A Review of Captain Basil Hall's Travels in North America; In the Years 1827 and 1828

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1830 edition. Excerpt: ... 85 . • It seems that the gentlemen in Canada, carry this indecent exposure of the person to an extent, which it would be mincing matters to call merely barefaced. We are indebted to Captain Hall for the following anecdote. (Vol. i. p. 246.) "At this critical stage of our progress, when, I suspect, we only wanted a' good excuse for turning back, but were deterred from saying soby the mere fact of its being hazardous to advance, we observed a portly-looking horseman approaching us from the marsh. In reply to our interrogatories, as to the stale of the roads further on, he shook his head, and assured us, they were much worse than any we had yet seen. 'The truth is,' added he, chuckling at his own prowess 'I had myself some considerable distance to ride, through a place where it was so deep that the water came far above my knees,' On hearing this assertion, our eyes naturally glanced, incredulously, to his nether garments, which were perfectly sleek, .clean, and dry. 'Oh!' cried he, guessing our thoughts, and smacking his thigh with his hand, ' I was obliged to take off these articles (naming them), and by hanging them over my shoulders I did very well, as you perceive." Captain Hall seems to have struck up an intimacy at once with this gentleman, whom he familiarly designates afterwards, (p. 247,) as "our fat friend," the well known phrase of Brummcl. A little further on (p. 265,) he is led into the remark, "In every part of Canada we found the inhabitants speaking English, and acting and looking like Englishmen, without any discernible difference.' At the other extremity of the continent he was equally taken with' the Creek Indians. He regrets (vol iii. p. 296) not having executed sketches of them with the Camera Lucida, " but until...