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unable to draw the pegs which held the cords of my marquee and tent, they were therefore unavoidably left in the ground. After arriving at Montreal, Pilkington and myself remained but one day, and proceeded in a bateau to Quebec, and immediately secured our places to England on board the old 'Eureta,' commanded by Captain Paterson. This was a very favourite ship, and the amiable manners of the Captain, although partaking of the rough seaman, and the excellent style of his table, were no doubt the chief causes of this decided preference in favour of the 'Eureta,' for that ship was a very dull sailor. I believe that for half a century preceding this period, 1802, a 'Eureta,' commanded by a Paterson the grandfather, Paterson the son, or Paterson the grandson, had never failed to make an annual voyage from London to Quebec and home, without accident or mishap. As the treatment was always liberal, the Captain always obliging, and the decks never leaky, every cabin was always occupied.

CHAPTER IX.

Appointed to serve in the south-west district, and go to Portsmouth-State of society at that place-The recommencement of war with France, in 1803-The Earl of Cavan-The Duke of Cumberland-MajorGeneral Whitelock-Bonfires at Winchester and near Southampton-Sir Harry Mildmay reviewed.

SOON after my arrival in England, I was appointed to serve in the south-west district, under the command of Colonel Eveleigh, the commanding Royal Engineer. Accordingly, early in the month of May, 1803, I presented myself to my new commandant at Portsmouth. I was very shortly afterwards intrusted with the sub-command of the engineer department, on the Gosport side of the harbour, and was at the same time appointed Adjutant to the

company of royal military artificers stationed at that place.

It will be recollected that the war with France had just about this period, after the short Peace of Amiens, burst out afresh with increased bitterness, which circumstance rendered Portsmouth and its vicinity the scene of unparalleled bustle and activity.

Amongst the numerous causes which here, and at this time, combined to produce a state of society so interesting, may be enumerated the re-commissioning of the ships-of-war, the drilling of volunteers and yeomanry cavalry corps; the calling together of the militia; the forming of all the watermen and sea-faring people into organized bodies of pikemen, under the denomination of sea-fencibles, destined to aid in repelling Bonaparte's loudly threatened invasion of Great Britain; the collecting here of vast fleets of merchant ships, seeking the protection of convoys, whose boats covered the landing-places, and whose thousands of sailors and passengers filled the streets, shops, and markets; the constant rattling of wheelbarrows full of luggage, the hallooing of porters accompanying them; the confusion created by the

light carts passing to and from the landingplace at the Point engaged in the carriage of live stock, butcher's meat, vegetables, groceries, liquors, crockery, &c.; the crowds of officers of the navy and army about the doors and windows of the Crown and the Fountain inns, and near the bank at the corner of the Parade, forming groups, actively discussing the news of the day, whilst others are shaking hands most heartily with old friends, just landed from abroad, and occasionally with a staff-officer, the bearer of important despatches, on his starting for London in a chaise-and-four, in faded uniform, having had no time to procure a plain suit.

In the next moment might be seen a dozen or more of ladies and gentlemen, each carrying a small parcel, the parting gift to the young Ensign in new and full military costume, whom they were accompanying to the boat that was to carry him to his regiment, already embarked. From the emotions excited by witnessing the broken happiness of the family, left to return in solemn melancholy, deprived of the society of all that was most dear to them, we are perhaps roused by the thundering of cannon

at Spithead, when officers of both services and of all ranks hurry away to learn on the Platform the meaning of these signals, to which attention has been thus called; and discovering that the departure of some ship was taking place, away the interested run off to Motley's Library, to procure the latest numbers of the " Hampshire Telegraph," the Navy and Army Lists, and perhaps some of the London newspapers. Along the Point, and at the back of that celebrated thoroughfare, dozens of midshipmen were seen scudding about from drinking-shop to drinkingshop, and into all the dancing-houses, hunting up their boats' crews, and forcibly separating their dearly-beloved, gaily-dressed, but intoxicated sweethearts, in order that all might be right, on the Captain presenting himself, to be pulled to his ship.

To these may be added the frequent firing of salutes from the shipping at Spithead, reechoed from the saluting battery on shore, in honour of some admiral or general on his arrival from a foreign station, or on his departure to relieve another already abroad; then the huzzas of half-drunken sailors, parading through the streets on the tops of hired coaches,

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