Brock spent a good deal of time familiarizing himself with the Canadas, or Lower Canada and Upper Canada as they then were. He made many journeys to Montreal and Kingston by stage and by boat. From Quebec to Montreal was sixty leagues, and horses must be changed twenty-four times on the journey which took three days. Brock did a good deal of sailing too, for he had to get from York to Kingston and Montreal. Canoe and horse-ferry were often employed. The former was certainly new to Brock, and even more novel were the Indians who often manned it. Packman and _voyageur_ excited Brock’s eager interest, and from them he learned much that was to be valuable in years to come. He got to know the French-Canadian intimately too; saw him in his native habitat and spent time in studying him as he did the folk of Ontario. Nothing escaped his quick eye and quicker mentality. He believed in acquainting himself with the people with whom he had to deal, and his detailed knowledge of them placed him in a position accurately to estimate the help they could give him if ever Canada should be attacked. He could not be unmindful of the way in which thousands of American settlers were coming into his adopted country. The people across the border recognized the wonderful resources of Canada, and as land was cheap they flocked over to possess it. Even in these early days Brock must have seen signs of the very real menace which ultimately was to come from the United States. Meanwhile there was a serious disturbance at Fort George. Lieutenant-Colonel Sheaffe was commanding that part of the 49th which was stationed there, and we have seen that he was too harsh a disciplinarian ever to command a contented as well as an efficient body of men. For the slightest offence he punished his men very heavily. These were the days of heavy punishment alike in civilian and military misdemeanours. Where the soldier to-day would merit a rebuke, in Brock’s day he was supposed to deserve and got a flogging. Sentences like 999 lashes from the “Cat”, which was often steeped in brine to heighten the pain, were frequently carried out, and that for such small sins as quitting barracks without permission or being deficient in a detail of parade dress. The cells, too, were constantly occupied. Lieutenant-Colonel Sheaffe seems to have delighted in inflicting these punishments. His methods were a direct contrast to those of his senior, Brock. Small wonder, then, that his men were resentful, and finally so hot in their anger that their plans included wholesale mutiny, the murder of Sheaffe, and the imprisonment of the rest of the officers. The ringleader was a certain Sergeant Clarke.