CONTENTS. V. STAUNTON-LEXINGTON-AN UNPLEASANT RIDE AND A DISAGREEABLE ADVENTURE-VISIT TO HARPER'S FERRY, AND RETURN TO WASHINGTON CANADA AND THE G CHAPTER I. BIRTH-EARLY EDUCATION-VOYAGE TO AMERICA BOSTON-NEW YORK. EORGE RANKEN was born in London, on the 4th of January 1828. He was educated by the Rev. Dr. Smith, at Rottingdean, near Brighton, and the Rev. William Moore, at Ryde, Isle of Wight. In 1843 he received from the Right Hon. Henry Goulburn a nomination for a cadetship at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. In that year he left the Isle of Wight, to commence at Woolwich his future course of studies. In 1844 he became a cadet, and in October 1847 was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, having passed a most excellent examination, in which he held the fourth place among forty competitors. This was a successful début into military life for one who had had but little previous training for the Academy, and no intention, until 1843, of entering a scientific corps. In December 1849 my brother became a first lieutenant, and in April 1850 received orders to proceed to Canada. He arrived at Montreal early in May, remained there about a month, and was afterwards stationed at Quebec, until March 1852, when he returned to Montreal. In February and March 1853, he made a tour through the United States and portions of South America, where he commenced a journal, which he continued till within a few days of his death. In May 1853 he went a second time to Quebec, remaining there until September in the following year ; and then returning to England. From November 1854 until August 1855 he was stationed, first in Edinburgh, and afterwards at Fort George, Inverness; and in August received orders to repair to the Crimea. These dates render more intelligible the narrative which follows. His first impressions of America I consider sufficiently graphic to be given at some length. Extract from a Letter. 'Revere House Hotel, Boston, United States: April 22nd, 1850. Thank God! I am safely landed. I arrived at Boston about twelve o'clock on Saturday. We had a very pleasant termination to our voyage, though the day after I wrote we got into a field of ice, which delayed us four or five hours. The captain tried to get through it, but found he could not, and was forced to back out with considerable damage to his paddle-wheels, almost HALIFAX HARBOUR. all the floats of which were broken or injured. The field was of vast extent, no blue water being visible beyond from the masthead. The cutwater of the steamer ran right into a large block, which we carried away with us for a short distance, until the officer on watch perceived that, although there was a dead calm, we were only moving along at three knots per hour, and took measures to dislodge our travelling companion. We approached Halifax harbour on Thursday night, and reached our wharf at about twelve o'clock. The night was lovely; water quite calm, and moon and stars shining. The light, however, was scarcely sufficient to give us a clear view of the town. The harbour is the most dangerous one imaginable to enter in foggy weather, as there is a large reef of rocks at its mouth. Ships have sometimes to lay-to several days near the entrance, as misty weather frequently prevails. 'I landed, however, with a party, and walked through the town to the principal hotel, where we found the accommodation wretched, and were disappointed of the pleasure of drinking sherry coblers, as there was no ice. 'Nova Scotia is a wild rugged country, covered with primeval forest, and dotted with small lakes. Halifax is supplied with fresh water from a lake several hundred feet above the city; this elevated reservoir is most useful in cases of fires, as no pumping is required. Halifax itself is a large town, with two harbours and some fine houses. It is an agreeable military station, as there is capital fishing and shooting. 'I think the Americans have been much maligned, or |