k.\5 ,b3 w IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) L 4. 1^ 1.0 I.I lfi|21 125 |5o "^^ HSH u liiS :^ U£ 12.0 1.8 — '""-^ IIIIIM ^ r, /, % %' '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 io J w i •" (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END "), whichever applies. Un des symboles sulvants apparattra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon ie cas: la symbols — »* signlfie "A SUiVRE", ie symbols ▼ signlfie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre fiimte A des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour dtre reprodult en un seui clich6, il est fiim6 d psrtir de Tangle suptrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut an bas, en prenant la nombre d'Imagas nicessaire. Les diagrammas sulvants illustrent la mAthoda. 12 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 TH1RT\ (Hftvfe " Cast thy bread "Thewildemesi thall rejoice rRM f i I n RETROSPECT OF i THIRTY- SIX YEARS' RESIDENCE IN CANADA WEST: m^ P H'1 BEING A dftrii^tmn laumal ami ^tamtire^ rh Ul BY J. CARRUTHERS " Cast thy bread upon the voters, for thou shall find it al'ter inany days." ECCLESIASTKS XI. 1. " The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them ; and the desert 5!haU rejoice and blossom as the rose." — ^Isaiah xxxv. 1. HAMILTON: prihtbd por tbs aothob, bt t. l. m'intosh 1861. ■ '. i .0 J'' ?flRP ; PC C3^ ■I r v» ^■^: tive of down t for sucl who W€ grave, As e Narrati of Yorl keith, ( the dest in the f( the ordi Gospel, the Pre ceived t to enabl ers to 1 Scotland without Seven est was ] land, or is, that f Presbyte of West PREFACE. I , ■ ( On writing a Missionary Journal and Narra- tive of 36 years' residence in Western Canada, down to 1861, I give thanks to Almighty God for such length of years, whilst many of those who were my contemporaries have passed to the grave, and their spirits to God who gave them. As early as the year 1825, the writer of this Narrative, jointly with the Rev. James Harris, of York, wrote to the Rev. Dr. Brown, of Dal- keith, (by request,) giving him an account of the destitution of the early Presbyterian settlers in the forests of Western Canada, in relation to the ordinances of God, and the blessings of the Gospel. This communication was presented to the Presbyterian Synod of Edinburgh, and re- ceived the response that they had not the funds to enable the Synod to send Missionary Labour- ers to this New Vineyard. The Church of Scotland we understood was also applied to, without success. Seven years passed away before a vital inter- est was manifested, either by the Kii'k of Scot- land, or by the above named Synod. True it is, that from 1817 to 1830, there were ii few Presbyterian Ministers labouring in the forests of Western Canada, sowing the seed of the IV. PIU-KAOE. Word, and gladdeiiiiiij;' the Hoiils of not a few who had kept the solemn holy days in their native lands. The names of those Ministers will appear in onr pages. This eTourual of pei-sonal labours and priva- tions I present to a generous Canadian public, trusting that they will receive the simple but truthful narrative of my early Missionary la- Vjours in the true spint of Christian charity — overlooking any inaccuracy or inelegancy in the literature th^^reof, and accepting it as a brief statement of facts, which may furnish materials lor unbounded thankfulness to an Almighty God, when a comparison is drawn l>et\veen the Gospel ways and means in Canada during that dreary period, and the abundant ways and means which are now everywhere to be found in our highly Gospel-favoured and prosperous land. Extracts are taken from Si idth's well-approved Gazetteer of Canada West, respecting the early settlement of Canada ; also a short account of the location of Indians in the Province, formerly in their heathen, and now many of them in their Christianized state. I am also indebted to Charles A. Goodrich for his lengthened account of the British War with the French and Indians in North America, ending in 1763 ; and to Thomas S. Shenston's " Oxford Gazetteer"; also to Dr. Lillie's volume on Canada. Hamii-ton, October, 1861. r > Chapter I to Lake Chaptrb S Settlem< > Chapter 1 ward, to Chapter F and to tl Road, &{ Chapter P Lonjr Po Townshij Chapter S: Great Bri Colonies, War," cor of Paris i Chapter Se on Lake I the Narrc Chapter Ek Township Thames. Chapter Ni and a seer and the Ni Chapter Tej and took Townshipj Chapter Eli the Towns &c., in Ju Chapter Twi gara Rivei and West, 11 their ers will \ priva- public, pie but aary la- larity — y in the a bnef Liaterials .imighty veeii the •ing that ays and be found osperous pproved he early nt of the lerly in in then- ibted to account Indians and to r": also CONTENTS Pitas. Chapter First. — ^Missionary Journey from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron, and Return 6 Chaptrr Second. — A short account of the Discovery and Settlement of Canada from 1535 to 1*749 13 |\ Chapter Thipd. — Missionary Journey from York, West- ward, to Lake Erie, London, &c., kc 29 Chapter Fourth. — Journey to the Eastern Townships, and to those North on Lake Simcoe, Penetanguishene Road, kc, kc 29 Chapter Fifth Journey West to the Grand River, the Lon^r Point country, situated on Lake Erie, and to the Township of Zorra, &c .-. ; 60 Chapter Sixth — A short account of the War between Great Britain and France, in Canada and the American Colonies, commonly called " The French and Indian War," commencing in 1756, and ending by the Treaty of Paris in 1763 67 Chapter Seventh. — Journey to the Northern Townships on Lake Huron, the Indian Villages on Coldwater and the Narrows of Lake Simcoe, &c., &c 101 Chapter Eighth. — Missionarv Journey to th** Western Townships, situated on Lake Erie, and the River Thames. Also, as far West as Lake St. Clair, &c. . . . 116 Chapter Ninth. — Journey to the Northern Townships, and a second visit to the Indians lucated at Coldwater, and the Narrows of Lake Simcoe . 168 Chapter Tenth. — Gave into the Presbytery my Report, and took a Journey West for two weeks, to visit the Townships of Toronto, Esquesing, &c 180 Chapter Eleventh. — Journey to the East, on a visit to the Townships of Whitby, Reach, West Gwillimbury, &c., in July, &c., 1861 200 [ Chapter Twelfth. — A short account of Hamilton, Nia- gara River and Falls. Also, of some Towns, North and West, &c,, Ac 242 ^1 f ! OF THI MISSION Havii teehist a ronto), : the dest nada, I of July, roads of Lake Si: OnW running Townshi exhortati and deli chapter < tians joi] was som< out prayi i : RETROSPECT OF THIRTY-SIX YEARS' RESIDENCE IN CANADA WEST. .J CHAPTER FIRST. MISSIONARY JOURNEY FROM LAKE ONTARIO TO LAKE HURON — AND RETURN. I- t hi Having been appointed, and set apart by prayer, at Ca- teehist and Exhorter, by the Presbytery of York (now To- ronto), in connection with the Church of Scotland, to visit the destitute settlers in the Western Section of Upper Ca- nada, I commenced my journey on Tuesday, the 17th day of July, 1832, up Yonge Street, one of the most public roads of the Province, leading north from Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe. On Wednesday I crossed the Oak-ridges, a chain of hills running from west to east. Nfezt day I remained in the Township of Whitchurch, and called a public meeting for exhortation and prayer ; sung a portion of the 90th Psalm, and delivered a short lecture from a few verses in the first chapter of the Book of Romans. Two experienced Chris- tians joined me in the exercise of prayer, and I trust there was something of the true spirit of prayer with us. With- out prayer, as without faith, it is impossible to please God. " Prayer is appointed to convey The blessings God designs to give : Long as they live should Christians pray ; . ,•.- They learn to pray when first they live." 'I JW 6 RETROSPECT. Friday, 20th July. — I travelled through the Quaker Set- tlement, on my way to West Gwillimbury ; there I met with the Buv. Matthew Miller, one of the first missionaries from homo, sent by the Kirk of Scotland, and I have no doubt but that he was especially intended to do much mis- sionary labor in the forest, before becoming the pastor of a congregation. On the same afternoon the Rev, Mr. MilUr preached in the now Church — subject Matt v. 9 : " Blessed are the peace-makers ; for they shall be called the children of God." A happy meeting; the Word was heard with gladness. He was indeed a good preacher, and his heart was in the work. The proclamation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was, is and shall be — " Glory to God In the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men." — " Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them ; Psa. cxix. 165. " There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked ;" Isa. xlviii. 22. On Sabbath, July 22nd, I met with the Sabbath School children and youths ; examined them out of the Shorter Catechism and on the 20th chapter of the Book of Exodus. This meeting was the more interesting as I had taught Day and Sabbath School in this Settlement in the year 1827, and now I observed a considerable advance in scriptural knowledge. Questions and answers were given in both languages — viz. Gaelic and English. The Sabbath School was conducted by Mr. John Mattliewson, (an excellent translator of sermons into the Gaelic tongue, at their Sab- bath day meetings.) It will be subsequently noticed that several of these Highland settlers formed part of the colony planted by Lord Selkirk at Red River. Monday, 23rd. — Took my journey from West Gwillim- bury to the Township of Essa. The day was very hot, but my mind was strengthened for the work to be done. Tra- velled swamp made gh tion and Tuest worship, lecture t ized thei Wedn love and pel spok< Townshi Townshi therein ; and fixe( night at speaks E and no d comfort I pay. M Thur8( woods, a through safely lai now Stan informed much bei ridsre of wife. Sec publie w been refi ment, a ( and theri RETROHPECT. Quaker Set- ere I mot lissionariea I have no much mis- pastor of a Mr. MUUr « Blessed le children leard with i his heart 9pel of the to God in d men." — id nothing no peace, • tath School he Shorter of Exodus. aught Day jrear 1827, scriptural n in both ath School excellent their Sab- ticed that the colony Gwillim- y hot, but ne. Tra- velled up the Town Line of Teoumseth, and crossed a swamp of considerable extent. The settlers in Essa were made glad to receive me, and a public meeting for exhorta- tion and prayer was immediately appointed. Tuesday, 24th, 3 o'clock. — About thirty persons met for worship. Sung the one hundredth Psalm, and delivered a lecture to a most attentive Presbyterian people. Re-organ- ized their Sabbath School, which since works well. Wednesday, 25th. — Left this Township with feelings of love and regard, trusting that the Lord would bless his Gos- pel spoken to them. Travelled east, and came into the Township of Innisfil, upon the Penetanguishene road. This Township is rough, cedar swamps prevail, and few locations therein ; it borders on Lake Simooe. Galled upon a family and fixed upon a meeting on my return. Lodged for the night at Warnica's Inn, a Dane from Copenhagen ; he speaks English in a tolerable way — has a good address, and no doubt has often administered to the necessity and comfort of the weary traveller in the forest, with or without pay. More of my kind host next journey. Thursday, 26th. — Being carefully directed through the woods, and round the point of Kempenfeldt Bay, I got through this matchadash (rushes, mud, and water,) and safely landed in the opened forest, where the town of Barrie now stand, so named after Commodore Barrie. I was now informed that I would find the way to Penetanguishene much better — running for the most part along a stony ridsre of land. At noon called on Mr. John Bruce and wife, Scotch Presbyterians, and arranged for a meeting for publie worship on my return. Myself and horse having been refreshed and fed, I began my ride for the Establish- ment, a distance of 28 miles through the forest, with here and there a settler. The afternoon was very fine — the woods i .^ f ; \ W^ ■ i\ t 8 RETROSPECT. beautiful, the roads narrow and winding — streams of clear water making their way to the north-east — the beams of the declining sun gilding the slopes and ravines below — the happy birds with little song — and the lovoly forest flowers in all their prime — afforded a scene at once delightful and cheering. Night coming on in the forest, I had fortunately informed myself that a family I had known on Yonge Street were settled on the road before me. I was kindly receired by them. Our family worship was more than or- dinarily refreshing. W hen there is less of the world around us, sometimes the worship of God and a divine influence is more sensibly felt. Friday, 27th. — Appointed a Sabbath morning service here for a few settlers, and rode to Penetanguishene village, seven miles. This place appeared to be inconsiderable, yet much business in furs, fish, &c., is transacted in the course of a year. Visited the Government establishment, two miles from the village. The village was commenced in the year 1818, the Government having then formed a naval and military depot on the bay in the Township of Tay. The Establishment is an interesting place, with large barracks, yet only a small military company kept. Found stationed here a company of the 79th Regiment (Scotch.) Fixed on a public service in the barracks, on Sabbath afternoon at 3 o'clock. Sabbath, 29th July. — Engaged with some fiimilies in worship this morning, seven miles back upon the road. On the afternoon returned to the Establishment and commen- ced our public worship upon the banks of Lake Huron. Gave out the 100th Psalm, to be led by the military — a Psalm so often and so well sung in Scotland — and it was gone through with good effect. At the conclusion of the service, several persons expressed their high satisfaction. and stat< had hean Monda mise thai made a c( teen shilli accomplis amiable w of the set locality ar ported to appointed afternoon, narrow esc the road, r pleasant ai August tion and ] visited thr( Sabbath, an address and good c< notice, a c public wore the Sower- not a few ii those who hi RETROSPECT. 9 as of clear beams of aelow — the rest flowers ghtfml and fortunately on Yonge was kindly ire than or* orld around influence is ing service liene village, iderable, yet 1 the course hment, two meed in the led a naval of Tay. with large pt. Found t (Scotch.) on Sabbath families in le road. On lid comraen- ake Huron. military — a -and it was sion of the satisfaction, and stated that it was the first Presbyterian sermon they had heard on the banks of the Great Lake. Monday, 30th. — On taking my departure, with the pro- mise that I would visit them again in three months, they made a collection, and presented to me four pounds eigh- teen shillings, Currency. This donation for the Gospel was accomplished h} the agency of Lieutenant Matthewson, his amiable wife, and Sergeant MeDowal. With the exception of the settlers of Penetanguishene, the inhabitants of this locality are principally half French, and half Indian. Re- ported to the Presbytery their desire to have a Missionary appointed to this northern section of the Province. This afternoon, after crossing the small river Wey, I had a narrow escape from the falling of a pine tree, right across the road, not five yards before me — the day was remarkably pleasant and no wind. I thought upon th« 107th Psalm : " that men to the Lord would give Praise for his goodness then, And for his works of wonder done Unto the sons of men." August 1st. — Had a meeting in the evening for exhorta- I tion and prayer, in the Township of Vespra ; next day i visited three families. Sabbath, 5th. — Visited a Sabbath School, and delivered Ian address to the children and youth ; much attention paid and good conduct exhibited. Two o'clock. — Agreeably to notice, a considerable number of persons assembled for public worship. Delivered a lecture from the Parable of the Sower — Luke viii. 5. This was a cheering Sabbath to ■not a few in this location of the forest, and especially to jthose who had kept the solemn hely days in their native land. " Pray that Jerusalem may have ^^jf Peace and felicity: Let them that love thee and thy peace, " Have still prosperity." ? - . u 10 RETROSPECT. Monday Morning. — Left the hospitable roof of Mr. B., after commending ourselves to the graoe of God, by read- ing and prayer, and took my course south to Lake Simcoe, then rounded Kempenfeldt Bay — and night coming on, I had again to lodge at Warnica's Inn. Tuesday, 7th August. — Kept an appointment this day at Mr. B. McKay's, Innisfil. The settlers came well out, and our service proved acceptable. Same evening rode 12 miles into the Township of West Gwillimbury. Wednesday. — I spent part of this day with Mr. John Matthewson, in conversation upon the sstate of the Church. Visited the Township of Tecumseth ; the Presbyterians there seem determined to hold with the U. P. Church. Thursday Evening. — I attended the Church in West Gwijlimbury, for prayer. Friday. — Crossed the Holland river, on my way to New- market, and from thence travelled north on Queen street. Slept at Mr. Night's; he wished me to have a public meeting there next journey. Sabbath, 12th. — Held a public service in the Township of Georgina, at Mr. Bobertson*s. There was a tolerable attendance ; several of the people had had some advantages of Gospel instructions. The Township had been visited by Methodist preachers, sowing the seed of God's Word. I wai desired to visit some sick persons, and found with some of them a deep concern for the salvation of their souls. In one case our mutual conversation was very affect- ing, in another it was joyful ; the latter invalid was, I think, a Christian indeed. Monday. — Passed the Black river, and entered the Tovt'nship of Thorah, bounded on the west by Lake Simcoe. Travelled on through these dark and lonely woods — the elements conflicting with each other in thunder and light- ning, wind I intended eternal life Tuesday Gospel, wi Church. " The certi Rev. W. B Wednes( and enterer by forest ui on the sout few settlers ment for F meeting. Sabbath, ren on the i Thorah and with an add delivered a 1 Monday.- Township o sons for co here for a r\ of Brock ii Plank's Ta through the or a settler, ship of Rea face of the f yet, blessed have been d and I was n of Mr. B., d, by read- iike Simcoe, >iDing on, I nt this day ne well out, ing rode 12 1 Mr. John the Church, resbyterians !!huroh. ch in West yay to New- lueen street, e a public e Township a tolerable advantages }een visited od's Word, found with )n of their very affect- alid was, I ntered the ike Simcoe. )70ods — the and light- RETROSPECT. 11 ning, wind and rain ; yet I got safe to Mr. Calder's, where I intended to call the settlers tc^ether to hear the words of eternal life. Tuesday.- — Had a good public service of the blessed Gospel, with some intelligent Christians of the Scotch Church. Our subject was — " The shortness of Time." " The certainty of Death and Judgment." Wrote to the Bev. W. Bintoul, Clerk of the Presbytery, by private hand. Wednesday, 15th August. — Crossed the Talbot Kiver, and entered the Township of Eldon, bounded on the north by forest unsurveyed — the Township of Mariposa joining on the south. These were new townships, and had only a few settlers yet. Visited some families, made an appoint- ment for Friday evening, and had much comfort in the meeting. Sabbath, 19th. — Assembled the young people and child- ren on the forenoon at the school house, situated between Thorah and Eldon ; catechised and instructed them, closing with an address to the parents present. On the afternoon delivered a lecture to a good attendance of people. Monday. — Left these two Townships, and entered the Township of Brock ; same evening met with several per- sons for conversation and prayer. There is great need here for a stationed Pastor. Travelled through the woods of Brock into the Township of Uxbridge, and slept at Plank's Tavern. Next day had a long and dreary ride through the forest, of twelve miles, without seeing a house or a settler. Uzbridge is bounded on the east by the Town- ship of Reach, west by Whitchurch and Markham. The face of the forest is broken and intersected with ridges ; yet, blessed be God (in the Gospel), Methodist preachers have been doing a good work here. Came into Whitchurch , and I was most comfortably refreshed and lodged with my 12 RETROSPECT. friends, Mr. and Mrs. Edmondson, of Union Street. Our conversation was upon the great trath of the Gospel — the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ. Wednesday. — Visited Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, aged per- sons, from Scotland, and from the parish of Peebles. Friday Evening. — Held a meeting in Whitchurch, on Yonge Street. Sabbath, 26th. — Went into the Township of King, and attended the Sabbath School; observed considerable improve- ment in the scholars since my last visit. Public meeting for worship at two o'clock, and delivered a lecture from the first nine verses of First Epistle of Peter, 1st ch. — associ- ated with some early Christian friends. Here I closed my first Missionary labors northward to Lake Huron; gave thanks to the God of our Fathers and our God, and took courage. Remarks. — Visited, on my mission to the North, six- teen Townships, several of which are situated on the Penetanguishene road. Travelled altogether in this North- ern section of the Province about three hundred miles — parts of which were just opening up from the forest, by the uplifted axe, the strong arm, and energetic mind of the settler. It was my design to visit the Indian location at Matohe- dash Bay, and at the Narrows of Lake Simcoe, but circum- stances prevented me till next journey. short AC RETROSPECT. 13 CHAPTER SECOND. I SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT OF CANADA, FROM 1535 TO 1749. The first settlement made by Europeans in Canada, was I in 1535, by Jacques Cartier, a French navigator, who sailed up the river of Canada, (which he named the St. Lawrence,) as far as the island of Montreal, where he found a settlement of Huron Indians, called Hoehelaga, to which [island he gave the name of Mount Roy ale — afterwards called Montreal. He took possession of the territory, which he called New France — ^built a fort — and wintered (in the country. On this expedition he carried off a chief of the natives, and conveyed him to France, where he lived [about four years, was converted to Christianity, and died there. In 1540, an expedition, consisting of five ships, under I the command of Cartier, was fitted out by command of Francois de la Roque, Lord of Robervall, who had been appointed Viceroy of Canada by the King of France ; and who himself intended to follow with two additional ships. His departure, however, was postponed till the year 1542. When he arrived in Canada, he built a fort, and wintered about four leagues above the island of Orleans. In 1549, I the same nobleman, accompanied by his brother, and a nu- merous train of adventurers, again embarked for Canada ; I but they were never afterwards heard of, which so discour- aged the government and people of France, that for more than thirty years no further measures were taken to com- muniMte with the Mttlers who remained in Canada. t\i t, ii HI u RITRO&FBOT. rl I h ! In 1576, Martin Frobisher was sent out by Qaeen Elizabeth, with three small ships, and discovered Elizabeth Foreland, and the straits which still bear his name. He entered a bay in north latitude 63°, and carried off one of the natives. In this voyage he discovered what he smp- posed to be gold, which encouraged a society of adventurers to send him out the following year, with three other ships, to explore the coast ef Labrador and Greenland with an ultimate view of discovering a passage to India ; but he returned without success. He brought away with him nearly two hundred tons of the ore supposed to be gold j which, however, to their disappointment, turned out to be some other mineral. In 1578, he sailed again for the con- tinent of North America, with no less than fifteen ships, in search of gold ; and carried home immense quantities of the same glittering substance, to the complete ruin of many of the adventurers. In 1581, the French trade to Canada was renewed, after an interruption of more than thirty years; and in 1583, three ships were employed in the trade to the continent. In 1598, the Marquis de la Roche received a commission from Henry the Fourth, of France, to conquer Canada ; but returned without doing anything of consequence; and shortly afterwards died of vexation. On the death of La Boohe, his patent was renewed in favour of M. De Chauvin, who made a voyage up the St. Lawrence, as far as Ta^ dousac; where he left some of his people, and returned with a freight of furs. The following year he sailed again, and proceeded as far as Trois Rivieres. In 1603, Pierre du Gast, a gentleman of the bed-chamber to the same King, received a i^U«nt> constituting him Lieutsnant Genera) of the Amerioaa territory, from the fortieth to the forty-sixth degrees Qf n(^ la$iM§) W^ l^W^l tp; eplj[Hammission Canada; snce; and ath of La Chauvin, ar as T*- returned ed again, J, Pierre me King, enesal of rty-sixth BETaOSPEOT. m subdue and convert the natives to Christianity. In 1608, Ohamplain was sent out with three ships for the purpose of making a permanent settlement ; and after having examined all the most eligible situations along the coast of Nora Scotia, (then called Acadia), and the Biver St. Lawrence, fixed upon the present site of Quebec, where he laid the foundation of what he intended to be the future capital. In 1627, in the reign of Louis XIII., Canada, then called New France, was, by direction of Cardinal Bioheliev, placed together with its trade, under the management of a company, called the "Company of One Hundred Associates," at the head of which was the Cardinal himself. A commis- sion having been given by Charles I. to David Kertk, and his kinsmen, to conquer the American dominions of Prance ; Kertk attacked Canada, in July, 1628, and continued to carry on his military operations with vigour. In 1630, he appeared again off Point Levi, and sent an officer to Quebec to summon the city to surrender. Champlain, then in command, knowing his means to be inadequate to a defence, surrendered the city by capitulation. The terms of the capitulation were favourable to the French coloi^; and they were so punctually and honourably fulfilled by the English, that the greater part of the French chose to remain with their captors, rather than return as had been stipulated to France. In 1632, Charles I., by the treaty of St. Germain, resigned tiie right which he had claimed to New France and Acadia, as the propwty of England, to Louis XIII, King of France. In 1635, Rene Rohault, having become a Jesuit, resumed a project which had been interrupted by the English eon- quest of Quebec, of founding a college in that «ity ; an institution that had been planned ten years before. In this year, M. Champlain died at Quebec. 'H> t ►: i i| •>'■ 4' . ■]■• /i I it,' H 1 « \ 16 RETROSPEOT. ''I 1 1 In 1640, the French king vested the property of the island of Montreal in thirty-five Associates, of whom If aisonneuve, a gentleman of Champaign, was one ; and who on the 15th October, 1641, was declared governor of the island ; and brought over with him several families to Montreal . The French in their trade with the neighbouring Indians, being much obstructed by the Mohawks, then a powerful tribe, and being unable to subdue them without assistance, in 1647, sent M. Marie, a Jesuit, as an agent to solicit aid from Massachusetts, with offers of liberal compensation for assistance, which the government of the English colony refused, on the ground that the Mohawks had never injured them. In the following year, the colonists of Newfoundland sent to the Governor and Council of Canada a proposal of per- petual peace between the colonies, even though the mother countries might be at war. Although the French were much pleased with the proposal, and anxious to conclude an agreement of the kind, the business terminated without suc- cess becauiH the English wore firm in their determination not to assist the French against the Iroquois, (or Five Nations.) In 1649, in the month of March, a party of Iroquois, about one thousand in number, attacked the Huron village of St. Ignatius, containing four hundred persons, all of whom, with the exception of three only, were massacred. About five years afterwards, the Eries, a numerous tribe of Indians inhabiting the borders of Lake Erie, were so effec- tually exterminated by the Iroquois, that were it not for the name of the lake, we should have no memorial of their existence. In 1665 M. de Courcelles, being appointed governor of New France, transported the raiment of Calignan Salieres BETB08PE0T. 17 to Canada : it consisted of one thousand foot, and they were accompanied besides by numerous families, with mechanics, hired servants, horses (the first ever seen in Canada), cattle and sheep. The one hundred associates in whom the pro- perty of the colony was vested, had grown weary of the ex- pense of maintaining the colony, and from the year 1644 abandoned the fur trade to the inhabitants, reserving to themselves as their right of lordship an annual payment of one thousand beavers. Reduced at length to the number of forty-five associates, they made a total resigation of all their rights in 1662, to the French King, who soon afterwards included New France in the grant which he made of the French colonies in America, in favour of the West India Company formed by the great Colbert. The Mohawks having greatly annoyed the French, were attacked in the following year by a French army of twenty- eight companies of foot, and the whole militia of the colony. This formidable body of troops marched upwards of seven hundred miles, in the depth of winter, from Quebec into the country of the Mohawks, with a view of utterly des- troying them ; but the Indians retired with their women and children into the depth of the woods, leaving only a few ancient sachems in the villages, who chose rather to die than desert their habitations. These were murdered by the French, and their villages burnt, but nothing was gained by the expedition. In the following year, peace was at length established between the French and the Five Nations, which continued for several years, and they cultivated a mutual trade. In 1770 the small-pox broke out amongst the Indians in the northern parts of Canada, and swept off whole tribes, particularly the tribe of Atlikamegues, which has never since been heard of. Tadusac, the chief mart of the Indian fur trade with the French, was deserted as Bl I S'yi :* i« :lA\4 ur 18 RBTR08PBGT. ,-(i/ ii'i |!||- was also Trois RivierM, where the small-pox oarried o£f 1,500 Indians at onoe. In 1671, a grand congress of the French and of many Canadian Indians was held at the Falls of St. Mary ; where the Indians professed submission to the king of France in a formal manner. In 1672, M. de Gouroelles, governor of Canada, commenced building a fort on the north side of the outlet of Lake Ontario (near where Kingston now stands), as a barrier against the Iroquois, which was completed in the following year by Count Frontenao, who dalled it after his own name. The French likewise built a fort at Miohilimackinao. In 1674 Quebec was made a bi- shopric. In 1678 M. de Sale rebuilt the fort Frontenao with stone ; he also launched a bark of ten tons on Lake Ontario, and in the year following another vessel of sixty tons on Lake Erie ; about this time he also enclosed a lit- tle spot of ground at Niagara with stockades intended for a fort. In 1683 the French erected a fort between the lakes Erie and Huron ; and in the following year M. dcla Barre with a large army from Canada made an unsuccessful expe- dition into the country of the Five ^^ations, and found it necessary to conclude his campaign with a treaty. He was met at a place appointed by the Oneidas, Onandagas, and Cayugas ; the Mohawks and Senecas refusing to attend. Seated in a chair of state, surrounded by his own Indians, principally the Hurons of Lorette, and the French officers, he addressed himself to Garangula, an Onandaga chief, in a very haughty speech, whiph he concluded with a menace to burn the castles of the Five Nations, and destroy the In- dians, unless the satisfaction which he demanded was given. Garangula, who sat at some little distance before his men, with his pipe in his mouth, and the great Calumet of peace before him, did nothing but look at the end of his pipe du- ring this harangue : when it was finished, after walking RITBOSPIOT. 19 fiv«or six times round the circle in silence, he stood per- feotlj upright, and thus addressed the French general :-^ " Oonuntio, I honor you, and all the warriors who are with me honor you. Your interpreter has finished your speech, I now begin mine : my words make haste to reach your ears; hearken to them. Onnuntio, in setting out from Quebec, you must have imagined that the scorching beams of the sun had burned down the forests, which rendered our country inaccessible to the French, or that the inunda- tions of the lakes had shut us up in our castles ; but now you are undeceived, for I and my warriors have come to assure you that the Senecas, Cayugas, Onandagas, Ooeidas and Mohawks are yet alive." After ascribing the pacific overtures of the general to the impotence of the French, and repelling the charges brought against his countrymen, he thus concludes : " My voice is the voice of all the Five Nations ; hear what they say ; open your ears to what they speak. The Senecas, Cayugas, Onandagas, Oneidas and Mohawks say, that when they buried the hatchet at Gata- raqui, in the presence of your predecessor, in the very centre of the fort, and planted the tree of peace in the same place, it was then agreed that the fort should be used as a place of rendezvous fur merchants, and not as a refuge for soldiery. Hear, Onnuntio, you ought to take care that so great a number of soldiers as appear now, do not choke the tree of peace, planted in so small a fort, and hinder it from shading both your country and ours with its branches. I do assure you that our warriors shall dance to the Calumet of peace under its leaves, and that we will never dig up the axe to cut it down, until the Onnuntio or the Corlar shall either jointly or separately endeavour to invade the country which the Great Spirit has given to our ancestors. Thin belt confirms my words, and this other the authority whicU the Five Nations have given me." 1M r. |i»T ■ i- :i(li \f BITBOSPIOT. ^ii ii niii In 1685, according to a return made by order of the Oo- vernment, the inhabitants of Canada amounted to 17,000, three thousand of whom were supposed to be capable of bearing arms. In 1687 M. Denonyille, who had succeeded De la Barre, took the field at the head of 1600 French and 500 Indians, in order to attack and destroy the Senecas, who had refused to attend at the late treaty, and were known to be firmly attached to the English. He commenced his march from Cataraqui in June ; and the scouts of the French army ad- vanced as far as the corn of the Indian settlements, without seeing a single Indian, although they passed within pistol shot of 500 Senecas, who laid on their faces, and suffered them to pass and repass without attacking them. At length, when the invading army had approached within a quarter of u league of the chief village of the Senecas, they raised the war shout accompanied with a discharge of fire-arms from all sides. This surprise threw the French into confu- sion, and the Senecas fell upon them with great fury ; but the French Indians being rallied, repulsed them in the end. In this action 100 French, 10 French Indians and 80 Senecas were killed. The next day Denonville continued his march, with the intention of burning the village, but he found it already in ashes ; the Senecas had burnt it and fled.^ Two old men were found In the village, who were cut into pieces and boiled to make suup lor the French allies. Before Denonville returned into Canada he built a fort with four bastions at Niagara, in which he left a garrison ; but it was soon afterwards abandoned. In 1689 Denonville was recalled, and Count Frontenac came over as governor of Canada. On the 26th of July in this year a body of 1200 Indians of the Five Nations invaded the Island of Montreal, burnt all the plantations, and made Ii!:. RETROSPECT. ai a horrible maasaore of men, women and children, throwing the whole French colony into the utmost consternation -, insomuch that Valrennes, the commandant at Cataraqui, was ordered by Denonville to abandon that place, in Mm attack 1000 French are said to have been slain, and twenty • six carried off and burnt alive. In the following year an attack was made on Quebec by an English fleet, under the command of Sir W. Phipps, which proved unsuccessful. Between this time and the year 1698, when the Count Frontenac died, the war be* tween the French and Indians still continued, with varying fortunes, neiiber party gaining any very signal advantage over the otiier ; and on the arrival of M. de Calliers, in 1699, who succeeded Count Frontenac as Governor of Canada, he terminated the disputes with the Indians by agreeing to an exchange of prisoners ; which treaty of peace took place at Onondaga. In 1705 the loss of a large and richly laden ship bound to Quebec (which was captured by the English), compel- led the colonists to raise their own hemp and flax, which by permission of the French court they manufacfured into linens and stuffs. In 1747 the whole number of men capable of bearing arms, between the ages of fourteen and sixty, that could be raised in Canada, only amounted to 4,484 ; and in 1749 the population had increased so much, that the militia of Canada numbered 12,000. f"!i-.d-- ■ .,-yit) I..' J* ) It. «1 • It .' .; <' »*• ., y ■ *• i\ 22 BETBOSPBOT. CHAPTER THIRD. MISSIONARY JOURNEY FROM YORK, WESTWARD, TO LAKB !i;:ii li i ■MM, m ERIE, LONDON, dcO. &C. Richmond Hill. — Sabbath, 2nd day of September. — I attended worship in the First Presbyterian Church in the Township of Vaughan — Rev. W. Jenkins, pastor. Tuesday. — Travelled to York, and spent some time in con- versation with the Rev. Mr. Rintoul. Arranged with him for my journey to the west, and attended the missionary prayer meeting of St. Andrew's Church same evening. Mr. R. has an ardent spirit for missionary enterprise, and whilst he maintains zeal for his own church, he abounds in the grace of charity towards others. Wednesday. — Left York for the township of Vaughan. Visited a person who had been sick, nigh unto death ; I endeavored to impress his mind with the necessity of pre- paration for that event ; encouraged him to pray to God to give him grace that he might see the evil of sin, turn from it, and belike that Christ died for sinners such as he had been. Visited several families belonging to the Church of Scotland; and held a meeting in the evening at Mr. MoVain's, in the Gore of Toronto. Next day, after prayer in a family, a woman not long from Scotland, entered into conversation with me about the state of her soul, complain- ing of hardness of heart to God — desertion of soul — and lamenting the careless use she had made of the ordinances of God in her native land. I tried to comfort her in the RETROSPBCT. ^ most suitable manner I could think of, and directed her mind to several Scripture Texts. Saturday, 8th. — TraveUed through the towns of Dundas and Anoaster, and called upon the Rev. Mr. Sheed. Be- ceived from him some letters of introduction to the west. Sabbath Morning. — Had a pleasant ride this morning from Brantford to Mount Pleasant, and enjoyed a comfort- able public mesting in the House of Prayer. Being urged to spend another Sabbath with them on my return, I en- gaged for the first Sabbath in October. " Lord of the Sabbath, hear U8 pray, ' In this thy house, on this thy day ; Accept as grateful sacrifice The songs which from thy people rise." Monday. — Took my departure this morning on the Long Point road to the towns of Simcoe and Vittoria. The lat- ter was laid out in 1816 — situated nearly three miles from Lake Erie and seven miles from Simcoe ; it was for a short time the chief town of the London District, till the remo- val of the public offices to London in 1826. This section of the forest of Canada West was one of the first settled — by the U. E. Loyalists, about the year 1793. Simcoe is so named from Col. John Graves Simcoe, who for a short time was a prisoner of the Americans, during the Revolutionary War, and was subsequently appointed to be the first Gov- ernor of Upper Canada. He had much influence with the U. E. Loyalists. Next day visited D. McCaul, Esq., M. P., and different I families in and about Vittoria, and they expressed strong desires to have a Minister of the Church of Scotland settled I with them. Wednesday, 12th September. — Took my journey west to- Iward Talbot Street, through the township of Walsinghf»n. m Uti :i '" ' ! '< ■ "t * . ' m • . . . m 24 RETROSPEOT. IVf, m Ik 5! ii I'l 1; i;< Visited a repeoted Christian, Mr. Fairohild, who appeared to be dying of consumption. Had an opportunity of deli- Tering a short address from the 8th chapter of Bomans, and the good man was much refreshed with the Word and pro- mises of God — "Remember the Word unto thy servant, up- on which thou hast caused me to hope." " This is my com' fort in my affliction ; for thy Word hath quickened me." — On the evening I reached Sovereign's Inn, on Talbot Street, It was a dull ride, much of it through the forest — cold and stormy — yet I was soon made comfortable by the host. After supper we had reading and prayer, and I retired to rest. Thursday Morning. — Rose with the sun, and rode up Talbot Street 14 miles before breakfast. The woods were cleared only a little on each side of the road ; the soil and settlers appeared to be poor, and I noticed that some of the elearers of the forests had left their habitations. Saturday. — Travelling through the townships of Yar- mouth and Southwold, I reached the Scotch Highland Set tlement, in the township of Aldborough. The Rev. Mr Ross was their Minister, and they had built a good and com pleasui turnec Nex ceived me res land s( of thei it for comme wold is Kettle with sc of Ame worship pel, and OnE wold an peared i few rniU the caus appointi borhood fortable church to worship in. Accompanied Mr. Ross, oi and afte: Sabbath morning, to a place of worship. five miles up th( street, where he preached an excellent sermon from a tex in the Song of Solomon — " Awake, north wind ; an( come thou south ] blow upon my garden, that the spicei thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his gai den and eat his pleasant fruits." Mr. Ross intimated tha I would deliver a Gospel Lecture, in the evening, at hi Church, and there was a good congregation assembled t efPectual hear me. * Monday, 17th September. — After deriyiog profit an Tuesd Scotch ii meeting ship, I r lected a i worship, pensed a« building most holj Id, who appeared ortunity of deli- ' of Romans, and ) Word and pro- ) thy servant, up- This is my com- uickened me." — on Talbot Street, forest — cold and lie by the host, and I retired to lun, and rode up The woods were ad ; the soil and that some of the tions. wnships of Yar ih Highland Set The Rev. Mr t a good and com led Mr. Ross, oi ive miles up th< mon from a tex lorth wind ; an( that the spice tme into his gai BS intimated tha evening, at hi on assembled t iying profit an RETROSPECT. 25 pleasure from this visit, I parted with Mr. Roes, and re> turned down Talbot Street. Next day I waited on the Hon. Col. Talbot. I was re- ceived kindly, and in the course of conversation he informed me respecting the religious opinions of some of the High> land settlers. Some of them had been complaining to him of their neighbors not keeping the Sabbath — but changing it for Saturday. I make no remarks on this. I was re- commended to call on Mr. Barbour, of Southwold. South* wold is a township of good land, watered by branches of Kettle Creek. Here I was received most kindly, and met with some pious Presbyterians from some of the States of America. On Thursday we had a public meeting for worship— were all refreshed with the ordinances of the Gos- pel, and I was anxiously invited to visit them next journey. On Friday I travelled through the Townships of South- wold and Westminster to the town of London. There ap- peared no chance here to call a meeting ; I therefore rode a few miles to visit Capt. McKenzie, and found him warm io the cause of the Kirk of Scotland, and ready to make an appointment for public worship on the Sabbath in his neigh- borhood. The settlers around enjoyed this meeting much, and afterward we organized a Sabbath School. Tuesday, 25th. — I visited a settlement of Highland Scotch in the Township of Lobo, and had a comfortable meeting for exhortation and prayer. Leaving this Town- ship, I returned into the Township of London, and col- lected a few settlers together on the Proof-line for public worship. We pray, Lord, that these thy ordinances, dis- pensed agreeably to the Order of thy House, may prove the effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and building up thy believing people more and more in their most holy faith. Vv "I ?*■ * '■ •i i ■ ' 1 > ■ '' r= I. f ■ "'i I ' 20 RETROSPECT. On Friday I travelled into the Township of Westminster, and, according to request, visited a Sabbath School, which was brought together on my account. There seems a pro" mising work of catechetical and scriptural instruction impart" ing to the young of this settlement. We hope that teachers and taught will hold on in this good work, that the blessing promised, may be on the fathers to the children, and the children's children. Closed the meeting by an exhortation from a few verses of the 6th Chapter of Matthew. Sabbath — Kept an appointment for public worship on the 5th Concession of the Township of Lonvlon — a number of the Scotch attended who understood but little of the English language. Monday, 1st of October. — Took my departure from Lon don, travelling on the London Road through the Township of Dorchester to the Township of Zorra, — a new Townchip, mostly settling with Highland Presbyterians. On entering it, I crossed a branch of the Thames, which has its scource to the north. Zorra is not yet much opened from the forest, though the settlers are laboring hard and onward, to obtain bread for themselves and families. Kindly received, and the settlers immediately sent notice round that there would be public worship next day. In the evening, my mind was seriously engaged in thinking of the weak condition of an accomplished young woman of the family I lodged with, who seemed near death? of confirmed consumption. The following lines came to my mind — "When pining sickness wastes the frame, , Acute disease and weak'ning pain ; When life fast spends her feeble flame, And all the help of man is vain : RETROSPECT. 27 ' ' ' ■ f When flesh and heart decays and fails, I Christ will thy strength and portion be ; Support thy -weakness, bear thy ills, And softly whisper — Trust in Sle." Next day at the appointed hour we had a well-attended meeting for public worship — the young and the old were there, — the strong in Gospel faith, and the weak and doubting Christian were there. This was one of the first Presbyterian Services in the woods here, and the hoarts of the people were filled with gladness. The Psalms which were sung reverberated in the forest filling their souls with joy, as they remembered the days of old, in thsir native land, when they associated with those who kept the solemn holy days. I hope the Lecture delivered from the Word, was quick and powerful. Next day I delivered a discourse in another part of the Township. Saturday. — Travelled along the Governor's Koad through Woodstock into the Township of Blenheim, and visited two Presbyterian families. Sabbath, October 7th. — Kept my appointment at Mount Pleasant, to visit the Sabbath School, and deliver an ad- dress to the teachers and children. This meeting was well attended, and in the afternoon, the Rev. Mr. Brining preach- ed a sermon. This village is an orderly and pleasant place, and blessed early with the observance of the Sabbath and a preached Gospel. " that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and flUeth the hun- gry soul with goodness." Monday. — Passed through Brantford, on the Grand River, — at this period very small, and only laid out by Gov- ernment about two or three years ago. I intended to call at the Mohawk (Indian) Village, but the cholera being ^';' 'i'll ■i i ; ! s •r.t >..:l{ ■i i • ' i i I" ■ Hi' If i ■ 1 I I :t \M « 4\ m 28 RETROSPECT. there I put off my visit to a future tim«, and travelled on to the Village of Anoaster. Waited on the Rev Mr. Sheed ; had an agreeable conversation with him, and then proceeded along Dundas Street to York, which I reached on the 10th day of October, in g)od health. During this mj second Missionary Journey, I had every reason to return thanks to Almighty God for his protecting care, goodness, and grace towards me — Amen. M w iii! h' \i H.i n BETROSPEGT. 29 CHAPTER FOURTH. I": '11 •1 JOURNIT TO THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS, AND TO THOSE NORTH ON LAKE SIMOOE, PENETANQUISHENS ROAD, ETC. ETC. Galled on the Rev. Mr. Rintoul, and deliyered to him my Second Report (No. 2) to be presented to the Presby- tery, and received from him some general instructions for my Second Journey to the East and North. Wednesday, 17th October. — Travelled into the Township of Scarborough, and lodged with Mr. David Thomson, a public spirited man, possessing several good qualities. He was one of the first settlers in the Township, and had to suffer, with his relatives and neighbors, many privations. This Scottish Settlement, at an early day, sought after educational and religious advantages, and obtained them. Visited some of the families, and then rode into the Township of Pickering, I crossed the River Rouge, and proceeding in a direction east, I came to Duffin's Creek. Here is an ingress from Lake Ontario, called Frenchman's Bay, on the banks of which a battle is said to have been fought between the old French settlers and the Indians. During this day's travelling, I called on two families, lately come from Scotland, and found that two brothers out of three in one family had died of lake fever. Endeavoured to comfort the minds of the widow and fatherless, who were sick of ague — and experienced from this visit " that the house of mourning is better than the house of mirth." Reached en the evening, my friends Mess.^. Beggs and McGills, who had settled on forest lands, in the township of Whitby. C2 i .'■: ( i. \''-\ \ h .■I I i 30 RETROSPECT. Sabbath, 21st October. — This morning we had, agreeable to intimation, public worship in an unfinished barn. There was a good Attendance, and we commenced this interesting meeting in the woods by singing a portion of the 145thPsalm. I then delivered a Lecture from a portion of St. John's Gospel. The Preibyterians in the township of Whitby desired much to have a Minister of the Kirk settled among them. Monday 22nd.— Took my departure North-— and had to keep the same direetion in the forest, to reach Lake Simcoe. Entered the Township of Beach, and ealled upon two Highland families, just settled in the woods, near the site which the village of Prince Albert now stands on. They observed that they were separated from their brethren. I comforted them by holding forth good prospects and pointing to the hopes which had been realized by many. On Tuesday morniiig I visited a family of the Metliodist Ohuroh, and joined witii them in reading the Scriptures and in prayer. In my Journal here, I will give a detail of a portion of the Mohawk Indians, emiMaoing, at an early date, the Chris- tian religion, also of the Miisisaga Incfians (Pagans) who were, by the labours of the MetLodist Missionary Society, brought to give up their Paganism and wandering life, and become Christians. At Quinte Bay on the River Trent, in the township of Tyendenaga, is a settlement of Mohawk Indians. These In- dians separated from the Mohawk nation and settled in their present locality about the year 1784. In 1793 they received from the Crown a grant of land, containing about 92,000 rcres, but of this, in 1820, they surrendered 33,280 acres, in ex, change for an annuity of £450. Their estate was then reduced to 59,400 acres. From this the Surveyor General deducts 14,773 acres for crowa and clergy reserves ; viz, 6,850 for the foi they be dis{ essiouE The^ scatterc They h| under tities of quantitj successf of their remarka oumulat tivation naey att< of the f his death family, tv One ol the settle build a w among hi possessed to their siderable These their arri to the set of the G has been that peri piety, an RETROSPECT. 31 the former, and 7,915 for the latter. In December 1835 they made a further surrender of 27,857 acres, in trust, to be disposed of for their benefit ; so that their present poss- essions do not exceed 16,800 acres. These Indians live for the most part in detached farms, scattered over the reserve. Their present numl^er is 383. They have 1,368 acres of land cleared, and about 500 acres under tillage. Some of them cultivate considerable quan* tities of land, as much as fifty acres ; but in general the quantity is much less. There have been some instances of successful industry and thriftiness in this community. One of their chiefs, named- Hill, who died a few years ago, was remarkable for his industrious habits, and for a desire to ac* cumulate property. Besides his own homestead, to the cul- tivation and improvement of which he paid more that ordi- naey attention, he became possessed, by purchase, of some of the farms and improvements of other Indians ; and at his death left them, by will, to particular members of his family, who are at this day in full enjoyment of them. One of his sons, who is catechist to the missionary at the settlement, recently applied for a loan to enable him to build a wharf and commence business as a general trader among his brethren, in partnership with a white man. They possessed stock and agricultural implements corresponding to their progress in husbandry. Some of them grow a con- siderable surplus of grain for sale. These Indians have long been Christians, probably before their arrival in Canada. A missionary was first appointed to the settlement in 1810, by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts : their present missionary has been among them eleven years, and reports that, during that period, they have made a gradvial advance in morals, piety, and industry. 4 m 1 'I .'I ■ " '.■.. ^■i :yi li 32 RETROSPECT. .% Their ehuroh having become too small for the congre- gation, tliey are now engaged in the erection of a new and commodious stone edifice, the expense of which will be defrayed oat of their own funds. Some of the young men are employed in quarrying and carrying the materials for this building. They support a schoolmaster out of the produce of certain small rents, which they receive and manage themselves. DETAILS OF THE SETTLEMENT OF MISSISAOA INDIANS AT ALDERSVILLE, NEAR RIOE LAKE. Near Rice Lake, about 15 miles north-east from Gobourg, is a settlement of Missisaga Indians, who, previous to the year 1826, were Pagans, wandering in the neighborhood of Belleville, Kingston and Guananoque ; and were known under the name of the Missisagas of the Bay of Quinte. In 1826 and 1827, between two and three hundred were settled on Grape Island, in the Bay of Quinte, six miles from Belleville, where they commenced planting, and where schools were established by a Wesleyan Methodist Missionary for their instruction. On this island they re- sided eleven years, subsisting by agriculture and hunting. Their houses were erected partly by their own labor, and partly at the expense of the Methodist Missionary Society ; the number, at length, amounted to twenty-three ; besides which, they had a commodious building for religious ser- vice and schools, another room for an infant school, a hos- pital, a smithy, a shoemaker's shop, and a building for joiners' and cabinet work. These, however, were relin- quished, to be sold for their benefit in 1830, when they removed to their present location, which was granted to them by Sir John Colborne- It contains 2,000 acres, which is divided into lots of 25 acres each. The village, or street, which is called Aldersville, is about a mile and a half ii saw-mi is perf dian which in the the thi| the rei the bar These half ite the whc between yoke of I and caH sess eiglj and twc| Whet shoe-mai Method] cral trac scholars tained ii ingenuii branche settlemt erected. Fori has bee instruct reading house-k manage I f le ooDgre- • new and b will be rying and of certain iselves. INDIANS Cobourg, us to the bborhood re known ' Quinte. red were six miles ng, and ethodist [they re- lunting. l>or, and Society ; besides |>U8 ser- a hos- ing for relin- they |ted to acres, [illage, land a RETROSPECT. half in length ; it contains thirty-six houses, six barns, a saw-mill, and a large school-house, in which divine worship is performed ; all erected under the direction of the In- dian Department, out of the annuity of £G42 10s., to which this band is entitled for the surrender of a vast tract in the rear of the Johnstown and Midland Districts. Of the thirty-six dwelling-houses, twenty-two are framed, and the remainder are of square logs, all of commodious size : the barns are framed, of forty by thirty feet in dimensions, These Indians are 233 in number ; each family has at least half its lots of 25 acres cleared ; and several have nearly the whole under cultivation. The total quantity cleared is betweea 360 and 460 acres. Their stock consists of eight yoke of oxen, two horses, eleven cows, twenty-one heifers and calves, and a number of pigs and poultry. They pos- sess eight ploughs, six harrows, three carts ond waggons, and twelve ox-sleighs. When on Grape Island, a cabinet-maker, blacksmith, shoe-maker, and occasionally a tailor, were employed by the Methodist Society, to instruct these Indians in their sev- eral trades. Although it was found difficult to keep the scholars at their work, and considerable losses were sus- tained in the undertaking, yet the Indians showed unusual ingenuity, and gained considerable knowledge in those branches, which has been of much use to them since their settlement at Alnwick, where no shops have yet been erected. For four years past, a school, on the manual labour plan, has been in operation. This system combines elementary instruction with domestic economy. The girls are taught reading, writing, arithmetic and geography, together with house-keeping, spinning, knitting, needle-work, and the management of a dairy : in the latter department are seven \\ < I \ 4 '^■ ..>. i •■ A.f i M 84 RETROSPECT. <^', oows. The boys are taught in the same branches as the girls, and in English grammar, and in the business of farm- ing. For this purpose, a model farm of fifty acres in ex- tent is provided. The scholars, twelve in number, are boarded and lodged in the mission family, and clothed at the expense of the Missionary Society. They are all clad in cloth spun by the Indian girls. During four years past, thirty-one girls and fourteen boys have received in- struction iu this school. As stated, I was travelling northward in my mission to the townships bordering on Lake Simcoe, and had entered the township of Reach. Proceeding on, I had the forest before me, and a strange path. My anxiety increased when I was informed that there was no house or settlement for 12 miles. Moving on I crossed a river, the Non-quon, dis- charging itself into the Skugog Lake, which is situated in the Township of Heach and Cartwright. Sturgeon Lake ia also connected by means of the Skugog River with the Skugog Lake. ., • ' Rice Lake having been noticed, it may be added that it is situated between the Otonabee River and the River Trent. On this (Tuesday) afternoon, a tremendous storm of wind came on ; the crash of the forest and downfall of trees around me was indeed fearful, but by the protection of an Almighty Saviour, and I hope in answer to the prayer of faith, I escaped unhurt. On the evening I came to the line separating the Home and Newcastle Districts. Being expected by the settlers, I requested to have a meeting for prayer and thanksgiving. Called next day on some Presbyterian settlers in the town- ship of Brock. Wednesday, 25th October. — Travelled into the township of Eldon. This township is to the extreme north of un- survcyed Fenelon, posa. It I The settli worship fo Friday, much satiJ house. Sl the Gospel] to her. Sht of the fam to her. SI fully ; and her soul. her more ar in God her Sabbath JDg a portioi from a porti This was th in this secti( refreshing 1 waited upon and delightc public worst 1. 2. RETROSPECT. 86 (S as the of farm- js in ex- bcr, are othed at are all )ur years 3ived in- lission to 1 entered the forest sed when jinent for ^uon, dis- tuated in !on Lake with the A fd that it ir Trent. |storn» of of trees Lon of an »rayer of Home I settlers, fsgiving. le town- )wnship of un- survcyed lands ; bounded on the east by the township of Fenelon, on tho west by Thorah, and on the south by Mari- posa. It is well watered, and contains some good land. The settlers were Highland Scotch. Ir amated public worship for the Sabbath ensuing. Friday. — Visited a family recommended to me. Had much satisfaction in conversing with the woman of the house. She complained of hardness of heart in believing the Gospel, and was very anxious to have the Scriptures read to her. She had only two sermons in the house, but got some of the family, and neighbors, to read those sermons of\en to her. She had a strong desire to understand the GospeJ fully ; and I have no doubt, love to Jesus was indwelling in her soul. ! that the Lord by the Spirit may establish her more and more in faith and love, that she may rejoice in God her Saviour. Sabbath Morning. — Commenced public worship by sing- ing a portion cf the 89th Psalm, and delivered a Lecture from a portion of the 15th Chapter of St. John's Gospel. This was the first, or one of the first discourses delivered in this section of the forest of Western Canadd, and was refreshing to the minds of those, who had diligently waited upon God in the observance of Gospel Ordinances, and delighted in them, in their native land. Closed our public worship by singing the following verses : 1. "0 city of the Lord ! begin The universal song, And let the scatter'd villages The clieerful notes prolong. 2. Let Kedar's wilderness afar Lift up its lonely voice ; And let the tenants of the rock With accents rude rejoice. 3. Till 'midst the streams of distant lands The islands sound his praise ; And all combin'd with one accord, Jehovah's glories raise. iH !! ; I I 36 RETROSPECT. 'iirir: ,...| Monday, 29th October. — Took my departure for the Township of Thorah, bounded on the west by Lake Sim- coe. It was settling by Highland Scotch, and had a pro- mising appearance for the support of a Minister of the Kirk. Wednesday. — Had a public meeting on the banks of the Talbot River for Divine Service. Visited several families. Thursday, 1st November. — Came upon the east banks of Lake Simcoe, through much forest and the worst possible road, and entered the Township of Georgina — making an appointment for Public Worship on the Sabbath at Mr. Robertson's Inn. Sabbath Morning, 11 o'clock. — I delivered a Lecture to a full house, from a portion of the eleventh chapter of St. John's Gospel. Had much comfort from this Service. Monday, 5th November. — Left the Township of Georgina this morning, and passed through East Gwillimbury. Vi- sited the village of Sharon or Davidtown. It was first settled about the year 1800, by David Wilson, from the State of New York. He, with a few followers, seceded from the Society of Friends, and established a sect of his own, called Davidites, in this location, on Queen Street. — The body are also called Children of Peace Mr. Wilson showed me through his first Temple, built by them for public worship, and just finished. The design was an imi- tation of the ancient Jewish temple, the ground floor of which was sixty feet square, and twenty-four feet high ', above was a gallery, for musical performances — and above this again was a kind of tower or steeple. The whole height of the building was sixty-five feet. In the interior was a large space enclosed by twelve pillars, on each of which was inscribed, in gold letters, the name of one of the Apostles. Within ihese again, were four others, in- scribed Charity,! by these] square, manshipl Chinese which wc of table supportii This seven yea intervals. Every 3 the templ( meeting w collections altogether The com House, was very high, rows of pilli Dames of tl Israel, wit! %ure of a also distingi tal. Above by twenty-o was built I remarkable departed vei Tuesday, Mr. Armstr strong, who ire for the Lake Sim- l had a pro- ster of the lanks of the ral families, ast banks of ►rst possible -making an bath at Mr. , Lecture to apter of St. lervice. ofGeorgina ibury. Vi- t was first , from the irs, seceded sect of his Street. — r. Wilson them for ras an imi- |nd floor of feet high; l-and above ^he whole le interior each of lof one of Ithers, in- RETROSPECT. 37 scribed in like manner with the words, " Hope, Faith, Charity, Love." In the centre of the building, surrounded by these pillars, was a kind of cabinet, about five feet square, and seven feet high, made of oak, of elaborate work- manship ; in shape something resembling one story of a Chinese Pagoda — at the four corners, and on the top of which were placed brass lamps. In the centre was a kind of table covered with black cloth, with crimson hangings supporting a Bible. This temple was built by the congregation, who spent seven years about the work, working, of course, only at intervals. Every year, on the first Friday evening in September, the temple is brilliantly illuminated. I understood that a meeting was held here monthly for the purpose of making collections for the poor. It was said that the subscription altogether by the members was $8 per month for each. The contemplated second building, called the Meeting- House, was completed about the year 1842. Ground floor very high, the ceiling was arched, and supported by three rows of pillars, on which were inscribed in letters of gold the names of the principal Patriarchs, Prophets and Kings of Israel, with the words " Our Lord is one God," and the figure of a harp in the hands of David. The church is also distinguished for its music, both vocal and instrumen- tal. Above the Meeting-House is a school-room, fifty feet by twenty-one. The building was completed in 1842. Ic was built by subscription, and cost about $2,500. The remarkable leader of this religious sect, has certainly departed very far from Quakerism, and all other '* Isms.'' Tuesday, 6th. — Travelled into West Gwillimbury. Visited Mr. Armstrong, and endeavoured to comfort Mrs. Arm- strong, who was in very great affliction of mind on account " :i i i Pi ■'■! • .^'' .1H J :j 38 RETROSPECT. ' !1 I I lis of the death of her young daughter. I stated to her that, by looking to many families in ..# • i ,1 40 RETROSPECT. iiiiif: jl It Friday, 23rd. — Kept an appointment at the village to deliver a lecture. Our service was confined to four families, all the other families being Koman Catholics. I was glad to learn that a Frenchman and his wife attended our meet- ing — he not being on good terms with the resident Priest, because he went to hear the Protestant preachers — also, reading the Scriptures every evening in nis own house, desiring to understand them in their teaching, and explain- ing them to his wife. He introduced himself to me, and expressed a wish that [ would pay him and his wife a visit. In our conversation I found them very anxious to read and understand the Scriptures. Read to them the third chapter of the Gospel of St. John ; he then desired that I would pray with them, and for them, that the light of the truth might burst into their minds. Saturday, 24th November. — Visited Lieut. Matthewson, and prepared for the Sabbath service. Sabbath morning attended the English Church service at the Establishment, the Doctor of the Company stationed there reading the prayers and a sermon. In the afternoon I had a good attendance, including the Officers and Military, and had again the pleasure of sowing the seed of the Gospel by the great waters, far removed from Go^l ordinances. LAKE HURON. This superb sheet of water lies between Lake Superior on the north-west, Lake Michigan on the north-west and west, and Lakes Erie and Ontario on the south, and south-east. It is 260 miles in length, and 160 in breadth in its widest part, inclusive of the Georgian Bay, a vast expanse, ahnosi a separate lake. It is said to contain 32,000 islands, principally along the northern shore, and BETROSPEOT. 41 at the north-western end, varying in size from mere rocky reefs and pinnacles, to large and cultivable isles. The surface of Lake Huron is elevated 596 feet above the level of the Atlantic, and depressed 45 feet below that of Lake Superior, and 4 below that of Michigan. Its greatest depth is 1000 feet, near the west shore. Its mean depth is said to be 900 feet. A ridge of land which, proceeding from the vicinity of the Falls of Niagara, sweeps round the upper extremity of Lake Ontario, and running thence into the promontory of Cape Hurd and Cabot's Head, is represented in continua- tion by the Manitoulin Islands, divides Lake Huron into two parts, which may be called the south and the north. — The south part, constituting the great body of the Lake, with a circumference exceeding 720 lineal mileSo The north portion is again divided into two parts, the east and the west, the former of which, called Georgian Bay, extending from Nottawasaga to Shebawen-ahning, and the eastern ex- tremity of the Grand Manitoulin Island, with a length of 120 miles and a breadth of 50 miles. The latitude of Lake Huron is from 43 to 46 degrees north, and longitude from 80 to 84^ west, from London. I shall have to notice, in my next journey, the Great Manitoulin Island, the Georgian Bay, and Matchadash Bay. Monday, 26th. — Travelled south to the township of Vespra, and had a meeting for prayer and exhortation. Next day came on the north banks of Lake Simcoe, and had a meeting on Kenipenfeldt Bay, where Barrie, the County Town, now stands, and during this year it com- menced its rise out of the forest* It was named after Commodore Barrie in olden time. It is now an interest- ing location, and should the contemplated canal, from the Bay to Lake Huron, through Willow Creek, and the Npt- D8 li K If 5 J J P 'l'?'> i ■»; t n\ t i s. ■-* 11 J' il i It ^1|.-^'1 » 1 '♦;■ J 'I 1 \ 42 RETROSPECT. r '11' il: tawasaga River, ever be formed, it would give Barrie an extensive navigation. Thursday, 29th. — Held my appointment in Gwillim- bury North, and met with a number of kind friends. Next morning cros&ed the Holland River, a very consider- able inlet from the waters of Lake Simcoe ; it might be called a frith. The early settlers in West Gwillimbury, &c., found a great difficulty (excepting in heavy frosts in the winter) in passing and re-passing this River with safety. This Canadian Winter Scene, the first time I crossed, which was as early as 1826, was to me grand, and kad in it somewhat of the sublime of nature. In the first place the distance was nearly a mile, and composed at that time of two sheets of water, and then a long Tamarack swamp, at the end of which was the dark rising forest. It was on a beautiful sun-shiny day in December — the face of the whole country was covered with fresh snow, glisten, ing in the sun, as far as the eye could reach southward, and the River, strong in ice and covered with snow also, showed at once a scene beautiful and extensive ; then the elevated forest in the distance westward, like a dense and massive cloud, contrasted well, and crowned the whole scene. The distance from the Holland River, to Yonge Street Road, thiough the forest, is about two miles, and altogether, (river and road), at this season, was almost impassable. Holland Landing Village, on Yonge Street Road, thirty- two miles north of York, (now Toronto), had its com- mencement about 1S30 ; subsequently it was named Beverly, and has increased considerably. I suppose that Governor Simcoe gave Kempenfeldt Bay and the Holland Riv«r their pleasant sounding names. Certainly it was discouraging to early settlers to cross this River, and open the fores were som Colony experien( Highlanc of them Canada the stor^ They ma protected Lakes to be 30 miles. I charges il Severn Ri Friday, ship of W Mr. Petei which I hi broken, in is rolling, Gwillimbu of the verj By lool sources an form a toh Thus it wi the towns above Lak flow into ] through tb the River Rapids an RETROSPECT. 43 Sarrie an Gwillim- fricnds. consider- night be llimbury, frosts in ver with time I and, and the first 1 at that tamarack irest. It -the face glisten. iithward, low also, then the snse and B whole I Yonge les, and } almost 1, thirty- [its corn- named lose that [olland it was id open the forests in West Gwillimbury. Amongst the early ones, were some of those from the north of Scotland, and of the Colony Lord Selkirk located on the Red River. They experienced great privations there, — no bread, — and as the Highland women said — " no nothing but flesh" ; so many of them determined to leave the Selkirk settlement for Canada West. The officials hearing of the design — as the story tells — placed some ordnance to prevent them. They managed, however, to get hold of the great guns, and protected themselves as they left the settlement. Lake Simcoe is about 35 miles north from Toronto, said to be 30 miles in length, and in its widest part eighteen miles. It lies high, 170 feet above Lake Huron, and dis- charges its waters through Lake Couchiching and the Severn River, into the Georgian Bay. Friday, 30th. — Travelled through a portion of the town- ship of Whitchurch — visited several families, and slept at Mr. Petei Graham's. This section of the Upper Province which I have just visited, a second time, is very hilly, and broken. in many parts — even the best sample of good lana is rolling, and not flat — and in the township of West Gwillimbury, I have seen fields of wheat on rolling land of the very best quality grown in the Province. By looking at a map of the country, and noticing the sources and the courses of the streams, it becomes easy to form a tolerable judgment of the relative height of the land. Thus it will be seen that the ridge of land running through the townships north of Toronto, must be considerably above Lake Ontario ; as the rivers take their rise in it, and flow into Lake Simcoe, pass down the Falls of the Severn, through the Georgian Bay and Lake Huron, the Rapids of the River St. Clair, Lake St. Clair, and Lake Erie ; the Rapids and the Falls of the Niagara River, enter Lake ■■ ..wl ' i Xm ; \ 44 RETROSPECT. !!lli III; Ontario ; and after performing a circuit of nearly 800 miles, pass down within about twenty-five miles of their source. Saturday, December 1st, 1832. — Beached Richmond Hill, Yonge street, and accomplished this my second Mis- sionary journey to the north, as far as Lake Huron, through the various townships, as reported to the Presbytery. REFLECTIONS ON THE WELL-SPENT SABBATH. . " The Sabbath, pre-eminently above every other day, demands an undivided attention to works of piety and love, if we would maintain a spirit of prayer. ** Its stated and frequent occurrence is evidently designed to maintain a habit of devotion in the soul ; and would men but avail themselves of the spiritual privileges, and feed upon the spiritual food which Sabbath provides, " in the strength of that meat," they could be enabled to encounter the privations and distractions of the intervening days of secular life, and to raise their spiritual course to the Mount of God, with patience, safety, and comfort. "As regards the Christian world, the profanation or observance of the Sabbath is, respectively, one of the surest marks of a corrupt, or a reformed Church. "As regards Christian experience, many a pious indivi- dual has testified with Sir Matthew Hale, that the comfort of the week was intimately connected with the strict and spiritual observance of the Sabbath. " The Sabbath opens, as it were, a vista into the king- dom of heaven, of which it is a reflected copy, though faint . indeed and imperfect ; and therefore our relish for the one tests, not uncertainly, the degree of our preparedness for ; the other; . But Sabbath sanotification is not the heartless performt ing into the pern traction. And a walked o lighted that a SI blance, t\ The fair tranquil a as if God of heavei concave o beauty ai attention, " Only every coui of relaxal removed, his brow e and travai rest, no si no cruel o cunning, a London C Sabbath Miles, Esc School, in school was Lord's ] Revd. Wil Toronto.) arly 800 s of their licliinond ond Mis- I, through ory. .TH. . ther day, and love, r designed rould men and feed "in the encounter g days of le. Mount lation or he surest is indivi- comfort trict and he king- igh faint the one dness for heartless RETROSPECT. 45 performance of any duties however excellent ; it is a drink- ing into the Sabbath spirit, and a joyful acquiescence in the permitted privilege of serving the Lord without dis- traction." And again the writer says : " I have often thought as I walked out amid the fields of nature from a village church, lighted up by the soft and golden lustre of a western sun, that a summer Sabbath evening gives the closest resem- blance, the loveliest draught of heaven which earth supplied. The fair face of nature smiles, with increased charm, in its tranquil and sweet repose. There is an indescribable stillness, as if God intended that the evening anthem of the choristers of heaven should be heard throughout the wide and lofty concave of their magnificent temple, and that every sight of beauty and sound of melody should meet undistracted attention, and attune and elevate the soul to Him. '^ Only shun the more crowded haunts of men, and then every countenance reflects the scene, and wears the aspect of relaxation, and calm composure. The ourse seems removed. For this one day, man no more in the sweat of his brow eats bread — no more the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together. On this day of universal rest, no sight of toiling age, and overburdened weakness, no cruel oppression of the inferior animals, no overeaching, cunning, and chicanery, meets and mars your happiness."— London Christian Observer, Sabbath, 2nd Deo. — Spent this Sabbath with James Miles, Esq., and attended with him his excellent Sabbath School, in the Presbyterian Church, Richmond Hill. The school was commenced about the year 1822. Lord's Day, 9th Dec. — Had the pleasure of hearing the Revd. William Rintoul preach in his church in York, (now Toronto.) ' !lf I •*"■! iu ■ : T. 1 • ]■ 1 t 1 1. ' .' ■ ■ ►• ■ ;: '■"'■ , ? T ■J ! ■) .'I ■ : . 1 .' ^ "J Y 1 ii'l : } *H '„• "■" v1 46 RETBOSPEOT. tii Sabbath, 16th. — Visited the Scotch settlement in the Township of King — delivered a Gospel lecture to a con- siderable congregation ; afiter the service examined the Hohool which I had organised some time before, glad to see one or two efficient teachers. Wednesday, 18th.— Entered the Township of Whit- church, originally settled by Quakers, and appointed a meet- ing on Friday evening in Union Street. I was desired to deliver a Lecture on a certain Scriptural subject.. My mind was not made up. I remembered the anecdote of the Rev. Mr. Komaiu, of London. He at one time could not fix upon a text for the Sabbath. A woman happened to call OQ him ', he could not see her. She called again, and ia like manner was sent away ; but he, on reflecting, called her back and demanded what she wanted. She told him that she wanted him to explain a passage of scripture, giv- ing the same. He replied, that if she attended his church to-morrow, she would hear him preach from it. But I did not comply with my friend's request. Sabbath, 23rd. — Delivered a Lecture at Mr. Wells' Yonge Street, from Joel, chap ii. v. 13-14. Next day was desired to visit a mother and daughter, both having lost their husbands during the prevailing cho- lera. In the course of this week, prepared a Report for the Presbytery, and delivered it to the Rev. William Rintoul. He expressed a wish that £ should visit the Townships of Pickering and Whitby, before taking my journey to the west, I agreed thereto. Sabbath, 30th. — Had public service this day in the 8th Concession of Markham. Visited, on my way to Whitby, some families, and particularly two very aged persons — the one in his 91st year, not only deaf but also blind ; and his wife, in her 87th year. Endeavoured to lead their minds togosj such mil Whitl road easj cards ot closed ii heartily milies, &i them wei were to Sabba Baptist the roads really pie the servi( oftheKi on gettin York. Monda Township evening. Tuesdi settlers, Soarboroi opportuni my way c How imp the voice The T were earl; the Unite RETROSPECT. 47 ■•1 to gospel hope, and earnestly prayed with them for that such might he attained. Whitby, Ist January, 1833. — Travelled on the Kingston road east. Where I lodged, two young men introduced cards on the table : I said nothing ; the evening was closed in the worship of God. The young men joined heartily in our song of praise. Next day visited many fa- milies, and received from them much kindness ; several of them were members of the Kirk, and most anxious they were to have a stationed Minister of their Church. Sabbath, 6th January. — Met for public worship at the Baptist Church, near the village of Whitby, and though the roads were in a very bad state, yet the attendance was really pleasing, and the people devotional. At the close of tht) service, notice was given that a meeting of the members of the Kirk would take place on the 21st inst., to deliberate on getting supply of preaching from the Presbytery of York. Monday. — Travelled this day from Whitby into the Township of Pickering, and reached Mr. White's in the evening, Tuesday. — Held a meeting that day by request of the settlers, and proceeded on through the Township of Scarborough to the Town of York, now Toronto. Had an opportunity of hearing that the very aged man I visited on my way east, died the next morning after I was with him. How important is the duty to visit in the Gospel, and in the voice of earnest prayer, the aged and the dying. i m ;.. f ! '4 REMARKS. The Townships of Markham, Pickering and Whitby were early settled chiefly by the Dutch and Quakers, from the United States. Suiirbovough was also an early settle- U-i •1, ' ii ■•111 ill 48 RETROSPECT. \ 1 III! ! I 'III xnent by Presbyterians from the south of Scotland. David Archibald and Andrew Thomson were the first settlers in this Township in the forest, in 1799, and for several years afterwards it was a wilderness. They were men f f educa- tion, and good information, yet they understood not the value of hardwood land, and settled among the Soarboro' Pines. Their settlement was eleven miles east of York, and three miles from the shore of Lake Ontario. It is said that at this period, 1799, the whole district of York, which then included a large portion of the surrounding country, which has since been formed into separate districts, contained only 224 inhabitants, as settlers. Col. John Graves Simcoe, was the first Governor of Upper Canada, and was appointed such in 1792. The first Parliament of Upper Canada was held under a tree, a large stone serving for the table, at the Town of Newark, (Niagara) on the 17th day of September, 1792. On June 5th, 1798, the Parliament was moved to the above named York, to become the Provincial City of Canada West, now Toronto. We have, says a writer, only to cast our eyes transiently over the map of North America to be immediately assured of the singularly advantageous situation of the settled parts of Upper Canada. Seated like a gem in the bosom of a country that is neither scorched by the sultry summers of the south nor blasted by the tardy, bitter, biting winter of the north ; surrounded by the most magnificent lakes, and possessing the most extensive internal navigation in the world ; it would be difiicult — perhaps impossible — to find in any other region of the globe a tract of country of the same magnitude, with so many natural advantages as that part of Upper Canada which lies between the Lakes Onta- rio, Erie and Huron— embracing also the Niagara River, RKTROSPEOT. 49 the Thames and Grutid River -nine-tenths of the whole extent of which uro caleuhited or almost every description of agricultural labor, with such a prospect of success as perhaps no other part of this continent could realize. A p^rt of this tract of country, commencing in the neighbor- hood of Kingston, and running westward nearly five hun- dred miles, to Sandwich frontier, by a depth northward of from forty to one hundred miles, is alone capable of sup- plying Europe with vast quantities of grain, besides being rich in cattle. The timber trade, also, which has been partly overlooked, has been, and still is, of great advantage to Canada. * These remarks were made in 1824, when the Govern- ment of .Upper Canada was active, and in good stfinding under the Administraticn of a much respected Governor, Sir Peregrine Maitland. The population of the seat of Government must have been small in 1799 ; the country a wilderness, and no roads. In 1800 the first road was oontructed for, by Dantford, an American, to run from York toward Kingston. The price to be paid f jr opening the same, was $90 per mile — width two rods. The road remains to this day, and is well known as the Dantford road, running through the Township of Scarborough, &c., near to Lake Ontario. It appears that Dantford divei^ed from the right line of contract, and cut the road over band hills, and easy places — Yankee-like. - i ■.!'!,- r'^ -i l;l * '¥^ i'-;! M RETROSPECT. CHAPTER FIFTH. JOURNEY WEST TO THE GRAND RIVER — THE lONQ POINT COUNTRY, SITUATED ON LAKE ERIE — AND JO THE TOWNSHIP OP ZORRA, ETC. irsf After some profitable conversation with the Rev. Wm. Rintoul, of York, I commenced my second journey to the west on the 10th January, 1833. Reached the Village of Springfiald, on Dundas Street (Road), 18 miles from the Seat of Government — York* Visited Mr. McGiil, who has eKtabiished an excellent mill here on the River Credit. Appointed a meeting in this vi lage for public worship on the Sabbath. The river Credit takes its rise among the hiilsi in the township of Caledon. I shall subsequently say something cf the village Credit, three miles up the river from Dundas Street. Sabbath Morning, 13th January. — Met with a goodly number of hearers, ai.d I had a strong- desire to press the great truth upon their minds; some friends present were soon to be called from this world to render an account of their stewardship. Visited Mr. McKinnon, the first settler in the New Sur- vey of the Township of Toronto, in the year 1818, and found him and family strongly attached to the Cl»urch of Scotland. 'St BETROSPSOT. 51 Wednesday, 16th. — Lodged this eveniDg with Mr. Qil- bert Bastedo, a very old settler, and through him and oth- ers, a Presbyterian Church was early established in the Township of Nelson, on Duadas Street. The Rev. Wm. King, from the Synod of Ulster, was their first settled min- ister, about the year 1824, and he continued to labor in the townships of Nelson and East Flairborough for a length of time. He also frequently visited settlements adjoining, which were destitute of the ministry of the Word. There was, at the above date, an extensive field for labor, and very few laborers in this new vineyard of the Lord. He and the Bev. Mr. Jenkins, of Scarborough, were the first Pres- byterian preachers in the Home District — visiting the des- titute settlers and administering to them the Ordinances of the Gospel — efficiently aided by the Bev. Mr. Harris, Pres- byterian Minister of the town of York. Thursday Morning. — After joining Mr. Bastedo and family in their song of praise, reading the Word, and prayer, which is his invariable custom, morning as well as evening, I travelled to the village of Ancaster, and spent a night at the residence of the late Bev. Mr. Sheed- It is mournful to visit the dwellings of departed friends — and that too, so unezpsctedly. I had parted with him in October last, in good hope that his labours in the Qospel would be prosper- ous. He then spoke of the death of the Bev. Mr. Bobert- son, at Montreal, of cholera, who had just come out to tho Missionary field of Canada — and remarked, " that the ways of God are very mysterious, and unseen by us." How applicable to his own death ! How uncertain are our days — how pointed the call, " Therefore be ye also ready ; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." How dull the apartments of his house— his farm, and na- ture around, seemed to partake of the gloom. Three m ; ■ ill ♦ m ri % Ml .^. « ill M I * i h I 4\ m 52 RETROSPECT. months before, two relatives died in his house of fever, and a very short period after the death of Mr. Sheed, a neigh- bor woman, a member of his Church, who visited him, took the same sort of fever, and died also. The Rev. Mr. Sheed was the first Presbyterian Mission- ary of the Church of Scotland in Western Canada, and in the year 1827 he went home for ordination. He returned in a few months, to take the Pastoral care of two small bo- dies of Presbyterians in Ancaster and the village of Dundas. He also, about the same period, visited the townships of Trafalgar, Toronto, &c., on Missionary labors. The first Synod of Presbyteiions in Canada, connected with the Church of Scotland, was held in Kingston in the year 1831. The Church in Ancaster was built in 1832. Mr. Sheed never preached in it ; he died on the 26th November, same year, and his interment was the first in the Church-yard. The Rev. Robert McGill, of Niagara, preached his Funeral Sermon in said Church. Friday, 18th January. — Took my departure west for the Grand River, on the road originally called the Mohawk Road, from the Six Nation Indians of the Mohawk Valley, in the State of New York — they having been on the side of the British during the conflict for American Indepen- dence. After the result, the Mohawks deputed their Chief, Joseph Brant, to represent their claims to Sir F. Haldi- mand, who was then Governor of the Province of Quebec, and who, in the following year, by a proclamation, dated October 25th, 1784, granted to the Six Nations and their heirs for ever, a tract of land on the Ouse, or Grand River, six miles in depth, on each side of the rivor, beginning at Lake Erie and extending to the head of the river. This grant was confirmed, and its conditions defined, by a patent RVraOBFIOT. 53 ander the Great Seal issued by Lieutenant'OoTernor Sim- oee,«nd ^^«ring date Jaoiiarj 14th, 1793. The ori^nal extent of tiie traet was 694,910 acres, but the greater part of this has been since surrendered to the Orowu, in trwit, to be sold for the benefit of their tribes. Some smdler portions have been either granted in fee sim^ pie to purchasers, with the assent of the Indians, or have been alienated by the Chiefs upon leases ; which, althongh l^Iy invalid, the government did not at the time consider it equitable or expedient to cancel. Of the earlier surrenders, the greater portion has been already sold, and the proceeds have been invested either in consols in England, or in the Grand BiVer Navigation Stock. The survey of the portion last surrendered is not complete, but a considerable part is already occupied by settlers or squatters, and the ^h'l ^ill probably be soon settled. The Six Nations consist properiy of the Mohawks, Onei- das, Senecas, Onandagas, and Cayugas, which formed the original confederacy of the " Vive Nations," called Iroquois by Ehe French, with the Tuscaroras, who were adopted into the confederacy . But the community on the Grand River includes also a few Delawares, Tutulies, Muntures, Nanti« cokes, and some other Indians, together with a few families of negroes, adopted into the nation. The number of the whole, according to a census taken in 1843, is 2223. They are settled in small bands, divided according to their tribes, or collected under separate chiefs, on both sides of the river, from the Cayuga township line to the south side of the Hamilton road ; but are at present about to retire alto- gather to the south side. The greater part live in log hou- ses, scattered over this tract ; very few comparatively live in villages. Of these there are properly ^but three; the E4 If p ^i i. 1 it i" .■ ,V;.r^!| ?■) \ i IP 54 RSTBOSPSOT. Mohawk, Tosoarora and Cayuga. The first, whioh is be- tween one and two miles from Brantford, was established in 1785, the year after the emigration of the Six Nations. It contains about 24 houses, and extends in a Tery irregular form, for above a quarter of a mile. Its church, which is said to be the oldest in Canada West, is a very neat build- ing, in exc llent repair, and contains the family vault of the celebrated Chief of the Mohairks, Joseph Brant. All the Indian inhabitants of this village, with the exception of four or five families, have sold their improvements to white settlers, and have removed to other parts of the re- serve, chiefly for the convenience of procuring fuel, which they had great difficulty in obtaining at the village. The Tuscarora village is a mile and a half from the site of the Six Nations' Council House, which is eleven miles from Brantford. Xt was established ten or fifteen years later than the Mohawk village, and is of nearly the same extent ; but the houses, of whioh there are about thirty, are less scat- tered. It contains few or no white settlers ; and there is a neat little church at one end of the village. The Upper Cayuga village is now deserted by the Indians ; the houses are all of logs, and in each settlement there are several barns. None of the Six Nations Indians reside in wig- wams. According to an account taken in 1843, it appears that the 2223 individuals, forming about 500 families, occupy 307 houses, having 55 barns attached to them. They pos- sess 85 waggon, 127 sleighs, 153 ploughs, and 97 harrows. Their stock consists of 350 horses, 561 oxen, 790 cows, and 83 sheep. The extent of improved land among them is 6908 acres, or, on an average, about fourteen acres to a family. Some, however, hold extensive farms, as will te seen by the following abstract : BITBO8PS0T. f^< No. of Indians holding no improved land, do. do. under 5 acres, do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do^ do. do. do. from 5 to 10 acres, do. 10 to 20 " do. 20 to 50 do. 50 to 100 do. 100 to 150 do. .150 to 200 50 96 85 67 68 28 9 1 In those oases in which the family has no improved land, the men generally work out in the winter. In the spring and summer, and in the early part of the autumn, they engage as labourers, for which they receive high wages. The females remain with their families, and are supported by the earnings of the men. Many of the Indians work on the farms of the white settlers during harvest time. The land is not subdivided into regular plots, but each Indian selects his own locality, and takes as much land as he can cultivate, or wishes to reserve to himself, without the interference of the chiefs. They are generally secure from the intrusions of other Indians; and they can transmit their land to their heirs, or convey their interest in it to any other Indian. If any disputes arise, they are submit- ted to the chiefs in council, who decide upon the matter. They depend almost entirely upon agriculture for subsis- tence, and seldom resort to hunting and fishing for a supply of food ; although many of them indulge in these sports for various periods, extending from a fortnight to three month?, towards the close of the year. Their chief hunting-grounds are in the township of Norwich, Zorra, Dereham, Windham and Blenheim, and at the Chippawa Creek ; but when unsuccessful at these places, they resort to more distant localities. At least one-third do not hunt at all ; and it is probable, that by the time the game becomes exhausted in the surrounding townships, the inclination of the remainder ■S\ < > ii *.1 M "if i' I I. I'l i!-|? Ji»! 1 ' sr BKTRO»PIOT. for the ohase will have alt(^ther oeaacd. They are mnoh improved in their hahits of industry and mode of agricnl- ture, and they raise a greater variety of grain and v^ta- bles than formerly. As regards religion, the Mohawki had been Christians for many years before the American Revolution. The church at the Mohawk village was built by the government for their use, the year after the settlement. For many years, however, they had no resident missionary among them ; the nearest clergyman lived at Niagara, seventy miles distant. About 16 years ago, a olergyman was first settled here for the benefit of the Indians, by the " Com- pany f(Mr the Propagation of the Oospel in New England, and the parts adjacent in America," commonly called the " New England Company." Some attention had been previously paid to the inhabitapts of this neighbourhood, by one of the missionaries of the Society for the Propaga- tion of the Oospel in Foreign Parts ; but by an arrangement with the New England Company, the care of this station was entirely rebigned to that Company, who have ever since maintained a missionary at the Mohawk village, kept the church in repair, and have established several schools, and a mechanics' institute, for the Indians in and about the station. More recently they have established an assis- tant missionary in the Tuscarora village, where they have built a church and a parsonage house. There is also a Methodist church at the Salt Springs. A large majority of the Indians on the Grand River are Christians, and belong mostly to the Church of England. A few years ago, some of the Lower Mohawks left that church and attached themselves to the Episcopalian Metho- dists ; but Irtely, part of these have returned to the church. During the last year, 1845, about forty of the TusOj^rora tribe RETROSPECT. 57 joined the Baptists : there are also some Wesleyan Metho- dists. A considerable number, however, of the Upper and Lower Gayugas, the Onondagas, Senecas, and some of the Delawares are still heathens. A boarding School has been established by the New England Company in the Mohawk village. The instruc- tion is carried on altogether in English. Fifteen boys are being instructed in the several trades of waggon making, blacksmith, carpentering, and shoemaking. The girls, twelve in number, are taught house-keeping, needle-work, spinning and knitting. The total number of children under instruction in the settlement is 160. These tribes have increased by about 100, during the last ten years. The n amber of half-breeds among them is small, not above three in a hundred. The Six Nations Indians are under the superintendence of an officer of the Indian Department, who resides at Brant- ford ; and they receive medical attendance from practitioners in the same town, who are remunerated out of the funds of the tribe. A large portion of the lands on the banks of tho Grand River is well settled and cultivated. The township of Dumfries, which has been settled about forty years, is the best settled township in the Province ; and the townships of Waterloo, Guelph and Brantford, are also in a high state of cultivation. Most of the land on the Grand Kiver is rolling, the timber varying according to locality, but being generally a mixture of hardwood and pine. Splendid white oik is found in great quanties, within a convenient distance from the river ; and a considerable business is carried on in square timber, sawed lumber and staves. Gypsum of excellent quality has been found in lai^e beds in the neigh- f'-l^ W: m !'i: '.'■I %r iS 1 Ir'? B . 1 ii j| \ . ■■: '; ' i ! ii ■■; ■i -!'■ ii > 1' [li^r 58 RETROSPECT. bourhood of Paris, in the township of Oneida, and in Cayuga; it is much used in agriculture, many of the fitrmers coming many miles to procure it. The flourishing towns and villages of Dunnville, Cayuga, Indiana, York, Seneca, Caledonia, Brantford, Paris, Gait, Preston, Elora, (where is a beautiful fall), and Fergus, are situated on the Grand Biver. Called at the Mohawk village and Mission-house ; had no opportunity there or at Brantford to hold a meeting, and traAelled on to Mount Pleasant, on the Long Point road, five miles from Brantford. This was an early settle- ment in the forest, when there were no settlements in the whole section of forest on the Grand Biver save the location of Mohawk Indians, at their village. It may be observed here, that the Bev. Mr. Addison, an early Missionary of the Church of England, residing in the town of Niagara, visited the Mohawks once a year, and from thence travelled through the forest to Talbot Street, administering the ordi- nances of the blessed Gospel to the few precious souls in the wilderness and solitary places. Saturday, 19th January. — Having in Mount Pleasant engaged for the morrow to deliver a Sabbath School Ad- dress and Lecture, I was this day engaged, in the house of my good friend Mr. Big^ar (an old and very respectable head of the families of Biggars here) in preparing for our Sabbath Day exercises. Sabbath Morning, 11 o'clock. — A very good attendance of parents, teachers and children. I was lead to point out the great responsibility devolving on Christian parents, so long as they were spared with their children, to carefully instruct them from the Word of God in all the ordinances of the Gospel ; and I enforced the precepts and commands God gave to the Children of Israel, viz : — " Parents to their migh and c RETROSPECT. 69 their children, and to their children's children. That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his st&tutes and commandments, ivhich I command thee ; thou and tby son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life, and that thy days may be prolonged." Two o clock. — Delivered a Lec- ture from the last five verses of the 28th chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew. The Rev. Mr. Brining improved the subject to advantage, and dosed the services. The Methodist Ministers have done much service here, and I trust those services have been blessed, and will continue to be still more blessed to this interesting location. Monday, 21st January, 1833. — Travelled to the town- ship of Blenheim. As the south side of this township — east and west — was one of the first surveys and settlements in Canada West, by the order of Governor Simooe, as early as 1793, I will give the details of the same, as given by T. S. Shenston, Esq. : — " There is a history of the county of Oxford, and a most interesting one, in the memories of a few individuals residing in this and some of the adjoining counties. To have collected from them materials for such a history would have delighted us beyond measure, had our time been at our own disposal and our means more abun- dant. In the absence of such a history of the county, we will give a very brief account of the first settler in it — the late Thomas Horner, Esq., M. P. " The late Thomas Horner — the first white settler in the County of Oxford, and for many years its representative — was born March 17, 1767, at Bordentown, New Jersey, then a colony of Great Britain ; was married in 1801, by Col. James Ingersoll, J. P., and died in Burford, August 14th, 1834, of cholera. His uncle, Thomas Watson, Esq., had, during the revolutionary war in the United States, rendered Colonel Simcoe (afterwards the first Governor of \'4 ■ >i I, m r ■. K' ' fi- '^ 4h in ilV- .1 1 ' 'i! 1 ;1 4 , ihL -iif m: i:'% i:::: nil In 60 RETROSPECT. Upper Canada) somo essential Hervice after lie had been taken prisoner by the Americans — this service was not for- gotten by him when appointed Governor of Upper Canada, (1792) for soon after his arrival he wrote to Mr. Watson, and not only most pressingly urged him to come himself, but to bring all his friends and relations with him, and promised them a whole township. " The Governor was not only anxious to reward him for past services, but equally anxious to get the Province set- tled by individuals from the United States. Mr. Watson relying on a Governor's promise, sent his son Thomas Watson to the County of Oxford, in company with his cousin, the late Thomas Horner, in the year 1793, before even a Surveyor's chain had jingled in its woods ; and pro- bably they were the first white persons who ever trod its soil. " To accommodate them, the Governor had ordered that the three first concessions of the township of Blenheim should be at once surveyed. Surveyor Jones and his In- dian party arrived, while they were there, to survey those concessions, and they waited while that was done, and se- lected a site for a mill and returned — Mr. Watson with the intention of not coming back, and Mr. Horner intending to do so. At the time of this, their first visit, the nearest white settler east was where Brantford now stands, and the nearest one west, whore the town of Chatham now is. " Mr. Horner resided in Niagara for some time, and * then moved to the town of Detroit, and remained there un- til that town was formally given up by the British Govern- ment (then in possession) to the American General Wayne in 1796. " Mr. Horner then proceeded to the city of Albany, N. Y., to purchase the materials, and engage the mechanics, BSTROSFBOT. 91 n lad been 3 not for- Canada, Watson, i himself, him, and i him for vince set- . Watson Thomas with his )3, before and pro- r trod its ered that Blenheim his In- eey those and se- with the ntending I nearest ds, and L now is. me, and here un- Govern- W^ayne ilbany, shanics, to erMt hismv^milt — the first erected in the County of Ox* ford. He packed his goods in two small roughly-made boats, which he launched on the river Hudson, near AU bany, proceeded up the Hudson to the river Mohawk, and up said river about 100 miles ; then carried their goods and boats across the Norvel Creek, thence down the Norvel Creek to Lake Oneida, across the lake to Oswego river y thence into Lake Ontario, along the southern coast of that lake to the Burlington Bay beach ; drew their boats through a small outlet of the bay, and then proceeded across the bay and landed, all safe, near where Sir Allan Macnab's castle now stands. The boats were then made fast for future use, and the goods drawn by oxen, on roughly-made sledgeS| to their destination in Blenheim. " The mill was got up and in working order in the latter part of 1795. It had not been run at all before the dam broke away ; and from the scarcity of hands it could not be rebuilt till 1797, in which year the first boards were sawn. The house — the " old homestead" — now occupied by Henry Horner, Esq., J. P., is built of boards sawed at this mill. Mr. Horner erected a grist mill also, the first built in the county. " When these mills were erected, he was in a position to claim the t )wnship of Blenheim — he having, at very great loss, faithfully performed his part of the contracts ; in fact, he was in actual possession of the township, as possessions were given in those days, but Governor Simooe's successor would not acknowledge his claim." Connected with these accounts of the manner and efforts put forth in the first settlements of tho forest in Canada West, I shall here add, that there was no road cut, at this period, from where Hamilton now stands to Niagara ; and the usual mode of travelling to Niagara (then called New* ' ;(; r ■ I .»!■ u;i 62 BETR08PK0T. l\\ ill ■J! I II • !?l ,1 ■ ::,,!; ill i -i - 1 ) ii: Ark, the Sent of Government) and to York (when the Gov* eminent was removed to that plaoo) was with a boat, along the lake shore, and theso boats were often loaned to neigh- bors by Mr. Horner for that purpose. The town of Detroit was at that period in the posses- sion of the British, but was to be given up, in accordance with the treaty of 1783, in a reasoni ble time — but waa re- tained on the ground of infraction of the treaty on the part of the United States. Subsequently, by *' Jay's treaty," it was to bo, and was, formally given up in 1796. The township of Blenheim is situated north of Burford, and west of Dumfries, and contains a considerable portion of good land. Visited one of the early settlers, Mr. Gal- braith, and his family, also his son-in-law, Mr. Bastedo, Several Presbyterian families were in this township, and they •'ere about building a Church. Held a meeting for public worship on Thursday evening, which gave much sat- isfaction. • Friday, 25th January. — Took my departure on the Go. vernor's Road, west, for the township of Zorra. Remained a short time in the " Town Plot," laid out, as such, by Go- vernor Simcoe — now the town of Woodstock. At the above date, there were only a few houses, and no appear- ance of a village. The Episcopal Church was commeDced to be built, in good time, in 1833. The first sermon preach- ed in Woodstock by the present rector, was in the spring of 1834, to a congregation of eleven souls, in his own house, from the text, " One thing is needful." Travelled on to the village of Beachville. Bad road and very ccld weather. Crossed the east branch of the river Thames, proceeded through the woods, tnd reached my lodgings'for the night in the Highland settlement of Zorra. IM '■ iKi :A ftxraoBPsoT. 68 I was received with kindness, and informed that notioe had been given for public worship on the Subbath. Sabbath Morning. — Walked through the forest three miles for public worship, and entered a large log building, without window, doors or fire. This building was erected in October last for a place of worship. I was struck with the number of persons closely seated together on boards and benches to the number of nearly two hundred, with their Bibles in their hands. We commenced by singing the 122nd Psalm, and I delivered a lecture from a portion of the Book of Acts. Closed this interesting service by sing- ing the 61st Scriptural Paraphrase. Zorra is a large township, divided, in 1845, into two townships, namely East and West Zorra. Previous to 1822, the townships of Zorra, Nissouri, and West and North Oxford were assessed together, at which period their united population was 719 souls. The same territory, about 1850, numbered about 15,000 souls. The bulk of the settlers in Zorra were from the north of Scotland — Sutherlandshire, &o. — and were well trained in the Gospel. The seed then sown I hope is bringing forth good fruit. It is said they now number one hundred and fifty families — McKays, Murrays, Rosses, Sutherlands, McLeods, McDonalds, &c. There was a man residing in the township over 100 years of age. On Monday a meeting was held for subscribing to get a Minister from Scotland. Visited a few families in the even- ing, and on the morrow had a considerable ride east, 27 miles, to keep an appointment at the village of Paris. Thursday, 31st January. — Travelled 30 miles to Vittoria, situated three miles from Lake Erie. Galled on several res- pectable families, Presbyterians, and spent some time with the Bev. Mr« Chad wick and his kind ftuuily. There are a tM li'^i 6r BCTROSPBOT. m ■i 1 i goodly number of Baptists here, and I was invited to preaoh on the Sabbath in their Church, which I did, and had » very respectable audience of about 100 persona. Sabbath, 3rd February. — Met with a respectable and de* vout congregation ; their songs of praise were lofty and Zion-like ; delivered a lecture from a few verses in the 9th chapter of the Book of Acts. This service was very re- freshing ; and let it always be remembered that the promise is given by the King of Zion, that in all places, whether in the village, the city or the woods, that where He is wor- shipped agreeably -to His Word and Ordinances, there He is in the midst of them to bless and to do them good. I was invited to deliver a lecture at Mr. VanNorman's Fur- nace, where a number of workmen were employed, and could only engage that I would do so next journey. This section of the Province, from its earliest settlement (and that was very early, which will be noticftd in a subse- quent visit), was a moral and respectable neighborhood ; but " one thing is needful," the public observance of the Sab- bath in the worship of God. Without this observance, no Province or Nation can become truly great or prosperous. The Baptist denomination in this and in various neighbor- hoods in Western Canada, has given early examples of planting Churches, which have contributed to the spiritual light and life of not a few of the early settlers. ' ' I beg leave, in this part of my Journal, to introduce an extract, taken from a distinguished writer, on the " IMPORTANCE OP PUBLIC WORSHIP." " If there exists a Supreme Being (and who doubts it ?) the Creator of the world, no consequence appears more na. tural and direct ban this,that he ought to be worshipped by his creatures, with every outward expression of submission '^ >preaeli id had' » and de*- )fty and the 9tli very re- ) prmnifie Aether in > is wor* 13, there sm good, an's Fnr- )yed, and y. ^.. iitlement a subse- |ood ; but the Sab- ance, no losperous. leighbor- ^mples of spiritual )duoe' an ibtsit?) Imore na. lipped by Ibmiasion RETROSPECT. 66 and honor. So consonant is this to the natural sentiments cf mankind, that all the nations of the earth have, as with one consent, agreed to institute some forms of worship ; to hold meetings, at certain times, in honor of their deities. Survey the societies of me.:" in their rudest state ; explore the African deserts, the wilds of America, or the distant is- lands of the ocean, and you will find that over all the earth some religious ceremonies have obtained. You will every where trace, in some form or other, the temple — the priest — and offering. The prevalence of the most absurd supersti. tions furnished this testimony to the truth, that in the hearts of all men the principle is engraved, of worship being due to that invisible Power who rules the world. Herein con- sists the great excellency of Christian religion, that it hath instructed us in the simple and spiritual nature of that worship. Disencumbered of idle and unmeaning ceremo- nies, its ritual is pure, and worthy of a Divine Author. Its positive institutions are few in number, most significant of spiritual things, and directly conducive to good life and practice. How inexcusable, then, are we, placed in such happy circumstances, if the sense of those obligations among us are neglected or despised, which even the light of nature inculcated, in some measure, on the most wild and barba- rous nations." Monday, 4th February. — Left Vittoria, and travelled on the Long Point Road to the neighborhood of Brantford and held a meeting on the evening according to appoint- ment. Tuesday. — Travelled to Ancaster, to attend a meeting of the Presbytery, and gave in this my Second Report of my Missionary Journey to the West. I will now, According to promise, give a lengthened detail I'; *. i:.^; i ■i . i 1 1 If. •;{ 66 RETROSPECT. of the War between Great Britain and France, in the States and Canada, during the period of six years, which happily ended by France giving up all possessions in Canada, and in North America, to Great Britain. IF: M ;!' ■if-, 1 > ' i - K - , 1 li ij,,. ■! .^"^ihi i i) A ^-V-i Jii ^ ^1 ■V he States »b happily [a, and in c ^'jh. »'■ ■'■;■ -;i >"?■ RETROSPEOT. m j-ir'i :,' ; * .- F *. CHAPTER SIXTH. ' I/.'; A BRIEF ACCOUNT OP THE WAR BETWEEN GREAT BRI- TAIN AND FRANCE, IN CANADA AND THE AMERICAN C0L0NIE8, COMMONLY CALLED " THE FRENCH AND IN- DIAN WAR ;" COMMENCING 1756, AND ENDING BY THE TREATY OF PARIS, 1763. The war with France, which ended in the treaty of Aix la Chapelle, in 1748, had been highly injurious to the gen- eral prosperity of his Majesty's Colonies in America; and the return of peace found them in a state of impoverish- ment and distress. Great losses had been sustained in their commerce, and many of their vessels had been seized on the coast by privateers. Bills of credit to the amount of several millions, hi.d been issued to carry on the war, which they were now unable to redeem, and the losses of men in va- rious expeditions against the enemy, had seriously retarded the increase of population. ' ' • ' '^ V The expenses of the northern colonies, including New- England and New York, during the war, were estimated at no less than one million pounds sterling. Massachussetts alone is said to have paid half this sum, and to have ex- pended nearly four hundred thousand pounds, in the expe- dition against Cape Breton. The expenses of Carolina, for the war in that quarter, were not less in proportion. To supply the deficiency of money, bills of credit were issued to the amount of several millions. The bills issued by Massachusetts, during two or three years of the war. I l/'l mm\-^ ! rH- i : I M I ' 68 RETBOSPEOT. i * amounted to between two and three millioos currency; while at the time of their emissions, five or six hundred pounds were equal to only one hundred pounds sterling. Before the complete redemption of these bills, says Dr. Trum- bull, in these colonies, where their credit was best supported, the depreciation was nearly twenty for one. The losses sustained by the coloaies, in the fall of many of their bravest men, during this and the last Indian war, was severely felt. From 1722 to 1749, a period of twenty- seven years,the losses of Massachusetts and New-Hampshire equalled the whole increase of their numbera ; whereas, in the natural course of population, their numbers would have more than doubled. Such, in few words, was the general. atate of the colonies, at the close of this war. The return of peace was hailed as the harbinger of better days, and the enterprising spirit of the people soon exerted itself to repair the losses which. had been sustained. Commerce, therefore, again flourished ; .^population increased ; settlementi were extended ; ftnd.^the public credit revived. Scarcely, however, had the colonies time to reiq).the bene- fits of peace, before the prospect wasolouded,'Uid the sound of approaching war filled the land witli general anxiety and ndistress. After an interval of only about eight years, from 1748 to May 18th, 1756, Groat Britain, under George II., formally declared war against France, which declaration I was reciprocated on the ninth of June, by a similar dedara- tion on the part of France, under Louis XV., agaioBt Great Britain. The general cause leading to this war, commonly called rihe " French and Indian War," was the all^d enoroach- iinents of the French upon the frontiers of the colanies in , America belonging to the JSoglish Crown* These the east, 12th artici part of wl were erect were settli were not c the head o encroachin The cin alleged int of the Fre influential tained a cl land, on ai ing on the country. The go\ transaction would dep trade, and Louisiana, Pennsylvai Alleghanie the Englisi As yet, trade with prived of i road to the lest their 1 intelligenci of the com The F« RETROSPIQT; 69 in These encroaohmeiits were made upon Noya Sootia in the east, which had been ceded to Great Britain by the 12th article of the Treaty of Utrecht, but to a considerable part of which the French laid claim, and, in several places, were erecting fortifications. In the north and west, they were settling and fortifying Crown Point, and, in the west, were not only attempting to complete a line of forts from the head of the St. Lawrence to the Mississippi, but were encroaching far on Virginia. The circumstances which served to open the war, was the alleged intrusion of the Ohio Company upon the territory of the French. This Company consisted of a number of influential men, from London and Virginia, who had ob- tained a charter grant of six hundred thousand acres of land, on and near the river Ohio, for the purpose of carry- ing on the fur trade with the Indians, and of settling the country. ^ The governor of Canada had early intelligence of the transactions of this Company. Fearing that their plan would deprive the French of the advantages of the fur trade, and prevent communications between Canada and Louisiana, he wrote to the Governor of New York and Pennsylvania, claiming the country east of the Ohio to the Alleghanies, and forbidding the further encroachments of the English traders. As yet , the Pennsylvanians had principally managed the trade with the Indians. But being now about to be de~ prived of it, by the Ohio Company, who were opening a road to the Potomac, they excited the fears of the Indians, lest their lands should be taken from them, and gave early intelligence to the French, of the designs and transactions of the company. The French Governor soon manifested his hostile deter- ^ il , . I ' 3,1 "I* 1 : t f:4 70 BBTBOSPSOT: miuation, by seizing several of the English traders, and carrying them to a French port on the south of Lake Erie* The Twightwces, a tribe of Indians in Ohio, near Miami river, among whom the English had been trading, resented the seizure, and, by way of retaliation, took several French traders, and sent them to Pennsylvania. In the mean lime, a communioation was opened along the French Creek and Alieghany River, between Fort Presqu' He, on Lake Eric, and the Ohio ; and French troops were stationed at convenient distances, secured by temporary for- tifications. ; , The Ohio Company, thus threatened with the destruction of their trade, were now loud in their complaints. Din- widdie, lieutenant-governor of Virginia, to whom these com- plaints were addressed, laid the subject before the assembly, which ordered a messenger to be despatched to the French commandant on the Ohio, to demand the reasons of his hos- tile conduct, and to summon the French to evacuate their forts in that region. The person entrusted with this service was George Wash- ington, who at the early age of twenty-one, thus stepped forth in the public cause, and began that line of services, which ended in the independence of his country. The service to which Washington was now appointed, was both difficult and danserons ; the place of Lis destina- tion being about four hundred miles distant, two hundred of which lay through a trackless desert inhabited by In- dians. He arrived in safety, however, and delivered a letter from Governor Dinwiddle to the commandant. Having received a written answer, and secretly taken the dimensions of the fort, he returned. The reply of the commandant to Gov. Dinwiddle was, that he had taken possession of the country under the direction of the Governor-General of Ca- nada, ders onlj The claims, formal sist theii redmeni indepe.i force W! CKpeditio tbat of c Great M the purp Washing but the obliged tc ing with On his French h which tht confluenc gaged in that a do wards the low and i Undor cover of i captured, small sto proceedec York, an dred men burg, wit RBTBOSPBOT. 71 [erei, and ke Erie* r Miami resented Frenoh ilong the Presqu' )p8 were rary for- > ^ . ...' itruotioD i. Din- lese com- ssembly, I French his hos- te their Wash- I stepped services, pointed, iestina- lundred by In- |a letter [aving 3nsions lant to lof the lof Ca- nada, to whom he would transmit his letter, and whose or- ders only he would ob«y. The British ministry on being made acquainted with the claims, conduct and deterirination of the French, without a formal declaration of war, instructed the Virginians to re- sist thoir encroachments by force of arms. Accordingly, a regiment was raised in Virginia, which was joined by an independent company from South Carolina, and with this force Washington, who was appointed to command the expedition, and was now raised from the rank of major to tbat of colonel, marched early in April, 1754, towards the Great Meadows, lying within the disputed territories, for the purpose of expelling the French. The enterprise of Washington and his troops was highly creditable to them, but the French forces being considerably superior, he was obliged to cipitulate, with the privilege, however, of return- ing with his troops to Virginia. On his arrival at the Great Meadows, he learned that the French had dispossessed some Virginians of a fortification, which the latter were erecting for the Ohio Company, at the confluence of the Allegany and Monongahela, and were en- gaged in completing it, for their own use. He also learned that a detachment from that place, then on its march to- wards the Great Meadows, had encamped fur the night in a low and retired situation. Undor the guidance of some friendly Indians, and under cover of a dark and rainy night, this party he surprised and captured. Having erected, at the Great Meadows, a small stockade fort, afterwards called Fort Necessity, ho proceeded with his troops, re-inft)rced by troops from New- York, and others from South Carolina, to nearly lour hun- dred men, towards the French fort, Du Qucsue, now Pitts- bUrg, with the intinlioa of dislodging tie euejiy. Hearing, i ^-1 ■i^^ I sf \ 72 RKTR08PE0T. however, that the enemy were approaching, he judged it prudent to retire to Fort Necessity. Here the enemy, one thousand five hundred strong, under the command oi M. de Villiers, soon appeared, and commenced a furious attack on the fort. After an engagement of several hours, de Villiers demanded a parley, and offered terms of capitulation . These terms were rejected ; but during the night, July 4th, articles were signed, by which Washington was permitted, upon sur- rendering the fort, to march with his troops, unmolested, to Virginia. . ; ^. , i., ; . Such was the beginning of open hostilities, which were succeeded by a series of other hostilities characterized by the spirit and manner of war, although the formal declaration of war was not made until 1756, two years after, as already mentioned. .i s«r - ? ' The British ministry, perceiving war to be inevitable, re- commended to the British colonies in America to unite in some scheme for their common defence. Accordingly, a convention of delegates from Massachusetts, New-Hamp- Bhir3, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, with the lieutenant-governor and council of New-York, was held at Albany, this year, 1754, and a plan of union adopt- ed, resembling, in several of its features, the present consti- tution of the United States. But the plan met with the approbation, neither of the provincial assemblies, nor the king's council. By the former, it was rejected, because it gave too much power to the crown ; and by the latter, because it gave too much power to the people. According to this plifti, a grand council was to be formed, of members chosen by the provincial assemblies, and sent from all the colonies ; which council, with a governor-gene- i»l, flfppointed by theorowo, and having a negative voke, should b< in ill the guiate tn The pi the fourtl Fort Nee oflndepe Cou noetic vcrnor-gei One cir here to be revolution cial assem were adopi from the E They requ their own ^ The mol with the A signed to I and slavery vernors, wi convention erect fortifi upon the charges sho imposed by government the obligati* themselves 1 need say, w b;^tion. Early in udged it emy, one oi M.de attack on le Villiers n. These h, articles upon siir- ;)lested, to hich vrere zed by the [eoluration as already vitable, re- ) unite in rdingly, a 3W-Hamp- aryland, ork, was |ion adopt* nt const!- ier of the le former, 16 crown ; \er to the ^e formed, and sent hnor-gene- ive voice, RETROSPECT. 7H should be empowered to make general laws, to raise money in .ill the colonies for their defence, t» call forth troops, re- gulate trade, lay duties, &c. &c. ,r-^ The plan, thus matured, was approved and signed, on the fourth of July, the day that Washington surrendered Fort Necessity, and twenty-two years before the Declarution of Independence, by all the delegates, excepting those from Connecticut, who objected to the negative voice of the go- vernor-general. One circumstance, in the history of this plan, deserves here to be recorded, as evincing the dawning spirit of the revolution. Although the plan was rejected by the provin- cial assemblies, they declared, without reserve, that if it were adopted, they would undertake to defend themselves from the French, without any assistance from Great Britain. They required but to be left to employ their supplies in their own way, to eflfect their security and predominance. The mother country was too jealous to trust such powers with the Americans ; but she proposed another plan, de- signed to lay a foundation for the perpetual dependence and slavery of the colonies. This plan was, that the go- vernors, with one or more of their council, should form a convention to concert measures for the general defence, to erect fortifications, raise men, &c. &c . with power to draw upon the British treasury to defray all charges ; which charges should be reimbursed by taxes upon the colonies, imposed by acts of parliament. But to allow the British government the right of taxation — to lay the colonies under the obligations of a debt to be thus liquidated — to subject themselves to the rapacity of king's collectors, we scarcely need say, was a proposal which met with universal disappro- b;^tion. ■i !•. Early in the spring of 1755, preparations were made by r"' ^.f „■'*- :^:f * "i '- .'■■ : M ' ,1 74 RETROSPECT. . s >'k. the colonies for vigorous exertions against the enemy. Four expeditions were planned. One against the French in No- va Scotia ; a second against the French on the Ohio ; a third against Crown Point ; and a fourth against Niagara. 'Ihe expedition against Nova ScotiA, consisting of three thousand men chictiy fiom Massachusetts, was led by Gen. Monckton and Gen. Winslow. With these troops, they sailed from Boston May 20th, and on the Ist of June, ar- rived at Chignecto, oti the bay of Fundy. After being joined by three hundred british troops, and a small train of artillery, thoy proceeded against fort Beau Sejonr, which after four days investment, surrendered. The name of the fort was now changed to that of Cumberland. From this place Gen. Monckton proceeded further into the country, took other forts in possession of the French, and disarmed the inhabitants. By this successful expedition, the English possesj^ed themselves of the whole country of Nova Scotia, a part of which, as already noticed, the French claimed ; its tranquillity was restored, and upon a permanent basis. In this whole expedition the English took but twcntj men. Large quantities of provisions and military stores fell into their hands, with a number of valuable cannoq. The French force in Nova Scotia being subdued, a diffi- cult (luestion occurred respecting the disposal to be made of the inhabitants. Fearing that they might join the French in Canada, whom they had before furnished with intelli- gence, quarters, and provisions, it was determined to dis- perse them among the English colonies. Under this order, one thousand nine hundred were thus dispersed. The expedition against the French, on the Ohio, was led by Gen. Braddock, a British officer, who commenced his march from Virginia, in June, with about two thousand men. Apprehensive that Fort du Quesae^ agaiast which he was pi thousand leaving C troops, an On the forward o of Fort d proceed w Washingt( and guard to receive ■< condition ( About twe the fort, h( Indians, yet after ai five horses troops defe: four out of This unf cribed to h he attended to him, he ^ be wisely n the thicket might have spot on whi attempt to i means, a e wounded, h of human li A remarl be told. G kETROSPEOf. 75 my. Four ach in No- B Ohio; a it Ningar». g of three sd by Gen. )op8, they June, ar- fter being small train our, whicii anie of the From this lie country, i disarmed ,he English ova Scotia, claimed ; Bnt basis. )ut twenty tary stores cannon, led, a diffi- be made the French ith intelli- ned to dis- thi8 order, io, was led lenced his thousand nst which he was proceeding, might bo reinforced, Braddock, with one thousand two hundred selected troops, hastened his march, leaving Col. Dunbar to follow more slowly, with the other troops, and the heavy baggage. On the 8th of July, Hraddock had advanced sixty miles forward of Col. Dunbar, and within twelve or fourteen miles of Fort du Quesne. Hero he was advised by his officers to proceed with caution, and was earnestly entreated by Col. Washington, his aid, to permit him to precede the army, and guard against suprise. Too haughty and self-confident to receive advice, Braddock, without any knowledge of the condition of the enemy, continued to press towards the fort. About twelve o'clock, July 9th, when within seven miles of the fort, he was suddenly attacked by a body of French and Indians. Although the enemy did not exceed five hundred, yet after an action of three hours, Braddock, under whom five horses had been killed, was mortally wounded, and his troops defeated. The loss of the English army was sixty- four out of eighty-five officers and nearly half the privates. This unfortunate defeat of Gen. Braddock is to be as- cribed to his imprudence, and too daring intrepidity. Had he attended to those precautions which were recommended to him, he would not have been thus ambuscaded ; or had he wisely retreated from a concealed enemy, and scoured the thicket with his cannon, the melancholy catastrophe might have been avoided. But, obstinately riveted to the spot on which he was first attacked, he vainly continued his attempt to form his men in regular order, although, by this means, a surer prey to the enemy, until being himself wounded, he could no longer be accessary to the destruction of human life. . • A remarkable fact in the history of this affair remains to be told. Gen. Braddock held the provincial troops in great ^ 76 aETROKPECT. ^■:...» contempt. (Consequently, he kept the Virginians and other provincials, who were in the action, in the rear. Yet, al- thoiiL'h oquiilly exposed with the rest, far from boinj? affect- ed wiiii the fears that disordered the rej^ular troops, thej Btoood lirm and unbroken, and under Colonel Washington, covered the retreat of the regulars, and saved them from total destruction. , ,,,, The retreat of the army, after Braddock was wounded, was precipitate. No pause was made until the roar division was met. This division, on its junction with the other, was sei:ith liis troops soon ap{)e:)rcd, and commenced a spirited attack. They were received, however, with so much intrepidity — the cannon and mus- ketry did so much execution among their ranks, that the enemy retired in great disorder, having experienced a signal defeat. The ^Loss of the French was not less than seven hundred killed and three hundred wounded ; this loss was rendered still more severe to the French by a mortal wound which Dieskau himself received, and in consequence of which he fell into the hands of the English. The loss of the English did not much exceed two hundred. Few events of lu greater mignirude, leave stronger im- pressions, than resulted in the battle of Lake George. Following as it did Uie discomfiture of Braddock, it served to restore the honor of the British arms, and the tone of the public mind. . At the time it was meditated to send ^detatcbuiont under 08 » •■h^i J .ii m ■ ? 1 -^ :,f' 78 RETROSPECT. €ol. Williams, to intercept Dieskau, the number of men proposed was mentioned to Headrick, the Mohawk chief, and his opinion asked. He replied, " If they are to 6ght, they are too few. If they are to be killed, they are too many." The number was accordingly increased. Gen. Johnson proposed also to divide the detachment into three parties. Upon this Hendriok took three sticks, and put- ting them together, said to him, '' Pat these together, and you cannot break them ; take them one by one, «nd you will break them easily." The hint succeeded, and Hen- drick's sticks saved many of the party, and probably the whole army from destruction. Early in the action, Gen. Jnhnson was wounded, and Gen. Lyman succeded to the command, which he held through the day. To this gentleman's gallant exertions the success of the day, under Providence, was chiefly to be as- cribed. Yet it is remarkable, that Gen. Johnson made no mention of Gsen. Lyman in his official letter, announcing the intelligence of the victory. The ambition of Johnson was too great, aud his avarice too greedy to acknowledge the merits of a rival. Gen. Johnson was created a baronet, and parliament voted him five thousand pounds sterling, in con- sideration of his success. The reward of Gen. Lyman was the esteeiM and honor of the people among whom he lived. Among the wounded of the French, as already stated, was the Baron Dieskau. He had received a ball through his leg, and' being unable to follow his retreating army, was found by an iinglisb soldier, resting upon the stump of a tree, with scarcely an attendant. Dieskau, apprehensive for his safety, was feeling for his watch, in order to give it to the soldier, when the man, suspecting thai he was feeling for a pistol, levelled his gun, and wounded him in the hips. He was carried to the oianp, and treated with great kindness. From th whence, died. HI feelings. Stain, hoi^ ment wit neither tc The ex Shirley thousand advanced, any thing Lake Ont visions, an was aband( ended the In the s was succee command, mander in The hos ried on wi< year, Jum Great Brit against Gr The plai the attack in postiessic great impo the line of and the lat the only ps ant as were ir I RETROSPECT. 79 From the camp he was taken to Albany and New- York, whence, some time after, he sailed for England, where he died. He was a superior officer, possessed of honorable feelings, and adorned with highly polished manners. One Stain, however, attpches to his character. Before his engage- ment with Col. Williams' corps, he gave orders to his troops neither to give nor take quarter. The expedition against Niagara was committed to Got Shirley of Massachusetts, whose force amounted to two thousand five hundred men. But the season was too far advanced, before his preparations were completed, to effect any thing of importance. After proceeding to Oswego, on Lake Ontario, the army being poorly supplied with pro- visions, and the rainy season approaching, the expedition was abandoned, and the troops returned to Albany. Thus ended the campaign of 1755. In the spring of the ensuing year, 1756, Gov. Shirley was succeeded by Gen. Abercrombie, who was appointed to command, until the arrival of the Earl of Loudon, com- mander in chief of all his majesty's forces in America. The hostilities of the two preceding years had been car- ried on without any formal proclamation of war ; but this year, June 9th, as alaeady stated, war was declared by Great Britain against France, and soon after, by France against Great Britain, in tdrn. The plan of operations for the campaign of '56 embraced the attack of Niagara and Crown Point, which were still in possession of the French. Both these places were of great importance ; the former being the connecting link in the line of fortifications between Canada and Louisiana ; and the latter commanding Lake Champlain, and guarding the only passage, at that time, into Canada. But import- ant as were these posts, the reduction of neither was this ► > /'ill 7T1 , || 80 RETROSPECT. year aocomplished, nor even attempteci. owing, chiefly, to the great delays of those who held the chief command. Troops were raised for the expedition against Crown Point, amounting to seven thousand, the command of whom was assigned to Maj. Gen. Winslow, of Massachusetts. But his march was delayed by obstacles ascribed to the im. providence of Abercrombie. After the mortal wound received by Dieskt^u, at the bat- tle of Lake George, the Marquis de Montcalm, an able and enterprising officer, (succeeded to the command of the French forces. In the month of August this officer, with eight thousand regulars, Canadians and Indians, invested the fort at Oswego, on the south side of Lake Ontario, — one of the most important posts held by the English in America, — and in a few days took it. On the receipt of this intelligence, Lord Loudon, who had arrived in Albany, and entered upon the command, dispatched orders to Gen. Winslow, on his march towards Crown Point, not to pro- ceed. The fall of the fort at Oswego was most unfortunate for the English, and their loss of men made prisoners, and munitions of war, peculiarly severe. By the capture of this post, the enemy obtained the entire command of the lakes Ontario and Eric, and of the whole country of the Five Nations. Sixteen hundred men were made prisoners, and one hundred and twenty pieces of cannon were taken, with fourteen mortars, two sloops of war, and two hundred boats and batteauz. After this disastrous event, all ofiiensive operations wen immediately relinquished, although it was then three months to the time of the usual decampment of the army. Thus through the inactivity of a man, whose leading trait was inde nor one p Notwi son, the prosecute armamen with moi destined had been and Crow appointm Loudon, Louisburj beneath t were oblio the armaii So dila they were of seventc strong. ( deemed ii abandone( While sels of th< victories, north, fin reduction descent oi shore of ] of three 1 men, Mon six days, i c&lm the ( RETROSPECT. 81 was indecision, not one object of the campaign was gained, nor one purpose accomplished, either honorable or Important. Notwithstanding the failure of the campaign of this sea" son, the British Parliament made great, prepaiations to prosecute the war the succeeding year 1757. In July, an armament of eleven ships of the line and fifty transports, with more than six thousand troops, arrived at Halifax, destined for the reduction of Louisburg. The Colonies had been raising men for an expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Great was their mortification and dis- appointment, when they learned from the orders of Lord Loudon, that these troops were to be employed against Louisburg. Such inconstancy and fluctuation appeared beneath the dignity of the commander-in-chief. But they were obliged to submit, and Lord Loudon proceeded to join the armament at Halifax. So dilatory were their measures, however, that before they were ready to sail, Louisburg was reinforced by a fleet of seventeen sail, and with troops to make it nine thousand strong. On the reception of this intelligence, it was deemed inexpedient to proceed, and the expedition ^as abandoned. While weakness and indecision were marking the coun- sels of the English, the French continued to urge on their victories. Montcalm, still commander of the French in the north, finding the troops withdrawn from Halifax, for the reduction of Louisbui^, seized the occasion to make a depceiit on Fort William Henry, situated en the north shore of Lake George. The garrison of the fort consicted of three thousand men. With a force of nine thousand men, Montcalm laid seige to it. After a gallant defence of six days, the garrison surrendered, thus giving to Mont- c&lm the command of the lake, and of the western frontier. ^1 i I \ Mi ■m lii 82 RETROSPECT. The spirited and protracted defence of the fort, against such numbers, reflects the highest honor upon its brave commander. Col. Munroe. Six days was the enemy kept at bay, with unabated resolution, in full expectation of as- sistance from General Webb, who lay at Fort Edward, only fifteen miles distant^ with an army of four thousand men. The character of General Webb, continues sullied, by his unpardonable indifference to the perilous situation of his brethren in arms, at Fort William Henry. It deserves to be known, that Sir William Johnson, after very importu- nate solicitations, obtained leave of General Webb to march with as many as would volunteer in the service, to the re- lief of Munroe. At the beat of the drums, the provincials, almost to a man, sallied forth, and were soon ready and eager for the marc*' After being under arms almost all day, what were their ftJings when Sir William, returning from head- quarters, informed them that General Webb had forbidden them to march ! The soldiers were inexpressibly mortified andc nraged, and their commander did himself no common honor in the tears he shed, as he turned from his troops, and retired to his tent. The defence of Fort William Henry was so gallant, that Ool. Monroe, with his troops, was admitted to an honorable capitulation. The capitulation, however, was most shame- fully broken. While the troops were marching out at the gate of the fort, the Indians attached to Montcalm's party dragged the men from their ranks, and with all the inhu- manity of savage feeling, plundered them of their baggage, and butchered them in cold blood. Out of a New-Hamp- shire corps of two hundred, eighty were missing. It is said that efforts were made by the French to restrain the barbarians, but the truth of the assertion may well be doubted, least seve not rettn In 175 arms, anc place in Lord Cha tion, brea vived the by a seri( The tide who conti after ano the Britis Pitt, uf colonial g mination c and called ber of inhi and liberal setts, CoE fifteen thoi May. Three e burg ; the Port Du C, On the sailed frou of the line sand men, to whom i July, after ed, and wi RBTROSPEOT. 83 doabted, when it is considered that Montcalm's force was at least seven thousand French, and yet these barbarians were not restrained. In 1758 most fortunately for the honour of the British arms, and for the salvation of the colonics, a change took place in the ministry of England. The celebrated Pitt, Lord Chatham, now placed at the head of the administra- tion, breathed a new soul into the British councils, and re- vived the energies of the colonies, weakened and exhausted by a series of ill-contrived ond unfortunate expeditions, The tide of success now turned in favor of the English, who continued with few exceptions, to achieve one victory after another, until the whole of Canada surrendered to the British arms. Pitt, upon coming into office, addressed a circular to the colonial governors, in which he assured them of the deter- mination of the ministry to send a large force to America, and called upon them to raise as many troops as the num- ber of inhabitants would allow. The colonies were prompt and liberal in furnishing the requisite supplies. Massachu- setts, Connecticut and New-Hampshire, unitedly, raised fifteen thousand men, who were ready to take the field in May. Three expeditions were proposed — the first against Louis- burg ; the second against Ticonderoga ; the third against Fort Du Quesne. On the expedition against Louisburg, Admiral Boscawen sailed from Halifax, May 28th, with a fleet of twenty ships of the line, eighteen frigates and an army of fourteen thou- sand men, under the command of Brig. Gen. Amherst, next to whom in command was Gen. Wolfe. On the 26th of July, after a vigorous reaistaaoe, the fortress was suri^ >uder- ed, and with it five thousand seven hundred atid thinyHMven m 4( '* , ! 84 RKTROSPEOT. 1' I' B {■("•■^ prisouers of war, and one hundred and twenty cannon, besides which the enemy lost five ships of the line and four frigates. At the same time Isle Royal, St. Johns, with Cape Breton, fell into the hands of the English, who now beeame master of the coast from the St. Lawrence to Nova Scotia. The surrender of this fortress was a more signal loss to France, than any which she had sustained since the com- mencement of the war. It greatly obstructed her commu- nications with Canada, and was powerfully instrumental in hastening the subjugation of that country to the British crown. The expedition against Ticonderoga was conducted by Gen. Abercrombie, commander-iw-chief in America, Lord Loudon having returned to England. An army of sixteen thousand men, nine thousand of whom were provincials, followed his standard, besides a formidable train of artillery. Having passed Lake George, the army proceeded with great difficulty towards the fortress. Unfortunately, Gen. Abercrombie trusted to others, who were incompetent to the task, to reconnoitre the ground and intrenchments of the enemy, and without a knowledge of the strength of the places, or of tlie proper points of attack, issued his orders to attempt the lines without bringing up a single piece of artillery. The army advanced to the charge with the greatest intrepidity, and for more than four hours maintained the attack with incredible obstinacy. After the loss of nearly two thousand in killed and wound- ed, the troops were summoned away. The retreat was as unhappy, as the attack had been precipitate and ill advised. Not a doubt can rationally exist, that had the siege been prosecuted with prudence and vigour, the reduction of the place would a waste of h more than tl The passa way with hii one thousan military par and deserves thus desorib •' The moi the fleet mo^ martial musi beams, and every eye. of enchantm nary was firs complication did all the pi pation which defeat which After his ] i{uarters on 1 pair the misc the solicitati< thousand me side of the i mostly provii ed within a i two days, for armea vessel (juantity of i To dispofos wark of theii H y cannon, e and four hns, with who now le to Nova nal loss to 3 the com- ir commu- iruental in le British ducted by ioa, Lord of sixteen rovincials, f artillery. )ded with tely, Gen. apetent to hments of 5th of the lis orders e piece of i greatest ained the id wcund- it was as 11 advised, lege been on of the >':t RETROSPECT. 85 place would have been easily accomplished, without so great a waste of human life, as the garrison amounted te but little more than three thousand men. The passage of Aberorombie across Lake George, on his way with his army to Ticonderoga, was effected by means of one thousand and thirty-five boats. The splendor of the military parade on the occasion was eminently imposing, and deserves to be recorded. A late writer, Dr. Dwight, thus describes it : — " The morning was remarkably bright and beautiful ; and the fleet moved with exact regularity to the sound of fine martial music. The ensigns waved and glittered in the sun- beams, and the anticipation of future triumph shone in every eye. Above, beneath, around, the scenery was that of enchantment. Rarely has the sun, since that lumi- nary was first lighted up in the heavens, dawned on such a complication of beauty and magnificence." How greatly did all the parade which was displayed, and all the antici- pation which was indulged, add to the mortification of the defeat which followed ! After his repulse. Gen. Abercrombie retired to his former ({uarters on Lake George. Here, anxious in any way to re- pair the mischief and disgrace of defeat, he consented, at the solicitation of Col. Bradstreet, to detach him with three thousand men, against Fort Frontenac, on the northwest side of the outlet of }jake Ontario. With these troops, mostly provincial, Bradstreet sailed down the Ontario, land- ed within a mile of the fort, opened his batteries, and, in two days, forced this important fortress to surrender. Nine armea '/essels, sixty cannon, sixteen mortars, and a vadt (juantity of ammunition, &c. &c. fell into his hands. To dispossess the French at Fort Du Quesne, the bul- wark of their dominion over the western regions, was a H ■ t t I ^41 '■■^i :'■ SMi ::>if mi' 86 BITROBPECT. r 1 1 > 1 l\ 1 : i 1 third expedition contemplated this year. This enterprise was entrusted to General Forhes, who left Philadelphia in July, but did not arrive at Du Quesnc till late in November. The force collected for the attack amounted to eight thou- sand effective men. An attack, however, was needless, the fort having been deserted by the garrison the evening before the arrival of the army. On taking quiet possession of the place, Forbes, in honor of Mr. Pitt, called it Pittsburg. Notwithstanding the defeat of Ticonderoga, the campaign closed with honour to ihc colonies, and to the nation in general. The successes of the year prepared the way for the still greater achievements of the ensuing year. Another event of this year concurred in bringing to pass the fortunate issues of the next, This was a treaty of peace and friendship with the Indian nations inhabiting between the Apalachian mountains, the Alleganies, and the lakes. This treaty was concluded at Enston, sixty miles from Philadelphia. The managers of the treaty on the part of Great Britain, were the governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Sir William Johnson, four members of the council of Pennsyl- vania, six members of assembly, and two agents fropi New Jersey. The tribes represented on this occasion, and with which the treaty was made, were the Bfohawks, Oneidos, Onon- dagas, Cayugas, Senecas, Tuscaroras, Nanticoques, and Qonays, the Tuteloes, Chugnuts, Delawares, Unamies, Mi- nisinks, Mohicans, and Wappingers. The Avhole number of Indians, including women and children, present, amount- ed to five hundred. The campaign of 1759 had for its object the entire con- quest of Canada. For this purpose, it was determined that three powerful armies should enter Canada by different BJBTBOSPECT. 8T routew, and attaok, at nearly the same time, all the strong holds of the French in that country. These were Ticon- devoga and Crown Point, Niagara and Quebec. General Amherst, who had succeeded Abercrombic as commander in chief, led one division against Ticonderoga, which he reached July 22nd. This fortress soon surren- dered, the principal part of the garrison having retired to Crown Point. Having strengthened Ticonderoga, the army next proceeded against this latter place, and took quiet possession of it, the enemy having tied before their arrival. The French retired to the Isle aux Noix, situated at the northern extremity of Lake Champlain, where they were strongly encamped, with a force of three thousand five hundred men, and a powerful artillery. Gen. Amherst designed to follow up his successes against them in that quarter, but the want of a suitable naval armament prevented. The second division of the army, commanded by Gen, Prideaux, was destined against Niagara, at which place they arrived July 6th, without loss or opposition. The place was immediately invested ; on the 24th of the month, a general battle took place, which decided the fate of Niagara, and placed it in the hands of the English. Four days previous to this battle, that able and distin- guished officer. General Prideaux, was killed by the burst- ing of a cohorn. The command devolved on Sir William Johnson, who successfully put in execution the plans of his lamented predeceisor. While the English troops were achieving these important victories in Upper Canada, General Wolfe was prosee^ting the most important enterprise of the campaign, vis. the reduction of Quebec. Embarking at Louisburg with eight thousand men, under convoy of Admirals Saunders and .']i^.: M I 88 aSTROSPEGT. hi '*« h J b', III lifi Holmes, ho landed with his troops in June, on tho island of Orleantt, a little below Quobec. After several attempts to reduce tho place, which proved unsuccessful, Wolfe conceived tho project of ascending with his troops, a precipice of from 150 to 200 feet, by which he would reach the plains of Abraham, lying south and west of the city, and thus gain access to the enemy, in a less fortified spot. Thi3 ascent he effected with his army, and ere Montcalm, the French general, was aware of it, the army had formed on the heights of Abrahan), and were prepared for battle. Hoie, on tho morning of the 13th of September, Wolfe met tho French army under Montcalm, and after a severe and bloody contest, in which both these brave commanders fell, victory decided in favour of the English. A thousand prisoners were taken, and a thousand of the enemy were killed. The loss of the English, in killed and wounded, did not exceed six hundred. Five days after, the city ca- pitulated ; the inhabitants were to enjoy their civil and religious rights, and remain neutral during the war. The city was garrisoned under the 'jommandof Gen. Murray. Determined from the first to take the place, impregnable as it was accounted, the measures of Gen. Wolfe were sin- gularly bold, and apparently repugnant to all the maxims of ^ar. His attention was first drawn to Point Levi, on the southern bank of the St. Lawrence, upon which, after taking possession of it, he erected batteries. By means of these, he destroyed many houses, but from this point it was soon apparent that little impression could be made upon the fortifications of the town. Finding it impracticable thus to accomplish his purpose, Wolfe next decided on more daring measures. For the purpose of drawing Montcalm to a general battle, Wolfe, with fa ed the the g] troops, Others, form, entrenc close ai in grea Mon on the storm V Fearing across t Isle of near six Thed pressed i importau peotatioi tary com Disapj watching recovered which ha ceed up I Montcaln Accord about nin night, W silently d league ab leading to 1 RETROSPECT. 89 sland of I proved ing with vhich he ind west in a lesB ontcalm, [ formed battle. !r, Wolfe ' a severe inlanders thousand miy were bounded, city ca- Icivil and ar. The [urray. pregnable (were sin- tazims of |i, on the sr taking |of these, ras soon jipon the Ipurpose, bor the Wolfe, with his troops, orossod the river Montmorenoi, and attack- ed the enemy in their entrenchments. Owing, however, to the grounding of some of the boats which conveyed the troops, a part of the detachment did not land so soon as the Others. The corps that first landed, without waiting to form, rushed forward, impetuously, towards the enemy's entrenchments. But their courage proved their ruin. A close and well directed fire from the enemy oUt them down in great numbers. Montcalm's party had now landed, and were drawn up on the beach in order. Bat it was near night, a thunder storm was approaching, and the tide was rapidly setting in. Fearing the consequences of delay, Wolfe ordered a retreat across the Montmorenci, and returned to his quarters on the Isle of Orleans. In this rencounter, his loss amounted to near six hundred of the flovrer of his army . The difficulties of effecting the conquest of Quebec now pressed upon Wolfe with all their force. But he knew the importance of taking this strongest hold — he knew the ex- pectations of his countrymen — he well knew that no mili- tary conduct could shine that was not gilded with success. Disappointed thus far, and worn down with fatigue and watching, General Wolfe fell violently sick. Scarcely had he recovered, before he proceeded to put in execution a plan which had been matured on his sick bed. This was to pro- ceed up the river — ^gain tlie heights of Abraham, and draw Montcalm to a general engagement. Accordingly, the troops were transported up the river about nine miles. On the 12th of Sept., one hour after mid- night, Wolfe and his troops left the ships, and in boats silently dropped down the current, intending to ]^nd a league above Cape Diamond, and there ascend the bank leading to the station he wished to gain. Owing, however, H7 .t^ 1 r^ tf. ■ # % 1% '■*! MIb'^'^%. ?^\j^^' ^/:^a> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) k A ^/ yA<^ .f^ K^ M.0 Jc, % K° I? 1.0 I.I 1.25 1^ l£i^ IIIIIE 2.0 1.8 III U ||.6 6" h V] '^ '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 SJ .•\ :\ \ [\ 6^ ..^^ 90 RETROSPECT. H'^ to the rapidity of the river, they fell below tKe intended plaoe, and landed a mile, or a mile and a half, above the city. The operation was a critical one, as they had to navigate, in silence, down a rapid stream, and to find a right place for landing, which amidst surrounding darkness, might be «aflily mistaken. Besides this, the shore was shelving, and the bank so steep and lofty, as scarcely to be ascended even without opposition from an enemy. , Indeed, the attempt was in the greatest danger of being defeated by an occur- rence peculiarly interesting, as marking the very great deii- oaey of the transaction. One of the French sentinels, posted along the shore, as the English bo4ts were descending, challenged them in the customary military language of the French. " Qui vit?" ** who goes there ?" to which a eaptain in Frazier's regi- ment who had served in Holland, and was familiar with the French language and customs, promptly replied, ^' la France." The next question was still more embarrassing, for the sentinel demanded, " a quel regiment ?" " to what regiment." The captain who happened to know the name of a regiment which was up the river, with Bougainville, promptly rejoined, " de la Reine," " the Queen's." The soldier immediately replied, '^ passe," for he concluded at once, that this was a French convoy of provision, which, tts the English had learned from some deserters, was expect- ed to pass down the river to Qaebec. The other sentinels were deceived in a similar manner; but one, less credu- lous than the rest, running down to the water's edge, called >out, " Pourquoi est ce que vous ne parlez plus haut ? " ^' Why don't you speak louder ?" The same captain, with perfect self-command, replied, " Tais toi, nous serons eo- lenduesl" "Hushf we shall be overheard and discover- RETROSPECT. 91 &Ke intended f, above the I to navigate, a right place ss, might be helving, and seended even , the attempt by an occur- ry great deli- the shore, aa [ them in the "Quivit?" razier's regi- iliar with the replied, " la mbarrassing, "' "to what ow the name Bougainville, Jen's." The concluded at ision, which, I, was expect- ler sentinels less credu- ) edge, called )lus haut?" saptain, with A serons eo- ,nd diflcover- cd!" The sentry, satisfied with*this caution, retired, and the boats passed in safety. About an hour before day, the army began to ascend the precipice, the distance of one hundred and fifty or two hun- dred feet, almost perpendicular ascent, above which spread the plains of Abraham. By day-light, Sept. 13th, this air most incredible enterprise had been effected — the desired station was attained,, the army was formed, and ready to meet the enemy. To Montcalm, the intelligence that the En^^lish were oc; cupying the heights of Abraham, was most surprising. The impossibility of ascending the precipice he considered cer- tain, and therefore had taken no measures to fortify its line. But no sooner was he informed of the position of the Eng- lish array, than perceiving a battle no longer to be avoided, he prepared to fight. Between nine and ten o'clock, the two armies, about equal in numbers, met face to face. The battle now commenced. Inattentive to the Qreof a body of Canadians and Indians, one thousand live hundred of whom Montcalm had stationed in the cornfields and bushes, Wolfe directed his troops to reserve their fire for the main body of tho French, now rapidly advancing. On their approach viritliin forty yards, the English opened their fire, and the destruction became immense. The French fought bravely, but their ranks became dis- ordered, and, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of their officers to form them, and to renew the attack, they Were so successfully pushed by tfie British bayonet, and hewn down by the Highland broadsword, that their discomfiture was complete. During iae action, Montcalm was on the French left, and Wolfe on the English right, and here they both fell in the critical moment diat decided the victory. Early in the bat. 92 RETROSPECT. .:|.; 'i tie, Wolfe received a ball in his wrist, but binding his hand- kerchief around it, he continued to encourage his men. Shortly after, another ball penetrated his groin ; but this wound, although much more severe, he concealed, and con- tinued to urge on the contest, till a third bullet pierced his breast. He was now obliged, though reluctantly, to be car- ried to the rear of the line. Gen. Monckton succeeded to the command, but was im- mediately wounded, and conveyed away. In this critical state of the action, the command devolved on Gen. Town- shend. Gen. Montcalm, fighting in front of his battalion, received a mortal wound about the same time, and Gen. Jennezergus, his second in command, fell near his side. Wolfe died in the field, before the battle was ended ; but he lived long enough to know that the victory was his. While leaning on the shoulder of a lieutenant, who kneeled to support him, he was seized with the agonies of death ; at this moment was heard the distant sound, " They fly — they fly." The hero raised his drooping head, and eagerly asked, " Who fly ?" Being told that it was the French— " Then," he replied, " I die happy,*' and expired. " This death," says Professor Silliman, " has furnished a grand and pathetic subject for the painter, the poet, and the historian, and, undoubtedly, considered as a specimen of mere military glory, it is one of the most sublime that the annals of war afibrd." Montcalm was every way worthy of being the competitor of Wolfe. In talents, in military skill, in personal courage^ he was not his inferior. Nor was his death much less sub- lime. He lived to be carried to the city, where his last mo- ments were employed in writing, with his own hand, a letter to the English general, recommending the French prisoners to his care and humanity. When informed that his wound gers during withst RETR08PF.0T. 93 was mortal, he replied, " 1 shall not then lire to see the svrrender of Quebec." The following interesting particulars relating to the dan- gers and suflferings of two officers of the English army, during the battle, we shall be excused for inserting, not- withstanding their length. " Captain Oohterlony and Ensign Peyton, belonged to the regiment of Brigadier-General Monckton. They were nearly of an age, which did not exceed thirty ; the first was a North-Briton, the other a native of Ireland. Both were agreeable in person, and were connected together by the ties of mutual friendship and esteem. On the day that pre- ceded the battle. Captain Ochterlony had fought a duel with a German officer, in which, though he wounded and dis- armed his antagonist, yet he himself received a dangerous hurt under the right arm, in consequence of which his friends insisted on his remaining in camp during the action of next day ; but his spirit was too great to comply with this remonstrance. He declared that it should never be said that a scratch, received in a private rencounter, had pre- vented him from doing his duty, when his country required his service ; and he took the field with a fusil in his hand, though he was hardly able to carry his arms. In leading up his men to the enemy's entrenchment, he was shot through the lungs with a musket ball, an accident which obliged him to part with his fusil, but he still contined ad- vancing, until, by loss of blood, he became too weak to pro- ceed farther. About the same time, Mr. Peyton was lamed by a shot, which shattered the small bone of bis left leg. The soldiers, in their retreat, earnestly begged, with tears in their eyes, that Captain Ochterlony m ould allow them to carry him and the ensign off the field. But he was eo bi- gotted to a severe point of honor, that he would not quit the |i ' '* :.4! ii il^ vi '■ '■' • . '^ 1 ' i ' J': ■ ■V' :. 1 , ' ^1 . ■ . -fill *» ■i:'t !■ ■,; IUSTR08PXCT. ground, though he desired they would ta]ce care of his en- sign. Mr. Peyton, with a generous disdain, rejected their good offices, declaring that he would not leaye hiu captain in such a situation ; and, in a little time, they remained sole survivors on that part of the field '^ Captain Ochterlony sat down by his friend, and as they expected nothing but immediate death, they took leave of each other ; yet they were not altogether abandoned by the .hope of being protected as prisoners ; for the captain, see- . ing a French soldier, with two Indians, approach, started up, and accosting them in the French language, which he -spoke perfectly well, expressed his expectation that they would treat him and his companion as officers, prisoners, and gentlemen. The two Indians seemed to be entirely under the conduct of the Frenchman, who, coming up to Mr. Peyton, as he sat on the ground, snatched his laced hat from his head, and robbed the captain of his watch and money. This outrage was a signal to the Indians for mur- der and pillage. One of them, clubbing his firelock, struck at him behind, with a view to knock him down, but the blow missing his head took place upon his shoulder. At the same instant, the other Indian poured his shot into the breast of this unfortunate young gentleman, who cried out, ' Peyton ! the villain has shot me.' Not yet satiated with cruelty, the barbarian sprung upon him, and stabbed him in the belly with his scalping knife. The captain having parted with his fusil, had no weapon for his defence, as none of the officers wore swords in the action. The three jruffians, finding him still alive, endeavored to s|iangle him with his own sash ; and he was now upon his knees, strug- gling against them with surprising exertion. Mr. Peyton, at this juncture, having a double-barrelled musket in his band, and seeing the distress of his friend, fired at one of the In thinkin wards I distancf but it s turn, ai ing upo peated receivec seized t forwards by his si struggle and, wit nist outr emotion taken efl turned hi the ball breast. started u] ing at th breast-woi Peyton tli to see yoi that viilai bless you, ing this Wi "A nu employed and the d( above thirl Peyton. RETROSPECT. 95 the Indiftns, who dropped dead on the spo^ The other, thinking the ensign would he an easy prey, advanced to- wards him, and Mr. Pejton, having taken good aim, at the distance of four yards, discharged his piece the second time, but it seemed to take no effect. The savage fired in his turn, and wounded the ensign in the shouider; then rush- ing upon hfm, thrust his bayonet through his body ; he re- peated the blow, which Mr. Peyton, attempting to parry, received another wound in his left hand ; nevertheless, he seized the 'Indian's musket nrith the same hand, pulled him forwards, and with his right, drawing a dagger which hung by his side, plunged it in the barbarian's side. A violent struggle ensued ; but at length Mr. Peyton was uppermost, and, with repeated strokes of his dagger, killed his antago- nist outright. Here he was seized with an unaccountable emotion of curiosity, to know whether or not his shot had taken effect on the body of the Indian ; he accordingly turned him up, and stripping off his blanket, perceived that the ball had penetrated quite through the cavity of the breast. Having thus obtained a dear bought victory, he started up on one leg, and saw Captain Ochterlony stand- ing at the distance of sixty yards, close by the enemy's breast-work, with the French soldier attending him. Mr.- Peyton then called aloud, ' Captain Ochterlony, I am glad to see you have at last got under protection. Beware of that villain, who is more barbarous than the savages. God bless you, my dear captain I see a party of Indians com- ing this way, and expect tu be murdered' immediately/ " A number of these barbarians had for some time been employed on the left, in scalping and pillaging the dying and the dead that were left upon the field of battle; and above thirty of them were in full march to destroy Mr. Peyton. This gentleman knew he had no meicy to expect ; .•r i m M •'' ' f I 96 BETB08PSCT: I ciih: for, ehould his life be spared for the present, they would have afterwards insisted upon sacrificing him to the manes of their brethren whom he had slain ; and in that case he would have been put to death by the most excruciating tor- tures. Full of this idea, he snatched up his musket, and, notwithstanding his broken leg, ran above forty yards, with- out halting ; and feeling himself now totally disabled, and incapable of proceeding one ^tcp further, he loaded his piece, and presented it to the two foremost Indian?, who stood aloof waiting to be joined by their fellows; while the French, from their breast-works, kept up a continual fire of cannon and small arms upon this poor, solitary, maimed gentleman. In this uncomfortable situation he stood, when he discerned at a distance a Highland officer, with a party of his men, skirting the plain towards the field of battle. He forthwith waved his hand in .signal of distress, and being perceived by the officer, he detached three of his men to his assistance. These brrve fellows hastened to him through the midst of a terrible fire, and one of them bore him off on his shoulders. The Highland officer was Cap- tain Maodonald, of Colonel Frazier*s battalion, who, under- standing that a young gentleman, his kinsman, had dropped on the field of battle, had put himself at the head of this party, with* which he penetrated to the middle of the field, drove a considerable number of the French and Indians before him, and finding his relation still unscalped, carried him off* in triumph. Poor Captain Oohterlony was con- veyed to Quebec, where, in a few days, he died of his wounds. After the reduction of that place the French sur- geons who attended him, declared, that in all probability, he would have recovered of the two shots he had received in his breast, had he not been mortally wounded in the belly by the Indian's scalping knife. RETROSPECT. 97 " As this verj remarkable aoene was acted in sight of both armies, Oeneral Townshend, in the sequel, expostu- lated with the French officers upon the inhumanity of keep- ing up such a seyere fire against two wounded gentlemen, who were disabled, and destitute of all hope of escaping. They answered, that the fire was not made by the regulars, but by the Canadians and savages, whom it was not in the power of discipline to restrain." The capture of Quebec, which soon followed, important as it was, did not immediately terminate the war. The French in Canada had still a powerful army, and some naval force, above the city; In the ensuing spring, 1760, Monsieur Levi approached Quebec from Montreal, assisted by six frigates, for the pur- pose of recovering it from the English. Gen. Murray, who commanded the English garrison, marched to meet him, with only three thousand men, and, on the 28th of April, after a bloody battle, fought at Sillsery, three miles above the city, the English army was defeated, with the loss of one thousand men, the French having lost double that number. The English retreated to Quebec, to which the French now laid siege. About the middle of May, an Eng- lish squadron arrived with reinforcements, soon after which the French fleet was taken and destroyed, and the siege was raised. The attention of the English commander-in-chief, Gen. Amherst, was now directed to the reduction of Montreal, the last fortress of consequence in the possession of the French. To effect this, he detached Col. Haviland, with a well disciplined army, to proceed to Lake George, Crown Point, and Lake Champlain ; General Murray was ordered from Quebec, with such forces as could be spared from the garrison, while General Amherst himself proceeded with .< ill If *■] :f r': I ! ' '.' V' (/;;r!l ' '. ll i it ''^ ' I 98 BSTR08PS0T. ten thousand men, by Lake Ontario, down the riycr St. Lawrence. Generals Amherst and Murray arrived at Montreal the same day, Sept. 6th, and were joined by Haviland, on the day succeeding. While preparing to lay siege to the place, the commander of Montreal, M. do Vaudreuil, perceiving that resistance would be ineffectual, demanded a capitulation, On the 8th, Montreal, Detroit, Michilimackinac, and all the other places within the government of Canada, were surrendered to his Britannic Majesty. Thus ended a war which, from the first hostilities, had continued six years, and during which much distress had been experienced, and many thousand valuable lives lost. Great and universal was the joy that spread through the colonies, at the successful termination of a contest, so long and severe, and public thanksgivings were generally ap- pointed to ascribe due honor to Him who had preserved to the colonies their existence and their liberties. While the troops were employed in the conquest of Ca- nada, the colonies of Virginia and South Carolina suffered invasion and outrage from the Cherokecs, a powerful tribe of savages in the West. But in 1761, they were signally defeated by Col. Grant, and compelled to sue for peace. Intelligence being communicated to Gen. Amherst of the danger of these colonies, he despatched Gen. Montgomery, with one thousand two hundred men, for their protection and relief. Being joined by the forces of the province of Carolina on his arrival, he immediately proceeded into the country of the Cherokees, plundering and destroying their villages und magazines of corn. In revenge, the savages besieged Port London, on the confines of Virginia, which was oblig. ed, by reason of famine, to capitulate. The capitulation e Twer St. ontreal the [, on the day e place, the jeiving that sapitulation. lac, and all anada, were utilities, had distress had e lives lost, through the test, so long generally ap- preserved to i(uest of Ca- ilina Buflfered )werful tribe tyere signally ■or peace. mherst of the ontgomery, ir protection of Carolina the country Jheir villages [ges besieged ph was oblig. capitulation B£TB08PI0T. 99 was, however, broken, and the troops, while on their march to Virginia, were assaulted, numbers of them killed, and the rest taken captive. The next year, 1761, Gen. Montgomery being obliged to return, Col. Grant was sent to continue the war. With an army of near two thousand six hundred men, he began his march towards the enemy's country. On the fourth day the army fell in with a body of savages, and after a stronglv contested battle, put them fo flight. Following up this victory. Col. Grant proceeded to destroy their maga- zines, burn their corn fields, and consume their settlements, until, having effectually routed them, ho returned with his troops. Soon after this, the Cherokee chiefs came in, and a peaoe was concluded. The conquest of Canada having been achieved in 1763, a definitive treaty, the preliminaries of which had been set- tled the year before, was signed at Pariti, and soon after ratified by the kings of England and France, by which all Nova Scotia, Canada, the Isle of Cape Breton, and all other islands in the gulf and river St. Lawrence, were ceded to the British crown. REMARKS. The destructive wars which the colonies of North Ameri- ca sustained, strengthened by Great Britain, against the French nation, comprised a period of about eighty years ^ ending in 1762, when France lost all her possessions in Canada and North America; the same being ceded to Great Britain. The various wars are thus named — first, " King Wil- liam's War," which arose from King James II., on leaving England, fled to France. Louis XIY., King of France, attempting to support him, kindled the flame of war between his own country and England. The subjects of Louis, in ♦ I'M ., ' ■:ih » i ^;! f f ■*'ii ;iJ y :r r '•( ' 'I m -<>- i)B|i 100 RETROSPECT, It ' t!ib.i' Canada, of course directed their arms against the colonies of Now England and Now York, and instigated the In- dians to join them in their hostilities. This war continued from 1690 to 1697. Second war, called "Queen Ann's War," which continued from 1702 to the Peace of Utrecht, 1713. Third war, — Great Britain, under George II., in 1744, declared war ngainst France and Spain, which ended in 1748. And the last war, as the the reader has seen, com- menced in 1755, and ended in 1761 or 1762, and was at length called the " French and Indian War." These details arc certainly interesting to every true hearted Protestant in Canada, arid in North America ; and had it not been for the prowess and valour of British arms, fully aided by the Colonists, a considerable portion of this noble country might have been a poor Popish appendage of the Empire and despotism of France. JOURNE — TH NABB Thun from th( Toronto Arran ray joun township settlemei and at Ci eastern e Tuesd the nortl Whitchu Thursi ernor) as mercies i During i night in of five ai Yonge sti were expi certain de mind whi< dy, was re »J; RITaOSPlOT. 101 10 oolonies id the In- ' continued een Ann's 3f Utrecht, rge II., in lich ended )Betin,com- and was at every true lerioa ; and ritish arms, ion of this )peudage of CHAPTER SEVENTH. JOUBNET TO THE NORTHERN TOWNSHIPS ON LAKE HURON — THE INDIAN VILLAQES ON OOLDWATER AND THE NARROWS OF LAKE SIMOOE, AC, &0. Thursday, 7th Feb.— Travelled with the Rev. W. Rintoul from the meeting of Presbytery at Anoaster to York, now Toronto. Arranged with Mr. Rintoul, Clerk of the Presbytery, on my journey to Lake Simcoe, Lake Huron, and the various townships situated on the road ; and especially to visit the settlements of Indians at the Narrows of Lake Simooe, and at Coldwater, on Match-a-dash Bay — a bay at the south- eastern extremity of the Georgian Bay. Tuesday, 12th Feb., 1833.— Took my third journey to the north, travelling up Yonge street to the township of Whitchurch. Thursday. — Observed this day (appointed by the Gov- ernor) as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for his mercies to us, during the late pestilence — the cholera. During the greatest virulence of the plague I slept one night in York, and early in the morning, between the hours of five and seven o'clock, I counted ten corpses taken up Yonge street for interment. In the full health of life we were exposed to sudden attack, and, in many instances, certain death. The composure, and even cheerfulness of mind which many possessed who were exposed to the mala- dy, was remarkable ; when relative, friend, or stranger was •:Hl . ,' ' i ' *' J i .■«f m - k.' *< Ii' I' 102 RETROSPECT. seized, then, generally, neighbors, both male and female, kept not back, but administered to the alarmed sufferer all that could be done to save life or ease the pangs of death. Only a few persons attended at the Methodist Church, Yonge street, to observe the day of humiliation and thanks- gi :ing. Read the 7th chap, .of Zechariah, and made a few practical observations. Friday morning, travelled to the township of Geoi^na, and found that notice of a public service on the Sabbath had not been circulated, and proeeeding on, over the ice of Lake Simcoe, and through the snow, arrived safe in the township of Thorah on Sabbath morning, in time for their Gaelic service, which was conducted by Mr. Gunn. I af- terwards delivered a short exhortation from the 84th Psalm. This ^ township is truly a Highland settlement. Made another appointment for service in Thorah on Mon- day the 25th Inst. Tuesday, 19th Feb. — Entered the township of Eldon. Wednesday. — Visited some sick families, and endeavored to impart consolation to them from God's Word. A pious woman, in substance, repeated the following verses : — Remember, Lord, thy gracious word Thou to thy servant spake, Which for a ground of my sure hope, Thou causedst me to take. This word of tuine my comfort is la mine affliction ; For in my straits I am revivr'd By this thy word alone. Friday, 22nd — This day I was requested to collect to- gether a few families for catechising, and I trust we spent a profitable evening. Sabbath, 24th Feb. — Held a meeting in a log house in the woods for public worship. A heavy fall of snow pre- vented a good attendance. Delivered a lecture Arom a por- d female, ifferer all of death. b Ghurob, id thanks- adea few Georgina, 3 Sabbath the ice of ife in the ) for their an. I af- the 84th lettlement. L on Mon- Eldon. ndeavored A pious les: — coUeet to- we spent ; house in snow pre- ^om a por- RETBOSPEOT. 103 tion of the 32nd chap, of Jeremiah. Next day kept my appointment in Thorah. Tuesday. — Travelled six miles this morning to visit a female in a dying state. She was unable to speak. I re- turned into the township of Georgina, and found that the wife of David B. Robertson was dying. She recognised me, and whispered that she wished I would speak to her about death, the gospel and the Saviour, as I had done be- fore. I did so with much feeling, and she expressed a hope by signs that all would soon be well with her. Re- mained part of the night with her in conversation and prayer. About twelve persons present. " Happy soul, tby days are ended, All tby mourniug days below ; Go by angel guards attended, To tbe sigbt of Jesus go. " Struggle tbrough tby intense passion, To tby great Redeemer's breast ; To bis uttermost salvation. To hip everlasting rest." Friday, 1st March. — Visited the family of the deceased, : and engaged to deliver a funeral discourse at the interment. ' Sabbath morning, eleven o'clock. — A large assemblage of people at the funeral, and I addressed them on the occa- sion from the last eight verses of the 15th chap. Ist Oor.'^ The persons present were attentive, and I was informed that several of them were in tears. At this time some Indians, from the Narrows of Lake Simcoe, were in this settlement, hunting. On Saturday evening they cut wood by their camps, for cooking On the Sabbath, abstaining from ail manner of work on the Lord's day. They had part of the New Testament in their own language, and hymn-books, in which they axercised them- selves in reading and singing. They visited the nearest M iiiu 1:)i f I 104 BETB08PECT. settlers— engaged in religious worship, and their youths could read the Scriptures. Here I shall introduce the means used for the improve- ment of the neglected Indians, to wit : their moral training and Christian instruction, instituted by the then Governor, Sir John Colborne, to draw them from a wandering life. In the west of the township of Rama, on or near the lake, is a settlement of Chippewa Indians, who formerly occupied the lands about Lake Simcoe, Holland River, and the unsettled country in the rear of the Home District. In 1880 Sir John Colborne, then Lieutenant Governor, collect- ed them on a tract of land on the north-west shore of Lake Simcoe, of 9,8000 acres in extent, where they cleared a road between that lake and Lake Huron. They consisted of three tribes of Chippewas, under the chiefs Yellowhead, Aisance and Snake ; and a band of Pottowotamies from Dmmmond Island. Their number was about 500 ; and they were plac- ed under the care of Mr. Anderson (lately superintendent at Manitoulin Island), under whose superintendence they made rapid progress. The tribe under the chief Yellow- head, now settled at Rama, was located at the Narrows of Lake Simcoe (where the village of Orillia now stands). Aisanoe's tribe, at present residing at Beausoleil, Matcha- dash Bay, was settled at Coldwater, at the other extremity <^ the reserve ; the distance between them being fourteen miles. " Prior to the year 1830," says Mr. Anderson in his re- port, " these tribes had become much demoralized from their long residence near the white settlements. They were in the constant habit of drinking spirituous liquors to ex- cess : not one of them could read or write ; and they scarcely knew anything of religion. Their hunting grounds were exhausted ; the government presents were exchanged )ir youths improve- d training Governor, ig life. near the I formerly liver, and triet. In or, coUect- eof Lake red a road id of three I, Aisanee irnmmond iwereplac- intendent ence they Yellow- arrows of stands). Matcha- extremity fourteen his re- led from hey were frs to ex- md they grounds changed RETROSPECT. 105 for whiskey. They were in debt to all the traders, and unable to obtain more credit, and thus were constantly in a state bordering on starvation. Their sufferings and misery were strongly marked in their personal appearance, and the condition of their wigwams ; the latter imperfectly made, and very insufficiently supplied with fuel, could scarcely be said to afford shelter to the ragged and emaciated frames of the elder Indians, whilst the wretchedly diseased appear- ance of the children spoke still more forcibly of the intoxi- cation and want of food of the parents. Miserable as was their state, it required considerable persuasion to prevail on them to accept the bounty of government. By studious attention to their habits and prejudices, they were at length brought to acquiesce ; and the general result has been, that each Indian with a family has now a little fann under cul- tivation, on which he raises not only potatoes and Indian corn, but also wheat, oats, peas,&c.; his wigwam is exchanged for the log-house ; hunting has in many cases been aban- doned altogether, and in none appears, as formerly, to be resorted to as the only means of subsistence. Habitual in< toxication is unknown, the Sabbath is carefully observed ; their religious duties carefully attended to ; and reading and writing, with a moderate knowledge of arithmetic, is almost universal among the young people. '' The log dwelling-houses for the Indians were ereeted by government. Frame houses for the superintendent and the two chiefs, Aisanee and Yellowhead, with school-houses at Gold water and the Narrows, were also built at the com- menceicent of the establishment. Since that time a grist mill and a saw mill have been added at Ooldwater, and a saw mill is in progress at the Narrows. About 500 aores of the whole have been cleared and are under cultivation." In 1836, a year after the date of the above account, they '1 ■ f'J ^|,^[; >| ii m 106 BETROSPEOT. m surrendered their reserve to the government ; and the tribe nnder Tellowhead removed, in 1838, from the Narrows to Bama, where there appeared a prospect of remaining for some years undisturbed by the white settlers. Here they purchased 1600 acres of land, at a cost of £800 — paid out of their annuities — and applied themselves diligently to forming a new clearance, and cultivating the land ; in which they have made considerable progress. Their number is now 184 ; their village contains twenty houses and four barns, and they have 300 acres of land under cultivation. During the last two years they have been very industrious, and have raised large quantities of produce. In 1841, their crop of potatoes was sufficiently abundant to enable them to dispose of four or five hundred bushels to the white settlers in Orillia and Medonte, without inconvenience to themselves. These Indians are stated to be Wesleyan Methodists. They have a commodious school house, in which Divine ser- vice is performed by a missionary of that persuasion. A respectable teacher is in charge of the school. Tuesday, 5th March. — Travelled west, and crossed the Holland Biver into the township of West Gwillimbury. Lodged at Mr. John Oolson's. Left an appointment for public worship on my return. Wednesday — a stormy day — travelled to the north, through the township of Innisfil, towards Penetanguishene, Goldwater and the Narrows. Bemained for the night at Kempenfeldt Bay, and there had the pleasure of meeting with the Bev. Mr. Elliott, Mis- sionary of the Episcopal Church. Spent with him a very agreeable evening. Thursday, proceeded north, making some engagements on the Penetanguishene road for my return. Snow upon the road two feet deep. During a heavy blast of wind and snow, darkening the atmosphere and forest exceedingly, I thought of the roam- RETROSPECT. 107 d the tribe N'arrows to laining for Here they • — paid out iligently to ; in which number is I and fonr suItivatioD. idustrioas, 1841, their ble them to lite settlers themselveS' fethodists. Divine ser- lasion. A rossed the rillimbury. itment for ormy day f Innisfil, Narrows, there had iott, Mis- m a very making for my 3ning the he roam- ing Indians in these forest centuries ago, and the following lines of Pope came to my mind : — "Lo the poor Indian, whose untutored mind Sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind, His soul proud science never taught to straj Far as the solar walk, or milky-way ; Yet simple nature to his hope has given, Behind the cloud-topp'd hill an humbler heaven, Some safer world, in depth of woods embraced. Some happier island in the watery waste." The main object of the Governor, as related, (with, the able superintendence of Mr. Anderson) was to locate the tribes named, and get them into working habits of cultivat- ing the soil ; and this was not only so far accomplished, but also their moral and Christian instruction, through school teachers for their children, and missionary labors in the Gospel, were in good progress, and effected according to the data given. Friday, March 8th. — Penetanguishene road, north, two feet and a half of snow — much forest — very little cleared Slept at Mr. Pollock's. Mrs. Pollock very much cheered by a missionary visit. She formerly sat under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Jenkins, at Richmond Hill. Next day travelled to the head of Penetanguishene Bay. There is a Catholic church in this village, and a newly erected Episcopalian church, half way between the village and the Establishment. Visited Mr. George Mitehel, wife and family — a christian household, and enjoyed my visit much. He tt&s an early trader here with the Indians, &o. Sabbath morning, 10th March. — Travelled along the Bay to the Establishment, and had publib worship by ap- pointment at 3 o'clock p.m. The attendance was good, and, I trust, profited by the service. The detachment had com- menced a sabbath school, which was doing well, and I de- livered a short address to the children, teachers and pa- "W 1 I ii ( e PI ill Ml H 4\i 'A :\ i,'" ;-ij 108 RETB08PSCT. ■f! rents. I proposed establishing a " Traet and Book Socie- ty" for the neighborhood. We met for the same, organised it, and gave it the name of " The Penetanguishene and Lake Huron Auxiliary Tract and Book Society." Col- lected three pounds, to be laid out and the tracts and books to be forwarded by me from York. Tuesday, 12th. — Left Penetanguishene for the south, and attempted to travel through the forest to the Indian settlement at Cold water. The snow being deep and night coming on, I was obliged t(* return to Prey's inn for the night, and next morning had a French settler for company, he having a hand-sleigh, with provisions for his family. We had no house on the way for ten miles, save one. The day, however, was fine, and at length, through a heavy snow in the woods, we arrived at the Indian village of Coldwater. I was kindly received by the superintendent, Captain G. T. Anderson. This is an interesting place — many Indian dwellings, built with logs by government. Spent the evening in a happy religious manner. One of the Indian chiefs and some others called to see me ; they expected to shake hands with every stranger. Thursday, 4th March. — Capt. Anderson visited several of the Indian families with me. I conversed with them from the gospel of the Great Spirit through the interpreter, and was delighted with their civility and attention. One of the Indians, in particular, made a considerable reply, to wit : — That the poor Indians were much obliged to me for coming so far through the woods to see them, and enlighten them in the writings of the Great Spirit. He observed that they were a poor people, and ignorant, and had had few opportunities of being enlightened ; that they were obliged lo their father in York for collecting them from the woods, and the great lakes, and settling them like white people and O ook Booie- , organised shene and tj." Col- I and books the south, the Indian and night m for the • company, lis family, one. The h a heavy village of rintendent, ng place — )vernment. One of me ; they ed several nrith them iterpreter, ion. One reply, to to me for enlighten erved that had few obliged he woods, )eople and •e KETBOSPECTt 109 christians ; that they compared their situation like unto a field planted with corn, if it was neglected the weeds would grow up and it would come to nought, but if it were watched over and attended to it would be a good crop. So was their condition. The Indians returned thanks re- peatedly for the good things that had been said, and ex- pressed a strong wish to see me soon again. Engaged in prayer in each of their families. Partook of some very good soup in one of the chief's houses, prepared from green corn. It was very difficult to translate the Scriptures into the Indian language ; this chief was doing so, having acquired by great diligence some knowledge of reading the Scriptures and writing in English. He was much pleased to receive a few verses from me for the par- pose. Evening worship, 7 o'clock. Visted their place of public worship, Missionary House. They were assembled by the blowing of a horn. Gapt. Anderson was present and took an active part. We commenced by singing the hymn, " How glorious is our heavenly King, Who reigns above the skies." I on<;agcd in prayerful devotion, and explained to the Indian congregation the " Lord's Prayer," with a few addi- tional verses, and dosed the interesting service by singing and prayer. Friday, 15th March, 1833. — Visited again one of the chiefs. He showed me his journal, written in the Chip- pewa toMgue, on some parts of the gospel of St. Matthew. Took my journey this afternoon to the Indian Establish- ment, at the Narrows of Lake Simcoe, engaging to return to Goldwater on the Sabbath for publio worship. I had an Indian boy with me for company. Passed on the road several Indian houses, with small lil !•''> t',.fl ''1 ! li 1 1 1 m.^ti 1 1 Wt 1 VI i n i' II- i I i; 1. •'■ i\ ■x •■ ,'; \\ i,(i 4, :j; C) 110 RBTB08PB0T- improvements from the late forest. Two Indian faiuiltes reside in each house, divided in the middle by a good briok ehimney, — 50 acres of the survey was apportioned to eaob family. Much snow in the woods, yet the road tolerably opened, so that the lofty trees of the forest, the fine day, and my Indian boy who talked English, made me cheerful and happy. On my way called on Mr. Ritchie, the land agent, and Dr. Aljoe, who was appointed Indian Doctor. Reached the Narrows, beautifully situated ou a bay of Lake Simcoe, and was kindly invited by the resident Missionary to his 1iou3e. He made arrangements with me to meet the Indian School next morning at nine, and at 11 o'clock to meet the Indians for public worship. Lodged with Mr. Gerald Alley, lately appointed to teach the Indians farming. Saturday, 16th. — Entered the Indian School-room at half-past nine; about 50 girls and boys present The classes in the New Testament read wiih considerable fluency and correctness ; they repeated the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and some short Scripture questions, standing in a circle. They sung a hymn and were dismissed with regularity. The horn was ■then blown and the Indian congregation, including the women, numbered about one hundred. I read a hymn, which was also read in the Indian language, and re- markably well sung. After prayer I delivered a lecture from the first five verses of the first chapter of St. John's Qospel. The interpreter, a young man, an Indian, trans- lated, I think, well, though it takes the interpreter a much longer time to repeat than the minister to expound. I par- ticularly pointed out to them that Light which the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour brought into the world, to dispel not only moral but even natoril darkness, and now they wereb Spirit, their being God an were n II Adde been Spirit, the Sav Greats you hav salvatioi Christ a Left the Nort In the e had give from the verse. 1 they hav Sabbff ship wit o'clock, terpreter able, and had a Sal youths, i questions meeting, son had < Monda ii " t! •%n families good briok led to each id tolorably e fine day, nc cheerful agent, and Reached ike Simooe, mary to his the Indian ck to meet Mr. Gerald ning. )ol-room at sent The onsiderable d's Prayer, Scripture ; a hymn horn was luding the ) a hymn, and re- a lecture St. John's ian, trans- ir a much d. I par- e Gospel to diapel now thoy RBTitOSPEOT. Ill were brought to be instructed by the writings of the Great Spirit, and receive and enjoy this Light, and that they and tiieir children were made much happier in this world by being taught the right knowledge and worship of the Great God and our Saviour, and that this teaching, which they were now blessed with, opened up to their minds eternal blessedness in the world to come. Added. — Remember how long your fathers and you have been in darkness ; you believed in one Great and Good Spirit, but you knew nothing of the Son of the Great Spirit, the Saviour, till you were Caught from the writings of the Great Spirit, through the ministry of the good missionaries you have had, and who have laboured among you for the salvation of your souls. '' Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Left the Narrows at 3 o'clock for Coldwater. Grossed the Noi-th River a few miles forward and got there safe. In the evening my friend the chief called with the task I had given him to write in the Chippewa tongue, six verse» from the first chapter of Matthew, beginning at the 18th vene. He observed that for many of our English words they have no language or ideas. Sabbath Morning, 16tU March — Begun our public wor- ship with the Indian congregation at Coldwater at 11 o'clock. They sang well, and Capt. Anderson was my in- terpreter for the Indians. The service was indeed agree- able, and, I hope, profitable to us all. In the afternoon we had a Sabbath school exercise for the Indian children and youths, and they certainly gave many good answers to questions. In the evening I attended the Indian prayer meeting, and closed with a short address, after Capt. Ander- son had delivered a few good remarks from the 23d Psalm. Monday, 15th March. — Parted with Capt. Anderson and ill fl*' >, . ml 112 EETaOSPKOT. the Indian chiefs, they ezpreRsing a strong desire that a missionary from the Churoh of Scotland might be soon settled among them, and inviting me again to spend some time with them, in the gospel, after I had visited the Christian Fathers in the West. Travelled through the forest twelve miles to the Penctanguishene road, and next day kept an appointment in the township of Oro. Wednesday, 20th March. — Came upon Lake Simcoe, said by Mr. Brown to be one of the most beautiful sheets of water in Canada. Its pleasant sloping shores, in the proper season, exhibit luxuriant vegetation. Crossed Kern* penfeldt Bay into the township of Innisfil, and delivered an exhortation at Warnica's Inn. His wife very sick and not likely to recover. Our prayers were earnest in her behalf. Lodged for the night with a class-leader of the Methodist Church. Thursday and Friday. — ^Visited several familiei in West Gwillimbury, and some sick persons. Sabbath, 24th March. — Kept an engagement for public worship in a very comfortable school house. A good at- tendance of persons of almost all denominations around, and I endeavored to be faithful in teaching the Gospel. Wednesday. — Travelled this day west and north to the township of Essa, having to go round a large swamp. Visited several families, and fixed our public service for Sabbath at Mr. Dinwiddee's. Sabbath, 31st March. — A considerable number met for public worship. Set before their minds the value of Gospel ordinances — the value of time allowed to many for the im- provement of the ordinances, and the great and final result, either in the improvement or neglect of them. " Awake, ye saints, and lift your eyes, And raise your voices high ; Awake and praise that sov'reign love That shows salvation nigh." esire that a ;ht be soon spend some visited the through the d, and next ro. ake Simcoe, iitiful sheets lores, in the roBsed Kern- delivered an sick and not n her behalf, le Methodist ilies in West It for public A good at- ions around, Gospel, north to the arge swamp, c service for ber met for ue of Gospel for the im- I final result, BISTRORPEOT. 113 Sabbath evening. — Kept an appointment in West Gwil- limbury. Tuesday, 2nd April, 1833. — KoJe to Yongo Street. Visited some families, and reached Richmond Hill in the evening, thus closing my third journey t>o tho north in seven weeks. REMARKS. On looking back eight yeurs from the above date (1833) great has been the improvement in We!«tern Canada, whe- ther natural, moral or religious. Much of the forest has been subdued and brought into cultivation ; many village;* and towns have grown up apace, and the chief privation that the Scotch and Irish cmt>;runt8, with others, have en- dured, is the lack of missionary labor among tliem in the Gospel. Many of the Presbyterian settlers in the forest that I visited had not heard a sermon preached, some of them for nine years, others for seven, and many for five years. Their highest joy then was when they were visited once and again with a Herald of the Gospel, who found his way through the forest, and over roads almost impassable, and collected a few families for the public worship of God, either in open log barns, log school houses, or dwelling houses, and instructed them in Gospel truth. As it was stated in the preface to this journal, the Church of Scotland, as well as the United Associate Synod of Scotland, were applied to in the years 1825 and 1826 for some missionaries, to labor in this new vineyard of the Lord, but without success. One of our first eflScient minis- tors to the early Presbyterian settlers in York, (Yonge Street) including Vaughan and Markham, also the town- ship of Scarborough, was the Rev. Wm. Jenkins, from the Presbytej-ian Synod of New York. He was for some y^ employed as resident missionary among the Oneida ^ ii^ m I:' m i'i ; J 114 aiTBOSPKOT. I- in that State. He oamo over to Oanada in the year 1816, viHited many loeutioiiH destitute of a preached Qospi^, and at length engaged to become the pastor of the above-named townnhipt). His character and hibora were highly thought of. " They that sovir in toarH 8hiill reap in joy." " lie that goeth forth weeping, bearing preoiouR seed, shall doubtlesH oomo again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with hioi." Many wore the privations in lodging and travelling through the forest which ho endured in visiting the lono ftotllors in the woods. The Oneida Indian Mission became very in- teresting to him. iSouie of the fndians, for a tiuio, were the sources of much sorrow, but afterwards they became a comfort to him. Mr. Jenkins, in speaking of tho ordinance of the Lord's Supper, observed among the IndiiiM3 on one occasion, says : — " On this occasion I asked tlie Indians what they wanted from God. I mentioned several things which they greatly needed, and told them they should ask for those things IVom God in prayer — that prayer was a special privilege of those who were reconciled to God. When 1 had mentioned this, the principal chief, John Se. cononota, took the elements in his hands and praying audi- bly and very earnestly, claimed Christ as his Saviour," In speaking of a white man at the communion who now had embraced the cause he formerly sought to destroy, he said : — " As he lived among the Indiaiin they all knew him, they knew his former manner of lift;, they were wit- nesses to the great change which had taken place. He publicly renounO(?d his former opinions, and expressed deep sorrow for his past unholy conduct. He expressed also his firm re>:olve, in God's strength, to die daily to sin. This filled oa ail with joy over this penitent sinner." RKTftOSPBOT. no 9ar 1816, apol, and ive-named Y thuu{];ht '' llo that doubtlesH rith him." ig through »ottlors in B very in- iuio, wore becniue a ordinance n3 on one 10 Indians rul things ihould ask or was a to God. John Se. ying audi- dour." who now e.stroy, he all know were wit- ace. He }8sed deep >.d also his II n. This CHAFTEU EIGHTH. MISSIONAUY JOURNKY TO TIIK WBHTKRN T0WN8IIIPH, 8ITU- ATEO ON LAKE ERIE, THE RIVKK TIIAMKR ; ALHO, AH FAR WEST A8 f.AKK HT. I'LAIR, &0., &0. Monday May llJth, 1833. — Took my third journey to the west, and proceeding up Dundas Street, viHitcd some Presbyterian families in the township of Toronto, and had u meeting next day ior exhortation and prayer. Thursday.- -Passing on through the village of Ancastcr, oamo upon the swamp, (Mohawk lioad), on the Grand River, and proceeded to Brantford und Mount Pleasant. The latter place is now becoming a very pleasant village, and was settled at an early date, when all was forest around it, and the tribes of the Six Nation Indians were the only inhabitants of the country along the banks of the Grand River, or Ouse. Henry Ellis, father of the present John Ellis, was the first oponor of the forest here, on or about the year 1800; and from the elevation of the location, south of the river, he gave it, in hope, the appropriate name of Mount Pleasant. After seeing some christian friends, and making an appointment for a service during the ensuing week, I proceeded forward on the Long Point Koad, and reached Vittoria on Friday evening, u distance of about twenty-two miles. Sabbath morning, May the 19th. — Delivered a lecture here in the Biiptist Church, from the parable of the Ten Virgins — Matthew 25th chapter. In this parable by the a exactly I ; also the lal of iron of nature m man for dged with ament. I rs. She b missionary »rayers are le, covered book, from tnoe to read imemberedv BETBOSPEOT. t%9 n of West- ing held in Opened 'he object ie was ap- relled over Irest of the iheim. On int for the very good Hitendance of the settlers for public worship. Began our service by prefacing and singing the first Psalm, and was engaged in the service about two hours and a half. I may add that the good people in Zorra like good public services, and they like long ones too. In the evening I read two sermons of the Bev. Dr. Love's, and visited two families. Wednesday. — Travelled in the woods without ray horse, in company with a pious Highlander, and kept an appoint- ment for catechising on tbe 9th concession ; there was also an exhortation in Gaelic. Thursday. — Kept an appointment on the town line be- tween the townships of Nissouri and Zorra. My conductor lost the path in the forest, and we were entirely too late for the appointed hour ; but the good people attended the fol- lowing day at 12 o'clock. The whole of the Scottish settlers here hold their attachment to the Kirk of Scotland. They were, in their native land, and amid their native moun- tains, under the care of excellent pastors. My guide through the woods was a poor settler with a large family, yet he was thankiul for the support of them from only 12 acres of crop. \es, more so than many who had 50 acres of crop. Surely, thought I, the industrious poor are frequently the most happy, as they certainly are the most content; " Then, pilgrim, turn, thy cares forego, .. ''=•■• For earth-born cares are wrong ; ;!> ^■.. 1..,,,, Man wants but little here below, ; Nor wants that little loug." Saturday, 1st June. — Engaged in preparing for the work of the Lord's Day. I trust I can say with the Lord's people, in joy as in iaith, '* How amiable are thy taberna- cles, Lord of hosts I My suul longoth, yea, even fainteth «^;: 1 :■ 120 BETBOSPECT. f«r the courts of the Lord ; my heart and mj flesh erieth I livins out for God. »> Sabbath morning. — A great storm of rain and wind pre- vented a number of the settlers from attending, otherwise there would have been a large congregation. I was enabled to go through the service with ease, and I trust with edifi- cation to the people. Mj heart was overcome on leaving the township^ and I resolved not to neglect them in my prayers. Monday, 3rd June. — Cro.ssed a branch of the River Thames, and travelled west on the Governor's Road. Passed the village of IngersoU, laid out in 1831. Rode through the pine woods, several miles long, and entered the township of Westminster, which was early settled, and will be noticed hereafter. This township is watered by branches of the Thames, and of Kettle Creek. It is bounded on the east by tlte township of South Dorchester, on the north by London, on the west by Delaware, and on the south by Yarmouth and South wold. Lodged this evening with Mr. Elliot Grieve, one of the earliest settlers, a person of clear and sound christian prin- ciples, and may be viewed as the father of the Scottish Presbyterian settlement in Westminster. Next day I rode into the town of London. The town was laid out by the Crown, on lands reserved by Governor Simuoe, in 1826. It, in 1836, returned a member, and was incorporated in 1840. As the town of London is destined to become a large capital, in the finest location of Western Canada, I will here insert W. U. Smith's account of the River Thames — the various townships upon the river, &o., &o., and especially his detail of the Indian settlements, as they were reclaimed from a wandering life, and morally and re- RETROSPECT. 121 f'.; leeh erieth [ wind prc- :, othenrise ras enabled with edifi- on leaving hem in my the Bifer or's Road. m Rode entered the ed, and will \}y branches nded on the 10 north by south by one of the istian prin- le Scottish day I rode out by the 3, in 1826. rporated in become a Canada, I the River , &o., &c., ta, as they illy and re- ligiously instructed in the faith of the Gospel. Smith's account was written in 1846 : — The River Thames is one of the\ principal rivers in Can- ada West, formly called La Tranche. The north, or prin- cipal branch, takes its rise in the great swamp, north of the Huron District ; passes through McKillop and Logan, into the north corner of FuUarlon, where it is joined by a branch from E.ibbert. Lower down in the township it is joined by a small branch ; it then passes out of the south corner of FuUarton, cuts across the east corner of Blanshard into Nissouri, where it is joined by a branch, called the "Avon," which runs through Easthope and Zorra. It then flows in- to the township of London, where it is joined by a branch, from the Usborn and Biddulph. At the town of London it is joined by the east braneh, which takes its rise in Easthope, forms the dividing line between Blandford and Zorra, separates West from North Oxford, North from South Dorchester, and then flows along the south border of the township of London, separating it from Westminster. After joining the north branch, the united stream con- tinues it course in a south-westerly direction, forming the dividing boundary between the townships of Lobo, Car- radoc, Ekfrid, Mosa, Zone, Camden West, Chatham and Dover, on the north ; and Delaware, South wold, Dun- wich, Aldboro, Orford, Howard, Harwich, Raleigh, and East Tilbury, on the south ; between which last township and Dover, it discharges itself into Lake St. Clair. It is joined by many small streams in its course, and at Chat- ham it is joined by M'Gregor's Creek. On the upper portions of this river are numerous grist and saw mills. At and above Delaware, it affords fine trout fishing ; and below, during the spring, quantities of white fish, pike, K U- 122 RETROSPECT. i ?. pickerel, and maskelonge are taken, with oocasionally stur- geon. Several hundred barrels of fish are frequently cured in the neighborhood of Chatham. The Thames is navigable for steamboats and schoonors to Louisville, a village nearly thirty miles from its mouth, and might be made navigable to London, at no very great expense. To Louisville it is of an average depth of 16 feet, and in breadth from 200 to 300 feet. The river passes through some of the finest country in Western Canada ; the banks on the upper portion being high and rolling ; while below, for a distance of about thirty-five miles, the land is mostly level and rich, forming some of the best farming land in the Western District, and noted for its superior growth of wheat. Many of the farms on this portion of the river have been settled for fifty years, and are in a high state of cultivation, with fine orchards. There are large quantities of fine white oak and black walnut on the banks of the river, and a considerable trade has for some years been carried on in staves and walnut lumber. The former are floated down the river from the land where they are cut, to Chathanj, where they are col- lected and shipped on board schooners, which are sent from Kingston and other ports for that purpose. At London and Delaware are handsome bridges lately erected over the river ; that at Delaware is particularly ad- mired. A new bridge is expected to be erected at Chat- ham, during the year 1846. The scenery on many parts of the Thames is very picturesque. . • • - There are three Indian settlements on the Thames, in th<^ townships of Orford, Delaware and Caradoc, occupied by Indians of the Delaware, Chippewa, Munsee and Oneida tribes. The settloaient of the Delaware Indians was one of the first established by Indians in Canada West. In RETROSPECT. 123 iionally stur- uently cured nd schoonors m its month, no very great pth of 16 feet, B river passes Canada ; the •oiling ; while 3, the land is best farming p its superior portion of the ire in a high >ak and black Iderable trade and walnut iver from the they are col- are sent from )ridges lately irticularly ad- cted at Chatr n many parts e Thames, in doc, occupied ■ce and Oneida ians was one a West. In 1792, the principal remnant of the once flourishing congre- gations of the Moravian, or United Brethren Church, in the United States, was compelled to seek an asylum in Upper Canada, where they were favorably received by the provincial authorities, and were permitted to settle on the River La Tranche, (now called the Thames). By an Order in Council, dated 10th July, 1793, a large tract of land on the river, comprising about 50,000 acres, was granted for their use ; on which they proceeded to build a village, called Fairfield, a church, and other premises, at the ex- pense of a voluntary society, established at Bethlehem, in the Stf'te of Pennsylvania, in the year 1 787, under the name of " The Brethren's Society for the Propagation of the Gospel." By a second Order in Council, dated 26th February, 1799, a survey of this tract was ordered to be made, and the land was appropriated to the trustees of the Moravian Society, " to be reserved for ever to the society, in trust, for the sole use of their Indian converts." The first settlement was destroyed in 1813, by an invad- ing army of Americans. A severe battle was fought in the village, and the noted Indian chief, Tecumseth, was killed. After which event the tribe removed to the opposite side of the river, in the township of Orford, in the Western Dis- trict, where they possess a tract of land, containing about 25,000 acres. At present there are only two or three fami- lies residing on the old battle ground, on the north side of the river. In 1836, these Indians were induced by Sir F. Head to surrender a large portion of their lands, about six miles square, in exchange for an annuity of £150. The number of Indians who belong to the tribe of the Delav'?;res, was 302 in 1837 ; but owing to a dissension which arose the previous year, relative to the sale of their lands, a portion of the community retired to Missouri, 124 RETROSPECT. i: i United States ; and their present number is only 153. The settlement in Orford is generally known as Moravian town. The Chippewas and Munsees occupy a tract of land, con- taining .9000 acres, in the township of Carradoc, in the London District. It is only within the last ten years that the Chippewas have been reclaimed from a wandering life and settled in their present location. The Munsees have been settled since the year 1800, on land belonging to the Chippewas, with the consent of that tribe. Their village is called " Muusee-town." The present number of Chip- pewas is 378, and of Munsees 242. The Oneidas are a band of American Indians, who came into Canada in the year 1840, and have purchased, with the produce of their former lands and improvements, sold to the American Government, a tract of about 5000 acres, in the township of Delaware, in the London District, which is separated by the River Thames, from the Chippewa and Munsee settlements. Their number is 436. There are also several Pottawatamie families, who have fixed theic residence among the Chippewas, during the last year : and a band of about 500 Senecas, from Tonawantee, in the state of New York, are expected shortly to form a settle- ment near their brethren, the Oneidas. Tiie Chippewas possess an annuity of £600, granted by the government for a surrender of land made in 1832 ; the Moravians have £150 per annum, in exchange for land ceded to 8ir F. B. Head. The Munsees have no annuity. These three tribes parts.ke of the presents. The Oneidas neither possess an annuity nor are entitled to presents, but they brought with them into Canada a considerable sum of money, received from the American government in purchase of their lands and improvements, which they lodged in the hands of the chief superintendent. cows. 153. The iviantown. ' land, con- loo, in the years that iering life^ Qsees have ging to the heir village irof Chip- , who came hased, with ments, sold 5000 acres, trict, which ippewa and There are fixed theic year: and ,ee, in the :ra a settle- granted by 1832 ; the rQ for land tto annuity. \e Oneidas esents, but ,ble sum of in purchase sed in the RETROSPECT. 125 The Moravian Delawares are collected in a village, which contains one frame and thirty-four log-houses, with ten barns. They have 292 acres under cultivation. Their stock consists of 14 oxen, 40 cows and 47 heifers, 60 horses, 35 sheep, and 200 swine ; they possess eight wag- gons, 16 ploughs, 5 harrows, 3 fanning-mills, &c. The Chippewas and Munsees live on small farms, scat- tered over their tract. Some of the Chippewas are settled on surveyed lots of 20 acres each. This tribe occupies 76 log-houses and six wigwams, with 25 barns attached. They have 450 acres under cultivation. Their stock consists of 30 oxen, 27 cows, 44 heifers, 82 horses and colts, and 400 swine. Their agricultural implements include 4 waggons and carts, a fanning-mill, 9 ploughs, 9 harrows, &c. They have a blacksmith's forge, and two and a half sets of car- penter's tools. The Munsees occupy one frame and 50 log-houses, to which are attached 10 barns. They have 269 acres under cultivation. They possess 14 oxen, 50 cows, 30 heifers, 55 horses and colts, and 250 swine. Their implements in- clude 5 waggons, 11 ploughs, 7 harrows, a fanning-mill, &c. The Oneidas, who are more recently settled, but who brought with them the means of purchasing from old set- tlers, occupy 6 frame and 48 log-houses, with 4 wigwams ; they have also 5 frame and 15 log barns. They cultivate 335 acres of land. Their stock consists of 64 oxen, 61 cows, 27 heifers, 17 horses, and 162 swine. They possess 14 waggons and carts, 13 ploughs, 16 harrows, three fan- ning-mills, two sets of carpenter's tools, &c. Those families who live in wigwams do so from necessity, and not from choice. A number of the Chippewas are settled on survey lots, as already stated ; but in general each Indian selects the Kio .«\ . -I 126 RETROSPECT. spot which he wishes to cultivate, and the chiefs do not in- terfere. The extent of land cultivated by each family varies from one to fifteen acres. When a family has no land under cultivation, they depend upon the bounty of their neighbours, who are always ready to share with those in want. There is very little decrease in the partiality of these Indians for hunting and fishing. They usually leave their homes towards the end of October, and remain away until the beginning of January ; they also spend about a month during each spring in the chase. They resort to the unsettled lands in the London and Western Districts ; and it is probable that as soon as these lands are occupied, they will be compelled to abandon the chase. The cfiTeot to the gradual settlement of the country has been to assimi- late their habits to those of the whites, and to attach them to their homes ; they now hunt and fish as near home as With regard to their religious and moral condition, a very decided improvement has taken place within quite a recent period. The Delawares have been converted from Paganism since the year 1783 ; they are all Christians, and belong to the Church of the United Brethren, who main- tain a missionary among theu. The converted Chippewas and Munsees belong to the Church of England and the Wesleyan Methodist Church ; but some of them remain heathens. The Pottawatamies and Oneidas are for the most part heathens. A clergyman who has ministered among these Indians during the last seven years, was ap- pointed missionary in 1840, at a salary of £100, borne upcn the parliamentary grant. The Moravians have a place of worship at their own set- tlement^, the Episcopalians and Methodists have each a RETROSPECT. 127 I do not in- ich family kily has no bounty of with those ►artiality of jually leave smain away nd about a y resort to 1 Districts ; e occupied, The effect Q to assimi- ittach them lar home as ondition, a lin quite a erted from istians, and who main- Chippewas d and the em remain ire for the ministered s, was ap- borne upon lir own set- aye each a chapel in the Chippewa and Munsee settlement, and there is a Methodist chapel in the Oneida settlement. There is a school in the Moravian settlement ; two among the Chippowas and Munsees, and one among the Oneidas. The former is attended by forty-one scholars, of whom twentythree are boys from five to fifteen years of age, and eighteen girls, from six to fourteen. The schoolmaster is maintained by the Moravian Missionary Society. The school at Lower Munsee is under the control of the Missionary Society of the Church of England, and the sohohrs belong to the Chippewa and Munsee tribes. The schooimaster receives an annual salary of £50 from the annuity of the tribe. The school is attended by twenty-one boys from six to fifteen years of age, and by four girls from six to ten ; besides a number of young men and women who attend occasionally. The second school for the same two tribes is under the control of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society in Canada. It is attended by seventeen boys and eighteen girls, between six and fourteen years of age, and by three young men. The school in the Oneida settlement is also under the control of the Wesleyan Methodist Society ; the teacher is an Indian of the Oneida tribe. It is attended by sixteen boys from six to sixteen years of age, and by seventeen girls from five to fifteen. These tribes are on the increase since their conversion to Christianty. Their health is generally good, although many are stated to die from want of proper nourishment and me- dical treatment ; diseases are on the decrease among them. The average number of children born to a couple is eight ; of whom about three are reared. A small number only are half-breeds. 128 RETROSPECT. These Indians urc under the general charge of a superin- tendent of the Indian department, who resides ut Delaware. Tuesday, Juno 4th. — Met in London this day the Rev. Mr. Proudfoot, Missionary from the Secession Church of Scotland, to Canada West. His mind was nearly made up to accede to the wishes of the people, that he would become their Pastor, in London and Westminster. I also had the pleasure of a profitable conversation with the Rev. 15. Cronyn, of the Church of England, (now Bishop of Huron.) QMiis was the well-renjcmbered day of the train- ing of the Militia; and there was a fine turn out in London, not less than 500 men with loyal feelings to their King, and the British Empire. Wednesday. — Engaged this day in writing a long letter to the Rev. Mr. McGill, of Niagara, (at his request), on the state of religion in the London district. Thursdtiy. — Held a meeting in Westminster for public worship. Friday, June 7th. — Took my departure to the west into the Township of Lobo. Several Scotch Baptists here. Sabbath Morning. — By appointment, delivered a lecture on the parable of our Saviour, — the " Ton Virgins." (I beg leave to refer to the Notes, on the same, delivered at Vittoria.) There are three sorts of Baptists in this town- ship, and certainly some of them did not like the illustra- tration of the parable. Let us who are teachers of the Gospel consider, that the pure and spiritual ordinances of the gospel, as established by the Apostles, have been (for a lengthened period in the Church,) well understood ; and let us fear lest any of us come under the condemnation of Christ — " But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." • ! .< Monday, 10th. — Travelled through the township of I u RETROSPECT. 129 a suporm- Dolaware. y tho Rev. Church of y made up lid become in Dvith the Bishop of the train- 11 out in gs to their long letter cjuest), on ■or public west into here. a lecture ms." (I livered at this town- e illustra- rs of the nances of en (for a ; and let aation of ohing for Dship of Adelaide, thinly settled, on my way to Williams. The township of Williams, just soUling, in the London district, is bounded on the north by the towniphip of McGillivray, on tho west by the Eiver Sable and ^ >osanquot ; on tho south by Adelaide, and on the east by Lobo. The River Sable is a beautiful stream of water in the forest, running through the east and south of this township, till it reaohes its southwest corner, when it makes a sharp bend and runs northward, becoaaing the western boundary of said town- ship. Lodged with Mr. MoTntosh, who had engaged with the Canada Company to bring in a certain number of set- tlers from the Genesee, State of New York, and also from the North of Scotland. This was accomplished, and the forest lands, by the strong arm of man and the blessing of God, were becoming fruitful fields. And better still are their views and prayers — upward — that they may receive the blessing of a Gospel ministry, and a resident pastor among them. Mr. Mcintosh, who may be considered their patriarchal head, is ur/Iug all his influence for the attain- ment of their highest wishes. Thursday, 13th June, 1833. — Had a public meeting of the settlers for catechising and exhortation. Sabbath Morning, 11 o'clock. — Met the people for public worship — about 50 persons attended — and delivered a lec- ture from the parable of the vine. This was the first pub- lic Presbyterian service in Williams, and several people were in tears when they thought on the enjoyment of the ordinances of God, in their native land. Monday. — Visited a number of families, and sailed in a canoe some distance down tho River Sable. It is narrow and winding, and its banks are very free from fallen tim- ber, and are skirted with the wild vine, the butter-nut tree, and in some placeSj the water-willow. The land is flat, the 'Ii» II m ■ii 130 RETROSPECT. forest is the finest I have seen in Canada West. The log building which I wrote in, was put up by Indians, (Chief Omeok, &c.,) and they have a burial spot by the banks of the Sable, which I visited. They bury the staff of the aged chief with him ; and the tin cup which he eat out of, with the spoon, is placed on the head of the grave, which is built round and covered over with wood or boards. A hole is cut at the head of the grave, where a supply of food is handed in, for a few days, to the spirit before it takes its departure to the far west, where no storms blow, no enemy annoys, and where there is plenty of game. Such are the natural ignorance and gross darkness of the human mind, left to itself — no moral light to direct the soul upwards to the Father of Light, but the Scriptures of Truth — the writings of the Great Spirit. that our bre- thren here may fear and serve the God of their fathers in the observance of His ordinances, and be mindful not to hang their harps upon the willows in the midst thereof, saying — " How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land." Tuesday, 19th June. — Took my departure, travelling through the township of Lobo to the proof line, and was most comfortably lodged with Mr. Brice. The Governor, Sir John Colborne, left London yesterday. On the Sabbath his Eze«llenoj attended divine service in the Court House. Wednesday. — Crossed the Thames intj the township of Westminster, and travelled on the north road to the village of St. Thomas, in the township of Yarmouth, beautif\illy situated on Kettle Creek, Talbot Street Road. The Bev. Mr. Boss, preached here last Sabbath, and a meeting was now held to obtain subscriptions to get a minister from the Church of Scotland for this quarter. ; Southwdd.— Bemaioed in this township several days, RETROSPECT. 131 The log s, (Chief banks of i" the aged , of, with which is I. A hole f food is takes its 10 enemy irkness of direct the iptures of ,t our bre- fathers in ■ul not to 1 thereof, a strange • travelling and was rovernor, Sabbath jrt House, pship of le village Uutifully the Rev. ting was from the ral days, and visited a number of Scotch settlers. Lodged with Mr. S. Johnstone, a very agreeable christian family, where all the duties of worship are attended to. Conversed with a woman ninety years of age. Her head and shoulders were almost resting upon her knees, yet her mind was clear, and when led into conversation on the love of Christ to sinners, she expressed herself with a strong faith. Friday, 21st June. — Collected a few families together for exhortation. They were thankful for the service. "Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, Lord God of hosts. Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved." — Psalm 80th, 18th and 19th verses. Sabbath. — Invited to attend a prayer meeting in the morning, and also to visit a Sabbath school at 11 o'clock. About forty scholars attended, and some good teachers, who were engaged in imparting the knowledge of God's word to the young, and encouraging them to commit to their memories considerable portions of Scripture. Afternoon, 2 o'clock. — Kept an appointment for publie worship, and a large meeting of anxious hearers were pre- sent. - :., Tuesday, 25th June. — Left this morning the hospitable house of 3Ir. and Mrs. Barbour, of Talbot Street, with more than ordinary feelings of esteem and gratitude towards them, and also happy, reflecting on the enjoyment we had had in the worship of our common Lord and Saviour. Travelling west I passed the residence of Col. Talbot. The early settlement of these townships upon Lake Erie were delivered over to him. I rode along Talbot Street into the township of Aldborough ; visited some families, and then waited on the Rev. Mr. Ross, who has a good congregation of Presbyterians, mostly from the Highlands of Scotland. . 132 RETROSPECT. V : .W' Sabbath, 30th June. — Mr. Ross having to preach in the township of Howard, I was desired to deliver a lecture in his church ; the attendance was good, though many of them did not understand the English language. In the evening I was desired to hold a meeting for prayer and exhortation. Monday, 1st July. — Travelled west and then north into the township of Howard, and lodged at Mr. 1). McKinley's. Kept an appointment for public worship in the neighbor- hood. Howard appears to be a good settlement, and upon the approved principle of Col. Talbot, to wit : locating in the same township a mixed people from different coun- tries. He observed to me, that the Highlander, and the Irish, would keep up their old habits, and not advance as they ought. A very sudden death took place here last Sabbath. A woman after hearing a sermon, rose up to speak a few words, dropped down, and in three minutes afterward expired. Death, thou unseen, yet approaching foe, What millions would the rich, the great now give, For one more trial, one year more to live ; ' The Gospel only can, it does provide, the Never-failing antidote, of life unending, To the redeemed, the believing soul. To live and die, is not the all of life, No ; it is to die, and yet to live in Christ, In Him, the resurrection and the life, Who bursts the bands of death, the prisoner frees. And rise, to life eternal in the skies. Thursday, 4th July. — Parted with the friendly settlers in Howard, and travelling north through the forest, lodged this evening on the Ridge, called Howard's Ridge. Friday. — Reached the great road leading from London to the town of Sandwich, beautifully situated on the Detroit River, and about nine miles below Lake St. Glair. Rode up the side of the River Thames about a mile to the peuoh in the a lecture in any of them the evening exhortation. sn north into McKinley's. the neighbor (nt, and upon t, : locating in ifferent coun- [\der, and the lot advance as lace here last n, rose up to three minutes low give. RETROSPECT. 133 ■m Ler frees, liendly settlers 1 forest, lodged Udge. from London lated on the jake St. Clair. , a mile to the bridge. Reached Mr. John Fisher's farm on the north side of the river, near Chatham. Sabbath Morning, 7th July, 1833.— Crossed the Thames in.a canoe with Mr. Fisher, and kept an appointment for pablic vrorship in the village of Chatham. A goodly num- ber of people assembled in a neat techool house ; and this was perhaps the first Presbyterian service that the Scottish settlers had enjoyed in this quarter. On the afternoon I was requested to visit a dying child — several persons atten- ded, and we engaged in united worship for a short time. Monday. — Having company, I determined upon travel- ling as far west as Lake St. Clair. We swam our horses over the Thames, by the end of the boat we were in, and though one of the horses got entangled, we^got over in safety. The public road was good along the south side of the Thames, and we passed through the cheerful village of Chatham, containing about 25 families. This place was originally laid out by Governor Simcoe, who, while exam- ining the valley of the Thames, on arriving at thr spot on which Chatham now stands, was so much struck with its great natural advantages, that he immediately reserved 600 acres for a town plot. About four miles below this town (to be) we called on Messrs. Ironsides, gentlemen of sound Evangelical principles, and proceeding onward we, on the afternoon, reached Lake St. Clair. This day's travelling was delightful. The River Thames making its way to the Lake, with the rich and cultivated lands, presented a scene at once picturesque and beautiful. Lake St. Clair lies between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, receiving the waters of the upper lakes from the River St. Glair, and discharging them into the Detroit River. It is about 25 miles across, by about the same in length. The St. Clair River, including its windings, is about 30 miles L :^:\\ i ■ " wM 134 BETBOSPEOT. in length, and from three quarters of a mile to a mile and a half broad. The town of Port Sarnia is situated at the head of St. Ulair River, and has now become a place of considerable trade. The village was laid out by private individuals in the }ear 1833. Walpole Island is the chief island on the waters of Lake St. Clair. It is occupied by parties of Chippewa, Pottawa- tamic, and Ottawa Indian^I. The settlement at "Walpole Island was commenced at the oloso of the American war, when Colonel McKie, called by the Indians '' White Elk," collected and placed upon this island the scattered remains of some tribes of Chippewas, who had been engaged on the British side. Being left for many years without any interference or assistance on the part of the government, they became a prey to the profli- gate whites settled on the frontier, Who by various frauds, and in moments of intoxication, obtained leases, and took possession of the most fertile and valuable part of the island. ' TV hen the settlement was first placed under the charge of an assistant superintendent in 1839, these Indians possessed scarcely an acre of arable land, but he has succeeded in ex- pelling many of the most mischievous intruders, under the authority of an act of the Provincial Legislature, passed in 1839 ; and has placed their farms at the disposal of the In- dians, who have since become more settled, and have turned their attention mere generally to agriculture. The number on the island has increased considerably since 1839, owing to the influx of several bands of Potta. watamies and Ottawas, invited by the proclamation of 1837, relative to the discontinuance of presents to visiting Indians. Previously to that year they did not exceed three hundred ; lie and a d at the place of ^ private of Lake Pottawa- ed at the called by upon this aippewas, ig left for le on the he profli- |is frauds, and took ,rt of the charge of ;d in ex- Inder the )a8sed in )f the In- ^e turned |siderably }f Potta. I of 1837, Indians. mndred ; nt' RETROSPECT. 135 but in 1842, presents were distributed to one thousand, one hundred and forty, viz : Chippewas, old residents 319 Ghippewas, arrived within a year 197 Pottawatamies and Ottawasfrom Michigan. 507 On their way to settle 117 " -^ Total 1140 The new comers are very different in character and ha- bits from the resident Chippewas. The Pottawatamies es- pecially, are skilful hunters, and have long depended solely upon the chase. They are wild, turbulent, mendicant and dishonest. They possess no land or property. They have been kindly received by the resident tribes, and allowed to settle on their lands ; but their roving habits render them averse from settling ; they prefer remaining poor, ra^ed and filthy, to the restraints of civilized life ; they are a bur* then on their brethren, a nuisance to the white farmers in the district which they frequent, and their arrival in the province is in every respect to bs regretted. Their chief hunting grounds are near the Thames, and the upper parts of the two branches of Bear Creek. They also hunt in the United States, but with some danger to themselves, as the Americans do not allow it. The Indians who are settled upon Walpole Island, occupy the farms and houses hitherto possessed by the white squatters, together with a few houses erected by themselves. The present number of dwellings is 28, of which three are framed, with several more in the course of erection, and four log barns. There is no village, the farms being detached, as among the white settlers. There are five inferior chiefs among the Chippewas, who live surrounded by their own relations and connections by marriage ; and the young men, 'li "'m !i' liii 136 RETROSPECT. who though under the control of the head chief, recognise especially their own leader. These, on the expulsion of the squatters, met together, and suhdivided the farms and arable land among themselves, according to their numbers. Thus, each separate band cultivates one vast enclosure ; each man planting more or lesa according to his industry. It is in- tended, however, to lay out the fields more regularly. Their acquaintance with agriculture is of recent date, but their progress has been satisfactory. In 1839, they planted only Indian corn, and used no other implement but the hoe. At present they have nine ploughs, and as many yoke of oxen, besides scythes and sickles in abundance. They have also a large number of pigs and horses, and the chief his two cows. Steps have been taken to improve the breed of these animals ; a large quantity of marsh hay is saved for winter fodder. The extent of cleared land is es- timated at 600 acres, and it is annually on the increase. The greatest extent cropped by one Indian may be twelve acres : the smaHest, about three acres. At least one hun- dred iieads of families have commenced to til' the land within the last two years. When a family has no land in cultivation, its members depend upon the chase and fishing, and the sale of baskets and mats. The chief crop is Indian corn, but they also plant large quantities of potatoes, some oats, buckwheat, and peas. They are about to begin the cultivation of wheat. Much of the lighter part of field labor is still done by the women. The fondness for hunting and fishing is very much on the decrease among the Chippewas, who seldom indulge in either, except during t'^e winter. The game has almost disappeared in the neighbouring hunting grounds. All these Indians are heathens ; but twenty families have applied for religious instruction. In January, 1841, a mis- -^:i reoognise mn of the and arable jrs. Thus, each man It is in- irly. cent date, 1839, they lenient but d as many ibundance. id, and the m prove the irsh hay is [and is es- ^ increase. be twelve one hun- the land to land in id fishing, is Indian toes, some begin the field labor much on ndulge in ■is almof't ilies have 11, a mis- EETROSPEOT. 137 sionary of the Church of England was appointed, at a salary of £100, borne upon the parliamentary grant ; but whether through the want of a proper interpreter, the distance of the residence, (there being no suitable house on the island,) or other circumstances, the Indians have not profited by his labors, and the Bishop has been obliged to appoint another clergyman in his place. It is now intended to erect on the island, with the funds belonging to these Indians, a building adapted for a chapel and school-house, with a house for the missionary ; and the plans and estimates have re- ceived the approval of the Governor General. A school- master also is to be appointed and paid from the same source. The Indians are anxious for the education of their children ; and since the recent death of their old chief, their aversion to become christians has diminished, and may be expected to be gradually overcome. The health of the settled Indians is very good, and Bur- passess that of the neighboring whites ; their numbers are also on the increase, but the contrary is the case with the roving Pottawatamies, many of whom have been known to die from the e£fects of intoxication, or in broils, and from the effects of severe weather during the winter. The num- ber of children born to a family is about five, and the number raised three. There are no regular half-breeds among them, recognised as such. My friend from Chatham proceeded to Detroit, and I remained for some time on the shore of the lake, drank of its waters, looked onward to the far north, and north-west, where Walpole Island is situated — praying that the Mis- sionaries of the Gospel might be successful in their labours, as the instruments of imparting light and conversion to the benighted Indian. The first settlers in this fine section of Canada, were Lit -,i: 'I :i a ■Si :i i 1 138 RETROSPECT. Preijoh, and of course their religion vvua Papacy and the Priests. Some of thoin were getting their minda opened, and they would not obey all the mandates of the priests. I lodged with one of these families. The husband was muoh bound to the priest, but his wife informed me that she was not ; she believed in the church of God, read her Bible, and would do it in spite of all the priests in Canada. I left a few tracts, as she stated that several of her neighbors could read, and encouraged her and others to read a por- tion of the Bible every day. It was related to me that a priest in this neighborhood took a Bible from a female and would not return it to her ; she informed her husband, and he sent a message that if the Bible was not delivered up, he would prosecute him for theft. The Bible was returned. .;i ; a. ,: .; Tuesday, 9th July. — Left the banks of Lake St. Clair this morning and returned to Chatham. Next day kept an appointment for public worship on the north side of the river, in a comfortable school house ; then took my depar- ture from this township in company with Dr. Ironside, making our way to a settlement of Scotch Highlanders on Bear Creek. On our way an aged man wished to speak, and we entered into conversation with him from a sheet of paper, on which was printed the alphabet, as he was en- tirely deaf. He pointed to the various letters, we under- standing that he wished to make out our names ; this being done, I pointed to the letters AGE. H replied, you wish to know my age — I am 112 years old. He counted by pe- riods and times, whieh were not made clear to us. His great concern was the joys of religion and the salvation of the soul. We hoped that this illumination was from the Spirit of God. Reader ! let this also be oar great concern. "Be wise to-day, 'tis madness to defer." , I I I RETROSPECT. 139 1^ and the a opened, rlests. I ivas much t she was ler Bible, ia. I loft neighbors ad a por- ;hborhood it to her ; ge that if Lte him for St. Clair jay kept an de of the ly depar- Ironside, ,nder8 on to speak, a sheet was en- e under- |this being you wish ,ed by pe- ns. His vation of from the I eonoern. On our journey wc called at Moravian town, the settle- ment of the Delaware Indians. They have been converted from Paganism since the year 1783, by the Church of the United Bretliren, of which we have already given full de- tails. Wo had not an opportunity of seeing the working of the establishment. . , . Lodged for the night with a settler who had been a sol- dier, and we were treated with much kindness. He showed us the hymn book published by the Eclicf Church in Scot- land. We sung one of the hymns at evening worship, and our host had the joy of the Gospel exhibited on his counte- nance. In the morning he provided a man and horse to convey us safely through the forest, a distance of not less than 12 miles. The day was hot and cloudy, and we suf- fered intensely from swarms of musquitoes. We, on Thursday evening, arrived safe at the settlement of Bear Creek, or River Sydenham. This river has two branches, and a vast run of water, said to be from ten to twenty feet in depth, and at the forks there is a hole about forty feet deep. Friday, 12th July. — Several sick persons called on the doctor, and he kindly administered to them. I took the opportunity of speaking to them upon the care and value of the soul, and directed them to the Great Physician of the soul as well as of the body. — Mark i., 1st to 12th. Sabbath, 14th. — iVlet the settlers for public worship in a 1(^ barn, and delivered a lecture upon the cure of the im- potent man at the Pool of Bethesda. — John v., 1st to 9th. Tuesday. — Visited several families, and on Thursday afternoon held a meeting for exhortation. Saturday. — ^Visited more families, and was glad to fii^d. that they were steadfast in Presbyterian principles, though there were different sorts of Baptist teachers among them. '■■t' :\''r'mt^" pn^ ml ^.il. 140 RETROSPECT. m i' I/' t ;^ jfe fiil f Sabbath, 21st. — An increased number of settlers at- tended for public worship, and I trust not a few realized the true spirit and presence of the Lord in the house of prayer. " Serve the Lord with gladness, come before hia presence with singing." Monday, 22d July. — Took my departure from the town- ship of Mosa, after receiving a collection on behalf of the Presbytery. I was accompanied by a friend to the London road. Called on Mr. Houston, and was solicited to deliver an exhortation in the evening. About twelve persons were present, manifesting much devoutnesa in the worship of God. It was my intention to visit the Indian Mission at Man- seetown, but finding myself unwell, and fearing sickness, I proceeded onward to the village of Delaware. There was a beautiful bridge here across the Thames. Distance from London, twelve miles. In the township of Delaware was a settlement of the Oneida Indians. They were from the United States, and mostly heathens ; now they were under christian instruction by the Wesleyan Methodist Society. The teacher of their school was an Indian of the Oneida tribe. On my way to London I remained for the night at Mr. Alex. McKenzie's, having considerable fever upon me. Next day rode into London and called upon Dr. Lee, who most kindly received me into his house, and in three days the fever was allayed, so that I could travel into the town- ship of Zorra. Saturday, 27th July. — Reached the township of Zorra according to my appointment. On S'lbbath morning I was able to meet the settlers for public worship, and was strengthened to go through the service. Remained two days, and then proceeded homeward, reaching York on the 8th August, in recovering health. \ " ^ tilers at- realized house of efore his the town- behalf of id to the I solicited mt twelve esa in the n at Man- dckness, I There was tance from ware was a i from the rere under 8t Society, he Oneida le niglit at upon me. Lee, who |three days the town- of Zorra [ning I was i,, and was lained two [ork on the BETaOSPEGT. 141 This journey, as far as Lake St. Glair, took twelve weeks to accomplish ; travelled over 700 miles, and visited nearly all the townships north and south, situated on the London road leading to Detroit. The clearances from the forests were becoming considerable, and in different sections there were good farms. ; REMARKS. Missionary labors may be said to be only entered upon here by our national Church of Scotland, in those sections of the forests settling by Presbyterians from the mother countries. Methodist preachers were doing a good work in the Gospel among the Canadian families and settlers from the States. Also the Church of England had some faith- ful ministers in this new vineyard of the Lord. It must be intersting to the christian reader to look back eleven or twelve years to the then moral wilderness of Western Canada, I therefore insert a letter giving an ac- count of a mission to Upper Canada, in the year 1822, by the " Associate Synod of the State of New York, &c. '* At the request of some friends, I propose to give some account of the first mission of the Associate Church to Up- per Canada, or Canada West, as it is now called. This mission was undertaken more than thirty-seven years ago ; and as no journal was kept by either of the missionaries, my dependence must be wholly on memory. In conse- quence of this there is a possibility of some slight mistakes as to dates, names, &c. ; but the main facts are too strongly impressed on the mind to be readily forgotten. " The occasion of this mission was a letter from Mr. Orr, (if I have not mistaken the name). He was a Scotch gen- tleman who had resided for a while in the city of New York, and had removed to the neighborhood of Stamford, not far from the Falls of Niagara. He had written to Dr. m >^\' A 142 RETRO8PE0T. Alozander Bullions, requesting him, or some other of th« brethren, to take Upper Canada on their way to the Synod of Pittsburgh. Being a member of the Associate Church, and desirous to remain in her communion, he wished the services of some brother to preach, and administer the ordi- nance of baptism in his family. In the course of his letter he had mentioned various places on the route as convenient stopping-places, or points by which the traveller through the country might be guided. These, however, were strangely understood to be places where there was a demand for the labours of a missionary ; and the letter being laid before the Synod at their meeting in May, 1822. it waa agreed that an appointment should be made; and accor- dingly, as the minutes state, " The Synod appointed Messrs. Beveridge, Hanna, and Alexander Bullions, to itinerate in Canada three months each, or thereabout, the expenses incurred by said mission to be defrayed by the Synod." Supplies were also appointed for Xenia and Cadiz, the congregations of the two first named missiona- ries. Dr. Bullions did not at this time fulfil his appointment. Mr. (now Dr.) Hanna. and I had travelled on horse- back, as was usual in those days, to the meeting of the Synod ; and as soon as the Synod adjourned, we again set out on horseback to fulfil our mission. The first week we rode from Philadelphia to Cambridge, N. Y. Here we spent a week amongst friends, and then the succeeding week rode to Caledonia. Mr. (now Dr.) Donald M'Laren, the pastor of an Associate Reformed church in that town, being absent, at the invitation of some of his people we occupied his pulpit on the Sabbath, and were very kindly entertained by one of the members of his congregation. The fourth week after leaving Philadelphia, we crossed the Niagara River, and set foot upon the king's dominions. I till e other of th« to the Synod loiate Church, he wished the lister the ordi- le of his letter as convenient veller through lowever, were was a demand ter being laid , 1822. it was le; and aocor- lod appointed r Bullions, to hereabout, the efrayed by the )r Xenia and ned misslona- 3 appointment, led on horse- leeting of the we again set first week we Y. Here we le succeeding laid M'Laren, in that town, his people we e very kindly congregation, e crossed the 's dominions. RETROSVECT. 148 None of his officers paid any attention to us in the way of OTerhauling our baggage, or even making their appearance. " We were exceedingly disappointed when we arrived at Qucenston, a little distance from the landing. It was a place which had become famous during the recent war as the scene of some bloody engagements, and we were not prepared to find it a little, old tumble-down village of per- haps twenty or thirty houses, stuck upon the side of a pre- cipitous mountain. This mountain, as it is called, was in nil probability the ancient bank of Lake Ontario, which, having found an outlet for its waters at the head of the St. Lawrence, receded from this ancient bank, which, we were told, and to some extent also observed, extends around the lake in all directions, and bounds a strip of lowland between it and the present bank, from ten to fifteen miles in breadth. Here, too, at Queenston, it is thought the Falls of Niagara began first to pour down their floods, and have worn down the deep and dismal channel of the river for six miles up to their present place. This mountain we found to be alto- gether a one-sided afiair : there is no descent from it. It opens upon the table land which extends all the way from its top to Lake Brie. At the brow of the hill we observed a very dangerous place for ignorant or benighted travellers, which, no doubt, is now more safely guarded. As the road reached the top of the mountain it turned suddenly to the right, at the very edge of the precipice overhanging the Niagara river. By keeping straight forward the traveller would be precipitated not less (I suppose) than three hun- dred feet, down among the rocks at the river's brink ; nor was there anything to guard against this danger, or give warning of it. Not long before we passed this place, a Bri- tish colonel, travelling in a coach with some of his family after night, went over the precipice. Of course both horse* and passengers were instantly killed. i m ■'' 144 RBTR0SP150T. II" Piiii:' ' i 'h " We had been directed to call upon an aged Scotch gen- tleman by the name of Mr. M'Meekin, wiio lived about half way between Queenstown and the Falls. We accor- dingly called on him, and acquainted him with the object of our visit. We were very much astonished and perplexed, and our kind host also, when we came fully to understand one another. The old gentleman knew of no member of the Associate Church in Canada except Mr. Orr, (and in the end he was the only one whom we found,) neithei Md he know of any favorable opening for mispionaries of the Associate Church. " We found that this portion of the country had been settled at an early period, chiefly by such as had espoused the cause of Britain in opposition to her colonies in the time of the Revolution. Such as were loyal to the crown were encouraged to come to Canada ; and, as an induce- ment, a very liberal grant of land was made to them, and an additional grant to every child in the family. Mr. M'Meekin, and several others, members of a small congre- gation in this place, had complied with this proposal, and were generally in very good worldly circumstances^ But they had suflFered in their spiritual interests by the kind of ministers who had labored among them. They had a hired preacher at this time, whom they regarded as the best they ever had, the only exception to him being that he had two wives living, though he lived only with one of them. Canada was at this time a common refuge for all cast-oflF and worthless clergymen, both from Britain and the United States. It was generally conceded that there were scarcely any ministers or people in this part of the country who had any reputation for religion except the Methodists. The congregation of Stamford was probably among the most respectable of those embracing the Presbyterian faith, much more the them As agera( upon the natun main We RETROSPECT. 145 Scotch gen' lived about We accor- be object of perplexed, understand member of rr, (and in neithei Md pies of the r had been d espoused lies in the the crown an induce- them, and lily. Mr. ill congre- posal, and ces. But le kind of id a hired best they 5 had two of them. lU cast-off le United i scarcely who had ts. The he most th, much more so than could well have been anticipated considering the character of the ministers who had laboured among them. As Mr. M'Meekin was not able to give us any encour- agement in regard to our mission, we concluded to call upon Mr. Orr, who lived farther up the river, and beyond the Falls, Wo had also an anxiety to see this great natural curiosity, and thought it not inconsistent with our main business to turn aside and look on this great sight. We were, in the first instance, greatly disappointed. In oar younger days wc had read of the terrible roar of the waters being heard at the distance of forty miles ; and never having had this mistake corrected, we had expected to be almost deafened by the noise ^t t^ueenston, six miles below. However, the mountain rose bfitween us and them. Surely, we thought, when we reach its top, we will hear them. But no, not a sound could we hear. When we came within less than a mile of the great flood we were almost ready to conclude that either the Falls had run out, or we had missed our way. Not a murmur of them could we hear. No doubt it would be different in the stillness of the evening, but we were travelling at mid-day. Even when we stood close by the Falls, the noise was not at all like what we had anticipated, the roar of many and mighty thunrderings. There was only a dead heavy sound, which did not render it necessary in conversation to speak but slightly above the ordinary tone of voice. The first thing which suggested itself to my mind when looking on the Falls, was the immensity of the water power ; and that compared with anything of the kind before scan as employ- ed in various manufactories, this seemed as if designed for the manufacture of worlds. "After taking a view of tha Falls, we continued our jour- M .,,.|;i m i 146 RETROBPXOT. t' V, j: ■1 J ,-»:; ^ S l-hll. wiM E m m^': m ti'iiir !■ 'if. ney to Mr. Orr's. In passing a house belonging to a member of the congregation, we made some inquiry about our way. The lady of the house, who was of German origin, and had lived in Pennsylvania, came out to direct us, but had no sooner set her eyes upon us than she inquir- ed if we were not from Pennsylvania. Having informed her, as was the truth, that we had both lived in that State, " I thought so," said she, "you have such big horses." We found Mr. Orr a jovial Scotchman, but somewhat brought uudcr by fever and ague. He was not a little surprised when he found that we had been sent out as missionaries in consequence of his letter, and he was quite at a loss to know to what field of labour to direct us with any prospect of success. The puIpU at Stamford was occupied by their hired minister, and he knew of no other place where there was much likelihood of a demand for our services. Under these circumstances we hesitated for a time, whether it WJuld not be best for us to return at once to the States. Mr. Orr, however, had spoken of a settlement at Dumfries, about which he knew but little, yet thought it possible they might wish for preaching. So it was at last arranged that Mr. Hanna would remain at Stamford, where he occupied the pulpit the ensuing Sabbath, while I would endeavor to hunt up the people at Dumfries. This was a settlement consisting chiefly of Scotch Highlanders, and about eighty miles from StamforJ. My route lay through Ancaster and Dandas. So far I had no difficulty in finding my way. After this I had to depend on what information I could get along the road, both about the road and the people. As I drew near to the settlement, I found that there was among them an aged Scotch gentleman by the name of Hervey, who had removed froiri Caledonia, New York, and was regarded as rather the leading man in the settlement. RETB08PEOT. 147 longing to a inquiry about. iS of German out to direct [in she inquir- ring informed in that State, ; horses." We swhat brought ttle surprised s missionaries e at a loss to 1 any prospect upied by their se where there pices. Under p, whether it the States. at Dumfries, possible they arranged that 3 he occupied d endeavor to 3 a settlement about eighty Ancaster and ;ling my way. ation I could le people. As at there was the name of jw York, and le settlement. I aocordir^gly obtained directions to his house. On my ar- rival I knocked at the door, and heard some one in a some- what gruff voice invite me to come in. As I entered, the old gentleman was engaged either in making or mending shoes with his back towards the door. He never looked round to see who was there, but continued busily at hig work. After I had stood in silence for a few moments, he called out to me without getting up, " What's your wall, sir?" As he appeared somewhat blunt in his manner, I replied in something of the same style by asking, '' Do you want any preaching here ?" He immediately dropped both shoes and tools, and springing to his feet, exclaimed in ac- cents I shall never forget — " Oh, yes." " He and his neighbors had commenced a settlement in the forest about five years before, '^r^d had never had a sermon preached among them all that *' '^ The nearest approach to it had been by a Unitarian • - jhristian, who had onoe preached in their neighborhood, but that was a kind of preaching on which they felt no disposition to attend. Here, then, was an opportunity never before enjoyed by me to build where no other had laid a foundation since the be- ginning of time. Another singularity in my situation was to be upon the very verge of the inhabited world. One of the families in which I spent a night, told me that he knew of no inhabitant between him and the north pole. Mr. Hervey had been an elder in the Associate Reformed Church of Caledonia. Some of the Highlanders, if I re- collect rightly, had been members of the church of which Mr. De Noon, of Caledonia county, was pastor. But neither he nor they were disposed to be very fastidious about my ecclesiastical connexion. It is undoubtedly wrong to disregard any principle or usage whi^h pertains to trud religion, but long destitution 'of the gospel by those who 1 ;■ 11 11 : ^ ■■■' ij ,'j j ' H if flH H !i 1 ^H| ItflH ^^H i lUliJi i 1 ■ll^r ;', I ( \ iii ,r 1 «.: .■f: ^11 1 148 RETROSPECT. lovo it tends to lessen very much the alienation which too often exists between different evangelical denominations. Mr. Hervey did not wait to ask me if I were a minister of the Associate Reformed Church, nor did the Highlanders first inquire whether I belonged to the same church with Mr. Do Noon, or the Establishment of Scotland, to which they had formerly belonged, but they were all ready to take mc into their arms as a minister of Jesus Christ. " My time here was chiefly spent at the house of Mr. Hervey. An incident occurred the first night of my sojourn with him, which, though not of importance, afforded me some amusement. His cabin consisted of two apartments ; the larger one for general purposes, the smaller one affording barely room for a bed on the one side, and a loom on the other, with a very narrow passage between them. This was my sleepi- g apartment. It was hardly to be expected that in such a new country feather beds would be very plenty. I think it not improbable that I slept on the only one in the settlement. It was not, however, as copiously filled as a straw bed beneath it. This latter was so completely stuffed that it had fairly assumed a round figure, and the feathers very naturally divided themselves in the centre, and lay over the straw like a pair of saddle-bags upon a horse. When I went to bed I poised myself as well as I could upon the centre, but with a good deal of doubt about my ability to retain my position. My fears were not groundless, for no sooner had I closed ray eyes in sleep, than down I rolled upon the floor. There I lay for a little reflecting upon my whereabouts. After going over the history of my life for some days past, and pursuing it up to the time when I had gone to bed, I came to the conclu- hion that I must have landed somewhere between the bed and Miss Hervey 's loom. So I picked myself up, fixed the aged RETROSPECT. 149 n which too lominations. minister of Highlanders 3hurch with d, to which eady to take 3t. ouse of Mr. ■ my sojourn afforded me apartments ; )ne affording loom on the . This was cpected that very plenty. only one in ously filled ) completely re, and the the centre, )ags upon a as well as I loubt about were not rea in sleep, J for a little g over the suing it up the conclu- 3en the bed p, fixed the bed in a flat*;er form, and slept very comfortably for the rest of the night. This little affair afforded some amusement to the family and me in the morning. The people in the settlement consisted of about twelve families. With the exception of Mr. Hervey and an aged Highlander, they were young, married persons, having gen- erally families of two or three small children. Several things respecting them were very encouraging. Although without any access to public ordinances, they bad formed themselves into a society for prayer and conference, which met regularly on the Sabbath, and was well attended. Whether they had any meetings on the common days of the week, I am not now able to say. Worship was also observed in their families ; and their general character, so far ss I could learn, was unexceptionable. They were ex- ceedingly grateful to the Associate Synod for having sent them a missionary ; and though none of them had belonged to this branch of the church, they were anxious to be con- nected with it. This, with them, was one of the most powerful arguments, that this church alone had sought them out, and taken compassion on their destitute condition. As it was doubtful whether the Synod would prosecute a mission for which there seemed so little encouragement, I dissuaded them from forming a connection with us. But the more I urged them against it, the more intent they be- came. Accordingly, aftet preaching to them on the Sab- bath, I appointed a day on which I would meet with them for conference and for sermon. At this meeting I explained to them as fully as I could the principles of the Associate Church, the Testimony which they had not seen. The aged Highlander above mentioned, after listening to me awhile, would address himself to the younger members of the society in their native Gaelic, giving his views of what Mia ml h3 im ml m 'It \ 150 RETROSPECT. .? 1% had been said. The result was, that they gave their assent to the standards of the Associate Church, as far as they were acquainted with them, and were received into com- munion. After sermon somewhere about twenty children were baptized, most of the families having two or three to present for that ordinance. This was the beginning of the large and flourishing congregation of G-alt, as it is now called, for many years under the ministry of the late Rev. James Strang, and now of the Rev. Robert Achcson. Dr. Hanna having arrived from Stamford, we 86t out together from Dumfries for Bsquesing, where we had heard there was another settliement of Scotch people, who might be desirous of preaching. We travelled back to Dnndasi, and thence east on the main road leading to Toronto. At a certain point on this roa;d, according to the directions given us, we turned to the north, along what was called a concession line. The land had been laid out in farms, ex- tending half a mile in breadth, along the main road. Every purchaser of a farm was obliged to cut down or clear a nar- row strip of timber, something like two rods, on the on6 side of his farm. His neighbor, who joined him on that side, was obliged to do the same, so that between them there would be a road, or rather an opening of about four rods in breadth. These concession lines, of course, occur- red regularly at the interval of a mile, and extended up from the main road as far as the country was settled. As these lines had no choico of location, neither turning to tfce right nor left to avoid rough places, creeks, or marshes ; and as the farmers were too busy in clearing out, fencing, and cultivating their fields, to do more than fulfil the letter of the law by felling the timber and suffering it to lie where it had been pleased to fall, we found these roads anything but comfortable for travellers. Where they were ib the their assent s far as they jd into com- nty children two or three e beginning }alt, as it is ' of the late 3rt Achcson. we set out ^e hsid heard i, who might to Dnndas, oronto. At le directions I was called a n farms, ex- road. Every clear a nar- on the on6 lim on that twcen them about four urse, occur- xtended up ittled. As I'ning to the irshes ; and incing, and le letter of lie where s anything ere in the RETROSPECT. 161 best condition, we had to be continually makibg a zigWa^ track, to get around the fallen timber. In many places we had to turn aside into the woods, and sometimes to turn back to avoid marshes and impassable places. We entered the concession line early in the morning, and having tra- velled diligcTitly till late in the afternoon, we arrived at the house of Mr. Laidlaw, sixteen miles from the main roftd. Here we found another small society, chiefly eiinigrants from Scotland, some having belonged to the Established Church, a few to one of the branches of the Secession, and a few had emigrated! from the congregation of father Ooodwillie, of Barhet, Vermont. There was, however, a Burgher minister among them, engaged in dispensing the sacrament of the Supper. " We had arrived on Thursday, which had been observed as a fast day ; and the minister who was preaching for them lodgei with us that night at the house of Mr. Laidlaw. He invited us to stay and take part with him in the exer- cises of the occasion, which we declined to do. And we found afterwards that our refusal was much wiser than would have been our compliance. The preacher, like too many who were itinerating through the country at that time, proved to be a very worthless character. Having dis- pensed the sacrament of the Supper, and received a few dollars, which, no doubt, the poor people could ill spare, he took his departure, and stopping at the first public house on the road, remained there drinking till his money was all spent. The people finding what kind of a man ihey had been employing, and that two missionaries from the States, with the connections of one of whom some of them had been acquainted with in former years, had been hindered from preaching to them by this worthless vagabond, were much chagrined, and their attention was soon afterwards S'l'if ill m I* I 152 RETROSPECT. \y^ 1%: 'W: i! I i 1 ';'Jir ! ■ II? I Is':' 11 ,ii||i!i jHIIBiM''''': directed to the Associate Church for missionary aid. Here also, a respectable congregation has been formed in connec- tion with the Associate Church j and the writer, a few years after this first visit, had the satisfaction of dispensing to them the sacrament of the Supper. They were for a few years under the pastoral care of the Rev. J. D. Cunning- ham, and now of the Rev. John Gillespie. " Not finding a door opened for us at Bsquesing, we turned back by the way by which we came, and proceeded along the main road leading from Toronto to Detroit. We inquired at different places along the road, and sometimes leaving it, inquired in the neighborhood, but could find no places where there appeared to be a desire for preaching. One man, whom we met on Saturday, seemed willing to have us stay 4nd preach, till he found that we insisted on using the Psalms in praise, and then he very bluntly told us that he had no desire to hear us. We remained at a tavern over Sabbath, and the landlord was so obliging as to invite in a few of his neighbors to hear one of us preach a sermon. This must have* been somewhere near London. " The following week we proceeded on our way to De- troit. At one place on our road, we had to cross the river Thames by swimming our horses. When not very far from Detroit we were driven into a house for shelter during a shower of rain. The man of the house tried to talk Eng- lish, and I tried to talk French, but neither of u8 could understand the other. This part of Canada was originally settled by some Frenchmen, who intermarried with the In- dians. They made sole use of the French language, but probably not in its purity ; although had it been more pure it is not likely I would have found it more intelligible. It is quite a different thing to learn to read a language and to speak it or understand it when spoken. In passing along RETBOBPEOT. 153 W Y aid. Here id in conneo- r, a few years dispensing to ere for a few D. Cunning- Isquesing, we nd proceeded Detroit. We id sometimes could find no for preaching, ed willing to jQ insisted on bluntly told emained at a obliging as to us preach a ir London. ir way to De- ross the river very far from ter during a to talk Eng- of us could N&a originally with the In- anguage, but en more pure elligible. It iguage and to )a8sing along the margin of Lake St. Clair, we observed a very singular mode of navigation. For a distance of several rods from the shore of the lake the water is very shallow, probably not more than from twelve to eighteen inches in depth. Along this shallow water we saw frequently large, flat-bottomed boats, drawn by oxen. The oxen waded in the water, and drew the boat after them, as they would draw a cart upon land. Having reached Detroit at the close of the week, we remained there over the Sabbath. I preached in the fore- noon to a garrison of soldiers; and Dr. Hanna,in the after- noon, for a Presbyterian minister settled in this plaee. Detroit, though one of the oldest cities in the United States, was at this time very limited in size. It did not seem to me to contain over three or four thousand inhabitants. Drom Detroit Dr. Hanna and I travelled together two days along the western shore of Lake Erie. This region we found to be very marshy, and but thinly inhabited. At one place we crossed a bridge over a little creek, consisting of back water from the lake. The creek was not more than a rod wide, and the bridge was very widely constructed of logs. To our great surprise, a man came out of a poor log cabin and demanded toll. I cannot now remember the amount ; I recollect that I asked him whether the sum demanded was the price of the bridge or the tax for crossing it. On the second day we reached Maumce river. Here, very much to our regret, our ways separated. Dr. Hanna, the next morning, took an eastern route along the southern shore of Lake Erie, while my way lay directly south through what was called the Black Swamp. Here, for three days, I tra- velled about one hundred miles, through an unbroken and gloomy forest. A road had been cut through this wilder- ness by General Hull, during the last war with Britain, for the purpose of conveying soldiers and military stores to ill*! \i M 154 RETBOSPI&OT. '■^<^, \f m' Detroit. But it had been verj rudely mado at the first ; and being alt<^ether neglected, it was overgrown with bushes, grass, and weeds. There was, however, a slightly marked path running along this opening in a very serpen- tine course, which rendered the way passable for travellers on foot, or on horseback. My first day's journey was from Maumee to Fort Finley, a distance of forty miles. During the day I met a traveller on foot under circumstances which caused no little alarm to both of us. The day was very warm, and the country, though marshy, afforded neither springs nor streams for the thirsty traveller. The person whom I met being parched with thirst, had found some water in a puddle upon the path, and had stooped down to imbibe what was least impure upon the surface- The bushes and grass with which the road was filled had completely concealed us from each other, till my horse was ready to step upon his head, when he sprang in a moment to his feet. So sudden an apparition of a human being in a place of such dreary solitude, startled me not a little. Our mutual alarm was great, but only for a moment. The evi- dent fear of each party tended soon to remove the fear of the other. We interchanged a few words about the weather and the road, and then passed each on his way. About six miles from Fort Finley, I met an Indian on horseback ; but as we saw one another for some time before we met, neither of us was at all frightened. The only English [ could get from him was, " Horse sick." My horse had lost a shoe, and was somewhat lame. Travellers would do well, before entering on a journey through a long wilderness, to have their horses' feet examined before they set out, as they are not likely to meet blacksmiths' shops in such places. I l^sked the Indian the distance to Fort Finley. He under- stood the question, and held up six fingers to let me know RE'TROSl'EOT. 156 " « .:ip the first \ ovn with a slightly ry serpen- travellers J was from 3. During iumstances e day was r, afforded slier. The had found ad stooped the surface- 9 filled had r horse was a moment xi being in little. Our The evi- ;he fear of ;he weather About six leback ; but et, neither could get )st a shoe, ell, before to have ,s they are places. I !e under- me know that it was six miles. Either this day or the next I passed an encampment of Indians in the woods. They were em- ployed in drying the hides, and attending to the curing of the meat of the deer, and other game which they had killed. I went among them and signed for a drink of water, which was brought to me by a young female ; but when she came within a few feet of me she hesitated. Perhaps she had never seen a white man before, for she appeared somewhat frightened at my appearance. A young Indian, who was standing near, took the cup from her with a hearty laugh at her timidity, and handed it to me. At Fort Finley I found the first habitation since I left Matimee. This was a house of private entertainment, kept by a pioneer in the wilder- ness. His nearest neighbors were at the distance of forty miles on the one side, and thirty-eight on the other. Here I only recollect of having, at the request of the man of the house, who could not himself do it, smoked out some bees from a hive ; and as a reward for this service I was allowed a plentiful feast on the honey. The next day my journey consisted of thirty-eight miles ; when, again, I came to a solitary habitation in the wilderness. I suppose from the appearance of the map, it must have been at the place now called Kenton. Here I found General Vance, after- wards Governor of Ohio. We rode in company the next day through the wilderness, about twenty- two miles, till we reached Bellefontaine. From this place onward we found the country settled. I lodged that night with my fellow- traveller, whose residence was near Urbana, and was very kindly entertained by him and his family. The next day my horse had become so lame, that I only made out to reach Springfield. This was Saturday; and by great exertion I was able the next morning to reach Xenia, a distance of eightsen miles, in time to preach to my congregation in the i.ji ■■•-n W: M 166 BSTOOSPKOT. ! M ! ■ 'If afternoon. Tho appointments made for them during my absence had not been fulfilled. From the time I had left them, about the middle of May, till my return, some time in July, they had not had a single sermon. " The result of this first exploration of Canada was so discouraging, that wu hesitated a good deal in making our report, whether to recommend the sending of uny more mis- sionaries to that country ; but it was finally concluded that tho few people at Dumfries, who had formally connected themselves with the Associate Church, and would look to us for supplies, ought not to be neglected. For their sukes, therefore, we agreed to recommend the prosecution of the work, though we could give no flattering account of its com- mencement. It seems, however, in this case, that though the beginning was small, the latter end has greatly in- oreasod. In a few years congregations were formed in all the places where we had preached, and, in some, where the door was shut against us. There are now in the region visited by us five settled pastors, constituting the Presby- tery of Stamford, in connexion with the United Presbyte- rian Church. The missionaries were soon afterwards per- suaded that the prayers of the church, which had followed them, had brought down a blessing on their feeble and almost desponding efforts. " How wonderful is the contrast between the state of ' things thirty-seven years ago and at the present time ! Dr. Hannaand I spent between five and six weeks in our route from Ohio, through Philadelphia and New York, to Cana- da, a journey which could now be performed in about two days. We passed through little villages which have since become great cities; and through wildernesses, which have now become fruitful fields. " How wonderful the ways of Providence in accomplish- BITROSPXOT. 167 iring my had left lome iimo In was 80 laking our more rais- luded that connected . look to us heir sukes, tion of the of its com- lat though greatly in- rmed in all I, where the the region he Presby- Presbyte- wards per- d followed feeble and ae state of time ! Dr. 1 our route to Cana- I about two lave since Irhicli have Iccomplish* ing his purposes ! The very existence of the Presbytery of Stamford may be said to have been owing to an almosi unaccountable blunder, either in the writer or the receiver of a letter. Had Mr. Orr's letter been rightly understood, the Associate Synod would hardly have put themselves to the trouble and expense of sending a missionary to Canada to baptize his child. But it was so ordered that through a misapprehension of his meaning, two missionaries were sent; and out of regard to a few families at Dumfries, others followed them, till congregations were organized, and jBinally a Presbytery constituted. Let us learn not to de- ipae the day of small things." V.I M ii 168 retrospeot: CHAPTER NINTH. JOURNEY TO THE NORTHERN TOWNSHIPS, AND A SECOND VISIT TO THE INDIANS LOCATED AT COLDWATER, AND AT THE NARROWS OF LAKE SIMCOB. Remained in York for two days, receiving instructions from the Rev. W. Rintoul, clerk of tho Presbytery, and then commenced ray northern journey. Tuesday, August 13th, 1833.— Visited the Rev. Mr. McNaughton, of Vaughan. The remaining days of the | week I was engaged in visiting several families. Sabbath. — Travelled into the Tovpnship of King, and I held a meeting for public worship in the Scottish settlement. Had a tolerable attendance, yet some were absent that ought to have been there — others of the Canadian people, I was informed, were gathering cranberries. Tho Sabbath, up to the period of 1822, had scarcely! been observed at all, in not a few of the sections of West- ern Canada; but preachers and settlers from the old country were now producing a hallowed influence upon the minds of their neighbours in the observance of the Lord's! day. Tuesday, 19th. — Took my journey to the Township ofl Georgina, and met with kind friends. I was informed thati a young woman who was deeply impressed with our lastl service here, remarked, " would not his prayer have been! better if he had kneeled ?" I profited by this flaying, and endeavored to impress my mind witli becoming seriousncgsJ RETROSPEOT. 159 when addressing God in prayer. "And the Publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." In the throng of the harvest, I could not conveniently have a meeting for public worship, and travel- led north into the Township of Thorah. The roads being very bad, I left my horse and travelled through the woods to the Township of Eldon on foot. ' Sabbath, 24th August. — Met in the settlement for wor- ship, and had a very good attendance. Sung part of the 65th Psalm, and delivered a lecture from the 1st chapter of Joel's Prophecy. At this time a calamity of an alarm- ing aspect had visited this township, yet God in his tender mercies made it light to the settlers in the forest. In the month of June, a black worm, like unto the cabbage worm in Scotland, appeared on their grass. The worms increased amazingly, and not only destroyed all the grass, so that they had no hay for their horses and cattle, but also eat up fields of oats and corn on several farms. They became strong and active caterpillars. The settlers had to dig ditches to keep them out of their houses. The face of the fields they covered became black and desolate looking. I endeavored to lead the minds of tho^settlers, in this visitation, to re- flect on God's providence, and the power of Jehovah in bringing judgments and chastisements upon a wicked world, and upon his church and people, because of their sins and lakcwarmness in his service. The most insignificant in- sects at his command become more tremendous to man than savage beasts, or armies of hostile invaders. We are so dependent upon God in every thing that no human wisdom I can provide plenty when he pleases to send scarcity. The seed corn must perish, the trees must wither, and all our temporal enjoyments sioken and die at his command. On 160 RETROSPECT. the evening of this Sabbath we had a meeting for prayer and reading the Word, in the township of Thorah. Monday, 26th August. — Not being able to cross Lako Simcoe, to the Narrows, [ was obliged to ride round by Newmarket, and made an appointment for public worship on Wednesday afternoon, in the township of Georgina. Exhorted from the Parable of the Sower, About thirty persons attended, some of them hungering for the preached Gospel. Visited a blind man ; he lived in a lone house, and seemed to be contented with his condition. What an addition to his happiness would the enjoyment of the Gos- pel be ; the light of the Gospel in the soul is a light from heaven. Galled upon Mr. Fatten and spent some time in Gonversation with him and his wife, who was sick. She received much comfort from the visit, and with an audible voice gave thanks to the Lord her Bavionr On Queen street I enga;ged, at the people's request, to be with them a Sabbath, on my return from Lake Huron. Friday, 30th. — Crossed the Holland River, and took the Penetanguishene road, lodging for the night with my kind friend Mr. John Colson. On Saturday I visited a poor woman ; she desired me to sing the praise of God with her, to read the promises of the Lord to poor sinners, and to pray with the family. I did 80, and experienced enlargement of soul in the exercise. Sabbath, 1st September, 1833. — I had this beautiful morning to ride fourteen miles to hold public worship in the township of Medonte. There was a good attendance of the settlers, and I hope the word preached was profitable, being received by faith and love. On Monday evening I reached Penetanguishene, and was received kindly by Mr. J. Keating, of the Establishment. At the village of Penetanguishene, next day, I made some ing for prayer 'horab. } to cross' Lako ride round by public worsbip [) of Georgina. About tbirty *or tbe preaobed 1 a lone house, ion. Wbat an lent of the 6o&- is a light from it some time in was sick. She mth. an audible mr On Queen be with them a er, and took the with my kind desired me to )romise3 of the 'amily. I did the exercise. this beautiful J worship in the tendance of the was profitable, ishene, and was Establishment. I made some RBTaOSPECTj 161 arrangements for a special meeting of a Book and Tract Society here, partly organized, and the 4th inst. was fixed upon as the day oF meeting. On Wednesday the said meeting was opened by singing and prayer, supplicating that God would be pleased to bless this small endeavor, in extending the Redeemer's kingdom in this moral desert. The Rev. Mr. Wells, of Detroit, delivered a very good and encouraging address. Mr. Simpson presented to me £2 12s 8d, to purchase books for the Sabbath School. This village is chiefly Roman Catholic. The same day a funeral passed to the church. A large cross, made of wood, &c., was carried before the superstitious priest. When will the nations and churches of the world become the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour ? When will churches cease to re- ceive the commandments of men, and thrir traditions, and receive the Gospel — the truth as taught by himself, the Great Teacher, and rely on his intercession alone, at the right hand of God ? In the evening I crossed Penetangui- shene Bay, and visited an aged christian and his family for exhortation and prayer. Thursday, 5th Sept. — Lefb this day for the Indian loca- tion at Coldwater. Lodged with Mr. McDougall and family ; catechised their children, and foi;nd that they were not neglected by their parents in this most important duty. I left my horse with a friend, and walked through the forest to the village of Coldwater. The way, originally, had been only the Indians' path, now, the white man's road. Called upon two settlers in the woods of the township of Medonte, and left some tracts, for which they were very thankful, one of them observing that she had not seen a new tract for some years. The walk was truly in the wil- derness and solitary place, though now and again cheered by meeting Indians. The superintendent, Oapt. AndersoOi Nia m I Mi f w §r ^^' Mil \ 162 BETROSPEOT. 'i ,ij Mr IS. I i If'' I :i' received me with much kindness, and it was pleasing to mark in the poor Indians an advance onward and upward. Government has done much in this place toward the ciyil- ization of Indians. Houses have heen built, and portions of the forest cleared and fenced for Indian families to cul- tivate. Also a saw-mill and grist-mill have been completed, not only for the Indians, but for the advantage of settlers around. Saturday, 7th September. — Called on t^e Rev. Mr. Baxter, the resident Methodist Minister here, and he in- vited me to address the Indians on Sabbath Morning. We had a large congregation, the settlers in the neighborhood also attending. The Mission House was very commodious, OUT public worship, therefore, was solemn, and I trust profitable. Sabbath Afternoon, two o'«l66k.— Met with the Indian congregation, and thi^y sung hytnns beautifully, in the Chippewa tongue. In the evening I attended their prayer meeting. The Rev. Mr. Ba^iter read a portion of scripture, and prayed ; also several of the Indians and Indian womeb prayed with a great deal of feeling. I then put the follow- ing questions to one of the most intelligent Indians : — Qu. — 1. What is the most important thing to know in this life? A.N8. — Religion, (or in Chippewa,) Anamahwin. The true worship of the Great Spirit. Qu. — 2. How have you a knowledge of the Great Spirit ? Ans. — We always believed in the Great Spirit, but we knew nothing of the Son of the Great Spirit, the Saviour, till we were taught from the writings of the Great Spirit. Qu. — 3. Was man at first placed in the world in a sinless state ? Ans. — The Great Spirit made him very good like himself; RETROSPECT. US pleasing to Dcl upward, d the ciyil- ind portions lilies to cul- a completed, yQ of settlers e Rev. Mr. , and he in- lorning. We neighborhood commodious, and I trust 1 the Itidian fully, in the their praydr ofsoriptttve, ndian wometi lut the foUow- dians : — to know in rin. The true keat Spirit ? [pirit, but we the Saviour, Ireat Spirit. Id in a sinless like himself; but he did not remain long good, he done bad, and that is the reason for his being a sinner. Qu. — 4. You say that man is sinful, how can he get to the Great Spirit where he will be made happy, and live forever ? Ans. — The Great Spirit had mercy on man, and sen this Son into this world to die for us — ^he shed his blood to wash away our sins. A belief of this will enable us to live forever. Qu. — 5. Kow many Gods are there ? Ans.^ — Only one. There are many false Gods — ^some made of earth, some of stone, some made of btass and wood—'they are all worshipped, but they are of no use. Qu. — 6. Why is tbe Great Spirit sometimes called Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? Ans. — Because that He is so great, so merciful, and so good that He has three names. These answers were all given by the Christian Indian through the interpreter, as recorded. Closed the exercises of our holy religi^ this Lord*s Day by singing, Mr. Baxter pronouncing the benediction. Moiiday, 9th September. — This mdtning a few Indians assembled together, and I explained to them, through the interpreter, one of Christ's miracles. — Matt. 9th, first to ninth. " We cannot deliver our fellow-sinners from the maladies of the body, much less those of the soul ; but we may, in various ways, be helpful in bringing them to Christ for salvation, and should lose no opportunity, and shrink from no self-denial, in attempting it. The humbled sinner, who despairs of all help, except from the Saviour, will evince his faith by seeking to come to him, with all earnestness, and without delay, and difficulties will only serve to increase bis ^diligence and resolution." \ ■'♦ 164 BETBOSPEOT. I'M--': ! i'':.' m> ill ■ if 5 ■feii On Tuesday evening I was invited to visit an Indian chief, who was departin^ii; this life. He was about fifty yeiirs of age. Though he had a good log house for his family, he prefered to die in a camp on the river side. His speech was gone, and the spirit was a')Out leaving the body. We prayed over him, and subsequently addressed a number of Indians who were present. I observed that not a few of them were stretching their arms and driving them in a backward direction from the dying chief, with the intent of keeping away the evil spirit and bad spirits from him. I understood that these Indians, thus engaged, were partly Boman Catholic and partly heathen. The chief (Ghin-qut^ konce) died in the blessed faith of the Gospel ; his last words were, " I believe in the Saviour, and hope to be happy." Wednesday, 11th Sept. — Attended the chief's funeral. There was a large assemblage of Indians present. His body, in the coffin, was brought into the Mission-house. The Church of England service for the dead was read ; and the Rev. Mr. Baxter delivered a good sermon from Heb. iv., 9th — " There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." The meeting was truly impressive. His remains were taken in a eanoc, accompanied by many other canoes, down the River Coldwater, and buried in an old Indian burial ground. On the same evening an address was de. livered to the Indians, on the st^ate of departed spirits. The American Indians, on the death of a chief, show much attention and sympathy ; their darkened minds seem to make an effort of deep thought and reflection ; impressed, no doubt, with awe that the Great Spirit is present. At death all mankind are brought upon a level, the rich and the poor, the bond and the free. Their state then is the all of life and of death, whether believers in the Lo:d Jesus. RETROSPEOT. 165 it an Indian }ut fifty yej'TB liis family, be lis speech was body. We I a number of not a few of ig them in a I the intent of from him. I I, were partly lief (Chin-qua- jspel ; his last id hope to be ihief's funeral. »nt. His body, n-house. The read ; and the from Heb, iv., the people of His remains other canoes, an old Indian dress was de. d spirits. a chief, show ed minds seem on ; impressed, s present. At I, the rich and Ite then is the ;he Lo:d Jesos, Ohrist or unbelievers. The description of disease, leadi.ig to death, by the pious Bowdlcr, addressed to his sister Jane, may not be out of place here — But when the fading eye grows dim, When fails each faint and wasted limb, And short and frequent pantings show The sad disease that works below ; Will mirth allay, can pleasure calm, The hurried pulse, the burning palm? Go bid the festal board be crowned, Let the soft voice of music sound, And art, and wit, and learning spread Their treasures round the sick man's bed ; With deafened ear, with heedless eye, The silent sufferer turns to die. Thursday, 12th September. — After settling several mis- sionary matters with Captain Anderson regarding their Theological Library, and Tract and Book Society, I parted with my kind friends, Indians included, and took the road for the village at the Narrows of Lake Simcoe. On my way I called upon a family just come into the forest from the city of Edinburgh. What a contrast of circumstances. This evening I lodged with the Rev. Mr. Miller, missionary for the Indians at the Narrows. He wished me to address the Indians on Monday evening, which I agreed to do. Friday. — Travelled through the woods of Orillia into the township of Oro. Galled upon Dr. Aljoe, an old friend, and learned that my notice to the Presbyterian settlers, that I would be with them on the Sabbath, had not been Bufl&ciently circulated. Happily, however, there was time to accomplish this. Sabbath Morning, 11 o'clock. — A very good attendance for public worship. Our song of praise was well gone thrcagh, and I delivered a lecture from three verses of 2nd Timothy, 4th chapter. The service, I had good reasons to believe, was made profitable. ^1 riit m :■ I iM\ 1 ^M ■w 11; I i t t ; , '" f iij ■I. I I 166 RETROSPBOT. Monday, 16th September. — Returned to the Indian til- lage, and had a largo Indian congregation in the evening; I reminded them of our h-ippy meeting last March, and rf the many good things which were spoken to them and to their children, by their missionary and myself, from the blessed Gospel, and that thoy had been, and still were re- ceiving the teaching of God's word, and enjoyed all the Ordinances of Salvation, which good christian men and wo- men enjojed. Also that they were taught the evil of sin, and instructed into tlie love of God, and the loveof Christ for poor Indians, because he died for Indians as well as for white men, and that his blood would wash away their sins if they loved the Saviour and kept all his commandments. In the conclusion of our service they sung some beautiful hymns, with fine voices, and prayed with much fervency. At the close, an Indian addressed the meeting in his own language, and gave the substance of it in English. It re- lated to the conversion of a very wicked Indian, and as he expressed it, to the religion of Jesus. He gave up a|l known sins, and, as an obedient child, he learned much from^ the book of the Great Spirit. Tuesday. — Called upon the Rev. Mr. Brough, of the Church of England, and during my stay with him I was much pleased with his conversation. He is laboring in tJkie township of Oro, &c., with much diligence in the gospel. Thursday, 19th September. — Travelled to the Penetan- gnishene road. Here I had the pleasure of meeting wiUi several Seotch families, who were making good settlers in the townships of Medoute, Oro and Ve^pra, and anxiously desiring to be blessed with the public ordinances of God as. they had enjoyed them in their native land. Sabbath, 22nd September. — A goodly number of people attended our public service, and the wilderness was made Indian til- le evening, roh, and of lem and to f, from the ill were re- yed all the len and wo- evil of sin, /e of Christ I well as for y their sins mandments. ne beautiful eh fervency. in his own ish. It re- I, and as he ^ve up all much from ugh, of the him I was oringin the le gospel. le Penetan- eeting with settlers in d anxiously IS of Qod as. of people was made RETHOBPKOT. lor glad with the public teaching of the Qospel on- the Lord's day. Monday. — Travelled ton miles south to Kompenfeldl 'Bay. Visited some families in the village of Barrio, and made my way round Kempenfeldt Bay, and through the township of InuisOI. Left my horse with o. friend and .walked to the Scotch sottlenicnt in West Owillimbury. As J passed the school house in which I had made an appoint- ment, a few persons wore leaving it, where they had been hearing a Christian and a Quaker speak. I was just glad I was not there. I lodged this evening with an old friend and an early settler in this township, Mr. Andrew McBesth. He was one of those in Lord Selkirk's settlement on tho Red River, and it may be thus noted : " The Earl of Sel- kirk purchased a tract of country from the Hudson's Bay Company, called * Red River Settlement,' in the year 1811^ or 1812. His Lordship brought settlers from tho High- lands of Scotland for this new colony j whether Irish were incorporated or not I do not know, but Swiss were after- wards introduced,, and also French Canadians. The as- sumption of exclusive jurisdiction, on the part of tho Hud- soh's Bay Company, excited the bitterest feelings on the part of the North Western Company, and give rise to tho fierce contest between the rival companies in the Indian territories, during the progress of which tho colonists were twice expelled, and several lives w^ere lost, including that of the Governor Semple. In 1816 Sir Gordon Drummond sent part of a regiment from Quebec, to preserve order and to restrain the violence of both parties. In 1821 the feud ceased, and the rival companies were amalgamated. When Lord Selkirk died the Company resumed the purchase, onr the condition of paying a certain quit-rent, and many of the original settlers left the uo.'ony." ii- :. -h ■ r ■:! ^■I^l.' 'If 1' IIS 'I /■' i! 168 RETROBPEOT. Thnrsday, 26th September. — Held a meeting for pablio worship in West Gwillimbury. My subject led me to epeak of the viotory the believer obtains over sin and Satan, at the hour of death. Death to them is swallowed up in victory ; their reward is in heaven, from whence eometh their aid. Sabbath, 29th. — Hode into the township of Innisfil, and kept an appointment there. This was the first Presbyteiian service which the settlers here had enjoyed on the Lord's day. Next day travelled west to the township of Adjala. This township was chiefly settled by Boman Catholics. They have built a church, and are to be visited by the priest once a month. Different stories are circulated of the ignorance of some of the people, one of them — a woman, being very sick, and apprehending that she would die, was Atrongly urged to send for holy water, and by so doing, and tising it, she would have a good chance to recover. Wednesday, 2nd October. — Delivered a lecture to some of the settlers in the above named township, and it was well received. Visited also the township of Mono. Sabbath, 6th October. — Kept an appointment in the township of East Gwillimbury, and on my way spent a day with the family of Caswells, in the township of Tecumseth* They were among the first settlers, and remained firm to their Presbyterian principles. Our service in East Gwil- limbury was well attended. I visited their Sabbath School in the morning, and commenced public worship at eleven o*olock. Same evening proceeded on my journey home- ward, and lodged the night with Mr. Peter Graham, of Whitechurch, Yonge Street. On Monday, 7th October, 1833, reached home, after thia fourth journey to the north as far as Lake Huron, Thia RKTROBPEOT. 169' Q — a woman. journey was accomplished in two moDths, trAveUin^ fbnr- hundred miles. Lake Huron has been deschbed in a former journey so far, and I now state, that it« form is nearly triangular, and its oircumforence about 1,000 miles. It has many bays and islands, and communicates with Lake Michtgtm ofi the- west by the Straits of Michilimaokinao, with Jjake Su- perior on the north-east by those of St. Mary, and with Lake Erie on the south by those of Detroit, to wit, Detroit River. The principal island in Lake Huron is the Great Manitoulin, about one hundred miles in length, and in breadth varies from four to twenty-five miles. About » year after this date, (1834), the facility of making this large island, a permanent location for civilizing the " We»t> ern Tribes" of Indians, and for others generally, that they might abandon their wandering and healhen life, betake themselves to husbandry, and be instructed into the Qospel, was recommended to the Governor, Sir Jvatamies from the River St. Clair, who had promised to settle, and some Oi<)awas and Chippe- was from Lake Michigan, returned to their homes ; but the actual number thus reduced Wds not recorded. Some In- dian houses, a carpenter's shop, and a smith's, was erected. The school was better attended, and eight Indian boys were in the course of instruction in diflferent branches of handi- craft. A school was also opened by a Roman Catholio schoolmaster in the other settlement. In 1842, twenty-five Indian houses were built by con- tract, and a large store, cooper's shop and barn, were erected by the mechanics attached to the settlement. A saw-mill was also nearly finished at Wequemakong Bay. The at- tendance at the Roman Catholic school had fluctuated greatly ; at one time as many as seventy pupils were pre- sent, but more frequently from five to twenty, and at some seasons not one. The number at the Manitowawning school had not exceeded forty-five, but it had never fallen below twelve. X)n the 15th November, there wore resident at Wequ(v are. RETBOaraOT. vm loluding the the Church 18 and lahor« jir residence tered in the era was 307. ded ; a saw- )asod to 655. lut it was ill T settlement ,s settlers, of rer St. Clair, and Chippe- mes ; but the . Some In- was erected, an boys were les of handi- lan Catholio uilt by con- were erected A saw-mill The at^ id fluctuated Is were pre- and at some nitowawning never fallen \t at Weque- ^y mikong ninety-four familes, and at Manitowawning forij* fbnr families, making together 138 families, which on sn average of four members to a family, would form a popular tion of 652. The number settled, or wandering in other- parts of the island, and living in wigwams, or temporary bark huts, was estimated at 150 at least, making a total population of 702. The following is the present ^ze and extent of the two' settlezaents ; each occupies about 200 acres of land. The several houses are surrounded with gardens, and the farms are for the most part at a distance. This arrangement wa* resorted to with a view of preserving their crops from the cattle, without the trouble of making enclosures ; but it haa not answered the intention, as the cattle roam much farther than was expected, and it has been found necessary to oomo menoe fencing. The Wequemakong villt^e, which has^ been longest ea^- tablished, contains in all seventy-eight buildings, vis.^ seventy-three Indian houses, one for the missionary, and another for the sehoolmaster, a church, a sohool-house, and a saw mill. The Manitowawning village contains fifty-five buildings, viz., thirty-seven Indian houses, six of the same description ooeupied by the mechanics and laborers, four larger housei^ occupied by the superintendent, missionary, surgeon and sehoolmaster, three shops [blacksmiths', carpenters', and coopers'], an excellent frame store, of sixty by thirty feek^ and two stories in height, one log barn, a school-house, a saw-mill [built by contract in 1839], an' a sawyer's house, and a church has since been erected. Besides these there are, in both villages, a, number of outhouses for catU^, small storehouses, &c. All the buildii^ are of wood ; those of the latter village. 014 111] |:, W . » 11 '': II :1 i\ wiHIi.Vri! H \ 174 RETROSPEOT. have been erected either by the resident artizans in the em- jployment of the government, or by contract. Those at Wequemakong having been chiefly built by the Indians themselves, with the assistance of nails and glass, axe9,&o., afforded by the government, are neither so neat nor substan- tial as the others. Soon after the commencemeat of the settlement of the Manitoulin, doubts were entertained as to the climate and fertility of the island, and its fitness for the residence of the Indians, which increased the reluctance of the Indians settled in the more southern portions of the province, to resort to the island, and has continued to prove an obstacle to the increase of the settlement. These objections having been represented to the Secretary of State, his lordship suggested that an enquiry should be made on the spot by Major Bonnycastle, of the Royal Engineers. The result has not come under the notice of the commissioners, but the reports of the resident Agent leave no reason to doubt that the island is every way suited for habitation. The climate is very healthy ; the temperature is moderate ; the •Tvintersets in about the beginning of November; the cold :is not unusually severe ; the snow seldom lies more than two feet deep, and the spring opens about the middle of April. The formation of the island is limestone. The soil is generally a mixture of clay and sand, with limestone peb- bles. Some parts of the island arc stony, but there is abun- • dance of land favorable for cultivation. The cedar swamps on the high land, of which perhaps one-third of the island consists, though at present wet in the fall and spring, ap- pear to be land of the finest quality, being of a deep black loam, and free from stone. When these are opened and expc-3d to the sun, they will become dry and fit for any kind of cultivation. The timber of the uplands is of the BBTR08PE0T. 176 in the em- Those at 3 Indians axesi,&o., r Eubstan^ snt of the [mate and sidence of 16 Indians fovince, to in obstacle ons having 18 lordship le spot by Phe result oners, but L to doubt ion. The erate ; the the cold uore than middle of The soil istone peb- rc is abun- ar swamps the island )ring, ap- [eep blauk }ened and ft for any is of the usual kinds of hard wood met with in other parts of the province, viz., maple, basswood, elm, red and white oak, pine, &c., &c. Both the soil and climate are favorable to cultivation, abundant crops of all kinds of grain raised by the Indians in other parts of the province, have been an- nually produced. Cattle thrive well ; during the winter they are allowed to roam about and find their own food in the bush. In 1842, a few sheep were added to the stock. There is not much game on the island, but fish i,s in abun- dance on its shores. The Indians collected here, belong chiefly to the Ottawa and Chippewa tribes ; the former, who immigrated from the United States, have all their lives been Indian farmers; some of them brought horses and stock to the island. On their arrival they sought no other means of subsistence than the produce of the soil, and the fish they caught in the immediate neighborhood of their own village ; and in the autumn, each family cured a suflSi- ciency to supply them through the winter ; consequently it was not necessary for them to leave their homes in search of food, nor to trust, like the Chippewas, to the precarious resource of spearing fish through the ice. The Chippiwas, on the other hand, who had nevsr, until collected at Mani- toulin, cultivate^ the soil, were slow in adopting a new mode of life. For some time they were reluctant to settle in a fixed place of residence ; they frequently shifted their camps, and although many of them lived within a day's journey from the new settlement, and admitted the benefits arising from a change of life, still it required much persua- sion and perseverance to induce them to make a commence- ment. The Ottawas, moreover, had long been converted from heathenism, and were members of the Horn an Catho- lic Church. In 1838 they were joined by a priest of that persuasion^ who has since resided with them at Wequema^ *i \ 11 *" It ll ' £7® KEiTBOBBBTe: r kong. The ObippewaS) on the oontrary) were ail heathensi asd.tbe wense were ih place as ises, with- long as he qniet.pos^ ' a season, t ; and in mglng the RETROSPECT. 177 With regard to their mode of agriculture, they are im- proving but slowly. They are now beginning to plough their old fields, to make more substantial fences, to culti- vate garden vegetables, &c. Each individual cultivates his farm separately. FormGrly the Ottawas wore pretty well supplied with hoos, and nn inferior kind of small axe. The Ghippewas had a smaller quantity of the same implements. Both tribes, in planting, supplied the deficiency with a crooked stick, conveniently shaped for the purpose. At present the government has supplied them with a suffi- ciency of these articles, and with a few spades, shovels, ploughs, harrows, pick-axes, &c. The men, of all ages, do most of the chopping, but after that, men, women, and children take share in the labor, from the burning of the timber to the reaping of the crop. The fondness of the converted Indians for hunting and fishing is decidedly diminished. They seldom leave the island for either purpose. They occasionally go out spear- ing fish at night, or set their nets in the evening, and take them up early in the morning ; they also spend from six to fifteen days in the autumn to lay in a stock of fish for the winter. A large proportion of the Chippewas are still hea- thens ; there were received into the Church of England in 1836-T 5, all adult.1. 1839 38 " 1840 84 " 1841 45 «< ' " , Making a total of l'72,together with 30 converts from the Roman Catholic Church. Since August, 1841, the superintendent reports, thai he is not aware that even one adult heathen has been brought into the church since that time. The principal obstacles to the conversion of the heathens are stated to be their super- stition — their fear that the " great spirit" they worship • 1' ;] >i ■ ,iii ! !<,] J 1.78 RETROSPECT. V : should visit them with his Tengeanoe, were they to beoome Christiana — their fear of not being allowed to drink whis- key — the bad adyice of traders, who erroneously suppose it will destroy their trade — and among those who have a plurality of wives, an objection to turn them away. The Ottawa tribes, who subsist by agriculture, are sup- posed to be rapidly on the increase ; and the Chippewas, who live oliiefly on fish, to be on the decrease. Among the former, it is not unusual to meet with families having six or seven, and sometimes even ten or twelve children all living ; although in many instances they do not rear one- half of the number born. The Chippewas are neither so prolific, nor so successful in rearing their children. In both tribes, the adults seldom reach an advanced age. The pro- portion of half-breeds among them is not above one in twenty. The establishment at Manatowawning is under the ioeal superintendent. There is a resident surgeon, a clergyman of the Church of England, a school master, a master car- penter, a blacksmith, a millwright, a mason, a cooper, a shoemaker, a sawyer and six laborers, supported by the Parliamentary grnnt. The schoolmaster at Wequemakong is paid out of the same fund, but the priest is maintained by the church to which he belongs. Owing to the frequency and difficulty of communication with the main land, it has hitherto been deemed necessary to engage a certain number of mechanics and laborers by the year. Part of the buildings, however, have been erec- ted by contract, during the summer months ; and in this manner, as many as twenty-five were built in 1842. The Roman Catholic village appears to be enirely under the ch^i^e of the priest. The remaining bands, which are widely soattered over J to beoome drink whia- isly suppose ■who have a vay. ire, are sup- 3 Chippewas, Among the js having six ; children all not rear one- ire neither so dren. In both ye. The pro- above one in tndcr the local , a clergyman a master oar- , a cooper, a lorted by the RZTK08FF.0T. 179 lis maintained jnimunication led necessary [d laborers by ive been erec- , , and in this 1842. The bly under the the island, have no local superintendents, but are under the general care of the chief superintendent. The settlements are altogether twelve in number. Four schooner loads of maple sugar were shipped from Wequemakong, during the spring of 1845 ; much of which was equal in appearance to any Brazil or West India Islands. REMARKS. Sir Francis Bond Head observes that " whilst the popu- lation of the United States of America, like a great wave, is constantly rolling toward the westward, over the lands of the Indians, at the rate of about twenty miles per annum ; in our colonies the rights of the Indians have been more carefully attended to. The British Sovereign and British Parliament have faithfully respected them ; and as a very friendly feeling exists between the red man of the forest and their white brethren, our Governors have never found any difficulty in maintaining the title of ' Father,' by which the Indians inviriably address them." Let us therefore, as British subjects, in British America, rejoice that we are under so beneficent a government, ihat even the natural rights of the Indians are regarded, as well as that of their civil and religious condition. In acting upon the above liberal and enlightened principles, the Bri* tish Qovernment has proved itself the best in the world. f I ' L- ^>>->' 3oattered over J- if>m^:m% 180 RETB08PB0T. CHAPTER TENTH. OAVB INTO THE PRESBYTERY MY REPORT, AND TOOK A JOURNEY WEST FOR TWO WEEKS, TO VISIT THE TOWNSHIPS OP TORONTO, E8QUE8ING, &0. . Thurstky, 10th October, 1833.— Left York and travel- led up Dandaa St., visiting on my way some families, church members of the Kirk, and made an appointment at the village of Springfield; on the Credit River, for public worship on Sabbath, the 20th inst. Next day left Toronto township, and entered the township of Esquesing. This is also an Indian name — the meaning of which is " Tall Pines, " from that kind of timber abounding in it. The township was early located by Presbyterians from Scotland, hence they called their settlement the " Scotch Block." It was in the year 1819, very soon after the survey of the township, that parties began to locate here. Some of their names were — James Laidlaw, a man of sayings and pro- verbs, John Stewart, John McCall, James Hume, David Moore, &c. All of these having rising and increasing families, they therefore were anxious to have the Gospel preached in the block, and the Ordinances dispensed The Rev. William Jenkins, of Scarborough, visited the settle- ment in the year 1820, and preached from a remarkable text, which will be given by and by. In 1823, the " Scotch Block" was visited by the Rev. Messrs. Bcveridge and Hanna, ministers from the '' Asso- ciate Synod" of the United States, sent on a mission to the then forests of Western Canada. An account of this jour- AND TOOK VISIT THR and travel- le families, ointment at , for public [eft Toronto sing. This ch is " Tall in it. The m Scotland, Block." It vvcy of the orae of their iga and pro- ume, David increasing the Gospel nsed The 1 the settle- X remarkable )e by the Rev. the " Asso- lission to the ^ of this jour- BETROSPSOT. 181 ney I have inserted, taken from the " Evangelical Reposi- torj" for 1859. In the summer of 1823, the Rev. A. Glen dispensed the Ordinanoo of the Lord's Supper in said settlement.- He was a missionarj from Scotland. The first Presbyterian ohuruh built in Bsquesing was ih the year 1823, afterwards named, by the llev. W. Rintoul, " Boston (Jhurch," in memory of the author of " The ITour Fold State of Man." Sabbath, October 20th. — This day I held a public meet« ing for worship at Springfield, on Dundixs Street. The sohool-house was filled with nn attentive audience. Spent the evening with Mr. MoGill, and was pleased and edified with the conversation, his brother having lately come from Scotland, who related to us several details which were in* teresting. Monday, October 21st. — Rode through the woods to the village of Streetsville, situated five miles north from Dundas Street, in the township of Toronto. It received its name from Timothy Street, one of the first settlers, about the year 1819. The location was upon the Credit River. Mr. Street immediately got up a saw-mill, and soon after he erected an operative grist-mill, without bolts, and the set- tlers, for a time, were very glad to get their grists in that state. The reader will understand that tha river is a power* fal stream, Mr. Street therefore prepared the two mill* stones in a summary way, without much chipping, and placed them together to work in contact, upon the mill frame ; he then put a power of water on — the smoke arose, the flint, fire and stono then flew in a fearful and dangerous manner. They were, however, allowed to run a good speed, and at length became so far smoothed as to be fit for hia Subsequently, the flour mills on the credit have and use. are doing a respectable business. James Glendinning was ■ (1. '-.'11 i*ii|fl jiii xM^ 182 RBTROBPEOT.- also one of the first settlers at Streetaville, and his wife the first female housekeeper in the village. About the year 1825 there was a mission for the Indians (Chippewas) located on the River Credit, a short distance below Dundas Street. The writer visited the village in 1830, aad again in the year 1835. All seemed to be work- ing well, both as regards the educational and moral training of the youths in the school, and in the clear gospel instruc- tion by the missionaries, to a considerable congregation of Iidians on the Sabbath. Tuesday, Oct. 22nd. — Took my departure for York. Sabbath, 27th. — Had the opportunity this day of hear- ing the liev. Mr. Jenkins preach at Richmond Hill. Sabbath, 3d November. — Kept an appointment for pub- lic worship on the third concession of Yaughan, and deliv- ered a lecture on the last chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. The chapter, it was observed, contained a full account of the resurrection of Jesua Christ, and of his appearing to his apostles and disciples. His appearance was necessary to strengthen their faith in him as Emanuel, " God with ns." He stood before them on the mountain appointed in Galilee, in th£ glory of his person, and in the plenitude of his power, declaring that now " All poorer was given to him in heaven and in earth," and gavQ unto them the great Gospel commissien, " Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you ; and, lo, 1 am with you alway, even to the end of the world. Amen." All things concerning himself and godliness in the world. Again, all things, to wit: all the appointed Ordinances of the Gospel. And these Ordinances are six in number. First, prayer. Second, reading the Word. Third, preaching and hearing RITKOSPXOT. 183 I wife the le Indians t distance village in be work- d training b1 inatruc- sgation of York. ,y of hoar- liU. it for pub- and deliv- 's Gospel. icoount of )earing to necessary jod with )ointed in nitude of ^en to him the great I nations, the Son, til) things with you A.11 things Again, all le Gospel. b, prayer, d hearing (be Word. Fourth, praise. Fifth, baptism; and sixth, the Lord's Supper. On Sabbath the 17th November, I again met with the oongr^atioQ in the township of King for public worship. After the service they made a collection of one pound, on behalf of the funds of the Presbytery. . Sabbath, 24th November. — Travelled into the township of Whitchurch, and met with a few families associated for prayer, reading the Word, and praise. In the evening the Rev. Mr. Gordon, missionary from the Kirk of Scotland, preached in the village of Newmarket, and I had the plea- sure of hearing him deliver a very good sermon upon the Faith of Abraham. Abraham being justified by faith, bs- came the repository of God's promises, whether as they re- lated to the Jewish or Gospel church. " Seeing," saith the Lord, '* that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him." During the same week I had also an op- portunity of meeting with the Rev. W. T. Leach (a second miiisionary from the Eark), who became for a time the pas- tor of the Presbyterian Church in Toronto, connected with (he Kirk. I here give an extract from a discourse delivered by Mr. Leach to the 93rd Highland Regiment, on the na- ture and duties of the military profession : — '^ Now, as to the nature of the military profession, we say it is a lawful one. We say it has the sanction of God. There are many oases in which war had the command, the positive injunction and command of God for the undertak- ing of it. Moses, by the instructions of God, sud to (ht Israelites, * A,venge the Lord of Midian, and Samuel gave orders to Saul to smite Amelek and utterly to destroy all that; they had.' For the lawfulnessof war we have, besides therezanple of holy men, of Abraham, of Moses, of Joshua, 'H .,■*' IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^' r/_ « ^ <- 1.0 I.I 21 12.5 mi/ 2.2 It: ■ 4.0 2.0 I • 1.25 1.4 |l.6 ^ 6" - ► vl m m ^> '*-^^* y /^ Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 ? .^. fe ^ <^ 184 BBTBOSPEOT. n. ! >i i * ! ^ i -Ki^ h' ^^i of David and others, all anqueBtionafoly gnided in every important action and conjunction by the Spirit of God. You remember that the approbation of the Most High was remarkably expressed when Melchisedec, a priest of God, blessed Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings. The reign of Jehu was continued to the fourth generation for slaying the stock of Ahab, and Nebuchad- nezzar was rewarded for the destruction of Tyre. And we find David, King of Israel, declaring in the text that his hands were taught to war by the instructions of God, 2d Samuel 22d, 35tb, " He teacheth my hands to war." Cases of the same description might be multiplied without num- ber, and some instances might be given in which the actual vengeance of God descended upon those who refused to slay the enenliies that ought to have been slain. " We know, in point of fact, that there was waT even in heaven, and it might naturally be inferred from this, that there would be war on earth. If Michael and the angels fought against the dragon ; if they who formerly rebelled against the authority of God were tumbled in the press of war from the rampaits of heaven, and if we are actually satisfied, from the closest and most extensive observation, that every lower species of created animals on earth live in a state of occasional hostility, in a state subject to oonten* tion and war, then it certainly would be singular indeed, a single case in the history of angels above, and all other creatures of God's making below, if men alone were ex- empted from the necessity of war. ' . " Again, the best nations, generally speaking, are the strongest, and they ought to be so in order to fulfil the final purposes of God. The purposes of God are the pre- sent and future happiness of his intelligent creatures ; and in every nation where the truth ia Christ has been made BXTROSPBOT. 185 tided in every Ipirit of God. [ost High was }rie8t of God, Biughter of ibe to the fourth ind Nebuchad- yre. And we e text that his »ns of God, 2d to war." Cases without num- hich the actual (rho refused to n. as waT even in •om this, that nd the angels nerly rebelled in the press of re are actually e observation, 1 earth live in jeot to oonien* ttlar indeed, » , and all other lone were ex- ftking, are the sr to fulfil the 1 are the pre- jreatures; and las been made known, there is certainly to be found a much greater mea- sure of happiness than in those countries that have cot been favored with the knowledge of it; and, in addition to this, the happiness that arises from the confident expecta- tion of a future happiness even when the present life iihall have been passed and over. But in order that the present possession and the future enjoyment of an eternal and heavenly blessedness may be possessed and maintained by any people, that people must have the means and the power of protecting itself from violence. In such a world as thii they can only live by opposing the force of their enemies. They can neither maintain their moral nor inteUectual as- cendancy by any other means. Their safety from external violence must be secured, and if it were a law of nature that the barbarian should always, in the course of time, tread down into the dust the most cultivated, holy, and re- ligious people, the stream of things would be running back- wards, and all the received and acknowledged purposes of God made vain and void. " As, therefore, it is necessary that a geod man, when attacked by a murderer, must defend himself to the best of his ability, as every cultivated and intelligent race of human creatures are justly called upon to protect themselves against the furious invasions of rude and barbarous savsges, so is every intelligent, and prosperous, and religious community required to repel the aggressions of those n.'ttions who, in the course of human passions, may act unjustly and vio- lently against its safety and interests. It is a law of self defence. It is a necessity which God himself has estab- lished If a good nation is to exist, to live and breathe on the face of God's earth, how can they exist unless they arm themselves with the might which lies in them, against the ambitious, the selfish and half-savage powers that seek to P15 186 RETROSPECT. h.'-l I ''H !> U. :^i^fT ii:-i 1 W^.«! crush and destroy us — that envy and fear us. There has been war in heaven and jthere must be war on earth. The thing is hecessary — a justifiable and proper thing, more es- pecially when you know that in supporting the British Government you are supporting the cause of Christ among the nations of the earth. There is no doubt of this, that if 'this good world of God's is to be peopled with men, men knust fight ; if it is to be peopled with good men, good men iaust fight and contend for their Well-being." ' ^hese illustrations, by the Kev. author, on the necessity of war, sets before us the whole family of man in their fallen condition, whether as good men directed by the law of God and the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, or bad men under the power and influence of the evil one, the god of this World. Nothing suits Satan better in opposition to the kingdom of Christ than the grossest idolatry. Bar- barians are idolators. Mohammed, the great impostor and liar, and his sucoeissors, destroyed by terrible wars the East- ern Christian Curches. The Popes of Rome, upon the seven hills, assumed and do assume the office, dignity and power of Christ ; and what awful havoc have they made upon the Church and kingdom of Christ on earth 1 What a grieat work and a great name was the Eeforma- tion from Popery in Great Britain. How determined were the brave people to repel by arms the invaders of their soil, and trample in the dust those idols, relicts and vestments. It was the work of God for his Gospel, and it prospered. '< England (says a difftinguished author) occupies in Christendom the position which ancient Judea occupied of old ; it is God's grand protecting witness to the nations of the earth; and whatever chastisements we may be fated t« pass through, whatever tribulations we are doomed to en- dure, Old England will weather all. There has larth. The ig, more es- the British brist among this, that if 1 nien, men 1, good men he necessity I their fallen ) law of God IS Christ, or evil one, the n opposition )latry. Bar- npostor and irs the East* 5, npon the dignity and I they made ^rth 1 le Reforma- rmined were Df their soil, 1 vestments. )rospered. occupies in occupied of e nations of be fated tt lomed to en- RETtlOSPEOT. 187 " The duties of the day are ours ; the trust of eternity is ours also. The bright hope shinra before us like a star, cheering and steady ; and vrhWe ' England expects every man to do his duty,' a greater than England, the great Cap- tain of the Faith, expects us to have our loins girt, our lamps burning, our shoes upon our feet, our hearts aifd our treasure in heaven ; and to them that thus look for Him, He will come the second time without sin unto salvation«" December 1st, 1833. — Remained in the village of New- market for four weeks, and had an opportunity of visiting repefttedly the neighboring stations and locations (^ Pres- byterians and others, who were destitute of the means of Gospel preaching. February 1st, 1834. — Having determined, with my wife, to rciiide in Hamilton, I had necessarily to attend to secu- lar matters, so that my labors in the Gospel became only occasional, and entirely voluntary, with little or no remune- ration. Several ministers had now been sent from the Kirk of Scotland, and from the Secession Church, to labor in the new mission field. The onward course of our ministers was blessed, and a number of little hills of Zion were built, to which ths people could repair on the day of the Lord. In the year 1838, after the political disturbances in the Provinces had quieted down, a scheme was projected of uniting the two Provinces in one government. The Union (as it was called) seemed very unlikely to work harmoni- ously, I therefore set before the reader strong reasons in the negative, assigned by the Duke of Wellington in the House of Lords. Protett of the Duke of Wellington against the Third lading of a Bill to Rewnite the Colonies of Upper and Lower Canada, Dissentient. 13th Jnly, 1640. 1. Because the union of the two provinces of Upper and 1^ m -II mi m \ r' ■ " 188 BETBO8PE0T. < 'hA 41 Lower Canada into one province, to be governed by one ad- ministration and legislature, is inconsistent with sound policy. 2. Because the territory contained in the two provinces is too eititennve to be so governed with convenience. 3. Because the communications from one part of the eonntry to others are very long and difficult ; the difficulties whereof vary, not only in different localities and parts of the country, but in the same locality at different seasons of the year. 4. Because the expense which might be incurred to re- medy the inconveniences and overcome the difficulties dt the communications at one season would not only be useless, but might be prejudicial, and render the communications impractiable at other seasons. 5. Because, even in the hypothesis that a central place is fixed upon as the metropolis and seat of government of the United Province, and for the assembly of the Legislature, still the communication with the distant parts of the Unit* ed Province would require a journey of from five hundred to one thousand miles by land or by water, and in most cases by both. 6. Because the inhabitants of these provinces, having originally emigrated from different parts of the world, talk diffent languages, and have been governed, and have held their lands and possessions under laws and usages various in their principles and regulations as are the countries from which they originally emigrated, and as are their respective languages. 7. Because portions of this mixed population profess to believe in not less than fifteen different systems or sections of Christian belief or opinion ; the clergy of some of theso being maintained by establishments, those of others not, the BSTB08PE0T. 189 3d by one «d- with sound 9 proTiooes ia ice. I pari of the he difficnltiee and parts of mt seasons of curred to re- diffioulties of dIj be nseless, mmanications central place is rnment of tbe 9 Legislature, I of the Unit- five hundred and in most rinceS) having le world, talk nd have held isagea various countries from leir respective on profess to as or sections some of thes9 )thers not, the Roman Catholic clergy of French origin being maintained by an establishment, while the Roman Catholic dei^y at- tached to the Roman Catholic population of British origin have no established maintenance, and the system of pro- vision for the clergy of the churches of England and Scot* land is still under discussion in Parliament. 8. Because these inhabitants of the two provinces, divid- ed as they are in religious opinions, ha\ . no common interest excepting the navigation of the river St. Lawrence, in the exclusive enjoyment of which they can not protect them- selves, whether internally, within their own territory, or ex- ternally, but they must look for protection in the enjoyment of the same to the political influence and naval and mili- tary power of the British Empire. 9. Because the legislative union of these provinces is not necessary in order to render the source of great influenoe and power to the mother country. 10. Because the operations of the late war, terminated in the year 1815, by the treaty of Ghent, which was carried on with but little assistance from the mother country in regular troops, have demonstrated that these provinces are capable of defending themselves against all the efforts of their powerful neighbors, the United States. 11. Because the military operations in the recent insur- rection and rebellion have tended to show that the military resources and qualities of the inhabitants of Upper Can- ada have not deteriorated since the late war in North Ame- rica. 12. Because the late Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Can- ada, Sir Francis Head, having, upon the breaking out of the rebellion in Lower Canada, in the year 1837, detached from Upper Canada all the regular forces therein stationed, relied upon the loyalty, gallantry, and exertions of the local 190 RXTBO8PX0T. If |w I ' v < n i . i r- better of the inittneotion in Upper Canada, ; : to. aflsifl^i,|he •ommanderrinH^f ofhermi^esty'B Jonoes in 1837 to/pnt down the rebellion in the province of Lower Oanada^-jfiui .net fairly consulted upon the proposed meaamres ff>i the ; le^ative union of the two provinces. 17. Because a dispatch, dated the 16th of October, 1$39, bavingfor its object the introduetion into Uj^r Caniida of new rules fov the future adminiattatioa of the patronage RITROBPIOT. tnr le of Upper oommand of per Canada. els in Upper rebellion in carrying on the province rs, and rob- of sympaihi- itantg of the TO provmoes, er diaoascdon^ ire of Upper be proposed, Province, ,ex- i\, lament in the a of the two rithdrawnbe- loe of Upper nunent upder )irgQttM^J^e .,io,aasiB|.t|be %S^1 to, put Oanada»,:|ffui Biuraa £9f the otQber,1939, r{^r Oimada epatroAige of the gotemment and for the tenure of office, was made ' pablio at Toronto on some days pretions to the assembling of the Legislature of Upper Canada, for the purpose of taking into consideration the proposed law for the l^isla- tlve union of the two provinces, and the members of the two Chambers of tho provincial Parliament of Upper Canada must have had reason to believe that her majesty's government were anxious to carry through that particular measure ; and that they would be exposed to all the conse- quences of opposition to the views of her majesty's govern- ment, as communicated to the said dispatch, if they should object to the Bill proposed to them. 18. Because it is well known that there is in Upper Can- ada a large body of persons eager to obtain the establish- ment in her majesty's colonies in North America of local ' responsible government, to which they have been encour- aged to look by the Beport of the late governor-general, the Earl of Durham, recently published. 19. Because these persons considered that the dispatch ' of the 16th October, 1839, then published, held out a pros- pect of the establishment of a local responsible government under the government of the United States. 20. Because another dispatch, dated 14th Octobe , 1839, appears to have been sent to the governor-general at tho ^ame time with that of the 16th of October, 1839, in which dis- patch of the 14th of October, 1839, her majesty's secretary of state clearly explains the views of her majesty's govern- ment upon the subject of, and against the concession of, local responsible government in the colonies. 21. Because this despatch was not published, nor its con- ~ tents made known in Upper Canada during the session of the Legislature, for the consideration of the measure of the ' legislative union, although called for by the Provincial Par- 192 RBTB08PX0T. :« *i*' |:ti,-i. liament, npon whioh call the governor-general answered by the expression of " his regret that it was not in his power to oomnmnioste to the House of Assembly any dispatches upon the sabjeot referred to." 22. Because the Legislature of Upper Canada must have voted in favor of the measure proposed to them while under the influence of a sense of the intentions of government, declared to be erroneous, in relation to the dispatch of the l6th of October ; and its total ignorance of the intentions of her majesty's government in respect to local responsible government in the colonies, as declared in the dispatch from the secretary of state to tho governor-general, dated the 14th of October, which it appears that his excellency had in his possession, during the discussions in the provin- cial Parliament of Upper Canada, on the measure of the legislative union of the two provinces. 23. Because it lappears the French population of Lower Canada have generally declared against the legislative union of the two provinces. 24. Because the bill can not be considered by any as giving facility to the administration of the government of the provinces of Canada by her majesty's effioers, when united by virtue of its provisions ; and security in the dominion to the Crown of the United Kingdom. 25. Because the difficulties existing in the government of tho two provinces of Upper and Lower Canadu uader the provisions of the Act of tho 31st Qeoige III., which led to insurrection and rebellion, were the result of party spirit excited and fomented by leaders in the L^islative Assembly in each province, acting, in later times, in com- munication, concert, and co-operation with citizens of the bordering provinces of the United States. 26. Because the union into one Legislature of the dis- inswered by a his power y dispatchei la must have while under government, patch of the le intentions i responsible the dispatch sneral, dated is excellency 1 the provin- iasure of the OQ of Lower siative union d by any as ^vernment of ffioers, when urity in the n. government anadu uader III., which suit of party i L^islative ues, in com- tizens of the of the dis- AKTROBVKOT. VS3 contented spirits heretofore exiHting in two separate Legis- latures will not diminish, but will tond to uugmont, tUo difficulties attending the administration ot'tlie government ; particularly under the oiromnDtanoes of the encouragement given to expect the establishment in the united province of a local responsible administration of government. 27. Bsoauso a spirit had still been manifested in the adjoining provinces of the United States in recant acts of outrage upon the lives and property of her majesty's Rub- jeots on the frontier, and even within her majesty's dominions, which must tend to show in what light the spirit of opposition to her majesty's administration in the Legislature of the United Province will be viewed in the United States. WELLINQTOfT. It appears thnt the first Presbyterian congregation in Oanada was organized at Quebec about the year 1787. A regiment of Scottish soldiers were then in the barracks of that city, said to be the 26th Cameronians, (and with all their faults we like the name) among whom there were many pious men ; they, along with a few civilians, met to- gether in a school-room attached to the Jesuit barracks, and were supplied with public services by a Mr. Keith, a schoolmaster. The services of a Mr. Sparks was afterwards obtained, and in the year 1809 the present St. Andrew's Church was erected on land granted by government. The Rev. Mr. Bethune was the first minister of the Kirk, and he formed several congr^ations. The first Presbyter/ said to be formed was that of Montreal. The Dutch Reformed Church in the State of New York, deserve commendation. As early as the year 1798. they sent the Bev. Bobert McDowali, as their Missionary to I 'i'llli if !ii m i '■ ttii- i 11 194 RITROBPBOT. «i( Canada. In the following year he reported to them that ho had visited a number of settlements in Cunaiu, and had formed into oongregationu the people of six districts, con- sisting of about 430 families. He continued in abundant labours, and at ]cn the congrcga- 'redericksburg. d that he hnd le Goftpol hud iients that he ' his extensive the Presbytery arch the credit Ihurth of Mon- 10 Rev. James ^tcriun Church to. »f Canada, and |n named, and ly stood apart h of Scotland, the Canadas, w Canada, and of Scotland. ew, for several iiuined stedfast work of the or was not in )neida Indian jngston in the miles on his if Government tution in the Oospeli and urged by the good people to oome over and help them, he oonsonted, and prepated for organizing two obnrohet — one in the township of Scarborough, and the other on Yonge Street at the location of Richmond Hill, to supply the townships of Markhani and Vuughan. Both stations he retained, and laboured faithfully in them for many years till his death, which took place in the year 1843. He was an able and ready preacher, and much beloved far the urbanity of his manners. He ttometimes preached from remarkable, yet suitablo texts. On a mission to the. first Presbyterian settlement in the township of Ksquesing, his pulpit being a large maple stump, and logs around serv- ing as benches, he had for his text, " And they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods." — Ezek. 34th ohap., 25th verse. This was in the year 1820. During the Rebellion year (1837) he allowed his mind to be, at times, too much excited in the pulpit. On one occasion he took for his text, " Tf thou seest the oppressioa of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a Province, marvel not at the matter, for he that \§ higher than the highest regardeth ; a,nd there is higher than they." — Beds. 5th chap., 8th verse. The Rev. James Harris came as Missionary from Ire- land in the year 1821, and became the pastor (as named) of the first oburoh in the town of York. He was much be- loved during his labours, and remained in the church manjr years. These two ministers, with the aid of the Rev. William King, of the township of Nelson, were the only Presbyte- rian preachers in the Home and Gore Districts for several years. The London District was then a general forest. Their labours extended from the Kingston Road, east, to the town of Dandus, west, and also in northern townships^ IT,* H I 1 '4 if! ., 196 RETROSPECT. being often eolicited to baptise cbildren of Presbyterian parents, immured in the forests. About the years 1830 and 1831, the Secession Church of Scotland responded to the call of those labourers and to the voice of the scattered sheep in the wilderness of Western Canada, and in the following years sent out several preach* ers of the blessed Gospel to Canada West, so that in the year 3 843 they constituted themselves into a Synod. It is also to be understood there was in the year 1832 an United Synod of Upper Canada, numbering fifteen ministers, and that several of those had done much missionary labour at early dates, as noticed. In 1820 there was but one clergyman in connection with the Church of Scotland, resident in Upper Canada. The first Synod of ministers connected with the Church of Soot* land was formed at Kingston, io the year 1831, and divided into four Presbyteries as follows : — First, The Presbytery of Quebec, consisting of the fol- lowing ministers : — Messrs. James Sommerville, Henry £•• son, Edward Black, Alexander Mathieson, John Clugston, and James Harkness, D.D. Second, The Presbytery of Glengarry, consisting of Messrs. John McKenzie, John MoLaurin, Hugh Urquhart, and Archibald Connel. Third, The Presbytery ofBathurst, consisting of Messrs. John Machar, John Cruickshank, Thomas Clarke Wilson, and William McAlister. Fourth, The Presbytery of York, consisting of Messn. William Bintoul, Alexander Gale, George Speed, Alexander Ross, and Robert McGill. They became effective missionaries in extending the Gospel, and took up a large and successful field of labour, in addition to their respective pastoral charges. BETROSPEOT. 197 ^^^ J Presbyterian on Ghuroh of irs and to the I of Western reral preach- > that in the ^ynod. It is D2 an United inisters, and iry labour at Qncctionwith aoada. The lurch of Scot- , and divided g of the fol- e, Henry E»* hn Clugston, lonsisting of gh Urquhart, ng of Messrs. arke "Wilson, g of Messrs. d, Alexander stending the Id of labour, The Glasgow Society of the Kirk, as well as the United S'eo'-ssion Church of Scotland, deserve much prai.se for sending ministers to this new vineyard of the Lord, and sustaining them in part for a time. The Rev. Alex. F. Kemp, of St. Gabriel street Church, Montreal, in his volume just published, entitled, "Digest of the Minutes of the Synod of the. Presbyterian Church of Canada," thus informs us " that they, the above-named Presbyteries and ministers, from the beginning sought con- neotion with the Established Church of Scotland, but left- it to the General Assembly of that church to determine the mature of the connection which sliould subsist between them. This Synod has continued to meet annually ever since that d^te, and in 1833 were, by a declaratory act of the General Assembly, recognized as in such relation with the Church of Scotland as the independent position of the Colonial Church and the legal limitations of the Mother Church would admit of. On looking back — In 1817 the Rev. William Bell was sent out to Perth, C. W., by the Associate Presbytery of Edinburgh, to whom the congregation had made applica- tion, — the Home Government, however, agreed to pay Mr. Bell One Hundred Pounds annually. The Government also, for the encouragement of emigration,provided salaries to several ministers from the Imperial revenue. Again, Mr. Kemp states, " that the only question which agitated the Churches cf Canada to any extent, prior to the year 1844, was that of the Clergy Reserves, with which was associated tha endowment of. 75 Rectories of the Church of England, by Sir John Colborne. The Presby- terian Synod, on the grounds of its connection with the National Church of Scotland, claimed, in virtue of the Treaty of Union between England and Scotland, equal Qi6 m ■'•4 m 'm 198 RCTROSPEOT. ' ii»' consideration iVom the Imperial Government with miouh ters of tho Church of England, in the distribution of the lands reserved for the support of a Protestant Clergy in the Province. The result was a meeting of Delegates from the several Churches, in connection with the Church of Sootr land, at Cobourg, in 1837, in which strong resolutions were moved, a petition sent to the King, and a deputy commis- sioned to Britain, to represent their cause to the Imperial Government. In July of the next year, we find also the Synod of the Church publishing a long and able protofi :tigainst the unequal distribution of the Reserves. "*' These subjects continued to agitate both the Church and the country until, in~1854, they were finally settled by the /Provincial Parliament : — by commuting with all the minit> .ters who received grants from the Reserve Fund — they » removed even the 'semblance' of a connection between ithe Protestant Church and the State in Canada. " The next question of moment which the Church was called upon seriously to consider was that of the rights and spiritual independence of the National Church of Scotland. The Synod in Canada fully, and all but unanimously, ap> proved of the con tendings of the parent church in Scot- land, and from the year 1841 to 1844 sent resolution! of sympathy to the General Assembly, and petitions to the Imperial Parliament on their behalf. The shock of the -disruption, which occurred in 1843 in Scotland, was felt also in this colony, and in 1844 resulted in the separation Trom the Synod here of 23 of its ministers. " These ministers solemnly protested against the Synod'i unfaithfulness to its avowed convictions, and against con- tinuance of such a connection with the Established Church of Scotland as seemed to involve responsibility for its ao. ions, and an approval of the position which it had now 199 E1TBO0PSOX. with minift- ation of tiie ilei^y in the tes from the irch of Scofe- lutions were uty oommia- ihe Imperial find also the able protait Church and )ttled by the 11 the minit' Fund — they ion between I. [Church was e rights and of Scotland, imously, ap* rch in Scot- solutions of ions to the hock of the kd, was felt separation assumed in relation to the State, and by which, for the firsi time in its history, it had, apparently to them, subjected its spiritual prerogatives to the supremacy of the civil power. " They, the " Free Church Ministers," as denominated, along with several representative elders, formed themselves into the Synod of the " Presbyterian Chnroh of Canada.*' " The next historical event of momenlf is, doubtless, the union of the VUnited Presbyterian Church' with our owa. *' Future historians on the Presbylerian Churches in Can- ada will doubtless look upon this act as the epo6h of* new era of life and prosperity to the Chnroh." I i i iii I' '^i' \m\ m m m\ m] m m the Synod's igainst con- hed Church ' for its ao. it had now BETROSPEOT. 200 CHAPTER ELEVENTH. H", JOm^£Y TQ TH9 EAST, ON A VISIT TO THE TOyimm^fi OF WHITBT, RSAjOH^ WEST OWILLIMBURY, AC, IN JULY, Left Hamilton city on a journey to the East on the 16th July, 1861. Spent part of two days at the village of Dum- barton, on Frenchman's Bay, Kingston Road, with the Rev. Mr. Kennedy and friends. I enjoyed the fellowship of his church at the weekly prayer meeting very much ; there were about forty persons present. Mr. Kennedy has done much good missionary service in the West Indies. I hope his bow will long abide in strength. July 19th. — Reached Whitby township and visited the family of my late sister-in-law, Mrs. Corbet, the widow of the late John Corbet, an early and much esteemed settler in said township. She was, in early life, one of the happy domestics in the Governor's house. Sir Peregrine Maitland. She repeatedly related to me the religious order and daily prayer which was observed by his Excellency and Lady Maitland: On Sabbath morning rode to Dr. Thornton's church, and heard a very good discourse. The Rev. Mr. Thornton was one of the early ministers sent to Western Canada from the Secession Church of Scotland, and he settled in Whitby during the fall of 1833. He being the first permanent Presbyterian minister in the forest here, his missionary ■r 200 RETROSPEOT. 201 AC., IN JULY, it on the 16th illage of Dum> 3ad, with the the fellowship g very much ; Kennedy has 3st Indies. I » id visited the the widow of eemed settler of the happy rine Maitland. der and daily icy and Lady 's church, and Thornton was mada from the id in Whitby vst permanent lis missionary work was extended and laborious for the period of six years, in sustaining and strengthening the congregation of Port Hope, and also forming and visiting a congregation in the township of Clarke, which township has now two good Presbyterian congregations with efficient pastors. In like manner, also, he formed a congregation in the township of Darlington, called Enniskillen. His missionary labors were also extended to the township of Piekering ; and he organ* ized the second congregation in Toronto, in connection with the Secession Church, the Rev. Dr. Jennings becom- ing the pastor. In the course of years his congregation, became so extended that it was necessary to build another church in the rear of the township ; although the congre- gation remained one. In the beginning of the year 1856, Dr. Thornton resigned the Columbus charge, (on account of weak health, induced by too much labor,) which was organized as a separate church, and the congregation soon obtained the Bev. Mr. King for their minister. In 1832, 1 was directed by the Bev. Mr. Rintoul, Clerk of the Presbytery of York, to visit the eastern Townships, viz : — Pickering, Whitby, &o., and, if possible, to travel north through the township of Reach, to the townships situated on, and near Lake Simcoe, where a number of Scottish Highland families were settled, and settling in the forests ; which visits have been recorded. On the present visit (1861), I was forcibly struck with the progress that had been made, both in a religious and social point of view. Wednesday, 2'lth July, 1861. — After spending somayton, with for ioorease between the to the north, has written Reach, and sially so as it le townships Ke late Major s designated of the farms LI ; but up to Q it — all was lat year, Mr. ivade its soli- edition. He township had he only set* iddifield, who )f the site of ider, who had to the south- ' these plaoes but that was Mr. Crandell iO had to clear two days in eight or nine little to the for nearly a week) till he raised' and i(Kk possession o£ his shanty.— Finding, however, that he had mistaken the position of &• lot aiiigned him, he soon after removed into the lot now oeoupiod by Mr. Frederick Graham. There he erected two log houses, one of which still remains, and was occupied till very lately. It stands on the south side of the publio roiid, a mile to the west of Prince Albert. It was there that the first white girl was born in the township, and af- terward* the first white boy ; and there the first white family connected with the township lived and toiled in com^ parative solitude for rather more than two years. It is true th»t they were not far off firom Indians, but, in respect of oral correspondence, these could aflford them but little ad- vantage ; and influenced as they were by cruel superstition, il wae maeh to be feared that they might rise up against tiMm and do Uiem severe bodily harm. Besides, the beasts- of the forest were exceedingly numerous ; it is easy to> ^bink ito. The township, had several large awampft and mACBhea — oi it still has — these, foralai^e niimbeirofyear^,. were infested wiih bears, (uod sti^jl; more fith wolves ; aiMi th(B ^vffj of the latter may be well imagLned when we men- Uon the following fact : — One ev^ping the sheep-pen im- Xj^^di^ly in the rear of Mr. Crandell's heuse was invaded by a. pack of wolves, and it w«o found in the morning that nine sheep were lying dead, with i heir heads placed acrcHSS ejMh other, and the blood taken from them at the jugular vein. " But the perils and exclusion thus referred to were ac- companied with many other disadvantages^ For miles there was no road whatsoever, and the one on the front, which was. one of the best in the country, was not more than pas- sable. Store goods were also at a great distance, eighteen miles off at least. Flour and saw mills Xtrere scarcely nearer. ■I ';'^^f " ^^il! 206 RITB08PI0T« iJin 1 fix i\ mi Medical help and nail communioations were hardly to he thought of; meohanioal or tradesmen's labor was equally unavailable. In short, at the time we are now speaking of, as well as for many years afterwards, the settlers had little oommunioation with any of their species ; they were almost entirely dependent upon themselves. And yet we have it from their onrn lips that they were far from being unhappy. We believe it, and can easily account for it. Living simply and toiling moderately, they enjoyed a good measure of health ; they saw the forest diminishing around them, and valuable crops rising in its stead ; with these crops to min- ister to their appetite, and the wood they out to give them fuel, they felt that they were little indebted to their neigh- bors ; and the virgin beauties of external nature, together with the incidents of their wilderness life, conspired, in no nnall d^ree, to diffuse among them satisfaction and pie*- sure. " The next clearance that was made in the township was oommenoed in the summer of 1823. It was made by Mr. John Rae, who had previously come into Wylie's plaee, in the township of Whitby, but being merely a renter there, he cleared a portion of his lot in Beach, and erected on it a log house, intending to take possession of the whole, as 0uon as his renting period expired. The lot which belonged originally to him is No. 11, in the 2nd concession, and lies to the west side of what is now the gravelled road. There were also other clearances commenced the same year. Mr. Wm. Wade, for example, who came in the fall, settled for a time on the front of the 5th concession, immediately to the east of Mr. Fitchett's present place. And near to him, on both sides of the road, were persons of the name of Jones, Hughes, and Marvin. But these disappeared in a short time, and fixed their abode beyond the township. lardly to be was eqasUy speaking of, irs had little were almost t we haye it ng unhappy, living simply , measure of d them, and rops to min- to give them their neigh- ire, togdihet spired, in no on and plea* ownship was aade by Mr. ie's plaee, in renter there, sreoted on it he whole, as ioh belonged lion, and lies oad. There 3 year. Mr, settled for a iately to the r to him, on ne of Junes, d in a short ip. RITKOSPXOT^ 207 " The settlers, however, who appeared next were destined to exert a larger influenoo. These wore Mr. Abner Hard and Mr. Daniel Dayton, who oame together in the spring of 1824. The former of the two built his original house to the east of Prince Albert, on nearly the same site where the present farm house stands, and in which Mr. James MoKinley now lives. The other settlor pitched his tent where Boynton's tavern now stands, and thus, though un- intentionally, yet actually, laid the foundation of Prince Albert. It is also natural to state hero that as various set- tlers were now near one another, they were drawn into fre- quent mutual intercourse ; and living as they did on the same concession line, they gradually formed a bit of road, which in after years was extended westward. But as yet there was no road in a more important direction — wo mean toward the front. There was, to be sure, a path in that direction — namely from Rae's to Wylie's place, which was not unfrequently employed by the settlors. But that was a very circuitous route. It was, therefore, resolved the fol- lowing year to shape out . a road in a better direction, and the resolution was acted on. In 1825, the settlers united their energies together and formed a kind of ox-road from Dayton's to Wylie's ; and from that there was rather a better road to the front, where all their milling business was required to be done, and from which, also, they obtained their store goods, and their mail communications. In this year, also, the first burial was made in the township. It was the burial of Mr. Bae, who died in Whitby, but whose bones were laid in his own farm lot in Reach. " In reference to the year 1826 we have only one record to make, and we mako it because of its bearing on the township, although it does not properly belong to it. Hi- therto the nearest mills to our spirited settlers were, Gould's 1. 1 'J ^.l! ^^1 ,11' I 208 hi, ! 4» in Uxbridge (which was not etsilj reaohed) tnd Oibb'f, •onlh of Oahawa. Bat now a saw-mill was ereet«d nmoh nearer-^namely, Fraliok'a, (now Harrington's) to the aoath* west of Raglan. This was a positiTe gain for Reach, and made it much more easy for our settlers to secnre lumber for building purposes. "But passing on to 1827, we hare matters of a diflforeifi kind to state. Somewhere in the course of that year letter- carrying was eommenoed in our township; and not only in Reach, but in several other townships lying to !;he north. The system originated with Mr. Donald Cameron, a settler in Thorah, who proposed to the settlers who lived on the line, that, unless the Postmaster General objected to it, • person might carry letters between the front and the back townships, and obtain adequate pay for ;his trouble. The idea was endorsed by the settlers, and the Postmaster Gen- eral gave his consent. Kenneth Campbell commenced his travels, walking to and from the front once a fortn^ht ; and, besides a fixed amount secured by subscription, he re- eeived a small jMiyment for the letters or papers which he bore to the settlers. Let us add here, that the nearest post- office on the front was kept by Mr. Warren, as was also the nearest store, and was situated a mile and a half to theeasi ef what is no w ihe county town. " There were other s^s of advancement the <8arae yeitr. If letter carrying was then initiated, eo was the preaohiBjg of the gospel. Elder ManA, a Baptist preacher, was ^^ trst preacher in 'R«EU)h ; and'be^ning, as he did,tobfei^ up the ground, he continued his labors for some time after- wards. But another gen tleman of the same persuasion, un- dertook work of a similar kind, which calls for a more ex- tended notice. We refer now to Elder Scott, an ^ent of the American Missionary Sodety, who desired strongly to IIITROBPIOT. 209 Ad GiBb'f, eetod mnoh the Matk' Reach, m4 are lumber 'a diffBiQift year letter* not only in 9 ];he north. )n, a aettler ved on the ed to it, a d the haok •uble. The master Gen- imenoed his 1 fortn^ht ; }tion, he re* B which he leareatpofti- was also the f to the etfli same yeitr. > preaching Mr, was ^ id, to break I time after- masion, nn- a more ex* an agent of strongly to improye the condition of the Indians. Wo have said al- ready that in the early dayM of Reach, the settlers were not far off from Indians; nor were they. A considerable num ber of the Mississaga tribe— -the same tribe who once lived on the site of Toronto — had encamped for years on the side of Lake Scugog. And prior to the year 1827, (heir cha- racter was extremely bad. ' They were among the most degraded and filthy of all the tribes. Men and women were addicted to drunkenness, almost without any excep- lion ;' and so destitute were they of all moral principle tliat * they were the pests of the country, and the bye-word and ecofif, as well as terror of the inhabitants.' But during the autumn of this year, ' they embraced the Christian religior, and immediately gave the most satisfactory proof of its holy tendency and benign influence. From a condition unspeak- ably degraded, debauched and vitiated, in almost every sense of the word, thoy became a serious, moral, and pious community.' These were the objects of Elder Scott's phi- lanthropy. Encouraged by the happy change they had sustained, ho endeavored to advance them in various re- spects. He obtained for them from Government a grant of 200 acres, extending along the south-west side of Lake Scugog, where Port Perry now is. He yoiced them partly into agriculture, after they had cleared away the bush. And he got them the means of education. The person he employed for this work was Aaron Hurd, the second son of Abner Hurd, a lad of only fifteen years of age. Young though he was, he had shown considerable interest in the Indians, and this, in the opinion of Elder Scott, fitted him much for instructing their children. Well, in the course of 1828, afcer a school^house had been built and placed on - the north side of his father's farm, he commenced his la- ^bours. The number of his pupils varied from thirty to M kIUIIiII B17 '. *'/. ^n fi>' ;' Vl. 210 RETROSPEOT. fifty, some of whom were more than children — as old indeed as twenty or even thirty years ; and he labored among them, not without gratifying success, for the greater part of two twelvemonths, whan thu Indians removed to Mud Lake, and he commenced a similar work in the neighbourhood of Rice Lake. Of this devoted and hopeful young man let us simply add, that he subsequently went to study for the ministry, and in the midst of his efforts toward that objeot, died at Middletown, Connecticut, U. S., in 1836. " But to return again. The Indian school of which we have spoken was soon followed by another school — the first in the Township for white people. Before the winter of -1828 the settlers had erected a school-house for their chil- dren. It wbs made of logs, and stood to the west of Prince Albert, on the knoll now occupied by Mrs. Bunker's house. It is still to be seen opposite Mr. James McKinley's, and the first person who taught in it was a Mr. Cull, who did not commence his labours however till the summer following the date of its erection. We must also refer to two other facts which took place in the same year. In the month of Feb- ruary that year, the first gravo was made in Prince Albert. It was made for Mr. Reuben Dayton, son of the settler for- merly named, who died in the front, but was lai .(,1 of what it now is. And to a certain sense it was not, for tliO larger portion of it was little better than a marsh; hence the propriety of the term " Sougog," which signifies 'shallow water.' But its breadth was nearly as great as it is at present ; and as for its length it extended southward to about the site of the new bridge. In summer, when the springs were materially afifected by the heat of the sun, it was som^hat contracted: innumerable reeds or marshy grass shot up above the surface, and the shallow bark of the Indian was not vnfrequently brought to a stick, Unless it "was taken along the main body of water. But at other pe- riods of the year the state of the lake (or matsh) was some- what different ; it was more navigable ; and its area was al- so considerably enlarged. What was eflFected by the mill- dam at Lindsay was the adding of depth to the waters of the lake — to the extent perhaps of three or four feet, and thereby submerging of those parts of the coast where it did not stand much aluve the wsiters. Thus much as to Lake Sougog up to the year 1830. " Passing on to the following year, we have several inter- esting matters to notice. The Brook Road was then sur- veyed. And very wisely so. For if settlers on the west- ern side of Whitby were to have intercourse with those on the western side of Brock, the formation of such a road was all but necessary. And besides, as already shown, two per- sons had come into Reach whose settlements lay on the very line referred to, and there was reason to expect that other settlers would soon come near them. Though the road how- ever was now marked out, it was not made till years after- wards, and the part of it which passes over the ridges was made at a still more recent date. The next matter con- nected with the year was the formation of what was called ''the Scotch Settlement." Miessrs. Donald md Peter Chris- RWBOBHBOT. 2t8 ras not, for I a inarsli; ioh signifies as great as d southward sr, when the ■ the sun, it I or mttrshy Ir bark of the ok, linlessit > at other pe- h) was some- j area was al- by the mill- bhe waters of bur feet, and where it did h as to Lake * several inter- was then sur- on the west- with those on uh a road was )wn, two per- ly on the very ect that other the road how- 1 years after- he ridges was matter eon- lat was called I Peter Chris- tit,' sndMewff. MdDermid and MoKeroh«r«iived in Beach in the month of October, and settled cUnm between Man- chester and Utiea. They cafme of coarse by the wi^ef Simcoe Street ; and in saying that they came with wagooB we wish to inform our readers that conveyances were dmt improving in the township. Indeed there was more than one of the previous settlers who had now got wagons in- stead of ox-carts. But in most other respects, things were still unattractive enough. In summer as well as in winter conveyancing was chiefly done with sleighs. And though horses were not entirely unknown, their number as yet was exceedingly small. In the month of December the same* year a settlement was opened up to the north. Mr. Solo- mon Orser, who came from Kingston with two steers and^a dog, and occupied twelve days with his journey, commen- ced operations on the place where he still lives, about 4 mUes above Prince Albert. His earliest days were by no means enviable; we refer especially to his dangers from wild animals ; with few visits from white men, and equallj few from straying Indians, he had often to listen to the cry of bears, and oftener still to the howl of wolves, many of which beset him on both sides, but especially toward the extensive swamp on the west of him. Nevertheless he was first rate in the use of the gun, and he used it ofben with much execution. He was also expert in the art of fishing, and he had ample scope for that in the neighboring lake. Indeed so well did he fish and hunt for years that, with masquinonge and venison and other such supplies, his t-able was probably better provided than the tables of most of the other settlers. Thus provided from sorae aources and im- perilled from others, he was by. and by priviliged with new neighbors; and we mention them here, though they came in at saooessive periods, to indicate the earlier settlements m ■ 'Ml i '.V" ■1' I i m 214 BSTBOSPSOT. n' .! on the road northward. — Eighteen months after Mr. 0., his neighbor Mr. Mark became a settler. Next in order was Mr. Jeremiah Orser, then Mr. James Moon, to the south of the Nonquon, next Mr. Charles Black on the 14th concession, and lastly Mr. Thomas Shaw on the 11th, with others of later dates. " And now having come thus far with our narrative we would make a few miscellaneous statements. The township having grown (en years old, had acquired a tolerable popu- lation — according to the census, 134 souls ; and by this ^me a considerable portion of land had been cleared, while several pieces of road had been formed, and a few wagons had appeared upon them. Intellectual privileges had also been acquired. In the way of education, by a system of letter carrying, and in virtue of gospel preaching, first by the Bap- tists and next (as we now state) by the Wesleyan Metho- dists. Nevertheless there still existed many drawbacks. If the wild beasts were at all diminished, their thirst for blood was as strong as ever. Who can doubt it, when spmewhere about this period no fewer than 22 sheep were found by Mr. fiurd one morning killed by a pack of wolves, and this but % few rods from his present dwelling-house. Our readers should also remark that groceries were still far off; there was no nearer store as yet than the one which stood on the Kingston road ; it is not then to be wondered at that for ooffee some of our settlers resorted to dandelion, or burnt bread, that fer tea they drew upon the hemlock tree or sweet- fern, and that as for sugar they depended wholly on the juice of maple. Nor were some of our settlers materially bene- fited by the letter-carrier ; those to the west were several miles from his line of travel ; and one of them has told us that on going down to the front post offioe he found a letter for him there which had come out from the old ceuntiy BXTR08PE0T. 215 \T Mr. 0., b in order on, to the n the 14th 11th, with arrative we 10 township rable popu- md by this jared, while few wagons ;es had also \/em of letter by the Bap- iyan Metho- iwbacks. If rst for blood 1 spmewhere )und by Mr. md this but Our readers x off; there stood on the i at that for m, or burnt ree or sweet- en the juice erially bene- were several has told U8 »und a letter old ceuntiy more than a year before I It is soaroely necessary to add here that the price of grain was comparatively low, and that money was a very rare article. And yet along with these disadvantages, there were also various sources of enjoyment. Nature was productive, both in respect of garden and field fruits ; poultry and cattle also throve well; houses and roads and such like matters were gradually improving ; the cleared fields were rapidly multiplying ; society toe was always on the increase ; and at almost all seasons was there ample room for healthy exertion. These and other corresponding causes, which cannot well be put on paper, abated the draw- backs connected with the bush, and made the settlers not a little happy. " The next was a very memorable year, though not in connection with this township. It was in 1832 that Ca- nada was first assailed by Cholera, and assailed to a very fatal extent ; for many hundreds died in consequence. But it does not appear to have visited Beach ; at least we have no record of any case of it, fatal or otherwise. And neither do we know of any other matter which transpired in the township that year. But in 1833 hopeful operations were effected in the north-west. In the month of August that year Mr. Wells travelled up the Brock road, and settled on the rear of the 9th concession, having no neighbor to the north of him, [we mean in the township,] and his nearest neighbor to the south being 3 miles distaut. In that quar- ter however there were signs of improvement ; for not only was there a partial road formed as far as Mr. Wells's place, but the road was occasionally parsed over all the way into Brock, And so at this time there was a partial road from Bpsom to Uzbridge ; we say partial, meaning of course that it was more than blazed, that it was even more than a bridle road, that it was somewhat serviceable for ox-carts. It will 'ix.i I I' J .M \: >r?';^ W..1 SIC Unui be sMir tb«t mesus of ihtereoune irere graHoally mnU tfplying, not only betwoen settlers within the towndblp, Inii' between these settlers and others in neighboring townships. And; as might have been expeoted, new settlers were attract* ed into Reach. The following year, fbr example, Messrs. !Riobert and Samuel Baird, and Mr. George Patterson oom- menoed work on the front of the 14th concession, and Siessrs. Timobny and Isaac Cragg on the rear of the llthj while the next ycair again Mr. Louis Honek appeared on ti^a &ont of the 14th, and Mr. Adams on the rear of the 8di^ not to mention various other persons who became neighbom to these settlers in the years that followed. " In connection however with 1835 there were various oUier noti^ble movements. The embryo village of Utica "vtm thoB &FiDed, fop it was< in that year tliat the oldest house it ever had wtu raised by Mr. McKeroher : hence tiie Qftme " MoKeroher'sOornersj" which the village sustained till of lateyeacss. And now also was laid the foundation of Port Perry. Like most oiher villageibundations in Cft> nada^ it was of a veig^ humble foundation : it was a mnail log.hoa»e; luid it stoodiaolose proximity to the lake, about the plaioe which is now oooupied by tiie warehouse on the did whoc& There was also another school commenced ; though now deagnated No. 6, it was the second that VFas formed in the township; the school-house stood on the fVont (^ the 4th concession, a^w rods westward of Hink's mill; and the first teacher was Mr. Ash ton. Nor was this year closed before the township was visited by a Presbyterian Minister ; we refer to the Rev. R. Thornton, of Whitby ; he had landed in the country two year? n the posses- i are eztreme- r of a greater 3f the world, purity, and per lakes will natters." . . seems," the re. The St. by Dr. Hall, Qtly made on ars that the al gallon of ity which is Id." BSTR08PE0T. 219 " These lakes abound in fish of various kinds, and of the best quality. A considerable trade, capable of lai^e in- crease, is carried on, especially on Superior and Huron, in salting them for the markets of the interior. " Ontario is free comparatively from the storms to which the other lakes are more or less liable. " For an interesting notice of certain sudden disturb- ances of level to which some of the lakes are subject, which Professor Hind attributes to the sudden liberation of pent up gases, resulting from the decomposition of the carbon- aceous accumulations which characterise the Utica Slate, (ascribed by some to volcanic action,) the reader is referred to the Canadian Journal for June, 1854, and October, 1853; In the same excellent Journal he will find a double series of articles, (one by the learned Editor, and the other by Major Laohlan,) on certain periodic variations of level in the Lakes, which will well repay his attention. From an elaborate exhibition and comparison of facts and opinions relating to this topic by Charles Whittlesey, Esq., (given in Foster and Whitney's Lake Superior, Pt. pp., 319-339,) we select the following extracts, embodying the conclusions to which that gentleman has been led : — " A comparison of the rise and fall of the water of the Lake (Erie), with the recorded observations of the rain- gauge, will show conclusively that the surfaces of these great bodies of water rise gradually after an unusually large amount of rain has been falling during one or more seasons, and that, on the other hand, they fall after a long period during which the quantity of rain has been less than the average ; obeying in this respect the same laws which influ- ence other collections of water." " The different Lakes do not rise and fall at the same timci but in succession; as the several mill-ponds on a ■is I m ■ 2l2b RXTBO^Pldt. iM Btfdadi are kfibwn to iiti, during floods, in or(3er'''4>^n- niog with those nearest the sonroe — and to disofaarge IhMiH selVdS in the same order. The sticoesbite basins of thib Lakes are so many ponds or enlargements of the 8t. LbI#- renoe. Hiere is, besides, an annual rise iand M which is not equal in different years, and not precisely uniform OfMr the whole area, during the same season.' " The annual tide takes place, whether the take be lOW or high, and is at its flood in the spring, after the rains of that season and the snows of winter, melted by the Warm weather, have united in throwing a surplus of water into ail the lakes. In the fall and winter — when the meteorolo- gical conditions are reversed, and the absence of rain and the presence of frost unite to check the discharge of water from the tributaries — the lakes, as might be expected, re- cede twelve, fifteen, and even eighteen inches.* " Instead of regarding the rise and fall of water im the lakes as a mystery, it is rather to be wondered at that there is 80 little fluctuation. Their st&bility is dependent entire- ly upon the regularity of the seasons, within the lake oonn- try, and if there should be a combination of wet and cold years, wherein the fall of rain should be great, and the etft- poration small, there might be a rise or fall exceeding atty- thinig we have On record.' " There are many circumstances to be considered, #uoh as the unequal amoUnt of Water received and discharged hy each lake ; the different winds, aud the opposite efi^ ^t the same wind blowing over the different lakes; so that It is evident there must be undulations of level and accumtfhi* tions of water at one point for days or weeks together. A south-west wind sweeping over Lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie, operates quite differently upon their surfaces. While it accelerates the discharge of the water from Lake Erie, BITBO8PK0T. 221 isitis of lliib ie 8t. lam- m irhioh is nifonn ofMr lake be IbW the rftins of y the warm water into ) meteorolo- of rain and ■ge of water cpeoted, re- rater in ttre ,t that there lent entire- ) lake cKmor et and cold nd the etft- eeding atty- lered, m^ ichargedb^ te efi^ ^f so that It I adcumtthi* 'ether. A Huron and 5es. While Lake Etie, and lowers the surfaos of that lake at its western end, it cheeks at the same time the flow from Lake Huron ; thus operating in a two -fold manner to depress its surface. A north-oast gale, on the other hand, forces back the water of Lako Erie and increases the discharge of Lake Huron, so that there is a corresponding rise of the waters at the west- ern extremity of the former lake. Neither do all the lakea reach their maximum height at the same time, but succes- sively, according to the combined action of the yarious me- teorological causes. " In general, the great lakes rise and fall nearly togeth- er ; but not absolutely at the same time, nor by an e^ual amount. " It is apparent from these statistics, (those, to wit, given in the article whence we quote,) that there is no foundation for the popular belief that there is a rise and fall of the lakes during a period of fourteen years. Between 1 796-8 1819-20, a period of twenty years, there was a gradual de- pression and rising of the lakes. From 1816 to 1819-20, the waters fell to a lower level than even their previous stage of depression. From 1819-20 to 1838, a period of eighteen years, there was a steady increase of elevation, when the water attained its greatest known height. The lowest stage of water, since that time, occurred in October, 1841, which was less than three and a half years after the preceding great depression. " No person, who examines the daily registers, will find any grounds for the belief that there is in Lake Erie a daily or lunar tide, like that of the ocean. " The causes which produce changes in the levels of the lakes are the same as those which influence other collec- tions of water ; that is, the ever-varying amount . of rain and evaporation, ais W. I utn ,vu !i '[ • 222 RVTftOSPECtT. :i. .\\ " Enoroaohments are, oP oourfie. made by the lakes oti the land in particular places, while there is in other part» an apparent recession from grouad previously oooapied " Of Lake Michigan no notice has been taken above, as it does not come within the class of Canadian waterg. Its- connection, however^ wit^ these induces mo to give here the following particulars : — '' In sise Michigan is the seoond of the great lakes; being 360 miles long, by 60 in average width ; having a mean depth of 900 feet, and comprising an area of 16,981 sqaafe mileb; It lie» between 41 deg. 58 min. and 46 deg, north latitude, and 84 deg. 40 min. and ^7 deg. 8 min. west longitude. On its western shore it has the great in- dentation of Green Bay — itself equal to the largest Euro* pean lakes, being a hundred miles in length, by thirty in breadth, well sheltered at its mouth by the Traverse Islands, and having for its principal affluent the outlet of Lako Winnebago and the Fox Kiver%" Our readers are avrare that the American war ended with the Mother Country in the year 1783. The United States obtained their independence, and established a Federal Government under an jEUeotive President British America embraces a territory nearly as large as the whole of Europe. It is divided into the Provinces of Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Ed^^ard's fsland, NiBwfoundland, and the vast country of New Britain. I have stated that the Seat of Government for Canada West was fixed at the little town of York, situated on a western bay of Lake Ontario, in 1798. About the same time a numbet of U. E. Loyalists came over to Western Canada, and settled as clearers of the fbrest, on the bankff of Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. Many of them weM BBTROBPBOT. 223 le lakes on other parte Boapied m above, as- raters. Its- ve here the reat lakes .^ ; baviag a 1 of 16,981 and 46 deg, ieg. 8 min. le great in- rgest Euro- y thirty in rse Islands, et of Lake ended with sited States a E'ederal • as large as rovincos of ) Edward's ew Britain. 'or Canada lated on a t the same o Western the bankff them mm& uren of good moral standing, and beoame with tiiMr &nu^ liois, the best early settlers. A liT)« '^f road was surveyed norUi to Lake Simooei called Tonge Street, fW>m a minister in the British Parliftr ment, and on this now great road, were laid out the towQ< sbiptf of York, Markham, Vaughan, King and Whitehirob. Oti or about the year 1805 a very afflicting calamity took pHoe on Lake Ontario, between the harbors of York and) Cbbtti^. The fkets are these: — An Indian had movdered a white man in the employ of Mr. A. M. Fa re well j at Soo*" gog Lake, Mr. Farewell having a store there for the pup* pose of trading with the Indians. The Indian having fted, was identified and captured on the island at York Bay and cast into prison. A demur arose whether the murder vnm committed in the Home or Newcastle District. The line was run, and it proved to be in the District of Newcastle. The period of assize came round, and the party, consisting of Judge Cochrane, the Sheriff, the Solicitor General, a lawyer, a colored man, and the Indian, on sailing down Lake Ontario, were never more heard of-— all were lost. Toronto has now become a very important city of be* tween 40,000 and 50,000 inhabitants. It was founded by Govomor Simcoe, in the year 1794, and then called Yoork; In 1791, it is said that it contained only two &milie»Qf Mississauga Indians. The population in 1801 was about' 336 inhabitants; in 1826, 1,677; and in 1852,30,763. In beauty Toronto will compare, whether its public or prir ▼ate buildings be looked at, with any vemment Houses, University of Toronto, UnivensiAyi Olill«ge, Trinity^ College, Normal>Sehool> St. Michael's Coir I, )»f> r^ 224 BETBOSPEOT. lege, Osgoode Hall, St. Lawrence Hall, Mechanios' Insti- tate, Lunatic Asylum, Posi Office, Exchange, and oitj schools. It is the permanent seat of the Superior Law Courts and department for Puhlic Instruction for Upper Canada. King and Yonge streets are the principal streets. The College Avenue, which fills the eye delightfully, and the Normal School building and grounds are the chief places of resort. In olden times, when the town of York only numbered about 1,200 inhabitants, with one Protest- ant Episcopal Church, and that only a plain wooden build- ing of tolerable size, with a steeple of the same material ; a Roman Catholic chapel, which was of brick, and intended to be very magnificent; one Presbyterian chapel, and a Methodist meeting-house. It would have compared indif- ferently with the now wealthy-looking city, yet its early remembrances are fraught with by-gone pleasure. I here insert two or three anecdotes, which exemplify the power of the Gospel, upon simple, yet believing minds. A distinguished Oneida chief, named Kenandoah, having yielded to the instructions of the Kev. Mr. Kirkland, and lived a reformed man for fifty years, eaid, just bofore he died, in his hundred and twentieth year, '' I am an aged hemlock ; the winds of one hundred years have whistled through my branches ; I am dead at the top ; (he was blind ; ) why I yet live the great good Spirit only knows. Pray to my Jesus that I may wait with patience my ap- pointed time to die ; and when I die, Uy me by the side of my Minister and Father, that I may go up with him at the great resurrection." Again the power of the Truth is exemplified upon the heart of an African woman, as related by the Rev. R. Moffat, at the Anniversary of the London Missionary So- ciety. " We, (says Moffat,) tied about us the fasting /^ BbTkOSfIOT. 225 nios' Insti- I, and city perior Law for Upper ipal streets, itfully, and the chief n of York ne Protest- )den build- naterial; a d intended tpel, and a ared indif- !t its early empli^ the minds. A ih, having kland, and before he m an aged ^e whistled ; (he was ily knows, ice my ap- ihe side of him at the npon the ) Rev. B. ionary So- le fasting git^Id to pYeV^nt the gnawings of husger. We hvoked at eheh diher, for wd were hungry and thirsty, and fkligaed beyond measure. At last an individual came ; we ask«d for water, — ^it Was refused. I offered two or three battons romainii^ on my jacket for a little milk. It was refused witJi scorn, arid it was evident something was brewing ia the mindfl of the peofde against us. We lifted up our hi^uliS to God. There we sat, and as we gazed, saw « woman descend from the heights. She approached with a vessel in her hand and a bundle of wood. The vessel con- tained milk; having set them down she immediately departed. She shortly came back, bringing a vossel of water in one hand, and a leg of mutton in the other. She sat herself down and cut up the meat. We asked her name, and if there was any relative of hers to whom we had shown kindness ; but she answered not a word. I again asked her to tell me to whom we were indebted ; and after repeat- ing the question three or four times, she at last replied, " I know whose servants ye are, and I love Him who hast told me, he that giveth a eup of cold water to one of his disci- ples shall in no wise lose his reward." Her words seemed to glow, while she wept profusely to see one of the servants of Christ. "On etiquiring into her history, I found she Wa« «.BoUteHj himp, burnitig in that village. I asked her to tell me kow i^e had kept the light of God alive in her soul. She drew from her bosom a Testament, and holding it up she said, ** That is the fountain from which I drink ; that is ike oil which keeps my lamp burning in this dark place." I looked at the book ; it was a Dutch Testament, printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society. It was given her by a missionary when she left the school, and it was that book that had been the means of her conversion, and had u M^ ^ !?'-?■'• ^-- i^ -^M :-(J I -i- 226 BETBO8PE0T. kept alive her piety without any teaching save that of the Holy Ghost, or any Christian fellowship, except communion with God." <, Such (many) instances of the power of the Truth upon heathen minds ought to put us Christians to the blush, and strongly to induce us to throw more of our hearts, hands and souls into the exercises and duties of the true and spi- ritual worship of our God, and of the Lord Jesus Chrisfe, our Mediator and Saviour. Third. — " A friend of mine (relates the Rev. Dr. Mc- Leod,) happened to be in a boat by which a poor simple- hearted man from St. Kilda, Scotland, was advancing, for the first time in his life, from his native rocks to visit the world ; and as he advanced toward the Island of Mull — a world in itself in the estimation of the poor St. Kilda man — the boatman commenced tellinghim the wonders he was so soon to see. They asked him about St. Kilda ; they ques- tioned him regarding all the peculiarities of that wonderful place, and rallied him not a little on his ignorance of all those great and magnificent things which were to be seen in Mull. He parried them off with great coolness and good humor. At length a person in the boat asked him if he ever heard of God in St. Kilda. Immediately he be- came grave and eoUected. ' To what land do you belong ?' laid he, ' describe it to me.' ' I,' said the other, * come from a place very different from your barren rock. I come from the land of flood and field, the land of wheat and bar- ley, where nature spreads her bounty in abundance and luxuriance before us.' ' Is that,' said the St. Kilda man, * the kind of land you came from ? Ah, then you may for- get God, but a St. Kilda man never can. Elevated on his rook, suspended over a precipice, tossed on the wild ocean, he never can forget his God ; he hangs continually on his BBTB08PE0T. 227 that of th« commanion Truth npon e blush, and earts, hands irue and spi- esus Christ, ev. Dr. Mc- poor simple* vancing, foP to visit the of Mull— a Kilda man — rs he was so they ques- xt wonderful ranee of all to be seen oolness and t asked him lately he be- ou belong ?' ther, 'come ik. I come sat and bar- ndanoe and Kilda man, ou may for- ated on his wild ocean, tally on his ann.' All were silent in the boat, and not a word more was asked him regarding his religion." God is ever to be realized as present, whether in the deserts of Africa, the interminable forests of America, the rocks and islands of the sea, or on the Missionary plat- form, the crowded city, or in the highly favored gospel lands; and wherever the breathings of his Holy Spirit, with the word is, there must be joy. » " Sovereign of worlds, display thy power, ■ , . Be this thy Zion's favored hour ; | « f M Bid the bright Morning Star arise, " ' ' And point the nations to the skies. ^ " Set up thy throne where Satan reigns, ^h On western wilds and heathen plains ; ^ -p, ^.y,. \ Far let the Gospel's sound be known, And be the universe thine own. .. . , , " Speak, and the world shall hear thy voice, "' ' Speak, and the nations shall rejoice ; Scatter the shades of moral night, With the blest beams of heavenly light." The following valuable reflections, founded upon the 10th chapter of the Gospel of St. John, are by the Rev. Dr. Chalmers : — Give us to know thy voice, Lord Jesus, and enable us to protect thy vineyard from the intrusion of all but the genuine expounders and stewards of the mysteries of God-^ the genuine ambassadors of Him who is the Great Shep- herd of the sheep. No man comethunto the Father but by the Son, through whom alone we have access with liberty. He is the great door of entry and acceptance for the sinners of a guilty world ; and it is my prayer that I may be lead to Him as the place of constant ingress when drawing nigh, not for acceptance only, but also for spiritual nourishment, that I may grow in grace and obtain the requisite strength and guidance for all services. if I liiii Llll! 'iW l^f ^ \!' 228 SlTROeFBOt^ Maj I go in for Uie ever needful sttppliea of God's Spirit, that in virtue of these I may be helped to all duty when I go out on the husiness of that world wbieh is the field of discipline and preparation for a better world ; let me grow in the 8{»ritttal life more and more every day abundantly ; and at the hands of the good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep may I receive such grace and goodness as that he may recognize me to be indeed one of his own. He who was once crucified is now exalted ; and from the place he now occupies may the Holy Ghost, sent forth by him, accomplish in me the travail of my Redeemer's soul, that he may see and be satisfied ! Give me, O God, to know thy Son by immediate dis- cernment as well as by his works ; let me hear and know his voice, and building myself up in my most holy faith, let me look with full assurance to that eternal life which is bestowed on all whom the Father hath given unto the Son. Let my fellowship be with both, for both are one — Christ 18 God, and the Father is in Him, and He in the Father. Give me thus to believe that I may rejoice more and more in that redemption which is through the blood of a Divine sacrifice. The above exalted and earnest prayer of this departed, enlightened minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, endowed with grace and tatents of the highest order, ought to be read not only with believing minds, but with depth of thought, BO that the christian reader may exclaim with the great apostle, " 0, the depth of the riches both of the wis- dom and knowledge of God; how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." Romans 11th, 33rd. While we look not at the tilings which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. God's Spirit, duty when I the field of let me grow abundantly ; aid down hu d goodness as his own. , and from >st, sent forth jr Redeemer's nmediate dis- iar and know holy faith, let i life which is unto the Son. i one — Christ in the Father, ore and more d of a Divine his departed, rist, endowed , ought to be rith depth of aim with the th of the wis- hable are his lomans 11th, are seen, but igs which are not seen are V'l n::- V'jii: I'f: 3,* 1.5 J RE'iPRbM?EfcT. THE SAVIOUR. 229 i1!H t/i mi' ■ ' Airikr; sweet harp of Judah, wake, rt . J R(.tun3 thy strings for Jesus' sake, /;i "We 8'ng the Saviour of our race, The Lamb our shield and hiding place. When God's right arm is bared for war, ,'■ ■''■■ The thiihders clothe his cloudy car ; Where, wh^re, oh where, shall man retirej To 'scape the horrors of his ire ? .'Tis He the Lamb, to him wo fly, ■^ ' 'While the dread tempest passes by ; ' -' God sees his well -beloved's face, :^ , And spares us in his hiding place. iy ' Thus while we dwell in this low scenle, The Lamb is our unfailing screen; To him, though guilty, still we run, , ' • • Ahd God still spares us for his Son/ ' While yet we sojourn here below. Pollutions still our hearts o'erfluw ; '"■ ' Fallen, abject, mean, a sentenced raci^-- y_^ .' We deeply need a hiding place. t ; Y0t eoiifAg^— days and years will glide, And we shall lay these clouds aside J ' Shall be baptized in Jordan's flood, And washed in Jesus' cleansing blood. .U JO. I U,v. ■):■■ (^j.,.V.J-- '■.i>f •>'i Then pnr^, immortal, sinless, freed, We through the Lamb shall be decreed ; ' Lthall meet the Father face to face, '^■*'-' And need no more a hiding place. KiRKB Wmn.' August 15t1i, 1861. — Travelled up Yonge Street, from Toronto to Richmond Hill. This is not only the most pil9i1i6' but the nnoftt pleasing road in Western Canada^ whethisf W& view it in its scenery, cultivated farms, or build* in^, all conspire now to give it a superiority over the ndost publte roads in British America. Should the waters of the Geor^an Bay, on Lake Huron; and Lake Bimoofe be united to Lake Ontario by the pro^ powd Oeoviutt knd Toronto Oanal, it will be of mnehcottt^ oieroiAl benefit to th6 northern sections of Canada West. Ill ■i-\> 230 BETR08PE0T. ii '! '.T- U V\' ! The following day I entered the township of Whitchurch, Tvhich is a fine section of land, luid out in fine farms. This township, in the forest of Western Cansidn. became a set- tlement at an early period (1795). Colonel William Gra- ham was one of the first settlers. After the Revolutionary War he, for a time, settled on land in Nova Scotia, and afterwards drew land in Whitchurch, where his sons now reside, in the year 1812 the Colonel had to leave his family, take his sword, and ap;ain bear the brunt of battle against Jonathan. He is well spoken of. The township of King was also settled in subsequent years by Quakers, from Pennsylvania — Timothy Rogers being the founder of the Quaker Settlement here about the year 1805, r. The forest of the township of Markham was opened by German emigrants, headed by Mr. Berzey. They landed in Canada on the River Rouge (Lake Ontario) in the year 1792, in a nuffiber of small boatt*, and it is said that they were four weeks in travelling a distance of 22 miles, to the sixth concession of the township, where they settled. The first settlers in the township of Vaughan were Dutch, from Nova Scotia, viz: — Fishers, Berkholders, Lyons, Souls, Snyders, &c. They all made good settlers. August 17th. — Visited Newmarket, a village in the township of Whitchurch. It is situated on the oust branch of the Holland River, in the centre of a finely undulating and cultivated country. There was only one frame house in Newmarket in the year 1814, and about that time it be- came a small village, originally located by Quaker?. Hill and Lawrence built the first flour mill in 1800. Peter Robinson, Esq., purchased the same mill in the year 1810. The village was favorably situated for trading with the la- BETROSPEOT. 231 Whitchurch, farms. This ecame a set- V^illiam Gra- .evolutionary , Scotia, and lis sons now to leave his mt ol* battle Bubsequect othy Rogers tre about the B opened by They landed >) in the year id that they miles, to the settled. I were Dutch, iers, Lyons, ^^^',,..,,,> Uage in the 3 east branch r undulating frame house at time it be- lakere. Hill L800. Peter le year 1810. with the In- dians, and has increased much in population and trade within the last twenty-seven years. The Presl)yterian Church in Newmarket was still small. The Rev. John Brown was the pastor. As Mr. Brown had to be from home on Sabbath week, he kindly invited me to deliver a gospel lecture to his people. This cngiigement was the more rgreeable to me as it c:illed to my mind my early labors in the Gospel in these northern townhsips skirl" in;; L:)ke Siiiicoe. Now the dense forests had disappeared, and extensive and well cultivated farms appeared every- where. I imagined, however, that the forest birds were not 60 numerous or so happy in their songs as they used to be in dajs gone by. In the evening I left by the cars for the township of West Gwillimbury. Spent a night with Mr. Roierick McKay, in the improving village of Bradford, sit- uated on the west side of the Holland River. This town- ship has the credit of producing the finest samples of wheat. The Holland River, which pours its waters iuto Lake Sim- coe, extends more than twenty miles soath and south-west in the township. It is divided into two branches, denomi- nated north and west, which form marshes and tamarao swamps. An Indian burial ground is on the west branch. A cultivator of the soil happened to be ploughing said ground ; the Indians hearing of it requested him to desist. The commencement of the Highland Settlement in the woods of West Gwillimbury took place about the year 1818 and following years, and their success has been uniform and abiding. The northern portion of the township is what is called pine lands, of inferior quality, and is settled by emi- grants from Ireland, and some English families. Among the earliest settlers was a Mr. John Coulson, whose name is given to a hill on the nor!;hern road, and whose large red house and barn were oonapiouous landmarks to the early settlers. ;*■';,* .■ 2$2 BIBTBO8PIE0T. I' 1)< ^ugost 20th.— y 191 t^d the tovrniibip of Teoatnsetli, named after the distinftuished Indian chief who wai killed on the battle ground in the year 1812, at Moraviantown, on the Thames. It is one of the best settled townships 19 the county of Simcoe. The forest was opened here in 1819, by Mr. Carswell and some others, and now it is a beauti- ful section of cultivated land. The townships of Adjala and J^Iono aro on the west of Tecumseth. The former was settled chiefly by Romai]^ Catholics, and the latter by Protestants from Ireland. There is a story told of the early settlers of Kssa, cornering Adjala, that they would not allow a Catholic to settle among them. Governor Sir Peregrine Maitland viuted West. Qwillim- bury about the year 1822, and no doubt enjoyed the then remarkable Canadian winter scene, in crossing the Holland: River on the ice. His Kxcellenuy visited the first school there, and his kind wox la to the youn^ sql|p)ars aro stiU 1^ meinbered by aon.eof them. Sabbath, 25th August. — I tliis day, agreeablp to ap- pointment, led the devotions of the Preabyterian Church in. Newmarket with much comfort. On Monday morning I travelled by the Northern Railway to tlio city of Toronto. On this journey I was desired: to visit some of the common eohools, and observed iu J^iam good management and on- ward improvement. l^ri ■ .Tiiirty-rthree years had passed away since the time I Haa a teacher in this section of the Province (Gwillimbury and Whitchurch) and my mind was A>rcibly carried back tp the bye-gone period. The present flourishing condition of th» country — the healthy appearance of every part of the com- munity — the steady progress in all that pertained to the civilisation and welfare of man, compared most favorably BSTftOSPSOT. 23S recumsethi, • yiM kill^il avian town, wnships in re in 1819, a beauti- ie west of ly Bomai;^ Irelnnd. cornering jbt)^ Among it. Gwillim' the thea le Holland: irst school t>lp to ap- Ghurch in tnorning.I Toronto, e conunoa. it and on- time I ivMi ubury and back tQ tho ion of the *the oom- id to the^ favorably with the backward and disoouraging state of affiiirs, as re- eaUUA from the experience of former days, deeply engraved in my memory. Having been a teacher, the efficiency of the present means of instruction impressed me the more strongly. I remembered the schools of the olden time— the pedantry pat forth therein — the miserable hovels, and still more miserable provision made for their tnaiotenanoe, equalled only by the poverty of the instruction imparted by such (to use a popular Yankee term) institutions. In the year 1816, by an act of 56 Geo. 3rd, chap. 36, a fund of j66,Q00, for educational purposes, was provided, to be ap- portioned annually to the several Districts of the Province. From this fund the District of Newcastle received £400 ; Home, £600 ; Midland, £1,000 ; Johnstone, £600 ; East- ern, £800 ; London, £600 ; Gore, £600 ; Niagara, £600 ; Western, £600; and Ottawa, £200. The Board of Edu- tion sat in Toronto, and Bishop Strachan was the head thereof; honorables Allen and Billings were also two active members, and a Mr. Walton was the secretary. Odd and fanciful were the characters who presented themselves for a pedagogue's certificate, and many laughable incidents in connection therewith are on record. An ABO know- ledge, however, ensured the candidate a diploma, and a short printed school report, for which Mr. Secretary Wal- ton scrupulously exacted a quarter of a dollar — official per- quisite— guaranteed the annual government allowance. I recollect hearing of one party who applied for license to teach the youth, near the spot where now stands the noble Riehmoad Hill school. His lordship said, " Well, James, you want a certificate ?-' '^ Yea, my lord." "Very well, you understand, the Rule <^ Three T* " Not a bit of it my ]ord." '< O, v^U you can work OompoiuidJ)lultipU«atioi|if *' , WeH, my lord, 1 oaa manage it middliag^ but the long Tit " i I'll! il iill' 234 RETROSPECT. 'V^ii sums puzzle me a good deal." James, however, being aa honest man, and an old acquaintance of the bishop, pock- eted his ccrtifioute and wont forth a licensed teacher of tho three renowned R*s. A little further north, on Yonge Street, in the Quaker Settlement, they were much in wani of a teacher, but the lunds were low ; however, they man- aged to engage a diploma'd school " marm,'* lately imported from the old country. The school was in an incipient state ; the daily reading book was the Bible, for the school was one of those ancient godly ones where the leaves of the Holy Scriptures were made to subserve every literary us well as fifcrvilo purpose. Unfortunately for the learned " raarm," she inadvertently Holucled the Book of Numbers to oommcnoe ber work ; soon the juveniles were brought to » dead halt by one of those '* big words." After much spelling and hemming, the proper name was disposed of; but soon another obtruded itself. This time the hard name defeated both pupils and "marm" in a regular attack ; but tho adroit, ness of the lady, by a side blow, warded off this damaging stroke at her scholastic skill. " My dear ohildren," said she, *' Moses was a very good man, therefore, whenever yoa meet with any of those long names, to savo time and trouble, just Oill it Moses and pass on.*' This evasion succeeded admirably ; no farther obstacle occurred ; the mistress maintained her positicm, and received much praise as a preceptress of youth, who made the path of learning easy and smooth. Happily those times have passed away. There ia a sort of melancholy luirtb (if such can be) con- jured up by their rcuiinisoenocs. iloviewing through the glass of the present, I oau soircely realize that such times have been; yet they were, and the country and surrounding happy scenes of priwperity and improvement stand out the bolder in relief when comp&ring them with those shady Bcenw of pioneering times that have forever gone. r , being ao hop, pook- ibcr of the on Yonge ih in wani tbey man- ]f imported I incipient the sohool aves of the literary us iie learned lumbers to ought to A ich spelling ; but soon 10 defeated the adroit, i damaging Iron," said enever you time and lis evasion urred ; the luch praise >f learning s»ed away, n be) oon- rough the such times irrounding (id out the hose shady BXTROSPEOT. 235 On Yonge Street is situated the village of Richmond Hill, sixteen miles north of Toronto City. It was com- menced about the year 1822, and no doubt named after the much lamented Duke of Richmond, Qovernor General of the Ganadas, who died of hydrophobia in August, 1819, near the banks of the Ottawa River. The following ac- coant of his death is from the pen of Sir Francis Bond Head, after visiting the spot where this amiable nobleman expired : — As I was journeying toward the banks of the Ottawa, I trott«d some miles out of my way to visit a bne shanty, which nearly thirty years ago witnessed the death of an Eng- lish nobleman under circumstances of unexampled fortitude, which have often been repeated to me, and of which I be- lieve the following to be an accurate account. In the latter end of August, 1819, the Duke of Rich- mond, who was then Governor-General of the Ganadas, after visiting Niagara and other parts of the upper province, reached Kingston on his return to Quebec. He had pre-arranged to inspect a new set of recently set- tled townships; thut is to say, blocks of the wilderness which had been designated on the map as euoh, on the line of the Rideau Ganal, between the St. Lawrence and the Ottawa. The exepedition was to occupy three or four days. On the morning of the first day, as the duke, accompa- nied by his staff, was rumbling through the forest in a light waggon of the country, he observed that he felt unwell complained of a pain in his shoulder, and mentioned to the officers who were with him that he had had great difficulty in drinking some hot wine and water that had been reoom. mended to him. il »: : On the e.veningof this day, he called the attention' of a V.f . i! 1 1 '!ll< M > * 236 REfROSPEOT. trusty serTantwho had been aocompanying him, to an un- finished letter he had addressed to a member of his fauiiiy ai Quebec, and which the man woa to deliver when thejr uH arriyed there t • ' * The next day he became so much worse that sowe of his staff would fain have persuaded him to rulinquish hit) expe- dition, and make for the St. Lawrence as the easier route to Quebec. He, however, determined to make his inspec- tion according to his appointments. On the following day he was evidently extremely unwell, and he so fur consented to alter his plan that ho »vtop,>ed short of the village he had intended to reach, in ooussquenoo of there being a swamp throu;;h which ho would huve had to walk. Cblonel , therefore, went forward to m:ike preparations for the next day, and the duke romuinud all night at a cottage. Colonel saw how ill he was, and earnestly advised him to stop; but the duke, feeling unwil- ling to disappoint those who wore to meet him, pcrslitvd in proceeding. On the following morning he crossed the swamp; and it was observed that whenever the water was disturbed he was very much agitated, and occa.sionully jumped u^>ward. On reaching the settlement he was met by Colonel , who was struck with his altered looks and riiannor, and bog<4;ed him to endeavor to obtain some rest ; but be turned the subject by saying he should like to walk round tlio village ; 9^d he aocordiogly proceeded to do, so. In the course of their walk they reachd) a small stream which crossed the road, on which the duke turned suddenly ffiud said to Colonel .that though he had never boon Dflpvous, hts feeling were then such that he coult) not oiosb it if his life depended on it. Nevertheless -though so iU, and though he was praised to remain qui^^ Jbo persisted in RETBOBPEOT. 237 to an un- lit) family in they uH [>Hie of his hiM expe- 8ter route Ilia inspeo- )]y unwell, lio htop.jed tnsequeiioo liHVu had j to m:\ke niainod all Q waft, and lijig uiiwii- )crsiitvd in mp 'f and it bud be WU8 ward. On — , who nid begf^ed tuniod tho 4io village ; mall stream d suddenly, never beoii Id not oiOiM )U{»h 80 iU, persiited in desiring that he should not disappoint the chief ofl^ers of the iring Bottlement from dining with him, und begged they might be asked as usual. " * * To one of his party he calmly remarked, " You know, , I am in general not afraid of a glass of wine, yet you will see with what difficulty I shall drink it." Daring dinner the duke asked his officer to take wino with him and it was evident that from some unaccountable reason it re- quired the utmost resolution and effort on his part to bring the glass to his lips. The party retired early, but as the duke, in oonsequenoe of pertain feelings during the preceding night, expressed a great horror and disinclination to go to bed, it was not till late that he did so. Early the next morning he was found calmly finishing his letter to a member of his family, which he sealed and then delivered to Colonel , with a desire that it might be delivered at Montreal, a request at the time utterly in- comprehensible. Colonel , on receiving this letter, naturi^ly cmongh observed that they should all proceed there together ; qn, which the duke mildly but firmly observed, " It is no lujo deceiving you : I shall never go down there alive." Cplonel , cpjQsideripg this to be delirium, eutre«t^ him to remain quiet, and to send for medioal a4vice. The duke, however, pei^si^ted in going as fi^r as he cpuld, aad inquired what arrai.gCiUents had been made for his pro- ceeding to the Rideau Falls, where a birch canoe belonging to the Northwest Company was waiting for him. In reply, he was Informed that it was proposed he should go by himself in a small canoe down a little stream which meandered though the forest for some miles, after which he wpuld haye to ride and walk. The d^ke made some obj;ep- 238 RETROSPECT. tion to the canoe, intimating that he did not believe he could get into it; but he added, " If I fail, you must force me." Now all this was deemed by the ofl&cers of his suit to be the eflfect of over-excitement, fatigue, and the extreme heat of the sun. However, after breakfast the duke's party, attended by all the principal inhabitants of the set- tlement, walked down t( *his stream, where they found tho canoe in waiting, manned by a couple of half-Indians. After taking leave of the assembled party and attendants, the duke with an evident eflFort forced himself into the canoe, and he had scarcely sat down when the frail bark pushed off, and almost immediately afterward was lost sight of in the dark forest. So remarkable however was the appearance and effort he had made in approaching and in seating himself in the canoe, thafgentlem^^resent immediately exclaimed, " By Heavens! gentlemen, the Duke of Richmond has the hydrophobia!" f This appalling observation conveyed to the minds of his devotedly attached attendants the first intimation or sus- picion of the awful fact which they had so unconsciously witnessed ; and then flashed upon them the various corro- borating circumstances which for the few preceding days had been appearing to them unaccountable: namely, the spasms he had suffered in drinking — his agitation in cross- ing^e swamp— his inability to pass the stream, etc. The agony of mind of the officers of his staff at such overwhelming intelligence was indescribable ; and while the object of all their thoughts was threading his way down the stream, they proceeded along a new road that had lately been cut through the forest to the point at which the duke WAS to disembark. They had proceeded about a mile, bewildered as to what not believe he you must force !rs of his suit ad the extreme st the duke's its of the set- :hey found the f-Indians. md attendanti?, mself into the the frail bark i was lost sight 3 and effort he himself in the xclaimed, " By uond has the ) minds of his mation or sua- > unconsciously various corro- preoeding days \ : namely, the tation in orosB- mm, etc. s staff at such and while the his way down that had lately liich the duke red as to what RETROSPECT. 239 ! it possible course they should pursue, when to their horror they saw the duke running with fearful energy across the path, and then dart onward into the forest. They immediately ran after him, but he went so fast that it was sometime before he could be overtaken, and when he was— he was raving mad I They secured him and held him down on a fallen tree for a considerable time. At last his consciousness returned, and the very first use he made of it was to desire that they would take no orders from him, and that he would do what- ever they determined for him. „ .,^ ;^ What to do was of course a difficult point to settle ; they at last resolved to return to the settlement, and accord- ingly in that direction they all proceeded on foot. Glos3 to the settlement, they reached the little stream which he had arrived at the previous day, and which he had told Colonel he could not cross. At this point the duke stopped short, and turning round, said, that as the last request he should have to make, he begged they would not require him to cross that stream, as be felt that he could not survive the effort. Under the difficult circumstances in which they were placed, they could not resist such an appeal, and they there- fore turned back along the path which led into the forest, not knowing where to go, or on what plan to proceed. They at last arrived at the little shanty I have mention- ed, and it being the only place of refuge for many miles, his staff requested the diike to remain there. After looking at it for a rhort time, he said he would prefer to go into the barn rather than into the hovel, as he felt sure it was further from water. His attendants of course immediately assented to his wish, and he then sprang over a high fence and walked in. d 11; Ui if. ■ li ' ** Ml 1+ .. J,! i; 240 RSTROSPKC^r. He remained in tbat barn the whole day, eecalaonaUy perfectly collected, with intermissions of spasmodic par- oxysms, which af^HSted both mind and body. Toward evening he consented to be moved into the hut, and accordingly sach a bed as could be got ready was speedily prepared. The officers in attendance anxiously watched over him throughout the night, and he became so much more calm that they suffered themselves to hope that he might recover. TliO duke, however, who, from many circtimstaricesvirhich afterward transpired, must, for several days, have be^ii dearly sensible not only of the nature of his malady, but th&t he could not survive it. Was now perfbotly aware of hi^ approaching end, and accordingly, after ctilfhiy expressing to those arOund him thdt his greatest earthly consolation wiis thiiit'hiff title and natiie wOuld be inherited by a son of whose character he ddOlared the highest opinion and cOtiH- deuce, he died; expres^ng calm resignation to the will of Gbd, and without a struggle. £Ss bod^ w^s brOujght down in a caitibd from Ridisiiir to Montreal, where his family, who had 8<^ar6ely heard of hii iltn6^; had ajsdiidablied to welcome his return ; and was Sub- sequently removed in a steamer to Quebec, where aftist lying in titaie for some days his remains Were interred olosd to the Communion tab^e in the cathedral of Quebec. • Nothing could exceed the affliction, not only of thoso im- mediately about him^, bnt the inhabitants of botii Ganaditf^ by whom he was univeinsaliy belOv^) The bare faets of his illness, wlmfa I have purposdy re- peated as nearly as possible in tiie words in which I have often h^adl themr detailed by those on whose hearts lag nwne isinddibly reeorded, form thesimpiteSt: and best evi*" denoe that oould be offered of the unflzamplcd power of thr RETROSPECT. 241 human mind to meet with firmness and submission the greatest calamity which can assail the human frame. As I remained for a few minutes on horseback before the hovel which commemorates, on the continent of North America, the well known facts I have just related, I deeply felt, and have ever since been of opinion, that there exists in the British peerage no name that is recollected in Can- ada by all parties with such affectionate regard as that noble Englishman and English nobleman, Oharles Lennox, the late Duke of Bichmond. :m:j ...'V I ■ ;j 242 RETROSPECT. ' ? CHAPTER TWELFTH. I-? ;■ * |J'. i ii IL ■. 'I; < pi .' ] k I m u ^■■■i ■''[1 , 1 A SHORT ACCOUNT OP HAMILTON, NIAGARA RIVER AND FALLS ; ALSO OP SOME TOWNS NORTH AND WEST, &0., AC, &0. Hamilton city is situated at the western extremity of Lake Ontario, on the small lake connected with Burlington Bay. It began to form a village about the year 1813, when the oaipp on Burlington Heights was an important centre for military operations against the American invaders of Upper Canada. It appears, however, that for several years subsequent to the above date, the population had only in- creased by units, Hamilton became a port in 1826, when the canal was made through the sand bank or bar, between the small or little lake and Burlington Bay. Up to that ^ date there had been a creek or a small run of water con- 1 neoting the two. Captain Zealand brought the first vessel through the| canal, named the Rebecca and Eliza, into the port of Hamil- ton, the s:jmo year, 1826. There was only one small wharf I at that period. No man knows Lake Ontario and its shores better than Captain Zealand. He was over two years with Sir James L. Yeo's squadron in different rencounters with] the American squadron commanded by Commodore Chaun- eey ; and on one attack in 1 81 3, after fighting three hours.j the British retreated to Burlington Bay. The town has been placed about a mile back from th«| bay, on a gently rising ground. Immediately behind thd town rises the mountain to the height of nearly 200 feetl totb the valle Bay, RETBOSPECT. 243 RA RIVER AND AND WEST, AC, jrn extremity of with Burlington year 1813, when mportant centre ican invaders of for several years ion had only in- t in 1826, when : or bar, between lay. Up to that in of water con- ssel through the ;heportof Hamil- ^ one small wharf irio and its shores er two years with rencounters with )mmodore Chaun- iting three hours, back from th« iately behind the nearly 200 feet and forming a part of the high table land which stretches away to the Niagara Biver. Since the enlargement of the canal, the trade of Hamil- ton has increased rapidly, and it is now the principal mar- ket for vrcstern buyers, as the high standing merchants im- port very largely, almost every commodity of European merchandise. Freestone and limestone are got with convenience in the Mountain, and now not a few of the best buildings are built with intone. It is not needful that I should describe the public buildings, they are commensurate to the wants of a rising commercial city and port. It is certainly a new era for the waters of Lake Ontario that Messrs. Zealand took a cargo of staves from the port of Hamilton, in 1859, direct to Liverpool, England, without breaking bulk. The population of Hamilton in 1861 was about 19,000. It is the chief station of the Great Western Bailwaj. While a cut was being made west of the station. Dr. Lillie records that a gravel drift was found by Mr. Murray on Burlington Heights (somewhat to the west of the area under notice,) sixty feet above the level of Lake Ontario, where fossil bones were exhumed, which have been pronounced, on comparison with Professor Owen's work on Comparative Anatomy, to belong to the extinct species of elephant, ele- phas primigenius, or mammoth. " The gravel drift of Burlington Heights has evidently at one time formed a bar or spit at the mouth of an estuary of a river, flowing from the west. It extends in a narrow ridge from the Desjardins Canal under Flamboro' Heights, to the Heights opposite in Barton, having a great marsh to the westward, called the Dundas Marsh, west of which the valley is all clay. The bar across the mouth of Burlington Bay, extending across from Wellington Square to Stonej 1 1 : I •! I ,< i I r» > ^^'..V( 244 BETBOSPEOT. Greek, in Saltflect, affords a good modern illustration of what Burlington Heights were when the relation of land and water in the vicinity was from sixty to one hundred feet different in level from what it is now." The Central School here is a fine building, and the grounds, &c., are laid out with good taste. It stands on a high elevation of ground, and the location for buildings might be called with propriety " Edge Hill." The school is supported on the free principle, twenty-five cents only being paid by each pupil per month, which amount pays for the apparatus, books and stationery used. The school has primary ones in different parts of the city attached to it, from which pupils, after certain progress, are passed to the Central. From 1,100 to 1,400 pupils are instructed in the Central alone, under the management of the able Principal, A. McCallum, Esq., and an efficient staff of teachers. The Central School stands forth one of the noblest monuments of the city, bearing testimony to the intelligent and liberal character of the inhabitants, and reflecting the^ Christian benevolence that dictated the erection of such a noble institution for the free education, (in comfort and cob- venience), of the city youth, and maintaining it on so lib^ eral a principle. NIAGARA BIVER AND FALLS. As W. M. H. Smith, in his Canadian Gazetteer, has given as perspicuous an account of the Falls as we have seen, we insert it here. " The Niagara River receives the waters of Lake Erie and conveys them to Lake Ontario : it is thirty-four miles in length. At its entrance stand the remains of Fort Erie, which was destroyed during the American war ; and about a mile below is the village of "Waterloo," opposite which is the American village " Black Book." The river is here BETBOSPEOT. 246 ustratioQ of ion of land ne hundred ng, and the stands on a :>r buildings The sohool ) cents onlj mount pays The school attached to 'e passed to ) instructed of the able Lent staff of f the noblest e intelligent >flecting thfi' n of such a Port and cob- \ on 80 libr zetteer, has as we have P Lake Erie y-four miles )f Fort Erie, ; and about lite which is iver is here about one mile in width ; and a steam ferry-boat plies con- stantly between the two places. About three miles and a half below Waterloo, Grand Island commences, which is about nine miles in length, and about seven broad at iti widest part. This island belongs to the Americans. A little to the northwest of Grand Island is situated Navy Island, noted for having been taken possession of during the late rebellion by a party of rebels and American vaga- bonds (who styled themselves " sympathizers") ; and op- posite where the American steamboat "Caroline" (which was used to assist them by carrying ammunition and stores from the American side to the island), was cut out, set on fire, and sent over the Falls. " The rapids commence about the lower portion of Navy Island; and from thence to the verge of the Horse-shoe Fall there is a descent of fifty-seven feet — to the verge of the American Fall, the descent is fifty-two feet. The Horse-shoe, which is the principal Fall, is on the Canadian side ; from a portion of the rock in the centre of the Fall having been carried away a few years since, it has no longer the form of a horse-shoe, but more resembles two sides of a triangle ; it is about 1900 feet across, and the fall is 164 feet. The whole width of the river at the Falls is about three-quarters -of a mile. A large island called Goat, or Iris Island, divides the American from the Horse- shoe Fall. On the Canadian side, almost on the verge of the Horse-shoe Fall, and just below it, is the " Table Rock," a large flat ledge of rock which projects over the torrent ; portions of this rock have fallen from time to time, and there is a large fissure in the rock, which should warn visitors to be careful how they venture upon it. It may stand for many years ; but no doubt the time will come when the whole rock will give way, and it is more than pro- 'i! I* I- i* Iv- ■''j m '' iim 246 EBTROSPEOT. bable that some eurious personage will go with it. As there is nothing to be gained by venturing upon it, it is better to remain on the safe side. A little above the Horse-shoe Fall are two small islands, called Long Island, which is near the shore, and Gull Island, situated opposite the centre of the Horse-shoe Fall, and which is supposed never to have •been trodden by the foot of human being ; both these islands are covered with cedar. On the American side there are also several islands ; three of which, situated opposite the south-east of Goat Island, are called '' The Sisters." " On the American side a small portion of the stream has been diverted from its course to turn the machinery of a paper mill ; and what is truly characteristic of the people, the Americans have converted every portion of their side of the Falls into a source of money making. Goat Island is laid out as a pleasure ground (to enter which you pay a quarter of a dollar), and a building is erected on it, where you are informed by a painted notice that you may obtain soda water, ices, strawberries and cream, &e. On the rooks, a little to the west of Goat Island, a tower has been erected from whence a view mav be obtained over the Horse-shoe Fall, and a bridge has been formed to it from the island. There is some pretty scenery about the Falls on the Amer- ican side; but by far the finest view of the whole is to be obtained from the Canadian side. The best view of the Falls, taking the Horse-shoe Fall, the American Fall and the surrounding scenery, is to be obtained from the Clifton House, a large hotel, which is situated a little below the American Fall, on the Canadian sidCj and close to the ferry landing. " Those who feel any curiosity on the subject, may obtain > oil-skin dresses and a guide from Mr. Barnett, of the .Museum, to enable them to proceed behind the sheet of RETROSPBOT. 247 As there it is better Horse-shoe 1, which is e the centre 3ver to have both these n side there Bd opposite Sisters." I stream has ihinery of a the people, f their side jToat Island I you pay a n it, where may obtain a the rooks, een erected Horse-shoe the island, the Amer- ole is to be view of the a Fall and the Clifton below the o the ferry may obtain Jtt, of the le sheet of water composing the Horse-shoo Fall; an undertaking which, to those who attend to the instructions of the guide, is said to bo neither difficult nor dangerous. All persons visiting the Falls should also pay a visit to the Museum of Mr. Barnett, which is really worth seeing ; comprising a great variety of native and foreign birds and animals, both living and stuffed — amongst others, a very fine pair of Buffaloes. Here also may be purchased a variety of Indian curiosities. ''The principal hotels on tlie Canadian side are the Clifton House and the Pavilion Hotel ; both of which are at present under the same management. There are several other houses in the immediate neighborhood ; and parties wish- ing to stay for a few weeks, for the purpose of enjoying the scenery of the Falls and the surrounding neighborhood, (probably the most magnificent in the world) will have no difficulty in procuring accommodation in privalc boarding houses. The Cataract House, on the American side, is a large building, kept by an American general ; therefore, those who have any ambition to visit a house kopt by an American general, may have an opportunity of doing so. " The Falls are two miles from Chippewa, and seven from Queenston ; between which places a railroad has been constructed, and during the summer cars run daily, con- veying passengers to the Falls. The Falls, however, are ver^ magnificent in the winter, and equally well worth seeing, the rocks at the sides being encrusted with icicles, some of them measuring perhaps fifty or sixty feet in length. During the winter, stages run daily from St. Ca- tharines to Chippewa, whence private conveyances may be obtained to the Falls. Occasionally, from the immense quantity of ice carried over the Falls, the channel becomes completely choked and blocked up a short distance below 248 RETROBPEOT. ''■i s; the Falls, so as to become passable for foot passengera. This was the case during the winter of 1845-6, when a path was marked out across the ice opposite the Clifton House, and soniie enterprising Yankee, intent on money-making, erected a shanty on the ice in the centre of the river for tho sale of refreshments. " Three miles below the Falls is a whirlpool, which is caused by a sudden bend in the river, and which is also well worth visiting ; and four miles below the whirlpool is the village of Queenston. Here the river becomes navi- gable for steamboats ; the current is still rapid, but not suf- ficiently so to impose any obstacles in the way of steam- boats ; and seven miles lower down, at the mouth of the river, where it discharges itself into Lake Ontario, is the town of Niagara. From Lake Erie to the rapids, a dis- tance of sixteen miles, the fall of the river is not more than twenty feet ; in the rapids, in a quarter of a mile, the fall is forty feet ; at the Falls, one hundred and sixty-four feet ; and between the Falls and Queenston, a distance of seven miles, one hundred and one feet. The Falls of Niagara are supposed at one time to have been situated at the Queenston Heights, and to have gradually receded, from the wearing away of the rocks. " Niagara, formerly called Newark, the District Town of the Niagara District, in the township of Niagara, is situated at the entrance of the Niagara River, forty-eight miles by land from Hamilton, and thirty-six by water from Toronto. Niagara is a very old town, and was for five or six years the capital of the country. It was settled by Colonel Sim- coe, when Lieutenant Governor of the province, and was in- corporated in the year 1845. It has been a place of con- siderable trade, before the opening of the WcUand Canal. On the east side of the town is a large military reserve. RETROSPECT. 249 passengers, ^hen a paih on House, cj-making, iver for the , which is ich is also hirlpool is omcs navi- ut noC Buf- r of stcam- ith of the rio, is the ids^ a dis- more than le, the fall -four feet ; J of seven l^iagara are Queenston le wearing t Town of is situated t miles by Q Toronto, six years lonel Sim- nd was in- ce of con- nd Canal. y reserve. About half a mile up the river are the ruins of Port George, where the remains of General Brock were originally inter- red ; they were removed in 1824 to Queenston Heights, and a monument erected over them." In bringing my narrative of Canada West to a close, I will now, agreeably to the heading of this last chapter, give some short account of towns, &c., north and west of Hamil- ton. The town of Guelph was laid out in the years 1827 and 1828, by the late Mr. Gait. This section of the forest was a portion of that large purchase of land by the Canada Company from the British Government. The first tree said to be cut in the township of Guelph was in April, 1827. la 1829 I visited the village by request, and organized the first Sabbath School there. Its location was well chosen, on elevated ground, and upon a beautiful stream of wa4er, named by Mr. Gait the Speed, which falls into the Grand Biver. Several sections of the township of Guelph have now become very fine farms ; and the town of Guelph has the advantage of the Grand Trunk Railway running through it ; also a branch of the Great Western to it, so that Guelph is now a second-class town in Western Canada. The township of Eramosa, situated to the north-east of Guelph, is also become a good fd'ming location — once forest, now beautiful fields and extensive farms. Its forest was opened up in 1818, and subsequent years. The town of Gait is situated on the Grand River. It is about twenty-six miles from Hamilton, and twenty miles from Brantford. It stands in a vale, surrounded by high grounds and hills. The Grand Rive: here is a splendid sheet of water, heavy and flowing, and contributes much to the beauty of the town. The late Hon. W. Dickson, who purchased the township, named it Dumfries, from his native • I. 250 RETROSPECT. toWQ or shire in Scotland. Gilt haa valuable water power, and a vast quantity of flour has been ground here, both for exportation and home consumption. Gait is also doing a considerable business in merchandise, and in manu- facturing. There are many good stone buildings in the town, and an excellent public school built of the same ma- terial. Altogether it is one of the plcasantest towns ia Western Canada. The walk or ride on the public road down the river is picturesque and beautiful. Dundas was an early village on Dundas Street, the road from York, out out by Government, and named after Lord Dundas, of the British Parliament. Though it had been a village for nearly thirty years, it was very small in 1830. An extensive marsh reaches from the town to Burlington Bay, and a canal, five miles in length, was cut to connect Dundas with the said bay; consequently, this canal and a powerful stream of water from the mountain (north), has so advantaged Dundas that it has been for 20 years back, and still is, a very considerable manufacturing town. It it certainly remarkably situated in a flat valley or glen, having ravines of no contracted extent to the west. I, therefore, am of the same opinion as Mr. Murray and Dr. Lillioi that at one time those ravines and deep valleys must have been covered with a vast sheet of water of many feet deep. Dumfries, a township in the Gore District, is bounded on the north by the township of Waterloo, on the west by Blenheim, on the south by Brantford ; and on the east by Beverly and a small portion of Puslinch. Dumfries con- tains 92,364 acres, of which 49,238 are under cultivation. The Grand River enters the township four miles from the north-east boundary, runs south-west about half the length of the township, then makes a bend and runs west for about three miles, then south- west to within three miles of the ^ RKTR08PE0T. 251 Boath-west boundary, at which point it is joined by Smith's Greek. The settlement of Dumfries was commenced in the year 1816, by Mr. W. Dickson, and every lot is now taken up. There are in the township the villages of Gait, Paris, St. George. Ayr and Jedburgh. The soil is gener- ally stoney — the land hilly. Large quantities of plaster are obtained from beds on the banks of the river in the neigh- bourhood of Paris The town of Brantford, situated on the Grand River or Ouse, is 24 miles west of Hamil^ n. There is lO moun- tain near it, and the land around, being moti;ly cleared of timber, the country looks rich and fertiiu. ..he town was laid out by government in the year 1830, i*nd nan I aftf.r Joseph Brant, the distinguished chief of the Mohn »;. tribe of Indians. After the close of the American revolution fr the year 1784, the Mohawk nation, en .eni^ming a do'ihl that the American Kcpublic would not treat them well, ap- plied to the British Government that they might relin- quish their lands on the Mohawk Valley, and take lands in Canada. The nation having been strong on the Bri- tish side, this was readily acceded to; and their large grants of land on the .Grand River, above and below the site of the town of Brantford, we have noticed. The Chief, Joseph Brant, was truly a great and wise In- dian ; and more than this, he v-as truly converted to the Christian faith j we, therefore give a short account of his life and death, as given by J. George Hodgins, Esq. " Joseph Brant, (T^ yeidanega), a Mohawk Indian, of pure blood, was born on the banks of the Ohio, in 1742. In the revolutionary war of 1776, he became the ally of the English; and, as a prominent chief among the Iroquois, he influenced several cantons of that celebrated league to join the English standard. During the war he was chiefly 262 RXTROSPEOT. engaged on the border settlements of New York and Penn- eylvania; in conjunction with Sir WilUam Johnson and Oolonel Butler. He reeeiyed a good education in Connecti- out ; and, dtiring the war, held a colonel's commission from the King. At the close of the revolution, he removed to Can- ada, with the Mohawks, and obtained from Governor Hal- dimand the grant of a territory on Grand River, six miles in widtlv, from its source to its mouth. The town of Brant- ford, or Brant's ford, on the river, was named after him; as was also the county of Brant, in the same locality, and the township of Thayendanega, ou the Bay of Quinte, where a number of the Mohawks had settled. He trans- lated the whole of the Gospel of St. Mark into the Mohawk language ; and in many ways exerted himself to promote the temporal and spiritual welfare of his people. He was greatly respected and beloved by them and by the English. He visited England in 1783: and died near Wellington Square, Upper Canada, on November 24, 1807, aged 65 years. His remains were removed to the Mohawk village, Grand River, and interred by the side of the qhurch which he had erected there. His son John led the Mohawks a^ the VkOtorious battle of Queenston, in October, 1812. He was a noble speoimen of a Christian Indian, and did maoh to alleviate the horrors of Indian warfare." Since 1792-6, this western portion of Canada has under- gone a great and highly favorable change. At that time the noble Governor, Col. J. G. Simcoe, was plodding his difficult way through the pathless, or -at least, roadless, fo- rests of this country, intent on developing its ways and means, and promoting its settlement. He selected the sites of many of the now prosperous and advantageously situated towns ; and the choice then made, amidst forest trees, gives strong evidence of a sound judgment and penetrating fore- nght. He induced many U. E. Loyalists to settle in BETR08PI0T. 253 wk and Penn- Johnson and I in Connecti- amiasion from Boved toCan- loyernor Hal- ver, Bix milQs 3wn of Brant- i after him; locality, and ' of Quinte, He trans- the Mohawk ' to promote le. He was the English. Wellington )7, agod 65 lawk village, mroh which Mohawks at 1812. He 1 did much < has under- t that time lodding his 'oadless, fo- ways and ed the sites sly situated trees, gives ating fore* > settle in Upper Canada — opened the celebrated Yonge Street road to Lake Simooe (named after him), and by every means in his power advanced his Sovereign's interests in theprovince» and endeavored to benefit the colonists ; consequently he was much beloved, and his departure from the province was deeply regretted. During his administration the Gov- ernor's residence was in the township of Stamford, on a rising land overlooking Lake Ontario. The Great Western Railroad now intersects the ground, and as the oars are borne along few of the passengers think of him who once lived there, and, laboring for Canada's good, fixed the site of those towns which have had a governing influence in directing the route of the splendid road on which they are moving with so much speed and ease. Previous to leaving the colony he moved the seat of government from Niagara to York. He died in 1807. I have thus attempted, in my own peculiar manner, to record some of the prominent events connected with the early settlement of the Western Province, and my own Missionary labors. And now, in the year of our Lord 1861, with a heart full of gratitude to Almighty God for having permitted me in health to see its close, I look around with a rejoicing spirit and view the prosperity of the land. Firmly attached to glorious, Gospel-loving Britain — enjoying its own government and laws — possessing the fullest share of civil and religious liberty — agriculture, commerce and edu- cation -progressing steadily and healthily onward — the pure Gospel, unfettered by man's devices, spreading its lovely branches and carrying its benign influence into those parts which, during my experience, were so dreary and destitute of Scriptural means, — I thank God that so much has been done for our weal — feel assured that He is with us— -will aid our efforts for advancement in the right way, and ap- portion a bright and glorious fcture to our Canada.