stores was hurried up to fort St. Joseph; and its commandant, Captain Roberts, was instructed to be constantly on his guard.  Similar precautions were adopted relative to Amherstburg, to which post Major-General Brock paid a visit early in June, and fortunately took with him a reinforcement of 100 men of the 41st regiment.  But in the execution of his plans he had to encounter many obstacles, among which the subordinate nature of his command was not the least formidable.  Even as late as the 27th May, Sir George Prevost does not seem to have considered hostilities so near, as on that day he recommended to Major-General Brock the most rigid economy in carrying on the public service, and in avoiding all expense that was not absolutely necessary, on the plea of the great difficulty of raising money.  Sir George has, however, been wrongly accused of not sending any instructions whatever to Major-General Brock for some weeks after he received intimation of the war, as he did so from Montreal on the 7th and 10th of July, or in less than a fortnight afterwards; but, either from his dispatches not being transmitted by express, or from some other unexplained cause, they did not reach their destination until the 29th of July, or exactly five weeks after the declaration of war was known in Upper Canada.

On the breaking out of hostilities, the regular force in Upper Canada amounted to barely 1,500 men, including seamen, as under: 

41st Regiment 900
10th Veterans 250
Newfoundland Regiment 250
Royal Artillery 50
Provincial Seamen 50
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Total 1500 men.

This force had to occupy the forts St. Joseph, Amherstburg, and Chippewa—­Fort Erie and Fort George—­and York and Kingston—­to maintain the superiority on the lakes; to preserve the communication and escort convoys between Coteau de Lac and Kingston; and to defend an assailable frontier of nearly 800 miles, reckoning from the confines of Lower Canada to Amherstburg, and excluding the British coast from the Detroit to Fort St. Joseph.  With this very inadequate force, it was the opinion of the highest authorities that the country could not be maintained.  Major-General Brock was well aware that, in carrying on the war along so extensive a frontier, uncovered by a single fortress of strength, and with such a handful of regular troops, he could only expect success in the aid and zealous co-operation of the people.  But the province had long been torn by intestine disputes, and the prevailing factionwhich had been originally established by one of the judges, and which after his departure was fostered by one of his zealous supporters—­had been for years hostile to the measures of the government.  We have already given Major-General Brock’s speech to the provincial parliament, on his meeting it for the first time; the session, although obstructed by party dissensions and unlooked-for opposition, terminated better than was anticipated, as the rancorous