and the fire very quickly destroyed it. On our arrival home at Queenstown, we heard with great sorrow of the death of the Prince Albert, and of the probability of war between England and America, arising out of the "Trent" affair. I received a communication from the War Office, requesting me to send full notes of my journey across New Brunswick, giving approximately the size of the villages and farm buildings I observed, as it was proposed to march 10,000 British troops up by this route to protect Canada. The reason of my arrest in New York was, I learned, that the authorities believed that I was conveying despatches and money and intended to cross the military lines and enter the Southern States. My father's firm being largely engaged in business with the South, there was some foundation for this impression. I should add that I received through Secretary Seward an expression of President Lincoln's regret that I should have been subjected to arrest, and an intimation that if I visited Washington he would be glad to see me, but I was then in Canada and did not care to return to the United States. Political feeling ran very high in New York. I was passing one afternoon the St. Nicholas Hotel, Broadway, when I heard someone call out "Sesesh" (which meant a Southerner), and a man fell, shot down almost at my feet. LEECH, HARRISON AND FORWOOD. The business of the firm of Leech, Harrison and Forwood was mainly that of commission merchants, and receiving cotton and other produce for sale on consignment. It was an old firm with the best of credit, and a good reputation. The business was large but very safe, and we never speculated. I was very proud of the old concern. The business was founded in 1785 by Mr. Leech, who took into partnership Mr. James Harrison, whom I remember as a cadaverous looking old gentleman with a wooden leg, and as he always wore a white cravat his nickname of "Death's Head and a Mop Stick" was not inappropriate. He retired about 1850.