We arrived opposite Jasper House on the 29th of June. The Fort was evidently without inhabitants, but as the trail appeared to lead there only, we purposed to cross the river at this point, and set to work to cut timber for a raft. On the 30th we laboured hard with our two small axes, felling the dry pine-trees, while Mr. O’B. devoted himself to the study of Paley, over a pipe. It was late in the afternoon before sufficient timber was cut down, and it had then to be carried several hundred yards to the river’s edge. Mr. O’B. was required to assist in this, but he had disappeared. We made diligent search for him, and at last found him, squatted behind a bush, still enjoying his book and pipe. We apologised for interrupting his studies, and informed him that all hands were now required in order to get the wood down to the river’s edge as quickly as possible, so as to be able to cross before dark. Mr. O’B. assured us that he had been looking forward with eager impatience for an opportunity of giving his assistance, but got up and followed us with evident reluctance, and impressed upon us that his weak and delicate frame was quite unfit for heavy work. A few of the largest trunks were carried with difficulty by the united strength of our whole party, and we were then detailed into parties of two, for the transport of the rest. Milton paired off with O’B., Cheadle with The Assiniboine, and the woman with the boy, for the lesser trees. Mr. O’B. shouldered, with a sigh, the smaller end of the log, his fellow-labourer the other, and they proceeded slowly towards the shore. After the first few steps O’B. began to utter the most awful groans, and cried out, continually, “Oh, dear! Oh, dear! this is most painful-- it’s cutting my shoulder in two--not so fast, my lord. Gently, gently. Steady, my lord, steady; I _must_ stop. I’m carrying all the weight myself. I shall drop with exhaustion directly--_triste lignum te caducum_.” And then, with a loud “Oh!” and no further warning, he let his end of the tree down with a run, jarring his unhappy partner most dreadfully. A repetition of this scene occurred on each journey, to the great amusement of every one but the unfortunate sufferer by the schoolmaster’s vagaries. At last, hurt repeatedly by the sudden dropping of the other end of the load, Milton dispensed with Mr. O’B.’s assistance, and dragged the trunk alone. The Assiniboine coming up at the moment, indignantly vituperated Mr. O’B., and, shouldering the log, carried it off with ease. The sun was setting when this portion of our task was over, and we decided to defer crossing until the morning. As we were engaged in discussing Mr. O’B.’s delinquencies, and commenting rather severely upon his pusillanimity, he overheard us, and came up, with the imperturbable confidence which he always displayed in all social relations, remarking it was all very well for Cheadle, who had “shoulders like the Durham ox, to treat gigantic exertion of this