Lady Durham's Journal

 

By Louisa Elizabeth Grey (Lady Durham)

 

 

COPY of Lady Durham's Canadian Journal was ob­tained last year from the Archives Department, Ottawa, through the kindness of Dr. Doughty, C.M.G., Archivist. It had been originally kept day by day, but evidently revised; in later years by Lady Durham herself. The portion now to be added to our series of Historical Docu­ments covers only part of the year 1838, at the time Lord Durham was Governor-General of Canada, including the sea journeys to, and from Quebec. Few references will be found in it to matters, of great importance, no startling reve­lations nor indications of public policy. It is a simple narrative of daily occurrences, of incidents of travel, of impres­sions of men and things, of solicitude for the health and comfort of her distinguished husband, whom she wor­shipped, and whose constitution was even then undermined by the disease which led to his death in July, 1840. The Journal is of a very private nature and never intended for the public eye ; hence its additional interest. A few refer­ences to the then disturbed condition of the Upper and Lower Provinces occasionally crop up.

 

Lady Durham—Louise Elizabeth Grey—was the daughter of the second Earl Grey, Prime Minister of England, 1830-33, sister of the third Earl Grey, and aunt of the fourth Earl Grey, Governor-General of Canada, 1903-1911. She mar­ried John George Lambton, M.P., December 9th, 1816. Mr. Lambton, born in 1792, first entered Parliament as member for Durham. He was a whig ; he soon gained prominence and his public services were rewarded by a peerage in 1828, when he was transferred to the House of Lords as Baron Durham. In 1830 he entered Lord Grey's cabinet, (the Reform Bill cabinet). On retiring from this cabinet in 1835 he was appointed British Ambassador to Russia. Ill-health caused him to resign this post in 1837, but in 1838 he was induced by the young Queen to accept the post of Governor-General of Canada with quasi independent pow­ers of action. When his first important act was disallowed by both Houses of Parliament, he immediately returned to England in order to justify his act, and without permission of the Home Authorities. He was received with coldness.— not to say contumely,—and a successor was appointed with­out delay. His famous "Report," which he immediately published, and Time and Posterity have completely justified his entire line of action, excepting his abrupt relinquishment of his post. Perhaps ill-health, and a sore sense of the humiliation to which he was subjected, may be alleged as an excuse.

 

Lady Durham's Journal, Canada

 

The proposal of going out to Canada, as Gov­ernor-General, was first made to Lambton in the summer of 1837—he then refused, but news of the Insurrection having been received towards the end of the year the application was renewed, & he was induced after great difficulty & much solicitation to give in his consent which he did Jany 16th 1838— & it was agreed that he should sail for Quebec at the end of the Spring when the Navigation of the St Lawrence would be open—We then passed above 3 months in London occupied with the pre­parations for our departure—The doubts & fears belonging to the Undertaking, & the regrets at again leaving home, (having so recently returned from Russia) seemed continually to increase in this long interval of expectation, & the parting from those we left in England was most painful.

 

Monday April 23d. We left Cleveland Row—My Sisters Caroline & Georgiana came to see us once again in the morning before we started. On stopping in the middle of the day for the children's dinner, we found Alice, unwell, & when she ar­rived at Portsmouth, she was put to bed with a smart attack of Fever—We had rooms at the George Inn, where were assembled most of the party who were to embark with us, but we did not see them till next day—My brother Frederick, Mr Ponsonby, Mr Ellice & Admiral Fleming had come down to see us off, & dined with us—The weather in the evening was unfavorable, & there seemed little prospect of our being able to sail next morn­ing.

 

Tuesday April 24th. We were told in the morning that the wind had become fair, & that if we were on board the Plastings by one o'clock we should be able to go out by the Needles—Alice continued much in the same state, having been left in bed, however, till the last moment, she was then taken up & went down with me in a carriage to the Sally Port—Here we found the wo Admirals, Sir Philip Durham & Admiral Bouvine & many other people waiting to see us embark—Sir P. Durham was very civil, & spoke of his Band of Music which he had sent on board the steamer that was to take us to the Hastings, at Spithead, but this was not a moment in which one could attend to such things—with all the agitating feelings of our departure, aggravated by seeing Alice ill & frightened, it was very dis­tressing to have to embark with so much noise & ceremony—the band in particular was very bewil­dering—Frederick carried Alice into the boat, on board the Steamer and afterwards into the Hast­ings— (after being settled in the Cabin she got bet­ter, although she continued unwell for the first fortnight. As she recovered she enjoyed the voy­age excessively & arrived at Quebec quite well.)

 

By the time every thing was embarked & the ship ready to weigh, it was found too late to go out by the Needles, we therefore were obliged to take leave of Frederick, Mr. Ponsonby & Mr. Ellice who had come on board intending to accompany us as far as they could along the coast—as we went by St Helens this was impossible.

 

The first night we did not advance much, the Dee Steamer & Charybdis were intended to accom­pany us, but the former got on shore in the After­noon, which delayed us some hours, & next morn­ing finding they neither of them kept up, we parted company—We had a good run out of the channel, but afterwards met with contrary winds & had a tedious passage. He was wearied with it, being impatient to arrive, but in health he was tolerably well.

 

Our party consisted of 22, exclusive of the Offi­cers belonging to the Ship—on the first day while we were still under shelter of the land we all met at dinner, but the night was rough, & next day many were disabled & missing—L    & the children were not seasick, but I suffered a good deal at first, & Mrs Ellice & her Sister were much worse—in time we got better & appeared again at the large dinner in the great cabin, when the weather was tolerably smooth. The arrangements for our ac­comodation were as comfortable as it was possible to make them—the After Cabin was divided into two sitting-rooms, one for the Captain & Gentle­men of the Suite, the other for ourselves—in both were Fire places & ours we constantly kept used— we had comfortable furniture—Sofa, Arm chairs &c, & a Harp & Piano Forte which were played on a good deal when the weather permitted—Mrs Ellice too, often sang—no one came into this cabin without invitation, excepting her & her sister—but when the weather was tolerably fine we stayed most of the morning on deck—the girls walked a great deal & Mary often drew—it was very cold sometimes but this they did not mind—He also, was out a great deal, though part of the day he was usually employed on business in his cabin—he had a separate writing cabin below, but remained chief­ly upstairs on account of the cold.

 

On Thursday 3d May a whale was seen spouting in the wake of the Ship.

 

Friday May 4th. The weather was very fine, & we re­mained on deck till near 7 o'clock—but in the even­ing the wind began to blow hard from S.W. & in the course of the night increased to a heavy gale which continued till the Afternoon of the next day —We had dreadful confusion in the cabins, the furniture breaking loose in all directions—George was nearly knocked out of his cot & was carried out from amidst the fragments of his dressing things & the water which had washed in at the Port—The maids were also in great trouble, the sea broke in upon them & one of them was washed out of her bed. He went upon deck in the night, & remained there a great deal during the continuance of the Storm—at one time the Quarter Deck guns were rolling under water—the Ship was made snug with close-reefed topsails & storm jib & staysail—To­wards the afternoon the wind became more moder­ate & by degrees, then & the next day, things were put in order again. He did every thing that was possible for our comfort when the ship was rolling so heavily that it was scarcely possible to stand—I remained for some time in his writing cabin with Alice on my lap.

 

Wednesday May 9th was a fine day but there was a dead calm in the afternoon—a boat was lowered, & He & the children were rowed round the Ship—the moon at night was beautiful.—The next three days we had warm weather, but with a good deal of rain —on Sunday 13th there was a very sudden change to great cold, a difference of nearly 20 Degrees hav­ing taken place in the Thermometer in the course of one night. We were now on the Banks of New­foundland & remained near them for some days, with changeable winds & very disagreeable weather —on Monday 14th when we were on the Great Bank we lay to, for fishing—several fine Cod were taken, & more were hooked, but lost by the impa­tience of those who pulled the lines to raise them up—the sea was very clear, & it was a curious sight to see these immense creatures dragged up the side of the Ship—we met with some fishing boats. The weather continued very cold all the time we were near the banks, & we had a great deal of drizzling fog & contrary wind.

 

Thursday 17th In the Evg. Mr Turton, Mr Bul­let &c with His assistance got up a trial scene in the dining cabin—I do not remember the particulars of it, but we all laughed a great deal—no one could promote a little fun like him—he entered into it & laughed so heartily !

 

Saty 19th. The deck & rigging were covered with ice in the morng—it was supposed we were near Icebergs altho' we saw none—the day was fine but bitterly cold.

 

Sunday 20th. About 4 in the afternoon we came in sight of Cape Scatari.

 

Tuesday 22d. In the Afternoon we were near An-ticosti.

 

Wedy 23d. A Pilot came on board (a French Canadian) & we received Newspapers from Quebec, in which we found among other things that the House of Assembly had been taken for us by Col. Couper—we also met a homeward bound Ship by which we sent letters.

 

Thursday 24th. A fine day but little wind—in celebration of the Queen's Birthday, there was a parade & salute at 12 o'clock—He gave a dinner in the Gun-room to the Officers of the Ship & the Suite—the children also were present—there were toasts & speeches after dinner—the company all ap­pearing highly pleased & in great spirits—He knew well how to carry off this sort of thing, & Capt Locke with all his shyness seemed as happy as the rest—in the evg the Officers got up a Ball on the Quarter Deck which was prettily arranged with Flags, & the dancing was very gay.

 

Saturday 26th. We had now entered the St. Law­rence, but were obliged to lay to for some time in the morning on account of a thick fog—& altho' we were able to proceed afterwards, the weather was rough & disagreeable & continued all day so hazy that little could be seen—We passed the Edin­burgh, 74, at anchor near the Brandy Pots, waiting for a fair wind to continue her voyage home— about 8 o'clock in the Evg we anchored 36 miles from Quebec.

This evening were represented some Theatricals which had been in preparation during a great part of the voyage, altho' from the want of smooth wea­ther there had hitherto been no opportunity of per­forming them—this last night, however, it was de­termined they should take place, & as soon as every thing was in readiness (which was not, till 10 o'clock) we were called to witness the performance of the Critic & Tom Thumb by the Gentlemen & Officers of the Ship—Mr Buller, Mr Turton, & Mr Bouvine acted very well, & we laughed very much —it was one in the morng. before all was con­cluded.

 

Sunday May 27th. We weighed anchor at 4 in the morng & were early on deck to behold the banks of the St Lawrence—the size of the River is magnifi­cent but we perceived at first no very striking fea­ture in the banks—as we advanced however the outline of the hills on the right became more bold, & on approaching Quebec it is very fine—we were also struck with a look of bareness in the country, & the appearance of the wood in which fir trees alone caught our view seemed meagre & poor—this however was not the case later in the year, when the forest trees were in leaf & diversified the formal­ity of the others—at this time there was scarcely any commencement of vegetation, & remains of snow were to be seen in many places along the banks—the weather was fine tho' cold, & the wind fair, & we advanced rapidly—passing the Island of Orleans, and the falls of Montmorenci, till at last we came in sight of Quebec, where we anchored about one o'clock—below the citadel near the Ships of War which had already arrived & which added greatly to the beauty of the scene—If we had been inclined to feel disappointment on the first part of our passage up the St Lawrence, our expectations were now fulfilled to the utmost—The situation of the town is magnificent—the rock on which it is built advances upon the river, which on one side forms a large basin into which runs the River St Charles, while on the other, looking up the stream as it approaches from Montreal, the scenery is love­ly & beautiful to the greatest degree—the banks which on the right are very steep, are clothed with wood & scattered with Villas—below, a succession of coves for many miles are filled with rafts of tim­ber, & enlivened by the Shipping employed in re­ceiving their cargoes.

 

There is a succession of small villages & single houses along the banks of the St Lawrence begin­ning far below Quebec & continuing with little in­terruption to Montreal & again above, giving the appearance of a long line of street—around Quebec the country is dotted with white houses which look like a vast collection of tents—near the churches, of which there are a great number, there is always one, & sometimes two small houses—in these, are deposited the bodies of those who die in the winter & who are not buried in the Church Yards until the breaking up of the frost.

 

Tuesday 29th. He made his public entry accom­panied by Sir John Colborne who, with his Staff, received him at the Wharf—they proceeded on horseback (all in Uniform) to the old Chateau, &, as we followed in an open carriage, up the steep streets of the town, crowds of people lining the way on each side, the effect of the procession was very striking—At the Chateau He took the Oaths, & afterwards returned to the Hastings, which we did not finally leave till next day—His reception was considered most favorable, by all who were ac­quainted with the Colony—to those accustomed to public demonstrations in England the cheering might have seemed faint, but there was great ap­pearance of respect.

 

June. We remained the month of June at Quebec, be­ing lodged after the first fortnight in the House of Assembly, which had been hastily fitted up for our reception—during this time, he was generally well in health, & in good spirits, pleased with the pros­pect of success which seemed to attend his enter­prise—The general expectation which had awaited his arrival, the hopes which it inspired of more de­cided & efficient measures for the settlement of the Country, & the favorable impression which he pro­duced personally upon all who approached him, seemed to justify these anticipations—His com­munications with Sir John Colborne were of the most friendly nature, & during the whole time of his stay, the utmost cordiality prevailed between them, indeed nothing could exceed the frankness & consideration for the feelings of others, which in­variably marked his conduct at all times in his be­haviour towards those with whom he was connected in the public service—From the moment of his ar­rival he devoted himself unremittingly to business, & the morning hours were so completely occupied that he could scarcely ever find leisure for the air & exercise, which were so necessary to his health— when he could, he drove or went out with me & the children in the afternoon, but he was constantly in­terrupted—we were all very anxious he should make it a rule never to see any one after a certain hour, but we could not obtain it—the morning hours being thus employed in serious business, there was little relaxation in those of the evening, for he had every day a large dinner—The principal persons of the place were all invited in succession, besides the Officers of the Army & Navy, & al­though two days in the week were especially set apart for company, there were so many people to see, & the suite was so numerous, that it was little more than a trifling difference in numbers—we were never fewer than 3 or 4 & twenty & on the great days 40 or more—once only, (Tuesday June 5th) a day or two after our arrival we were quite a small party—Charles & Caroline who had arrived in the morng from Montreal were with us, but nearly the whole suite dined on board the Hastings — (He had had a Levee that morng)—The dinners were at the Chateau till the dining room was ready in the H. of Assembly, which was not for some time after we went to live there. These dinners were very fatiguing, they were very long, & in the hot weather (of which we had a great deal altho' during this month it was changeable) very op­pressive. Col. Couper managed the invitations, & we sometimes thought him quite cruel in not allow­ing us more rest, but so little were we ever in pri­vate, that I never once saw him dine out of Uni­form, from the day we landed till that on which we reembarked to return home. I found the civilities to the ladies very toilsome—it was not easy to find topics of conversation, they were in general shy & ill at their ease, but it was necessary to be very ex­act in attention to all, in order to avoid giving offence—Mary & Caroline Grey, Mrs Ellice & her Sister did their best to assist me & Caroline was of great use in sitting by him at dinner as he had thereby only one strange Lady next to him, to at­tend to in particular—We found music a recourse in the Evg, not, that it often happened there was any one who seemed to care about it, but it made something to do,  & helped conversation.

 

The girls & I found this life very irksome at first, & I fear we complained of it more than we should have done—habit reconciled us to it in some de­gree, or at least rendered it more easy, & at least we had always the whole morning to ourselves—we never made visits or went out anywhere, the only exceptions which occurred were, a dinner the day of our landing at Sir J. Colborne's, & a Ball on board the Hastings which was given by the Captain & Officers before their return to England—We had also a party with the same Officers round the Island of Orleans & to the Falls of Montmorenci, in a Steamer on board of which we dined, & another to the Chaudière Falls—on the latter occasion busi­ness prevented his accompanying us, but, not un­luckily, as it turned out, for we were overtaken by a violent shower of rain, & obliged to go some way in the rough carrioles[1] of the country, besides getting wet. The Falls of Montmorenci are very fine from their great height, but gain little from the surrounding landscape—they are best seen from the river on approaching Quebec—the Chau­dière Falls are more beautiful in point of scenery, particularly at the beginning of the summer, when the melting of the snow has afforded a large supply of water—late in the season they are nearly dry as is the case with most of the falls in the country around Quebec—

 

Wedy June 13th. We had a Drawing Room in the Evg which was very fully attended—I found it a formidable business, but many of our party were, I believe, much amused—the weather was excess­ively hot.

 

On Thursday 28th, The Coronation day, we went before 11 o'clock to the plains of Abraham, where there was a Review of the Guards, Salutes from the Citadel & the Ships, & a Feu de Joie from the troops on the Ground. He was there on horse­back, George was with him, but his poney not be­ing used to Firing reared at the noise, & he was taken off—As we returned, it began to rain, & heavy showers continued to fall almost without in­termission for the remainder of the Afternoon & Evening—We had a Ball at the Chateau, & pre­parations had been made for the illuminating the garden, but the rain rendered them useless—there were Rockets from the Citadel, & Fireworks were attempted on board the Ships, of course with little effect, altho' such as they were, we were told they were much admired—the ball was very crowded, but it was not thought necessary we should stay it out, & we returned home soon after one in the morng.

 

On this day were published the Act of Amnesty with the famous Ordinance relating to the Prison­ers—measures requiring great courage & decision, & involving, as it afterwards proved, too fatal a res­ponsibility, but completely answering the objects they were intended to effect, in the country.

 

He wrote on this day a letter of Congratulation to the Queen, rejoicing that he had been enabled to grant an Act of Amnesty & Grace in her name, considering it the best tribute he could offer her on that memorable day—

 

The penal measures (& they were merciful) were done in his own—This wise & generous conduct it was, which met with so unworthy a return—the policy which was acquiesced in, & applauded by the continent of America, could meet with no support among his own friends or from his miserable Em­ployers in the Govt at home—approving, as they did, in private, most entirely, of what he had done, they yet abandoned him without a struggle in the H. of Lords, to the attacks of a faction consisting of their own worst enemies, & thus overthrew at once, every plan in which he was engaged (& hith­erto with the fairest prospects of success) for the advantage & improvement of a great country, at the same time sealing the fate of one, for whom they professed public & private Friendship !—Lord John Eussell alone among the Ministers, deserves some exception to this censure, but this is Anticipation, & does not belong to the present moment, the day of the Coronation on which the Ordinances were published at Quebec.

 

I should have mentioned that on the Anniversary of Waterloo (June 18th) he gave a dinner to Sir-John Colborne & all the Officers (of whom there were several at Quebec) who had been present on that occasion, there was a large party, & after din­ner he gave their healths with speeches—which were very gratifying to them. I had also forgot a visit to the Convent of Ursuline Nuns on Monday 25th. They had arranged a kind of Theatrical re­ception & Welcome for Him—presented an Ad­dress, garlands of Flowers &c—it was difficult to refrain from laughing at some of these ceremonies, but, it was all done to shew their good will—and was thought a good deal of among the French Canadians—we always found the ladies seemed pleased when we spoke of our visit or shewed the ornamental address.

 

Sir Charles Paget the Admiral of the Station had arrived at Quebec June 23d & from that time till he-left the country lived almost constantly with us— nothing could exceed his kindness both in public & private, & He always met with the most cordial co­operation & support from him in every way—He-visited him (with us) on board the Cornwallis his Flag Ship on the 26th & afterwards went with him to see the Malabar & Inconstant—on leaving the latter to get into the boat, He slipped down the ac­commodation ladder, & had not the Admiral with great strength & presence of mind caught him & broken his fall, the consequences might have been most serious—his head nearly hit against a strong Iron stancheon at the foot of the ladder—his hat was knocked off, but he was not hurt in any way— Genl Clitherow, the General commanding at Montreal had visited him early & Sir John Harvey the Govr of New Brunswick arrived on the 29th & remained till the day we set out for Montreal.

 

On Wedy July 4th we embarked on board the John Bull Steamer about one o'clock—The Admir­al set off about the same time in the Medea, but did not reach Montreal so early as we did—the after­noon was excessively hot & sultry—there was a great deal of very vivid lightening all the evening, the effect of which was very beautiful, & we remained on deck watching it till the heavy rain obliged us to come down stairs—for some hours in the night the storm continued very violent, & we found the cabins which it was necessary to keep closed dreadfully hot & close. The motion of the Steam boat also was most disagreeable—(June) we reached Montreal by 6 o'clock Thursday Morng 5th—the weather was still unsettled, & altho the children &.I crossed with my brother Charles (who had come out to meet us) to the Island of St Helens we were overtaken by rain, & again a violent Thunderstorm in which we had some difficulty in crossing the stream to return to the Steamer—His landing at Montreal was deferred till the next day—The even­ing was fine & we rowed in the Admiral's barge"after the dinner was over—The next day Friday 6th was beautiful but very hot—we went on shore at 11 & ½—His reception was most satisfactory—more cordial & enthusiastic than at Quebec, which was particularly gratifying as it was expected that at Montreal if any where, some feeling of dissatis­faction might be manifested on account of the mer­cy which had been extended to the Prisoners in the Ordinances of June 28th—nothing however of the sort appeared, & this city being much more popu­lous than Quebec the numbers of people in the streets were much larger, & the animation of the crowds who were assembled to witness his public entry much greater. We remained a few days at Montreal living on board the Steamer, during which he had constant interviews with the princi­pal people of the place both singly & in deputations —He also received addresses in public, held a Levee & attended a review which took place on the side of the Mountain above the town—the scenery being very advantageous & crowds of people cover­ing the ground the effect was very good—Besides all this, he gave every day a large dinner to about 50 people on board the Steamer—the only moments of relaxation He had in the course of the day were after this was over in the Evg—we then rowed about the river in the Admirals Barge & once or twice landed in the Island of St Helens—which is a delightful spot & seems intended for a gentle­man's Park—I believe these had been gardens & pleasure grounds when belonging to a Seigneur, but it is now the property of Govt—The weather was extremely hot & we found it very oppressive both on shore & on board the Steamer, indeed the fatigue to Him in particular attending this whole excursion was excessive.

 

Fire flies were to be seen every Evg

 

Tuesday, July 10th. We got up at 4 & ½ , & set off between 6 & 7 in the carriages to La Chine— The journey up the St Lawrence was to be per­formed principally on the river by Steamers, but occasionally where the navigation was interrupted by rapids, we had to proceed by land along the most dreadful roads I had ever encountered. He must have seen something like them in Russia but no where else—The saddle horses were taken with us & the children rode a great deal, he set out with them from Cascades, but the rain soon drove him into the carriage—we had our English Chariot, but were obliged to leave it behind on the second day— Luckily we had not much more occasion for it— The carriages of the country were uncouth looking vehicles, but more calculated for the roads we were travelling, they swung a great deal, but I did not think the one I afterwards went in, quite as rough as I expected— On this day our stations were to La Chine by land—to Cascades by the river—to Coteau du Lac by land at which place he received an address—& about 10 at night we arrived, after a long and fatiguing day at Cornwall where we slept—

 

There was here a Guard of Honour & people waiting to receive him in form, but heavy rain & a violent thunderstorm interfered very much with their arrangements—The accommodations at the Inn were very miserable, & we had a good deal of difficulty as George was taken very unwell on ar­riving—he was very ill for some hours, but got bet­ter, & was nearly recovered next day.

 

Our party was a large one, consisting besides our own people & Charles & Caroline, of the Admiral & his Suite. We did not get to bed till very late, but were obliged to get up next morng.

 

Wedy July 11th at 3 in order to be off by daylight at 4 & ½ —The Girls rode in spite of much rain, & we proceeded in the carriage through a country of rough woody scenery, without any particular beau­ty, to Dickenson's landing, where we parted with the English carriage, & embarked on board the Brock ville Steamer—we stopped at Prescott & con­tinued our voyage by the Thousand Islands, arriv­ing at Kingston about 11 at night—here we found a pretty good Inn, & were comfortable—the chil­dren & I had some time to rest, as we remained till the middle of the next day, but He was out early in the morng inspecting the Docks, The Fort, Situation of the place &c—at 2 o'clock we embarked in the Cobourg Steamer on Lake Ontario —Our voyage by the Thousand Islands had been most prosperous, no appearance of Pirates or ill-disposed persons[2], but we heard afterwards that Bill Johnson the most dreaded of these robbers, had been very near us—The scenery of the 1000 Ids has in it a great deal of calm beauty, but there is nothing grand except the size of the river which one is scarcely aware of in passing between the Islands—a more favorable situation however, could not well be imagined for a nest of pirates, as it would be nearly impossible to trace them through the innumerable Islands, all similar in appearance, & affording endless places of concealment.

 

About 7 o'clock Friday morng July 13th we arrived at Ft Niagara (or Ft George) a small fort & town built at the entrance of the river Niagara into the lake—here Sir John Colborne came on board, & we continued by the Steamer up the river through pretty woody scenery till we reached Queenston— where he landed with Sir John Colborne and pro­ceeded on horseback, the children accompanying them in the same way—as I watched them from the Steamer winding up the steep hill, the effect was very pictpresque & pretty—Soon afterwards I followed in an open carriage with Caroline & Alice —the day was lovely & when we reached the top of the hill & Brock's Monument, the views of the surrounding country to a great distance were very beautiful—(He used to say afterwards at Richmond, that the view from the Star & Garter, put him in mind of this, in small.) The road con­tinues through a pretty wooded country to Niagara Falls where we arrived about one o'clock at the Clifton Hotel—

On approaching the Falls by this road, no dis­tant sight of them is caught, but on turning an eminence, they burst into view immediately oppo­site, in all their glory & magnificence, the most stupendous, sublime & beautiful spectacle in Crea­tion—I cannot conceive that any other sight in the World can come near this, or that human imagina­tion can form the faintest idea without beholding it of what it is in reality—the eruption of a Vol­cano, I have since thought, might convey impres­sions nearly as striking—possibly this might be the fact in point of terror & magnificence, but in Beauty the Palls of Niagara must be unrivalled— There seems to me to be a calmness in their sub­limity, & at the same moment an overwhelming idea of Power that I can feel, but which I cannot attempt to describe—He said (in a letter) that no one but Milton could describe such a scene, & such is the truth—We were lost in admiration wonder & delight—we had been told that we should be dis­appointed at first, & that it would require a little time to understand all the beauties of the scene, but such I did not find to be the case, altho' it is true that every hour one remained, one's admira­tion seemed to encrease & the changes of every in­stant in light & colour & varied effect, offered an endless succession of enchantment—I felt that one could look or think on nothing else—I had not been prepared for such sensations of delight &. could not have imagined that any outward impression of Nature had the power of producing such an effect—but it was positive happiness—in an instant the face of everything was changed—(in my feel­ings at least) gloom and doubt seemed to disap­pear, difficulties vanished, & I could now admit pleasing hopes & anticipations, in which till this moment I had never been able to indulge, & which, Alas! were not destined to be realized—

 

On reaching the Hotel I found Him already arrived & waiting for us. He had been received with military honours, & a Salute which he described as fine within sight of the Falls, but this was over when I came & I can scarcely fancy that in such a scene one should have attention to spare for such circumstances, altho' in this case, per­sonal considerations, rendered them to us remark­able.

 

Almost immediately after our arrival we set out walking to the Table Rock—here I thought I could conceive the Deluge, & this impression returned upon me various times at different points of view— The Table Rock is said to be the spot from whence the view is finest, & perhaps on the whole it may be so, altho' there is a point on the American Side, which to me, seemed even more stupendous—but it is scarcely possible to decide on a preference. the day was beautiful & the various & changing effects of light & sunshine more lovely than it is possible to conceive—From the Table Rock, we went to the Hotel above the Falls, from whence there is some view of the Rapids which are also extremely fine, & would be thought more of, if all admiration was not so soon lost in that inspired by the Falls—which are here seen from above— they are magnificent in any point of view, but I prefer to this the situation of the Clifton Hotel, where we were lodged, & which is placed just oppo­site to the American Fall, so close that the vibration is sensibly felt, & appears something like the motion of a Steam-boat—it is also much exposed to the spray & foam, when the wind sets toward it, but the view of the Fall opposite & of the whole Amphitheatre formed by the Horse-Shoe Falls is perfectly beautiful—it was with difficulty I could leave the Verandah or the window for an instant— We had a very large party to dinner on this day—Sir John Colborne & Sir G. Arthur who had also come to meet Him, being both present with their suites—

 

Next day Saty July 14th He & most of the party went to Fort Erie—it was a long & toilsome expedition over rough roads in bad carriages on a very hot sultry day, & they did not return till past 7—when we had a party of 44 to dinner—I did not accom­pany them, but from all I heard, the fatigue must have been great—much too great for Him occupied as he was, by business of the most exciting nature, without time even for natural rest—He was always up early if possible,—one morning as early as 4 o'clock writing letters & despatches for England.

 

Sunday July 15th. We dined at 4 without many strangers, & being very desirous of seeing the Falls from the American Side, it was decided on the instant that we should go, & without having made preparations beforehand, we took the small Ferry boat & crossed over—the boat crosses so close under the Falls that the motion is rather startling, & gives an idea of danger, altho' I heard of no acci­dents having ever occurred—it is also so complete­ly under the spray, that it is necessary to have som covering as a protection from the wet—It was immediately after landing, on ascending the steps of what is called the staircase that we came to the point which struck me as so infinitely sublime— the water rushes from above with tremendous & overpowering force & a noise which is almost deafening—The idea of the Deluge again filled my imagination, & the impressions of irresistible & overwhelming power were awful & astounding—no where did I experience these sensations so vividly as on this spot—but as a whole the view from the Table Rock of the two Falls (the American & the Horse-Shoe) is more entire & complete—We pro­ceeded to Goat Island, crossing the very remark­able bridge which is built over the Rapids, & walk­ed round the Island which stands between the two falls, & is full of beauty, but we were much hurried in our visit, & never had an opportunity of return­ing—some of the party crossed to the Tower built on the edge of the Horse Shoe Fall & climbed to the top of it—the effect of the bright English Uni­forms in the evening light as I watched them from a little distance was picturesque—& remarkable, considering the circumstances in which they were seen—(I think He crossed to the tower but did not go to the top of it.)

 

We did not get home till dark & found ourselves a good deal exhausted with the exertions of the evening, & the changes from the heat in walking on shore, to the showers of wet spray which cov­ered us as we crossed the river under the Falls.

 

It was reckoned something of a bold measure to cross in this way, He & his Staff in full Uniform among the Americans, & I believe if much had been said about it, or he had regularly consulted Sir J. Colborne & others, that he would have been advised against it—We had heard a great deal on arriving of the bad spirit which prevailed across the Frontier, but we met with nothing but civility —people even taking off their hats as we passed, an unusual mark of respect among the Americans, but they were flattered I believe at the confidence he manifested, & the result that he was right in going among them at once, without sign of doubt or hesitation. We heard afterwards that as soon as it was known we were gone across, our return had been watched for with some anxiety at Niagara.

 

Next day The Admiral & my brother Charles went to see the Welland Canal—He was to have made this excursion, but was not well in the morn­ing & obliged to remain at home—it was not sur­prising he was knocked up with all he had to do—& when he was obliged to give in for a short interval He never allowed himself sufficient time to recover, but resumed his exertions before the attack was by any means dispelled—this was par­ticularly the case at the present time, & it was long (if at all during the remainder of his stay in Canada) before he recovered the excursion to Fort Erie & the fatigues & exertions of this visit to Niagara & the Upper Provinces.

 

The 43d Regt was stationed here & encamped in a most picturesque situation above the Falls—on the 17th it was reviewed, the ground chosen for the occasion at a short distance was extremely pretty, & very favorable for the manoeuvers which were so executed as to obtain great praise from the military persons present, & even to afford much interest to ignorant spectators—The sight attracted a great number of Americans who came over from Buffalo, &c. The Officer highest in rank on the Frontier Major———was received by Him & attended to all the morning with great civility, & was requested to stay for dinner & a dance after­wards with as many of his countrymen as he might like to invite & who might wish to remain—about 30 (I think) accepted the invitation & more would have done so, but there were difficulties about their arrangements for returning—those who staid, ap­peared much gratified by the civilities they met with—We dined at 4 o'clock sitting down about 200, the company consisting besides the Americans, of people in the neighbourhood—Officers &c—at the Dessert He gave the President's health & as Mr. Buller says "a million of money would have been a cheap price for the single glass of wine which Lord Durham drank to the health of the American President." It was the first occasion on which any attempt towards cordiality had been made on the part of a British Commander, & the result completely answered his expectations—from that moment a marked change took place in the feeling of the people of the United States, & for the first time good will & a friendly spirit seemed to prevail among them, towards the English of the Colonies—these dispositions were still further en­couraged on His return to Quebec. He set apart a day for receiving all those who came with satisfac­tory references & shewed further civilities to such as prolonged their stay.

 

Wedy July 18th. We left Niagara to our great regret ; we could willingly have passed there a whole summer, but our visit had not been arranged as a party of pleasure, & He had given us all the time he could afford in the execution of the great objects in which he was engaged. We had truly enjoyed the 5 days we had spent there, they would have been still more delightful could they have been passed more quietly with no object to inter­fere with the charms and wonders of the place, but surrounded as he was & occupied with business & the duties of society, this was impossible—the weather too was excessively hot & all exertion overpowering—He never could find an opportunity of returning to the Table Rock, & we, even, altho' we were anxious to see it again, failed in accom­plishing our wishes. The morning on which we went was beautiful, the girls George &c set off very early on horseback, but he went with me & Alice in a carriage—we started soon after7 & in our way stopped to see The Whirlpool a remarkable spot on the river Niagara which turns suddenly round making an elbow, & forming a deep gulf & whirl­pool—we were much pleased with the beauty of the scene, but were forced to hurry away from it— at Queenston we embarked again on the Steamer accompanied by Sir John Colborne & his Staff— The Admiral being unwell had been forced to remain at the Falls. At Niagara at the mouth of the river we stopped, the children & those who had rode, came on board & He received two large Deputations with Addresses on the deck of the Steamer. We then entered again upon Lake Ontario along the shores of which it had been in­tended he should proceed in order to visit Hamilton, & see part of the country in that dis­trict ; it was found however that there would not be sufficient time for all that had been proposed, & it was therefore decided that He should only land at Pt Dalhousie to inspect the mouth of the river leading to the Welland Canal. This He did, in spite of a severe attack in his head which had seized him soon after he came on board—He saw all that was necessary, (with Sir J. Colborne) but suffered dreadfully afterwards, & was so ill when he approached Toronto, that it was necessary to keep off the Steamer & delay his landing for half an hour while He endeavoured by a hot Bath for his feet, & such remedies as could be given for the moment, to palliate the suffering so as to enable him to get thro' the ceremonies of the public reception which awaited him at Toronto—having thus waited till the last moment, he dressed & went on shore, but in a very unfit state for so great an effort—He had such resolution & energy that He would never give in, where he thought the object required the exer­tion—on this occasion he seemed so extremely un­well, that I was quite alarmed for the consequences. He landed between 4 & 5 & was received with every demonstration of respect & rejoicing, crowds of people attended & followed him with loud acclama­tions, arches of evergreens & displays of Flags were arranged on his passage & the soldiers in the town drawn up in military array at the landing place or lining the streets, Sir George Arthur receiving Him on his arrival & proceeding with him in pro­cession to the H. of Assembly where he conducted him into the principal room (that of the council I think)—here he received an Address a number of ladies being present to witness the proceedings— after this, another Address was presented & read by the Mayor outside on the steps of the Building—to which he returned an answer & made a short speech with great effect—from thence He drove round the town still in cortege, & at last arrived at the Govt House where we were to be lodged for the night—Sir George Arthur had made every possible arrange­ment for our comfort, but the fatigues of the day were not yet over—for after a short interval of rest, we had to dress for dinner which was given in a large new room just finished to a party of about 60 people—the dinner was long & tedious, & at the desert He had twice to make a speech, once in re­turning thanks for his own health given by Sir G. Arthur, & again in giving that of Sir George. So ended a day of frightful fatigue, the effects of which he felt a long time, the only softening circumstance being the comfort of Sir G. Arthur's house, which was furnished like an English one, & where we had rooms as comfortable as if we had been at home, which we found very enjoyable after tire Inns & Steamers—next day, he was rather better but did not go out, altho' he was employed in perhaps a more fatiguing manner, in holding a Levee & giving interviews to numerous persons who were anxious to see him. I saw a few ladies & then took a drive about the town with the girls & Caroline, under the guidance of Capt Arthur—the morning was very fine & we saw Toronto to great advantage, it is in general spoken of as a dull place, but the numbers of people who had come in from the surrounding country, & the animation which prevailed in the town did not admit of such an impression upon us—we were on the contrary rather struck with the appearance of the streets, which seemed to be better built & to consist of better houses, than any place we had seen, there also seemed to be some pleasant houses & gardens looking towards the Lake—the shores are flat & the country seems to afford no particular feature of interest, but still the large extent of water & the richness of the country have a pleasing effect.

 

In the afternoon we again set off, leaving Toronto in nearly the same order as we had entered it—in open carriages, the soldiers drawn out, & people assembled as before—the weather had been fine tho' very hot all the morning, & altho' it had become rather overcast, it was quite fair when we started, & no one seemed to anticipate the sudden burst, of rain which overtook us before we reached the Port—& fell as if from a Water Spout—all those who accompanied us on horseback were drenched—a tremendous storm of thunder & light­ening followed—we had all been hurried on board the steamer & fast as possible & tho' most of those who had attended our departure made the best of their way to find places of shelter on shore a con­siderable number of persons (a Deputation & others) we're detained on board above an hour, before they could find a tolerable interval of fair weather to return—As soon as they left us we got under way the Chief Justice of Upper Canada Mr. Robinson, accompanying us, in order that Lambton might take the opportunity of having some conversation with him—the ram cleared off & the girls & I staid till late in the evening on deck altho' the air was chilly forming a great contrast to the heat of the morning, it was at all times fresh on the water & we had experienced nearly as great changes of temperature the day before in coming from Niagara where we had found it extremely hot in the morning, again so on arriving at Toronto while on the lake it was more than cool—We passed an uncomfortable night in the Steamer having been obliged to close the cabin far more than was pleasant on account of the rain & another violent Thunder Storm which appeared to pass very near us—at 11 o'clock Friday 20th we arrived at Kingston where He again landed to receive an address but did not remain long on shore—we then proceeded through the 1000 Islands steering more towards the right bank & passing Well's Island where we saw the wreck of the Sir Robert Peel, the Steamer which had been destroyed by American-Pirates soon after our arrival in Canada—we also-looked into French Creek the great nest of the Pirates on the American Shore. The afternoon was showery, but we remained a good deal on deck —we admired the pretty situation of Brockville as we passed by, & arrived at 8 o'clock at Prescott —Here we parted with Chief Justice Robinson, & changed into another Steamer for which however we waited some time—

 

Next morning Saty July 21st, having reached Dickenson's landing we left the Steamer at 7 o'clock, & went on board a large Bateau (as it is called in the country) in which we rowed down the Long Sault rapid—As is shewn by the name, this rapid is of considerable length, but the descent is very gradual & I should scarcely have perceived any­thing unusual in our passage—at Cornwall we found another Steamer which took us to Coteau du Lac—here again, another address was presented, & we then removed again into a large Bateau, called here a Durham Boat, which carried us through some very considerable rapids particularly those of the Cedars and Cascades, in these the motion of the water is exceedingly strong, & great dexterity is required in the management of the helm, as the slightest inadvertences on the part of the Steerers, would cause the loss of the boat & all on board. The scenery in this part of the river is extremely pretty—on approaching Beauharnois, where we arrived in the afternoon, Edward Ellice came out to meet us in a small Indian Canoe, rowed by 3 Indians & a French Canadian who took the lead, & gave a succession of French boat songs to which the Indians joined in chorus marking the time as they struck the water with their short oars —the Canoe was narrow & long holding but one or at most two persons besides the rowers who sat in the bottom of the boat. The effect of the whole was unlike any thing we had ever seen, & amused us exceedingly. The girls &c. were much pleased with going about in this Canoe during the two days we passed at Beauharnois with Edward & Mrs. Ellice—The cottage in which they lived & which in general was occupied by the Agent, was so small that they were obliged to remove out of it them­selves in order to accomodate us—they took the greatest pains to make us comfortable & succeeded very well, the weather being fine, at a worse season the house could scarcely have been habitable, altho' Mrs. Ellice had contrived with a little English Furniture & good arrangement, to make it look very nice" for the time—We found the weather cooler on this day than it had been since we left Quebec. Here, at last we had the prospect of a quiet day, & a little rest of which He was in great want—still he had Deputations & people to receive, & on Monday was so unwell that his departure was delayed till next day—

 

On Friday July 24th he was rather better & at 12 o'clock we went on board the Steamer which took us to La Chine from where we went by laud to Montreal, Alice was in the carriage with us, the girls, George &c rode—again we had torrents of rain on entering the town & were obliged to hurry to our old quarters on board the John Bull anchored in the middle of the Stream. We remained two days at Montreal—on the first of these he went on shore, visited the Catholic Seminary & distributed prizes to the pupils, still continuing to see crowds of people on board, till the moment of his departure —by this time, however, He was so worn out by the constant fatigues he had been undergoing, that a little respite became indispensable, & altho' it had been proposed that He should extend his tour by the Eastern townships (where he would have had some fatiguing travelling by land) it was now decided that he should relinquish this scheme for the present—Having, therefore, dined at 4 we took leave of Caroline & Charles & left Montreal about 5 & ½ —the evening was delightful, & the river so clear that the stars were reflected in it—a beautiful effect which we had never witnessed before—

 

We passed Sorel & anchored about 11 o'clock as soon as it was daylight (about 4 o'clock) we proceeded again & arrived at Quebec about 11 A.M. —the weather which had been cooler for a day or two while we were at Beauharnois, was again very hot—

 

We were not sorry after our journeyings, altho' the expedition had been a most interesting one, & Niagara alone would make up for a voyage across the Atlantic, to find ourselves once again at home— the servants had been employing themselves during our absence in getting the house into order & we were now very comfortable—The furniture was of the plainest description, & in the children's rooms there was nothing beyond common necessaries, but the rooms were airy & pleasant, & in ours we had every thing we wanted—The Library, a large room with windows both ways & a beautiful view on one side upon the St. Lawrence, made a very agreeable sitting room—it was the only one, but we found it quite sufficient—it contained a good collection of books, &, among them many works of History, Biography, Travel &c which were a great resource, where there was little of any thing new to be had —

On our return we began to fall into a more settled way of life—& to accommodate our habits to the arrangements of the situation—having now seen most of the principal people at dinner, two days in the week were found sufficient for large parties—on the others we were more to ourselves—

 

I find it put down, that on the 30^th of July we dined for the first time since our arrival at Quebec without the addition of a stranger. We also fund it answer much better as the weather was still very hot to dine early (4 o'clock) & to go out afterwards—by this means we had always two good hours for a drive before dusk as the party separated immediately when dinner was over—this shortened the time of our duties to strangers, without being less satisfactory to them—they were pleased at coming but ill at their ease & when the party naturally broke up in this way, it was equally agreeable to them & much more so to us—It was certainly a great deal better for Him, He was much less likely to be interrupted & deprived of the opportunity of getting some air than when he attempted to go out before dinner. The evenings too were delightful, we often took long drives in the environs of Quebec which are beautiful, or went to the plains of Abra­ham where the views in the setting sun over the mountains & the magnificent St. Lawrence were quite lovely—He used to go with me in the open Barouche, the girls & George generally rode after us one or two of the Aide-de Camps or the suite accompanying us—when we returned we had Tea & passed the remainder of the Evng either alone or with one or two of those who had been with us, they too—however left us early—We saw less now habitually of the suite, some were occasionally absent & many had formed acquaintances with the people of the place & were often away—on the Company days however they were all present.

 

He continued, in pursuance of the course begun at Niagara, to shew great attentions to the Ameri­cans—All those who arrived with respectable references & many at this season extended their pleasure Tours as far as Quebec shared his civil­ities—we were at home to receive them regularly once a week, & the day being known, their stay was generally arranged so as to include one of those Evgs—besides this, we saw others at dinner, perhaps of those who were more particularly recommended or those whose time did not suit the regular Evgs. Among these I find mentioned a Genl. Houston (who had served in the Texas War —a Judge from New York (his name I forget) — Genl. Patterson & two Daughters—& Mr. Picard (a lawyer I think or writer) & said to be a clever man—whom Mr. Buller had seen somewhere—he dined with us at one of the smaller dinners & drove with us afterwards to Lorette—a very hot close Evg with much bright lightening. By the beginning of the month, the Admiral whom we had left ill at Niagara had returned—he dined with us on the 2d August & on the 6th removed into the house to stay —he had sent away the Cornwallis & hoisted his Flag in the Inconstant ; but of course being more confined in the frigate, He who was always hospitable & kind, besides having a great liking for Sir C. Paget, invited him to come & live with us—this he did a sitting room being arranged for him to receive his visitors, & every thing so settled that he should find himself perfectly independent—he still went on board the Inconstant to give his dinners, but at other times we saw a good deal of him & his nephew Ld Clarence Paget, who had arrived in his ship a short time before—

 

We all got on with the Admiral uncommonly well, he took to the children very much, Mary & Emily used to play to him, & he seemed quite fond of little Alice whose progress as she grew up, he said he should watch with interest. Poor Man! not many months after this, he was no more—he used to talk with great affection of his own daughters at home, one of them was in very bad health & at one time soon after he arrived he had very bad accounts of her afterwards she was better & he seemed very much relieved.

 

Monday August 16th—The Medea arrived, bringing Sir Colin Campbell & Sir Charles Fitzroy Governors of Nova Scotia & P. Edward's Island—Sir Colin was accompanied by his Daughter—they remained at Quebec till the 18th when they set off with Him in the John Bull for Montreal to attend the races—the Admiral also accompanyed him & he took George—They set off at two & stopped at Sir John Colborne's at Sorel on their way—Not having been quite well the week before I did not accompany him on this excursion—The girls remained with me, but went with him in the John Bull as far as the Chaudière where He stopped to see the falls—they rowed home in the Evg in the Gig—He returned from Montreal on the 22d—while there He had been extremely unwell, the heat of the sun had been excessive, & having been much exposed to it, he suffered in consequence a kind of bilious attack which weakened him very much—The weather tho' still beautiful was beginning to alter a little—it was still nearly as hot as ever in the middle of the day, but sometimes it turned a little cold towards Evg—even while he was away we had begun to think of changing the dinner hour that we might go out earlier—one day we did this for the sake of crossing the river to Pt Levi—we sent over the horses for Mary & Emily & Mr Villiers drove me with the Canadian Ponies (he had bought at Toronto) in a pony carriage—the views of Quebec, Montmorenci & the Isle of Orleans from this side are beautifull—I had once before crossed over to take a walk but only once I think—& the girls had rode there, but Tie never once landed on the oppo­site side altho' he had often talked of doing so, as of seeing many other places which he had never the opportunity of doing—At Montreal He had been joined by Mr. Duncombe whom he had been ex­pecting some time, & who came back with him & remained with us—the day He returned was a very hot one, we had a large dinner with the Admiral, Govs. &c—in the Evg there was a very fine Aurora Borealis—& the effect of it on the beautiful scenery of the St Lawrence with the shipping &c was quite lovely—we had often these appearances & used to watch them, with the moon & stars from the win­dows of the Library with great enjoyment.

 

The day after He came back, Thursday 23d August, the Admiral took leave of us in the evening, we parted with him with great regret,—there had never been the shadow of a diificulty among us, & those who were well acquainted with him, said they had seldom seen him so comfortable & happy—he had cooperated most cordially & efficiently with L—— in all the public business which they had had together & He found the want of him very much after he was gone—We watched him next morning as he sailed away in the Inconstant—little thinking we were never to meet again ! on this voyage before he was out of the St Lawrence he got the illness from which he never recovered—he had an opportunity however before the termination of shewing that his friendship was sincere, & that his own feelings were as straight-forward & as generous as we believed. On the 25th the Gover­nors went we had liked them both, particularly Sir Colin for his good humour & hearty friendly manner—they both entered cordially into His views & he was perfectly satisfied in his communica­tions with them—Miss Campbell also gained upon me & Mary, after the first impression of rather an affected manner was worn off—she seemed in so miserable a state of health when she came that we felt interested about her—but' she appeared much better for her excursion to Canada.

The weather was now decidedly changing & after a few days we gave up dining early—He con­tinued very unwell for some time after his return, & was many days confined to his room—I think he was scarcely out at all before the Races which took place on the Plains of Abraham on the 3d & 4th Sept. He was not able to attend them on the first day, but was better & went on the second, he had given a cup & taken pains to encourage them always promoting these kind of meetings which he thought drew people together in a friendly manner—

Wedy 5th George's Birthday, a day He always thought much of, had been fixed for a Regatta— the weather was beautiful much warmer than it had been for some days previously & we found it very delightful rowing about the river in one of the Men of War Barges—We met Capt Crawford sailing in the Race Horse—He went on board & sailed with him a little time—inviting some of the party—Major & Mrs Torrens & Capt & Mrs Daniel to dinner—these were the only English ladies who since our return from Upper Canada had been living at Quebec & we had seen them occasionally of an evening—Mr & Mrs Torrens sang a good deal & they generally came to help us on the American nights. Mrs Daniel also played—Many of the Officers had been away on tours with their wives, but about this time they began to return—We had now a good deal of rain & cold weather tho' still many fine days—On these we drove or sometimes walked in the Chateau Gardens there was also a wood beyond the Plains of Abraham to which we used to go often, getting out to walk there, the children riding—the autumn tints of the foliage were now quite beautiful & we admired the country more & more—Mr. Duncombe often went with us —we took some long drives to Montmorenci— Lorette—Cap-rouge—but there were still places beyond we never could reach—such as Lake Charles—Lake Beauport—the natural steps above Montmorenci &c—the girls rode to one or two of these with Col. Couper—but He never could find time. He had been better lately, but was still often ailing & a good deal worried by his anxiety for accounts from England—several things had passed in Parlt which were far from satisfactory, & he became more & more doubtful (with how much reason as it proved !) as to the manner in which the Ordinances of June would be received, & the support which he would obtain from the Govt at home——On Wedy 12th The Medea returned bringing Deputations from among the principal people of Halifax & P. Edward's island, & on Sunday 16th Charles & Caroline arrived from Montreal.

 

Tuesday September 18th—-We drove beyond the Plains of Abraham to observe an Eclipse of the sun, which we saw very perfectly in all its stages—

 

Wednesday September 19th :—a day I can never forget !—we went a longer drive than usual crossing a Ferry over a small stream beyong Cap-Rouge continuing along the banks of the St Lawrence to Lake Calvaire & returning across the country by the St Fois road—We were a merry party—the children, Charles & Caroline (I think) & Mr Buller, enjoying the little adventures & difficulties of crossing the ferry laughing at Mr Cavendish & his Drag follow­ing us—& delighted with the beauty of the scenery —As we returned, we saw from the heights, the Steamer from Montreal, arriving with the post & bringing with it tho' little did we guess it, the intelligence of those events whose fatal conse­quences, we were, alas ! so far from anticipating— We had returned late from our drive, & it was time to dress for dinner when we got in—before I was ready, He called me into his room, & I could soon see that something unusual had occurred—He bad received a bag with letters & despatches from England—containing the account of the reception of the Ordinances, with private letters.from Lord Melbourne Lord Glenelg & others, rejoicing over the manner in which the difficult affair of the Prisoners had been settled, & bidding him "go on & prosper" with other expressions of unqualified approbation—there was also a letter from the Queen to me, in answer to those we had written on her Coronation day expressing her thanks & her satisfaction at all that was going on—

 

If the Steamer had only brought this bag from England what could have been more gratifying than these communications! but a New York Paper with later intelligence from home reversed all these visions of success & happiness—it contained the account of the proceedings in Parlt !—the disallowance of the Ordinances ! & as it proved, the doom of his fate—I can well remember now the feeling of consternation which came over me on first hearing the news, & then of grief for him, & indignation & bitter resentment towards those who had so cruelly betrayed Him—He said but little, but I was only the more unhappy, & when he finished his dressing & went with but little delay to dinner, behaving as usual, my heart ached as I looked upon him as he sat opposite to me—& I thought of the feelings which preyed upon his mind—All the satisfaction that could be afforded by the most lively sympathy & the strongest manifes­tations of feeling for him & of indignation against the Govt & the H. of Lords, He soon received—but the mischief was done We heard in the course of the evening that the greatest excitement prevailed in the town, the news having already spread through it—the most violent language was openly held in the streets—separation from England was talked of, & it was said that it would be better to be connected with the United States, than with a country which was so reckless of the interests of its Colonies—This kind of feeling was general among all the British Inhabitants of Canada, while on the other hand the French, as soon as they were roused from their astonishment, became excited & encouraged to resume those intrigues & projects of insurrection, which if never entirely laid aside, had appeared so hopeless that in all probability the attempts to revive them would have been faint & of trifling importance compared with what took place after these events had inspired them with fresh confidence. Not only among the colonists did such sentiments exist but in the British Army & Navy among all the Officers no matter of what party one general feeling of dis­approbation & regret at what had occurred seemed to prevail & the first impression on the minds of all on hearing the news, was, that he would not, that he could not stay, that he must resign, & return home instantly—subsequently these opinions may have been in some measure altered, the country generally was most anxious he should remain, & the greatest alarm was felt on the prospects for the winter, but all his own advisers, & above all Sir John Colborne were most decided in their opinion that his stay was impossible—it had been his own first feeling, but he would have yielded to the wishes of the country, even at the last moment had Sir John Colborne thought it right to recommend it but on the contrary he was anxious for his departure.

 

Within the two first days after the arrival of the news, crowds of people came to put down their names at the Govt House—I believe there was not a respectable person among the British Inhabitants of Quebec who omitted this mark of respect—& addresses from all parts of the country soon began to pour in—the most forward in all these demon­strations were the Gentlemen of the Deputations from Halifax, New Brunswick & P. Edward's Island, & it was in an answer to an Address from them, that He first publickly made known his determination to resign—

 

It had been arranged before the news arrived, that we were to go on an excursion for two or 3 days down the St Lawrence & perhaps up the Saguenay River, in the Medea & every thing was ready to set off the next morning—even now this project was not entirely given up, tho' He could not be absent so long—We therefore went on board at 8 & ½ but only to go as far as the Falls of St Anne's which we landed to see-——The day was fine, but the morning was cold & for some time it blew very fresh—the landing at St Anne's was very bad, the steamer could not approach the shore, nor could the Barge get near enough to Land us on dry ground, we were obliged therefore to go in carts through the water & across the mud to the shore where we had horses & the poney carriage, to meet us—There was little water at this season in the cascade, but the rocks are very fine—At another time we would have been much delighted with the beautiful scenery of the mountain & hills on this part of the banks of the St Lawrence—but other feelings were now predominant—In order to embark more comfortably on returning, we drove to Chateau Either, a village at some miles distance —where we found the Medea—we dined on board & returned home early in the Evg. Mr Buller, Mr. Duncombe, Charles & Caroline &c accompanied us on this expedition—

 

The next day we had a large dinner & went to the Play—His going had been settled some time before at the request of an American actress, Miss Clifton, but in consequence of the events which had now occurred the House which in general was very ill attended, was on this occasion excessively full & He was received with the greatest acclamation — The gentlemen of the Deputations dined with us on this & the following day, but after that, I think they left Quebec—After their first interviews on arriving they had met him with hearty concur­rence, in his views for the settlement of the Provinces, & nothing could exceed the interest & friendly feeling which they displayed on the arrival of the news from England. There were among them some very intelligent clever people, very superior in manners & conversation to any we had seen in Canada—

 

Col. Greville at this time arrived from England —he had come from New York in his Yacht, & brought letters, but having had a long passage they were all of an old date—He had had no acquaintance with him before, & there was nothing which appeared likely to draw them together—but he behaved in a most handsome manner, putting himself & his Yacht at his disposition offering to return home instantly with Despatches, or to take any person he chose, & seeming anxious to do any thing which could be useful or agreeable.

 

Tuesday Evg September 25th a large mob paraded the streets, & Ld Brougham was burnt in Effigy.

 

Wedy September 26th—Letters & Despatches were re­ceived from England—it was a beautiful afternoon, we had driven to the Race-ground & were walking on the Plains when we saw the Steamer arriving from Montreal—Charles & Mr Duncombe went down to the Port & He remained with us till they brought the post—The Despatches now contained the official account of what had happened in Parlt, but no private letters from the Ministers explaining or attempting to excuse their conduct—subsequent­ly he had a letter from Lord John Russell, admit­ting that if the circumstances which had occurred had so weakened his authority in the Colony as to render it inefficient for the purposes he had in view on coming out, He was not bound to remain, but would do well to return home—This was the only private communication He received from any one connected with the Govt—

 

Nothing thus being contained in the Despatches to induce him to make any change in the deter­mination he had already formed, He completed his Despatches in answer, justifying the course he had pursued, & announcing his intention of resiging & returning home, & on Saty 29th He sent Mr Cavendish to New York from whence he was to take his passage to England in the Gt Western with these communications——(Charles had left us the night before on some business with his regi­ment but returned in a week & remained with us till we went—)

We had some beautiful days at this time—on one of them, (Friday 28th) we drove below the heights to the Cove—in the villages here there is a considerable population employed in the timber trade, who live quite apart from the town of Quebec, & seem quite a different set of people— the rafts of timber extend a long way into the river, & it is a curious sensation to walk over them —He went to look at some of the shipping & was shewn the manner of loading the ships—He met I believe with some Vessels from Sunderland— He seemed much interested with this drive—the beat of the sun on this day was very powerful, George having been exposed to it for a long time was affected by it, & soon after laid up by a severe attack of jaundice.

 

Saty 29th September Mr Gurney (the Quaker) dined with us a fine looking old man of interesting manners— he was very anxious that He should remain in the country.

 

On another beautiful day Friday Oct. 2 there was an agricultural meeting near Quebec which He had promised to attend, & to which he went, although He had been ill in bed the day before—we drove to the place & he then rode to look at the different samples of ploughing &c— separate spots were allotted for the trials of the French & the English labourers, & it was remark­able to observe the great superiority of the latter— after seeing all that was going on, & getting speci­mens of straw work &c, we went to the house of a rich old English Farmer who welcomed us with great cordiality—he talked much of his pursuits, & of the difference between the two races, seemed very English in his ideas, but appeared a good specimen of his class—

 

During the month of October we had many large parties—the arrangements for our departure were proceeding, & many people arrived to see Him before He went Sir G. Arthur, Genl Clitherow (accompanied by Mrs Clitherow) M. Quiblier from the Catholic college at Montreal, &c—we also saw-two or three times Mr Rhet an American of some note (I believe) in his own country—

 

On Friday 5^th October The Inconstant frigate came in from Bermuda, bringing letters from the Admiral —with all the orders that were required for the Inconstant or any other Ship, which might be desired to take us home—The Admiral tho' still very ill had been at that moment, a little better, & had been able to write himself to L—— his letter was what one would have expected, gener­ous, hearty & friendly to the greatest degree, expressing the most lively indignation against the Ministers, & partaking of all the feelings enter­tained by those around Him who were most attached—it was a letter which did one.good—(he sent presents to Alice of Bermuda Straw & two Red birds one of these died on its passage, the other very soon after its arrival at Quebec—we were all pleased at his recollection.)

 

Friday Octr 9th He published as directed from home the disallowance of the Ordinances, & the Act of Indemnity, & at the same time His own famous Proclamation explaining & justifying His conduct, & giving his reasons for leaving the Colony—this took place at an immense meeting which was held in the H. of Assembly at which also was presented an address from the inhabitants of Quebec signed by 4,287 names—There had never been seen so large a meeting in Canada, the room was filled to the utmost, & crowds remained outside who were unable to gain an entrance—it was most remark­able too, that these crowds did not consist of the mere rabble but that the meeting was composed of people of the most respectable appearance, well dressed, & seemingly belonging to the class of tradesmen & shopkeepers—He was received with the greatest enthusiasm, but the excitement in the public mind was such, that it seemed to require but little to raise it to violence—His aim was directed to turn their attention towards England, to inspire fresh hopes that his presence & earnest representa­tions, with the faithful report of the state of the country, would at last be met with consideration & produce a change of system in the Govt of the Colony.—This was his object both in His Speech & answer to the Address, & in the Proclamation which was made the subject of so much reproach in England, & called from the Ministers the formal expression of The Queen's disapprobation. Far, however from inflaming the minds of the People, the Proclamation had, as was intended, the effect of soothing & allaying the irritation & ill feeling" which prevailed, by directing their views to the expectation of a last effort in England—

 

(The children & I &c were present at this meet­ing having been given places just behind where he stood, I never beheld any thing like the eagerness with which every word, fell from him seemed to be drunk in. It is to be supposed that He was much affected by the testimonies of respect & confidence which He received on all sides from, the People of Canada, He never lost sight of the assurances he gave them of always holding their interests at heart, & using his best endeavours to promote-them—& if He took a less prominent part in Parlt, on his return, than his own feelings would have prompted him to do, it was, in conformity with the advice of those on whose judgment He had the greatest reliance, & because on mature reflection he considered the course He thus pursued, as the most likely to effect the permanent good of the country— but He was ever on the watch, & laboured incess­antly till He had completed the Report which amply redeemed his Pledge to the People of Canada —In all this He put self out of the question & never suffered his private feelings to interfere where any interest of the Colony was concerned, He gave the Govt his hearty support, where he thought the advantage of the country required it not even with­holding his approval when the Canada Bill was deferred for another year, altho' by so doing, he incurred the animadversions of those who reproach­ed him with receding from the declarations he had made in the Report at the beginning of the Session, of the absolute necessity of immediate measures for the settlement of the Country—these measures he had made as much at heart as ever, but he thought the Govt, in the circumstances in which it stood, after the resignation & return to Office of Lord Melbourne, was in no position to carry through the proposed plan, & so thinking, He considered it most manly to avow his opinion & come forward with his support, altho', on the point of delay, He was not called upon to break the silence He might have preserved, with greater appearance of con­sistency in his own views. Such generosity was worthy of himself, but the Ministers were unde­serving of it & incapable of appreciating it—some, even of those who, in general were disposed to give him more justice, did not at first understand it. We had hoped he was to reap the advantages of his forbearance after this first year, & that the representations he might henceforth choose to make, would be listened to with respect & defer­ence—Had he been spared for the Session of '40 He might have taken an active part, but this also was a disappointment He was yet to feel—

 

Saty October 13th—Capt Conroy was sent home with Despatches—

 

Thursday October 18th—It was decided that we should go straight home to England instead of passing thro' the United States—it had been intended that the Inconstant should go round to meet us at New York—& that we should have gone to Washington &c—The accounts however which were now receiv­ed of the threatening state of the Provinces induced Him to relinquish this project—He was unwilling, while disturbances & insurrection might be dis­tressing the country to spend any moments in his own gratification, altho' he had considered that his interviews with the President & the leading people of the United States might in other circumstances have done essential service—this might still have been desirable, but other objects seemed now of greater importance, & he was anxious to reach home as soon as possible with the information, which He might personally enforce with the greater effect—in these views He was strongly encouraged by Sir John Colborne—

 

(Had He been able to carry into effect his visit to the United States, he would have been received with the greatest honours which had ever been paid to any individual except La Payette—The prepara­tions were already begun, & Mr Stevenson the American Minister communicated to Him officially on his return that He would have been lodged in the White House & considered as the Nation's guest—

 

October 20th—Mr Dillon went away with Des­patches. About this time the Ellices passed ten days with us—they left us on the 28th—before they went, He advised them not to return to Beau-harnois.

 

Monday October 29th—I went with the girls to see the Ursulines whom we had visited in form so soon after our arrival—they appeared sorry to take leave of us—on this day He went to a Dinner given Him by the Guards who were anxious to shew Him this mark of respect before He went—Sir James Macdonell in giving His health made a speech which was very handsome & very gratifying to Him-—this was afterwards found fault with in the H. of Lords by Lord Londonderry—(on this occa­sion the children & I were alone for the first time —with Caroline—)

 

The next day Tuesday October 30th He was ill in his room all the morning—we had a large dinner the last) at which however He was "present—there were Sir John Colborne, Sir James Macdonnell &c —& English Ladies in the evening to take leave of us—the parting was quite melancholy—some of them seemed so anxious & so nervous about their prospects for the winter, that I truly felt for them—they all expressed (& I believe sincerely) great regret for our Departure—

 

Wedy October 31st He dined with Sir J. Macdonnell at his private house—(we were alone with Charles & Caroline)—the wind this Evg was contrary, & we felt uncertain about our Departure which had been fixed for next day—This was almost sooner than had been intended, but Sir J. Colborne was so anxious He should be gone, & that Military authority alone should prevail in the Province that He remonstrated against all delay—the accounts received now from various quarters were very alarming, & He again proposed at the last moment to remain altogether, but Sir J. Colborne was so decided in his opinion, & expressed so strongly that His presence would only interfere with the exercise of his own military authority, that He could not hesitate in leaving him—but it was unwillingly at last that He did so, as He would have wished to be at the post of danger—

 

Thursday Novr.1st—Another day never to be forgotten—The morning was fine & the wind favor­able altho' there was but little of it, & orders were given to prepare for sailing—on this last morning He had yet an opportunity of doing service in the country—the Sheriff from Upper Canada had arrived with unpleasant intelligence of the difficulty of raising the Militia for the Protection of the Pro­vince, on account of the little confidence that was felt in the expectation of any effectual exertion on the part of the Govt at home, to obtain the per­manent tranquility & welfare of the country—it was supposed that His influence might still be of use, & He had an interview with the Sheriff & the persons who accompanied him, in which He gave them His positive assurances that He believed their interests would be cared for at home, & joined his earnest entreaties that they would look forward once more to a settlement of their difficulties from England, promising that no endeavours should be wanting on His part to further their views—He gave them letters I believe to the same effect, & they left Him in better spirits & better hopes as to the success of their exertions.

 

A little before 2 o'clock all the preparations for embarking were finished, & we set out—We went in procession to the landing place—He was in an open Barouche with me Sir John Colborne & Sir James Macdonnell—The soldiers were drawn out, & different societies of Quebec (I do not exactly remember what they were) preceded the carriage with Flags, Bands of Music &c—

 

Crowds of people filled the streets & every posi­tion from whence any part of the proceedings of the day could be witnessed—The weather was bright & clear, but intensely cold, the Thermome­ter on board the Inconstant being at 17—We con­tinued our way down the steep hill, & on to the landing place—there was almost a kind of silence prevailing among the dense masses of people who surrounded the carriage, here & there at some particular spot, some builder's yard perhaps, accla­mations would burst forth, but in general the feel­ings of deep respect & profound interest, seemed to prevent all the common demonstrations of applause —& the gloom which prevailed seemed indeed as if the people were parting with what was most near & dear to them—I never beheld any public cere­mony so deeply affecting, & all the feelings which pressed upon me on leaving England were slight in comparison of those I now experienced on de­parting from Quebec—Little did I imagine on the first occasion, that I could ever feel regret on re­turning home, but there was now something so sad & so solemn in the scene, so heart-breaking in the unmerited disappointment which had fallen upon Him, & upon a great People, that a long life of happiness afterwards could never have effaced the impression made upon me at that moment, what was it then amid the cares & mortifications which followed? The occasion itself was certainly one of most painful interest, but it has seemed since to have been but the foreboding & forerunner of the fatal termination which was impending at so small an interval !—

On the Deck of the Inconstant we took leave of Sir J. Colborne, Sir J. Macdonnell & the gentle­men who had accompanied us on board—Charles & Caroline staid till the last moment, but at last we parted from them also—we saw them afterwards watching us from the Battery of the H. of Assem­bly (our late home !) as long as they could see us. We were towed out by two Steamers the Canada & the Lumber Merchant, full of people who insisted upon accompanying us till it was dusk, they left us about 6 miles off, at a place called Patrick's hole, where we anchored for the night—There had been an alarm of Fire in the Ship, soon after we first came on board, He was told of it, by Capt Pring, but it was happily extinguished, & we did not know of it till all anxiety was over—I seem to have been speaking principally of myself—of my own sensa­tions—but it was the sight of Him, of His counten­ance which contributed to render them so intense —He said but little at the moment, & soon the in­cidents of the voyage occupied his immediate attention.

 

We returned in the Inconstant a very small party in comparison with that, which we had come out in the Hastings—it now consisted of the two Aide-de-Camps who remained—(Mr Villiers & Mr Ponsonby)—Sir J. Dorait & Mr Duncombe—The Ship was made very comfortable, & arranged in the best way for so long a voyage at so unfavorable a season of the year—the cabins by Capt Pring's advice were made very tight & very secure, & altho' they appeared dark & close at first, we found the advantages of the arrangement in the bad weather we had to encounter—The After Cabin was light & airy when we could have the windows open, but it was necessary to keep up the lights during the greater part of the voyage. We were again most fortunate in our Captain, nothing could exceed Captain Pring's kindness & attention, & his care for our comfort & his activity were unwearied—

 

On Friday 2d there was little wind & we anchor­ed in the Evg before we reached the Brandy Pots the Andromache which was also leaving the St Lawrence having joined us. The cold on this day was excessive—He came to dinner, but soon after was seized with a violent attack of Fever—perhaps the consequence of a chill He may have taken on embarking the day before, or of the change from the warm rooms He had been used to on shore— however it was, He was very ill, & Capt Pring hung up his cot in the After cabin, that He might be more comfortable & have the benefit of the stove—I remained with him all that night—next day He was somewhat better, but continued in bed all day (Novr.) —On that morng (Saty 3d) the ship touched the ground, & there was an alarm of a leak, we anchor­ed to ascertain the fact, but it was found that no mischief had been done—on first hearing of this accident He was inclined to suspect (so many of the Queen's Ships having already been on shore) that the French Canadian Pilot had intended to lead us into a scrape, but it did not appear to Capt Pring, or those who were enabled to investigate his conduct that he was in any way to blame.

 

Sunday 4th He was rather better—for the first 3 or 4 days our passage was quite smooth the cold was excessive, but the wind was moderate & favor­able, & being still under shelter of the land we had scarcely any motion in the Ship. This enabled Him to leave his Cot in the after Cabin while he was so very ill & while the cold was so severe.

 

On Monday 5th we were becalmed with a fog & Capt Baynes from the Andromache came on board to dinner—on this night it began to blow very hard, & next day Tuesday 6th the wind was against us with a very heavy swell—from this time we had scarcely any intermission of rough weather for the whole of the passage, not an entire day's fair wind, & a succession of gales some of them very heavy—

 

On Thursday we were quite out of the gulf—this day was fine with a gentle wind & we enjoyed a little rest—He now returned to his own cabin, having found great inconvenience from the motion in the other—the Ship rolled very much when there was any wind, & there was a great deal of trouble in securing things in the after Cabin—We did not however suffer from cold after we were out of the gulf—so that He did not find the want of the stove in his removal—The attack of Fever which had been very severe after he first embarked, was not long in yielding to the remedies which were employed, & we hoped He was getting well, but having been imprudently allowed to go out on deck too soon, he caught a cold in his face & suffer­ed a great deal from that, & his usual attacks in the head for the remainder of the voyage—He was con­stantly confined to his Cot—

 

Sunday November 11th—We were on the Banks of the Newfoundland, it was blowing very hard & every preparation was made for bad weather—the 12th & 13th the gale was very heavy—we were under first storm staysails & then obliged to lay to—the 14th it still continued, but abating a little in the course of the day we made sail again—I believe this was the worst gale we had—on one occasion the only small sail we had to steady the Ship, was split in pieces , with a noise like thunder—& at another time one of the guns on the fore part of the ship was forced out of its place, an immense bolt having been bent round with extraordinary violence—We continued after this to have a great deal of bad weather, heavy squalls, swell, & terrible rolling of the ship but occasionally finer intervals—& when it was possible we passed some time on deck—

 

Sunday November 18th having been better for the last day or two, He was on deck & came to dinner—& I think from this time He continued to improve— George also who had but just recovered from his illness when he set out, regained his strength very fast.

 

We became as may be imagined terribly weary of this tedious & boisterous passage—on one day when it was blowing very hard we might have made the coast of Ireland, & most of us would have been much rejoiced to have done so,, but it would have disturbed the Captain a good deal—We con­tinued our course & on Sunday 26th were in sight of St. Agnes Light house, on one of the Scilly Isles, about 10 o'clock in the morning—& of the Eddy-stone about 10 P.M. The wind had been fine this day, & as we approached at night we pressed all sail not to lose it, as it appeared to be changing a little —The night was fine & very mild but rather dark & as we remained on deck it was pretty to watch the Ship cutting her way thro' the water—we passed a Steamer very close & went close under some of the high rocks at the entrance, as we took our station & anchored within the Breakwater—The noise of the anchor dropping was a joyful sound to us all—we fancied now that all our miseries were at an end, & that no bad weather now could signify to us—As soon as a boat could be lowered Mr Pon-sonby was sent on shore with a Midshipman, to announce our arrival, & enquire for any letters that might be waiting for us—not an hour afterwards the wind rose & soon increased to a heavy gale— the boat was not able to return & next morning we found there was no hope of being able to land while it blew with so much violence—We had a letter in the morning from Genl Ellice brought (I think) by the Harbour master who was going round to look after Ships in distress, but no boats could stay out—in the afternoon the wind was more moderate & the Admiral sent his Yacht alongside, in case we were able to come on shore, but there was still so much sea that Capt Pring would not recommend our leaving the Ship fearing we should get. very wet. Mr Villiers however was put on board & was desired to take a message to the Admiral begging he would send back again, as should the wind continue to fall it was probable we might be able to land a few hours later—this was indeed the case, the evening was quite fine & calm, but the Admiral would not send back the Yacht, & it was not thought adviseable to land in the boats —at night it began to blow again, & the whole of Wedy & Thursday we had a tremendous gale—the Ship was riding at a great length of chain, ex­tremely uneasy, we were obliged to have every­thing secured in the cabins as if we had been out at Sea—& her position appeared very frightful— enormous waves dashed over the Breakwater, & a French Brig came in, in the utmost distress nearly dismasted, her colours reversed, & her crew cling­ing to the rigging. He & the girls were on deck, at the time—for some moments it appeared as if nothing could save her striking on the Breakwater, but she just escaped it, & got in—Several Ships were damaged ,& we heard afterwards that the crew of a boat (2 or 3 men), were lost in en­deavouring to get out to the Inconstant, next (Novr.) morning Friday 30th the wind abated, we landed in the Inconstant's Barge & went to Govt House— where we found Eliza & Bess who had been watch­ing for us with great anxiety from the time we arrived within the Breakwater—

 

Saty Decr 1st—An Address was presented to Him in the town Hall—The weather was most unfavorable, it rained incessantly, but the Hall was crowded to the utmost, & He was received & listen­ed to with the greatest enthusiasm—We remained at Devonport—with Genl & Mrs Ellice till Tuesday 4th. All this time He received no communications from the Ministers, or any of his friends, but ex­aggerated reports reached Him of the hostility which prevailed against Him on the part of the Govt the Queen &c—The people did not share in such sentiments, but received him every where with the greatest cordiality & on his way to town addresses were presented to him at Ashburton, Exeter & Honiton—on Tuesday 4th we dined & slept with Ld & Ly Morley at Sal tram, set off early next morning & reached London on Friday 7th—

 

On his arrival in town He received Duplicates of the Despatches which had been sent to Canada but had not reached Him before his Departure, con­taining the official disapprobation of the Govt & the Queen to the Proclamation &c—& unaccompanied by one private line expressing regret at what had occurred—the consequence was the cessation of all intercourse with the Ministers in private, tho' he still offered to afford any communication which might be of service to the Public, & prepared to arrange his Report on his Mission—On the 10th (I think) He sent in the last formal resignation of his appointment, which had not yet been delivered, & at the same time my resignation of the place of Lady of the Bedchamber—The feelings of disap­pointment & mortification which pressed on Him at this time were very acute—there appeared great backwardness on the part of many from whom He might have expected more cordiality, while on the contrary others on whom He had no claim came forward most unexpectedly—Lord Hill was among the first to call upon Him—this He considered as a civility in acknowledgment of the attention He had shown the Officers of the Army in Canada—but it was Sir Willoughby Gordon whose conduct was that of a sincere & honest friend—he lost not a moment in coming to him, gave all his attention to the circumstances of His case, & by his judgment & advice was of great use in confirming & encourag­ing Him in that course of moderation & forbear­ance, which he soon determined upon pursuing— His own feelings of resentment for Canada & for Himself might naturally have led Him at first into a more violent line of conduct, & the Radical Lead­ers would gladly have hailed him as their chief, but He resisted all such temptations & stood resolutely aloof, as best befitting his own dignity & the posi­tion He held in the world—This conduct brought round many who at first had been inclined to hang back—

 

His report was ready & printed by the meeting of Parlt—there was a delay of a few days in pub­lishing it on the part of the Govt of which he asked the reason on the day of the meeting but it soon appeared, & the approbation of the Queen was con­veyed to Him by Lord Glenelg (his last act before leaving office)—On the first days of the session some trifling attacks were made upon Him by some of the Tory Peers, (I think) Ld Wharncliffe Ld Wicklowe & Ld Winchelsea who revived the affair of Mr Turton, but they were completely sil­enced by his answers, & the Govt brought no charges against him—The Session thus passed on with a tranquility which was little to have been expected from the appearance of affairs when we returned home—angry feelings by degrees sub­sided, he met several of the Ministers in private, & when towards the end of the season He came up from Cowes to attend the Canada Debate in the H. of Lords, they were happy to get his support—He gave it them most generously, even expressing his consent to delay, altho' at the beginning of the year He had strongly urged the necessity of imme­diate measures for the settlement of the Provinces —seeing however that in the present state of parties, no good was likely to be done, He thought it more manly & more likely to promote the per­manent advantage of the Colony—to give his ap­probation openly & decidedly to the proposed delay —He was attacked for this in some of the Liberal papers, but most unjustly, as I believe, they after­wards admitted—Also, when Mr. Powlett Thom­son was appointed to Canada He afforded him [3]all the information & assistance it was in his power to bestow—He met him in London the beginning of Sept, & afterwards when he came down to Ports­mouth He went over from Cowes to him, & re­mained to see him off in the Pique—Mr Powlett Thomson's family afterwards expressed their gratitude for all He had done on this occasion—

 

He was not able to take part in the Session of /40—but He saw the triumph of His views for Canada, & could foresee the success of His prin­ciples—Justice is as yet but imperfectly done to Him, at least in England, but the time may come when He will be better appreciated.