The regiment was quartered at Quebec during the summer. At this time, however, the 2nd Battalion of the 8th had arrived at Halifax from England, and I was ordered to join it on promotion, which I did, sailing on board a man-of-war in which I had been offered a passage. Soon afterwards I was placed with a detachment at Melville Island, in charge of French prisoners of war amongst whom I observed an intelligent young midshipman, who I regretted to find herded with the common sailors, and frequently had him to breakfast at my quarters, after which we used to practice the small sword exercise with foils, and became tolerably efficient. After some time I applied to the Admiral, Sir J. B. Warren, and obtained his parole, which the young scamp subsequently broke, and disappeared. In the year 1811, the 2nd Battalion 8th was stationed at St. John’s, in the Province of New Brunswick, to which place, after marching through Nova Scotia, they crossed the Bay of Fundy. Here the tides rise forty feet, and enter a small gulf leading to the town of Windsor in the latter province, in the form of a bore, that is, suddenly, as a wall of water, nearly perpendicular, and eight or ten feet high. During the year 1812 the Americans declared war against England, at Washington, having previously ordered their army on the frontier to invade Upper Canada, on the _same_ day, being several days before the intelligence could be known at that place. They signally failed, however, in their first attacks. Reinforcements being urgently required, and the River St. Lawrence being frozen up for the season, the 2nd Battalion 8th was ordered to attempt the winter march on snow shoes to Quebec; generally through desert country, and partly through the enemy’s territory, and where no baggage animals could travel. The march occupied forty-two days, with a day’s interval between each division or company. Fortunately, there had been just sufficient time to form two depôts of provisions on the line of march, thus making three stages of fourteen days each. On leaving each station officers and men alike had to carry on their backs fourteen days’ provisions, personal baggage, arms, &c., and frequently to march on snow shoes, which, without other encumbrances, is a labour to those unpractised. The camping at evening presented a novel scene. Huts were formed of poles covered with branches of spruce-fir, leaving the tops open for the smoke to escape. Large fires were kept up the whole length of the huts; poles being staked down at proper distances on each side, against which, the sleeping soldiers rested their feet—their couches being formed of layers of spruce boughs on the snow, which made capital elastic beds. The march was successful, having only lost one man from the fall of a tree, and fourteen men afterwards discharged disabled from being severely frost-bitten.