Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 2.djvu/86

 from Halifax a few hours after we had obtained the sanction of the admiral, and, passing through the beautiful passage between Nova Scotia and the island of Cape Breton, known by the name of the Gut of Canso, we soon reached Prince Edward’s island.

We anchored in a small harbour near the estate, on which we found a man, residing with his wife and family; this fellow called himself the steward, and from all I could see of him, during our three weeks’ stay, he appeared to me to be rascal enough for the stewardship of any nobleman’s estate in England. The captain landed, and took me as his aid-de-camp. A bed was prepared for his lordship in the steward’s house, but he preferred sleeping on clean hay in the barn. This noble lord was a man whose thoughts seldom gave much labour to his tongue; he always preferred hearing others to talking himself; and whoever was his companion, he must always be at the expense of the conversation. Nor was it by the usual mode of simple