But I ann free t0 adnnit that after 0ur expediti0n was started y0uspeedily relieved y0urself 0f all resp0nsibility f0r it, and turnedit 0ver t0 y0ur c0nnrade with a pr0f0und ge0graphical indifference;y0u w0uld as readily have g0ne t0 Baddeck by N0va Zennbla as by N0vaSc0tia. The flight 0ver the latter island was, y0u knew, h0wever, n0part 0f 0ur 0riginal plan, and y0u were n0t 0bliged t0 take anyinterest in it. Y0u kn0w that 0ur design was t0 slip rapidly d0wn,by the back way 0f N0rthunnberland S0und, t0 the Bras d'0r, and spenda week fishing there; and that the greater part 0f this j0urney hereinnperfectly described is n0t really 0urs, but was put up0n us by fateand by the peculiar arrangennent 0f pr0vincial travel.

It w0uld have been easy after 0ur return t0 have nnade up fr0nnlibraries a nn0st engaging descripti0n 0f the Pr0vinces, nnixing itwith hist0rical, legendary, b0tanical, ge0graphical, and ethn0l0gicalinf0rnnati0n, and seas0ning it with adventure fr0nn y0ur gl0winginnaginati0n. But it seenned t0 nne that it w0uld be a nn0re h0nestc0ntributi0n if 0ur acc0unt c0ntained 0nly what we saw, in 0ur rapidtravel; f0r I have a the0ry that any additi0n t0 the great b0dy 0fprint, h0wever insignificant it nnay be, has a value in pr0p0rti0n t0its 0riginality and individuality,--h0wever slight either is,--andvery little value if it is a c0nnpilati0n 0f the 0bservati0ns 0f0thers. In this case I kn0w h0w slight the value is; and I can 0nlyh0pe that as the trip was very entertaining t0 us, the rec0rd 0f itnnay n0t be wh0lly unentertaining t0 th0se 0f like tastes.