stream, called the Four-mile creek, where it Grosses the road leading to the head of Lake Ontario, is, the village of St. David's; which contains, or rather did contain till visited by the Americans, about 40 houses. At about six miles and a half from Queenstown, near to the river side, stands the British Fort-George,* constructed of earthern ramparts, and palisades of dry cedar, to which a lighted candle would set fire. It mounted, when the war commenced, no heavier metal than 9-pounders, and those condemned for being honey-combed. About half a mile below Fort-George, and close to the borders of Lake Ontario, is the site of the once beautiful, once flourishing village of Newark.*

Directly opposite to Newark, upon a neck of land projecting partly across the mouth of the river, which is here 875 yards in width, stands the American fort of Niagara.* It was built by the French in 1751; taken by us in 1759; and, along with several other frontier-posts, ceded to the United States in 1794: and, though again taken, has again been ceded to the same power. FortNiagara, unlike any of the Canadian forts along that frontier, is a regular fortification, built of stone, on the land-side, with breast-works, and every necessary appendage. It mounts between 20 and 30 heavy pieces of ordnance, and contains a furnace for heating shot.

* Sce Plate I.

The strait of Niagara is about 36 miles in length; and its shores, on both sides, were, more or less, the scenes of active warfare during the whole period of hostilities. Lake Ontario, to which the strait leads, is in length, from west to east, 171, in breadth 50, and in circumference 467 miles. The depth of water varies much; it being in some places three or four, in other 50 fathoms: towards the centre 300 fathoms of line have, it is said, not found the bottom. York harbor lies on the north-side of Lake Ontario; is nearly circular, of about a mile and a half in diameter, and formed by a narrow peninsula extending to Gibraltar-point, upon which a block-house has been erected. The town, which is the infant capital of Upper Canada, is in lat, 43°30′ north, and long. 79° 20′ west, distant from Fort-Niagara, by water 30, and by land about 90 miles. The plot of ground marked out for it extends about a mile and a half along the northside of the harbor; but, at present, the number of houses, a very few of which are of brick or stone, does not exceed 300. The public buildings consist of a government-house, the house of assembly, a church, court-house, and a gaol, with numerous stores belonging to government. The barracks are situate at the distance of two miles to the westward of the town, and are protected by a small battery and two block-houses; which also serve, aided by the block-house at

Gibraltar-point, to defend the entrance of the harbor.

Kingston-harbor is situate at the eastern extremity of Lake Ontario. It contains good anchorage in three fathoms water; and is defended by a small battery of 9-pounders on Mississaga-point, and another, of the same metal chiefly, on Point Frederick. The town, which is the largest and most populous in the upper province, contains about 370 houses; including several buildings and stores belonging to goś vernment. Its distance from York is 145, from Montreal, in an opposite direction, 198, and from Quebec 378 miles. Opposite to, and distant about half a mile from the town, is a long low peninsula, forming the west-side of Navy Bay, the principal naval depôt of the British on this lake, and where the ships of war were con structed.

Of the American military posts on Lake Ontario, the principal one is Sackett's-Harbor,* distant from Kingston, by the ship-channel, 35 miles. We shall defer any further description of this important post, as well as of several other American stations upon Lake Ontario, and along the frontier to the eastward, until some ac tion or military event brings them into notice. The line of demarkation, travelling all the way from the upper lakes, enters the river Cataraqui,

See Plate II.

Iroquois, or, as more commonly called, St. Lawrence; down whose course it proceeds as far as St. Regis, distant about 109 miles from Kingston, where it strikes, due east across the country, along the parallel of 45°, till it reaches, at a distance of 147 miles, the west bank of the river Connecticut in the United States.

"The instant the war became known at New York, some British merchants of that city despatched expresses to Queenstown in Upper, and Montreal in Lower Canada. According to an American editor, the Queenstown messenger, described as a native of Albany, told his countrymen, on the way, that he was proceeding with the news to Fort Niagara; and obtained, in consequence, every facility that money and horses could afford him. Thus, through private channels, notice of the war reached Queenstown and Montreal in six, and Quebec in eight days after it had been declared; which was fortunate, as, by some unaccountable accident, the official notification from the British minister at Washington did not arrive at Quebec till some weeks had elapsed. At this time, the British regular force in the Canadas consisted of the 8th, 41st, 49th and 100th regiments, a small detachment of artillery, the 10th Röyal Veteran Battalion, and the Canadian, Newfoundland, and Glengary Fencibles; amounting, in the whole, to 4,450 men.

These were distributed along the different posts from, the telegraph station, about 250 miles below Quebec, to St. Joseph's, but so unequally divided, that, in the upper province, whose front extends to nearly 1300, out of the 1700 miles, there were but 1450 men; and the restricted navigation of the St. Lawrence, by the time any suceours could arrive from England, left no hopes of a reinforcement previous to the ensuing summer.

Major-general Brock, the president of Upper Canada, was at York when the news of war reached him. He, with his accustomed alacrity, sent immediate notice of it to lieutenant-colonel St. George commanding a small detachment of troops at Amherstburg, and to captain Roberts commanding part of a company of the 10th R. V. Battalion at St. Joseph's, A second despatch to the last-named officer contained the major-gene. ral's orders, that he should adopt the most pru dent measures, either for offence or defence, Captain Roberts, accordingly, on the day succeeding the arrival of his orders, embarked with 45 officers and men of the 10th Royal Veteran Battalion, about 180 Canadians, 393 Indians, and two iron 6-pounders, to attack the American fort of Michilimacinąc. This force reached the island on the following morning. A summons was immediately sent in; and the fort of Michilimacinac, with seven pieces of ordnance, and