save their lives.

When the horses fall through the ice (there are almost always two in an American sleigh), the struggles and exertions they make, serve only to injure and sink them; for, that they should get out, of themselves, is, from the nature of the thing, perfectly impossible. When horses go on the Lake, they always have, round their necks, a rope with a running noose. I observed that our horses had each of them such a rope; and on inquiry, found out for what purpose it was intended. The moment the ice breaks, and the horses sink into the water, the driver, and those in the sleigh, get out, and catching hold of the ropes, pull them with all their force, which, in a very few seconds, strangles the horses.