pine trees now stand. It was ten at night when they started off, they walked down on the other side, killing the sentries with their bayonets as they went along so as not to alarm the garrison at the fort.

It was at the top of this same ravine in which the boats had been concealed that General Brock on his way from Fort George on the morning of Oct. 13th, 1812 to command at the battle of Queenston Heights spoke to my grandfather.

One day as my grandfather and great grandfather were at work in the field each with a pair of horses, three American dragoons rode up and tried to capture both men and horses; but my two grandfathers each seizing a rail from the fence near at hand, soon put them to flight. However it was not long before they came back considerably reinforced. This time they seized the horses, took my great grandfather prisoner and carried him away to Greenbush, New York State, but my grandfather fortunately made his escape.

It has been reported that money was buried in the cellar, and it seems there was some foundation for the rumor, for my grandfather being in the cellar one day, noticed something bright where the rats had been scratching up some earth on the floor, and on picking it up it proved to be a gold Spanish coin, nearly twice as large as an English guinea. We have an old clock in the house now which tradition says was buried during the time of the war, but as this is a true story I cannot vouch for the truth of the "clock" story.

Another Description of the Same House. BY CHARLES V. TAGGART.

The farm and homestead situated on the banks of the Niagara River about two miles south of the town of that name was purchased by my great great great grandfather from the crown and has remained in the family to the present day. The dwelling house was built in 1800 by my great great grandfather

and was used as a hospital during the war of 1812-14 by both British and Americans, as each had possession of the place. A little to the north is the ravine in which were concealed the boats which were used in the taking of Fort Niagara. On the bank behind the house a battery was built where three British soldiers were buried, During the war of 1812-14 the cellar was used to store the grain and my great grandfather on going down one day saw an officer helping himself without permission to the oats. He unceremoniously kicked him out, said officer was afterwards high in rank, who, I suppose, kept to the old adage, “Everything is fair in love and war." It was my great grand uncle who gave information which led to the taking of Fort Niagara, and who crossed Niagara River after being a prisoner in the American Fort, crossing on a raft, and led the British soldiers to the capture of the fort. My great great grandfather and his son were one day busy working in the fields when three soldiers tried to seize the horses, but my great great grandfather and son each seized a rail and put the soldiers to flight. They soon returned with a larger number and took them prisoners to Greenbush, N.Y. After his release he died from the exposure. After the war, when the family returned to their home they found the house greatly damaged, as neither doors, windows nor mantles were left remaining, also from the farm twenty one horses had been carried off.

[On a tombstone in St. Mark's graveyard is the following inscription which must refer to that member of the McFarland family who was taken a prisoner to Greenbush and is said to have died from the effects of the exposure.

"Sacred to the memory of John McFarland, a native of Paisley, Scotland, he was taken prisoner at the capture of Fort George and escaped from Greenbush near the close of the war. He returned to his place, Niagara, and finding his property burnt up and destroyed by the enemy, it enervated him so much that he died in a few months after, in the 64th year of his age."

In the Historical Room, Niagara, are several documents framed, grants of land to or from Jno. McFarland, showing him to have been the possessor of many hundreds of acres in different parts of Upper Canada. The earliest document is one dated 1794.

Several of the grants are from Peter Russell, one for 600 acres ; another for 500 acres, one in 1799. The document of 1794 is

made at Newark and is from Peter McFarland and Benaiah Gibb of Montreal, making John McFarland of Niagara their attorney for the Home District to collect all sums of money due. Another document shows the kindness of the eldest brother (and of course in those days the heir,) in giving his brother, from brotherly affection, a deed for 200 acres of land. Major Duncan McFarland who as a boy took part in the war of 1812, was an uncle of the present proprietor, who is a genial, hale and hearty octogenarian.]

J. C.