We followed the cart that took the last of our luggage, forming quite a
procession, and each one of us who was able carried something. I had a
bag in one hand and an iron pot in the other. Grannie held a firm grip
of Robbie, who she feared might be lost in Montreal, for the puir laddie
hadna a word of French. On coming to the canal we were disappointed with
both it and the boat. The canal was a narrow ditch and as to the boat,
it was short and narrow and had no deck, except a few feet at either
end. 'We cannot live in that cockle-shell!' exclaimed Mrs Auld. Her
owner replied 'She was one fine boat, new, built by Yankee.' He was the
only one of the crew who understood English, and was quick in his
motions. He soon had all we brought with us stowed, and when a corner
was found for the last chest, it was a surmise where the crew and
passengers could find standing-room. The decked portions were allotted
the women and children, the men and boys roosted on top of boxes and
bales as they could. When all was ready, the conductor took the helm,
the crew lined up on the bank with a tow-line over their shoulders, and
off we started. The weather was fine and the country we passed
beautiful. At the first locks we came to, the mistress stepped to a
farmhouse beside the canal, and came back with the pail she had taken
with her full of milk. It was the first the children had since we left
Scotland. It was late in the day when the boat got to the end of the
canal; the conductor, who told us to call him Treffle, said we would
wait and have supper before going on the lake. Driftwood was gathered
and fires made, pots and pans being set on stones. The crew fried fat
pork, which, with bread, was their supper. We made porridge, for we had
still a good supply of oatmeal, and of ship-biscuit. The sails were
hoisted and we got away before it was quite dark. The wind was westerly,
so we had to tack. Had it not been that the boat had a centreboard we
would have made small progress. The centreboard was a novelty to us, and
we could see how close it helped the little vessel to sail in the eye of