Serjeant Clark and private Robert Penton, showed great zeal and intelligence in the manner they carried out their scientific duties on the route, and corporal Thomas R. Macpherson, who had charge of the party that accompanied the first brigade from York Factory, was commended for the notes he took of the route, and for the report he framed thereon. At Lower Fort Garry, the troops, under the officers of engineers with the sappers as overseers, made a trench round the fortress, and cleared away the wood contiguous to it for 300 yards in every direction. A varying party was detached with corporal Macpherson to Upper Fort Garry, and at both places, the sappers carried out all those services which the nature of the settlement and the weather made indispensable for the health and accommodation of the troops. While at work the detachment wore leather jackets and trousers. In the second year of the station, corporal Macpherson with one sapper was sent to York Factory, and returned in charge of the magnetic and other instruments left there the year before. Although the intricacies of the passage were considerable, increased by the necessity of personally carrying the cases over the portages, he safely conveyed them to the fort without detriment or derangement. Some of the party were employed at intervals, in the survey of portions of the Assimboine, Saskatchewan and Red rivers, and corporal Macpherson' and second-corporal Penton, 9 In the life of some men there happen singular incidents, which give either a romantic or a strangely degraded cast to their career. In this category corporal Macpherson may be fairly included. He was a very talented and superior artificer, and his general knowledge and experience made his services conspicuous. At Hythe he deserted, and leaving his clothes on the bank of the canal a belief prevailed that he was drowned; he, however, turned up about a year afterwards, and was convicted of the offence. But soon gaining favour by his diligence and talents, he rose rapidly to the rank of sergeant, and was intrusted with responsible duties at Gibraltar, Hudson's Bay, and finally in Nova Scotia. At Halifax he again deserted, with 2067. of the public money, but being apprehended at Annapolis, with the whole sum in his pocket, he was tried and sentenced to fourteen years' transportation. This was remitted, only to be followed by the basest ingratitude and crime. A few months elapsed, and the forgiven felon a third time deserted. On the passage to the States he robbed a gentleman with whom he got into conversation, but as the theft was discovered before the debarkation took place, the gentleman repossessed his money, and a gold watch supposed to be stolen. On landing, the gentleman took steps for the under Captain Moody, examined and explored the country in the vicinity of the boundary line of the United States at Pambina. On the 3rd of August, 1848, the sappers quitted Fort Garry under the command of Captain Blackwood Price, R.A.Captain Moody having then returned to Canada-and after completing the arduous and fatiguing descent to York Factory, they embarked there on the 24th of August, and landed at Woolwich, 18th of October, 1848. Both Lieutenant-Colonel Crofton, and Major Griffiths, his successor in command, awarded an honourable meed of approbation to the detachment for its exemplary conduct and services; but sergeant Clark was particularly noticed by the former for his attainments and ready zeal. "His exertions," adds the Colonel, "were never wanting, even in matters not in immediate connexion with the corps, and to him I owe the good arrangements made for the garrison library, in aid of which, his services as librarian were cheerfully given without gratuity." "10 Sergeant Clerk, corporal Macpherson and second-corporal Penton," received promotion for their useful exertions on this expedition. apprehension of the delinquent, but, by artful remonstrances, he made the public believe that the reason of his arrest was not for theft as alleged, but for desertion from the British service. At once the mob sympathized with his fate, rescued him from custody, and he is now at large in the States. The gold watch, brought to Halifax by the gentleman, proved to be the property of a comrade. 10 Sergeant Clark was brought up in the royal military asylum. He was for some years on the survey of Ireland, and by subsequent application, became a fair surveyor and draughtsman. He served a station at Corfu, before going to Hudson's Bay, and is now colour-sergeant of the 20th company, at Freemantle, Western Australia. An enterprising and superior surveyor. He was importantly employed in 1843 in the determination of the longitude of Valentia, and is now a sergeant at Halifax, Nova Scotia, whither he was sent to superintend the laying of asphalte. 1846. Exploration survey for a railway in North America-Services of the party employed on it-Personal services of sergeant A. Calder-Augmentation to the corps-Reinforcement to China-Recall of a company from Bermuda-Royal presents to the reading-room at Southampton-Inspection at Gibraltar by Sir Robert Wilson-Third company placed at the disposal of the Board of Works in Ireland-Sergeant J. Baston-Services of the company-Distinguished from the works controlled by the civilians-Gallantry of private G. Windsor-Coolness of private E. West-Intrepid and useful services of private James Baker-Survey of Southampton, and its incomparable map. SERGEANT ALEXANDER CALDER and seven rank and file of the survey companies embarked at Liverpool in the Britannia' steam ship, and landed at Halifax, 2nd July. Subsequently, the party was increased by the arrival of four rank and file who had been employed on the boundary survey in the state of Maine. This detachment, with two pensioner non-commissioned officers of the corps, served under the direction of Captain Pipon,' and afterwards of Lieutenant E. Y. W. Henderson and Major Robinson, R. E., in surveying the country between Quebec and Halifax, to ascertain the best route for a railway to connect the provinces. The party was dressed in plain clothes, and for the service of the woods, fur caps, pea-coats, and over-boots were added. Five different routes, the projects of rival interests, were surveyed, and the neighbouring forests and wilds, abounding with wood and water, explored. The forests were in their primeval state-dense and rugged. Pine trees were the chief 1 Accidentally drowned in the Restigouche, 28th October, 1846. His body was identified by private John Ashplant, and taken charge of by him and sergeant Calder until its removal from Campbelltown to Fredericton, where it was interred in the public cemetery. growth, and the ground, encumbered with sharp-pointed branches thrown down by time or the violence of winds, formed a regular abattis, and with a thick undergrowth of shrubs and bushes rendered the woods almost impervious. Parties exploring, as soon as they left the rivers or beaten tracks, had to cut their way before them. The difficulties of carrying out the service were considerable. The hills being as much covered with the forest as the plains and valleys, views of the surrounding country could not easily be obtained. Generally this object was effected by climbing, in which some of the sappers became very expert, and, assisted by creepers— a contrivance of iron spikes buckled to the feet-could climb well. To wander in the least degree from the path cut or marked was dangerous, as the chances of being benighted or lost in the prairie were very great.3 The detachment was divided into parties of two each as assistant-surveyors, with ten or twelve labourers, under a civil surveyor of the country. Each party had a particular line to explore. The sappers carried either two or three barometers and detached thermometers with them; also a 5-inch theodolite, a measuring chain, pocket compasses, &c. As the lines were cut out by the axemen and labourers the sappers measured them, and took the angles for direction, and also for elevation or depression. The barometers were registered at the summits of ridges and bottoms of valleys. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of the exploring parties, a sapper was stationed with a standard barometer, who did not move from his post until ordered to do so. His duty was to register his barometer and thermometer every hour during the day." The result of the surveys and investigations was an able report from Major Robinson, describing a range of country through which a railway could beneficially pass, extending in length to 635 miles, from Halifax to Quebec. The proposed route was determined with reference to the resources of the tract to be traversed, its accessibility, and facility of adapta2 Professional Papers,' N. S., ii., p. 36. 3 Ibid., p. 38. • Ibid., p. 37. tion to the purpose, as well as its military and general advantages. After completing the plans and sections of the lines explored, the party, in September, 1848, returned to England, and rejoined the survey department. The personal services of sergeant Calder on this duty are sufficiently interesting to receive notice in this place; and, with some little difference in points of duty and incident, may be taken as an average type of the individual adventures of the rest of the party. From Halifax to Folly Village, he surveyed a line of seventy-five miles with the barometer, and from thence, for twenty-five miles, measured the roads from the high-water mark of the Bay of Fundy, by taking the heights with the theodolite, using the angle of elevation and depression, and checking the same simultaneously, by barometrical observation. He afterwards traversed a varied country for about sixty miles, to Amherst, from whence he carried on the survey, barometrically, to Mirimichi. The completion of another rough road of ten miles now took him fully into the wilderness, where he continued his work till the winter set in. During his labours in the woods he ran short of provisions. He was then in charge of twelve men, carrying with them 3 lbs. of pork, 1lb. of oatmeal, and a small bag of ginger. Upon this scanty fare the party subsisted for three days; and, harassed as they were by hard travelling through a mountainous country, entangled with a tissue of bush and branches and covered with deep snow, their fatigues and privations were considerably increased. Heavy loads also they carried, and so closely were the trees packed together, in the exuberant vegetation of the forest, that the adventurers not only had to tear themselves through the thicket, but continually impeded by logs of fallen trees and tufts of stubborn underwood. On the evening of the third day the hunger of the men began to show its effects in emaciation and despondency. At this moment sergeant Calder found it necessary to relieve the party of the stores and abandon them in the woods. The theodolite and barometers he attached in a safe position to a tree. He then directed the men to use their utmost exer |