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A- .S all new fettlements in their pro- grefsy exhibit new fce?ies to the eye of the curious^ and more or lefs attract the attention of the farmer, the merchant^ and philcfophery it becomes a pleafant tajk to a liberal mind^ from time to time to mark that progrefsy and impartially tranfmit any information to the community t whereby they may be likely to benefit^ but more efpecially to that clafs of men who cultivate the foil ; for by their profperity are every other defa ip- tion of men benefitedy and commercey artSy and fciences promoted. ^^ i!l If the following letter fliould anfwer any of thefe defireable ends, the objeil of the publijher will be fully attained,, ''%. V%f . . I Urtpiii "»' * m s l%v.. ^7i3i, M. v«i '^"'•'t'' L E T T E R. NeMj'Tork, 2C>th November^ '794* .' I, ■ ^ a L . MY PEAR FRIEND, s I N C E I had laft the pleafure of writing to youfrom this city, in which I gave you a particu- Ut defcription of the lands in thisftate, and in the ftaic of Pennfylvania, together with the mode of fettlement, and the manner in which they arc to be purchafed, 1 have made a tour through th« province of Upper Canada, and fhall endeavor to give you a particular and impartial account of that country, (bfar as I have travelled through it, with its laAvs, government, j. id commercial advantages. In my letter from Albany, I mentioned that I went to th»t city by water, from thence I proceeded to . Scheneftady, fifteen miles by ftage. Schenedlady is a handfomely fituated little town on the 'banks of dae Mohawk river, inhabited nioftly by Low.-- 'I i \ i i % t!' , \ ■ r , T- % t'>- - y Dutch, but from the appearance of the place, one would imagine it a deferted village, the houfes be- ing generally old, fmall, and nioftly fhut up, but furrounded by the fined ilat$ of intervail land you can pofTibly imagine, which continue to the fource of that river* The defolate appearance of this town was accounted for to me by the current of Indian trade turning down the River St. Lau<*' rence, tince the revolution. It has, however, the profpeft of becoming a flouriiliing place, ere long, by the vail increafe of the fettlements to the wed of it, the produce oi which mull cenire there. At this place I took an open boat, na« yigated by three men^ in which I paiTed to Lake- Ontario, without any other interruption than two fhort portages, one at Uie little falls of half a mile, round which they are now cutting a canal ; the other of one mile, at Fort Stanvix, about one hundred miles weft of "Schenedtady j av which place we leave the Mohawk river, and defcend the current to Ofwego, one hundred miles more to the weft, where the Briiifli hold a poft at the entrance of Lake Ontario, commanded by a cap- tain, from whom I received every mark of civili- ty and attention. A Cuftoni-Houfe Otiicer is alfo ftationed there to prevent an illicit trade being carried on between the United States and the Bri^ tilh Colonies. No merchandize in, nor furs out. '- V ^ •Vff*; i'« slace, one ioufes be- lt upi, but vail land uc to the larance of e current St. Laii# however, place, ere rnts to the uft centre boat, na« Z(l to Lake- n thaatwo of half a ig a canal ; ^ about one ; at which id defcend miles Diore poft at the d by a cap- rk of civili- tficer is alfo trade being md the Bri^ kor furs ottt^ are permitted to pafs this pod, without a pafTport from the Governor of Upper Canada ; but fettlers moving into that province torefide, are permitted indifcriminately to pafs with all utenlils of hufband- ry, houihold furniture, and (lores for their own confumption— — — The high prices which hatters' fur at prefent command in the United States is the only inducement I conceive for fmuggling paft that poll, for except a few articles imported from the £aft Indies, I found the retail (hops at King- ilon and Niagara, felling as low, and many articles, particularly woolens, lower than in the City of Philadelphia* From Ofvvcgc, veffels fail to Niagara, Kingfton, and any other port on the lake * but iiettlers more frequently continue along the fouth f]>ore of the lake to Niagara, about one hundred and tweniy miles in the fame open boats which bring them ' hither, as they ^re generally manned by them- felves. But finding a veffel here ready to fail fo? Kingiton, I difmifled my boatmen> and embar. ked in her for that place, about twelve hours fail. Klngjlon is a new, but growing town, fitua^te on the north eaft corner of Lake Ontario, where that Lake empties itfelf^ and forft tlie. river Su % liJ I ■" ' ( \, I' Kf* 8 I Laurence, the hanks of which are thick fettled down to Lake St. Francois, where the provin- ces of Upper and Lower Canada are divided. This river is navigably for veffels of one hundred tons, and upwards, to Ofwegatche, feventy miles below Kinglton,butve{relsfeldamgodowntheriver,»9the fort which is at Kingilun iierves as a depoiit for all the public itores, proviliun, ind merehandife foi^ the upper poils. The land rmmediately nbuat Kingtlon, is co- vered by valuable quarries of lime-ilone, and through all the fettleinents round it are plenty of thin valuable {tones, which are confidered by the inhabitants raihef 9s an acquifiiion thaa detri- xnent to their plantations* i be moit flouriihing^ part of this fettlement is round the bay of Kenty,. the foil of which is rich, eafy worked, and pro- duces from one to three crops, without any otheL* cultivation than what is dene by the iron tooth harrow, and yields from 20 to 30 bufliels of wheat to the acre j thofe lands ar€ foniewhat heavy* timbered, having vaft quantities ©f tire ftigar- Boaple, hickory and bafs wood, and in fame place* ^'hitc pines of a furprifmg height^ but where the latter grows the land is more fandy, and sl- though it is warm, fw>eet land,, it is not fo ftony »& the mapte «r OWL laiid. This baj^ i& i&vGiitf \L ■'i'ifif^f--- hick fectlec! the provin- 'ided. This Hilred torn, niles below •ivcr,»sthe polic for all landiftr fo#> on, is co>- \oi\e, and :: plenty of ed by the baa iietri- lourirtiing^ of Kenty^ and pro- any other ron tooth of wheat lat heavy^ ve fiijrar- ne place* ^here the miles in length, beginning about twenty miles South Weft from Kingilon, leaving a neck of land fro.n two to twelve miles wide, between it and the lake, all of which is fettled, and round the whole bay fo thick fettled, that their im* provenicnts already meet, and form the appear- ance of a beautiful old fettled country. This bay and the creeks emptying into it, abound in great quantities of wild fowl, and filli of various kinds*. From Kingfton I proceeded to Niagara, in- a fchooner of upwards of one hundred tons burthen acrofs this little fca of frefh. water ; afca it may juftly be called, for we were a great part of the. time for three days out of fight of the land ; though pafiages have been made in twenty hours ; we enter the Niagara river between the fort and the town called Newark, with a beautiful prop- ped of both. ;; j,' The fort ftands in ^ commanding fituation, on a point formed by the jundion of the river and lal^e, upon the Eaft fide of the river, and is a re* gular fortification, in good repair, and well ga^-^ rifoned* . : * j The mouth of this river afforck a fjtife and co-. pious harbour, fufficiently large ftr half the Brl^ tiih navy* ■■¥ r I ■ "" ■III iiiii « ■! ■'•ir ?.•' ( lO The town of Newark is fituate in htitnde 43 north, oil' the Weil banks of the river, extend- ing along the lake about a mile, enjoying in the fummer the frefh breezes from this little fea, in alniofl: every direction, plentrfuUy fupplred with fiflt at all feafoi>s of the year. In the winter here are caifght by feines, quantities of white fifli, which feem to be pecnliar to that river, they are generally from two to lix^ pounds weight, and are confidered the bcft filh in the lakes ; befides there fturgeon, bafs, jmd many other excellent fifli, are in great plenty ; falwon are taken in all the creeks round the la-ke ; thefe varieties of fifli are not only effeeiaed a- luxury, but a great aififta'nce to :iew beginners in fbpporting their fafniliei, many laying in a half dozen barrels or more for their winter's ufe. ■ji .A •>., ' i The land about the town of Newark fcfr Ai^y miles,^ though not fo good as the land further back is well inhabited each way upwards of fifty miles around— —What gave me a more parti- cular knowledge of this fettlement was, being intimate with the, Surveyor-General, a gentle- man of liberal education, good information, and indefatigable in the duties of his office, by which means he has c^le^ed notes,' from the different field-books of his Deputies, of the foil, timber, or n here 8 bafs \ 'A radlei fe*P^ and ftreamsy of all that country ; and fuch parts as I went over I found his notes very correct, and by no means exaggerated. In many places there is little more for the farmer to do, than cut a fnfficiency of. timber to fence his fields, girdle or ring the remainder, and put in the harrow, for in few places only is it neceflary to make ufe of the plough, till the fecond or third croip, there ibeing little or no under brufh ; yet in many pla- ces, there is beautiful white pine, oak and black walnut timber; fugar wood which is alfo found here in plenty mixed with beach, hickory, and bafs wood. r (' At Newark refides the Governor whofe cha« [rader is well known, in England, andisideferved- [ly held here in high eftimation— Here are alfo Imoik of the principle officers of government, jbefides many other gentlemen of xefpeiStability .who form -a very intelligent and agreeable .focie- I^efides Newark there are feveral important i fituations in this part of the province, which bid I fair to become places of confequence, the moft [important of which art, the landing places at :ach end of the portage, Fort £rie^ the head of y \ A m' 12 \ ! Lake Ontario^ and York, called by the natives Torento. The lower landhig or Qucenfton is about fe« ven miles up the river from Newark, where the veflels difcharge their cargoes, and take in furrs toileted from three to one thoufand five hundred miles back, there have I feen four veflels of fixty ^nd one hundred tons burden unloading at the fame time, and fometimes not lefs than fixty waggons loaded in a day, which loads they carry ten miles to the upper landing place or Chipawa Creek, three miles paft the great falls. This port- age is an encreafing fource of wealth to the farm- ers for many miles f-bund, who carry from twenty to thirty hundred weight for which they get one (hilling and eight pence N. Y. currency, per hun- dred weight, and generally load back with furrs &c. — From Chipawa the merchandize is tranf- ported in batteaux to Fort Erie a diflance of eighteen miles and are fliipped there on board of veflels for Detroit and MichiUmackinac. — Detroit I was told was a pleafant country, though a low and marfliy foil, more noted for its furr trade, than its agriculture. At the head of Lake Ontario, about fifty miles wen from Newark a fmall town is laid out and ^:l \ ^■- ml 15 public ftores are building, i)cing a central place l)ctween Newark, York and Detroit, from thence a road of twenty two miles to the grand river is cut out and croffes that river about fifty miles above its entrance into Lake Erie, and continues in a fouthern direftion to the river La Trenthc, now called the Thames, which empties itfclf into Lake St. Clair, about twenty miles above Detroit. Settlements arc making on this road, and along the river Thames partial ones are made for au ex« tent of eighty or ninety miles in length— On thefe two rivers arc extenfive open flatts of land equal to thofe of the Mohawic river, on which may be cut a fufficiency of hay for many thoufand head of cattle yearly ; the lands on this' road are of an excellent quality and in many places light timbered, in others covered with thrifty oak, 4>lack walnut, fugar maple, beach and lindar* T^rk formerly Torento is fituate on the beft harbour round the lake, oppoQte Niagara, and about forty miles didance acrofs the lake, but round by land near one hundred miles, along the fhore of which great quantities bf fifh are caught ; a town is here in great forwardnefs, and fhould the feat of government be removed from Newark thence, as is contemplated, it will foon become a ilourifliing place—— From this a road h<:\it out B are in great for- wardnefs, for the age of the fettlemcnt, fome of, which already bear fruit. Peaches, cherries, . and currants are plenty among all the firft fer- tlers. — ^The farmers raife great quantity of pork, without any other expence than a little indian corn, fur a few weeks previous to killing, and often kill their hogs out of the woods, well fat- ted on nuts ; in many places fait fprings have . bcei> difcovered, and fame of them already work- . i ■ ■ L-..**-J,,-»-^-, . ,-. "•* -r . Atu i6 ed to fuch advantage that in all probability that article, which generally ccmes heavy in the inte- rior part of a country, may in a fliort time be af. forded here, as low as in many of the old fettled places ii* the United States Many valuable ftreams for water works, run in every direction through this country; and upon foms of them are mills built, which prove very 'ucrative to the owners, particularly faw-mills, from the quantity of good timber and great demand of boards, ai more buildings are going on than carpenters and niafons can be found to finifh : ftones being fcarce, bricks are generally ufed in mafon work« i °^ ^i This fettleraent was begun by a few difbanded troops after the peace of ijB^, and being but little known by the people, of the United States, who had imbibed an opinion that it was entirely under control of the military, few euiigrants bent their courfe this way, till they were con- vinced of the civil government, being well efta- bliflied, and upon a conftirution happily adopted to the minds of the people, fince which numbers, of refpedable inhabitants have tome in from the different States. Some of whom have come in their waggons quite from North Carolina, btit as there is a fpace of country^ for about feventy m'des, between Niagara and the Gcnefce coun- ability that in the inte- time beaf* f old fettled ly valuable y dire ibme additional quantity. By thiw means the fubftantial farmer becomes the inhabitant, and large trads to the detriment of any country, ne- rer lie wafte* 1 i. 'i V' ' ■! all thefe leaped the Had I not refolved on e^camining minutely, and idging for Inyfelf, I ihould never have become :quainted with a country which for richnefs of 20 foil, agriculture and trade^ in faA every thing that will conduce to make an induftrious man hap*, py, yeildlng to none I have as yet feen* Niagara is at prefent the temporary feat of go- vernment, condfling of a governor, a legiflative council, and houfe of afTembly chofen by the peo- ple ; here annually in the month of May, they meet for the purpofe of legiflation. — Members of the afTembly are chofen for four years, and have already fat three fefTions* — In this time they have made many wholefome and neceffary laws. i ,. Weekly courts, called courts of requeflj are held throughout the province, by two juftices of the peace, who have cognizance.of. all debts un^ der half a Joe; there are alfo diftrift courts every three months, in which fi judge prefides, and gives trial by a jury of twelvemen, in funis not exceed- ing twenty four pound York currency,whofe judg- ment is unappealable^ and all fums above that, are tried by a. jury before the chief juflice and two afr fociate judges, who make an annual circuit through the province ; from them is an appeal to the go- vernor andcounciL The people have it ful- ly in their power to regulate all local matters which refpe^ their feveral towns, fuch as conila- bles, path>maflers, and other town officers, in thQ fame manuer as forwei:l^ iii.tlie other coluoics^ '*- ■■*»*. every thing )us Tiian hap*. • y feat of go» a legiflative 1 by the peo- f May, they -Members of rs, and have iTie they have ry laws.f^ — -r- requeft> are vvo juftices of all debts uni> t courts every ies, and gives s not exceed- ^whofcjudg- love that, arc eand twoafr •cuit through il to the go. le have it ful- ocal matters ch as confta* cers, in tha ,er colonics^ 21 now United States of America* The militia Un the lieveral diflricls have an annual meeting, nd all males from the age of fixteen to forty-five re muftered, except the Friends, Tunkers, and enonifts, and thofe of that religious defcription, 'Vho are exempted from bearing arms. In ihorr, Ir, it would fwell a letter to too great a bulk to give more minute account of the local laws that have een already made for the public good, fufBce it to ay, that, with refped to that government and its laws, its adminiftration is conducted with every ifh and attention to render the fituation of thqfe ho may fettle under it comfortable and happy^ > eing neither land tax, quit rent, or any other ax whatever, excepting the county rates, to btih id by the freeholders, for the regulation of eir internal police* The noble river St. Laurence fupplies this coun<» for an extent of two thoufand miles with com^ ercial advantages inferior to none on this (ideof e Atlantic— Conceive to yourfelf veffels of fix ndred tons burthen, unloading all kincU of Brt* fh goods at the port of Montreal, five hnndred ilesfrom the fea, and again receiving in return^ urs from the interior parts of the country, as far » the Milfifippi i% known to the weft ward, and' e waters erfiptying iifio Lake Superior from the orthwardi— — This* towo> when the banks of I' ]i ) \ ■■*^ !»iJ5a*i; .m^*"n "><" 22 t ■ Vi the different lakes and rivcrt are fettled by liuf- bandnien, w hich is at no diftatit period, mud have a vaft incrcafe of trade, for without doubt all Britifti maiiufaCliires, through tliefe vaft water communications, will come much cheaper, through the whole courfe of its- windings, than can be af- forded from any other quarter. Goods on impor- tation being liable to ro datv ; which will un« doubtedly give this country a vaft sdvintage over the new fettlements that I defcribed in my former letters; mdeed nature points out this place as the emporium of trade for the people inhabiting both (ides of thefe lakes and rivers emptying into them a^far as they extend to the weft. From Montreal. ^M// called by the Canadians batteaux, containing twenty 6ve barrels bulk, are worked by four men toKingfton, a diftance of nigh two hundred miles up the river in the courfe of fix or eight days, and again return in three, loaded with furs, pot- afli, and other produce of the country. Vef- fels, generally fchooners, receive the goods a» Kingfton,. and convey them in a ihort time to the landing or Queenfton, below the great falls of Niagara. Here the portage gives employment to a number of teams in tranfporting them to Chip- awa, as before defcribed : they are again received at Fort Erie in vefTels of the fame burthen as for- n^erly, which navigate all Lake £rie^ HuroiiA **- .. ^tJc-f}^- j^Bifi>i-,,i-*i,.^lJ. ■».., 25 and Michigan. The expencesincnrreJ durinp; all this rout are comparatively trifling, as you will obfcrve there is but one portage, and that only ten miles in the courfe of this communication. And when ot;^ refleds on the temperate climate, rich foil, und other natural advantages of this in- terior country, you anticipate a great population in a fliort time. The ftreighis of Niagara, from its peculiar fituation, being the channel through which all the produce of the vafl couutry above mud pafs, is looked forward to as a place of the firfl confequence, and where a farmer will at all times And a market for his produce, the tranf- port being eafy from thence to the Atlantic. Here have I feen with amazement that famed ca. taradl, which exceeds every defcription I have ever heard of it, but it would be idle in me to pretend to give you an idea of it — It flrikes the eye with more grandeur knd fublimity than the pen can convey.— Amongft many other natural curioiiiies, a f'pring, about two miles above thefe falls, attracts the attention of the curious; emit« ting a gas, or inflammable air, which, when con- fined in a pipe, and a flame applied to it, will boil the water of a tea-kettle in fifteen minutes ; whether this may hereafter be applied by machine- ry, to ufeful purpofes, time will determine* s v-.T-^- f^..: . p I'l ; 24 It was lately difcovered in clearing away and burning the brufh under the bank of the river, to erecla mill, and was obferved after the brufh was confumed to burn for days together, to the great aftonifhment of the inhabitants. About three hundred miles weft of this is Fort Detroit, lituate on the eaft fide of the llreights, between Lake Erie and Huron, around which, a French fettlement was eflabliflied bevore the re- duction of the province, but attending more to the Indian trade than agriculture, made but little progrels as farmers. The Englifti fettlements lately begun on the oppofite Ihore are already in a higher ftate of cultivation, however the French have fine orchards,from whichNiagara is atprefent fupplied with cyder and apples. About cne hun- dred miles weft from Detroit lies a valuable coun- try on the waters emptying into the MilTifippi, now unhappily contefted by the United States and the natives of the foil. To the northward of Detroit about three hundred and fifty miles, lies Fort Mich ill macki- iiac; on an ifland between Lake Huron and Michi- ;gan, is about five miles round, and an entire bed of gravel incapable of cultivation, but moftremarka« bit ftr Being the.general depot and grand rendez- '\>» \ ' •<->-<«M|B«xi«M>' ■MM . "^v^ ^--i >r' 2S voos'oF all the Indian traders, xvht) meet in the month of June from every quarter, deliver their iiirs and receive their outitts foe the enfuing year. -Spanifh fettlemenis many miles down the Mifli- ^ppi are fupplled with Britiih goods through this channel, to much greater advantage than from New Orleans, where the rapids of the Mif- iifippi oppoife almoft unfurmountable difficulties in afcending it. '•H.: ^ This fort, (he forts of Detroit, Niagara, and Ofwego, fell within the United States, when ihe lines of feparation were drawn, at the treaty of peace, in the year one rhoufand fevcn hundred ^nd eighty three ; fort "Miami, which was built by the Britilh lately, is alfo within thofe lines."^— Previous to that peace, ftores 6f depofit had been occupied a^t the foot of ^he Miami rapids, where the fort now (lands, £tnd the annual prefents to .the Indians, v/hich they have long been in the habits of receiving from the Britifli government, jvere there ilTued. This place .was prudently cho- iten for that purpdfe, in order to prevent the In- dians from coming through the fettlement, croud- ing about and mining with the troops at Detroit, where the toB frequent ufe of fpiritous liquors would have occafibnexl^umerous quarreifc and ac ■■ ^ ■ . ' C •■( i aor by art audi arms tot eoatiriiats: t&csn; fron» the fuce of a country, wbich^ they Gonqehre to have been given by? the Otkaa Spirit* tO) themi alone. 1 1 is idle to fay thaie peojpid o^ their qoridt: ideas> and lively imagjnatieH^ i^moipMeai q\- vilizatiofi^ for where educai^on, and a proper at- •* :»...B»»' yV^ JO-i l^ * ~K,,.»>» , »•«•#»— 7 e with thenr ^9 tention to their morals has been beftowed, Meti are proofs to the contrary. — Inftance Joreph. Brant a full blooded Indian, who having received an early education, though reliding ftill with the; Indians, is much the gentleman, eafy in his man- ners, mild and friendly in his difpofition, re* gular and methodical in his^ whole deportment,, and has by his good examples, brought many ofi his nation into a regular fyftem of hufbandry^ and a decent way of living in their families*." Thus have I now as generally made: you ac^ quainted with this great country, as corredly as my fliort (lay in it would admit* of ; but I can- not conclude this without giving you a piece of information equally ne\^ to every body here as tome* For many, years paft adventurers have attempt- edr withovit. fuccefs tocrofs to the Pacific Qcearf," The honor of this, arduous taik was left to a IWTr. Alexander Mac Kenzie,, a partner in the: Nbrth- weA ftir company, who lately returned by the way of the lakesy having fu]ly accompllAted the oBjed of his under taking in^the courfe of two years, By tra- verfing the Continent of America to the north- ward of weft, over vaftmonntains covered with ice, which obliged him to make new canoes, wher^*^ >m»M»^ m.t' ^P " «^«iittt#l»M««AM4ftiMlMI|N " mi tmi w imMf"'*^ * *^ ■ **^ •'*; -,> ,*- M" *?■■-*■, ^.t 30 #^e?1^a|^tllie^itcrs in his favor. On hrs- ar- rivJwelSstoaft; feven weeks fail from Canton in Chinap and 2 degrees to the north of Nootka Sound, he found the Indians without fire-arms,. but furniflied >^ith £ome cloathing and ornaments,, principally Spaniflx mauufaclure. The Indians accompanying him were not underftood by thofe on that coail, and appeared to be perfect llr^ngers to one another* It was with diificulty Jafe could reconcile them to him as a white ifian, on ac- count, as he underftood, of fome' injury given them by people of his color, a few days before that time. Thefe are fuppoled to have been the Americans horn the port of New York, who had touched there in their trade with China.. m ;■.*»' I »-. mi .#■: m. After remaining a fe^ days and making the- nece(&ry obfepvations, he returned and brought- along with him fome valuable ikins of the fea; o^cr, and other natural curiofities, peculiar to that cpafl; but as the gentleman himfelf has it iti- ideate go foon to London, I have little doubr but he will meet with the reward due to his ex- ertions, and give to the world an account of the wild and uninhabited tradb he traverfed* m-^^ ^v \ T ' ■ . ^^ 'V %i l,V--- — Ji'i -V f, rl^. ant on ootka arms,. nents,..' ndians tliofe ingers : could on ac- giveii before Been :. who """W^'i ife >y^^^B JR^' jg the •ought he fea to that i it iti- doubr his ex* of the ' '?i«Sfe.*. !?!<»»** # '^^i.aw'',!?-: ^:«li|j|