sufficient supply of goods and provisions on hand to meet the demand
of the trade for two years--a wise precaution, as in the event of
any accident happening to prevent the vessel from reaching her
destination, the trade would not be interrupted. The very emergency
thus provided for occurred last autumn; the ship, after dropping
anchor in her usual mooring ground, was compelled by stress of weather
to bear away for England, after loosing her anchors, and sustaining
other serious damages. Yet notwithstanding this untoward event,
the gentlemen in charge of the different districts set off for the
interior with their outfits complete.

The climate, although extremely disagreeable, is not considered
unhealthy. In summer the extremes of heat and cold are experienced in
the course of a few hours; in the morning you may be wearing nankeen,
and before noon, duffle. Were the heat to continue for a sufficient
length of time to thaw the ground thoroughly, the establishment could
not be kept up save at a great sacrifice of life, through the mephitic
exhalations from the surrounding swamps. The ground, however, seldom
thaws more than eighteen inches, and the climate therefore is never
affected by them to such a degree as to become unhealthy.

One of Mr. McT----'s most beneficial improvements was to clear the
swamps surrounding the factory of the brushwood with which they were
thickly covered; and the inmates are now in a great measure relieved
from the torture to which they were formerly exposed from the
mosquitoes. These vampires are not so troublesome in the cleared
ground, but whoever dares to intrude on their domain pays dearly for
his temerity. Every exposed part of the body is immediately covered
with them; defence is out of the question; the death of one is avenged
by the stings of a thousand equally bloodthirsty; and the unequal