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INCLUDING smith's GE06RAPHICAL VIEW OF UPPER CANiiPA, WITH KXTRACTS OF ORIGINAL LETTERS OF A LANCASHIRE FARMER, AND OTHBR RESIDENTS j ALSO, BKTRACTS FROM BIRKBECK's NOTES AND LETTERS FROM THE ILLINOIS, AND A RECENT LETTER IN REPLY TO MR. COBBtTT, WJTH MR. RICHARD flower's letters in REFUTATION OF, THE .same; AND REMARKS ON THE SUPERIOR ADVANTAGES OF THE ABOVE PLACES, TO THF CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, NEW SOUTH WALES, &c. &c. « The only ties vhlch ought to l)ind mcu to their Country are th» benefits they receive from it, and this is the only genuim and rational palriotism." ** England could spare 5000 people annually, while she would be > refreshed and strengthened by the discharge.»'-G*urJay'« Letter, Printed for T. FkEYS, Colrwan Street, Bank. 1820. •wKHiaMiij ,^ mm ii M .~ nil t n f mit , -mt i^ :, *^. •'i'^l^' ■ •;rr* and unemployed, without causin^a.vnr'''*'"" ^^ the pj Jh 1st want and distress are ob°Lltfh/ ?'"'"* ^^"«fit> and soil in search of a better home Sf?^"! *" 'i"*^ t'^^'r native surprised the Editor of thT smalf' w"V n''' '' ''^^ oLa Em.grat.on has notbeenmorrdir™ ted ^w '.*''"* the tide „f m Upper Canada : its suoZ,Jl ^ towards our Settlements part are evenacknowlej/e/bv L'a "^.^^"t«»-«« *« any S call it the G«rrf.„o/jJ-5;;iLt^^ Amer.cans themselves, who roust be a sufficient ^oofr'i:'*;^ Sessions grantedrf50 0CK)fnrl '^ ^"*''^' Parliament last the Cape^ of Gofd H^ ^'u!?^°7«^^^n»ent of Emigrat o.^ to jvho , 4mterest^ not hive V^ ineir Settlements in tl.^ n» j ^ . ^ "a^® cast an eve tn ;hich must accrue by dedTcS/a' "^f *''^ ^^ -"C encouragement of Emigration thprp^o """'^'' ^"'n ^or the of peace, from certain^pe ° anehT; .^^"^i^^'^, after five years faction still stalks Xo^aTT^'/'^'^'/ distress and dissatil *h^opJ.t to adopt tm'Xnl'n?^^^^^^ 'f^^^\ "- &" recotomends the formini- o^X -If ^^- ^^ ^''^^ the Editor tion to Upper Can^^unV^g S^th!^:^^^^ '^^ ^Siga at Quebec. The super r^^d^Xes to' H^'^^^^ Mope, Botany Bay or th*> ^ * ^ * "'® ^ape of Good must aoknowlidge who hat! ;'*!•"!. *"'"'°"««' «^ery person -des, the salnbfuy iTt ermCbr-^'''"'^*''^^"^^^^^^^^^ con«t,t„tion« of Europeans the SuT' '?^^°'^' *« the cons.d bly less, not bei„' haff f^ a!^ "^ I'^^ Journey -ha plan, b'ytS tl^'^tr^ff ^^ ^rnigra^^^ heretofore encountered i„ the Unit J S»!f ^';!'' .^""^ distrtssL selves into a bo.'y « iient ff n ^.^*^*' ^^ farming tbein- and go direct to the IZ t A P°'"'''^' *" ^'•^'ght a vessd without delay and'„;„eLla?;tTnTo7tT '^ '^P^^^^' »t be expected that Mechanics ^n.U " ^^^ ^^^^ Could employ in a country alreadv ovprS J^^ T*^' ^'*h immediate manufacttire, to th^e ru..mtrn nf Z'lf ^'l** ^'^'''^'' «f ^"ffUsh both hej. and there Td' they tect'd " r'''^'^ *^^'^^''^ Upper Canadas, or Birkbeck's %tu *^'^««»^rse to the have been avoided. " Settlement, the evil might Patd) orgtve imtructions to /iljl ^'""""*'»cations, (Post tl OBSERVATIONS, &©. After a war unusualiy protracted, M-hicfe bad desolated the fairest portions of the globe, ^hich, in its progress, had been marked by the destruction of millions, and wiiich had been pro- ductive of evils the most terrible ever sustained by suffering humanity, the nations of the earth fondly contemplated the return of peace as an event which would, in some degree, compensate for the sacrifices which they had made, and the privations which they had so long and so pa. tiently suffered. - Among those who had endured with imex ampled fortitude the evils attendant on a state of warfare so protracted, were the British peo- ple. The blood and treasure of England had been lavishly expended during the contest, but she sustained the hour of trial with magnanimity, and came out of it triumphantly. During the 1 m lupumi iiRpqipmnwii^^fii^mi progi-ess of >he war, her victuriel both on the land and on the ocean had been unprecedented, briUiant, and decisive. But they had been achieved with uncommon exertioii, at an enor- mous expence, and repose was absohitely neccs- sary. The hour of peace at length arrived— tliit.it brought not with it those b^efit^ whi^^ ^d;bee« so eagerly contemplated, . . ' nJ ;.dt'Vfl liO'i'-f c.: rii JAV-:'--y . Tlie commerce of England! had covered thfe seas, from tlie commencement; to the terminari tiow of hostilities, and her thousand ships of warj wiiile they so gloriously added to her naval gime, protected her commercial fleets, and eoabkd them to traverse the sea in comparative sequrity. London became the emporium of the o-lobe, and the commercial monopoly of England was complete. The return of peace, therefore, by admitting the belligerent powers to a par- ticipation in the advantages of commerce, was scarcely felt, and the diminution of the com-. Bxerce of England naturally kept pace with the activity of those maritime powers, who, during the continuance of hostilities, were almost in a ftate of absolute inaction. 3 ■» . il J EMIGRATION'. ^ The cry of distress was soon heard from^all quarters,andthebankruptcyofourmerchantsafed tradesmen occurred to an extent hitherto uiii known. These failures involved the fate of thousands connected with the machine of trade and commerce; the rich became insolvent-4. many of the middling classes descended td poverty-the poor filled the workhouses-th^ local taxes pressed with intolerable weight upon those who were unable to pay, and the situation iDf many who were obhged to contribute to these was scarcely superior to the wretched inmates of the workhouse* . . 5 The aspect of affairs at this moment is not much improved in appearance. Commerce has revived in an inconsiderable degree, and there is an increased demand for cur manufactures, but a frightful national debt still presses on an af- ready exhausted people, and the united demands of local and national taxes have influenced, and do still influence thousands of our countrymen to abandon theirnative shores, and to commence ^ts it #ere a new existence on' those of the Atlantic. »iioMiif- 'iii foif-jor l?na^ff<» !IQ 9 OBSERVATIGNft ON Among the many causes leading to the immense emigration which is taking place, must be particularly noticed^ an excess of population, « and the use of machinery in our manufactories- The mill machinery of a single mill now com* pletes the work of thousands. Machinery also used in the operations of agriculture ia hourly lessening the demand for hands. An excellent writer (Mr. Goulbay) observes, in a letter from Canada, that England could spare 50,000 people annually, while she would be refreshed and strengthened by the discharge. In war, England sent abroad annually more than 20,000 of her youthful sons to be slain, and morb than 20,000 of her youthful daughters shot after them the last hope of honourable love. In these 25 years of war, the population of England rapidly increas- ing, what is it to do now, when w^ar is at aa end, when love and opportunity are no longer to be foiled, and the poor laws have provided sustenance for children independent of the par rent's care ? Under existing circumstances, it is absolutely necessary, for the domestic^ comfort of England, that a vent should be immediately opened for her increasing population, and the ilMIGRATIOX, i<» m colonization of Canada, if once begun upon a Jiberal footing, will afford this vent. . It is, however, impossible to behold the affecting spectacle of so many myriads of our fellow citizens embarking for foreign chores, with- out experiencing distressing emotions, f.^^l^ith what agonized feelings do they quit their homes-- their fire-aides— the abodes of their ancestors— the country to which a thousand recollections— a thousand heart-rending associations still rivet them. '>a -jii[fm* " Behold the duteous son, the sire dpcay'd, The modest matron, and the blushing maid, Fore'd from their homes, a melancholy train. To traverse climes beyond the western main, Where wild Oswego spreads her swamps around, And Niagara stuns with thund'ring sound f E'en now, perhaps, as there some pilgrim strays Through tangled forests, and through dangerous ways, ^Vhere beasts with man divided empire claim. And the brown Indian marks with murd'rous aim : There, while above the giddy tempest flies. And all around distressful yelU arise. The pensive exile, bending with his woe. To stop too fearful, and too faint to go. Casts a Jong look where England's glories shine, And bids his bosom sympathize witli mine." ■JtVU4 f ^?KS^ riWt iWllllllniJ-Mt WILhirl WHI i.i,if;i. ; I M 10 OBSERVATIONS ON The great stream of emigration is evidently towards the United States, but many thousands of emigrants arrive yearly from England, in Ca- nada, fhe population of the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, received an acctessioii of 5000 persons in 1817. At the present rtwiiient, settlers are embarking in considerable numbers from every part of the United Kingdom, and during the year 1818, it is apprehended that t)ie number of persons who will embark for America, will far exceed any thing cif the kind ever known. This little work, therefore^ cannot fail to be of singular service to those whom circumstances may impel to quit their beloved coimtry. To the industrious en- quirer, it may afford instruction— to the visionary a salutary check, but it cannot fail to rfford amusement to all. The author does not claim the merit of exclu- sive originality in this unassuming production. Where so many have written, and so well on sub jects connected with America, there cannot be much said that may laim the meed of uncommon novelty. Having, however, twice crossed the Atlantic, he has inspected, in person most of what EMIGRATION. Jf he has described, and thus can it least vouch for the fidehty of Lis little work, which he again as- serts, was undertaken expressly for the informa- tion ofpersons about to emigrate to America, and who have »ot leisure for the inspection of more voluminous works. * Lower Canada. The face of Lower Canada is remarkably bold and striking. The noble river St, Lawrence flows more than 400 miles, between high lands and lofty mountains, sometimes divided into channels by large islands, and at other times in- tersected by clusters of small ones; numerous rapid streams rolling from the neighbouring mountaias, breaking over steep precipices, and mmghng their waters with the grand river; its bold and rugged shores, lofty eminencies and ^lopmg values, covered with the umbrageous foUage of immense forests, or interspersed with the cultivated settlements^f the inhabitants, pro. ¥ 12 OBSERVATIONS ON sent altogether to the eye of the spectator, a suc- cession of the most sublime and picturesque ob- jects, that imagination can conceive. ' The soil of lower Canada is very various, and is more or less fertile, as it approaches to the North or South, from Father Point (the lowest settlement on the south shore) to Kamouraska; but little is cultivated, and that yields a crop only with considerable labour*. From Kamouraska to the Island of Orleans, both on the North and South shores, the soil gradually improves and great quantities of grain are produced. The average crop is about 12 bushels. Emigrants from Europe gTcatly excel tlie natives in all agricultural operations — the pre- judices of the Canadians in favor of old systems will not however permit them to adopt European * The labour of luunwriag is not however to be included. Mr. B. an inU'lliRcnt luitivc gf IMyiaouth-Dock, who has Uv(d ten years lu Canada, obneivc^ in one of his letters: I have often icquested the CanudiiUis lo lhr.)w (:onn)ost on ^heir lands, a» I do, to which tiio uni- luiin amwtr is. " thiiouia we f" EMIGBATION. 13 methods. Of the soil m tlie vicinity of Quebec, that of the island of Orleans is reckoned the best. This island is diversined with high and lowlands, covered with woods, or converted into meadows and com fields; the soil is sufficiently fertile to afford the inhabitants a large surplus of produc- tions, beyond their own consumption, which they dispose of at Quebec. The meadows of Canada, which have most com- monly been com fields, are reckoned superior to those in the more southern parts of America. They possess- a fine close turf, well covered at the roots with clover. They cannot be mown niore than once a year, in consequence of the Spring commencing so late. In Autumn they exchange their beautiful green, for a light brown hue, which gives them the appearance of being scorch- ed by the sun. It is two or three weeks after the snow is gone, before they recover their natu- ral colour; this is the case all over America, whose pastures, during the Autumnal and Winter uiontlis, never possess that rich and lovely ver- dure, which tliey do in England. -mmmtmimitm tiwMiUj^i j '» «; >» w a i t ,' . 14 OBSERVATIONS ON The high lands, with good managemeRt, yield tderable crops, but the Canadians are miserable formers. They seldom or never manure their land, and plough so very slight and careless, that they continue year after year, to turn over the clods which lie at the surface, without penetra* ting an inch deeper into the soil. Hence their grounds become exhausted, over-run with weeds, and yield but scanty crops. The fields of wheat which I have seen in different parts of the coun- try, appeared much stinted in their growth, and were often much choked with weeds. When cut down the straw was seldom more than 1 8 or 20 inches long, the ears small, and the wheat it- self discoloured, and little more than two thirda of-the size of our English wheat. The wheat about Montreal, appeared to be the best that come under my observation. There is however a month difference in the climate between Mon- treal, and Quebec : the former is situated in lat. 45, 30, Three Rivers in 46, 25, and Quebec in 4(), 35. The French Canadians sow only sum- mer wheat, though I should think that winter wheat might be sown in winter with success. EMIGRATION,, 13 Peas, Oats, Rye and Barley, are sown more or less by every farmef, though the largest crops of these are in the vicinity of Montreal. j i The towns of Montreal and Quebec including their suburbs, are said to contain 14,000 inhabi- tants each, nearly three-fourths of whom are French. The British inhabitants of Quebec consist of the government people, the military ; a few per- sons belonging to the church, the law and medi- cine ;* the merchants and shop-keepers. The French comprise the old noblesse, and - seigniors, most of whom are members of the government; the clergy; the advocates and no- taries ; the storekeepers. The houses at Quebec are, with few exceptions, built of stone ; the roofs of the better part are * Better niclicul practitioners of character and skill, are much wanted, both in U,,per aii. Uwcr Canada, and the Canadian. wouW uo wen to encourage profewional Rentlemen by »uch liberality m would iodac« them to lettle among them. "i>'.Mi:^'»i».f^tm>». 16 OBSERVATIONS ON generally covered with sheets of iron or tin. The Streets of the lower town are scarcely deserving of that appellation; they are rugged, narrow and irregular. A heavy sameness prevades all the bouses in Quebec, which is seldom reheved by any elegance or beauty in the public buildings The upper town is the most agreeable part of Quebec, both in summer and winter. The markets of Quebec are well supplied. In the summer the following articles are brought to mar- ket by the habitans, (country people) and gener- ally sold at the prices affixed to them. Sterling Money. Meat. < Porr.TRY AND ^ Game. Beef, per lb. Id. \ to 4d. Mutton, per lb. 4d. to 6d ; per sheep, 8s. to iOs. Lamb, per quarter, 3s. 6d. to 4s. Gd. Veal, 6d. to 7d. per lb. Pork, Gd. to 6d per lb. ^Sausages. f Turkies, per couple, 3s. 6d. to 5s. Fowls, do. 1b. 3d. to 28. Chickens, do. 7d to lOd. Geese, do. 2s. 5d.to4s.6d. Wild, do. do. ; Partridges, do. lOd. to 15d pigeons, per dozcii, Is. 6u. to 4b. Hares, each, 5d. to 9d. 'EMIGRATION. i7 TEels, price according to their size Trout do. Perch do. Poisson Doree do. Maskinonge do. I Shad, each. Id. to 2d. rrsH. ^ Sturgeon* Actigan Black bass Sahnon Fresh Cod j Salt Cod LCat Fish. I Of various prices, ac- cording to the size. At some periods Cod and Salmon are as dear as in London. Vegeta- -^ Potatoes, 18d. to 20d. per bushel Cabbages Id. to 2d. each Onions, per hundred, lOd. Leeks, per bundle, 4d. Carrots, but very little cheaper than London Turnips, Peas BLEs. ^ Beans, Beet, Celery, Sallad Asparagus, Cotannier do. do; do. do, do. do. Pars mips do. do. per bundle foiled corn, herbs, &c. ^Apples, 18d. per barrel i Pears, but few at market ^^''"- ^ Cur'rm^'"'' '^'"' ^^- ^^' ^"^^^ /Gooseberries Huspberries «i Hii'iO a h < Maple Sugar, Sdl to Sd- t^er lb Flour, per Cwt. 18s. tq 25s. Lard, (5d. t<» 9d. per lb Tallow, 0(1. to lOd. do. Tobacco, 9d. ^o. Butter, 9d.,to Hd, do. Oats, per lyiinot, 2s. 6d? to 3s. Hay, per bundle, 6d. to '7d. Straw, per do. 2d. to 3d. Wood, per cord, 12s. to 15s. . So^p, pfiag^sins, furs, Sec. In. winter, a few only of the ab(>vc articles are brought to market. As soon- as the river between Quebec and the Island of Orleans is frozen over, a large supply of provisions is received from that island. Tne Canadians, at the commencement of winter, kill the greatest part of their stock, which they carry to market in a frozen state. The inhabitants of the towns, then, supply themselves wi^h a sufficient quantity of poultry, and vegetables, till Spring, and keep them in garrets or cellars. As lopg as they :„ i\.^„«« *v./^»r ,A».i3onvvA fli*»?r caodness. but they will not keep long aftj^r they have thawed. f Imveeatentutkie^iii A^ih^Uch have be^n kepi m thk mamieP aJI the winter, and found tfeem te- wiarkably ^d. Bfefot^e th^ frozen provision^ are dressed, they are always laid for some hours in cold water, which eictractstk ice ; otherwise, by a sudden immersion iii feot water, they wotrld be spoiled. The articles of life arifi eertainly very reason- able in Canada, but the high price of house rent and European goods, together with the high wages of servants, more than counterbalance that advantage. A person must pay at least 70 or 100 per cent, upon the London price for every article of wearing apparel, furniture, &c. unless he attends the public sales, which are pretty frequent, and where articles are sometimes sold very low; but there he is often liable to be de- ceived, and many a keen economist has been confoundedly bit. The lower town market place is reckoned Hieaper than the other. It is not so large, but is generally well supplied. Fish i.s at certain sp^- sons abundant, particularly ealmon and shadJ t^ammiiimimm^^- m OB$EXlVATIONS ON the latter is classed among the herrings, which it somewhat resembles in flavour, though widely, differing in size, the shad being as large as a pioderate sized salmon. They are a great reUef to the poor people, in the months of May and June, as ^t that season they are taken in shoals. In the river of St. Lawrence, from the entrance to more than 200 miles above Quebec, large quantities are salted down for the use of the upper province, ' Fresh cod are very rarely brought to market. A merchant in the upper town usually gets t^ supply once during the summer season, which he keeps in an ice-house, and retails to the inha- bitants at nearly the London price. Montreal receives a supply from the United States during the winter season ; they are packed up in ice, and a few of them find their way to Quebec, Considering the vast quantities of fish with which the river and gulph of St. Lawrence jabound, the markets in Canada are very ill sup- plied. Thcdgh the gulph is full of mackarel, yet none ever appear at Quebec. Oysters are V \ EMIGRATION. 21 sometimes brought from Chaleur Bay, but so seldom, and in such small quantities, that an oyster party is considered by the inhabitants as a very rare treat. They are however but of an indifferent quality, and though of large size when taken out of the shei), yet have so little sub- stance in them, that when cut with a knife, the water runs out, and they diminish at least a fourth. The shells are large, and adhere to each other in great clusters. The herrings of Canada are large, but of a- indifferent quality. Sprats there are none, at least none ever appear on shore. In the Spring, the njarkets are abundantly supplied with wild pigeons, which are sometimes sold much lower than the price I have mentioned ; ' this happens in plentiful seasons. ; but the im- mense flocks that formerly passed over the country are now considerably diminished, or as the land becomes cleared they retire fartiier back. . • .,^,, The beef of Canada is in general poor and tough mating. The Canadians have not got into a pro. per meUiod of fattening their cattle, which are w«mi ib>'iwi.> i i.« wjw»v ; n OBSEnVATIONS ON for the most part lean and ill ^d. The bittehel'^, however, contrive to furnish a better sort) wMeft ^hey fatten on their own farms. The veal i» kilN ed too young to please an English taste, andr the pouk is over-grown. . Mutton and laml> are very ^ood, and the latter on its first coming in, i* sold at a price that would not disgrace a London mar=^ ket. The habitans sell their meat by the quarter* kalf, OF whole carcase, wliich accounts for the liififerent prices X have affixed to those articles. The butchers retail them by the pound. The best butter is brought from Green Island, about one hundred and fifty mile^ below Quebec, That sold by the Canadians in the market place, 13 gieuerally of a cheesy or sour flavour, owing tQ the cream being kept so long beforait is churned, Milk is brought to market in the win- ter time, in large frozen cakes. Large quantities of Maple sugar are sold at about half the price of the West-India sugar. The manufacturing of this article takes place early in the spring, when the sap or juice rises in the Maple trees. It is a very laborious work, oEMIGUATIOaf* :? 23 as at that tinic the snow i^.j^ist mdting, sad the Canadians suffer great hajtxMips in procuring the liquor from an immense number of tree^, dis- persed ovfjr mmy hundred acres of landv JkQ liquor is boiled down, and often adulterated with flour, which thickens and renders it heavy ; after M- boiled a sufficient time, it is poured into tiireens, and when cold, forms a thick hard cake of the shape of the vessel These cakes are of a dark brown* colour, for the Canadians do not trouble themselves about refining it: the people m Upper Capiada make it very white, and it may be easily darifted equal to the finest loaf sugar m^de in E»gland> / , . : j|t[i$ V(ery hkrd, and requires to be scraped wiii ^*nife wheiv used for tea, otherwise the Jumps yrpuld be: ^ft, considerable tim6 diseolving. Its flavour strongly resembles the candied horehound sold by the druggists in England, and the Canat dians say that it possesses medicinal qualities, ft^r which tlpiey eat it in large lumps. It very |>ossibly ac^s as a corrective to the, vast quantity of fat poyk^^^hieh they cowsume, as it possesses a greater degree of acidity .tlian tl^e West-Indiji L: 'WKrWHm.^'^- 24 OBSERVATIONS ON ftugar. Before salt was in use, sugar was eat with meat, in order to correct its putrescency. Hence probably the custom of eating sweet apple sauce with pork and goose ; and currant jelly with hare and venison. Hay is sold at market in bundles of 17lbs. weight each, at 50s. the hundred bundles. Straw is sold in the same manner, at about half the price. Wood is brought to market in carts or sleighs ; three louds make one cord, which sells from r2s. to 15s. Most people at Qijebec, how- ever, lay in their wood from the water side, near the lower town market-place ; it is brought down the ?iver in summer, in cribs of six cords each. A cord of wood is six feet long, four feet high, and two feet deep, and is sold at the water side from Is. to 9s. The expences of carting, piling, and 3:win2f the wood, is about 4s. 6d. more. Co^;!:^ are -ener^ll^ brought by the vessels as ballast, and sell from 20s. to 30s. per chaldron, at Quebec ; they are a cheaper fut than wood, but the latter is better adapted for the stoves which are used in Canada. The French people sell cheir commodities by the minot, a measure EMIOIl)\TlON. 25 which i«f one-twelfth more than the Winchester l^ushel They also meksute land by the arpent, which isifour^fifthis of a statute acre. ^^ : P,tl', -u. .> fl f The mitt the seas, gulphs, rivets, and lakes, of Canada/ are innumerable; they consist, iri^ deed, of ahnost every species and variety at pre- sent known. Those brought to market 1 have mentioned before. They are mostly the fresh water fish, and considering the immense quanti- ties that might be procured with the greatest fa- cility, it is surprising that so few are oftered for sale. The salt water fishery is carried on chiefly for thepurpofee of exportatiod, but no great quan- tity is exerted from/Quebeo. • The two Canadas afednd with almost every species and variety of trees, shrubs, and plants; among the timber tree^ ar6 the o&, '^ine, fir, elm, ash, birch, vi^alnut, beech, maple, chesnut, cedar, aspen, &c. Among the fruit trees and shrubs ar^walhut, chesnut, apple, pear, cherry: plum,'^kTer, vines, hazel, hiccory, samach, juni- per, hortibbam, thorn, laurel, whortleberry, cran- :i measure n Hi I M>«»s.jaiii>tmv,„;. 36 OBI§£)HVA1^iaJN^ ON li berry, raspberry, gooseberry, blackberry*, blue^n- berry, sloe, &c. Strawbeiries are luxunhmtly scattered over every part of tte country, but currants are only met with in Gardens. Such innun^erablQ quantities of usoful and beautiful plants, herbs, grapes, Juid flowers are also to be found in the forests, that where the botanist h presented with so rich a field for fibservatkai $md $tudy, it id to be re^f retted that so KtUe is known concerning them, • , ' ' . • yi; .ia^iiii.j.'-i ■• ••■'■' The pine trees grow to the height of l20Teet and more, and from 9 to 10 feet in circumference. In several parts of Lower Canada, bordering t»ii the states of Vermont and New York, tey mako excellent masts and timber for shipping; but the quantity procured in the Ipwei: province is very trifling to the supplies received from Upper Ca- nada and tlie United States. In other ^arts particularly to the northward and westward of Quebec, the forest trees are mostly of a small growth. There are several varities of the pine and fir trees, fiom some of which are made large quantities of pitch, tar, and turpentine. The ckari/fg ofiamts has of iak years been carried on f -^o^Ml«ltAtl^<. 1) 2; gmtiaivmc^,y^ mm ^ko ptoptrly nndefihnd t^'^THem^/iodi fi»f fihem'kaearceiff a tree in the Jihvit bui Mm m«s^ i& iumd to some aceount, par* UMarhf in tk^ making ifpt and pearl ashe^, which /unk 'enriched the Am^ricm settlers far beyond any Hher aHide^ ffhA treses of a reeincms quality sup ply pitdl, ml a^ however, it ie always necessary tliat the settler should first took out for a market for his iwoduce, and ibr some navi- gable river, or good road to convey the samiv' otherwise i* is of ttttfedohsequence that he ob- tains foui- br five Irandred acres of land fbr four or five pounds. So mucK tod for so little money, is highly preposscsi^g^ tb W^ui^opcan, but ap- pearaiicxjs^ particuiwiT at a distance, are often fallacious. H in- . I jdtoi 'joa'jdT w OBS^RYAl^lOm ON jv\ TJxe American oak is quicker in ite growdi* but les«4urable than that of Europe; one species called the live oak, which is, however, found* only i»-t|je,-.wapiier par,t$ of the country, iey$iE^d^by majiy to be equal, if not (3upel*ior t6 the English oak for ship-building. The whildtoak is the best tJ^t n ^td in the Canadiaa^^settlements^ laud i^ chiefly uiged for thebuildingof vessels at Quebec and Montreal. M {o\ 'ms?. o»i£i iliw .oA , One of the most usefuJ trees in Canadia is tlie jtaple tree, acei: saccharinum, which supplies the inhabitants ;V^ith abundance of excelletit sugar, and the best fire wood. I have, in a fotmef chaiit«;ir/ adverted to the mode of procuring the sap of this tree, and manufacturing it into sugar. It is not cut down for fire wood, till exbau$ted of its sfep, when it is generally preferred; rndj fetches a higher price than ^i\y other firie wood sold at IjOi^rket.' "', 'I ]»ii()f bofV! 'ro :iTth :)klr,': Thence tu the Portage at Riviere du Cap,, 12.1 J i^oEIUIGBAIFION.no 99 MILES. Thence to Timispuata . . .. , , , ..,..,, ^ .*,.» , • 3G •— to the Settlement of Maduaska . . 45„ ^ — — to the great falls in river St. John 45 —to Frederick Town . . . . ,,,vi.ik?*>|oil80 "1 — —to St. Johns ............ '(^♦yi*f.'«l/.?^ — — — to Halifax iggx 708 . . . . dblmqnJ. oi' M _, _ .-, r ;; .- - from Quebtc to Michillimakinak, af t^ mtrance of <'A [^""^^ -^'^;^>^r fivhrrlW To Montreal ,.,..,,,,,., 4,,^ ,^1 .^,.,v,r^, 184 >-• Coteau du Lac. , , , , , , . , , ,. , , , ,..,^4.,,,^; 225 ~~ ^oJ^wall^,^,, ,....,. ..i>.«,.>.^^.,>.^,^|.,rr266 — Matilda nna^.. 301 ^Augusta 335 -- Kingston 335 ^ - Niagara , •--^525 ti Fort Erie TT) ■■-'eiroLt %• *m , a'':M(n V\*'MXi 560 790 p- Micnilhmakidak ,1107 tl • • ( • • . From Quebec to New York, by wai^ of Montreal, To Cape Rouge . , m t m . %\ 1 . , .^^ J. f.(*r4. . 9 TT, St.Augustin.,. .-,^,...^^^,, ^^ 9 7= .^acqses Cartier. . . .. . . .^ ^ , ^^ssf^*,^.. .?,.,ci 14 ^ St. Anne's . . . , . . .,..,,,. ^^^ji:»r. ... 30 I m oBHtfmMdfi^os To Three Rivere. . . . •. . . ^?^^^9i\ /'ATJ' 'S5 — Riviere du Soup . 'JMl^^l^ Pl'l /^. : r127 -> Berthi^; V; J . ■:. i^.1^!^. ;»l^F.rR^^~'-'22 — tlepentigne .^ . . 1 7;T. ;^V??"?VJ/]^.-;r" 1^ --^Montieal ..v. . . . .. . .;V'irt;i^;^^" r"-l^ "'1- 184 ■M ■' O To Laprairie . . ... ♦-«««|»^i. 9 — St. John's ....,..,..,...,, 14 ^' !^e au Mali yho^et virtues have been so greatly exaggerated^ anjd whose excellent propertied have been extolled to the skies. A few months, how- ever, convince them of their error, and those who are not sold to their American masters, generally find their way into Upper Canada. Of all British emigrants, the Scotch are the most indefatigable and perscvefing. I^ Pft^i®^y«i ^^^Y leave their i>ative home ; yet, seldom return tp it without a handsome competency. Their patient ' ■ . . ''i''^' ' ■' '^ -•,"-■''• '..■■■■ ' ' -' . diligence, and submi^siqn in, thepur^ijl;of ri(4\es, together with their general knowledge and good sense, render them hiehly beneficial to the mo- ,lher Sdoimtry, \rhile their natuM oartiality for V^g'/oin ;».eiJv sLiteU'l oTf»''3wjll b^ found in^^ re^tijog: , Dear Sir, — " As to what goods will sell best here, it is impossible fpr me to speak accurately. In one season articles sell well, in another very indifferently. Cargoes that have arrived from England this >-.ar (1817,) are selling at sales as ciieap as in England! The market is glutted, and indeed some articles are going off 20 pqr Cent HMmHATID^. 85 tlnfler PWfae Cost. Tfi^ course 6Y exdiahge iik at par at present : tbe diiFerenee of currency and steriing is i s. Qd. An English Guinea if weight, is worth £i. 3s, 9d. Ih Canada llf goid is taken by weight. Salt is flow going off here at the sales at "^s. 6d. per bushel: thii^ article is procured chieify from Liverpool. In some years 22S,O0O bushels hav6 been exported. During Winter, it has been known to sell as high as 12s. 6d. per biishel, and even at 14s. but in the ensuing Spring it fell to 3s. ed. ^hieU is geiieMy the price, at which it Is retailed. Shijis Iroin Liverpool are most com- monly ballasted with salt, and during the season of their arrival at Quebec, some of the merchants purchase it from Is. 3d. to Is. 8d. per bushel, -and monopohze it until the season is over, when no more supplies can be obtained, till the follow- ing Spring" The fruit of Canada is not remarkable either for goodness or cheapness, except strawberries and raspberries, which are brought to market in great abundance, during the season. They are gathered on the plains, at the back of Quebec, ilnd in the neighbouring woods, where they grow upon the ground, or amoAg the shrubs, in wild 36 OBSERVATIONS ON Ivixuriaace. The poor Canadians send their chil- dren to gather them, and aftewards sell them to the inhabitants at a moderate price. It is aii agreeable sight to view the fields covered with strawberries, in blossom, or ripe: few per- sons keep, them in gardens. The raspberry bushes are intermingled with the underwood of the forests, and afford an agf eeable treat to those who are fond of rambling in the woods. That pleasure, is, however, more than counterbalanced by the musquitoes and sand-flies, which never fail for three or four months in the summer to annoy those who venture to penetrate their abode* ^n Ur '!( i'-i Apples and pears are procured from Montreal, where they grow in more, abundance, and in greater perfection, than in any other part of Lower Canada. They are sold for much the same price as in England. The apple which is most prized, is what they call the " pommegris," a smdl light brown ai>ple, somewhat resembling the russetin in appearance. Many persons say that it it superior to any English apple, but I never could agree with them in that particular. In my opinion it is not equal to many of our ap» i-'MIGRATION, 37 I pies, and cannot be com^ ared whh the ntnpareil, an apple which is not known ;n Canada. Seve- ral species of wild apples and pears are found in the woods, but they ^re of inferior quaUty to those, cultivated in the gardens and orchards. The .grapes brought to market are mostly of the wild species, which are gathered in the woods, or from vines that have been planted near the houses. Little care has been taken to improve tlie latter, so that very trifling iteration is dis- cernible. They are scarcely larger than currants, but when ripe, have a pleasant flavour, though rather sharp and pungent. There ai^e, a few European vines cultivated in the garde. \s, but the grapes are seldom to be purchased. Oranges and lemons are imported from England, and are always extremely scarce ; for the damage which they sustain on the voyage, renders them a very improfitable article for sale. They frequently sell (particularly oranges) at one or two shillings -ach. The.Iemons, which generally keep better, nre sometimes as low as six-pence, but they are often not to be purchased at any price. e Gooseberries, blackberries, and blucbemes, ds ODSF.IiVAtlrtM^ ON ' dre in "fteat 'clmiiclahce, and grow vi/M in ttlfe woods. Those ci^tivated in gardens are Pixtch mpttlot. Currants came originally from E>irope, and are to be found: only in gardens ; thferfe i§ df course bnt a scanty eupply of thetti at iha^kdi. Plums are plentiful in the market, they are of ih6 wild sj>ecies, though often introdufced kito gard6tts. they are generally of two sorts, th6 white and black, and resemble the most common &f oufplwns. Walnuts and flltterts are hy ttb means comthon in Canada, and are procured principally tyy importation from England. Hic- kory and l^azel ruts are met with in the fotestsr. Cherries are grown in gentlemen^s gardens only : wild cherries are, however, scattered over the cottntry, and a very agreeable liqueur is made with them, which in flavour resembles noyau. -* Vegetables may be obtained in tolerable quan- tities at the markets. The potatoe is now gen- orally grown in Canada ; it was introduced by the English settlers. Onions, leeks, peas, beans, and cabbages, are much esteemed. Gardening is, however, as little understood as farming, and nothing is brought to market in perfection. Gar- deners of skill, sobriety, and industr^^ would EMfmHATi^^a is 09 i»Q«t M^ijth considerable efipourageine^t, b(«^ j* Upper and iower Canada. Scotch g»ideo«rff, « ^^lebr^t^d for ilyek 3up^rior intel%eiice, tfc«ir fghmty, and their perseverance, woi?ld eifect wonders with the soil of either provio^* .% , toge qualities of whea^t areraisedin Canada, and exported to Great Brit^, and yet tl^. ar- ticle bread, i$ not so cheap as it ought to be.^ Upper €fti»da is particitoly luxuriant in the productioii of the finest wheat. There is no de- f ciency of miUs for grinding wheat. The price ^jfbt^ad Is regula/ed monthly by the magistrates. If the emigrant farmer should be poor, ho mVifmtiiffcMitles, toepfCQumr mesMishmg him- #^ Airived-at his land, he has no shelter tili fee ^ects hi$ house; he then cuts down trees, and clears hi$ ground of brusliwood> &c. by fire. By degrees he ameliorates his land, obtain* shelter for his cattle, &c. Enterprising men who have courage to surmount difhculties, will in the end do very well, as thousands have done.— That farmer will best succeed who can com-mand a wnall capital, from jBaoo. to ^400. With this 40 OBSERVATIONS ON he dan purchase a farm in the neighbourhood of JMontreal, where the ground is luxuriant, and the frosts do not injure the crops, as is often the case at Quebec : he will also tind a market for his productions. r ■ !:, J- The price of the best land averages from 25 to 30 dollars per. acre. Perhaps^ the best land is in the neighbourhood of Montreal. The farms are generally cleared of trees about a mile back. Few trees are suffered to grow near the houses. In the clearing of land, the Canadians are very fond of white-washing, but do not trouble them- selves about painting'them. Sugars are obtained at a reasonable rate? Green tea is generally drank in Canada, and differ considerably in price : the highest is lOs. per lb. Hysqji sells from 12s. to 14s. per lb. Tea comes fmm the United States, and considering that no duty is paid on it, is certainly dear. Chocolate and Coffee also come from the United States, and average aj 2s. per lb. Soap and Candle* are made at Quebec and EMICiRATION. 41 irhood of , and the >ften the arket for are very ble them- ible ratec and differ 3s. per \b» >ja comes ig that no Chocolate States, and nebec and Montreal, not extremely good in qualit5^ ^^^ ia price as high as in England. Tobacco is univer- sally grown in Canada, and yet it is imported from the United States in considerable quantities. Some cheese is also obtained from the United States, which is nearly of the same quality as Suffolk cheese- This sells from 7d. to 9d. per pound. English cheese sells high, from 2s. to 2s. 6d. .per pound. The trades likely to flourish in the Canadas, are those of the shipwright, block and mast ma- ker, blacksmith, house carpenter, joiner, mill- wriglit wheel-wright, boat-builder, cabinet ma- kers, saddler, painter, baker, tailor, tanner, hair dresser, and whitesmith. There are others, no doubt, \)V'hich I do not immediately recollect, that would answer extremely well. Skill and industry will make their way every where. 1 liave known, in several instances, an associa- tttijti of the hcmse cariieiiter and blacksmith to expedite considerably the formation of ap. inihsxt «igrated together from 42 OBSERVATIONS ON M England, and their union has materially facilita* ted the progress of their establishment in their adopted country. Ship builders, in Canada, are in general an indifferent set of men. Many of them are from the river (Thames) and the dissolute habits of these, are proverbial. Shipwrights, of sober* steady habits, cannot fail of doing well in the • St. Ivuurence. The Canadian Shipwrights, how- ever, make up for lack of skill, by habit, the very reverse of those of the Europeans. • Tliere is certainly a great want of useful hands in Canada, but, perhaps it is not so great as is apprehended in England. The wages of artificers are good, but thaj must imitate the ants. Tliose who cannot save during the Summer, are miserable during the Winter, when many are out of employment. For a small society like that of Canada, the nuinber of unfaithful wives, kftTit mistresHea, and pfirls of easy virtue, exceed in proportion thoet r^^'^/-J. KMIGRATION. 43 of the old country, and it is supposed that in the towns more children are born illegitimately than in wedlock. Trials for crim, con, are however unknown. ^aapQ. nni Good female servants are very scarce in Ca- nada. Following the example of their mis- tresses, few can be found who are exempt from the vices of the age. Their wages are from £12 to £20 per annum, and notwithstanding they are so liberally paid, they seldom remain above a month in a place. A servant that remains in her place four or five months is looked upon as a pattern of excellence. Farmer's servants get from £36 to 40 a year currency, and provisions. A careful man may of course lay by something. Blessed with a luxuriant soil, wliich he obtains on easy terms, the habitan of Canada raises the productions of the earth with inconsiderable labour, and satisfied with the practice of his fore-fathers, obstinately rejects the advice whidi would lead to improvement and profit. It will therefore be re&dilv iierf-nivprl wlmf u;.,,«,iof. advantages await the /Wz/A^r/WM- agricultural onv- I* 44 OBSJIHVATIONS ON grant on his arrival in Canada. What effects itt\ist be produced by the introduction into tlial country, ften be wisdom. The observations which ha^e been rapidly made on the soil, the scenery, commerce, trad§, &c. of Lower Canada, will nearly apply to the' Upper Province. The per Canada. Yet Government does not appear to be sensible of the high importance of this rising state. Greater encouragement must yet be held out to those who are disjwsed to emigrate, and the fostering hand of a paternal Administra- tion nmst cheer and animate the mind of the ildventurer. That there yet unaccountably exists a want of due attention, on the part of Goverinnent, to this national concern, may be inferred from the perusal of the excellent letter of Mr. Goulray, to the Gentlemen of Canada— a letter which is so con- clusive on the subject, that I must beg leave to recommend it to my readers particular attention. KMIGRATION. 47 il in his icv • Ills of the Ui()i\: and it is not 3 it agree- t and as- imerce of lot appear •e of this must yet (emigrate, dministra- ind of the a want of jnt, to this ;he perusal ay, to the is so con- ;g leave to r attention. " QuKENSTON, October, 1817. . '* Gentlemen— I am a British farmer, and iiave visited this province to ascertain what advan- tages it possesses in an Agricultural point of view. After three months residence, I am convinced that these ar-e great—far superior, indeed, to what the Mother Country has ever held out, eitlier as they concern speculative purchase, or the profits of present occupation. Under such impressions, it is my purpose as soon as circumstances will permit, to become a settler; and in the mean time would willingly do what lay mi my power to benefit the country of my choice. When I speak in this sanguine manner of the capabilities of Caiiada, I take it for granted that certain politi- cal restraints to improvement will be speedily removed. Growing necessity, and the opinion of every sensible man with whom I have con- rersed on the srbject, gives assurance of this. My present address, therefore, waves all regard to political arrangements : it has in view, simply to open a correspondence bet^veen you and your fellow subjects at home, where the utmost igno- rance pre\ails with respect to the natural re- sources of this fine country. Travellers havQ published po'^iiig remarks^ they have told won- derful stories, and amused the idle of England with descriptions of the beautiful and grand srptiprv Tvlii/>li nrt4,>...^ i.„„ 1. ,i: i j, i _, . ..,„.,..„„... ^ ii«.~ iiv;jc ui.spiuycu; uumo authentic account has yet been afforded to men, V iM ^': m^ ''d' ODSEIiVAiriOlVS ON of capital — to men of enterprise and skill, of those important facts which are essential to be known, before such men will launch into foreign specify lation, or venture with their families, in quest of better fortune across the Atlantic. In this state 6f ignorance, you have hitherto had for settlers diiiefly poor men driven from their home by de- spair — these men, ill-informed and lost in the no^ .velties which surround them, make at first but a feeble commencement, and ultimately form a so- ciety, crude^ unambitious, and weak. In your Newspapers I have frequently observed hints to- wards bettering" the condition of these poor set- tlers, and for ensuring their residence in the Pi-ovinces. ii^uch hints evidently spring from bene\'X)lent feelings ; they are all Well meant, and may tend to alleviate individual distress, but can produce no important good to the country. Ca- nada is Worthy of something better than a mere guidaiice to it of the blind and the lame ; it has attractions to s.timulate desire, and place its cd- ImuzatioTl above the aids of necessity. — Hands no doubt are necessary, but next to good laws the gtknd requisite for the improvement of any coun- tty, is capital. CouH a flow of capital be once diinetted to this ([uarter, hands would not be wa^itiug-, n^dr would tli^se hands be so chilled with ^^ poverty a« to need the jiutronage of charitable iHBnriUi)ital is overflowing , ti'ude is yielding it up ; the fatrds IMMIGRATION* 49 cannot profitably absorb it; land mortgages are" gorged; and it is streaming to waste in the six per cents, of America. Why should not this stream be diverted into the woods of Canada, where it would find a still higher rate of interest, with the most substantial security? " Gentlemen ! The moment is most auspicious to your interest, and you should take advantage of it. You should make known the state of this country ; you should advertise the excellence of the raw material which Nature has lavishly spread before you ; you should inspire confidence, and tempt able adventurers from home. At this time there are thousands of British farmers sick- ened with disappointed hopes, who would readily com^ to Canada, did they but know the truth ; many of these could still command a few thou- sand pounds to begin with here; while others less able in means, have yet preserved their character for skill and probity, to entitle them to the confidence of capitalists at home, for whom they could act as agents in adventure. Under the wing of sucli men the redundant population of Britain would emigrate with cheerfulness, and be planted here with heartsimbroken. We hear of 4 or 5,000 settlers arriving from home this season, and it is talked of as a great accession to the population of the provinces. It is a mere J !'__ wi up liom ine Ducsei. " The extent of calamity already occasioneci G a.. so OBSERVATIONS ON by the system of the poor laws, cannot be even imagined by strangers. They may form some idea, however, when I tell them, that last winter 1 saw in one parish (Blackwall, within five miles of Lonc'on) several hundreds of able-bodied men harnessed and yoked, fourteen together, in carts, hauling gravel for the repair of the highways ; each H men performing }mt about as much work as an old horse led by a boy could accom- phsh. We have heard since, that £1,500,000 has been voted to keep the poor at work ; m\d perhaps the most melancholy consideration of the whole is, that there are people who trust to such means as a cure for the evil. While all this \% true; when the money and labour of England is thus wasted; when thousands of our fellow- subjects are emigrating into the States ofAmerica, when we ewn hear of them being led off to toil with th« boors of Poland, in the cultivation of a countiy where the nature of the Government wmst counteract t\\e utmost eibrts towards im- prc^vement— i* it not provoking thatall tliis should «o oa merely from a reigning ignorance of the jiuperior advantages which Canada ha» in store, and a thoughtlessnes* a* to the grand poHcy which might be adopted) for the general aggran- dizement of the British nation? Some have tliought the exclusion of American citizens a great bar to the Kpeedy settlement of Canada ; bwt at liberalvsystem of colonization h'om Europe, KiMIGKATION. 51 would reiwler this of small impoitaiice. Before coming to a decided opinion on this important subject, I took much pains to inform myself of facts. A minute enquiry on the spot where Go- vernment has endeavoured to force a settlement, satisfied me as to the causes of the too notorious failure there. It convinced me tliat the fault by no means rested with the incapacity of the sett- lers, but resulted from the system pursued. I have since spent a month perambulating the Ge- nesee country, for the express purpose of forming a comparison between British and American management. That country lies parallel to this ; it possesses i\o superior advantages: its settle- jnent began ten years later: yet I am ashamed to say, it is already ten years before Canada in improvement. This has been ascribed to the superior loyalty of the American people, but most erroneously. The art of clearing land is as well understood here as in the States :— men direct from Britain are as energetic, and after a little practice, sufficiently expert witli the axe, while they are more regular in tlieir habits and more persevering in tlieir plans than the Americans. No impjovement has taken place in the Genesee country, which could not be far exceeded here, under a proper system. It was indeed British capital and enterprize which gave the first gran^ impetus to the improvement of that comitrv! much of its improvement is still proceeding mi- 52 03SEIIVATI0NS ON i.n ■■^ff der Biltish agency; and one of its most flourish- ing townships is wholly occupied by men who came with slender means from the Highlands of Sccitland. In the Genesee country the Govern- ment pocketed much, but forced nothing, and charity there has been leii without an object. *^ Gentlemen — The inquiries and observations which I have recently made ori the subject of eettlement, assure me that neither in these pro- vinces nor in the United States, has a proper system been pursued. The mere filling of the world with men, should not be the sole object of political wisdom: This should regard the filling of it with beings of superior intellect and feeling, without which the desart had better remain oc- cupied by the beaver and the bear. That society of a superior kind may be nursed up in Canada, by an enlarged and liberal connection with the mother country. I am very confident; and its being realized is the fond hope which iiiduces me to come forward with my present proposals, and which, if these proposals meet with support, will continue the spur oi my exertions to con plete the work which I have n^ . m view. Many of you, Gentlemen, have been bred up gt home, and well know how superior, m many respects, are the arrangements and habits of society there, $.0 what they are on this side the Atlantic. Such never can be hoped for here under the present pysteru of eoionisutio , w^iuCu uniigs out oTuy s. EMIGRATION. 53 part, and that the weakest part of society— which places poor and destitute individuals in remote situations, with no object before them but grovel- ing selfishness---no aid— no example— no fear either of God or man. Is it not possible to create such a tide of commerce as would not only bnng with it part ot society, but society com- plete, with all the strength and order and refine- ment which it hasr w attained in Britain, beyond ^11 precedent t Si . y Government would afford every facility to a commerce which would not only enrich, but eternally bind together Britain and its Provinces, by the most powerful sym- pathies of manners and taste, and affection. Government can never too much encourage the growth of this colony, by a liberal system of emigration. When we come from- home we are not expatriated; our feelings as British subjects grow more warm with distance, and our greater experience teaches ua the mo*re to venerate the principles of our native land— the country where- in the Sciences have made the greatest progress, atid where alone are cultivated to perfection the arts of social life. At home, we have experienced evils : we know thu. infiaences are there, waich war against the principles of the constitution and counteract its most benevolent designs. Here, we are free of such influences, we are perfectly - contented, and a fine field lies open to us for cul- tivating the best fruits of civil and religious liber- M 54 OBSERVATIONS ON ty. An enlarge^ and liberal connection between Canada and Britain, appears to me to promise the happie,"^ results to the cause- of civilization. It promises a new^era in the history of our species ; It promises the growth of manners with manly epidt, modesty vvith acquirements, and a love of truth superior to the boasting of despicable vani- ty. The late war furnished the strongest proof pf the jising spirit of this colony, even under every disadvantage ; and pity would it l)e, wer^ so noble a spirit ever again exposed to risk. The late war shewed at once the affection which Britain beavs to Canada, and the desire which Canada has to continue under the wing of Britain. When a connection is established between the two countries worthy of such manife£*'>*Mns, all risk will cease. Britain will u Vij. • .,^ve to ex- pend her millions here. \ \\s >. try will not only be equal to its own defence, but the last .hope of invasion' Vill wither before its strength. While Canada remains i)oor and neglected, she can only be a burden to Britain ; when improved and wealthy she will amply repay every debt, and become the powerful friend of the paient state. Whpi I conceive to be the first reciuisite for opening a suitable communication with the mother country, is the irawing out and publisl>- ing a well authenticated statistical account of Up- •v^« I'^^.^^A^ ni^klo r,annnf l-i*» nflfl'Pf f»rl hv Jl Sinfflc |75r5 'V''aiia.ii3.. X liiCT -wctiriiv-t- ? — c; — hard : it must be the work and ha\ e the authority EMIGRATION. 55 of many. To give it commeWement, I submit ,tQ your consideration the annexed queries; and, could these be replied to from every township in the Province, the work would be far advanced. These queries have been shewn to many of the riiost respectable individuals in this Province, and the scheme of collecting materials in this way, for a statistical account, has, by every one, been approved. Spme have doubted whethfer there exists sufficient energy and public spirit in the remote townships to reply to them. I hope there is! and certainly no organized township is desti- ttite of individuals qualified for the task, if they will but take so much trouble. Some Gentlemen have met my ideas so cordially as to offer to collect information, not only for their own, but for other townships. Correct information, how- ever, is not the only requisite : authority is also wan^^ed of that species wJiich will not only carry weight with it to a distance, but remain answcra* ble on the spot for whatever is advanced. The desirable point, therefore, is to obtain replies se- parately from each township, and to Iiave these attested by the signature of as many of the re- spectable inhabitants as possible. To accomplish this in the speediest and most effectual manner, a meeting might be held in each township, and in the space of an hour or two the business might be perfected.— The queries have been drawn out as simple as poswble, with a view to the practi- ■•tp1 TT"' I m OBSERVATIONS ON t cability of having them answered in this gener^ way. They embrace only such matters as it must be in the p')wer of every inteUigent farmer to speak to, and the information to be obtained by them will be sufficient tb assure farmers and others at home who have money to engage in adventure, tliat adventure here will not only be rational and safe, nut that they themselves may sit do\m in Ceinada with comfort and indepen- dence. i^Uhough to prevent confusion in the general fulfilment of the sciieme, I have confined the range of queries, 5t would still be very desir- able if intelligent individuals would communicate their sentiments with .regard to any measure of impnjvemint w'\ich occurs to them, or any remarkable fki :t or o!)servation they have made concrrning the climate, soil, or /^.cultivation of the province. Should any correspondent dislike my using his name publicly, he need only give a caution, and it shall be observed. »* If the quev'es olitaln notice, and sufficient documents are forwarded to me, I shall arrange them and p\ibli:di them in England, whither I am soon to retura. Had i\\\^ task required superior ability, such an offer would be presumption. I thmk it reqtures industry alone, aud tlia'.. I iiball contribute most willin-ly. - Whoever thinks well of this scheme, and feels a desire to promote it, let h'.m not hesitate or delay : pu nipt assistance will be every thing ; and as to trouble, let iuaivi- duals compare theirs to mine. SHIGRA 57 s gener^ ers as it nt farmer obtained 'mers and engage in )t only be elves may I indepen- on in the e confined .-ery desir- nmunicate neasure of , or any lave made ( tion of the dislike my [\\y give a " Though I g]ratyitou^ly njake offer of my time, I must be relieved of expence as much as pos- sibier and s^U expect ^ comn^ajcatioDs to be post paid. No person, I think, whp piterestg himself at all in the matter will grudge his item in this way. Divided mrntig many, such charges wifl be trifftr biit acriimuJaled upon one. tiey would be serious. , j ,„« ^i , .j ^.^^ " Should the work succefedtomyMdsh,.! would propose not only publishing it in the English, but German language, h la well knowi ^^hat the people of that nation ar^ most desirable settTers* and it is a fact, that many of them haveiiiot the means of commimicating to tteir friends the ^^ery superior ad,vantages of .this country, .pne cf them, who has been in Canada thirteen years, lately told me, that "toiisands and tousafids would come over, did they but know how good a country it is for poor peoples." ! sufficient lall arrange hither I am ed superior irption. I tlia'i I iihall thinks well promote it, t assistance ?, let iuaivi- . V'^ .•7|> ■• \l ■MM I 58 OBSESAWI'IONS ON The princifial stream of ^ittigkfen flow^ t* the United States, and here, are c.pncentrated, adventurers from' .^y^?^, |^a^^; ,^|", i purope,— tl}£ visiphary-— the bankrupt in fortune an^ infame^ the idle and the vicious. Happily here are also to be found, emigrants of very different character —the industriousl^sober, skilful mechanic^--the h(Miest, plodding, , ingenious manufacturer ;— the pains-taking indefatigable peas^t, and the invaluable respected farmer men of sound moral and religious habits, whom tjie cruel ne- cessity 'of the ^tjuj^^ has driven Jroaith^.old world, to seek competence and happiness in the new. .(''H*^. .;(| t'U A very intelligent and respectable farmer, lately of the county of Surry, has setUed in a delightful .situation in the Illinois territory, and observes in a work just published, that a nation, (the English) w ith half its population, supported by alms or poor rates, and one fourth of its in- j_-:..«,i A.«rr» tovAB mfinv of which are ■ dried up in their sources, or speedily becoming ,ii ^EMIGRATION. ■: • > 59 so, must teem with emigrants from one end to the other ; and for such as myself who have had nothing to d6 with the lavvs but to obey them, it is quite reasonable and just to secure a timely retreat from the approaching crisis-~either of anarchy and despotism. An English farmer, to which class I had the honour to belong, is in possession of the same rights and priviliges with the Villeins of old time, and exhibits for the most part a suitable political eharactef. He has no voice in the appointment of the legislature, unless he happen to possess a freehold of forty shillings a year, and he is then expected to vote on the side of his landlord. He has no concern with public affairs, excepting as a tax-payer, a parish officer, or a militia man. He has no right to appear at a county meeting, unless the word inhabitants should find its way into the sheriff's invitation ; in this case he may show his face^^ among the nobility, clergy, and freeholders : — a felicity which occurred to myself when the inhabitants of Surry were invited to assist the gentrv in crvintr /1/Mirn ♦!»« in^rxM^A *«... m OB$£RV4TIONS ON Thug hftving no elective, franchise, an English farmer can scarcely be said to haye a political existence, and political duties hehftsnone* ex- cept such, as under existing circumstances, would- inevit^))|y ajngsign him to the special guaTdian«hip of the secretary of state for the home departmenli, In exjchanging l3ie condition of an English farmer for that of an American proprietor, I ex- pert to puffer many inconveniences, but I am willing to make a great sacrifice of present ease> were it merely for the sake of obtaining in the decline of life, an exemption from that wearisome solicitude about pecuniary affairs, from whic^i even the affluent find no refuge in England „ and for my children a yhich sur- round us soon demand our iattention, and afford, ^Bot a eitn-—iot.t^m which i^ thi^ only $wiQus ill which w« experie»ee from our change, but a 9\ire dUeviatim,'* i;. •I jQuitting this sublet, which has in it something o£an expressive nature, it is extremely interesT SBg to contemplate the eaiigration which is taking place, not only from our island, but from the continent. Europe seeiaa to be precipitating itself ii> America. Vessd^ from ^ery part qf the former are winging their course ovear the Attentie, laden with human beings, who v— a fact which cannot be too well kiwwn . But if the 1 66 OB^EHVATIONS OX eitiigrant has the means of penetrating into the interior, he will find employ and good wages. It has been remarked that notwithstanding the immense emigration of workmen to the principal cities and to\^ns of North Aitierica, few lerge manufactories have been succesefuk Many have been erected, and much valuable machinery has been obtained from England, &c. but in a short time these manufactories have been deserted, not only by the workmen, but even by the overseers, or foremen who directed them. The fact is, that farming offers very superior advantages, and the manufacturer exchanges his confined and seden- tary life, for one of activity and independence, and in which health, and the means of acquiring competence, arc united. As a great proportion of the emigrants from Europe lands at New York , a short account of thife noble city, the Tyre of Nortli America, may not be uninteresting. New York is the first city in the United States^ for wealth, commerce, and population, as it als* ^^\F,HumArri0^ 67 is tluj fine«^,'a|i^ most agre^ble foi- its Situation and buil.dJiag^, |t has jieithep tlie narrow mi coofiaGdirr^^iaarity ol Boi^ton, mr the monoto. lious regularity ©f Philadelphia, but a happy aifidiuia betweeu both. When the intended mr piweiiieiits are- completed, it will be a very el^gawt ai)d ^j^^mmndious tow^i', and worthy of becoming tli^ capital of the iVmM States, for it seems thai Wa$hii)gtQii is by no means calculated for a metropolitiau city. Kew York l^n rapidly improved within the twenty years, and land which then sold in that city for twenty doHars, is now worth 1,500. The Broadway and Bowery road, are the two finest avenues in the city, andnearly of thesame width as Oxford-street, in London. The first com- mences from the grand battery, situate at the extreme point of the town, and divides it into two unequal parts. It is upwards of two iniies in length, though the pavement does not extend above a mile and a quarter; the remainder of the road consists of straggling houses, which are the commencement of new streets already planned out. The Bowery road commentTs 68 OBSERVATIONS ON I, from Chatham street, which branches off from the Broadway to the right; by the side of the Park. After proceeding about a mile arid a half, it joins the Broadway, arid terminates the plan which is intended to be carried into effect fot the enlargement of that city. Much of the inter- mediate spaces between these large streets, and from thence to the Hudson and East Rivers, is yet Unbuilt upon, or consists only of unfinished streets and detached buildings. * Tlie houses in the Broadway are lofty and well built. They are constructed in the English style, and differ but little from those of London, at the west end of the town, except thafctl^ey are uni- versally of red brick. In the vicinity of the battery, and for some distanqo up the Broadway, they are nearly all private houses, and occupied by the principal merchants and gentry of New York; after which, the Bfoudwa/ is lined with laige commodious shops of every description, well stocked with European and India goods, and exhibiting a.« splendid and varied show in tlieir windows, as can be met with in London. There are several extensive book stores, print EMIGRATION, 69 off from is of the ndahalf, the plan effect for the inter- eets, and livers, is mfinished ' and well lish style, )n, at the r are uni- y of the roadway, occupied r of New ned with scription, ia goods, i show in London, es, print shops, music shops, jewellers, and silversmiths, hatters, linen drapers, milliners, pastry cooks, coachmakers, hotels, and coffee houses. The street is well paved and the foot paths are chiefly bricked. In Robinson-street, the pavement be- fore one of the houses, and the steps of the door, are composed entirely )f marble. New York contains thirty three places of wor- ship, viz : nine Episcopal churches, three Dutch churches, one French church, one Calvinist, one German Lutheran, one English Lutheran, thrcQ Baptist meetings, three Methodist meetings, one Moravian, six Presbyterian, one Independent, two Quakers, and one Jews synagogue. Every day except Sunday is a market day in iVew York. Meat is cut up and sold by the joint, or in pieces, by the licensed butchers only, their agents, or servants ; each of these must sell at his own stall, and conclude his sales by one o'clock in the afternoon, between the 1 st of May and the 1st of November, ^and at two, between the 'dtof NoVftmbnrnirfl ihc* Icf «riU«„ »'"*-- J -.^X. XII ^Ti d 1 5 * V« vK.ii" ers are licensed by the mayor, who is clerk of 70 OBSEJIVATIONS ON the market, he receives for every xjaarter oi'beei' pold ill tlie market, six cents; for every hojy, fthoat or [)ig, above Hlbs. weight, six cents; an4 for eax^h calf, sheep ©r lamb, four cents ; to be paid by Uuj butchers, and other peisons, selling tiie same. The sale of unwholeKSorae and stale articles of provision, of blow^n and stuifed meat, and of measly pork, is expressly forbidden. But- ter must be sold by the pound, and not by the roll or tub. Persons vs^ho are not licensed butchers, selling butchers' meat on commission, pay triple fees to the clerk of the market. There are upwj^rds of twenty new*.papers published in New York, nearly half of which are daily papers, besides several weekly and monthly magazines, or essays. The higu price of paper, labour, and taxes, in Great Britain, has been very favourable to authorship and tlie publi- cation of books in America. Foreign publica- tions arc also charged with a duty of 13 per cent; and foreign rags are exempted from aU import. These advantages have facilitated the manufacture of paper, anci the printing of books in the United States ; both which are now carried EMIGIIATION. 71 on to a very large extent. -The new works that appear in America, or rather original productions, are very few ; but every English work of cele- brity is immediately reprinted in the States, and vended for a fourth of the original price, the booksellers and printers of New York are nume- rous, and in general men of property. Some of them have published very splendid editions of the Bible, and it was not a little gratifying to the American patriot to be told, that the paper, print- ing, engraving, and binding, were all of American manufacture. For several years past, a literary fair has been held at New York and Philadelphia. This annual meeting of booksellers has tended greatly to facilitate intercourse witli each other, to circulate books tliroughout the United States, and to encourage and support the arts of printing and V per making. Mr. Moore, speaking of the torpid state of intellect in America, is equally beautiful, severe, and unjust: — All tiMt t!re»tlon'« rarylng inaM ass-imes Of grand or lovely, here Hipiren and blooin* i i< Bol'I riic the inounlauiH, rUli the gai Jfus ^Ivw Hrljrfit Inkc« pxpnml, and conq'i iD^ rivers flow. 72 OBSERVATIONS OX f '.t If I MIND, mind alone, without whose quidk'mng ray The world's a wilderness, and man but clay, . MIND, mind alone, in barren still repose. Nor blooms, not- rises, nor expatfds, nor flows ?" This, it is thie, is poetry, — poetry of the first class; but then, a certain author observes that " Poetry is the art of lying." The country of Franklin, of Washington, of Jefferson^ of Adams, of Randolph,* (the Demosthenes of America) of the Author of the Columbiad, is represented as being destitute of MIND. Every spark of jreniufe that is emitted from the Western conti- nent sliould be hailed with satisfaction, and in- stead of being extinguished by the pestilential breath of partial ca.stigators, which, like the parching blast of the Arabian Simoom, destroys every thing within its reach, it should be fanned into a flame by the mild and gentle treatment of judicious critics. We might then hope to see the genius of the ancic;it w^orld engrafted upon the new hemisphere ; and if ever the day should come that the modern powerful nations of Eu- rope are compelled to transfer their sceptres, * " I heard the Amuvinin DwilosttlPP'S," sayR a ^AhrUt, " h»f 1 heard UouusiUKacs, wliu had liaciiiiuod tu Uie j{iaccs." £MlGBATiON« ^3 like those of Greece and Rome, tc a more wes* tern rival, it would be so^ie satisfaction to Eng- lishmen td know that that rival was descended from the ancient stock of their own nation, and m had preserved the language, manners, genius, and laws of their ancestoi s. Much has also been said of the deficiency of the polite and liberal accomplishments among both sexes in the ]Jnited States. Whatever truth there may have formerly been in this state* ment, I do not think there is any foundation for it at present, at least, in New York, where there appears to be a great thirst af^er knowledge* The riches that have flowed into that city for the last twenty years, have brought with them a taste for the refinements of polished society; and, though the inhabitants cannot yet boast of having reached the standard of European perfection, they are not wanting in the solid and rational parts of education , nor in many of those accom- plishments which ornament and embellish private life. It has become the fashion in New York, to attend lectmes on moral pliilosophy, chemistry. Aiineralogy, botany, mechanics, &c. and the ,..y \" 74 OBSERVATIONS ON I' ^E ladies in particular have made considerable pro- gress in those studies. Many yoimg men who wete so envelopefd in business, as to neglect or disdain the pursuit of such liberal and polite acquirements, have been often laughed from the counting-house to the lecture room, by their more accomplished female companions. The desire for instruction and information, indeed, is not confined to the youthful part of the communi- ty, many married ladies and then" families may be seen at philosophical and chemical lectures, and the spirit of inquiry is becoming more gene- ral among the gentlemen. The majority of the merchants, however, still continue more partial to the rule of three than a dissertation upon oxygen or metaphysics. Most of them have ac- quired large fortunes by their regular and plodding habits of business, and are loth to part with any portion of it, at their time of life, in the purchase of knowledge, or the encouragement of the arts and sciences. Some, it may be allowed, are exceptions, and others, if they will not par- take of uMtuction themselves, are not sparing of their money in imparting it to their children. The immense property which has been intro- EMIGRATIOI^. 75 duced into the country, by commerce, has hardly had time to circulate and diffuse itself, through the community. It is, at present, too much in the hands of a few individuals, to enable tnen to devote the whole of their lives to the study of the arts and sciences. Farmers, merchants, phy- sicians, lav^ryers and divines, are all that America can produce for many years to come ; and, if authors, artists, or philosophers, make their appearance at any time, they must as they have hitherto done, spring from one of the above pro- fessions. Colleges and schools are multiplying very ra- pidly all. over the United States, but education is in many places still defective, in consequence of the want of proper encouragement and better teachers. A grammar school has recently been instituted at New York, for the instruction of youth upon a similar plan to the great public schools in England. A taste for reading has of late ditfuscd itself throughout the country, particularly in the trreat towns, and several young ladies have displayed i^f u '>i^ f. I n CBSERVATIONS ON their abilities in writing. Some of their novels and fugitive pieces of poetry and prose are writ- ten with taste and judgment. Two or three, at New York, have particularly distinguished themselves. It seems, indeed, that the fair sex of America have within these few years, been desirous of imitating the example of the Erglish arid French ladies, who have contributed so much to extend the pleasures of rational conversation, and intel- lectual enjoyment. They have cast away the frivolous and gossiping tittle tattle which before occupied so much of their attention, and assumed the more dignilied and instructive discourse upon arts, sciences, literature, and moral philosophy. S'ome of the young men too, whose minds have not been wholly absorbed by pounds, shillings, and pence, have shown that they possess literary qualifications and talents, that would, if their time and fortune permitted, rank them among some of the distinguished authors of Europe. EMIGRATION. Jf Rates of Postage. Rates of postage for single letters to be Cento, For any distance not exceeding 40 miles 12 Over 40 miles and not exceeding 90 do. 15 Over 90...... ....do 150 do. 18 3-4 Over 150 do 300 do. 25 1-2 Over 300 ... .. do.. . ..... .500 do. 30 Over 600 37 1.2 Double letters, or ;hose composed of two pieces of paper, double those rates. Triple letters, or those composed of three pieces of paper, triple thope rates. Packets, or letters composed of four or more pieces of paper, and weighing one ounce or more, avoirdupoise, are to be rated equal tp one single .letter for each quarter ounce. Newi^pers, Each paper carried not exceeding 100 Tnilr>« f\Y frw nntr Aicii-n'^^^ i. !_J 7'" -^ wii) v*is!vaiiuc, uuicmncu out of the state in which it is printed. 1 1-2 78 OBSERVATIONS ON If carried out of the state where printed, and over 100 Iniles. 2 1-4 i mi Ik Magazines and Pamphlets Carried not over 50 miles, for each sheet, 1 1-4 Over 50 and not exceeding 100 miles. 2 1-4 Over 100 miles. . 3 > But pamphlets are not to be received or con- veyed by post Qii the main line or any cross road where the mail is large. Letters and newspapers are derived out of the office every day, (except Sunday) at all hours, from the rising to the setting of the sun; and on Sunday from 9 to 10, and from 1 to 2. Newspapers, to be forwarded by the mail, should be inclosed in a cover and left open at one end, and the number of.free papers, and of those for subscribers respectively, endorsed on each packet; and all newspapers for each post-office, should be inclosed in one package, ^irovided they do not exceed twenty in number. If a letter or memorandum in writing, is contained in any EMIGRATION, 79 newspaper, the person who deposits the same, forfeits /ve dollars, and the package becomes liable to letter postage. • . Letters to be sent by mail, should be addressed to the places of their destination in the clearest manner— they should always be directed to the nearest post-office, if the person to whom addressed does not reside where there is an office ; and the name of the state ought not to be omitted; letters are often mis-sent from their ambiguous direction ; a punctual attention to thi^ rule may prevent delays and miscarriages. Letters to be forwarded by mail, ought to be delivered at the office, at or before the time of closing, to ensure their going by the mail of the day; as before the departure of a mail, all letters composing it are to be rated and marked, accounts of them entered, and those accounts made out to be transmitted to the respective post-offices— and newspapers should be delivered at the office an hour at least prexious to the hour of closing the mail. If an abatement of letter postage be claimed, gQ OBSERVATIONS ON the lettet must be opened, la presence of th6 post-master, or one of his assistants ; and if such letter should, mstehdofhemgoverchargedh^ppen to be underchargedy the deficiency must be made up by the applicant. \ All letters which are lodged to go by the British packets, should be distinguished by wri- ting j)er packet — for there are placeis of the same name in the United States, similar to those in Europe. Letters going out "of the United States, must be paid for when lodged in the post-office. A society is established at New York, fott&ed of republican citizens of all nations^ who have published an iftteresting pamphlet, entitled *' Hints to Emigrants.*' These philanthropists observe-'— ** All that 1 first conversation with an emigrant can properly embrace, will fiail under three hoads: — •fcMl<5Jlfe-ATP! m ^ I. What relates to !iis |)tt^dftial ^ai&tf fe i tt^ Ih disinterest as a prt)T^ti dition to this method of preventing sickness, h» should take a dose of active physic, every now /• ¥-.1. iUlti lutii, cspccittiiy ill Ific aulltr piwiiwiip *« »?'»«iy EMI»nATK>N. 83 of J line rmome- d some- lis, to a lesed to and re- rstof all lerate in abourer » nd more world of and we luropean t, or fish tad meat le of ani- i -insen- eple*ion, of fevor mn. lie js in the id, in ad- kness, liB rery now /• f-.i— 9 m ^uij- and August. By this prudent course an ardent climate will have no terrors; and, after some re- sidence here, he may preserve bis health by tegimen and exercise alorie."^ ' U '/>'■ t The labourer, or mechariic, should put off his ordinary clothes, and wear next his skin a loose flannel shirt, while he works ; it should be taken off again as soon as he is done. ' The stranger, as well as native, must be par- ticularly careful not to drink cold water after being heated by exposure to the sun or exercise. Sudden and severe pain at th 2 stomach, and even death, are frequently the corsequence ef such imprudence. *• ■ - • • The Humane Society of this city has pubhshed the following directions to be observed in such cases: — 1st. To avoid drinking water while the body is heated, or during profuse perspiration. ' 2nd. Wash the hands and tace with c6fdW^t6r before drinking. ^ 3rd. if these precautions have been nejflected, ^ If < 4 k ' -tl ••• s *•: ' I'k I'' lUk 'LI HI M OB^i^yA'^lQhs ON ^nd crasapft or CQnvDisious havQ beea iuducejd^ let a te^pooi^ful qf la,u4a»um b^ giveu inomedi- ^^ly ia 9t cup of spipi^ and water, and repeat the dose in half an hour, if necessary. 4th. At the same time apply hot fomentations 9f spirits and water to the stomach and bowels, and ^o the lower extremities, coveririp- the body with a blanket,, or immerse the body in a warm bath, if it can be immediately obtained. 5th. Inject into the bowels a pint of warm spirits and watqr, mixed in the proportion of one part of the former to two of the latter. Do you ask by this time with a view to tho ordinary busmess of life, What Js America? "Jjif'hat sort of people may be expected to succeed in it? The immortal Franklin ha§ answered this question; ** America is the land of labour.''' ^uj^, it i^ emphatically, the best country on earth f<^r thpsej who will labour. By industry they can earn more wages here than elsewhere in the ''^^^xf^f^^ , ^ Qur ^overnmcAts are more Cxn^tK they demaod fpw taxes ; so that the earning of the l^ooriiiau are left to enripk lunosdf; %hQ\ m& nearly all his own, and not expended on to^s op BMIGR.tTIOM. 8& idlers are out of their element here, and the l)eiag who is technically called a man of rank in Europe is despicable in America. — He must be- come a useful member of society, or he will find no society; he will be shunned by all decent peo- ple. Franklin, whose sage counsel is the best that can be given, or observed has said, that it is aot advisable for a person to come hither '' who has no other qtiahty to recommend him but his birth." In Europe, indeed, it may have its Vdilue^ but it is a commodity which cannot be carried to a worse market than that of Amerira, where people do aot enquire concerning a stranger What is he? But, What can he do? If he has any useful art, he is welcome ; and if he e:iercise» it and behaves well, he will be respectcjd by ali wlio know iiim. The husbandaian is in honoup hc»'e, and so is the mechanic, because dieir em- plojmeuts are useful." " And t/An ^jple,' hfy adds, have a saying, that " God A\ eighty i» liimjself a mechanic, the greatest.' .di4) uai verse.'* Franklift further illiustrtites the generality of in- dustrious ^bits^ h; *he Negrus observation^ " That the whit^ nujn makes the black man v^ork^ the horse w rk, im ?>x.ea ^v u, aiKi every Uiuag 86 OU«EttVATIONS ON works except tlie hog, which alone walks about, goes to sleep when he pleases, and lives like » gentleman.'' " The only encouragements we hold out t# strangers are, a good climate, fertile soil, wUole- some air and water, plenty of provisions, good pay for labour, kind neighbours, good laws, a free government, and a hearty welcome. The rest depends on a man's own industry and vir- tue » " It would be very prudent for new comers, especially .ly^ xrs or farmers, to go into the country wit! delay, as they will save both money and time by it, and avoid several incon- veniences of a seaport town By spending some time witli an American farmer, in any capacity, they will learn the method of tillage, or working a plantation, peculiar to this country. No time can be more usefully employed than a year in this manner. In that space, any smart, sf ut man, can learn how woodland may be cleared, hoy/ clear land is managed ; he will acquire some knowledge of crops and their succession, ol EMIGRATION. 87 usages and. customs that ought to be known, and perhaps save something into the bargain. Many European emigrants who brought money with them have heretofore taken this wise course, and found it greatly to their advantage ; for at the end of the year they knew what to do with it. They learned the value of lands in old settle- ments and near the frontiers, the prices of labour cattle, and grain, and were ready to begin the world with ardour and confidence. Multitudes of poor people from Ireland, Scotland, and Germany, have by these means, together with industry and frugality, become wealthy farmers or, as they are called in Europe, estated menj who, in their own countries, where all the lands are fully occupied, and the wages of labour low. could never have emerged from the condition wherein they were born. " It is invariably tLe practice of the American ahd well suited to his love of independence, to purchase a piece of land as soon as he can. and cultivate his own farm, rather than live at wages. It is equally in the power of an emigrant to do the ^ine, after a Imw years of labour and econuuiy. 88 OBSERVATIONS ON f: From that moment he secures all the mefttis ftf happiness. He has a sufficiency of fortuae, without being exempt from moderate labour: he feels the comfort of independence, and has no fear of poverty in his old age. He is invested with the powers, as well as the rights of a fi emafi, and may in all cases, without let or apprehension, exercise them according to his judgment. He can afford to his children a good education, *»nd knows that he has thereby provided for their wants. Prospects open to them far brighter than ^vere his own; and in seeing all this, he ia surely blest. i " Artisans receive better pay in America than ia Europe, and can live with less exertion and more comfort, because they put an additional price on their work, equal to the cost of frei^fht and com* inission charged by the merchant on importation. Theie are not many of the laborious classes whom we would advise to reside, or even loiter, in great towiis; because as much will he spent dur-^ iug a long winter as can be made through a toil- lome summer, so that a man itiay be Mpt a -^,.«. .«n*«_ mcu«v4e«s uruu|;o Un ma, ijut una «» i»^-t j'-* EMIGRATION^ 88 SltlS ftt' rtufte. It: he 10 (^kV I mth melon, . He ft, *»nd r their righter I, he id thania dmore dee on d com* rtation. classes oiler, in ;nt dur-' ii a toil- Kept ^ haps tkj worst; kied^ tempted to becomes tip- pler^ fay thedieapnegsand plenty of fiquoi?»v md then his prospects are blasted for ever. In feir countries is drunkenness more despised than in this. Thedrunkard is viewed as a person socially dead, shut otit from decent intercourse, shunned,- despised, or abhorred. . The pernicious habit is to be guarded against aa scrupulouslyfor political asmoralconsideiiationsi ■■; '?■' r _ • ' ; • , \ •■ ,. - Civil Kherfy every wh«ire rests on fel6-re^ect, while degradation or voluntary debasement is one of the causes of despotism. These remarks are gerieral; We have no reason to siJippose that one people are more ignorant than another of moral duty or propriety. It deserves notice, that tWo sister States have made lawfi vesting the estate of an habitual drunkard in tnwit^es; and it has been proposed to deprive such persons of suftragfj and the privilege of giving evidence in coufts ^f jt>8tioe* An aaicient lawyer M^aa e>en mone severe; he affised « double penalty to crimeg committed m M r i I ii i^ ."3 II 90 OBSERVATIONS ON a state of intoxication. Such have been the methods of legislators to preserve the dignity of man.' ' o ' " "s.-ftaoffmrjrr^ifi mjif' Men of science, whd can apply their knowledge to useful and practical puipbses mdy be very advantageously settled ; but mere literary s_i.- ox iiiWUUiivMM CwM*ii>i¥ hitmi)' like ourselves, when they arrive in the wilderness, will find no lodge prepared for then^. 4 , _ll L SUiUii vV fi^gOi* \au ii^at tiiat yoii muy almost _.*3 ;h\ m OBSERVATIONS ON u acarry lt/,fet strong enough to bear a good lo^d of becb(JiniB», ttteasils atid provisions, and a swann of young citizens, — -and to sustain marvellous shocks in its passage over these rocky hdghts) with two email houses; sometimes a' cow or two com- prises th^ir all, excepting a little store of hard earned cash for the Iwid office of the district, where they may pl;)tain a title for as many acres as they |K)ssess half hilars, being one fourth of the piwchase money. The waggon hSais a tilt or cover, made of a s^ieet, or perhaps a blanket. The family are seen before, behind, or within the vehicle, according to the road or weather, or per- haps 6ie ^irits of the party." Can any description be more interestiug than this ? Travellers from all the nations of Europe — persons of both sexes — of all ages and condi- tions, pressing forward to some favourite spot on which to pitch their tent. The Americans them- selves are great traveHers, and in general better acquainted with the vast expanse of country spreading over their twenty states, (of which Virginia alone nearly equals Great Britain in ex- tent) than the English with their little island. EMIGRATION. They are also a migrating people ; and, even when in prosperous circumstances can contem- plate a change of situation, which under our oid estdadishments, and fixed habits, none but the OKBt enterprising would venture upon when urged by adversity. To give an idea of the internal movements of tfeis vast hive, about 12,000 waggons passed be- tween Baltimore and Philadelphia, in the last year, with from four to six horses, carrying from . thirty-five to forty €wt. The cost of carriage i« about seven dollars per Cwt. from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, and the money paid for the convey- ance of goods (Ml this road, exceeds £80,000 sterling. Add to these the nunaerous stages loaded to the utmost, and the innumerable travellers on horseback, on foot, and in light waggons, and you have before you a scene of bustle and business extending over a space of Aree hundred miles, %\4Hch is truly wonderful.\>v h if The emigrant must not tJiink of settling in the districts adjacent to ^^ poi*ts of the Atlantic; The ntale nf Ohm Crir xnoionj^^ >iiA.«4-«;«« ,vTi 1,1 *. • 1 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) A^^ 5^ #J-- [o 1.0 I.I 1^ IAS 128 318 lU u 110 1.4 2.5 2.2 2.0 1.6 P /a Hiotographic Sciences Corpordtioii 33 WEST MAIN STRUT WIBSTER.N Y. MSIO (7U) •73-4S03 4^ fy _^^ t^. o \ m OBSERVATIONS ON is beautiful and fertile, all thav nature has decreed for the comfort of roan. Rich land, good water, wholesome air, lime, coal, mills, navigation. But then there has been an advance of a thousand per Cent, in about ten years. At Richmond, in Virginia, ground sells currently , on building speculation, at 10,000 dollars per acre, and in some of the streets near the river, at 200 dollarg per foot in front ! The stranger must press on westward, where good land is to be purchased at the government price <>f two dollars per acre ; the amazing influx of emigrants is constantly opening new markets. . . > ' . America, said Franklin, " is the land of labour,'' but then it is also the land in which labour is properly and abundantly recompenced. The mechanic and peasant do not after, a long hfe of drudgery, retire to a workhouse, or drop into the last refuge of misery— the grave, as into the hosom of a friend. There i* no country in the world which exhibits such delightful instances of old agfe basking in the rays of content and compe- tency as the United States. And the children of the aged, pheasant, rising roMftd tip table Ufee EMIGRATION. 95 olive branches, have the heart cheering assurance that by treading m the steps of their venerable and prudent ancestors, they also diall certainly attain to competeiice, and even to wealth. There are feHv instances in the United States of indystrioufr persons not meeting v/ith the suc- cess which their exertions deserve. Want of prudence in speculations, will of course some ttine*' produce corresponding effects, but in no country do the enterprizing and the industrious rise with such elasticity from misfortune, as in the United States. Slothful and improvident men will be found in all countries : the followina" description of journeymen at Pittsburg is ij\ point:— .■^' ^"'^ ; ^ )-m:hr ■ '"' ■ y * ' ii i'-t Joumeymcnv in various branches — shoema- kers, tailors, &c. earn two dollars a day. Many of. them are improvident, and aus they remain journeymen for life. It is not; However in ab^^o- lute intemperance and pi j^igacy, that they in general waste their surplus earnings, it is in. ex- cursions, or entertainments. Ten dollars spent at. a ball is no rare r^ult of the gallantry of a Pittsburg journeyman. Thosfr who are steady 96 OBSBmVATSONS ON and prudent^ advance rapidly. A shoemaker of Ti^aequaintamey that is t© say, whom I employed, Mt Irelar^d; ^ poor as an Irish emigituit ftmr years ago,— staid one year in Philadelphia, hen removed hither, and was employed by a master pntctitioiier of the same calling, at 12 dollars per week. He saved his money, married, paid bi» Aiastcr, who retired on his fortune, three hun- ched dollars for his business, and tB now in a fair wmy of Tstiring too, as he has a shop wtell stocked and a tiuriring tr&de, wholesale aiwi retail, with, vast profits!" ':% ^*ri I have another instance before nie of the sue- cass attendant on indusfcry in the United States. The person to whom I allude, is about 30, he haa a wife and three fine children; his lather is a feraier, thai is to saty, a proprietor, hting fivci miles distant. From him he received five buiOr- dred dollaji, and ** began the worid," in tl^tme style of American enterprize, by taking a cargo ©f flour to N«^(r Orleans, about two thousand imlea, gaining a little more than his expenses, ind a stock cf knowledge. Two years ago Iws had increased ]m propeily to 900 dollars; EMIGRATION. 9Jt purchased this place; a house, stable, &c. and two hundred and fifty acres of land, (sixty-five of which are cleared and laid down to grass) for three thousand five hundred dollars, cf which he has already paid three , thousand, and will pay the remaining five hundred next year. He is now building a good stable and going to improve his house. His property is at present worth se- Ycn thousand dollars; having gained or rather IfTown, five thousand five hundred dollars ai twQ- years, with prospects of future accumulation to his uti -ost wishes. Thus it is that people grow wealthy without extraordinary exertion, and without any anxiety. The working farmer by the amount of capital required, as a retiter, may own and cultivate a much better one in this country. Let this be well understood : the emigrant on repairing to the Go- vernment office where land is sold, paj^s down one-fourth of the sum agreed on at two dollars per acre, and discharges the rest at several instal- ments, to be completed in five years. Thus, what is RENT in Europe is here discharging the Purchase Money. I am, in fact, working for mt^self, and not for another. Is it surprising. thet^ that with a rapidly increasing- nonnlatiun^ m OBSBRVATIdNS ON with new markets arising around him, and with the lieart -cheering impulse of conscious property 4* and independence, the American peasant should attain ease and competence, and even wealth to shed their benign influence on the evening of his dibyiB.^ A large family is, in England, another term for a large share of poverty — ^in America the birth of children is hailed as in the patriarchal ages— they are towers of strength. They assist in agricul- tiliral and other duties when ypung, and when arrived at manhood, the parents feel no solicitude respecting their settlement. ytiHjijvf Little farms, from eight, to one hundred and sixty acres, with simple erections, a cabin, and a stable, may be purchased at from 5 to 20 dollars* per acre, the price being in proportion to the quantity cleared land* mJ Land (government land)^ is sold in sections m 160 acres, b^ng one-fourth of a square mile. The poor maa who enters his quarter section of 190 acres, pays down his eighty dollars, pursue* his road to the spot which he has bought, builds' a cabin for himself and family, and having cleared his ground, proceeds to sow Indian corn, which is the first year's suDDOrt. With his *un he am- KMIORATION. 99 nd with iroperty t should ealth to ig of his erm for birth of s— they igricul- i when iicitude *ed and 1, and a dollars^ to the ions j mile. ;tion of »ur8ue# builds' cleared which le Dro- cures game in the evening, and at theend of ily& years generally succeeds in paying therest of the purchase money, besides laying by two or three^ thousand dollars. Such is the natiaal, progress; of a settler. There is ao part of the Uoion^ in the new settlements or the .old, where an industri« Cus man oeed be at a kis for the comfort* of a good livelihood. Mi:iift(ik»qq k; • u^^ji. It has already been observed, that thia kittle Work was almost exclusively undertaken for the information of persona about to Embark for America ; and the Author flatters himiielf that he has attained the object which he had in view* and has compressed much valuable information in Si siinaU compass. Haviiig hirnself visited America, he is enabled to vouch for the^ correct^ ness of general facts: he does not however hesi^ tate to acknowledge that he has occasionally availed himself of the remarks of others, when he found these remarks to agree with what had fallen under his own personal observation. Among the thousands that are about to leave the United Kingdom, for America, there are doubt- less many, who have formed extravagant, un- founded notions relative to the laud which they € resiuCucc m. uere mo OB8ERTATIONS ON \ may be ethers hesitating between their wishes and their feais, an4 ^perhaps there arc few who are so well kformed on American affairs, asfsuch an important step as emigration demands. This onassuming publication, may, therefore, by its pd«Yiating Att«iiti«i |o TBiUTF, be of service* in preventing the visionary :^om experiencing sensations of disappointment and regret, in givi^ confidence to ^e tis^,and in dJflfiising at ft hihodeiatiB pnce* that informati^ to aU which caimot fail to prove d singidar utility. J Jpteumitonces prevented the aut send- Siif this; Work to the press, until within a fort- nightiioC his seccmd embarkation for America. Gwi«^ therefore to tifetiuncommon rapidity with which his publicatiott parsed tbjrough the press, he has iRORt respectfully to daim the forbearailce ]^fthe|>ubUc,Jtogard|» bis cokmn of errata^ .a 'Siiii^uY; ..• -I'jiiM'k 9^fh.. .■'Vf A-i mUi^ikQil mUrdji ■Wj'^., i 0\i?.A . . '■' •iHr , -?n/rob:}?ij ^',' ■ ■ ' LJuiM^d: ■• y 'tii iiO oyjd'Y '■'. »■ BTERS, PRINTER. boCSJ FROM , Mr. BIRKBECK's NOTES AND LETTERS From the ILLINOIS, ; TOGETHER WITH HIS REPLY TO MR. COBBETT, Dated July \2th, \9\9' SxMlTII's VIEW OF UPPER CANADA, ' WITH EXTRACTS OF ORIGINAL LETTERS Of a LANCASHIRE FAJiMER K other RESIDENTS: REMARKS, &c. Emigrants from Europe are too apt to linger in the eastern cities, wasting their time, their money, and their resolution. They should push out westward without delay, where they can live cheaply until they fix themselves! Two dollars, saved in Pennsylvania, will purchase an acre of good land in the Illinois. The land carriage from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, is from seven t. ten dollars per cwt. (100 lb.) Clothing, razors, pocket-knives, pencils, mathematical instruments, and light articles in general, of constant usefulness, onght to be carried even at this expence, and books Mhich are scarce, and much wanted in the west. Good gun locks are rare and difficult to procure. No heavy implements will pay carnage. A pocket compass is indispensable for every stranger who ventures alone into the woods of America, and he should always carry the means of lighting a fire: for the traveller, when he starts in the morning on i wilderness journey, H ¥f^- 112 little knows where next he may lay his head. — ^Tow, rubbed with gunpowder, is good tinder : — a few biscuits, a phial of spirits, a tomahawk, and a good blanket, are necessary articles. Overtaken by night, or bewildered, if thus provided, you may be really comfortable by your blazing fire ; when without them, you would feel dismal and dis> consolate. A dog is a pleasant and useful fellow-traveller in the backwoods. You should make your fire with » fallen tree for a back-log, and lie to leeward, with your feet towards it. The smoke flying over, will preserve yon from the damp air and musquitoes. Tie your horse with a long rem to the end of a bough, or the top of a young Hickery tree, which will allow him to graze or browse ; and change his position tf you awake in ths night. Pittsburg. — At the junction of the Alleghany and Mo- nongahala, forming by their union the Ohio, stands the " city of Pittsburg, the Birmingham of America." Here I expected to have been enveloped in clouds of smoke, issuing from a thousand furnaces, -nnd stunned with the din of ten thousand hammers. A century and a half ago, possibly, the state of Birming- ham might have admitted of a comparison with Pittsburg. I conceive there are many, very many, single manufacturing establishments in Great Britain, nf more present importance than the aggregate of those in this town : yet, taken as it is, without rhetorical description, it is truly a very interesting and important place. Steam engines of great efficiency are made here, and applied to various purposes, and it contains sundry works : — iron foundries, glass-houses, nail-cutting factories, &g. ; establishments, which are as likely to expand and multiply, as the small acorn, planted in a good soil, and duly protected, is to become the majestic oak, that flings his giant arms amid the sky." At present the manufacturers are under great difficulties, it 113 and many are on the eve of suspending their operations, owing to the influx of depreciated fabrics from Europe. Pittsburg contains about 7000 inhabitants, and is a place of great trade, as an entrepot for the merchandize and manufactures supplied by the eastern states to the western. The inhabitants of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and lUmois. are their customers, and continually increasing in their demands upon the merchants and the artisans of Pittsburg. Shawnee Town is 1200 miles from New Orleans, which distance may be performed in twenty days, provided there are no delays. This is the nearest point on the Ohio to our intended residence, (45 mUes distance,) and may there- fore be considered as our shippmg port, from which we have navigable communication, by the Wabash, into our im- mediate vicinity. Thus situated, in the interior of a vast continent, we may have communication with Europe, either for the export of produce or the introduction of merchandise, calculating oa the addition of a month to the voyage across the Atlantic. In reply to a letter, Mr. B. observes— In the first place, the voyage.— That will cost, to Balti- more or Philadelphia, provided you take it, as no doubr you would, in the cheapest way, twelve guineas e- birth, fire, and water, for yourself and wife, and * ' . " or less for your children ; besides provisions, w. will furnish. Then the journey.— Over the mountains to Pittsburg., down the Ohio to Shawnee-Town, and from thence to our setUement, fifty miles north, will amount to five pounds sterling per head. If you arrive here as early as May, or even June, another fire pounds per head will carry you on to that pomt, where you may take your leave of dependence on anything earthly but your own exertions. H 2 114 With eighty dollars you will " enter a quarter sectfoii of land;" that is, you ^ilJ purchase at the land-office one hundred and sixty acres, and pay one-fourth of the purchase- money ; and looking to the land to reward /our pains with the means of discharging Mie other three-fourths as they become due, in two, three, and four years. You will build a house with fifty dollars; and you will find it extremely comfortable and convenient, as it will be really and truly yours. Two horses will ccat, ^vith harness and plough, onft liundred. Cows, and hogs, and seed corh, and fencing, with other expenses, will require the remaining two hundred and ten dollars. This beginning, hum die as it appears, is affluence and splendour, compared with the original butfit of settlers in general. Yet no man remains in poverty, who possesses even moderate industry and economy, and especially (ff fiT/ie. You would of course bring with you ycur sea-bedding and store of blankets, for you will need them on the Ohio ; and you should leave England with a good stock of wearing apparel. Your luggage must he composed of light articles, on account of the costly land-carriage from the eastern port to Pittsbuvg, which Avill be from seven to ten dollars per 100 lb. nearly sixpence sterling per pound. A few simple medicines of good quality are indispensable, such as calomel, bark in powder, castor oil, calcined mag- nesia, and laudanum : they may be of the greatest import- ance on the voyage and journey, as Avell as after your arrival. Change of climate and situation will produce temporary indisposition, but wi^h prompt and judicious treatment, which is happily of the most simple kind, the complaints to which new comers are 'ible are seldom dangerous or U5 difficoU to overcome, provided due regard has been had to salubrity in the choice of their settleuient, and to diet and acconuaodalion arter their arrival. Mi\ Birkbeck's Terms to Settlers. A township j^oraprises thirty-six square miles, or sections, of six hundred and forty acres each; in all, twenty-thieJ thousand and forty acres. These lands, we propose to offer (on terms proportionably favourable) to a number of our countrymen, whose views may so far accord with our own,, as to render proximity of settlement desirable. In the sale of public lands, there is a regulation, which I ^ ave before mentioned, that t^e sixteenth section, which i^ nearly the centre of every township, shall not be sold. It ifi tailed the reserved section ; and is, accordingly, reserved for public uses in that township, for the support of the poor, and for purposes of education. This section being, of course, at the disposal of the pur. chasers of the entire township, we shall, by judicious arrangements, provide out of it, not only lor the object^ which the wisdom. of the legislature had in view; but for the present accommodation of the more indigent, but no.t th^ least valued members qf our proposed community. To obviate the sufferings to which emigrants of this class are. exposed on their arrival, it is a material part of our pla^ to have in readiness for every po»r family, a cabin, an inclosed garden, a cow, and a hog, with an appropriation of land, f. r summer and winter food for cows, proportioned to their number. With regard to the disposal of the lands in general, we shall probably offer them in sections, half-sections, quarters, and eighths; that is, in allotments of six hundred and forty, tl^ree hundred and twenty, one hundred and sixty, nrj, 116 eighty acres, making other reservations of portions for public uses, as circumstances may require. W I wish it to be clearly understood, that we have no design of forming a society of English, to be governed by any laws or regulations of our own framing. We would not bind others, nor be ourselves bound by uay ties, but those of mutual interest, and good neighbourhood ; nor be subject to any iaw, but the law of the land. Yet, as concentration of capital, as well as of population, willj be essential to the rapid prosperity of our colony, we shall make a stipulation which we hope will be generally approved : — That no person may be tempted, by the low price at which our lands shall be offered to possess themselves of it as a mere object of speculation, a declaration will be required on the part of the purchaser, of his intention to reside on the spot. We would, at the same time, impress upon him the necessity of not purchasing more than he can fairly manage. Our opinion is, that it would be more advantageous to the resident proprietor to possess a capital of four or fiv<3 pounds sterling an acre, than to incapaciate himself for carrying on his improvements for want of adequate means. it repeat, that we have not fallen on this scheme, from a wish to form a society exclusively EngUvh, or indeed, any society as distinct from the people at large. We would most willingly extend our proposals to Americans or emigrants of any nation, with the requisite capital, could our plan embrace them. Concentration of capital and numbers is the only refuge from many privations, and even sufferings in thesa remote regions : — but, the main advantage of pre- paring, as we propose, for the reception of our brethren, will be to oave them a wearisome and expensive trave], in quest of a settlement, but too often ending in despair. 117 Twelve long months spent in roaming over this wilderness, has broken the spirits, and drained the purses of many who would have done well, had they proceeded at once to a place provided :— also,, to afford immediate protection and employment to poor em'^ants. In reply to a letter, Mr. B. observes — I have secured a considerable tract of land, more than I liave any intention of holding, that I may be able to accom- modate some of our English friends. Our soil appears to be rich, a fine black mould, inclining to sand, from one to three or four feet deep, lying on sandstone, or clayey loam ; so easy of tillage, as to reduce the expense of cultivation below that of the land I have been accustomed to in England, not** withstanding the high rates of human labour. The wear of plough-irons is so trifling, that it is a thing of cour^se to^ sharpen them in the spring once for the whole year. Our main object will be live stock, cattle, and hogs, for which there is a sure market at a good profit. Two-pence a pound you will think too low a price to include a profit ; but ro- liember, we are not called upon, after receiving our money for produce, to refund a portion of it for rent, another portion for tithe, a third for poor's rates, and a fourth for taxes; which latter are here so light, as scarcely to be brought into the nicest calculation. You will consider also, that money goes a great deal farther here, so that a less profit would sufiice. The fact is, however, that the profits on capital employed any way in this country are marvellous : in the case of live-stock tho outgoings are so small, that the receipts are nearly all clear. The idea of exhausting the soil by cropping, so as to render manure necessary, has not yet entered into the estr- mates of the western cultivator. Manure has been often known to accumulate until the farmers have removed their jards and buildings out of tho way of the nuisance. Thcgr in" e -I 118 have no notion of making a return to the land, and as yet there seems no bounds to its fertility. For about half the capital that is required for the mere cultivation of our worn-out soils in England, a man may establish himself as a proprietor here, with every comfort belonging to a plain and reasonable mode of living, and with a certainty of establishing his children as well or better than himself— such an approach to certainty at least as would render anxiety on that score unpardonable. Land bemg obtained so easily, I had a fancy to occupy here just as many acres as I did at Wanborough ; and I have added 160 of timbered land to the 1,440 I at first concluded to farm. I shall build and furnish as good a house as the one I left, with suitable out-buildings, garden, orchard, &c. make 5,000 rods of fence, chiefly bank and ditch, provide implements, build a mill, support the expenses of housekeeping and labour until we obtain returns, and pay the entire purchase-money of the estate, for less than half the capital employed on Wanborough farm. At the end of fourteen years, instead of an expiring lease, I or my heirs will probably see an increase in the value of the land equal to fifteen or twenty times the original purchase. In the interval my family will have lived handsomely on the produce, and have plenty to spare, should any of them require a separate establishment on farms of their own. Thus I see no obstruction to my realizing all I wished for on taking leave of Old England. To me, whose cir- cumstances were comparatively easy, the cliauge is highly advantageous; but to labouring people, to mechanics, to people in general who are in difficulties, this country affords 80 many sure roads to independence and comfort, that it is lamentable that any, who have the means of making their escape, should bo prevented by the misreprentation of otiiers, or tlieir own timidity. 119 In answer to a letter from Mr. Fearon— (&e note at the end.) To the first, as to the most eligible part of the iTnited States for obtaining iniproved/arws, or uncultivated lands for Englishmen, &c. 1 reply, that with a view to the settlement of the number of families you mention, it will be vain to look for improved farms in any part that I have seen or hecrd of. Probably a single family might be suited in almost any large district, as the changes which are continually occurring in human affairs, will occasionally throw eligible farms into the market every where. But you can have no cAoice of cultivated lands, as those you would prefer are the least likely to be disposed of; and it is altogether un- likely you should meet with a body of such lands, for the accommodation of thirty or forty families ; considering too, that, by travelling a few days' journey further west, you may huve a choice of land of equal value at one-tenth of the price, where they may settle contiguous, or atleastnear to each other. I hav- no hesitation in recommending you to do as I have done : that is, to head the tide of emigra- tion, and provide for your friends where the lands are yet unappropriated. After traversing the states of Ohio and Indiana, looking out for a tract suited to my own views, and those of a number of our countrymen who have signified their inten- tions of following our example, I have fixed upon this spot in Illinois, and am the better pleased with it the more I see of it. As to obtaining labourers. A single settler may get his labour done by the piece on moderate terms, not higher than in some parts of England ; but if many families setUe together, all requiring this article, and none supplying it, they must obtain it from elsewhere. Let them import English labourers, or make advantageous proposals to such as are continually arriving at the eastern ports. 6 , /-I : 1 N J f r 120 Prwisima are cheap of course. Wheat three and four- pence sterling per bushel. Beef and pork two-pence per pound, groceries and clothing dear, building moderate, either by wood or brick. Bricks are laid by the thousand, at eight dollars or under, including lime. Privations I cannot enumerate. Their amount depends on the previous habits and present disposition of the indi- Tiduals : for myself and family, the privations already expe- rienced, or antici|)ated, are of small account compared with the advantages. Horses, 60 to 100 dollars, or upwards ; cows, 10 to 20 dollars ; sows, 3 to 5 dollars. Society is made up of new comers chiefly, and of course must partake of the leading characters of these. There is generally a little bias of attraction in a newly settled neigh- bourhood, which brings emigrants from some particular state or country to that spot; and thus a tone is given to society. Where we are settling, society is yet unborn as it were. It will, as in other places, be made up of such as come ; among whom English farmers, I presume will form a large proportion. Roads as yet are in a state of nature. Purchases of land are best made at the land-offices : pay- ments, five years, or prompt ; if the latter, eight per cent, discount. Mechanics' wages, 1 dollar to 1^. Carpenters, smiths, shoemakers, briekmakers, and bricklayers, are among the first in requisition for a new settlement : others follow in course; — tanners, saddlers, tailors, hatters, tin-workers, &c. Sec. We rely on good markets for produce, through the grand navigable communication we enjoy with the ocean. Medical aid is not of difficult attainment. The English of both sexes, and strangers in genera], are liable to some 121 biiioue attacks on their first arrival : these complaints seem, however, simple, and not difficult to manage if taken in time. The manufactures you mention may hereafter be eligible ; cotton, wooDen, linen, stockings, &c. certainly not at present. Beer, spirits, pottery, tanning, are objects of immed ate attention. The minerals of our district are not much known. We have excellent limestone ; I believe we have coal : wood will, however, be the cheapest fuel for some years. Implements are cheap till you commence with the iron. A waggon, 35 or 40 dollars, exclusive of tier to wheels. A strong waggon for the road complete will amount to 160 dollars or upwards. The best mode of coming from England to this part of the western country is by an eastern port, thence to Pittsburg, and down the Ohio to Shawnee town. Clothing, bedding, household linen, simple medicines of the best quality, and sundry small articles of cutlery and light tools, are the best things for an emigrant to bring out. I can hardly reply to your inquiry about the manner of travelling ; it must be suited to the party. Horseback is the most pleasant and expeditious ; on foot the cheapest : a light waggon is eligible in some cases ; in others the stage is a necessary evil. The foUowmg is in reply to Mr. Cobbett's partial state- ment, lately given in one of his Registers; and, being dated so late as the middle of July, 1819, must be in- teresting to many thousand persons, whose ardour for emi- gration is not cooled by circumstances : — Mr. BIRKBECK's SETTLEMENT. Mr. Editok — Permit me to request the insertion of the following letter from my friend Mr. Birkbeck, addressed to v^ r 123 the British emigrants arriving in the Eastern States of America. From many years acquaintance with this gentle- man, I have always been an admirer of his superior talents ; and I am well assured that he would not, from any motive, lead others into error by any incorrectness of statement. I well know that an idea has been entertained by many, that he has represented the Illinois district in more fasci- nating colours than it is entitled to. Within these few weeks, I have had an opportunity of hearing the statement of others residing in the vicinity of Mr. Birk beck's property, and, M'ithout exception, all have corroborated the correct- ness of his account. I am. Sir, &c. Burlington Street, Bath. Q. H. Wilkinson. TO BRITISH EMIGRANTS ARRIVING IN THE EASTERN STATES. English Prairie (Illinois) July Vith, 1819. My Friends and Countrymen — For your service I ex- hibited in two publications, an outline of the precess of emigration, from its commencement up to the final settle- ment. My first opinion of this, the spot of our choice, and the reasoning on which that choice was grounded, are before you; and sufficient time has elapsed to try those opinions by the test of experience ; by which they are con- firmed in every particular. I shewed you my own tract through a gloomy forest into a delightful country, better prepared for our abode by the hand of nature, than the heavy woods by half a century of labour. I built a cabin "and blazed a road" to it; for it was my ambition to be sunounded by my olc friends and neighbours. In this too I am gratified ; and we are contented with our allot- ment, both as to our present state and future prospects. This small district, which two years ago was nearly without inhabitants, contains a thriving population of from six tQ 123 seven hundred persons. We have been blessed with hesdtll most unusual for a new settlement, or for any settlement of equal numbers in any country ; and no doubt is entertained by us, or by any judicious observer, of its salubrity. We have several wells of excellent water, and many more are in progress. Our soil is fertile beyond my own expectation; but our exertions have hitherto been chiefly directed to the permanent objects of building and fencing, of which much has already been done. We have, however, collected a stock of cattle and hogs; and I think more acres of corn are now growing than there are individuals in the settlement. I have been informed that the active pen of Mr. Cobbett has been borrowed by certain land speculators, to direct your course from the western country to a settlement in the back woods of Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna, 170 miles N. W. of Philadelphia. I have not yet been so for- tunate as to meet with the publication. Report says that he holds me out as a man of inferior judgment; and has descended so far as to throw a doubt over my veracity. The latter I can hardly credit. But however that may be, the question, both as regards my judgment and veracity in this instance, is decided, and in my favour, on the incontro- vertible evidence of fact. The Susquehanna may, for aught I know, be quite eligible for you ; but unfair means taken by the p'-omoters of any undertaking, to depress a competitor, shakes and ought to destroy all confidence in their honour and truth. I have just received a publication on this subject by Dr. Johnson, who, by mis-application of partial extracts and dishonest comments, has laboured to show that this country is not such a country as I have stated it to be, but that I have chosen a bad situation, and described it as a good one : this gives me a mean opiniou of Dr. Johnson. But it is the 124 interest of these speculators to fix you on their lands, and their proposals may be worthy your attention ; therefore as the distance is comparatively small from the eastern ports, I advise you to examine the thing for yourselves, or, at least, to obtain an account of it through honest hands. If you are poor, I would recommend you to find out some of the Susquehanna proprietors, who may possibly under- take to pay the charges of a journey thither, should you find Dr. Johnson's favourable report prove as false as I know his ifwfavourable to b«. I hear of advertisements in the daily papers inviting settlers; but why do annual thousands of New York and Pennsylvania farmers pass these eligible settlements, at their own doors, and make their way into the west, even as far as this place I I feel no anxiety as to the peopling of this neighbourhood; our prosperity is out of the reach of Mr. Cobbett and Dr. Johnson; but I think it right to offer these hints to your attention. It would be well for you to inform yourselves what the Emigrant Society consists of, which possesses so much good-will towards you. The preface to Dr. Johnson's book is called an address to you from this society, but it is not authenticated either by signature or date. It is probable, that the owners of the lands in question are the Emigrant Society. If so, you will understand the whole affair. M. BIRKBECK. Particular information respecting this settlement and modes of conveyance, may be learned by application to A. S. Pell, No. 476, Broadway.— (New York.) A late traveller observes, since Captains Lewis and Clark made their exploritory travels west of the Alleghany Moun- tains, other travellers have penetrated by far shorter and better roads; audit has been calculated, that, with some 12& little improvement of the road, M'aggons might travel from this Western Country to some of the head waters of the Missouri, with less trouble than they now cross the Alleghany Mountains from the Western States. EXTRACTS from SMITH's GEOGRAPHICAL VIEW of the PROVINCE of UPPER CANADA. DESCRIPTION OF THE DISTRICT OP LONDON, (UPPER CANADA.) This district is bounded east by Indian land, on Grand River, north by the wilderness, west by the western district at Detroit, and south by lake Erie, along the north shore of which it extends about 90 miles. The district of London is certainly much the best part of Canada. It is sufficiently level, very rich, and beautifully variegated with small hills and fertile vallies, through which flow a number of pe. -ly streams of almost the best water in the world. In this district there is a large quantity of natural plains, though not in very large bodies, and not entirely clear of timber. This land has a handsome appeai-ance, and affords fine roads and pasture in summer. Here the farmer has but little to do, only to fence his land, and put in the plough, which indeed requires a strong team at first, but afterwards may be tilled with one horse. These plains are mostly in the highest part of the ground, are very rich, and well adapted for wheat and clover. The surface of the earth in this district is almost entirely clear of stone ; it is of a sandy quality, (especially the plains) which renders it very easy for cultivation. This district is situated in the 41ot. degree, and 40 minutes of north lat. and is favoured with a temperate climate. The summers are siifficiently long to bring all the crops to perfection, if planted in season : indeed there is hardly •rw any kind of produce injured by the frost. 126 This is the best part of Canada for wheat, and, I heUctCf of any part of the world : from 20 to 35 bushels are com- monly gathered from one acre of ground, perfectly sounds and clear from smut. Corn thrives exceedingly well, ai also all other kinds of gi'ain. Apples, peaches, cherries, and all kinds of fruit common to the United States, flourish very well here- Wood-land sells from two to five dollars an acre. The titnber of ihis district consists of almost all kinds common to the United States. The inhabitants of this district enjoy a greater degree of health, than is common to observe in most places: but doubtless there are reasons for this, founded on natural principles, .and among which are the following : 1st. The inhabitants are, from their prosperous situation, exempt from the necessity of labouring too hard, and at the same time are called to a moderate share of industry, which promotes the health of the body and mind. 2d. Most of the people were poor when they first came to that province : of course had been accustomed to live on the necessities of life, and yet retain a wise moderation in eating and drinking, which also very much prevents the introduction of disease. 3d. The climate is quite temperate, and according to the observation of many who have lived in the place sixteen years, sudden changes from hot to cold, or cold to hot, is not so common as in most places in the United States, or Europe. The winter commences gradually, and goes oif in like manner. The snow in this district has never been known to be more than twenty inches deep, and generally not more than twelve. 4th. All the water in this distriet is clear from any foreign body, and of the lightest order ; most of the people make use of springs or brooks, which are in great plenty, and are clear and cool nine months in the year : neither s^e 127 they very often made muddy by rain, the land through which they run being of a sandy quality. oth The soil being of a sandy quality, as observed above naturally produces sound and sweet grain, and vegetables' the using of which very much promotes the health of the consumer. 6th. The people of this Canadian paradise are more con- tented in their situation of life, than is common to observe m most places, which also very much preserves the health of man while a contrary disposition tends to destroy it. This district is divided into three counties, viz. Norfolk, ^nddlcsex and Oxford, and twenty-five townships, all o which I will describe in a brief manner Norfolk County lies in the south east part of the district, joming the shore of the Lake Erie, and is divided into nine townships, generally nine miles wide, where they join on the lake shore, and twelve miles in length towards ine north. Township, are as follow .-Walpole, Ramham, Wood- ho«.e Charlotteville, Walsmgha,„, Ho«gh.„„, Middleton, Wmdham, Townsend. Oxford County is situated north of Norfolk and Mid- dlesex, towards the heads of the Thames and Grand Hirers, and is divided into six townships, about twelve miles square, viz. Burford, Blenheim, Oxford, Norwich Dierham, Blenford. Middlesex County lies directly south west of Norfolk joining the lake shore, and is exceeding rich, well watered' With a number of fine streams, is level, and almost entirely c ear of stone. The common growth of timber is bass black and white walnut, with hickory, maple, and oak. , ' It IS not more than two years from the time I write April, 1812, since this country has been open for settle- ment, of course it cannot be expected that there are many 128 water-works, mechanics, or the like : I therefore shall omit naming the .iumber in any Township, but proceed to name the Townships, and on what terms this excellent land may be obtained. This County is divided into ten Townships : those lying on the lake shore are Mahhide, Bayham, Southold, Yar- mouth, and Dunwich : those on the north part are Dor- chester, Westminster, Deleware, Winchester, and Marl- borough. The land is exceeding rich in t^iese Townships, and the surface more level than is corjuion, there being no signs of trees having been formerly turn'^d up by the roots here or anywhere on f ^ Avest side of the Grand River. Some few years ago there was a road opened by the government eight miles from the shore of Lake Erie, parallel with the same, about fiftj miles long, as also one on the lake shore, and another from the middle to the north. On both sides of these roads lots of 200 acres of laud have been given to settlers by the King, and now may be obtained by any person, on the following terms. First. Every person that wants a lot of 200 acres (for no one can get more from the King) must take the oath of allegiance to his majesty before some of his majesty's justices of the peace, a certificate of which he must procure. Secondly, he must then go to CJol. Thomas Talbert, now agent for the King respecting the land, who lives on the place, and shew him the certificate of the oath, and inform him of tlf '.rilx tc obtain a lot for settlement, who will point out thosf; *^,> ' i;/. not eng f,ed ; they may then take their choice. Thirdly.— They must then pay to Col. Talbert, or some other proper person, thirty-seven dollars and half, for which a receipt is given. Fourthly. — ^They then must within the term of two years. 129 cleaf fit for cultivation, and fence ten acres of the lot obtained, build a house 16 by 20 feet, of logs (or frame) with a shingle .-oof, also cut down all the timber in front of, and the whole width of the lot, (which is 20 chains) 133 feet wide, 33 feet of which must be cleared smooth, and left for half of the public road. Fifthly.—They must, with or without a family, be actual settlers on the said lot, within and at the end of two years. When all the things are done (no matter how soon) Col. Talbert will give thera a certificate of the same, which they must take to the Land Office in York, upon which they will get a deed for the said lot, which is a deed of gift from the King. The 37 1-2 dollars called the fees, is what necessarily arises as an expense from the surveying and -iving it out. Tn the spring of 1812 there were 600 lots taken up for setdement, and were then 400 more to be disposed of by government, beside* about 300 in the possession o<" Col. Talbert to be sold at private sale. The settlers of these lots are almost altogether natives of the United States. .mil ; iM , GENEFAL REMARKS ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL STATE OF THE WHOLE PROVINCE. Situation and e:,tent.~.The province of Upper Canada lies between 4lo and 40 minutes and 47° north latitude, and extends along the northern banks of the river St. Law- rence, the lakes Ontario and Erie, and the water communi- cation from lake Superior about 700 miles, and is 600 miles wide, according to an imaginary line that divides it from New Britain on the north. The line that divides it from the lower province begins in latitude 45 at lake Francisco, I 2 iU4 130 and takes a north west course hy lake Tomis, canting until it meets the imaginary line just mentioned. The line that divides the upper province from the United States commences near the above lake, and is a ground line a considerable distance, some distance above the St. Regis village of Indians : then through the middle of the river St. Lawrence to the beginning of lake Ontario, thence through the middle of it to the out-let of lake Erie, then through the middle of the out-let to the beginning of the said lake, then through the middle of it to the head near Detroit, so through the middle of the water communications and lakes St. Clair, Huron, Superior, Long Lake, and Lake of the woods: thencj a due west course to the head waters af the Mississippi river. Soil ana Surface. — There are no mountains in the pro- vince of Upper Canada, and but very few hills of any con- siderable height : yet the country is not of a clear level, but affords enough of small hills and high bodies of groiiud to render it agreeable to the eye, and convenient for cultiva- tion, buildings, water works, &c. «^-c. The mountain, slope, or sudden rise of ground, which divides the waters of Lake Erie from Lake Ontario, begins (I know not how far) north west from the head of Lake Ontario, or what is called Burlington Bay, it cxtcndj arrund the head of the Bay, a south east course, tJien an easterly course near the south shore of Lake Ontario, (one or two miles) till near and where it crosses the outlet of Lake Erie, where it is fifteen miles to *he south of Ontario. This rise towers in some places five hundred feet high, almost perpendicular; abounding with craggy rocks; but in general, is not moro than two hundred and fifty or three hundred fc^t, and tlien the ascent is very gradual, mostly in the form of an English summer garden, with natural offsets about five hundred yards wide : there are commonly two 131 of these offsets. On these offsets are plantations M/ith ml habitants, who have very extensive and beautiful prospects, especially those who reside on the top. Here the eye can gaze with pleasure on all the fertile fields below, and has an unbounded view of the Lake Ontario, to the north east and some of the northern shore. On the top of this rise of ground, the whole country is level, fertile, and beautiful, no hill to descend or rise. Nearly all the waters on the south side of this slope run into Lake Erie; though there are a few that find their way through the slope, and afford fine falls for water works. What is callod the 20, the 30, and 40 mile creeks, go through the slope and afford excellent falls, on which there are famous water works at present. A considerable part of this slope is composed of craggy limestone rock, particularly the steep parts, and from which flow a great number of fine springs and brooks, which water the fertile plains beloir. South west of the Niagara Falls, about 30 miles, and not far from the close of Lake Erie, there are « hat are called the short hills. Some of these have the form of litUe niountaiuf., though none of them ar3 high or hard of ascent, and may be cultivated nearly all over. The hills are quite rich. All along and not far from the north shore of Lakfr Ontario, the ground rises tolerably sudden and considerably high, after which the country to the north is level enough. There are few stotie on the surface of the ground, in any part of the province, and on the west side of the Grand River there is no stone at all, worth naming; yet there are enough beneath the surface ahnost everywhere, and in many places limestone is plenty. The soil of the province of Upper Canada is exceeding good in every part, yet if possible it is the best in the upper f fell -I i I ll t 1 132 part, west and south west of the Bay Quantie, around the north shore and head of Lake Ontario, and the west side of the Grand River, in the London district already de- scribed. The lower part of the province is sand and clay mixed ; from the head of the Ttay Qaantie to the head of Lake Ontario, it is altogether a black, light, rich mould, in most places seven inches deep, after which it is brown clay. On the Grand River or Indian Land, and in the London district, the soil is sand, brown loam, and clay. Natural Production. — The timber of the lower part of the province is chiefly hemlock, birch, and beach. That of the middle part, or from the beginning of Lake Ontario to the head, is chiefly beach, sugar maple, and white pine. On and west of the Grand River the chief of the timber is white pine. Elm, bass, black walnut, and the different oaks, chesnut, and the like; indeed, in this part of the pro- vince are found all the varieties in the United States ; also some of the trees of the balm of Gilead — one of a majestic appearance stands 24 miles west of Niagara, on the main road. In the lower part of the province there is but little of any kind of wild fruit, but in the middle part there are several sorts, particularly hnckleberries and rice. In th« western part there are a great variety of wild fruits, and are the following : — cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, sarvssberries, wild potatoes, which were exceeding useful to the first inhabitants, strawberries, plums -^f a very good sort, as also a great quantity of the best crab apples I ever saw, which the inhabitants of new settlements use by preserving with the molit.'-ses of pumpkins. Agriculturi: — In the lower part of the province, there are raised considerable quantities of wheat, oats, and peas. In the middle part, wheat, rye, oats, peas, hemp, flax, and some corn. In the western parts the product is wheat, which tlirives better here tlun in other parts ; rye, oais, 133 and coini, come to great perfection, as "Iso buck-wheat. All kiiids of roots aud vegetables flourish vyell in auy part of the province, but especially in the west. Apples come to perfection in any part of the province, though peaches can- not be raised in the lower end, but do exceeding welt within 300 miles of the west end of the province, as also cherries, pears, plums, apricots, and the like. All kinds of tame cattle do well in any part of the pro- vince, but especially horned cattle and sheep thr'^e well, and are exceeding healthy. Bees do exceeding well on Lake Erie, and are plenty in tlie woods. Climate. — ^The climate of the Upper Province is tem- perate, especially near tlie head of Lake Ontario, and on west joining the shore, or of Lake Erie. All tliis part of the province lies in the same latitude as from New York to- Springfield in Connecticut, yet as it is several degrees to the west, it is warmer than tlie weather in the same latitude east. It is also evident, from the experience and journal of several discerning persons, that have lived nearly twenty years in this part of Canada, that the weatlier does not change fid often and sudden, from heat to cold, and cold to heat, as in most other places ; nor are the seasons of wet and dry 80 extreme as they are in the United ('^^pecially the soath- em) States. The showers of rain are moderate and plenti- l\il, owing perhaps to the bounty of heaven, and the multitnde- of fine lakes of water with which the province abounds. The air of the lower part of the province is rather too sharp in the winter, yet truly salubrious and healthy ; the ftir in the Upper p«rt, 4 or 600 miles to the south west, is quite pleasant. What is a little remarkable, bui which is tm© according to a diary of the weather which I kept for two years, the wind blew more than two thirds of the winter or for four months, from the west, but hardly ever from the ■1^ •'A . ' i I t 134 north or north west ; yet in summer it blew almost con- stantly from the north. All the snow storms in Canada come from the north east, and the coldest winds from the south east and south. Rain storms come from the north and north west. When the western part of the horizon is red, at the set- ting of the sun, it forbodes foul weather for the next day. In the upper part of this province, in the summer time, there is a continual though moderate gale of wind, similar to that in the State of Georgia ; occasioned, perhaps, by thflt many lakes of water : this being the case, the hottest days are rendered pleasant. Hurricanes or tornadoes have not been seen in Canada since it has been settlod by white peo- ple. Yet there is every appearance of them on all the north shore of Lake Ontario having once raged with great fury, as all the timber has been torn up by the roots, from supposition about 600 years ago. Commerce. — The commerce of the upper province has of late years been considerable, and of groat benefit to the in- habitants as well as to Great Britain. Within eight years, the exports of both provinces have amounted to about two millions and a half of dollars, though the greatest part of these exports belong to the upper province. It appears that there were exported from both provinces, in the years 1802-3-4-5, 1,012,000 bushels of wheat each year on an average, 40,000 barrels of flour, and 34,000 weight of biscuit, besides much potash, timber, fur, I ™ i ' ; « ^. 152 ■ some beauty, the inhabitants of which carry on a consi- derable trade from the lake. Turkey-Point is situated about 60 miles of Fort Erie, on the lake shore in the district of London, a little east of Long Point. It stands in a beautiful place, adjoining an excellent country of land, and has a handsome court-house and jail. Port-Talbert lies 64 miles farther to the south west on the lake shore. It has been laid out about three years, and bids fair for a considerable village. It has a fine harbour for shipping. Malden. — This fort and village is situate at the south- west end or head of Lake Erie, 14 miles south of Detroit. It is a pleasant place, though not large. The fort here is strong. Sandwich is situated still up the river, opposite Detroit, .-id ig a handsome village, of considerable age, inhabited principally by French, who settled this country 103 years ago. There are severf>' other villages in the province not imme- diately on the water, which are of considerable size and beauty ; but those already named are the principal. Settlements. — In the lower part of this province, the settlements do not extend back or north from the River St. Lawrence. Above Kingston, the settlements extend from Lake Ontario, (counting the peninsula between the lake and the Bay Quantie, which in some places is 10, and iu others 30 miles wide) 50 miles. Above the head of the bay, on the lake shore, for about 100 miles, the settlements do not extend more than six miles from the lake. North from York, the settlements extend farther back, particu- larly on what is called Yonge Street, which runs a due north course to Lake Simcoe. On both sides of this street the farms are thick and well improved, the soil being very good, although the climate is not so favourable as it is fartlier 153 to the south west. From York, west along the lake shore, there are but small settlements on the shore for 20 miles ; after which, what is called Dundas Street, four miles from the shore, is thickl j settled on both sides for 20 miles ; as also between this and the lake it is thinly inhabited, although this has not been settled more than six years from the pre- sent date (1812.) Above 10 or 15 miles, at the head of Burlington Bay, is what is called Goot's Paradise. It is fine, rich, sandy plains, thickly settled seven miles from the shore, to the foot of the slope already named ; and on the top, west and north west for 16 miles, there are fine settlements in two townships —East and West Flambeau. Farther south around the head of Lake Ontario, or more particularly Burlington Bay, the settlements are thick, ex- tending west sixteen miles. About 40 miles up the Grand River is a thick settlement of Dutch, in Brant's township. Still to the east, ae the road leads to Niagara, the settle- ments are thick near the shore of Lake Ontario. After pne gets thirty miles east of the head of Burlington Bay, and 20 from Niagara, the settlements of an old date are made, and pretty thick, all the way across from lake to lake, which is more than 30 miles. From the thick settle- ment west of the head of Lake Ontario, towards the London district, the inhabitants are thin for twenty miles, through the tract of land belonging to the six nations of Indians. The settlements in the London district have already been described. The settlements in the west end of the province are chiefly on the St. Lawrence, on its course through Huron and St. Clair. Civil Division. — The province of Upper Canada is divided into eight districts, 24 counties, and 166 townships, generally about 12 miles square. These townships are sur- veyed into concisions, the width of the township in f ont towards the lake, and one mile and a quarter wide, back III 154 from the lake to the north, but in some places they are not more than three quarters of a mile wide. Each township is divided into 14 concisions, the whole of which make 2184. These concisions are subdivided into 24 lots of 200 acres each, the whole of which amounts to 32,416, which number, multiplied by 200, will produce 10,483,200, the number of acres surveyed in the province, besides considerable, called broken fro' ", not yet surveyed, granted to those who owned land in the rear thereof. It may not be amiss to remark here, that in every direction from the lands now surveyed there are great quantities of wild or unsurveyed land, which is equally as good as that now improved. Betwecsn every concision there are four roods left for the public road, and also between every fourth lot, which is one quarter of a mile wide. Districis. — Of these there are eight, as already noted. The Eastern District is situated at the north-east end of the province, joining the St. Lawrence and Ottoways River. It is in the coldest and most unpleasant part of the province, the land being sandy, cold, and stony, in general producing peas, potatoes, oats, and some wheat. Most of the inhabitants arc Scotch and French. The District of Johnstown lies up farther on the River St. Lawre ace, and will bear nearly the same description as the other, but is something better. The Midland District lies from a little below Kingston, up west to the head of Bay Quantic, comprehending that beautiful peninsula between the Bay and the Lake. This district is large, and thick settled with rich farmers. The land is very fertile, producing wheat in abundance, also apples and other summer fruit. The bay, and the several rivers that run into it, afford plenty of fish. Newcastle District extends from the head of the Bay Quantie, 50 miles to the south-west, along the shore of the 155 lake, and is divided into two counties, Northumberland and Durham. This district is well watered, rich, though a little hilly, and more stony than any other. Home District is still farther up the lake, and is divided into two counties, York and Simcoe. It is large, and tolerably thick settled ; it has an abundance of white pine upon it, and a number of beautiful streams of water. Niagara District is situated bv»uth of Home and the lake, in the peninsula between the two lakes. Tt is very large, and divided into two counties, Lincoln and Haldeman. The latter is on the Grand River, in possession of the Six Nations of Indians, already named. The County of Lincoln lies in the east part of the penin- sula, joining on the outlet of Lake Erie, and is divided into 25 townships, all which are tolerably thick settled, and well improved, though not so well watered as other districts. London Disti ict has been already described. Western District is situated at the west end of the pro- vince, joining the River St. Lawrence, as it comes from Lake Superior to the head of Lake Erie ; it is large and rich, and some part tolerably well improved : it affords fine plains, and has been settled by the French more than 100 years. It is divided into two counties, Essex and Kent. King's Roads. — When the upper province was first settled, the people laboured under considerable disadvantages for the want of roads : nor could it be expected that the inhabi- tants could open any of great extent, as the timber in most places is heavy, and they had as much as they could do to clear land to raise enough produce to support their families. Yet the opening of roads was necessary, and the king knew that this could not be effected by the people without his assistance. He therefore gave large sums of money to be laid out for that purpose, and for a number of years past, nearly the whole amount of the revenues of the province, ^' Wl 156 H| which is the king's money, amounting to 5,000 pounds, ha# been laid out in opening and repairing of the pubhc high- ways. This, with the statute labour, which the inhabitants : '' every township perform, is the means of making tolerable good roads in almost every part of the province. There u no toll taken for passing on any road or bridge in the province. What is called the king's roads or highways are four roods wide, and lead in the directions now to be described : there is one road that leads from Montreal, which is in the lower province, up the river St. Lawrence, near the bank on the north side, through Cornwall village to Prescott, so on to Brockvills and Kingston; from hence there are several roads which lead dilTerent ways, though they aie opened by the inhabitants, except one which is the king's, and extends up towards the south west about twenty miles, when it divides into two. One crosses the Bay Quantie, and extends nearly through the middle of the peninsula to the head. The other turns to the right, and extends up the bay on th« north side, through the Mohawk's or Indian land, crosses Myer's Creek and the river Trent, where it empties into the Bay Quantie, extends a few miles to the south, and joins with the other on the carrying place. From hence it leads on through woodland (thinly settled) by Presqu'isle Harbour, for about fifteen miles, when the country appears more improved, and the road tolerably good. Within about sixty miles of York the road is bad, as the ground is very rich and so!t, and but thinly settled ; and about 46 miles from York, there i wo roads — one extends along the lake shore, and is the best — the other leads abont eight miles to the north ; but they meet again at what is called Lion's Creek and Tavern. For nearly thirty miles to York, there is but one road (and that quite bad) till within nine miles of the city. From York there is one 167 road which extends 40 miles a due north course, to LaliC Sinicoe: this road in most places, is tolerably good. The other tocku. extends up the Lake shore 16 miles to the River Credit, where it leaves the shore a little to the north, and ex- tends to the head of the Lake ; this road is not very good. Two miles from York, on the road which leads to Siracoe, called Yonnge's Street, another road leads out, extending to the bead of the Lake called Dundas Street, which is completely straight for 260 miles to the river Thames, near Detroit. Although it is not passable in all places, yet where it is not opened, there are other roads near by, which lead the sai way, and enter it »gain. Where it crosses the Grand r, over which there is a good bridge, three miles above t jC Mohawk village of Indians, there is another road turns to the south, through beautiful, sandy, and dry plains, to Turkey Point, near Long Point, in Lake Erie, which is thirty-five miles. This road extends up the Lake shore to Port Talbert, although it is not passable the whole way. From Fort Erie, two miles below the ferry at Black Rook, there extends a road up the shore of Lake Erie, more than twenty miles, and another eighteen miles, down to the Niagara Falls — here it divides : one extends to the west through the Beaver Dams, towards the head of Ontario, up the stream of the twenty milk creek to a little village called Aswago, and on the main road from Niagara to Grand River. This is a tolerable good road. From the Falls another extends down the Niagara river by Queenston to Fort George : from hence there is a good road up and near the Lake shore for forty-five miles, when it turns to the south over the mountain, and connects with the one just noticed. Forty miles from N iagara, at what is called the Fifty Mile Creek, one road turns to the right, ^d crosses the beach already mentioned, between the he d of the Lake, through what is called the Black ii 158 l.ake and Burlington Bay, towards York. There if also a road that extends from Queenston towards tlte Swamp, and joins viith the one from Niagara, about ten miles from it, a litlie short of the Twelve Mile Creek at Shipman's Tavern. These are all theking^s roads or public highways : yet there are many more roads throughout all the province, which lead in every direction, and many of them are very good and convenient. Bearmga and Distancea of Places. — From Montreal to Prescott (100 miles,) the river has a strong current, and some dangerous rapids. It cannot be passed with ships, though large rafts and boats of considerable burthen pass it in safety. The village and fort of Prescott are on the north bank of the St. Lawrence, opposite to the river Oswegatchie, wr the old garrison at Ogdensburg. The St. Lawrence is two miles wide here, and has a fmall current. Sixty-five miles further up the river, stands Kingston, near the bottom of Lake Ontario, nearly opposite (though ^ '■•tie to the east of) Sackett's Harbour. The .lane r\ ^ne to another, on a straight line, is 27 milet iiw>t&' the nearest way that can be passed by land on the r> x x.id a bad one) is 34 miles, and thirty six by water or ice. Seventy-five miles from Kingston is situated Prcsqulsle Harbour, already noted. It is nearly opposite the mouth of the Oswego river on the United States' side. The Lake is sixty-seven miles wide here, but has been crossed in sevon hours. One hundred miles from this harbour, up the Lake, standi York, nearly opposite Niagara, though a little to the north west, on a straight line. The distance from one to the other is thirty-four miles, but by land ground the head of L;»k» Ontario, it is ninety miles. Niagara, sometimes called 150 Niewark, is opposite Niagara Fort, on the UniteU States' side, the river i8 1200 yards wide h«^re. Queemton stands seven miles farther np the river on the same side, close to the foot of the mountiin already hdtcd, and opposite to Lewis Town, on the Unitctl States' side ; from which there is a good road to Uatavia, an east course. Chippeway, a small village at the mouth of a stream of fhe same name; is two miles ahove the Falls, and 10 from iiueenston. Erie stands opposite to Black Rock, on the United States* side. Here the river is 1700 yards wide. From this place np the shore of Lake Erie for 80 miles there are no villageg or forts, as the country is but little improved, especially about the middle of the above distance, at the mouth of the Grand Iliver, which is in the posses- sion of the Indians, as already noted. About 60 miles of this distance, on the lake shore, there is no rond: though, in the year 1811, commissioners were appointed to lay out one. Turkey- Point, near Long- Point, is 100 miles from Fort George, and nearly 200 below Maiden. It is opposite Presqu'isle, and Erie, on the United States' side, at the comer of the throe states, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio. Maiden is near the head of Lake Erie, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence, as it comes from Lake Superior. Sandwich stands 11 miles up the river, opposite to Potroit, where it is 900 yards wido. From Sandwich to the beginning of Lake St. Clair it is 12 miles ; and 40 more through that lake; it is 40 more to Lake Hurrt, tithe proctors and surveyors, continually obstructing the progress of agriculture, and exciting contentions and law suits to an extent, for which all the preaching of clergy in England cannot present an equivalent, or balance the evii produced by a worldly and avaricious priesthood. America has none of those costly ornaments, or beautiful monuments of oppression. — The episcopalian clergy, in this country, are chosen by the people, and supported according to their respective merits ; and, I may say, they arc as well as other sects, ** labourers worthy of their hire." TRAVELLING. As to travelling, it has its conveniences and incon- veniences. You dine at a fixed hour, as in England, and you have abuudaace of provisions of every kind the country I-' V 180 affords : the beds i^enerally cleaniy, as yoii travel westward; the many bedded rooms are not the most agreeable ; the little expense of separating rooms vould prevent many evils; but as civilization advances, this will be prevented. As to the general character of the Americans, it is sober, industrious, and hospitable, although drunkenness, idleness, and gaming, are vices in existence, but by no means so conspicuous as in England. The American notion of liberty and equality is highly gratifying to me. — The master, or employer, is kept within the bounds of reason and decency towards his labourer ; no curses, or oaths towards their servants, or helps, as they choose to call themselves ; (for every one who takes money or wages is, after all, a servant:) he obeys all reasonable orders for his remuneration ; and when this obedience ceases, the contract of service is at aii end. LEXINGTON. In respect to this place, twenty-five years since, it was trodden only by the foot of the savage ; now it contains above 3000 inhabitants. A college, with 140 students; its professors chosen purely for their talent, and of any sect in religion. — To the hospitality and kindness of the inhabi- tants I shall ever be grateful. Their politeness and libe- rality are perhaps unequalled. — Jialls, at which the fair sex are never allowed to share any expense — an Atheneum, and a considerable Museum, tiie benefits of which the stranger is invited to partake, gratis, may be mentioned as not cus- tomary in England. — At Tea-parties, I have known col- lected from 1 to 200 persons. Thus, you see, instead of being in continual broils, and exposed to the insults of rude Americans, I have received nothing but civility and hos- pitality, in the course of my journey through America, that is, from New York to Pittsburg by land ; nor from thence down the Ohio to Louisville, a distance of GOO miles by water, and 500 by land. HARMONY, is worth visiting, MORAVIAN SETTLEMENT. It is worth visiting, to see and observe the effect of united industry, regulated by sound wisdom and discretion; here perfect equality prevails; no servants, but plenty of persons who serve. Every man has his station appointed lum, according to his ability ; and all have their wants sup- plied, according to their wishes. They do not forbid mar- riage, as some have said. They ha\e also an aversion to 181 bear arms, which would not allow them to remain in Ger- many, (their founders being of that country) as such caused them to emigrate and live in the manner they haf'C adopted. «hich certainly has the appearance of conteut- ment and happiness—every log-house is surronnded by a well cultivated garden, abundantly supplied williveget^ables, and ornamented with flowers. Besides tbe gardens of mUi- ▼iduals, there is a public garden of five acres ; the outside gquare planted with fruit trees and vegetables, the mside with herbs, medicinal and botanical. In the cemre is a rotunda of the rustic kind, standing in the midst ot a labyrinth, which exhibits more taste then I supposed to be found amongst the Harmonites. It is from this hive of industry, that Albion and its vicinity have drawn their supplies, and its contiguity to such neighbours has beeu of great advantage. ALBION. I must now proceed to give you an account of our friends, and the English Settlement in general. I have great satis- faction to be able to inform you, that almost every individual I knew in England was much improved in appearance, ail enjoying excellent health. If I may judge from six week s stay, I think this to be as healthy a spot as any America affords, and preferable to any in the Eastern States. What travellers have recorded, that the thermometer does not rise so high as in the east, is true, and we are seldom without a breeze— the nights are cool, the thermometer dropping 10 degrees, and you can obtain refreshing sleep. Tfee average of our days are from 80 to 86— we have had it at 90, which produced a thunder gust, and a cooler ataios- phere ; in the eastern states it is at 1)8 in the day, and 96 during the night. As to the advantages of Emigration to America, and the comparative advantages of the eastern and western climates, I prefer the west, on account of the prai- ries, (meadows,) and the facility with which they are cul- tivated ;— there I can enter, either as a farmer or grazier, im- mediately : fine wide spreading fields of grass, inviting cattle of all kind. As to the present mode of farming, I sit, and from the place I am now writing, see a beautiful herd of cattle, of nearly 200 in number. I have a hundred tims of fine hay, collected for spring provision. Every head of cattle, the expense of herdsmen deducted, on a moderate ealculation, promises a fair profit of at least fi\e dollars per head: notwithstanding Mr. Cobbett's assertion, that " there is no farming in the west!" and " the obstruction by bush 18i and br I )nar to prevent cultivation," yet I can put the plouelr into thousands ot acres, where tliere is no such obstruction. JJnc gentleman, m our settlement, has grown 80 acres of hue corn, although he only arrived last year ; there is alsa a sufhciency of corn and grain, grown this first harvest, to supply the wants of the settlement: next year there will be a surplus for brewing or distilling. Now, as to persons who come here, or to any other part ot America, I would have them to consider, for what pur- pose or intent they emigrate. It is certain, as regards larming, that there are only two ways in which it can be performed : the one, labouring by the hands ; the other by Jus capital, stocking his farm, and hiring his labourers. It IS folly to tell a person, if he bring witli him ^100, he can place himself m comfort ; but it is certain, that £WX) here will go as fur as .£500 in EngJand, and as such, that person IS hve times better off than in that country. He may enter his quarter section of land, build his cabin,- enclose his garden, and keep his cows and pigs ; but then he must be a man of that description, who has been in the habit of milk- ing his cows and tending his pigs : all such will find great advantage by emigrating to this place. Every farmer, who can stock a farm in England, may here become the pro- prietor of his own soil, with less capital than what would only afford him a tenant's station, a precaTious subsistence in his own country ; an inducement, I should think, sufficient to make thousands follow our steps, and taste the blessings of independence and sweets of liberty. Let all who are bending under the weight of taxation, and trembling at the approach of every quarter-day, come here and partake of ease and abundance. It has been reported that we can get no servants ; this is true, in a degree, because the price of service is such, as soon to elevate the servant to a state of independence : but I have found no want of persons to work for hire, even in domestic stations : those that are most wanted are farming labourers: good ploughmen are in request, and can obtain twelve dollars per month and their board ; female servants, from eight to ten dollars, according to their respective merits ; these are in request : and what perhaps is still more pleasing, their industry is the certain road to marriage — most of which are engaged that way, and if we lose good servants, we have the happiness to see them well settled. Now as to the state and progress of >ur settlement — on a tract of land, from the little Wabash to the Bonpar, qh the 183 Great Wabash, about 17 miles in width, and 4 to 6 from N. to S. there were but a few hunter's cabins, a year and a half since, and now there are about sixty English families, containing nearly 400 souls; and 150 American, of 700 souls ; who like the English, and are good neighbours. We have nothing here like loneliness. Industry here has its ample reward : here you will escape the tax-gatherer and tithe-collector, also the frightful system of Pauperism. From New York to this place I had but one application for relief, and that was from an Englishman. I have mentioned a scarcity of servants ; this arises much from Emigrants bringing out with them a better sort, or confidential servants : the only sort wanting are females, who can work in the kitchen, milk the cow, and attend the dairy. All above this class can earn too high wages by the needle. A good sempstress earning a dollar per day, will soon quit servitude. Log-houses are no longer erected. I have had the plea- sure of laying the first brick foundation in Albion : it is for an lun, where travellers will find rest and comfort, free from insects. We have also completed our market-house, which is GO feet by 30. A place of worship is began. Religion, 1 mean the outward form, has not been unattended to. The Americans think all who take money for preaching hireling ministers, and several well-intentioned farmers preach to small assemblies in the neighbourhood. All sects Vill be tolerated ; and in our place of worship, will also be a library, for the benefit of the inhabitants, and open on a 8imday afternoon, as all persons then have leisure to read, and are clean in their persons and dress. Some may doubt the propriety of this proceeding ; but what will promote moral and intellectual improvement, and keep men from the vices of idleness and drinking, is justified by him who put the question, " Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath?" The price of provisions here is as follows : — A fine Turkey, J-dollar.— Fowls, 12 cents each.— Beef, 4 to 5 cents per lb.— Mutton, none yet at Market.— Eggs, 12 i cents per dozen. — Cheese, 30 cents pier lb.— Butter, scarce, W cents per lb. — Bacon, 15| cents in the winter. — Flour, 9 dollars per barrel.— Deer— a fine fat Buck, from 1 to IJ dollar, including skin.— Melons, plenty.— Honey, 1 dollar per gallon.— Whiskey, 1 dollar per gallon.— Fine Hyson Tea, 2 dollars per lb.— Moist Sugar, 31 cents.— Coffee, 62 «ents; wholesale from New Orleans, much cheaper.— Fish, 3 cents.— From the above we leave you to 184 judge of tlie danger of starving, as some interested writers have hinfed.— I would not for the world invite perpons, no, not a single individual, if I did not think that his happines* would he increased : it may he said that I am an interested person, and so are those who take such pains to nrev •.„ persons from coming west-vard.— Emigration from c. c Eastern States has already reduced the price of land the . ■ United Stales, October 1819. Notwithstanding the sorry relation w hich has been given respecting the distresses said to exist in America by our Ministerial Journalists, with an intent to damp the ardour of Emigration, and direct its course to the Cape of Good Hope.; (a place, by the by, which has not a tithe of the advaniagt's, to be found either in the United States, or the British Canadas,) and although want of trade and com- merce did exist to a certain extent there, it was but of a temporary nuture, and occasioned solely by their with- drawing from circulation a fatae capital (paper currency) then afloat, which has been the means of reducing the price of labour, also of every necessary article of consumption to a wholesome medium, without that Millstone* hanging to it which we have— a National Debt and Excessive Taxaiiou. The following Extract from Mr.Cobbett's Letter addressed to Lord Liverpool will fully ilhistrate the above statement. " luthe L'nited States of America, there is nothing of that ot even a newly arrived Irish emigrant, under three quarters of a dollar a day. Thus, then, the labourer at New York coidd obtaiu the price ot more tlian ten pomids of pork for every day that be chose to work Doe. your Lordship call this distress^ Would to God that once happy England exhibited to the world such marks ot misery and wretchedness ! „ , t. ,■ i • „* " But, we are told, that many of the English emigrants have returned back. I took the pains to ascertain the facts relative to this measure before my departure tor England; and! state upon authority of the best kmd. that out of seven-and-twenty thousand who, during Uie l««t tweW^ months, have arrived at the port of New York ii-om the Kine's European dominions, eleven hundred only have re- firned; and, which is a thing wholly overlooked, great numbers of these are men who, after having exammed the country, have returned back in order to take out their wives, children, and relations, two men of which description were on board the ship in which I came home. However it is not so very surprising that there should be one out oi t iirty. who, iappening to arrive in the heat of the summer, should take fridit and return. There are the caprices and the hankerings of women to be attended to. There are divers circumstances which would cause a return ot one out of thirty, without leaving room tor any sensible man to draw, from such return, any conclusion unfavouraHe to the general state of that country. , The advantages which America presents to persons who are wholly out of trade or business, and who wish to live at their ease, and still to preserve their tdrtunes lor their Sren ire so great, that a person who has "ot actually witnessed tliem, can hardly believe m their retdity. In a Tat eount y hiuse, at the distance of from three to ten miles onhecity of New York, a family, of moderate size may be rn^Sed in the style becoming a gentleman, tor a less sum ^nuSly than the assessed taxes and the poor-rates paid by ■ 186 such a family in England. The n.anner of living, too, is m widely diflerent. From seven hundred to nine hundred Uoliars, that is to say, about two hundred pounds, will give a man a good country house, garden, pasture, orchard, tlenty of space for horses and cows, with coach-house. stables, and all sorts of conveniences, no^forgetting dogs and sports of the field ; not less than a pair of hortes, with one or two convenient carriages ; with a great variety of meat, fowl and hsh. with wines of all sorts; and. if he chooses London porter, if he does not like the beer that is made in the country, and which is better than the London porter. Uaret at an Lnglish seven-pence a bottle ; Port-wine at an Lnghsh shUIing; Madeira wine in the same proportion; French brandy at about a dollar and a half a gallon; and the common spirits of the country are actually to be bought at about twenty English pence a gallon, that is to say, four English quarts, or eight Englisl pints. While every article oi dress, common to Engla-ul. is (all except the labour be- stowed m the making it) cheaper than in England, and while the silks and lace from France, and the silks and beautiful dresses that come from India and China are sold at a rate so cheap as to make the hue main-street at New York surpass, as to the brilliancy of female dresses, any of the ball-rooms that are ever to be seen in England, with the exception of those where aristocracy brings forth its family triukets into play. The finest streets in London ; the malls the parks, the gardens are, as to female dresses, a scene of meanness and shabbiness, compared to Broad-way iu .New Y ork. "^ ^ "This, my Lord, is the real state of a commercial town in America; and which commercial town, too. had, at the very tiMie that I am speaking of, experienced a moustrous deal ot thai sort ot distress, which had put the dis )unting and accommodation gentlemen to flight, and had. thanks be to (,od. shut nany of their shops up forever. But, i.s to the country, as to the farmers of which America i.. wholly almost composed; as to the workuig people all through Sha country what distress had they f Canadas are H.oond to no part of this vast continent. Near Quebec, it must be confessed, the air is rigorous ; but proceeding towards Upper Canada, the climate may be denominated European, rimilar lo that of the provinces on the Rhine With respect, however, even to Quebec, it is no mean argiiment for its general salubrity, that the mother- country has adopted it for the seat of government : which, most assuredly, would not have been the case, had the winters been as severe as some intereated writers Lave asserted. The grape-vine grows wild in both provinces and always comes to maturity, a circumstance which docs not occur in very rigorous climates: indeed, both tbe 188 Canadas abound with trees, shruhs, plants, herbs, and beautiful foliage, common to climates which are never deemed otherwise than temperate. Melons come to ma- turity in the open gardens. During the summer months, there are times when the heat is considerable ; but it is 'at no time what can be fairly called scorching. The rapid progress of vegetation, during those montbs, is almost beyond credibility. Upper Canada, it is true, may with greater propriety bo termed English ; the English language being generally spoken here, which is not the case in the Lower Province. It has been frequently styled tlie Garden of North America: but both the provinces, as to soil, scenery, commerce, trade, and government, have a great atlinity to each other. The principal towns in the Upper Province are K.ugston, York, Xewari-", and Am hurst burgh. York is the capital : it is seated on the Lake Ontario. It should not, however, he concealed, that no part of America offers an asylum for indolence. Every where it requires much active industry, much patient perseverance, to form an establishment, particularly in agricultural pur- suits, on lands hitherto in a state of nature. With these pre-requisites, and a capital of from o£400 to ot'lOOO, few people in Canada will fail of their object, who have enii- gratt d for the purpose of employing tlieir talents, and their capital, in th.' acquirement of a iously prepare; for cul i- 189 ration, may be bought from £\50 to i?200. In tbe town- ships, which are very extensive, and in many parts not more than fifty or eighty miles from the city of Montreal, the great emporium of the' Canadas, farms may be bought on the above tei lus. Land in a state of nature may be bousiht for from ten shillings to two pounds per acre, at a credit of from five to ten years, p tying six per cent, interest to the owner. This land, to be cleared, and m^ le fit for sowing, will cost about three or four more pounds per acre, in the Lower Provii?ce ; in the Upper Province, about six pounds per acre: labour not being so plentiful there. There are. at present, many opportunities of getting farms, at no great distance from Montreal, where is received the produce of the most remote settlements of Uppc Canada, as well as that of the rich and fertile district of which it bears the name. Nor is there, at tltis lime, any difficulty in obtaining farms in the district of tlie Three Rivers, or of that of Quebec ; but as the district of Montret*! j.of!- esses t: more congenial climate, lying in amort iontherly «li.ertion, I would, by all means, recommend emigration to those parts. In Upper Canada, plenty of land may be had at from two to four dollars per acre, in a slate of nature, and, with some •learing, for a moderate consideration. Mr. G. then takes a view of the average expense attend- ing cultivation. The usual price of labour on farms is from l8. 8d. to 2s. 6d. per day, with board ; by the year i'l5 to ^'24 for men-servants, and from £6 to ^'12 for women of all work. He has furnished a table of the expenses of enter- ing on a farm of one hundred acres, each l)eing four-fifths of an English statute a^re ; which esiituate comprises agri- «ultur:>l implements of all kinds, with stock, seeds, servants' •wages, and provisions lor the faniiy. The total amount is WC4B5 4s. 7d of which Jfl04 for wages; seeds £3'*; for stock £139; and the remainder for carta, (S.c. The calcu- lations are made for entering on iue faun in May, whe.;the stock ma> be expected to go hbr-id : but, if the entry were to take place in November -^ .4iOwance musJ, be ad Hor the subsistence of niock. : food for the servant- for one year is included, 'm* noi tho expense of furniture tor tho iiouse, and the maintenance of the master and his family, •which depend on the sty!; U which ho may wish to live. The differe I "iiids of gruiii*»d grasses uro next enumerated, .-^li»' :-«% 190 and the quantity of seed required for every apernt or acre id stated, from which the following results are deduced : As a summary of these facts, we may observe, that the returns of crops are as follow : wheat from 25 to 30 bushels ; buck wheat, from 15 to 20 ; rye, 15 to 25 ; barley, 15 to 30; oats, 32 to 40; Indian corn, from 30 to 50; horse-beans, from 25 to 35; potatoes from 250 to 400; carrots and parsnips, from 700 to 900 ; turnips, from 300 to 700 bushels; cabbages, from 18 to 25 tons per acre ; and hay, from 1| to 2i tons per acre. It is evident, therefore, that the earth, M'hen well managed, is very productive ; and the climate, during the summer months, being very warm, the rapid advance of vegetation is almost incredible. I have sown wheat on the 11th of May, harvested it in the month of August following, the produce weighing 65 lbs. per minot. Many persons who go out from England find themseFves disappointed, from a want of previous adequate investiga- tion of the difficulties they must naturally encounter in such an undertaking; and they increase those difliculties greatly by not making an early decision, but hesitating and halting, till delay has consumed a great part of that property which was requisite to their comfortable establi.shment on their arrival. There are many facilities of improving the land, natural to the country. Lime-stone is abundant, and various other kinds of manure are easily to be obtained. As soon as ♦' ow is off the ground in the spring, and it is dry enou .larrovv, the following seeds are com- mitted to the . : wheat, horse-beans, pease, barley, carrots, and par^. .ps. The general practice of the farmers is to prepare the soil i;i autumn ; but the season for agri- cultural pursuits somewhat varies: at Quebec, the season is six months ; at Montreal, seven. Although the season appears short, and the cold intense, the winters are more pleasant and salubrious than those of England, because more uniform, and the air more rh^ar and dry. In Canada, the farmer is never at a loss, from any apprehension of the fickleness of the weather, what kind of labour he shouhl next pursue. Hence, there is but little occasion for the barometer in farm houses, so common in England. FINIS. Manhall, PrMer, KtHtonJit. Bnniswlck-Si, I