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TALES ABOUT CANADA: 
 
 BY 
 
 PETER PARLEY. 
 
 fc. 
 
 jpi' 
 
 m 
 
 '"^u: 
 
 EDITED BY THE REV. T. WILSON. 
 
 LONDON: 
 DARTON AND CLARK, HOLBORN HILL. 
 
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 » 
 
 LONDON : 
 PRINTEIJ BY J GREEN AND CO., 13, BARTLETT's BUILDINGS. 
 
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CONTENTS. 
 
 J,.' 
 
 ■ 
 
 ' 1 
 
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 PARLEY TELLS ABOUT CANADA AND ITS SITUATION 
 
 THE VOYAGES OF JACQUES CARTIER. 
 THE ORIGIN OF QUEBEC . . • • V ' ' 
 
 THE TAKING OF QUEBEC . . • • ♦ 
 
 PAOX 
 
 . 1 
 
 31 
 . 53 
 
 PARLEY GIVES A DESCRIPTION OF THE BRITISH POSSES- 
 SIONS IN NORTH AMERICA ; ALSO AN ACCOUNT OF 
 HIS VOYAGE ROUND THE ST. LAWRENCE 
 
 HORSE RACING IN UPPER CANADA— RIDEAU CANAL 
 
 EARTHQUAKE . • • » • V 
 
 A WINTER IN CANADA— ACCOUNT OF A SNOW STORM 
 
 . 102 
 . 126 
 
taiMMMMM 
 
 
 IV 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 THE TALE OF THE SNOW STORM CONTINUED 
 
 LOG BURNING VISIT TO THE INDIAN WIGWAMS 
 
 THE SUGAR MAPLE BATTLE BETWEEN THE SNAKE AND 
 
 ORIOLE FLYING SQUIRREL BEAVER DAM 
 
 150 
 165 
 
 187 
 
 FALLS OF NIAGARA NAVY ISLAND 
 
 . 214 
 
 COMPARATIVE SIZE AND ELEVATION OF THE LAKES 
 
 THE BOATMAN S STORY 
 
 OUTBREAK OF THE INSURRECTION IN CANADA PETER 
 
 225 
 
 PARLEY IN DANGER 
 
 . 253 
 
 THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA PETER PARLEY A VO- 
 
 LUNTEER — SKIRMISH WITH THE REBELS . 
 
 ATTACK ON ST. EUSTACE — BURNING OF THE CAROLINE 
 
 265 
 
 STEAM BOAT 
 
 . 286 
 
PAOK 
 
 150 
 . 1G5 
 I) 
 
 187 
 . 214 
 
 225 
 ;r 
 
 . 253 
 )- 
 265 
 
 E 
 
 286 
 
 PETER PARLEY'S 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 ^ 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PARLEY TELLS ABOUT CANADA AND ITS SITUATION THK 
 
 VOYAGES OF JACQUES CARTIER AND THE ORIGIN OF 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 What a strange world this is ! What plague 
 spirit can there be in the air, that sets people to 
 quarrel and to fight, to maim each other's limbs, 
 cut each other's throats, burn each other's houses, 
 trample down each other's corn, and destroy 
 each other's goods ! Surely there is enough in 
 this great wide world for all of us to enjoy, if 
 we would live in peace and harmony together. 
 
 B 
 
PETER PARLEY S 
 
 Well, this is easier done than said ; and the 
 " fight-it-out system'' must go on till people are 
 more enlightened, and will understand their true 
 interests. 
 
 Here is Canada, where poor Peter Parley has 
 often been ; where he has lived happy with both 
 English and French ; where he has broken bread 
 with the backwoodsman, and smoked the pipe 
 of peace with the poor outcast Indian. Canada, 
 that England rescued from bad government^ is 
 now about to be the theatre of war, or if not, 
 of discontent and rebellion. 
 
 The good friends of Peter Parley would like 
 to know about Canada, and the Canadians, the 
 Backwoodsmen, and the Indians. Truly there 
 is much that is interesting to be told concerning 
 each and all of them ; and I w ish I had time to 
 tell all that I know about them. Thoug^i I have 
 not space nor room to do all this, I can tell my 
 friends a very great deal about Canada, its 
 troubles, its wonders, and its people. 
 
 t 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 1 the 
 e are 
 
 • true 
 
 y has 
 both 
 3read 
 I pipe 
 nada, 
 rit^ is 
 
 * not, 
 
 I like 
 5, the 
 there 
 riling 
 ne to 
 
 have 
 
 II my 
 t, its 
 
 The word Canada is from an Iroq' ois expres- 
 sion, meaning a collection of huts. The people 
 who first settled in the country, thought it was 
 the name which the country bore, and thus they 
 called the whole country Canada, which name it 
 still retains, except that one part is called Upper, 
 and the other part Lower Canada. If you look 
 at the map you will see the boundary line of the 
 two provinces ; to the south of these are the 
 American possessions. So that you see the 
 Americans may shake hands with the Canadians, 
 across it in some places, but in others they must 
 cross a wide lake, or the great river St. Lawrence. 
 
 I If you have read my book about America and 
 Australia, you will know how America was dis- 
 covered by Christopher Colon or Columbus. 
 You may imagine what a noise the discovery of 
 a New W orld created, in that portion of it 
 
 % which now goes by the name of the Old. A few 
 years after Columbus made his second voyage, 
 every body's mouth was full of these discoveries ; 
 
4 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 and although the distance was very great across 
 the Atlantic, and the perils of the passage had 
 been very much magnified ; yet, the wonderful 
 discoveries that were made, the quantity of gold 
 which had been brought home, and the desire 
 of curiosity which is always active, filled every- 
 body on the coasts of the Old Continent, with a 
 desire to cross the ocean to make discoveries 
 for themselves. 
 
 Among the vast number of persons so in- 
 clined, were four Italians, John Cabot, and his 
 three sons, Sebastian, Louis, and Sanchez ; who, 
 after some trouble on their part, obtained a com- 
 mission on the fifth of March, 1495, from our 
 king Henry VII., to discover a north-west pas- 
 sage to the East Indies and China. This family 
 sailed in 1497 with six ships, and early in June 
 of the same year discovered Newfoundland. 
 They then proceeded westward, till they reached 
 the shores of America, which they coasted ; and 
 after exploring the Gulf of St. Lawrence, they 
 
 M 
 
 t 
 
 SI 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 '':"• 
 
 3ross 
 had 
 erful 
 gold 
 esire 
 ^ery- 
 ith a 
 eries 
 
 ) in- 
 
 i his 
 
 who, 
 
 ;om- 
 
 our 
 
 pas- 
 
 mily 
 
 lune 
 
 aud. 
 
 hed 
 
 and 
 
 they 
 
 returned to England, in August 1497^ without 
 establishing any colony. About seven years 
 after, Gaspar Cortereal, a Portuguese, visited 
 the coast, and was wicked enough to kidnap 
 some of the poor natives, whom he sold as 
 slaves. 
 
 
 
 
 The principal person in the discovery of 
 Canada, was Jacques Cartier, a native of St. 
 Maloe's, engaged in the Newfoundland fishery, 
 which had been established as early as 151/. 
 This navigator, who was an exceedingly bold 
 and enterprizing man, at first undertook to ex- 
 
6 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 plore the north coasts of America at his own risk ; 
 but afterwards he received a commission from 
 Francis the First, king of France, and with two 
 vessels of sixty tons each, traversed the great 
 Gulf of St. Lawrence, returning afterwards to 
 France with two native Indians. 
 
 Francis again dispatched him with three ves- 
 
 S( 
 01 
 
 PI 
 II 
 
 r_^^ipE*^- 
 
 MM \ 
 
 ■■ ■■M ■' 
 
 sels, and a number of gentlemen as volunteers. 
 In this trip, he sailed up the river St. Lawrence, 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 risk ; 
 
 from 
 
 1 two 
 
 great 
 
 ds to 
 
 ves- 
 
 ers. 
 ice. 
 
 m 
 
 i 
 
 so called from its being discovered on the day 
 of the festival of that Saint, and landed at a 
 place since called Quebec, then the abode of an 
 Indian chief, named Donnaconna. He then 
 continued his course up the river in the pinnace 
 and two boats, when he reached an island, in the 
 middle of the stream, with a lofty mountain ; 
 this he named Mount Royal, and which is now 
 called Montreal. 
 
 Cartier was accompanied in his expedition up 
 the St. Lawrence, by seven or eight young French 
 gentlemen, and his boatswain, a sturdy English 
 sailor, in whose vocabulary the words timidity, 
 fear, cruelty, and hard-heartedness, were not 
 written. This man, called Tom Shingle, had 
 been selected to accompany Cartier, from his 
 having on several occasions, in an open l3oat, 
 explored many of the bays and inlets of the 
 North American coast, during the fishing season ; 
 and he had shown such self-possession and 
 hardihood, as to make him a very valuable assist- 
 
8 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 t^!» 
 
 ant in an undertaking which required much 
 energy, courage, and resolution. 
 
 As they passed up the St. Lawrence, they were 
 dehghted with the scenery of the noble river, and 
 awed by the immense range of black forests 
 that spread out on each side, or at the wide and 
 inhospitable prairie, which occasionally made 
 itself visible over the flat country. 
 
 The party had gone so far, that they did not 
 think of returning to the ships that night, and 
 made preparations for landing in order to take re- 
 pose, of which they stood greatly in need. They 
 accordingly looked out for a convenient place in 
 which to spend the night, and at last came to a 
 little cove, or inlet, that seemed well adapted to 
 afford them the shelter they required. Here they 
 drew up their boats, and after clearing out a 
 square spot of about fifteen feet each way, 
 by cutting down certain trees and branches 
 of trees, secured a sail or two of the boat in 
 such a manner as to defend them from the 
 
 d 
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 fii 
 e^ 
 
 SI 
 
i 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 » 
 
 iiucli 
 
 were 
 5 and 
 ►rests 
 5 and 
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 damp, or wet, or wind, which might come 
 during the night. 
 
 They then got their kettle ashore, made a 
 fire, and drew themselves round it to take their 
 evening meal. They had provided two or three 
 small skins of wine, and after the fatigue of the 
 day, were by no means slow in dispatching some 
 prepared beef and rye bread, which at that time 
 was the common food of the French. 
 
 After the repast, the Captain and the French 
 gentlemen prepared for a nap, and spread their 
 coats, sails, and other things, round them for this 
 purpose. Cartier was a brave man, and had no 
 fear either asleep or awake ; but the French 
 young gentlemen who were of the party, al- 
 though making a great fuss about their cou- 
 rage, were in reality afraid of being surprised 
 by the Indians in their slumbers, in which case, 
 they knew that their bodies would form part of 
 a sumptuous banquet on the morrow. Some 
 were for lying down in one of the boats, and 
 
10 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 i 
 
 mooring her at a distance from the shore, and 
 others proposed that half of the mimber should 
 go to sleep, while the other half acted as 
 guards. 
 
 " Go to sleep the whole of ye," said Shingle ; 
 " What is man good for, if he cannot keep off a 
 set of wild fellows but little better than the 
 beasts of the field. Give me a pistol and a cut- 
 las," said he, " and I will soon settle a dozen of 
 'em. Take your rest, and do not trouble your- 
 selves about the danger, that is my look out." 
 
 This, however, was not listened to for a moment, 
 and at the suggestion of the Commander, it was 
 arranged, that two of the Frenchmen and the 
 boatswain should keep w atch till the early dawn, 
 
 and that then, he would himself keep watch 
 till the sun rose, while the former should take 
 some rest. This arrangement having been ac- 
 ceeded to by all, Cartier laid himself down, and 
 the remainder following his example, the whole 
 were soon in a profound slumber. 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 11 
 
 re, and 
 should 
 ted as 
 
 birigle ; 
 )p off a 
 an the 
 
 a cut- 
 )zen of 
 t your- 
 t out." 
 
 ment, 
 it was 
 id the 
 dawn, 
 
 watch 
 1 take 
 n ac- 
 , and 
 hole 
 
 I As the party proceeded slowly up the St. Law- 
 rence, admiring the majestic beauty of the 
 scenery, they were not aware that during three 
 whole days' progress they had been narrowly 
 watched by a tribe of Indians, which went by 
 the name of Loupers, from the extraordinary 
 agility with which, whether on their hands or feet, 
 they traversed the open spots, or the wonderful 
 dexterity with which they penetrated the closest 
 and most knotted masses of forest bush. They 
 had silently followed the boats during the whole 
 day, and bad determined at the first favourable 
 opportunity, to pounce upon the interlopers, 
 with a view to their utter extermination. It 
 was from these tribes, that, a few years before, 
 Car tier had stolen the two men whom he had 
 sold for slaves ; and the wife of one of these, who 
 was one of the party, cherished a horrible and 
 bitter revenge for the cruel loss of her spouse. 
 
 It was she, who from the very beginning 
 excited her tribe to follow the whites, and to 
 
\ 
 
 12 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 
 dodge them tliroiigli the many mazy windings 
 of the St. Lawrence. When the company put 
 in towards the shore^ her satisfaction exhibited 
 itself in a wild hysterical cry of delight, which 
 startled the deep silence of the forest, but which 
 was taken by Cartier for the shriek of some 
 wolf, or other beast of prey, and not being re- 
 peated, was thought no more of. As Cartier 
 and his companions laid themselves down to 
 sleep, the Indians on tip-toe drew towards 
 them with their rude knives unsheathed, and 
 tomahawks uplifted ; and after creeping like 
 serpents round the spot, stood ready to spring 
 on their prey. 
 
 The Indian tribe of which I now speak, con- 
 sisted of fourteen persons ; four women, two of 
 whom had children hanging behind their backs, 
 in the Indian fashion, and ten men. The chief 
 was a tall, powerful man, more than six feet 
 high, of an excessive spare habit of body ; 
 so thin, indeed, was he, that his ribs stood out 
 
 ^ ■ 
 
 
 
 a 
 h| 
 
 s: 
 
 
 ■ pjgu.i. w uuwipi i jiu^ 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 13 
 
 n dings 
 
 iiy put 
 
 hibited 
 
 which 
 
 which 
 
 F 
 
 some 
 
 y 
 
 iiig re- 
 3artier 
 >wn to 
 )wards 
 i and 
 like 
 spring 
 
 , con- 
 wo of 
 Jacks, 
 chief 
 feet 
 lody ; 
 out 
 
 on his side like those of a greyhound, and the 
 angles of his various joints rendered him a 
 hideous looking being, independent of his hollow 
 and sunken eyes, and enormous mouth, which 
 gave to his head a skeleton appearance. This 
 meagreness of form did not, however, indicate 
 muscular weakness ; on the contrary, Thada- 
 conna was the most agile and powerful of any 
 of his tribe, and so great was his swiftness, that 
 he had been known often to run down one of 
 the wild buffaloes, so common on the banks of 
 the St. Lawrence. His cognomen signified in 
 the Indian language Hare's-foot ; and he might 
 have had also as an addendum to it, that of 
 Lion's heart, for few men were so resolute and 
 brave. 
 
 The adventurers were now all in a profound 
 slumber, but Shingle and the Frenchman who 
 stood as guards over the spot. The Frenchman 
 was startled at every leaf, and was ever on the 
 watch with a strained ear, towards any spot from 
 
14 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 M' 
 
 which the slightest sound or motion proceeded. 
 On the contrary, the Englishman seemed as un- 
 concerned, as if he had been securely at the Ship 
 in Wapping, then a well-known rendezvous for 
 English sailors. The only thing that seemed to 
 trouble Shingle was the want of something to 
 do. As to sit and watch over a heap of snoring 
 Frenchmen, it was a task so un-English, that al- 
 though he felt it right to do his duty, he had 
 no partiality for it. Seeing the Frenchman's 
 timidity, he thought it would while away the 
 time, by amusing himself with him in the true 
 spirit of an English tantalizer. The French- 
 man was one of the dandies of that period, 
 and had come out in the expedition more in the 
 guise in which he would have entered the ball- 
 room, than as a man fit for service. The cos- 
 tume of the reign of Francis the First was 
 exceedingly elegant. There was the ruff and the 
 ruffles, the light laced jerkin, the large buskin, 
 and the slashed breeches, in all of which the 
 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 15 
 
 needed, 
 as un- 
 le Ship 
 [)us for 
 nied to 
 iiig to 
 noring 
 hat al- 
 le had 
 timan's 
 ly the 
 e true 
 ench- 
 eriod, 
 in the 
 ball- 
 e cos- 
 was 
 id the 
 iskin, 
 the 
 
 French hero was bedecked. To make himself 
 appear doubly martial, he carried a long rapier, 
 a brace of pistols, which were then quite the 
 fashion, and a short stiletto, which was to serve 
 him in close fight. As the night closed round 
 them, Remnier, for that was his name, muffled up 
 his head in his handl..erchief, over which he 
 drew his broad hat of the Spanish form, and 
 ensconced himself against the back of one of 
 the forest trees. Shingle had perched himself 
 on the horizontal branch of an oak tree, that 
 grew close to the ground, and with his leathern 
 bottle in his hand, began to solace himself 
 with that, and one of the songs of merry 
 
 England : — 
 
 ^t. 
 
 ** Oh, hie for merry England, 
 
 Far, far beyond the sea ; 
 
 Oh, hie for merry England, 
 
 Where every man is free. 
 
 Not like the slaves of France land, 
 
 Not like the " 
 
\G 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 I 
 
 * 
 
 " WhifF, there's a bear in the bush ! Down 
 with him lad ; down with him/' ejaculated the 
 sailor. 
 
 The Frenchman with the rapidity of lightning 
 started from his tree, and before Shingle could 
 draw his cutlass, had jumped into the boat, 
 cut the moorings, and was afloat on the St. 
 Lawrence. 
 
 ^' Out upon you for a cowardly loon,'' said the 
 sailor. '' It was only a bug-bear, — not half so 
 terrible as St. Anthony's pig. Come, and have 
 another bout with him." 
 
 Whether the Frenchman did, or did not 
 understand Shingle's French-English, I do not 
 know ; but certain it was he never attempted to 
 leave the boat, which floated gradually down 
 the stream. 
 
 This incident had been watched by the Indian 
 tribe, who had by this time drawn themselves 
 closely round the sleepers, with their knives and 
 axes ready drawn and uplifted, to commence 
 
 toi 
 bl( 
 
 ■■'■\ 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 17 
 
 Down 
 ed the 
 
 hitning 
 
 could 
 
 boat, 
 
 he St. 
 
 aid the 
 lalf so 
 d have 
 
 id not 
 o not 
 ted to 
 down 
 
 ndian 
 Iselves 
 ;s and 
 lence 
 
 their murderous attack. Fearing to lose any 
 more of their victims, the war whoop was raised ; 
 a loud piercing yell rose from the lips of Una- 
 conna the female ; Thadaconna threw his skele- 
 ton form forward, and while he aimed a deadly 
 blow at poor Shingle, the rest of the tribe 
 fell upon the sleepers. 
 
 These were, however, in a moment on their 
 feet. Cartier boldly confronted two of them, 
 one of whom fell beneath his stroke. Shingle 
 after parrying the tomahawk of the chief, 
 closed with him, and gave him a taste of a 
 Somersetshire throw, and he lay almost breath- 
 less on the ground. The other French gentle- 
 i»an, after a few strokes, attempted to join the 
 boat, in which their companion was comfortably 
 seated ; and after losing two of their party 
 succeeded in getting into it, and out of harm 
 or danger, took to their oars, and rowed down 
 the stream with the rapidity of lightning. 
 
 While this was going on, Cartier was felled 
 
18 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 »., 
 
 y; 
 
 with the blow of a tomahawk, given from be- 
 hind by the chiefs sister, who was more furious 
 in her attack than any of the men ; while three 
 of the Indians pressed upon Shingle with a de- 
 termination to take his scalp, as soon they could 
 put him into a position for so doing, by knocking 
 him down. This, however, was not so easy a 
 matter, and the discharge of one pistol, and 
 then another in the faces of his assailants, so be- 
 wildered them, that they fell back, and Shingle 
 darted like a ferret into the mazes of the forest. 
 
 He ran on, and on, as fast he could, threading 
 the trees as it were with his body, and made his 
 way as near as he could guess to the river's edge, 
 and in the course of a few minutes, had the sa- 
 tisfaction to see the remainder of his party 
 opposite to him, having in their panic, managed 
 to run the boat upon a half-sunken tree which 
 lay in their course. 
 
 Shingle called out them to come and help to 
 rescue their commander. He told them half 
 
 '1 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 19 
 
 om be- 
 furious 
 e three 
 h a de- 
 ■f could 
 locking 
 
 easy a 
 61^ and 
 5 so be- 
 Shingle 
 j forest, 
 -eading 
 ade his 
 's edge, 
 the sa- 
 
 party 
 anaged 
 
 which 
 
 lelp to 
 m half 
 
 the Indians had been killed, and the other half 
 could easily be served in the same way ; but 
 they were deaf to all his entreaties, and begged 
 6f him to come aboard and help to protect 
 them. 
 
 Sam turned back into the forest, not however, 
 without sending as large a stone as he could 
 find at the head of his former companions, and 
 uttering a malediction, which he would never 
 have endeavoured to realize. After his astonish- 
 ment and indignation were passed off, and he 
 began to cool a little, Sam discovered that he 
 had received a cut across the back of the head, 
 and a stab in the fleshy part of his back, by no 
 means agreeable to a man, even if he has a couch 
 to lie upon. 
 
 Sam did not despair of finding his way back 
 to the point at which the ships had anchored, 
 but he was determined not to do this, till he had 
 ascertained the fate of his commander. Besides, 
 lie knew very well, that the blame of the whole 
 

 20 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 m 
 
 disaster, would be laid upon him by the French 
 renagades, to save themselves from the suspi- 
 cion of cowardice. 
 
 He, therefore, determined to hover about the 
 Indians, and if he could not do his Captain any 
 service, at all events to have a few shots at them, 
 by way of settling the score between the parties. 
 
 After tearing up the sleeve of his shirt, and 
 tying up his gashes as well he could, Sam 
 directed his steps cautiously towards the spot 
 where the recontre took place. In about half 
 an hour he heard the sound of voices, and creep- 
 ing on his hands and knees, through a mass of 
 the thickest brush-wood, came at last tQ within 
 a few yards of the Indians, 
 
 But what a scene presented itself; there lay 
 the body of his Commander, extended apparently 
 in th3 embrace of death, with four of the 
 Indians within a few feet of him. Unaconna, the 
 chief, and two of the tribe, were ransacking the 
 boats which still remained on the bank, and ever 
 
VI 
 
 I 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 21 
 
 and anon, the whole passed from one to the 
 other the wine flagon, which seemed to be 
 working most potently npon them. 
 
 While this was going on, Cartier once or twice 
 opened his eyes, but immediately closed them 
 again. Sam, however, whose anxiety about his 
 Commander w as very great, and who was watch- 
 ing for any motion or indication of life, took notice 
 of it, and ejaculated to himself, " I'll get you out 
 of this scrape, my boy, or Fm a Dutchman." 
 
 It was with great satisfaction that he saw the 
 Indians, one after the other, sucking at the wine 
 skins ; and to^hear one of them, half intoxicated, 
 ejaculate in the language of the Iroquois, and 
 with a paralytic emotion of the lip, " Milk of the 
 great Spirit ! White man drink great Spirit's 
 milk all day." And then he began to dance, in 
 which the others joined most merrily, and 
 seemed for a moment to forget that their com- 
 panions were lying dead before them, and that 
 their spirits called for vengeance. 
 
 
 
 I i 
 
 
 ^' 
 
 i !* 
 
 i \ 
 
 
 ■ M; 
 
 I: ,ti , 
 
 
 1 '*■ 
 
 
 f: 
 
 "I 
 
 m 
 
 
 i 
 
 m. 
 
 it '\l 
 

 22 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 But this merriment was of short continuance ; 
 the wine skins were still plied, the liquor, in con- 
 sequence of the quantity taken, produced a very 
 
 ^^i\ 
 
 ■in- 
 
 different effect. Their merriment was turned to 
 the most diabolical madness of revenge. The 
 women ran to the dead bodies, and howled over 
 them; the men tore their hair, and stamped 
 their feet, and beat their breasts, in the most 
 frantic manner. 
 
^ 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 23 
 
 Cartier had by this time come to himself in a 
 great measure, and was quite aware of his un- 
 fortunate condition. He was fearful to stir 
 or move, lest he should be despatched outright ; 
 at the same time he considered his fate to be 
 inevitable. Using great caution, Shingle had 
 crept close round to the nearest distance from 
 his Commander, and after one or two ineffec- 
 tual attempts, gave him to understand that he 
 was near him, by pushing through the long* grass 
 the spirit bottle. 
 
 Cartier's hopes now revived, but they were 
 immediately dashed from him, by one of the 
 Indian women coming howling towards him, 
 and in her fury beating him on the head and 
 face. Cartier, however, had presence of mind 
 to lie quite still till her rage was somewhat 
 abated. 
 
 Sam Shingle could scarcely refrain from 
 letting fly at the least drunken of the tribe, and 
 then to rush in upon the others and carry off his 
 
 
 ^\ 
 
 ' ,f 
 
 t , ! 
 
 I:] 
 
 ■• 1 ■ 
 
 ♦ 
 
 1 
 
 
 -^1 
 
 '■•< ; 
 
 
 !■,. J:.^ 
 
 vn 
 
 
 
 » 
 
I 
 
 24 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 • 
 
 ■;;' » 
 
 i^. ! 
 
 Commander by main force, but was of opinion 
 that he was too weak to standi and therefore, 
 paused. 
 
 Presently, one of the Indians came up, his 
 features smeared with blood and dirt, and his 
 whole person in a disfigured state ; he was in 
 the last stage of intoxication, and moved about 
 in as many angles as there are in a French for- 
 tification, and at last he fell plump over the 
 Commander. One of his fellows staggered to 
 him, and stretched out his hand with a wavering 
 expression, but before it could be grasped, he 
 also fell prostrate beside his companion. During 
 this incident. Shingle thrust the bottle close to 
 the Commander's nose, and he contrived to take 
 a copious draught, which revived him ex- 
 ceedingly. 
 
 The other Indians soon began to quarrel with 
 each other, and the women were engaged in 
 endeavouring to excite or pacify them, which. 
 Shingle could not tell. At last, however, one 
 
 came 
 dians 
 who 
 prepi 
 Sh 
 shoot 
 thec( 
 self c 
 rapid 
 whicl 
 a wi 
 foUoT 
 from 
 in su 
 know 
 
 I 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 25 
 
 came towards the spot where the drunken In- 
 dians had bestow^ed themselves, and pulling one 
 who lay across Cartier away, began to make 
 preparations for taking away his scalp. 
 
 Shingle observing this, levelled his pistol to 
 shoot the Indian through the head, but forseeing 
 the consequences of this action, withdrew him- 
 self quickly into the brush-wood, and wheeling 
 rapidly round to an opposite place to that at 
 which he was, discharged his pistol in the air ; 
 a wild whoop from the Indians immediately 
 followed, and each man turned towards the place 
 from which the report proceeded, but they were 
 in such a state of intoxication as scarcely to 
 know what they were about, and the night now 
 was becoming dark, so they tumbled over each 
 other, and lay sprawling about, some of them 
 unable to rise. Shingle discharged his second 
 pistol in another direction, and the tribe con- 
 sidered themselves surrounded, and those who 
 were sober enough, ran oflF in diiferent directions 
 
 -!'; ''i 
 
 i^Hi 
 
 
 A-'h> 
 
 ■1 .M 
 
v^^ 
 
 :l 
 
 26 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 t I 
 
 ; *'( 
 
 
 ;■ i 
 
 tail! 
 
 I .if 
 
 through the wood ; at the same time Shingle 
 darted out, seized the Commander by the body, 
 and throwing him over his shoulder safely de- 
 posited him in one of the boats, which having 
 
 launched quick as thought itself, he saw him- 
 self and the Captain safely floating down the St. 
 Lawrence. 
 
 Cartier had suffered greatly in the conflict ; 
 
 I- ;; 'f 
 
 he ha 
 
 arm, 
 
 parts 
 
 been 
 
 bleed 
 
 Sh 
 nurse 
 dexte 
 nace 
 wour 
 of cc 
 
 "1 
 
 dogs 
 They 
 Dutc 
 made 
 have 
 stone 
 ands 
 
 said 
 
 Ik 
 
i 
 
 1 
 
 a- 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 27 
 
 he had been wounded severely in the head and 
 arm, and had two or three flint cuts in diflferent 
 parts of his body. The scalp incision had also 
 been made in his head, so that he was now 
 bleeding dangerously. 
 
 Shingle acted as surgeon, apothecary, and 
 nurse, on this occasion, with a prudence and 
 dexterity rarely exhibited, and while the pin- 
 nace floated slowly along, bound up the 
 wounds of his Captain, and spoke a few words 
 of comfort. 
 
 " This is a sharp brush your honour,^' said he. 
 ^^ Well, I think these Indians are the strangest 
 dogs that ever I came across in all my life. 
 They fight like tiger cats, and get drunk like 
 Dutchmen. Why, Captain, they would have 
 made a meal of you to-morrow, and we should 
 have had to turn them all into so many grave 
 stones, and write your epitaph with powder 
 and shot on their filthy black bodies." 
 
 " How many of the poor creatures are slain ?" 
 said Cartier. 
 
 't:! 
 
 I 
 
 I ^ .1' 
 .1 
 
 I 
 
 ^li 
 
 ^^ 
 
 1- 
 
 m 
 
 
 X^Hl 
 
 m 
 
 ::e 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 1 1 
 

 28 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 m 
 
 h 
 
 h i 
 
 i . 'I 
 
 
 =1 ^H 
 
 "The poor creatures you meaD not one of 
 them. The poor creatures went as glibly down 
 the St. Lawrence, as ever an oyster went down 
 the red lane of a true cockney, or a lump of 
 green fat found its way into the stomach of an 
 Alderman." 
 
 " What do you mean ?" said Cartier. 
 
 " Mean, why I mean those poor creatures your 
 honour brought from France, in their ruffle cuffs 
 and long toasting forks. Why they left your 
 honour, with as little concern for your loss, as 
 a poor fellow leaves the apothecary's after his 
 iooth is out." 
 
 "What then, did my good Frenchmen run 
 away?" 
 
 " Did they not ? You should have just seen 
 how they took to their heels first, and to the boats 
 afterwards. Frenchmen do not learn dancing 
 for nothing, I am sure of that. Why, if every 
 man had been a globe of quicksilver, he could 
 not have moved himself off with greater celerity. 
 
 
 rive 
 size 
 
m 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 29 
 
 If they had rode astride on a flash of light- 
 ning, they could not have got into the boat 
 quicker. As to the poor Indians, I do not 
 know how many of them are sent to the other 
 place, but this I know, there are four of 'em 
 dead as grog can make 'em." 
 
 Shingle enlivened the whole of the night by 
 his descriptions of French valour, and his extra- 
 ordinary execrations thereon ; he pulled stoutly 
 through the stream, and just at the dawn of 
 morning, had the satisfaction to find himself 
 close upon the place where the ships lay, 
 and which as I have told you, is now called 
 Quebec. 
 
 When they got on board, they Avere astonished 
 to find that those who had so unceremoniously 
 left them, had not returned. The Captain gave 
 orders for a party to go in search of them, 
 which fell in with them about four miles up the 
 river. It appeared, that fearful of being cap- 
 sized by floating trees and the rapids, they had 
 
 }■• 
 
 'J 
 
 ■f; 
 
 1 
 
 ,\V 
 
 I ) 
 
 M 
 
 . ■•■'' si 
 
 !■ 
 
 t - « . . 
 
 ' 1 . .. ' 
 
 i;, 'i:> 
 . .i 
 
 •' ■ ■ ^ 
 
 r %. 
 
 f 
 
 
I 
 
 H 
 
 t ! 
 
 m. 
 
 !i' 
 
 30 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 dropped the kedge at a secure distance from the 
 shore, and remained quietly till the day broke. 
 
 This was the first exhibition of French valour 
 and enterprise on the St. Lawrence, and is^ well 
 worthy to be recorded. As to Shingle, he ob- 
 tained the command of one of the vessels, in the 
 room of Count Rufflecuff, who was ashamed 
 ever afterwards to show his face in Canada, or 
 anywhere else. 
 
 i!i' ,i' 
 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 31 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF QUEBEC. 
 
 In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Martin Fro- 
 bisher was sent out with three ships on dis- 
 covery, and having discovered considerable 
 quantities of mundic mica or talc, which having 
 a yellow and glittering appearance, he concluded 
 to be gold, and brought home large quantities 
 of it, to the ruin of a great many adventurers, 
 who were so ignorant at that time as not to know 
 talc from gold. As to Canada at this period, it 
 seemed to be quite neglected. The French paid 
 little attention to it, and the few descendants 
 left by Cartier, were unheeded and unsuccoured. 
 
 ' ' I 
 
 II 
 
 
 w 
 
 k 
 
 f 
 
 fl. 
 
 ^ 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 r 
 
 Ami 
 
 '■'■vmM 
 
 ■ m 
 
'iil 
 
 32 
 
 PKTER PARLEY S 
 
 I 
 
 M 
 
 IV 
 
 w 
 
 'Hi 
 
 liii tii 
 
 '11 n 
 
 About the year 1 598, Henry the Fourth, king of 
 France, appointed the Marquis de la Loche, 
 his Lieutenant-General in Canada, with power 
 to divide the land among such people as were 
 willing to pay for military service. This sort 
 of agreement used to be called Feudal termine. 
 On the third of July 1608, Quebec, the future 
 capital of what was to be called New France, 
 w^as founded by Samuel Champlain. At this 
 time, the various Indian tribes contiguous to the 
 new settlement, namely, the Algougains, the 
 Hurons, &c., being at war with the Iroquois, or 
 fire nation, solicited and obtained the aid of the 
 French. Champlain taught them the use of fire- 
 arms, which the Iroquois had also acquired from 
 their English friends in the adjacent territory ; 
 and hence began those cruel wars, w hich have 
 nearly exterminated the Indians of the North 
 American continent. 
 
 Quebec did not rise very rapidly as a town ; for 
 fourteen years afterwards it was only inhabited 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 by ab( 
 
 was € 
 
 Protes 
 
 of th 
 
 soldie 
 
 their 
 
 selfish 
 
 term 
 
 it. 
 
 Thi 
 suflFere 
 by a s 
 mand 
 up th 
 But p 
 declar 
 Cham] 
 Franci 
 Cover: 
 
 Aft( 
 promc 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 33 
 
 by about forty persons. A company, however, 
 was established in the territory, which excluded 
 Protestants and other heretics from all benefits 
 of the fur trade, while a body of Catholic 
 soldiers was raised, to protect the company in 
 their selfish bigotry. What a wicked thing 
 selfishness io, and as to bigotry I do not know^ a 
 term bad enough to express my abhorrence of 
 it. 
 
 This wicked compact was not, however, 
 suffered to prosper. The French were attacked 
 by a squadron of English vessels, under the com- 
 mand of Sir David Kertk, who then advanced 
 up the St. Lawrence, and captured Quebec. 
 But peace between England and France being 
 declared, Quebec was ceded to the latter, while 
 Champlain the founder of it, came back from 
 France, to which he had retired, to assume the 
 Governorship of the territory. 
 
 After this, the emigration to New France was 
 promoted by every possible means by the French 
 
 '•!: 
 
 ,1 
 
 1 
 
 ! 1 ' . 
 
 Si ■• 
 
 •a 
 
 
 i= • 
 
 :*ili 
 
 J 
 
i I 
 
 I 
 
 !i^ 
 
 !:i 1 
 
 i 
 
 t!i!. ■ 
 
 1:1 iill' 
 
 '.i'M " 
 
 I' 
 I: 
 
 -M{ r<'Hil>' 
 
 « 
 
 'f iRi 
 
 34 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 Government, and a martial spirit was imparted 
 to the population, by the settling down of one 
 thousand soldiers into a civil colony. War was 
 at this time waging by the French colonists, 
 against the Iroquois, or Mohawk Indians, who 
 were then in alliance with the English colonists, 
 then occupying the territories about New York ; 
 and a French army consisting of twenty-eight 
 companies of regular troops, and the whole 
 militia of the country, marched seven hundred 
 miles from Quebec into the Mohawk territory, 
 during the depth of winter, for the purpose of 
 utterly extirpating the Indians ; who, however, 
 retired into the depth of their native forests, 
 leaving only a few women and children, whom 
 the French slew in cold-blooded cruelty. And 
 what do you think, my young friends ? this mas- 
 sacre was celebrated in the church, or cathedral 
 of Quebec, by a I'e Deum, that is, a solemn 
 thanksgiving to God! When will mankind 
 learn that God is a God of love and peace ? 
 
 
 Frc 
 contii 
 powei 
 Englij 
 which 
 ants 
 Amer 
 sions 
 ing ar 
 on, to 
 
 At 
 the In 
 nearly 
 prevai 
 them, 
 Eiiglii 
 The I 
 quart( 
 death- 
 simvdt 
 slain 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 35 
 
 From this time the French Canadian settlers 
 continued to increase^ and just as they rose in 
 power, began to assume an insolent air to the 
 English settlers, on the New England frontier, 
 which, you know, is possessed by the descend- 
 ants of the same people, whom we call the 
 Americans. The Canadians then made asrirres 
 sions upon the British territories, and a harras- 
 ing and destructive border warfare was ca/ried 
 on, to the distress of both parties. 
 
 At first, the French Canadians had the help of 
 the Indians, and could command the assistance of 
 nearly all the tribes ; but the English, seeing this, 
 prevailed upon some of the aborigines to assist 
 them, and this turned the scale in favour of the 
 English. The war now became doubly dreadful. 
 The Indians, ferocious in the extreme, gave no 
 quarter. The war-whoop of the victor and the 
 death-shriek of the vanquished were almost 
 simultaneous ; and, while the body of the 
 slain served as food to the savage, the scalp 
 
 u 2 
 
 1^ 
 
 ■I ( 
 
 •1 ' 
 
 !5 - |- 
 
 I 
 
 ^J 
 
 i" 
 
 tlii^il;.:!' 
 
 
 'r:U 
 
 '^?'k 
 
 \u •: I 
 
 M. 
 
 i:^'« 
 
 
 
 \.-W 
 
 'Hi 
 
36 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 
 YM 
 
 
 ;i ' 
 
 t ! 
 
 fe'i 
 
 iH 
 
 il- 1 
 
 i^ 
 
 of the white man was a trophy of glory, and a 
 booty of considerable value to the possessor : 
 for to the dishonour of the French be it spoken, 
 forty livres were paid for every Englishman's 
 scalp so taken. Does this not make you 
 shudder? 
 
 But this was not so bad as some things that 
 W'Cre done, even according to the French ac- 
 counts. On one occasion the French sent a 
 strong force into the country, to revenge the 
 slaughter the Indians had made at Montreal 
 sometime before, and massacred a large number 
 of the unresisting Indian inhabitants of Shenec- 
 taday. The Indians whom the French took 
 prisoners in this affair, were cut into pieces^ and 
 boiled to make soup for the Indian allies^ who 
 accompanied the French. This, I suppose, was 
 what the French called, giving a specimen of 
 European colonization and civil polity. 
 
 The massacre of the Indians at Shenectaday 
 by the French, made the Iroquois and other 
 
 natio 
 
 Frenc 
 
 were 
 
 Engh 
 
 to pn 
 
 part 
 
 with J 
 
 by ses 
 
 mana^ 
 
 EngUs 
 
 waitin 
 
 When 
 
 also ; 
 
 engine 
 
 Thei 
 
 and Fi 
 
 obtain 
 
 Englis! 
 
 the ar 
 
 But, if 
 
 fight a 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 37 
 
 nations more attached to the English ; and the 
 French instead of being able to act as aggressors, 
 were forced to defend themselves. The New 
 England colonists fitted out an expedition, part 
 to proceed by land to the French territories, and 
 part by sea. A fleet, under Sir W. Phipps, 
 with 8 small army on board, was sent round 
 by sea to attack Quebec, but owing to unskilful 
 management the expedition entirely failed. The 
 English fleet first attacked Quebec, without 
 waiting for the land forces, and were beaten. 
 When the land forces arrived they were beaten 
 also ; so that they were beaten in detail, as the 
 engineers say. 
 
 There was a vast diff'erence between the English 
 and French at this time. The French were for 
 obtaining military powder and conquest. The 
 English wished only to extend trade, science, and 
 the arts, in a liberal spirit, undisturbed by w ar. 
 But, if one man w ill fight, the other must either 
 fight and defend himself, or run away and get 
 
 ■ :=' \ 
 
 
 
 ;■ ') 
 
 I ( 
 
 I 
 
 
 ii 
 
 
 I I 
 
 
 ■I 
 
 
 ■- Is 
 
38 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 ■i I, 
 
 i . 
 
 iii 
 
 •l 
 
 I !' 
 
 t 
 
 I' 
 
 Sill 
 
 ii H 
 
 ipff' 
 
 111 ,!*■' 
 
 a 
 
 laughed at. Tlie English, though very pacific, 
 are not disposed to do the latter. 
 
 The French Canadians were determined, if 
 possible, to have all the land for themselves ; 
 and in the year 1726, the country was put under 
 the government of the Marquis de Beauharnois, 
 a son of the king of France, who seemed bent 
 on aggrandizing his cw n nation at the expense 
 of the English, and to confine them to the 
 boundary of the Alleghany mountains, and pre- 
 vent their approach to the lakes, the St. Law- 
 rence, and the Mississipi. He and his soldiers 
 w^ent in great pomp and parade to fix the line 
 of boundary, over w hich the English were not to 
 pass ; leaden plates were sunk, and high posts 
 were set up, emblazoned with the walls of 
 France ; and so much haughtiness and cupidity 
 were displayed, that the Indians were alarmed, 
 and joined the English in the determination to 
 expel the French entirely, if they did not act 
 more fairly. 
 
 Aftj 
 their 
 seizec 
 very i 
 posse 
 JEnglii 
 ticula 
 a gari 
 the a 
 On hi 
 longii 
 who t 
 peril, 
 ketry. 
 his m 
 soon J 
 Wash 
 
 ^hi 
 The 1 
 Marq 
 but n 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 39 
 
 After this, the French continued to enforce 
 their power whenever they could. They often 
 seized the English as prisoners, and treated them 
 very severely. They erected forts to keep the 
 possessions they claimed as theirs, and then the 
 English were forced to do the same ; one in par- 
 ticular, called Fort Necessity, was erected, and 
 a garrison was dispatched from Virginia, under 
 the afterwards celebrated George Washington. 
 On his march, he was stopped by the troops be- 
 longing to another fort, under M. De Jamouville, 
 who told the English to go no further at their 
 peril. This was answered by a volley of mus- 
 ketry, which killed Jamouville and several of 
 his men. The French commandant, however 
 soon after invested Fort Necessity, and obliged 
 Washington to capitulate. 
 
 "things went on in this way for some time. 
 The last French Governor in Canada, was the 
 Marquis De Vaudreuil, who defeated our brave 
 but rash General Braddock, in one of the defiles 
 
 ;■ • I'l 
 
 U' .:! 
 
 Nt^ 
 
 rabi 
 
\i 
 
 40 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 
 I • 
 
 i 
 
 !i ;» 
 
 11!- 
 
 
 T1 
 
 in rnnt 
 
 ''i 
 
 of the Alleghany mountains. He had entered 
 a gorge of the mountains where retreat was im- 
 
 
 possible, and volleys of musketry were poured 
 
 upon him and his followers, from the heights 
 and bushes surrounding him, without his even 
 
 seeinj 
 and i 
 Wash 
 army 
 provii 
 theFr 
 Fra 
 troop 
 the M 
 forts, 
 AmonI 
 was i 
 prison 
 were 1 
 to Fo 
 Frenc] 
 notpr 
 and t] 
 and n 
 Ameri 
 fall of 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 41 
 
 seeing his assailants. Braddock fell at the onset, 
 and it was with great difficulty, that George 
 Washington rescued the remainder of the British 
 army. After this, the army was recruited by 
 provincials, and then attacked three thousand of 
 the French, commanded by the Baron Deiskau. 
 
 France now sent out a large body of chosen 
 troops, under .ne command of Major General 
 the Marquis De Montcalm, who invested several 
 forts, and forced the Governors to surrender. 
 Among other forts, one called Fort George, 
 was invested and captured, and the English 
 prisoners, amounting to two thousand men, 
 were brutally massacred, whilst on their march 
 to Fort Edward, by the Indian allies of the 
 French, the latter pretending that they could 
 not prevent it. Nobody, however, believed them, 
 and this monstrous act roused the indignation 
 and rage of the English, both in England and in 
 America to such a pitch, as to hasten the down- 
 fall of the dominion of the French in Canada. 
 
 If 
 
 i 
 
 \ -i 
 
 1 t 
 
 4' i 
 
 
 r 
 
 
 
 
42 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 I li 
 
 '. ti 
 
 y-r 
 
 
 $i 
 
 ^^:: 
 
 m 
 
 ■M !(-• 
 
 France reinforced her Canadian garrisons, but 
 Pitt, Earl of Chatham, then Prime Minister, in- 
 fused such a noble spirit into the councils of the 
 king and the British people, that it was re- 
 solved to invade Canada, and expel the French ; 
 twenty ships of the line, twelve frigates, two 
 fifty-gun ships, and fourteen smaller vessels, 
 were destined for this enterprise. The force 
 was divided, so as to make an attack in three 
 points, but Quebec was the chief point of attack. 
 The forces for this place, were under the com- 
 mand of the heroic General Wolfe, and amounted 
 to about eight thousand men. The Marquis de 
 Montcalm made vigorous preparations for de- 
 fending Quebec ; his force consisted of about 
 thirteen thousand men. Wolfe made an attack 
 on his entrenchments^ which were arranged from 
 the falls of Montmorency to the river St. Law- 
 rence^ with a view of opposing the landing of 
 the British forces. Wolfe was unsuccessful in 
 this attack^ having one hundred and eighty-two 
 
 menk 
 In CG 
 patche 
 able U 
 
 Wl 
 how 
 aggre 
 the r 
 India 
 
 i^ 
 
# 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 43 
 
 men killed, and four hundred and fifty w ouuded. 
 In consequence of this repulse, he sent dis- 
 patches to England, stating his doubts of being 
 able to reduce Quebec during that campaign. 
 
 v~=-- ■^^•' '///-j^ ■ ■'■ .'^■^ - ' ' 
 
 
 FaUi of Monhiiorency. 
 
 While the army of Wolfe was uncertain as to 
 how it should proceed, it was open to continual 
 aggressions and annoyances, not so much from 
 the regular troops of the French, as from the 
 Indian warriors or hunters, whom they had 
 
 
 
 •1 
 
 \ 
 
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 1 
 
 U: 
 
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 f 
 
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 enlisted in their service. These sallied out of 
 their impenetrable forests and jungles, and with 
 their arrows and tomahawks, committed deadly 
 waste upon the British army, surprising their 
 sentinels, cutting off stragglers, and even when 
 the alarm was given, and pursuit commenced, 
 they fled with a swiftness, that the speed of 
 cavalry could not overtake, into rocks and fast- 
 nesses, whither it was dangerous to follow 
 them. 
 
 In order to limit as far as possible this species 
 of war, in which there was so much loss and so 
 little honour. It was the custom with every 
 regiment, to extend its outposts to a great dis- 
 tance beyond the encampments ; to station sen- 
 tinels some miles in the woods, and keep a con- 
 stant guard round the main body. 
 
 A regiment of foot was at this time stationed 
 upon the confines of an almost boundless 
 Savannah. Its particular office was to guard 
 every avenue of approach to the main body ; 
 
 I '^;' 
 
 lils:.H 
 
I 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA 
 
 45 
 
 the sentinels, whose posts penetrated into the 
 woods, were supplied from the ranks, and the 
 service of this regiment was thus more hazard- 
 ous than that of any other. Its loss was like- 
 wise great. The sentinels were perpetually sur- 
 prized upon their posts by the Indians, and were 
 borne off their stations, without communicating 
 any alarm or being heard of afterwards. 
 
 Not a trace was left of the manner in which 
 they had been conveyed away, except upon one 
 or t^^ o occasions a few drops of blood had ap- 
 peared upon the leaves which covered the 
 ground. Many imputed this unaccountable dis- 
 appearance to treachery ; and suggested, as an 
 unanswerable argument, that the men thus sur- 
 prised, ought at least to have fired off their mus- 
 kets, and communicated the alarm to the conti- 
 guous posts ; others, who could not be brought 
 to consider it treachery, were content to receive 
 it as a mystery which time would reveal. 
 
 One morning the sentinels having been posted 
 
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46 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 as usual over night, the guard went at sun-rise 
 to relieve a post, which extended to a consider- 
 able distance into the wood. The sentinel was 
 gone ! The surprise was great, but the circum- 
 stance had occurred before. They left another 
 man and departed wishing him better luck. 
 '' You need not be afraid/' said the poor fellow 
 with warmth; " and I have too much British 
 blood in me for that." 
 
 The relief company returned to the guard- 
 house. The sentinels were replaced every four 
 hours, and at the appointed time the guard again 
 marched to relieve the post. To their inex- 
 pressible astonishment, the guard w^as gone ! 
 They searched round the spot, but no traces 
 could be found of his disappearance ; another 
 man was left, and again at the appointed time 
 the guard visited the place, but as on former 
 occasions, the man had vanished. The rumour 
 of these sudden disappearances had awakened 
 the superstitions of the soldiers, and the terror 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 47 
 
 ran through the regiment, till it reached the ears 
 of Wolfe, who immediately hastened with his 
 staff to the spot. Every part of the surround- 
 ing district was examined, but without effect; 
 the man was gone. Wolfe hesitated whether he 
 should place a whole company on the spot, or 
 again submit the post to a single sentinel. The 
 cause of these sudden disappearances of men, 
 whose courage and honesty it was wrong to sus- 
 pect, must be discovered; and it seemed not 
 likely that this discovery could be obtained by 
 persisting in the old method. Three apparently 
 brave men were already lost to the regiment, 
 and to assign the post to a fourth, seemed 
 nothing less then giving him up to destruction. 
 The poor fellow whose turn it was to take the 
 station, though a man in other respects of good 
 courage, trembled from head to foot. 
 
 " I will have no man," said Wolfe, " against 
 his will." 
 
 A man immediately stepped from the ranks 
 
 
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48 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 and oflFered to take the post, in the true spirit 
 of a British soldier. 
 
 " No, no, my good fellow," said Wolfe. " This 
 is a post of danger, and there is a mystery about 
 it of the highest importance to unravel. I will 
 myself hold this post, and it shall go hard, but 
 I discover the cause of these sudden disappear- 
 ances of my brave companions." 
 
 The staff in vain endeavoured to persuade the 
 General, to have some one or more of the soldiers 
 with him. "No," said he, "that will defeat 
 my object. All that I require is, that the mo- 
 ment you hear the report of fire-arms, to hasten 
 to the spot as quick as possible." 
 
 Wolfe now equipped himself in the soldier's 
 great coat, knapsack, and cap, and shouldering 
 his musket, took his station on the spot. " Now," 
 said he, " retire ; but be sure of this, if a leaf 
 falls, or a bird chatters, or ought occurs to give 
 the least occasion of alarm, I will fire. It is for 
 you to answer it." 
 
 !1 
 
 ,J 
 
s 
 
 9» 
 
 TALES A. OUT CANADA. 
 
 49 
 
 The staff and picquet company retired, and 
 General Wolfe was left by himself, prepared for 
 some strange adventure, the nature of which he 
 could not guess. More than an hour elapsed, 
 and not the slightest indication of any molesta- 
 tion occurred ; another hour passed by, and it 
 was now dead midnight. It was a still calm 
 night, and the stars stood brightly in the clear 
 blue of a Canadian sky. Presently the grunt- 
 ing of a hog was heard among the underwood, 
 at no great distance ; but as it was common for 
 those animals, at that season of the year, to be 
 hunting for the oak and beech-mast, Wolfe did 
 not look upon it in the light of an intruder, but 
 rather as a companion to him in his solitude. 
 
 Wolfe stood still, and observed the animal 
 pushing his way beneath the long grass, roots, 
 and fallen leaves, every now and then adding to 
 his progress the music of a grunt. The General 
 kept his eyes vigilantly fixed upon it, more for 
 the sake of observing its motions, than from 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 any apprehension of it. The animal seemed to 
 make for a thick coppice immediately behind 
 where he stood. Just as it approached the 
 thicket, it seemed to give an unusual spring, 
 much too nimble for a hog. Conviction now 
 flashed across the mind of Wolfe, and at the 
 same moment he discharged hib piece, and the 
 animal was immediately stretched out before 
 him, with a groan, which proved it to be a human 
 creature. He went up to it and discovered, 
 what he expected, that it was an Indian in this 
 strange disguise. 
 
 In a few minutes after the discharge of the 
 piece, the company, which had retired, rushed to 
 the post, and there found their General advanc- 
 ing towards them, dragging a strange-looking 
 thing towards them, which might have passed 
 for Caliban, in Shakspeare's play of the Tem- 
 pest. 
 
 When they examined the object in the guard- 
 house, they found that the Indian had enveloped 
 
 I 
 
 himse 
 artful 
 were i 
 appea 
 imper 
 the t 
 scarce 
 stailig 
 tomah 
 misch 
 The 
 sentin 
 shelte 
 in the 
 could 
 withoi 
 give 
 pieces 
 bore t 
 some 
 arose 
 
 'M 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 51 
 
 % 
 
 { 
 
 •d- 
 
 himself in the skin of one of the wild hogs so 
 artfully and completely, his hands and feet 
 were so entirely concealed in it, and his gait and 
 appearance had so exactly corresponded, that 
 imperfectly as they are always seen, through 
 the trees and jungles, the disguise could be 
 scarcely penetrated by daylight, much less by 
 stailight. He was armed with a dagger and 
 tomahawk, and completely equipped for doing 
 mischief. 
 
 The cause of the disappearance of the other 
 sentinels was now apparent. The Indians, 
 sheltered in this disguise, secreted themselves 
 in the coppice, watched the moment when they 
 could throw it oflF^ burst upon the sentinels, 
 without any previous alarm, and too quick to 
 give them an opportunity to discharge their 
 pieces, either stabbed or scalped them, and 
 bore their bodies away, which they concealed at 
 some distance among the leaves. This practice 
 arose entirely from the French giving a hand- 
 
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 ^}^JA 
 
 ■ u 
 
 
 
52 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 M'f 
 
 ii ii lii: 
 
 some reward for every English head or scalp 
 brought to them. 
 
 I need not tell you, that this noble, courageous, 
 and considerate conduct of General Wolfe, 
 endeared him greatly to the whole army. The 
 General who shares to the fullest extent the 
 dangers of his men, and who is never unwilling 
 to take the most hazardous posts, is the only 
 man to succeed in the command of an army : 
 such were Wolfe, Washington, and Wellington. 
 
 I I : «'^ 
 
 I Am 
 
 !^... 
 
I I 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA 
 
 53 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 THE TAKING OF QUEBEC. 
 
 Prudence and foresight should be the charac- 
 teristics of everybody. No one can do without 
 these two Httle virtues^ which are not thought 
 half so much of, in this world, as they ought to 
 be. Prudence and forethought, valuable as they 
 are to every man, are much more valuable to 
 the General of an army. Wolfe possessed these 
 virtues in a high degree ; and after this strange 
 affair with the Canadian hog, he immediately 
 called a council of war. He showed, that the 
 fire of the ships in the late attack, which had 
 passed and repassed Quebec, had done little 
 
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 'JX: 
 
54 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 11 ' ,h 
 
 damage to the citadel, though the lower town 
 had been nearly destroyed. He proved, that 
 further attacks on the Montmorency intrench- 
 ments were hopeless; and he, therefore, pro- 
 posed, as the only chance of success, to gain the 
 heights of Abraham, behind the city, which 
 commanded the weakest part of the fortress. 
 
 This was no sooner proposed than it was 
 agreed to, and no sooner agreed to than it was 
 put into execution, with an address, secrecy, and 
 silence, which have never been surpassed in 
 warfare. The soldiers had to climb up the 
 precipice, by the aid of branches of shrubs, and 
 roots of trees growing among the rocks. The 
 attempt was made in the darkness of the night, 
 and in the morning, the whole British force was 
 ranged in order of battle on the heights, to the 
 perfect astonishment of De Montcalm, who 
 thought such a feat quite impossible. But the 
 word impossible is not Tound in the English 
 soldier's dictionary. 
 
 "^ 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 55 
 
 ill 
 
 De Montcalm immediately prepared to meet 
 the British, and sallied forth from his strong 
 fortress with the greatest celerity, and the 
 English prepared to meet them, with the most 
 determinate coolness. Both armies were almost 
 without artillery, the French having but two guns, 
 and the English only one, which the sailors had 
 dragged up the heights with ropes. When the 
 armies met, therefore, the sabre and the bayonet 
 decided the contest ; the French fought with 
 great desperation and fury, owing to their 
 having been excited by the French priests 
 against the English heretics. Both generals 
 headed their respective armies ; De Montcalm 
 was as brave as his illustrious opponent, and 
 both rushed with eagerness into the thickest of 
 the fight, each eager to turn, with his presence, 
 the fortune of the day. Wolfe charged at the 
 head of the grenadiers of the 22nd, 40th, and 
 45th regiments, and pressed on with every 
 chance of victory. He had been wounded in the 
 
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 56 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 early part of the battle, but refused to leave the 
 field : faint with the loss of blood, and over- 
 powered with the exertion of the last bold 
 charge, he staggered, and leaned against the 
 shoulders of one of his officers, while the purple 
 stream of life ebbed away from his heart. Just 
 as he was sinking to the earth, he heard the cry, 
 ''They run! they run!" "Who run?" ex- 
 claimed the dying hero. " The French," re- 
 turned his supporter. " Then I die contented,'" 
 were the last w ords of a Briton, who expired 
 in the arms of victory. 
 
 Almost at the same moment the French 
 general perished, rejoicing in his last moments, 
 that he should not live to witness the surrender 
 of Quebec ; and both the conquered and con- 
 querors joined in their tribute of admiration to 
 the memory of these two heroes^ for Montcalm 
 was a brave soldier, and was greatly lamented 
 by all parties. 
 
 This battle decided the fate of the French 
 
 B^' 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 57 
 
 dominions in Canada. Five days after^ the 
 citadel of Quebec was surrendered, and occu- 
 pied by General Murray with a force of five 
 thousand men, and the British fleet sailed for 
 England. 
 
 No people had more cause for gratitude than 
 the Canadians had, for this capture of their 
 country, as they had been vilely plundered, in 
 every sort of way, by the Frenciu The English 
 acted with great forbearance and generosity, 
 and showed that the government at home nad 
 the sole good of the colonists at heart; and 
 that to improve their situation, and to make 
 them free British subjects was the great aim. 
 
 The population of Canada, on her conquest 
 by the British, was only about 65,000, inhabit- 
 ing a narrow slip of land on the banks of the 
 St. Lawrence, and chiefly employed in agricul- 
 ture ; but few as were the numbers, their condi- 
 tion was equally to be improved, and it was the 
 ambition of England to improve it. 
 
 
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 Things went on smoothly in Canada for some 
 time, till, in the year 1775, the British Colonists 
 in North America, cast off their allegiance to 
 England, and styled themselves Americans. 
 They had no sooner established their independ- 
 ence, but they attempted to seize on Canada, 
 which but a few years before they had assisted 
 the English in conquering from the French. The 
 American forces, therefore, invaded Canada by 
 Lake Champlain, and from the sources of the Ken- 
 nebec river, under Major Montgomery. They 
 took Montreal, Chamby, St. John's, and Lon- 
 guevil ; which you should look for in the map, to 
 enable you to understand what I am talking 
 about. Another division of the army, under 
 Colonel Arnold, was not so successful ; though it 
 might have taken Quebec, as it was at that 
 time almost defenceless, from the British gene- 
 ral Corleton, having left it to attack Mont- 
 gomery ; but finding Arnold approaching, he dex- 
 terously contrived to elude him, and arrived 
 
 at G 
 
 state 
 W 
 he fc 
 althc 
 men, 
 to re 
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 moni 
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 imm 
 
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 milit 
 
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 [i: ■ 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 59 
 
 -J 
 
 at Quebec just in time to put it in a proper 
 state of defence. 
 
 When Montgomery arrived before the place, 
 he found it in a gallant posture of defence, and, 
 although the whole force amounted only to 1800 
 men, 450 of which were seamen, determined 
 to resist till the last. ?.Iontgomery besieged or 
 blockaded the town through the whole of the 
 month of December, and on the last night of the 
 same, under the cover of a furious snow-storm, 
 approached the citadel with a view to carry it 
 by storming. He came cautiously and silently 
 on, trusting to the howling of the elements to 
 drown the sound of the footsteps of his troops ; 
 but a vigilant sentinel heard the approach, and 
 immediately challenged the intruders ; receiving 
 no answer, he roused the British guard, and in 
 a few minutes, the English troops, and Canadian 
 militia, opened a tremendous fire on the enemy 
 from the artillery, which commanded the path 
 by which Montgomery's troops w^ere approach- 
 
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60 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 ing. The groans and bowlings of the number 
 that were shot or maimed, immediately revealed 
 the enemy ; and when every sound, in answer to 
 the fire, had died away, then only did the be- 
 sieged give over firing. 
 
 In the morning, when they looked over the 
 ramparts, not a trace was to be seen of the 
 murderous work, for nature had wrapped the 
 dead in her winding-sheet of snow. Montgo- 
 mery had fallen in the carnage. Although a few 
 severe attacks were made by his successors in 
 command, yet the siege was raised in May, 
 and the Americans went back to their own 
 country. 
 
 From this time, 17765 to 1812, Canada remained 
 in a state of tranquillity, and free from foreign 
 aggression ; and like all other people enjoying 
 peace, soon began to feel prosperity. The popu- 
 lation increased, and the arts and manufactures 
 began to improve the physical and mental con- 
 dition of the people. But in this year^ the 
 
 Ame 
 land 
 that 
 side. 
 Bi 
 farf 
 the 1 
 the 1 
 then 
 agaii 
 cans 
 ther 
 Glue( 
 ment 
 mish 
 rally 
 still 
 disaj 
 force 
 the 
 publi 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 61 
 
 Americans resolved to declare war against Eng- 
 land and invade Canada, and they supposed 
 that the mass of the people would turn on their 
 side. 
 
 But they were quite mistaken in this ; for so 
 far from the people of Canada wishing to assist 
 the Americans, they were very well satisfied with 
 the English Government, and prepared to defend 
 themselves, and soon beat the Americans back 
 again. But this was not enough for the Ameri- 
 cans ; for a few months after they collected ano- 
 ther force, and crossed into Upper Canada at 
 Gueenston, and overpowered the small detach- 
 ment stationed there. After this several skir- 
 mishes and signal engagements took place, gene- 
 rally to the disadvantage of the Americans. But 
 still they continued hostilities, and after the ice 
 disappeared, they set out with a superior naval 
 force, and landed and took possession of York, 
 the capital of Upper Canada, destroyed the 
 public buildings, wreaked their vengeance on a 
 
 ' \ If!: 
 
 rl 
 
 
 
 '1 
 
 
62 
 
 PETER PARLE"Y S 
 
 M 
 
 R\%^'. 
 
 printing press, and destroyed the frame of a 
 ship building for the British service on the lake. 
 
 They also carried on their war with vigour, and 
 had very nearly conquered Upper Canada, but 
 were at last driven back ; and the English reta- 
 liated upon the American frontiers. 
 
 Although most of the Indians were very fero- 
 cious, yet still there were some who had the 
 feelings of men. I will relate a story to you, 
 which will illustrate what I mean- 
 
 During the wars, a company of the Indians 
 attacked a small detachment of the British 
 troops and defeated them. As the Indians had 
 greatly the advantage in swiftness of foot, and 
 were eager in the pursuit, very few of the fugi- 
 tives escaped, and those who fell into the enemies' 
 hands were treated with a cruelty too horrible 
 to mention. Two of the Indians came up with 
 a young officer and attacked him with great fury. 
 As they were armed with tomahawks he had no 
 hope of escape, and thought only of selling his 
 
 life 
 
 anot 
 
 vane 
 
 arrov 
 but a 
 denly 
 fared 
 about 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 63 
 
 ii 
 
 life as dearly as he could ; but just at this crisis 
 another Indian came up, who seemed to be ad- 
 vanced in years, and was armed with bow and 
 
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 I 
 
 11, 
 
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 MM 
 
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 arrows. The old man instantly drew his bow, 
 but after having taken aim at the officer, he sud- 
 denly dropped the point of his arrow, and inter- 
 fered between him and his pursuers, who were 
 about to cut him to pieces. They returned at 
 
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 M 
 
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 r 
 
 
64 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 
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 111 
 
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 his bidding. The old man then took the officer 
 by the hand, soothed him into confidence by his 
 caresses, and having conducted him to his hut, 
 treated him with a kladness which did honour 
 to his profession. 
 
 He made him his companion, taught him the 
 language of the country, and instructed him in 
 the rude arts that are practised by the Indians. 
 They lived together for a long time in the most 
 cordial amity, and tlie young officer found no- 
 thing to regret, but that sometimes the old man 
 fixed his eyes upon him, and regarding him for 
 some minutes with a steady and silent attention, 
 burst into tears. 
 
 In the mean time the spring returned, and the 
 IndianSjhaving recourse to their arms, again took 
 the field. The old man, who was still vigorous, 
 and able to bear the fatigues of war, set out 
 with them, and was accompanied by his prisoner. 
 
 They marched above two hundred leagues 
 across the forest, and came at last to a plain 
 
 ?t 
 
 rani 
 Wil 
 hat 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 65 
 
 I 
 
 where the British forces were encamped. The 
 old man showed his prisoner the tents at a dis- 
 tance, at the same time remarked his countenance 
 with the most diligent attention. " There/' said 
 he, '' are thy countrymen ; there is the enemy 
 who waits to give us battle. Remember that I 
 have saved thy life, that I have taught thee to 
 construct a canoe, and to arm thyself with bow 
 and ariow, to surprise the beaver in the forest, 
 to wield the tomahawk, and to scalp the enemy. 
 What wast thou when I first took thee to my 
 hut ? Thy hands were like those of an infant, 
 fit neither to procure thee sustenance nor safety. 
 Thy soul wa^ in utter darkness, thou w^ast igno- 
 rant of every thing, and thou owest much to me. 
 Wilt thou go over to thy nation and take up the 
 hatchet against us ?" 
 
 The officer x'eplied, that he w ould rather lose 
 his own life, than take away that of his deli- 
 verer. 
 
 The Indian then bending down his head, and 
 
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 m 
 \ iff 
 
 ■Hi 
 
 ■11,] 
 
66 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 covering his face with both his hands, stood 
 some time silent. Then looking earnestly at his 
 prisoner, and in a voice softened by tenderness 
 and grief, said, " Hast thou a Father ?" 
 
 "My Father/' said the young man, "was 
 alive when I left my country." 
 
 "Alas!" said the Indian, "how wretched 
 must he be." He paused a moment, and then 
 added, "Dost thou know that I have been a 
 father ? I am a father no more. I saw my son 
 fall in battle ; he fought by my side ; I saw him 
 expire ; but he died like a man. He was covered 
 with wounds when he fell dead at my feet ; but 
 I have revenged him." He pronounced these 
 words with the utmost vehemence, his body 
 shook with a universal tremor, and he was almost 
 stifled with sighs that he would not suffer to 
 escape him. There was a keen restlessness in 
 his eye; but no tear would flow to his relief. 
 At length he became calm by degrees, and turn- 
 ing towards the east, where the sun was then 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 67 
 
 rising, " Dost thou see," said he to the young 
 officer, " the beauty of that sky which sparkles 
 with prevailing day, and hast thou pleasure in 
 that siffht ?" 
 
 _^ /'^^T-V* 
 
 
 • .-^h 
 
 x-^-f 
 
 ■'C-r. 
 
 " Ye. ," replied the young officer, " I have 
 pleasure ia the beauty of so Tine a sky." 
 
 F 2 
 
 IV.\ 
 
 
()8 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 im" 
 
 
 " I have none," said the Indian ; and his tears 
 then found their w ay. 
 
 A few minutes after, he showed the yoiuig 
 man a magnolio in full bloom. " Dost thou see 
 that beautiful tree," said he, "and dost thou 
 look upon it with pleasure ? " 
 
 "ies;' replied the officer, "I do look with 
 pleasuio oi^ that beautiful tree." 
 
 '^ I have pleasure in looking upon it no more/' 
 said the Indian hastily ; and immediately added, 
 " Go, return back, that thy father may still have 
 pleasure when he sees the sun rise in the morn- 
 ing, and the trees blossom in the spring." 
 
 The Americans still continued their attack 
 upon our Canadian provinces, and penetrated 
 more than a hundred miles into Upper Canada, 
 plundering the property, and destroying the 
 dwellings of the loyal inhabitants. But the Bri- 
 tish were too active for them, and some British 
 naval officers and seamen, sent overland from 
 York, captured, in open boats, two American 
 
 i 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 69 
 
 armed schooners, on Lake Huron ; and prepara- 
 tions were making to secure the command of 
 the lake, and even recover '> hat of Lake Erie ; 
 but just at this auspicious aoment, news was 
 brought that a treaty of peace was signed be- 
 tween the United States and Great Britain, on 
 the 18th of February, 1815. But this treaty was 
 considered by no means honourable to England ; 
 it was a good t^ir , however, for the Americans, 
 who were ext^cn ely pleased to get quietly away 
 from a place in which they were sure to be 
 beaten. 
 
 Well, it seems strange to old Peter Parley, 
 that a nation like England, which had stood 
 against the greatest military power in the world, 
 when all other nations had been humbled by it, 
 should have been glad to make peace without 
 securing the country from further aggression ; 
 and I do not think the Government acted fairly 
 to the people. 
 
 It was rather strange that when Canada 
 
 'W 
 
 I'll 
 
 
 
 'ii 
 

 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 \vaiited defence, and England had plenty of 
 ships and men, that they should not have sent 
 a good force to protect the loyal people. 
 When England had sent an army into the United 
 States, and made the Americans suffer for 
 meddling with vvhat did not belong to them, 
 then she might have concluded a peace. But 
 I suppose it is best as it is. Heaven knows 
 we have had quite enough of war, and ''To 
 study to be quiet and attend to our own busi- 
 ness," is as good for nations as individuals. 
 
 I have now told you all I can recollect about 
 the history of the Canadas, and some things that 
 befel the early settlers and the fighting people. 
 I shall now give you a description of the coun- 
 try, and about the many curious things that are 
 to be found there, and the beautiful scenery, and 
 other like matters. After this, I shall give you 
 an account of emigration to Canada, and then 
 show you the present state of the country. For 
 a while then I shall say farewell. 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 71 
 
 ri 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PARLEY GIVES A DESCRIPTION OF THE BRITISH POSSESSIONS 
 IN NORTH AMERICA, ALSO AN ACCOUNT OF HIS VOYAGE 
 ROUND THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Having told yoa a little of the history of 
 Canada, I shall now endeavour to give you some 
 notion of this interesting country, as regards its 
 geographical situation, its physical features, and 
 its natural history. That is to say, in plainer 
 language, I shall tell you about its situation in 
 relation to other parts of the globe, and its divi- 
 sions into various districts. Then I shall tell 
 you of its rivers, mountains, lakes, forests, and 
 other similar matters. Besides this, I shall give 
 you an account of the birds, beasts, and fishes. 
 
 't I I 
 
 ni 
 
72 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 and other animals common to the country, and 
 of the native inhabitants which go by the ge- 
 neral name of Indians ; so that when I have 
 finished I trust you will know a good deal about 
 Canada. 
 
 First, then, if you look at the map, you will 
 see that Canada forms a northern part of that 
 large portion of land which goes by the name 
 of North America, which lies on the opposite 
 side of the Atlantic ocean, and is about three 
 thousand miles from Great Britain. The con- 
 tinent of North America is much larger than the 
 whole of Europe, being three thousand miles 
 in breadth and almost five thousand miles in 
 length. A great portion of this continent be- 
 longs to the Americans ; and if you look in the 
 map, you will see that their territories come close 
 up to a line which is marked red on one side 
 and yellow on the other, nearly even with 
 forty-five degrees of latitude. All that portion 
 of the country which is marked by the red line 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 73 
 
 at present belongs to England, but how long it 
 will coHtinue to belong to it seems to be quite 
 uncertain. 
 
 There is a portion of the same part of the 
 continent which is bounded by the bay of Fundy 
 on the south, and the bay of Chaleur on the 
 north, with the Northumberland strait on the 
 erst. All this part is coloured green, and bears 
 the name of New Brunswick. The possessions 
 of Great Britain also comprehend this New 
 Brunswick, with Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, 
 Cape Breton, St. John's, and Prince Edward's 
 Island. The population of all these places called 
 our North American Colonies amounts to about 
 a million and half of people. 
 
 If you look at the map again, you will see a 
 large river ; now take the point of a pen and 
 traverse this river from its mouth as far as you 
 can go by water. I remember well enough when 
 I first entered this river, although I had been 
 in much larger rivers, that it struck me as being 
 
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 It'-H 
 
PETER PARLEY S 
 
 one of the most noble and majestic rivers in the 
 world. When you think of a river^ you imagine 
 a small stream that you can row across in a few 
 minutes, and see from shore to shore with the 
 greatest ease, but what would you think of the 
 American rivers, some of which are nearly five 
 hundred miles over at their mouths. The St. 
 Lawrence is not so large as this, but it is nearly 
 a hundred miles from shore to shore at its en- 
 trance, and the passengers on a ship in the 
 middle of the stream for a long way up cannot 
 see the land ; the onlv indication that I had of 
 being in the river was from now and then a bird 
 being seen winging its way across. The captain 
 of our steam ship, the Great Western, had a 
 canary, and he said he could always tell when 
 we were in the river by the cheerful motions of 
 his bird ; and I really do think that the poor 
 little fellow knew he was getting away from sea 
 danger, for he sang sweetly enough and seemed 
 as merry as a cricket. 
 
 I 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 75 
 
 When I had been in the river two days, I 
 began to catch a sight of the banks on the south 
 side, but could see little else than a blue hazy 
 looking line of what I was told was the coast ; 
 after a few hours' farther sailing, as the sun got 
 more to the westward, wild and woody moun- 
 tains began to show themsekes with their bold 
 rocky shores and sweeping bays ; to these were 
 added, as we advanced, little white specks, which 
 I was told were towns and villages to the 
 south ; at last I got a glimpse of the north side, 
 which rose up in lofty mountains and seemed 
 almost divested of verdure. 
 
 If you look in the map you will see where I 
 am now^ got to, just opposite the Isle of Bic. 
 Here I began to perceive something like civili- 
 zation ; on both sides of the river the country 
 assumed a more genial aspect ; I could see fields 
 and cottages on the sides of the mountains, and 
 what was delightful to me was the appearance 
 of here and there a village church, with its little 
 
 •f 
 
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 i 
 
76 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 spire ^^ pointing like a silent finger unto heaven." 
 Their chimes are generally made of tin. The 
 south side of the river seems to have more inha- 
 bitants than that of the north ; but then the 
 north is the most picturesque as regards the 
 natural beauty of the scenery. 
 
 Green Island, which you will see in the river, 
 if you look in the map, is thronged with villages 
 and farms on the south side ; most of the build - 
 ings have tin roofs ; that is to say, the principal 
 ones, the others are covered with shingles. As 
 to thatched or slated roofs I scarcely saw one ; 
 but the shingles soon acquire the appearance 
 of slates, and can hardly be distinguished from 
 them. 
 
 I could not but laugh at one of the buildings ; 
 and 1 found afterwards that many of the build- 
 ings in Canada were the same ; it was a rose- 
 coloured or red-house. Sometimes I have seen 
 such things in London : there is one in Bishops- 
 gate-street, at a baker's ; and a red house and a 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 n 
 
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 yellow one at Holborn Bridge^ which look 
 strange enough. These houses are painted thus 
 whimsically to increase the trade of the inhabit- 
 ants, by making them conspicuous, so that people 
 cannot pass by them without thinking of the 
 commodities sold in them. The red and coloured 
 houses of Canada are, however, a matter of ]^iire 
 taste. This house had a rose-coloured outside, 
 a rose-coloured roof, with grass-green shutters, 
 and a blue door. I dare say the occupier of it 
 thought it a very fine house, and so it was. 
 
 As I passed along, one or two other islands 
 fell in my way ; there was Crane Island, a very 
 beautiful spot ; in the background are the po- 
 pulous and lovely settlements of the colonists ; 
 behind it, to the north, rise a lofty range of 
 mountains, their sides studded with rural vil- 
 lages, pleasant farms, and fields. Gros Island 
 is also a beautiful rocky island covered with 
 groves of beech, birch, ash, and fir trees. T 
 should like to have gone ashore and explored 
 
1 
 
 78 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 
 this beautiful island, with its waving groves of 
 green, its little nooks and bays, and its pretty 
 inlets. I was, however, forced to be contented 
 with stepping ashore for an hour only, and with 
 getting a few strawberries, raspberries, and 
 flowers. This island is just five-and-twenty 
 miles from Quebec. 
 
 I next came within view^ of Quebec. On one 
 side, w hen I looked, I beheld before me an extent 
 of country richly cultivated, terminating in a 
 ridge of mountains. Quebec itself stands on 
 the sides and summit of a raagnificent rock, on 
 the highest point of whicii (Cape Diamond) 
 stands the fortress overlook) ng the river. The 
 city seems as if it had a mind to be capital over 
 the whole w^orld, as Rome once was, so proudly 
 does it tower over the whole country. 
 
 Cape Diamond is 350 feet from the water's 
 edge, and is crowned with an impregnable ci- 
 tadel surrounded by strong battlements. The 
 heights on the opposite sides of the river are 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 79 
 
 also highly picturesque. The river itself is here 
 just a mile across. There is no bridge, but this 
 inconvenience is provided against by extraor- 
 dinary large ferry boats which will take over a 
 
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 large number of men and women, horses, cows, 
 pigs, with Uicirket baskets of vegetables, hay, 'iid 
 corn, and many other things. There are foiir- 
 
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80 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 teen or fifteen of these strange-working things ; 
 and how do you think they are rowed over ? not 
 by men with oars, nor yet by steam, but by 
 horses working as they work in a mill, that work 
 round and round in the centre of the boat, by 
 which they give motion to the paddles at each 
 side. This is not quite so convenient as London 
 Bridge or the Thames Tunnel, but it does very 
 well; and the only disaster I saw was the over- 
 turning of a crate which contained half a dozen 
 pigs. These made such a strange effort to swim 
 that everybody laughed, and great sport it made 
 to some people tj see the animals taken into the 
 boat again. 
 
 Quebec is a tolerably good-sized place, the 
 population being about twenty-five thousand ; 
 the town is divided into two, one of which is 
 called the upper and the other the lower 
 town. 
 
 There are a number of fine buildings in 
 Quebec ; among the rest the castle of St. Louis, 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 81 
 
 which stands on the summit of the rock. Then 
 there is a Roman Catholic cathedral and a Pro- 
 testant cathedral. There are also barracks, 
 hospitals, the Quebec bank, and other places 
 worthy of notice. 
 
 But the fortifications of Quebec are the most 
 remarkable : cannon meets you at every step on 
 the heights. The works are exceedingly for- 
 midable, extending over more than forty acres. 
 If you go up one street, at the top of it you are 
 sure to meet a range of cannon with their 
 open mouths looking at you. If you go down 
 another, you have a range of twenty-four pounci- 
 ers staring at you, as much as to say, What 
 business have you here r I suppose if Quebec 
 was properly defended with British soldiers 
 it would be as impregnable as Gibraltar ; indeed, 
 it is called the Gibraltar of the New World. 
 
 On the w^est, in front of the citadel, are the 
 celebrated plains of Abraham, on which Wolf 
 and Montcalm fought and perished in the way 
 
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 82 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 I have told you. Lord Dalhousie has erected a 
 monument to these two rival heroes — ay, to 
 both of them, although one was the enemy of 
 Britain. This shows a noble feeling, and pleased 
 the French Canadians very much. 
 
 The monument is that of an obelisk rising 
 fi'om a sarcophagus, the former of which is 
 forty-two feet, and the other seven feet. The 
 dimensions at the base are about six feet. 
 If you can understand a bit of Latin I will give 
 you the inscription. I will not tell you its 
 meaning, because if you are learning Latin at 
 school it will be a good exercise for you to 
 translate it. If you are not learning that lan- 
 ^ uage, you will see that it is of some use. Here 
 is the inscription : 
 
 
 MORTEM VIRTUS COMMUNEM 
 
 FAMAM HISTORIA 
 
 MONUMENTUM POSTERITAS 
 
 DEBIT. 
 
 ■s^"0 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 83 
 
 If you look at the map again, you will see 
 that the St. Lawrence winds in a westerly course. 
 You must consider now that I am going to 
 Montreal, and that I am about to tell you some- 
 thing about the places between Quebec and Mont- 
 real. As soon as I had passed Quebec, I found 
 that the river widened considerably, and the 
 banks on each side were much lower, but the 
 country was very beautiful and rich in groves, 
 orchards, and corn-fields. I ought to have told 
 you that near Quebec were built those two im- 
 mense ships called the Columbus and Baron of 
 Renfrew. The length of the Columbus on deck 
 was 320 feet, breadth 50 feet, depth 40 feet ; 
 she had four gigantic masts; and 300 tons were 
 put on board of her before launching. I saw 
 this great ship lying in the Thames some years 
 ago, and I remember people used to go down 
 to look at her, and wonder however such a 
 ship could be built. 
 
 Well, to go on with my voyage up the river St. 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 Lawrence. About forty-five miles above Quebec 
 is Richelieu rapid. Perhaps you do not know 
 what I mean by a rapid, therefore I must tell 
 you. At the bottom of a river the ground or 
 bed is sometimes very uneven, there is occa- 
 sionally a considerable fall of it of many feet, 
 but pretty level of course ; when the water runs 
 over these places, as the descent is greater, it 
 runs over much more rapidly. This continue.> 
 sometimes a considerable distance, and makes 
 it rather dangerous for boats to descend the 
 river, and almost impossible to ascend it without 
 advantage is taken by keeping close to the edge, 
 or by the tides setting upwards. Such places 
 are called rapids — and rapid enough is a boat's 
 course upon them I can tell you. 
 
 I found the further I got up the country the 
 more fertile it w^as. I saw several fields of Indian 
 corn in full flower. This Indian corn is a very 
 beautiful grain, and looks extremely brilliant 
 when ripening in the sunshine. Besides this, I 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 85 
 
 saw several fields of tobacco^ which has a very 
 pretty appearance when in bloom. Here is a 
 picture of the tobacco plant : 
 
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 About six miles above the rapids the St. 
 Lawrence expands itself into a level country as 
 far as lake St. Peter, which you will see is 
 marked on the map : this is about twenty miles 
 long by fifteen broad, but very shallow. In those 
 parts of the St. Lawrence where the channel is 
 rendered difficult by shoals and banks, there are 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 posts, not much larger than pigeon houses. 
 These droll little pigmy houses are inhabited 
 by persons who light them at night to warn 
 those going up or down the river. 
 
 From this place to Montreal, the whole of the 
 scenery is very beautiful: richly-cultivated patches 
 meet your view on both sides of the river. And 
 indeed the whole district is so thickly peopled 
 as to give you the notion of a continuous vil- 
 lage. There were many little knolls of grass in 
 various parts of the river on which cows were 
 feeding, and where they are milked by going 
 over the river to them in boats. 
 
 I now came towards Montreal, which is si- 
 tuated on the left of the river, just where it 
 expands itself into a fine basin, diversified 
 with several islands, on one of which stands the 
 town. Above it rises a lofty hill, from which 
 the town takes its name, and which is a cor- 
 ruption of Mount Royal. The island is about 
 thirty miles in length and seven broad, and the 
 

 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 87 
 
 town stands on the southernmost point. The 
 mount or hill is isolated, and rises at its western 
 extremity. It is about eight hundred feet high, 
 and along its base and up its sides are inter- 
 spersed corn-fields, orchards, and villas ; above 
 which, to the very summit, trees grow in great 
 variety and luxuriance. 
 
 I was much disappointed with Montreal, after 
 what I had heard of it. The river was full of 
 floating timber, and although some tolerably 
 good wharfs have been recently built, yet the 
 town itself is far from agreeable. The whole of 
 the lower town is covered with gloomy-looking 
 houses, with dark iron shutters, and the streets 
 are dirty, narrow, and ill-paved. 
 
 If there is not much physical beauty about 
 Montreal, there is a considerable deal of moral 
 beauty to be found in the inhabitants of the city. 
 The exercise of the benevolent feelings is truly 
 delightful ; a great deal of good is done in the 
 town, and there are few persons in real dis- 
 
 
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88 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 tress but meet with kind and considerate 
 assistance. 
 
 One of the handsomest buildings in the town 
 is the Roman CathoUc cathedral; and the 
 eastern window, which is seventy feet high, 
 throws down a soft and beautiful light on the 
 gorgeous fittings up, common to a Roman Ca- 
 tholic place of worship. Besides the cathedral 
 there are several Catholic and Protestant 
 churches, meeting-houses, a guard-house, and 
 several other public buildings. 
 
 One thing that struck me is the pretty 
 manner in which the buildings fronting the 
 river are constructed. They are mostly 
 furnished with wooden balconies to the upper 
 and lower stories. They are ascended by broad 
 stairs from the outside ; and when fronting the 
 water, with a nice path leading to them, they 
 look very pretty. 
 
 If you look again at the map, you will see 
 that just above Montreal on the north side, a 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA, 
 
 89 
 
 t- 
 
 river falls into the St. Lawrence. This is called 
 the Ottawa, or Grand River, and has its origin 
 in the Lake of Temiscaming, upwards of three 
 hundred and fifty miles to the north-west. Of 
 the country through which this river runs, be- 
 yond St. Lawrence, little is known. About 
 a hundred miles up this river, there are nume- 
 rous cascades and falls, and the scenery is 
 exceedingly wild and beautiful. One of the 
 rivers that fall into the Ottawa, is called the 
 Gatineau, which is navigable for steam-boats 
 about five miles from its mouth, and is navigable 
 for three hundred miles for canoes. 
 
 There are some very grand falls on the Ottawa. 
 The principal of these are called the Chaudiere 
 falls, and these are situated at Hull township. 
 Just above these falls the Ottawa is about five 
 hundred feet in width, and its scenery and its 
 waters are all smoothness and serenity. The 
 river runs onwards with great tranquillity, till it 
 meets with those great and extraordinary chasms 
 
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90 
 
 PETER PA.RLEY S 
 
 called the Great and Little Kettle, and then it 
 bounds over the precipices, which are about sixty 
 feet high. The falls are in the centre of the 
 river, about tv^o hundred feet wide. In the 
 Great Kettle the waters are so deep that a sound- 
 ing line of three hundred feet has not found the 
 bottom. This is even a greater kettle than the 
 Earl of Norwich's Porridge Pot, of which I 
 once told you. It is supposed that there are 
 subterraneous passages which carry the water 
 beneath the river, and send it up again about 
 half a mile down. 
 
 Several remarkable occurrences have taken 
 place in these rapids and falls. One of the most 
 important related, concerned a poor traveller, or 
 rather emigrant, who passed through this district 
 to settle himself a few miles higher up. 
 
 This man's name was Jason ; and, although 
 not quite so celebrated as he of the Golden 
 Fleece, yet still his escapes and exploits are 
 
 ceL 
 spei 
 

 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 91 
 
 celebrated in the district of which I am now 
 speaking. 
 
 Jason was originally from England , but from 
 an innate propensity to a roving life, had tra- 
 velled over many parts of the worldj like Peter 
 Parley. His principal travels had, however, 
 taken place in N orth America. He had on this 
 occasion travelled overland from New York in 
 the United States to the St. Lawrence, which he 
 crossed just above Montreal. ^ 
 
 He had invented, to aid him in his journeys 
 over dykes, brooks, and rivers, a portable canoe. 
 This was made of a number of pieces of stout 
 cane, of a semi-circular form, on which was 
 stretched some oiled cloth, prepared in a parti- 
 cular manner. These parts were so arranged 
 that the canoe could be shut up into a very small 
 compass, much after the same manner that a 
 pair of bellows is closed together ; at the same 
 time it could be extended by little sticks called 
 
 
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92 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 stretchers, to the length of several feet. Here 
 is a picture of Jason's portable canoe, both in 
 its extended and closed state. 
 
 
 This Txiachine not only served its possessor for 
 a boat by day, but also as a bed by night. He 
 used to sling it like a hammock on the trees, and 
 thus repose securely from bears and other dis- 
 agreeable intruders. On passing up the Ottawa 
 river, his object was to set traps for such animals 
 as had valuable furs— the marten, erjnine, &c. ; 
 and after having secured a certain number of 
 
 
 skil 
 poj 
 sh( 
 ba< 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 93 
 
 skins^ to take them to the nearest mart and dis- 
 pose of them. He carried a good rifle on his 
 shoulder, an axe by his side, and a knapsack at his 
 back, and considered himself equipped for any 
 accident or degree of fatigue. Sometimes it 
 happened that he trapped with some one or more 
 of the Indians ; and on this occasion, he had 
 joined himself with Torree, one of the black- 
 foot Indians, who had accompanied him for se- 
 veral hundred miles. Their method of taking 
 the fur animals was generally by traps, which 
 they set at night and took up early in the morn- 
 ing- concealing themselves during the day. Early 
 one day while examining these traps in a creek 
 about two hundred yards above the falls of which 
 I have been speaking, they suddenly heard a 
 great noise like the trampling of animals ; but 
 they could not ascertain the fact, as the high 
 perpendicular banks on each side of the stream 
 impeded their view. Torree, with the quickness 
 of ear for which the Indians are remarkable, 
 
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94 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 quickly distinguished this as the advance of an 
 Indian tribe ; but Jason laughed at him, and 
 accusing him of cowardice, insisted that the 
 noise was made by buffaloes, though in a few 
 minutes their doubts were removed by the ap- 
 pearance of the Indians on both sides of the 
 creek to the amount of five or six hundred. 
 
 The Indian immediately seized a rifle belong- 
 ing to Jason, and as the first Indian advanced 
 levelled it and shot him dead, and proceeded 
 immediately to re-load it. At this moment a 
 shower of arrows was directed towards him, 
 and the poor fellow fell, and to use the words 
 of Jason, literally made a riddle of. 
 
 The Indians now seized Jason, stripped him 
 entirely naked, and began to consult how he 
 should be put to death. They were first inclined 
 to set him up as a mark to shoot at ; but the 
 chief interfered, and seizing him by the shoulder 
 asked him if he could run fast. He cunningly 
 replied he was a very bad runner, although he 
 
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TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 95 
 
 was considered by the Indians to be remarkably 
 swift. 
 
 The chief now commanded the party to remain 
 stationary, and led Jason on the prairie three or 
 four hundred yards and released him, bidding 
 him to save himself if he could. 
 
 At this instant the horrid war-whoop sounded 
 in his ears, and he ran with a speed at which he 
 himself was surprised. Then did he think of 
 the sufferings cf the poor hare and stag, which he 
 had often chased in a similar manner for mere 
 sport. He knew then what were the fears and 
 terrors of these poor animals, and had a conviction 
 of the cruelty of the practice. But on he ran, the 
 Indians whooping at his heels. He darted across 
 the plain with the rapidity of lightning ; and 
 although the ground abounded with the prickly 
 pear, which is much more offensive than the 
 thistle, yet he continued on, scarcely feeling the 
 pain of his lacerated and bleeding feet. 
 
 Proceeding towards the falls he ventured to 
 
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96 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 look back, when he was half way across the 
 plains, and he observed that the Indians were 
 very much scattered, and that he had gained 
 ground to a considerable distance from the main 
 body ; but one Indian, who carried a spear, was 
 much before the rest, and not more than a hun- 
 dred yards from him. 
 
 A faint gleam of hope now began to cheer the 
 breast of the poor fellow, and he exerted himself 
 to such a degree, that the blood gushed from his 
 nostrils and almost covered the fore part of his 
 body. Having arrived within a mile of the river, 
 he distinctly heard the sound of footsteps behind 
 him, and expected every instant to feel the spear 
 of his pursuer. Again he turned his head, and 
 saw his savage enemy not twenty yards from 
 him. Determined, if possible, to avoid the ex- 
 pected blow, he suddenly stopped, turned round, 
 and spread out his arms. The Indian, surprised 
 perhaps at his bloody appearance, and exhausted 
 with running, fell whilst endeavouring to throw 
 
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TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 or 
 
 b'" spear, which stuck m the ground, ai J broke 
 in iiis hand. Jason instantly snatched up the 
 pointed part, with which he pinned him to the 
 earth, and then continued his flight. 
 
 The foremost of the Indians, on arriving at 
 the place, stopped till the others came up to join 
 him, when they set up a hideous yell. 
 
 Jason improving every moment of his time, 
 though fainting and exhausted, succeeded in 
 gaining the skirting of some wild maple trees on 
 the border of the river, to which he ran and in- 
 stantly plunged in. Fortunately for him, a little 
 below was an island, against the upper point of 
 which, a raft of drift timber had lodged. He 
 dived under this raft, and after several efforts, 
 got his head above water among the trunks of 
 the trees, covered over with the smaller wood 
 to the depth of several feet. 
 
 Scarcely did he secure himself when the In- 
 dians arrived on the river, most of whom, by 
 coming on the raft, were frequently seen by 
 
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98 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 Jason during the day through the chinks. 
 Thinking that they might set the raft on fire, he 
 remained in horrible suspense^ and at last his 
 conjectures were realized. 
 
 After a consultation, one of the Indians came 
 to the windward side of the raft, and after rub- 
 bing his fire sticks, set fire to the smaller wood, 
 which immediately ignited with great fury, while 
 the Indians stood on the shore with their spears 
 in their hands, ready to strike him if he came 
 oat of his hiding place. 
 
 Jason cautiously crept round to that portion 
 of the raft nearest the descent of the river, and 
 having placed some tufts of bush and grass 
 round his head, so as to have the appearance of 
 a detached mass floating along the stream, set 
 himself free from the impending danger. Five 
 hundred yards down were the falls of which I 
 have been speaking. He suffered himself to 
 float gently down the stream for some minutes. 
 

 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 99 
 
 but at last made an effort to reach the opposite 
 shore* 
 
 He was immediately seen by the Indians, and 
 two of the bravest of them leaped into the 
 
 '"■*-3^; 
 
 \m^- 
 
 stream and swam after him with their toma- 
 hawks in their hands, eager to revenge the death 
 of their companion. 
 
 At this moment Jason's strength gave way. 
 The Indians gained on him. As a last desperate 
 
 H 2 
 
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100 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 resolve^ instead of keeping his course towards 
 the shore on the other side, he suddenly changed 
 it, and darted rapidly towards the falls. The 
 Indians observing this, immediately turned back 
 and left him to his fate, fully assured that he 
 would be dashed to pieces in a few minutes. 
 
 Jasoii kept on, determined, if possible, to brave 
 the danger that awaited him. He felt the curling 
 eddy swinging him perhaps to destruction, and 
 the increased velocity of the water, as he neared 
 the brink of the cataract. But he knew^ its 
 depth, and calculated on the time it would take 
 before, after taking the dreadful leap, he would 
 again rise to the surface below. He had a few 
 moments for rest as he floated along ; at last he 
 found himself close to the brink of the fall, and 
 taking a good mouthful of breath, he committed 
 himself to the mercy of the cataract. 
 
 The Indians had all this time w^atched him 
 with intense anxiety and delight ; and as his fate 
 became inevitable, gave way to their wild ex~ 
 
. 
 
 w 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 101 
 
 pressions of joy. At last, when his black head 
 disappeared from the glossy edge of the cataract, 
 they gave one wild whoop, and Jason heard no 
 more. 
 
 In about two minutes the poor fellow had 
 dived many fathoms into the boiling gulf. He 
 felt the weight of the immense mass of waters 
 almost insupportable ; but making a vigorous 
 eflfbrt, as a good swimmer alone knows how^ 
 succeeded in rising again to the surface. He 
 suifered himself to float slowly down the stream, 
 till he had recovered his breath, and immediately 
 struck out and landed with no little joy on the 
 opposite shore, where he soon after met with 
 assistance and kind treatment from a Welch 
 emigrant. 
 
 I was thinking, my young friends, of what 
 Jason would have done if he had not been able 
 to swim. He was very clever at making a port- 
 able canoe ; but this you see was not always 
 available. I say then, learn to swim. 
 
 
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 H 
 
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 I- 
 
 (X 
 
 ■ 
 
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 w 
 
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102 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 CHAPTER VT. 
 
 HORSE RACING IN UPPER CANADA RIDEAU 
 
 CANAL EARTHQUAKE. 
 
 I THINK often about these Two Kettles, by which 
 name the Falls of Chadiere are distinguished; 
 and you will not be likely to forget them. If you 
 are, you may be told that it is across these sin- 
 gular falls, that the celebrated Union Bridges, 
 which connect Upper and Lower Canada, are 
 thrown ; so that Peter Parley had only to cross 
 them to get at the Upper Province. 
 
 These bridges are very extraordinary works of 
 art; and being thrown over such a roaring 
 cataract and chasm, have a very sublime appear- 
 ance. The chasm consists of four principal 
 
 i 
 
i 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 103 
 
 parts, two of which are tram bridges, over- 
 hanging the currents, and are supported by 
 piers ; a third is a straight wooden bridge ; and 
 a fourth is built, partly of dry stone, with two 
 cut lime-stone arches, and partly of wood. The 
 tram bridge over the broadest channel is just 
 two hundred and twelve feet long. 
 
 The Ottawa river has now a navigation unin- 
 terrupted for steam-boats, " all the way to Gren- 
 ville," which is sixty miles distant. " All the 
 way to Grenville," is an expression that means 
 something, in this country, in consequence of 
 a ludicrous circumstance that took place in 
 it. 
 
 One of the settlers who lived in this place, 
 was so given to intemperate habits, that he was 
 a disgrace to himself and every body about 
 him. He was often found lying quite insensible 
 from the effects of liquor, in various parts of 
 the public ways. On one of these occasions, 
 some of his kind neighbours packed him up in a 
 
 f 
 
 >< r',4 
 
104 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 rough case, with holes in it, and put him on 
 board the steam- boat, addressed to the land- 
 lord of one of the inns at Grenville ; and the 
 poor fellow is said to have travelled the whole 
 sixty miles without waking. You may judge of 
 his surprise when he awoke at a spot which he 
 had scarcely ever dreamed of. 
 
 I proceeded now through Grenville, passing 
 through the whole of the Upper Province, and 
 must say, that I like it much better than Lower 
 Canada. The scenery is more Englisli : there is 
 not so much rock and mountain, but there is 
 more of the fertile plain, and the gentle undu- 
 lation. I was delighted, in travelling along the 
 road, with the neatness, cleanliness, and comfort 
 of the cottage farms, with the orchards and gar- 
 dens; and nothing pleased me more than the 
 sprightly-looking lasses I found spinning at the 
 cottage doors — they looked so happy. 
 
 You will, perhaps, not think that I travelled 
 by a regular four-horse coach in this country ; 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 105 
 
 but I did, and found the inns and all that kind 
 of accommodation just as good as I do in 
 England. 
 
 I was also struck with the great spinning 
 wheels for spinning wool in this country. The 
 spinster does not sit, but walks to and fro, 
 guiding the yarn with one hand, and turning the 
 wheel with the other. I noticed also, as I passed 
 by the cottage farms, hanks of yarn hanging on 
 the hedges to dry. They were of various co- 
 lours ; and I found, upon inquiry, that these 
 were spun, dyed, and afterwards dried; after 
 which they were sent to the loom to be woven. 
 I saw some of the cloth made from this yarn^ 
 and although it was not so good as that you will 
 buy in England, it was quite as warm and ser- 
 viceable. 
 
 Then, as to the sheep, I saw plenty of them ; 
 they were, however, mostly black ; but the pro- 
 duce of their backs clothes the Upper Cana- 
 dians: and although black sheep are not so 
 
 11V ,5 
 
 I tt 
 
 -it 
 
 i'M ' 
 
106 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 picturesque as white ones^ they are not to be 
 despised: nor are they despised, I can assure 
 you. 
 
 Then the wells and the method of drawing 
 water was curious ; although I have seen the 
 same in England. A long iron pole was ba- 
 lanced on a post, and the bucket was placed at 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 one end of it with a line, while at the other end 
 stood the person wishing to obtain the water, 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 lo; 
 
 who had nothing to do but pull, and the bucket 
 came up full. This circumstance, which is very 
 simple, as you see, enables a child four or five 
 years old to draw water, as you see in the 
 picture. 
 
 Anoth'^r thing struck me as being very 
 curious, and I could not make out what it was. 
 At a little distance from the cottages which I 
 passed, I saw what appeared to me to be a 
 bee-hive, stuck on four little legs. But at last I 
 found out tnat these bee-hives were ovens^ and 
 pour forth not honey, but bread. 
 
 At an inn where I stopped for the night, I 
 found several people congregated. There were 
 no tap-room and parlour and private sitting- 
 rooms, as in our country, and I was of course in- 
 troduced into the general assembly room, where 
 there were all sorts of people. Some settlers 
 going out, some coming home ; and all of them 
 making a good deal of clamour. 
 
 Among other persons I met with at this inn, 
 
 I l-l 
 
 ! I 
 
 i^i\ 
 
108 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 was a discontented emigrant, a John-Bull En- 
 glishman, who was on the return to his own 
 country ; and it was astonishing how he vented 
 his spleen against everything Canadian, which 
 made every body laugh: "Give me England," 
 he said, " after all ; an alderman in chains, and 
 the world in a pickle." This I understood to 
 mean a turkey roasted with sausages, and a 
 plum pudding. " Now," said he, " I can get 
 nothing but salted pork, peppered by mos- 
 quitoes. As for houses, there is not one in the 
 whole colony fit for a decent man to set his 
 foot in. It is ten times worse than beggarly 
 Scotland." 
 
 " Wool, mon," said a raw-boned, sandy-haired 
 man, " what is that ye say about Scotland ? 
 Scotland is the finest country in the whole 
 world, was she not so canny near to England, 
 where the fat bulls o' Bashan lash their fat tails, 
 to the cruel discomfiture of every thing in the 
 way of 'em." 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 109 
 
 " O, Scotland ! " said the Englishman ; " why 
 that country is ten times worse than Canada. 
 As to you Scotchmen, you can thrive on any 
 thing, and may well be contented, and make a 
 doing of it. But look you here, Mr. Sawney, 
 or whatever your name is ; the plain matter of 
 fact is this — you know I am a matter-of-fact 
 man — just hear, then — what will make a Scotch- 
 man fat, will starve an Englishman outright." 
 
 "What do ye ken?" the Scotchman inter- 
 rupted ; but was interrupted in his turn. 
 
 " Hold your tongue, and hear me out. A 
 Scotchman can take a bag of oatmeal on his 
 back, and travel from the Orkneys to Berwick 
 on the smell of it over his shoulder, I know that 
 very well; but an Englishman must have an 
 inside lining." 
 
 " By St. Andrew, but ye shall have an outside 
 one," said the Scotchman, highly excited at this 
 taunt; and with that he got up, and knocked 
 the Englishman down. 
 
 I'ir' 'i 
 
 lli, 
 
 I ( 
 
110 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 " And pray what is that for ? " said the En- 
 glishman, rising up very coolly, and taking off 
 his coat. " I shall just ask you two or three 
 questions, and we will soon settle the af- 
 fair." 
 
 It was poor Peter Parley's duty to interfere 
 here. For although the Englishman was cool, he 
 was very determined; and the Scotchman was 
 pale with rage. '^ Let them fight it out like 
 Britons," was the general cry. 
 
 " My good friends," said I, " why should you 
 two harm each other ? it is quite impossible you 
 can both see alike in this affair. My good friend 
 here has got green spectacles on, and yoa, my 
 friend, have got on yellow ones. 'Tis wrong to 
 speak ill of another country, particularly if you 
 were never in it. Pray, Mr. Englishman, were 
 you ever in Scotland ? " 
 
 " Not I. I should think I have too much 
 respect for myself ever to go there'' 
 
 " Then you can know nothing about Scot- 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 Ill 
 
 laud," said I ; '^ and ought to say nothing 
 about it." 
 
 '' Let 'em fight it out," said several voices. 
 ^^ No palaver ; let 'em fight it out." 
 
 It was a cutting thing for poor Peter Parley 
 to be told to hold his tongue ; and I determined 
 not to obey it, and again endeavoured to make 
 peace, which, after some difficulty, I succeeded 
 in doing ; and it was agreed that we should all 
 be friends, and go to the horse races together, 
 which were to take place next day. 
 
 Well, we went; for although I detest such prac- 
 tices, I was anxious to see all I could of the 
 country, else how should I give a description of it. 
 I can only say, that it was rather more genteel than 
 the hippodrome at Bay s water, but the same descrip- 
 tion of loose and disorderly persons attended. 
 
 Would you believe it ? Four horses started 
 for a bet of ten thousand — not pounds — hut feet 
 of boards. The riders were clumsy-looking fel- 
 lows, bootless and coatless. Before they started 
 
 
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 A 
 
 
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112 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 every one seemed anxious to bet upon one or 
 other of the horses. Wagers were offered in 
 every part of the field, and I was soon assailed 
 by a host of fellows requesting me to take their 
 offers. 
 
 The first who attracted my notice, said he 
 would bet me a barrel of salt pork that Romeo 
 would win the day. When I refused to accept 
 of this, another offered me three thousand cedar 
 shingles that Washington would distance every 
 horse in the field. A third tempted me with a 
 wager of fifty pounds of pork sausages against a 
 cheese of the same weight, that Prince Edward 
 would be distanced. A fourth, who appeared to 
 be a shoemaker, offered to stake a raw ox hide 
 against an equal weight of tanned leather, that 
 Columbus would be either first or second. Five 
 or six others, who appeared to be partners in a 
 pair of blacksmith's bellows ^ expressed their wil- 
 lingness to wager them against a barrel of West 
 Indian molasses, or twenty dollars in cash. 
 
 . 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 113 
 
 All this made me laugh more than ever I 
 laughed since I was a boy. I for a long time 
 looked as serious as I generally do; but 
 the wind of the bellows blew every trace of 
 seriousness away, and I laughed so heartily that 
 no one came to ask me to bet any more. 
 
 I shall now tell you something about Lake 
 Ontario, the most eastern of the American lakes, 
 into which you will see that the St. Lawrence 
 runs, or rather, out of which the St. Lav/rence 
 runs. I had reached Cobourg, which, you will 
 observe, is near the centre of the lake, on its 
 northern border. This lake is really a very 
 wonderful piece of water: it is 172 miles long, 
 and nearly sixty miles broad in its widest 
 part. It is also very deep in some parts ; for 
 people who have sounded it can find no bot- 
 tom at three hundred fathoms, which is eigh- 
 teen hundred feet, or more than a quarter 
 of a mile. The water is very clear ; the 
 
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 •ivit 
 
 m 
 
 !*'M 
 
114 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 shores consist of gravel and small thin pieces 
 of lime-stone, worn round and smooth by the 
 water. I went on the lake in a boat, and the 
 view of its shores was very beautiful. The woods 
 in several places grow down to the water's edge, 
 and through many openings in them may be 
 seen the white houses of little flourishing vil- 
 lages. To the north-east the shore is low, with 
 swampy marshes; but on the north-west the 
 beaches are more bold and stand forth in pro- 
 minent rocks. 
 
 Sometimes, when the wind is high, and blows 
 from a particular quarter, it is so rough on 
 the lake, that boats cannot venture across ; and 
 every seven years the waters rise to an unusual 
 height, but nobody knows the cause of this. 
 Sometimes, during calm weather, those atmos- 
 pheric refractions take place, which I told you 
 of in my " Wonders of the Earth, Sea, and Sky." 
 Islands and trees appear upside down ; the white 
 surface of the beach han^s high up in the air ; 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 115 
 
 and sometimes large fountains of water seem to 
 shoot up from the horizon, or pour down as 
 from a spendid ewer. If you could experience 
 the singular sensation this strange phenomenon 
 occasions on beholding it, you would never 
 forget it. 
 
 There were a great number of steam-boats on 
 the lake, belonging both to the British settlers 
 and the A^mericans ; and a constant intercourse 
 is kept up between the two countries. Besides 
 the steam-boats, I saw a great number of canoes, 
 with Indians in them fishing. 
 
 'I ;». vn 
 
 •^T •■• 
 
 Here is a picture of one, with some Indians 
 in it fishing. 
 
 1 2 
 
116 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 i 
 
 I should like you to see one of these canoes, 
 for really they are very ingeniously made things, 
 and nothing that Europeans have invented would 
 serve the Indians half so well. They are made 
 of the bark of the beech tree. They are of va- 
 rious lengths. Some of them are not more than 
 twelve feet long, while others are above thirty ; 
 their breadth is from four to six feet; and 
 they are so light, that they may be carried 
 about with ease. 
 
 If you were to examine this, you would find 
 that its outside is made of the birch of a tree 
 not more than a quarter of an inch in thickness, 
 and sometines not so much as that. It is kept 
 distended by hoops of white cedar ; and very 
 thin shingles, as an inside lining, are placed 
 between the hoops and the bark. The gunwale 
 is a narrow lath, to which the hoop and the 
 bark are sewed with narrow strips of the roots 
 of the white cedar tree ; and the joinings in the 
 bark are made water-proof by a species of gum. 
 
i 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 117 
 
 I 
 
 said to be collected from the wild cherry-tree, 
 which soon becomes perfectly hard. No iron 
 work or nails are employed in their construc- 
 tion; and they are so light, that the common- 
 sized ones Are easily carried for several miles by 
 a man of moderate strength. They are worked 
 by paddles over the side ; and the dexterity of 
 the Indians in working them is surprising. 
 They do not sit, like us, with their back to 
 the head of the boat, and laugh at us heartily 
 for so doing; but push them forward, by 
 which means they can keep a good look out 
 a-head. 
 
 There are several very good harbours on the 
 lake. The most considerable on the American 
 side is Suckett's harbour, on the south-east shore, 
 which has extensive docks, and a considerable 
 arsenal. On the English side is Torento, situ- 
 ated delightfully near the head of the lake. The 
 town is on the north side of the harbour, which is 
 an oval basin of eight or nine miles of water — 
 
 K •' 
 
 \ t 
 
118 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 not in length — I mean the area of it is eight 
 or nine miles. 
 
 Torento is the infant capital of Upper Canada^ 
 and is excellently well laid out. The streets are 
 long and spacious ; the great thoroughfare 
 nearly a mile long ; the side paths well flagged ; 
 and some of the streets macadamized. The po- 
 pulation is about twelve thousand, composed of 
 English, Irish, Scotch, native Canadians, and a 
 few French Canadians. Little more than three 
 years ago the site whereon Toronto stands was 
 a perfect wilderness. 
 
 I should have told you, that at the north-east 
 extremity of this lake, at the point where it 
 falls into St. Lawrence, is the town of Kingston, 
 which, next to Quebec and Halifax, is the 
 strongest British port in America. It is sepa- 
 rated by a bay, which extends considerably into 
 the lake, from points Frederica and Henry. 
 This bay is called Navy Bay, and is our chief 
 naval depot in Lake Ontario. There is also 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 119 
 
 a strong battery, and a dock-yard, with stone 
 houses. 
 
 Point Henry is also covered by a fort, and here 
 during the war was built a first-rate man-of- 
 war, carrying one hundred and two guns ; and I 
 suppose, in case the Americans were to meddle 
 with us, that a good fleet could soon be got 
 ready in defence of the interests and honour of 
 Old England. 
 
 The appearance of the lake just at its junction 
 with the St. Lawrence river, is exceedingly beau- 
 tiful. The mouth, or rather beginning of the 
 river, is twelve miles wide, divided into two 
 channels by Livy Island, which is twelve miles 
 broad. The channels are about two and a half 
 miles to three miles across. I wish you to un- 
 derstand that you are now again in Lower Ca- 
 nada ; and before I speak to you of the Upper 
 Province, I must say a word or two about 
 canals. 
 
 There are several canals that are of impor- 
 
120 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 tance. The principal one is called the Rideau, 
 which is an extraordinary work of art. It is 
 not exactly a canal, but rather a succession of 
 raised waters, by means of dams, which connect 
 together a series of little lakes, which you will 
 see marked on the map. It comm'^.^ces at 
 Entrance Bay, about a mile below ths ^^ Two 
 Kettles," that I told you about, and often form- 
 ing itself into a multitude of dams and locks, 
 and opens a communication between Kingston 
 and the Ottawa, a distance of one hundred and 
 thirty-two miles, by connecting several pieces of 
 water lying in that direction. 
 
 The total expenditure of money in this work 
 has been nearly a million of pounds ; and what 
 is very remarkable, and ought to warn people 
 against making calculations without knowing 
 what they are about, the original estimate of 
 the expense was only one hundred and sixty- 
 nine thousand pounds. 
 
 You will think this was a great deal of money. 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 121 
 
 
 and that the work will never pay the persons who 
 advanced it : perhaps it will not, in a commercial 
 point of view. But to my thinking, if ever the Ame- 
 ricans make war upon us, and attempt to inter- 
 cept our water communication between Upper 
 and Lower Canada, we can send goods of every 
 description by this canal to the whole of the 
 Upper Province, which is a very great ad- 
 vantage. 
 
 Besides canals, rail-roads are now beginning 
 to make their appearance. There is one now in 
 progress, which will be a hundred and sixty 
 miles long. When this is completed, the jour- 
 ney from New York to Lake Huron may be 
 accomplished in fifty hours. The distance 
 through Buffalo is eight hundred and ninety 
 miles, and through Hamilton but six hundred 
 and thirty-two. The cost per mile is upwards 
 of two thousand pounds. 
 
 I am now about to tell you of a terrific 
 earthquake that once happened in Canada, and 
 
122 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 which was felt throughout the whole of the 
 province. You have heard me speak of won- 
 derful earthquakes before in my " Wonders," and 
 this was as astonishing as any of them. 
 
 It took place on the 5th of February, 1663, 
 just three years before the dreadful fire in Lon- 
 don. About half-past four o'clock in the even- 
 ing, a great rushing noise was heard throughout 
 the whole country. This noise caused the 
 people to run out into the streets in the greatest 
 alarm ; and this was increased when they saw 
 their houses reeling to and fro. Chimneypots were 
 falling, bdls jangling, and walls tumbling about. 
 Most people thought the whole world was at 
 an end ; and to see women and children running 
 about, and screaming, and men standing pale 
 with atfright, was terrible. 
 
 Then the poor birds and beasts, they also 
 partook of the alarm, and fled terrified into the 
 woods. They were, however, no better off there ; 
 for it seemed as if a battle was raging between 
 
 th 
 th 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 123 
 
 the trees, for not only were their branches 
 destroyed, but even their trunks were broken. 
 The war also seemed to be carried on between 
 the mountains, some of which were torn from 
 their beds, and thrown upon others, leaving 
 immense chasms in the place from whence they 
 had issued ; and the very trees, with which they 
 were covered, sunk down, leaving their tops 
 above the surface of the earth; others were 
 completely overturned, and their branches bu- 
 ried. 
 
 During this general confusion, the ice, which 
 was upwards of six feet thick, was rent, and 
 thrown up in large pieces. The springs were 
 choked up, many rivers were totally lost, and 
 others turned from their courses, or their waters 
 turned red or yellow. 
 
 Such devastation was occasioned in some of 
 the forests, that more than a thousand acres in 
 one neighbourhood were completely overturned ; 
 and where, but a short time before, nothing met 
 
 ^ 
 
 
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 i 
 
 
 
 .1 ' i»> t'j 
 
 •S>" 
 
 I Ityi 
 
124 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 -I 
 
 the eye but an immense forest of trees, now 
 were to be seen extensive cleared lands, appa- 
 rently cut up by the plough. 
 
 What is the most remarkable about this earth- 
 quake is, the lon^ time it continued; namely, 
 more or less, from February to August, six 
 months from its commencement. Then its great 
 extent is also remarkable, which was for more 
 than six hundred miles in one direction, and 
 above three hundred miles in another. But what 
 was more remarkable still, was that, notwith- 
 standing the prodigious extent of country which 
 had been totally lost, or hideously convulsed, 
 under the protection of Divine Providence, there 
 was scarcely a person seriously injured. 
 
 I shall not say anything more to you now, 
 but give you time to look over your map. I 
 wish you particularly to make yourselves ac- 
 quainted with the geographical situation of the 
 Canadas, especially Upper Canada. I would 
 advise you to get by heart the names of the great 
 
 
 ri\ 
 th 
 be 
 ab 
 Pe 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 125 
 
 ^ 
 
 rivers, the lakes, and the towns upon them, and 
 the territories surrounding them, and you will 
 be better able to understand what I am talking 
 about. Look over your maps, then, and give 
 Peter Parley a little while to rest himself. 
 
 'i>t! 
 
 <:'M ; . 
 
126 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A WINTER IN CANADA ACCOUNT OF A SNOW STORM. 
 
 Canada is vastly different in winter to what it 
 is in the summer, for the weather is very severe. 
 From the beginning of December to March the 
 whole country is often completely covered with 
 snow, which seldom entirely leaves till May. 
 As to the cold, it is far more intense than it is 
 in England, the thermometer is frequently from 
 fifty degrees to sixty degrees below the freezing 
 point. At this time the mighty St. Lawrence is 
 frozen all the way between Cluebec and Kingston 
 at the mouth of Lake Ontario. But although 
 not navigable for boats, this defect is made up 
 
V 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 127 
 
 by the use of sledges^ and what are called 
 carioles, carriages fixed on a kind of skates, and 
 drawn by horses and sometimes dogs. These 
 are sometimes very elegant vehicles, and are 
 lined with warm, comfortable furs, and orna- 
 mented in various ways. 
 
 I had heard of a Canadian winter before I 
 visited that country, and dreaded it very much. 
 What shall I do, thought I, in such a long winter, 
 when I can neither trace the course of noble 
 rivers, nor contemplate the fall of wondrous cata- 
 racts, nor make my reflections upon the wonders 
 of vegetable or animal creation ? Nature, thought 
 I, will be dead, and Peter Parley will have no- 
 thing to do. 
 
 But I was quite deceived in my forebodings, 
 for although the whole face of the country was 
 one continued plain of snow, and nothing but 
 the overloaded trees were visible, yet I found 
 plenty to amuse and interest me ; and as to the 
 cold, after the first few weeks I got used to 
 
 i\ 
 
 ■%■: 
 
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 ■'I 
 
 km 
 
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 !■-'% 
 
128 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 it, and, clothed in my fiirs, and my snow shoes 
 on, I was as brave a heart as the best of the 
 Canadians. 
 
 ;, I 
 
 
 w 1 
 
 :i I 
 
 Fur caps, fur gloves, and fur dresses were 
 common, and why should not I be in the fashion ? 
 Then I had my mocassins, which enabled me 
 to walk over the snow : they are made of a kind 
 of network fixed on a frame, and shaped like 
 a boy's paper kite, about two feet long and 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 129 
 
 eighteen inches broad. These cover so much 
 of the surface of the snow as to prevent any one 
 from sinking into it, so that you may walk about 
 without being up to your arm-pits^ which would 
 be rather uncomfortable. 
 
 I remember, however, some inconveniences. 
 I once burnt my hand with a piece of cold iron : 
 I had occasion to take hold of the handle of a 
 pump in very cold weather, and the moment I 
 laid my hand on it I felt a burning sensation, so 
 sharp, that I let go of it as quick as if I had 
 grasped a red-hot poker ; and the effect was the 
 same ; my hand was blistered in a moment, and 
 the skin destroyed. 
 
 I could not account for this, but at last I found 
 out that the vital heat of the body pours out 
 of the hand so rapidly into the cold iron that it 
 produces the same effect even as when the heat 
 of red-hot iron passes into the comparatively 
 cold body. Depend upon it I did not touch a 
 cold pump-handle again very soon. 
 
 K 
 
 i, « 
 
 • ': i1 
 
 
130 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 I. 
 
 
 ! I. 
 
 But I was, however, both amused and alarmed 
 in another way ; there was rather a sharp biting 
 wind from the north when I went out one 
 morning, and I was walking gaily enough on the 
 St. Lawrence to a town on the opposite side, 
 when a young man pursuing me cried out '^ your 
 nosCy sir^ your nose, take care of your nose / " 1 
 looked about, I could not feel any thing the 
 matter with my nose, and of course determined 
 to pass on without saying anything to him; 
 with that he laid hold of my arm, " your nose, 
 your nose ! " said he again ; I pushed him from 
 me, and he immediately came closer and began 
 to mangle my nose with his great coarse fingers : 
 " your nose, sir, your nose is frost-bitten." He 
 then got a ball of snow, and said " rub your nose, 
 sir, or you will lose it." 
 
 I now began to comprehend what the good 
 fellow meant, and took the snow-ball and rubbed 
 my nose most unmercifully. I was told after- 
 wards, that if I had only gone another half hour 
 
 .i, 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 131 
 
 I should have lost my nose — what a shocking 
 thing that would have been. I should never 
 have liked to show my picture in a book : 
 people would have laughed at Peter Parley 
 without a nose, although I think they would 
 have been sorry for it too. 
 
 L found out that when a person is frost-bitten, 
 the part so affected turns very white, and as 
 this frequently takes place in the nose, the good 
 American saw my danger, and gave me notice 
 of it in the manner I have detailed to you. It 
 is strange, you will think, that I did not feel it ; 
 but the truth is, that this often takes place 
 without the person being at all aware of it ; 
 sensation being destroyed in the part as soon 
 as the mischief commences. 
 
 Notwithstanding these mishaps, I found the 
 winter in Canada a very pleasant one. As 
 most people had little to do they chose 
 the winter to make holiday ; and they amused 
 themselves with riding over the ice and en- 
 
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132 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 joying the snow with the greatest pleasure to 
 themselves. Then in the towns and cities there 
 were their town balls, country parties, dancing, 
 dining, supping and dancing again. And as to 
 Christmas, I spent the merriest Christmas in 
 Canada that ever I spent in my life. 
 
 Travelling about on the ice, however, is not 
 without its dangers, for sometimes the sleigh is 
 capsized ; and, what is worse, sometimes it sinks 
 beneath the ice, and you find yourself sliding 
 very uncomfortably beneath the solid mass. In 
 such cases the passengers jump quickly out of 
 the vehicle on to the firm ice, form a running 
 noose round the horse's head, and absolutely 
 strangle him, to save his life. They say this 
 plan was invented by an Irishman. 
 
 You see if the horse were to kick and plunge 
 about, there would be no getting him out of the 
 hole, so they choke him till he has no power of 
 struggling, and then draw him forth; after a 
 little time he becomes motionless, they then 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 133 
 
 draw him out and give him his breath. The poor 
 fellow after this soon recovers himself, and is 
 seen again trotting away as briskly as ever. 
 In fact the horses are so used to being hanged 
 that they think nothing of it. 
 
 Sometimes, however, dreadful snow-storms 
 occur which are truly terrific, and of particular 
 danger to any persons who happen to be tra- 
 velling. It comes on often very suddenly, and 
 the snow from the heavens and that drifted 
 from the hills comes down in a fine powder and 
 totally obliterates roads, fields, and everything 
 else that stands in its way. The poor traveller is 
 then frequently lost, and his body never found 
 till the snow melts in the spring. 
 
 I shall relate to you a very remarkable cir- 
 cumstance that took place on the road from 
 London to York in Lower Canada; and as it 
 shows what may be done by those that know 
 how to persevere, and who do not lose their 
 self-possession and courage, I hope you will 
 profit by it. 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 TALE OF THE SNOW STORM. 
 
 It was at an early hour on the sixteenth day 
 of December, and a very cold morning it was, 
 that Reuben Norgrave, a settler at a little town- 
 ship in the vicinity of the Rice lake, sa. at 
 breakfast with his family, consisting of a wife, 
 three sons, and a daughter, who was the 
 youngest, in as great enjoyment as the Sabbath 
 day could afford in a place far from the church- 
 going bell. Reuben had come from the old 
 country, as England is called, in the spring 
 of the same year. He was originally a car- 
 penter, and had been in business for himself, but 
 owing to the villany of an elder brother had 
 been nearly ruined. This brother being of 
 loose and dissipated habits, and one of those 
 very wretched persons who have what is called 
 a showy exterior and good address, had the 
 assurance to engage himself in an undertaking 
 
 r 
 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 135 
 
 which required intellige: je and tact; being 
 deficient in them he became involved, but had 
 sufficient low cunning to impose on his brother 
 so as to induce him to lend him a considerable 
 sum of money with which he immediately de- 
 camped. This almost broke poor Reuben's heart, 
 and he det mined upon paying all his debts, 
 to collect together what money he could, and 
 emigrate to Canada. He had about two hundred 
 pounds, and himself and family had crossed the 
 Atlantic "^and made a settlement on the Rice lake, 
 where he had purchased two hundred acres of 
 land. Some of this, by the sturdy labour of 
 himself and sons, had been partially cleared of 
 wood; a log- house had been erected, and the 
 family seemed to be in as fair a way of thriving 
 as most of the settlers in the vicinity, and were 
 a great deal happier than many of them. Shall 
 I tell you why they were happy ? Because they 
 all loved each other, and every one tried to do 
 what he knew was kind and agreeable^ until a 
 
 
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 136 
 
 PETER PAB.LEY S 
 
 deep sense of religion filled them at all times 
 and on all occasions. 
 
 You may not, perhaps, know what I mean by 
 a log-house, I will tell you. When a settler 
 first comes out and buys Ws land, he has nothing 
 for his money but so much ground. There is 
 no house nor anything else for him but trees 
 and wild grain and brush-wood. The first thing 
 that is done is then to build a house ; but as 
 
 ^^j^'j^^rij^ A^ 
 
 there are no bricks ^and mortar to be got, and 
 as there is plenty of wood on hand, assistance is 
 procured, trees are cut down, and an oblong square 
 of logs is raised one against another with open 
 spaces between every row of logs. It is no 
 

 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 137 
 
 better than a barn, nor yet so good, as you may 
 see by the picture which is a drawing of one I 
 made while in Canada. 
 
 You see that when first erected it has neither 
 windows nor doors, but only the places left for 
 them. Then it has to be boarded inside, the 
 floor to be laid, and a great deal of work besides 
 to be done to it before it can be made habitable. 
 All this, however, had been performed by Reuben 
 and his sons, and they determined to pass the 
 winter in as comfortable a manner as circum- 
 stances would permit. 
 
 The winter had set in in reality. Three weeks* 
 severe frost and some falls of snow had totally 
 changed the face of nature. But the inhabit- 
 ants of the log-house did not look forward with 
 any evil forebodings, but rather to the returning 
 spring, Avhich was to bring them comforts, of 
 which they stood very much in need. There 
 was plenty of in-door employment for the mother 
 and her daughter ; and as to the young men, 
 
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138 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 w. 
 
 they were out every day with their guns in the 
 woods, and passed their time pleasantly enough 
 in bringing home the wild game, which was 
 extremely valuable to them in their present con- 
 dition* 
 
 The principal cause of regret among the 
 family was their great distance from any place 
 where they could receive similar religious in- 
 struction to that which they had been used to 
 enjoy, and many were their attempts to obtain 
 this great blessing. For although the distance 
 was nearly thirteen miles to where a pastor 
 performed ecclesiastical duty, yet Reuben and 
 one or more of his sons would rise early on the 
 sabbath morning and walk the distance, and 
 return in the evening by the light of the sum- 
 mer's moon. This he had never failed to do 
 on Sacrament Sunday for some months, and 
 the reason for the family being at their breakfast 
 at a little after the day broke was that Reuben 
 
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TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 139 
 
 le 
 h 
 
 IS 
 
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 1 
 
 and his youngest son Matthew might reach 
 Lakeville by the usual hour of divine service. 
 
 After the breakfast was ended and a chapter 
 from the Bible had been devoutly read, the 
 father and his son took their departure and 
 reached the place of their destination just as 
 the bell was tolling into church. Here they 
 remained during the morning, and having par- 
 taken of dinner with a friend, prepared to return 
 home, setting off about three o'clock. The day 
 had been one of extraordinary fineness, and 
 the moon was near her full, and had already 
 risen as she does on such occasions, some time 
 before the night sets in. 
 
 The road which my travellers had to traverse 
 was tolerably well-beaten, and although a por- 
 tion of it lay through the woods, there was not 
 the slightest risk in finding it any time ; and 
 thus the father and son set off in hig> spirits 
 expecting to be home soon enough to enjoy an 
 
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140 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 early supper^ that is to say, by seven or eight 
 
 o'clock. 
 
 Reuben and his son trudged on with light 
 
 hearts, and discoursed as they went upon the 
 excellent discourse of the pastor, and upon the 
 lessons for the day, one of which was Christ's 
 appearance to Peter on the lake, which naturally 
 led to some conversation concerning faith. Reu- 
 ben, although of humble origin, had, apparently, 
 some clear notions concerning this Christian 
 virtue. " Faith," said he, " ^ is the substance of 
 things hoped for, the evidence of things not 
 
 9 »» 
 
 seen. 
 
 Matthew confessed that he could not under- 
 stand the doctrine of faith as he had generally 
 heard it, and requested his father to explain to 
 him, in a familiar manner, what he understood 
 by it. 
 
 " ^ Faith is the substance of things hoped for,' " 
 said the father. " Now, my son," said he, 
 ^^ does it not give you a great deal of pleasure 
 
 ^ 
 \ 
 

 TALES ABOUT CANADA, 
 
 141 
 
 to contemplate our happy fire-side ? There are 
 the other boys, and Marion, and your dear 
 mother, no doubt, waiting for us at home, with 
 the tea-things all ready. We can see them in 
 imagination, and almost hear the rattling of the 
 cups and saucers. You are there in spirit al- 
 ready, and you have a feeling of confidence that 
 you will be there shortly. If you had not this 
 confidence, trust, and hope, you could only be 
 miserable. This is natural faith: apply the 
 same thing to heavenly matters, and we may be 
 said to have faith. We believe that Jesus Christ 
 ' has prepared for us a house eternal in the hea- 
 vens,' when this fleshy tabernacle is dissolved. 
 Faith is a strong conviction of all the promises of 
 God," 
 
 *^ And yet," said the young man, " when faith 
 is so natural and simple, how very few have it in 
 a degree sufiicient to make them happy." 
 
 " There is more faith in the world than you 
 imagine, my boy," said the father ; " and those 
 
 
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142 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 people who profess to despise it, are in the daily 
 exercise of it to a degree that is quite astonishing 
 sometimes. For instance — a man gets upon a 
 coach, he knows nothing of the coachman, 
 whether he has skill, or otherwise; nothing of 
 the horses, as to whether they are vicious or 
 quiet ; nothing of the axle-tree, whether it is of 
 cast or wrought iron, or whether the coach 
 itself is in a state of security or danger. Yet 
 up he jumps, and takes his place. Then, as to 
 steam-boats, who ever thought of making in- 
 quiry about the engineer ? And as to ships, we 
 get into them, you know, and sometimes cannot 
 tell whether the captain is an Englishman or 
 Frenchman, till we get on board. So that we 
 exercise a great deal of faith without know- 
 mg it. 
 
 " But is not this rather thoughtlessness than 
 faith ?" 
 
 " No : generally speaking, it is the result of 
 confidence in the arrangements of our domestic 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 i43 
 
 State; and if we had the same degree of con- 
 fidence in the dispensations of Providence, we 
 should be made wiser and happier. What gives 
 persons this confidence, is a good acquaintance 
 with things in general; they find, that though 
 mishaps do sometimes occur, accidents, and the 
 like, that upon the whole things go on well, and 
 therefore they are satisfied. But, in our spi- 
 ritual concerns, we doubt and hesitate and defer, 
 till at last we sink between hope and fear, or in 
 despair." 
 
 " Then to have faith, we must know God and 
 his providence ; and be sure of his good-will 
 towards all that love him." 
 
 " Exactly, my boy. If we study the word of 
 God, we shall find, that although God has often 
 tried, he has never left his faithful people ; for 
 although in the moral government of the world, 
 God does act on general principles, yet these 
 very general principles always lead to the 
 advantage and happiness of his people. Reason 
 
144 
 
 — .', 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 sees it in this worlds and faith is assured of it in 
 the world to come. Faith has the privilege of 
 looking behind the curtain." 
 
 " Then our faith must grow out of our know- 
 ledge of God." 
 
 " Yes^ as a means. Where there is a fall and 
 goodly knowledge of God^ God himself is not far 
 off to answer our prayers. Peter knew his Sa- 
 viour intimately, or he would not have gone on 
 the water. When he began to sink, he wa- 
 vered ; but he called upon the Lord, and Jesus 
 stretched forth his hand, and saved him." 
 
 During this conversation, which was con- 
 ducted with a considerable degree of earnestness 
 on both sides, the interlocutors were not aware 
 that a storm was gathering in the north-west, 
 until some of the drift clouds had passed over 
 their heads, and suddenly obscured the light 
 of the moon, which in an instant changed the 
 scene from a clear bright moonlight, into a haze 
 very nearly approaching darkness. 
 
 il 1 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 145 
 
 ,n 
 
 ^' Come, come/' said the father, " we must 
 speed on, lad, or we shall have a task to find our 
 way, if the snow comes down." Before Matthew 
 had replied to this remark, he felt some sharp 
 flakes of snow strike him in the face. 
 
 " Indeed, father," said the young man, " we 
 have it ; and if you look away to the north, you 
 will find it gathering there thick and formidable 
 enough." 
 
 '^ We are seven miles from home, my lad, and 
 I do not know of one house except the cattle 
 keeper's on the borders ; so push along, lad, and 
 let us reach it as soon as possible." 
 
 Just as the father had concluded this sen- 
 tence, the storm came on in all its fury, with 
 some flashes of lightning, while a distant roll of 
 thunder was heard ; then a squall of wind ; and 
 the snow descended, mixed with hail, with a 
 rapidity that no one unacquainted with a Cana- 
 dian winter could conceive. 
 
 The poor travellers tugged through it, with 
 
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 146 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 the wind quite in their faces, with all the energy 
 they could muster, and kept on tolerably well 
 for another mile, although the snow was grow- 
 ing deeper and deeper at every step, and the 
 road-marks were nearly obliterated. Thicker 
 and thicker grew the clouds over head, til) at 
 last all light from the moon was completely 
 obscured, and Reuben and his son were brought 
 to a stand still in total darkness. 
 
 " Father, where are you ? for I can scarcely 
 see your figure through the snow," said Mat- 
 thew. 
 
 ^^ Here I am, my boy. But heaven knows 
 how we are to reach home to-night. I do not 
 think I can distinguish the path half a mile 
 further." 
 
 ^' I think we just came by the bear-trap tree, 
 where the Indian killed the settler last year," 
 said Matthew. 
 
 ^^ At that rate we cannot be a great way 
 from old Mosset's, the cattle-keeper," replied 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 147 
 
 ie 
 
 99 
 
 lay 
 
 the father ; " let u i push on, my lad, as long as 
 we are able." 
 
 The father and son now redoubled their ef- 
 forts, and waded through the snow as quick 
 as possible, lamenting every now and then the 
 want of their mocassins, which would have 
 enabled them to pass over the snow, instead 
 of through it; for it was now merging up to 
 their middle. 
 
 Still pushing on, Reuben at last thought he 
 saw a light in the distance ; and just as he was 
 about to mention this cheering fact to his son, he 
 sunk over head in the drifted snow, calling out 
 to Matthew to beware of the ditch. 
 
 The young man cried out when he saw his 
 father fall, " It is all over with us, father, we 
 shall never reach home again : it is impossible to 
 ^et any further. There is a high ridge of snow 
 just before us, which it is impossible to pene- 
 trate." 
 
 And so indeed there was ; for the snow had 
 
 L 2 
 
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 148 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 I! 
 
 drifted in such a direction, as to form an im- 
 passable barrier to their further progress; 
 indeed, they were so close to it, that it seemed 
 to rise up almost over their heads, at the same 
 time the shower continued to fall with increased 
 violence. 
 
 "The Lord's will be done," said the old man. 
 " If it is his good will that we should perish 
 here, we know that he has ' a house not built 
 with hands, eternal in the heavens.' " 
 
 " Now is the time for faith," said the young 
 man. " But what distress mother and Marian 
 must be in. Ah! we shall never see them 
 again." 
 
 " While there is life there is hope. No man 
 was ever without it ; and I hope to see all again, 
 and to go many a blessed Sabbath to the church ; 
 but another time I shall make up my mind to 
 take my mocassins with me. If we had our 
 mocassins, we could, I ihink, 
 
 get over the 
 
 snow. 
 
 »» 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 149 
 
 
 9 
 
 d 
 
 " What, over this drift ? " said the son ; " it 
 would be impossible." At this moment the 
 north-west wind raged with redoubled fury ; and 
 the creaking and soughing of the distant forest 
 trees made a noise dreadfully appalling. The 
 drift bank, which had so disconcerted our 
 travellers, was with one violent gust lifted 
 up from its base, and overwhelmed in its vast 
 mass poor Reuben and hi«^ son, who had 
 not time to speak to each other. 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 CHAPTER X 
 
 'THE TALE OF THE SNOW-STORM CONCLUDED^, 
 
 You may imagine, that when the snow storm came 
 on, the inmates of the loghouse were in the great- 
 est apprehension for the father and son. They 
 saw clearly that if they were upon the road, 
 they would be overtaken, and wished that 
 some cause or other might have prevented their 
 setting off at the usual time. But, from the 
 fineness of the previous part of the evening, and 
 from the direction of the storm from north- 
 west to south-east, they felt convinced that it 
 could not have reached the district in which it 
 might reasonably be supposed the travellers 
 
 L 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 i 
 
 151 
 
 would be, till a long time after their departure 
 for home. It appeared therefore certain to them 
 that they must be overtaken by it. 
 
 As soon as this was settled in the minds of the 
 family, Samuel and Joseph started on the road, 
 if possible to meet their father and brother, 
 leaving the mother and daughter under the mos^ 
 dreadful anticipations as to the fate of all. 
 
 The poor woman and her cLiid sat shud- 
 dering to the wail of the storm without, and 
 piled up many a log on the fire, to welcome the 
 return of her husband and children, if they 
 should ever return. They had, till the storm 
 came on, been reading the Bible ; and the sacred 
 book was opened at the passage, '^ Lord, thou 
 hast been our refuge in all generations." After 
 reading this beautiful psalm, and the one that 
 follows it, both were constrained in the moment 
 of distress to fall down upon their knees in 
 prayer. 
 
 While they were thus engaged, suddenly a 
 
 
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 152 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 noise was heard at the door of the log-house, 
 and in a moment an Indian entered, whose wild 
 looks filled them with increased alarm. He 
 looked around him with great scrutiny, and, 
 
 ii id 
 
 t 
 
 i< 
 
 %\ 
 
 
 
 I- 
 
 
 without a word, drew his knife from its curiously 
 wrought sheath, and approached the trembling 
 woman, who expected every moment to be mur- 
 dered, and her little store-house plundered. 
 
 f^mm. 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 153 
 
 le, 
 Id 
 
 A 
 
 or 
 
 3 
 
 Their alarm was, however, groundless; for, 
 taking his knife from his sheath, and his toma- 
 hawk from his shoulder, he, with a softened 
 expression, placed them in the hands of the 
 mother, and, without saying a word, signified, in 
 the half-English, half-Indian language, that he 
 required shelter. 
 
 The inmates of the cottage were greatly re- 
 lieved at this turn of affairs, and immediately set 
 before thc'r visitor some dried beef, and the 
 best that the log-house would afford. Having 
 satisfied his appetite, he curled himself up like a 
 dog, and throwing his skin over him, sunk into a 
 profound slumber on the floor. 
 
 The storm continued to beat without with the 
 greatest fury. The mother and daughter lis- 
 tened with the utmost intensity to every sound 
 between the sighings of the blast ; but all was 
 silent. Hour after hour did they wait, now going 
 to ^.he door, and looking over the snowy waste, 
 listening for the loud halloo which should sig- 
 
 
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154 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 Mi 
 
 It 
 
 nify her husbanci and sons' approach. They 
 were, however, at last tired with watching. The 
 mother paced the apartment with a perturbed 
 step, while poor Marian sat down in her rude 
 chair, and sobbed loudly. 
 
 The Indian opened his eyes, and observing the 
 dulness of his hostess and her daughter, in the 
 rude Indian manner seemed anxious to learn 
 the cause of their grief, which a few words were 
 sufficient to explain, owing to the natural saga- 
 city of the Indian. Immediately, the savage, 
 after his fashion, became a comforter, and 
 vowed he would bring her husband back dead 
 or alive, and seizing his arms, instantly left the 
 cottage. 
 
 The mother and daughter were once more alone, 
 but yet had hope and faith ; they again turned 
 over the pages of the Bible, and derived support 
 and consolation from it. Patience now took the 
 place of anxiety, and hope and trust that of per- 
 plexity and fear. 
 
 ■WW—— Wl—— 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 155 
 
 Reuben and Matthew were buried in the 
 snow, and so closely covered on all sides, that it 
 was impossible to move either hand or foot. 
 Indeed they had enough to do to breathe. The 
 old man, however, had presence of mind to call 
 out to his son to make an effort to keep the 
 snow from his head and face, and both manfully 
 pressed the snow on all sides of them, till they 
 had elbow room. In doing this, they were, 
 however, completely saturated with wet. They 
 worked away with redoubled vigour, and after 
 half an hour's labour had made a space suffi- 
 ciently large to enable themselves to turn and 
 move, and to converse with each other, although 
 all around was dark and silent as the grave 
 itself. 
 
 " Courage and fortitude," said Reuben, ^' pa- 
 tience and faith, are above all things needful for 
 us now. We must only consider ourselves as 
 rabbits, and burrow our way out; and let us 
 hope that the effort in doing so will keep us 
 
 
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156 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 
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 from freezing. The cold, however, was not so 
 intense as might have been expected, and the 
 two unfortunates felt there was some warmth in 
 a coat of snow, and saw that although it might 
 be very inconvenient to them to be covered up, 
 it was of great advantage to vegetation ; without 
 which, in a country like Canada, many species 
 of plants would perish. So they were content 
 to bear partial evil for general good, knowing 
 that the laws of creation must be submitted to, 
 and if it was the will of the Governor of the 
 Universe that they should peri^, it was their 
 duty to bear their misfortune not only unre- 
 piningly, but cheerfully. At the same time they 
 felt it no less a duty to use every effort to extri- 
 cate themselves from it. 
 
 Notwithstanding all the efforts made by father 
 and son to extricate themselves, they made but 
 little progress ; and although they endeavoured 
 to cut their way out as well as their hands 
 would enable them, they felt their powers quite 
 
so 
 
 he 
 
 in 
 
 kht 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 157 
 
 unequal to the task. Nor were they certain, 
 while making these efforts, of not making a way 
 longitudinally in the snow ridge, instead of 
 cutting through it. All they knew was, that 
 they were overwhelmed with snow : they could 
 not form any calculation as to the length or 
 breadth of the mountain that covered them. 
 They worked away, however, manfully in one 
 direction ; but what with the difficulty of breath- 
 ing, the paralyzing effect of the severe cold, and 
 the exhaustion that accompanies severe exertion, 
 they felt thafHiey must after all submit to their 
 fate, and sink dead in the snow. 
 
 " Father, my dear, good father," said Matthew, 
 " I cannot feel my hands ; I can go on no 
 further." 
 
 " Nor I," said the old man. " Come close to 
 me, my boy, and let us die together. Would 
 that we knew the time of night." 
 
 " It must be near morning," said Matthew, 
 ^^ I am sure we seem to have been more than 
 
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 158 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 twelve hours buried here ; and I think that it is 
 lighter than it was." 
 
 " It is only the moon shining through the 
 snow, and I judge by it we are nearer to the 
 shallow part of the ridge ; a few eflForts more, if 
 we could make them." 
 
 The old man tried to tear some more of the 
 snow from its compact bed, but in vain. 
 "Alas!" said he, "I have lost the use of my 
 arms, and must submit. Come close to me, 
 boy. Perhaps our warmth — but I am sleepy — 
 O, so sleepy." 
 
 "Tis the sleep of death," said Matthew. 
 " Rouse yourself, dear father ! " for he knew well 
 that a sensation of drowsiness was always the 
 precursor of death by frost. " Come, come near 
 me; let the warmth of my young blood give 
 new life to yours." 
 
 With that the young man clasped his father 
 round, and hugged him with all his might, and 
 began to chafe his almost frozen limbs. Afte 
 
IS 
 
 if 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 159 
 
 some minutes' labour, the old man revived, and 
 made another fruitless eflFort at extrication. 
 
 " It is of no use," said he, " God's will be 
 done; let us kneel and pray for our family." 
 The old man dropped on his knees, and began 
 repeating the Lord's Prayer, in which Matthew 
 joined with heartfelt devotion. 
 
 At this moment, a dull report of fire-arms 
 was heard through the snow. Matthew jumped 
 on his feet, and ejaculated — 
 
 " Did you hear that. Father ? " 
 I heard nothing," said Reuben. 
 That w^as the report of a gun ! Succour is 
 at hand if we cr i make ourselves heard. Shout ! 
 shout father, with me; now, both together— r 
 Hallo-o-o!— Hallo-o-o!" 
 
 They shouted and listened, but no sound 
 in reply reached them. They shouted again ; 
 a low creaking sound was heard, as of the tread 
 of some one not far from them. They were 
 about to shout the third time, when a louder 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 report than the former broke on their gladdened 
 ears. Again they shout. 
 
 A reply was returned to their last effort ; but 
 it sounded to them something like the Indian 
 yell, and not at all like friendly succour; but 
 now they heard sounds as if some one was 
 clearing away the snow ; and in a few minutes 
 stood before them, in the clear moonlight, a 
 native Indian. 
 
 '' Augh ! Augh ! Augh ! " said the latter, and 
 beckoned for them to approach. Without waiting 
 for a reply, he took hold of the legs of the old 
 man, who had sunk exhausted, and pulled him 
 forth. At the same time, Matthew found himself, 
 with very little effort, again among the living. 
 
 The Indian said but little. His were deeds, 
 not words. He immediately stripped himself of 
 all his furs ; and after taking off the outer gar- 
 ments of the old man, wrapped him therein, and 
 poured some spirits down his throat. He then 
 handed to Matthew a pair of mocassins^ and 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 161 
 
 having taken the old man on his shoulder, made 
 signs that they were to pass over the snow. 
 
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 The Indian took a circuitous route, and a few 
 minutes brought him to the borders of the forest ; 
 and here, among the dense trees and rushes, 
 a path was discovered comparatively open. 
 Through this he carried Reuben ; and after 
 reaching a little nook or dell, laid him down. 
 
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 162 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 A little gunpowder laid on his priming pan 
 immediately gave light to a pine candle ; and in 
 an incredibly short space of time, a tire was 
 kindled, and the Indian had the satisfaction of 
 seeing his unfortunate invalid safe. He again 
 rubbed the ol ^ man with snow, and beckoned for 
 Matthew to rub his legs, arms, and face, in the 
 same manner, to prevent his being frost-bitten. 
 After piling up the fire, he intimated he must 
 leave them, and rapidly darted through the 
 densest part of the woods. 
 
 Had an angel from heaven appeared to the 
 two travellers, they could not have had a more 
 signal deliverance. The Indian's conduct seemed 
 to them strange, and they were quite lost in 
 attempting to explain the cause of his sudden 
 appearance. It seemed to them both as some 
 dream, and they could scarcely believe that they 
 were safe,and had a large fire blazing before them. 
 
 Here they sat, and as they came to themselves, 
 approached nearer to the fire, till they were 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 163 
 
 completely restored. Soon after, the day began 
 to dawn, and just as the clear red sunlight was 
 glancing through the pine trceb . they heard the 
 Indian's hallo ; and, in a few minutes, he again 
 stood before them with a basket of provi- 
 sions, and every requisite of which they stood in 
 need. 
 
 After partaking .5 this, the whole set off for 
 home ; and after , wvJk of seven or eight miles, 
 read, d their weicviiie dwelling. Reuben rushed 
 to his wife ; ant Marian and Matthew clasped 
 each other ; while the other brothers expressed 
 their joy by their looks. 
 
 Theirs too, had been a perilous adventure. 
 They had lost themselves in the snow ; and had 
 it not been for the good Indian who met them, 
 and assured them of their father's safety, it is 
 possible that they might have slept the sleep of 
 death, with the snow for a winding-sheet. 
 
 But who was the poor Indian that had so 
 interested himself, and braved the dangers of 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 that fearful night with such ccurage and devo- 
 tion r When Reuben came to look at him more 
 attentively, he discovered that it was one that he 
 had once rescued from the scalping knife of an 
 enemy. For months he had never seen this 
 man. Accident, or rather Providence, threw 
 him during the storm in the vicinity of the cot- 
 tage, which he entered for that shelter gene- 
 rously afforded him ; and he testified, as well 
 as his broken and rude English would allow him, 
 that " one good turn deserves another." 
 
 "And now," said Reuben, "having thanked 
 God for our deliverance, let us not forget that 
 He is always near to those that call upon Him 
 in spirit and in truth." 
 
 1 5 
 
 : 
 
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TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 165 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LOG-BURNING VISIT TO THE INDIAN WIGWAMS. 
 
 I HAVE given you already some notions of the 
 wild Indians inhabiting the back-woods of Ca- 
 nada. They are a dark-coloured race ; and it is 
 supposed, as the customs of each seem to be 
 much alike, that America was peopled from the 
 Tartar races of Asia ; but this is merely conjec- 
 ture. It is, however, a clear matter of fact, that 
 the Whites, as they have proceeded in their colo- 
 nization, have destroyed the native population to 
 make room for themselves, particularly when the 
 country was first peopled by them. Their num- 
 ber is now considerably decreased; and, per- 
 haps, at no very distant period, the Indian races 
 
 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 will be extinct. They are now supposed to 
 amount to only 100,000 souls. 
 
 I therefore resolved to become acquainted 
 with this far-famed race, by making a personal 
 visit to one of their camps or villages in the 
 woods ; and accordingly, having engaged an old 
 friend, a half-pay ofiftcer. Captain Spritsail, to 
 accompany me, we started off through the woods 
 at an early hour. The woods are called the bush 
 in this country ; and away we went through 
 bush and brake, my companion being armed 
 with a rifle, and Peter Parley with his walking 
 stick. 
 
 Our road, in the first instance, took us over a 
 large expanse of prairie, bordered by a consi- 
 derable stretch of newly-cleared land, running 
 in one direction through the woods. Here is a 
 picture of both the prairie and the land alluded 
 to. The prairie stretched in one direction as 
 far as the eye could reach ; and was bounded on 
 the other by the deep and thick forest. 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 167 
 
 It was now the autumnal season, and the 
 richness of the scenery was increased by the 
 
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 bronzed appearance of the leaves of the trees ; 
 but there was something still more grand to be 
 seen as we passed on, which I shall describe to 
 you. 
 
 Some settlers had what is called a log-burning 
 the day before, and piles of wood and other 
 matters cleared from the land had been set on 
 fire, for the purpose of consuming it, for the 
 great hindrance to agriculture in this country 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 is the large quantity of wood. In England you 
 know trees are very valuable, because there are 
 not so many ; but here they are considered an 
 incumbrance, and every means is devised for 
 
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 getting rid of them. One of these is burning 
 them. Accordingly, large numbers of logged 
 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 169 
 
 trees are put together and fired. On this occa- 
 sion several settlers had united to have a burning, 
 and had set fire to several heaps of wood, which 
 had been burning all night. 
 
 This would have been an imposing sight ; but 
 more met my eye than the mere burning of some 
 logs of wood, for a part of the forest was on fire. 
 Lofty pines were flaring away in the light of the 
 rising sun. The fire running up to the tops, 
 leaving their black stems all wreathed with flame. 
 It was indeed a sublime sight. 
 
 This fire had accidentally communicated to 
 the forest, and had extended over several acres ; 
 and when we walked close to it, and heard the 
 snapping and cracking of the timbers, and the 
 noise of the flames, owing to the large quantity 
 of turpentine in the trees, we were quite ner- 
 vous, so truly awful was the scene. I have 
 known the people in London run, from one end 
 of the town to the other, to see a house or two 
 burnt down. What would they say to such 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 a sight as this ? The flames extending for 
 miles in every direction, darting from tree to 
 tree, and running along the branches with 
 amazing rapidity. 
 
 We turned to the left after viewing this splen- 
 did sight, and journeyed for a considerable dis- 
 tance over the prairie ; at last we again came to 
 the bush, and passed a moderate-sized stream, 
 rolling its somewhat turbid waters through the 
 woods. It fell at last into a small lake not more 
 than half a mile broad, very diflFerent from Lake 
 Ontario, which I told you of. 
 
 Here I saw several persons fishing with a spear 
 after the Indian fashion. However, they had not 
 much chance, as the time was past ; for upon 
 inquiry, I found they had been fishing all 
 night. 
 
 The way fishing is performed, is for the fisher- 
 man to select a very dark night for his opera- 
 tions. He then steps into a little light canoe, on 
 the bows of which is affixed, on a long pole, a 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA, 
 
 171 
 
 mi 
 
 grated iron basket containing a fire, composed 
 of the wood of the fat pine, which burns very 
 brilliantly. 
 
 This light renders objects distinctly visible 
 below the surface of the water. The fisherman 
 guides the boat along the stream or lake; 
 the other stands up with a fishing spear, 
 in the attitude of old Neptune on Somerset 
 House, ready to strike the fish as they gently 
 glide through the still waters. When he sees a 
 fish he darts his spear, which is a sort of iron 
 trident ; if successful, the fish is impaled ; 
 but it requires a steady hand and a quick 
 eye. 
 
 This sort of fishing must have a very pretty 
 effect at night among the dark umbrage of the 
 pine scenery. The little canoes moving about 
 with their fiery beaks, and the dark figure of the 
 fisherman dimly defined in outline. My friend, 
 the captain, gave me a very lively description of 
 this. • 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 As we passed along, we saw many beautiful 
 sights. The scenery and foliage were always 
 beautiful. And then there were innumerable 
 flights of wild fowU Some of the ducks were 
 extremely beautiful. I saw now and then an 
 old duck leading her little brood among the 
 rushes ; but upon the least appearance of danger, 
 the whole will often dive to the bottom of the 
 stream, and be seen no more for some length of 
 
 time. 
 
 Leaving our road, we now^ strueii into a by- 
 path, and after traversing among boughs and 
 stumps and fallen leaves for near! v half an hour, 
 we soon discovered the wigwams of part of an 
 Indian tribe. The w^f^wam is the hut of the 
 Indians, and is formed of poles set up in the 
 same manner as soldiers pile their guns. Between 
 the poles layers of birch are drawn, leaving an 
 opening at the top to let the smoke out. One 
 part in front is left open as a door ; and this, in 
 uold w eather, is secured by a blanket. 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 173 
 
 There were several of these wigwams scattered 
 about at no great distance from each other ; in 
 each of which, was a family of Indians. Before 
 the doors some of the younger branches of them 
 were sporting about, apparently happy enough ; 
 and near to them stood a company of young 
 men practising shooting; the mark being a 
 large fir cone, placed on a cleft stick, at about 
 fifty yards distant. 
 
 As we approached, several of the elder persons 
 came out to visit us. They were very dark as 
 to complexion, with long black shaggy hair. 
 The foremost was partly clad in furs ; and would, 
 I suppose, have been entirely bo, had it not been 
 for the warmth of the w at her. Some had on 
 them the blanket coat, whic^h they obtain from 
 the settlers in e change for 11 vs. The chiefs, 
 for so I found out two of these elderly persons 
 were, were ace ompanied by three or four deer 
 hounds, which eyed us with more suspicion than 
 their masters, and did us the honour to put 
 
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 X^ETER PARLEY S 
 
 their noses to our European garments. They 
 were, however, extremely civil, and put us in no 
 apprehension. 
 
 
 
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 Among the women, of which there were six 
 or seven, was one, a very interesting girl of 
 seventeen, remarkably well shaped, and possessed 
 of a profusion of raven hair. I believe she was 
 just come from her toilet. Women, throughout 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 175 
 
 all the world, delight in finery. The great art 
 and charm of dressing is to suit the colours to 
 the complexion ; and this the Indian maid had 
 contrived admirably well. 
 
 This young girl would have attracted notice 
 even at Almack's. She had fastened to her long 
 dark hair a profusion of English ribbons. She 
 had also placed on her head, one of those mock 
 topaz brooches, which here may be purchased 
 for a few pence ; and of this she seemed parti- 
 cularly proud. 
 
 The covering of her feet too was quite that 
 of a belle. Indeed, I could not help thinking 
 of the Belle Sauvage, on Ludgate Hill, London. 
 Nothing could be more delicate than her mo- 
 cassins. They were each of them formed of 
 a single piece of leather, having the seams orna- 
 mented with beads and porcupine quills ; while 
 a string of scarlet ribbon confined the mocas- 
 sin round the instep, and made every other 
 part of it set close to the foot. The mocassin 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 was of a bright yellow, and made from the skin 
 of a deer, which had been killed by the arrow of 
 one of the Indian youths. 
 
 Do not laugh at old Peter Parley's saying so 
 much about this young woman. You know a 
 naturalist will devote a whole chapter to the 
 description of a bird, from the tip of his bill to 
 the end of his tail ; count the feathers in its 
 wings, and declaim, with the highest rapture, on 
 its variegated plumage. Is not a woman more 
 than a bird ? Surely an old man may be for- 
 given for a few remarks on the foot of an 
 Indian beauty. Utrum horum mavis accipe. 
 
 We now put our heads into the wigwam, and 
 beheld three or four women apparently at work 
 on a robe, for their chieftain. They immediately 
 made room for Peter Parley, and I soon sat 
 down in the midst of them. 
 
 What struck me as the most remarkable 
 when I entered this " parlour and kitchen and 
 all," was too little baskets with children in 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 177 
 
 them. They looked exactly like Egyptian 
 mummies. 
 
 These baskets are of an upright form, 
 with a handle at the top^ and with a sling 
 behind. By the handle they are hung upon a 
 peg, on the inside of the wigwam, and the 
 sling is used to enable the mammas of the 
 popoases (for that is the Indian name for in- 
 fants) to carry them behind their backs. When 
 a squaw, which is the name of an Indian wife, 
 enters a hut, she takes off her popoase, and 
 either sits it up in a corner, or hangs it on the 
 pole of the wigwam. 
 
 Two of the younger women were occupied in 
 working some elegant sheaths in deer skin, 
 richly wrought over with coloured quills and 
 beads. They kept their beads and quills in the 
 lid of an old tin pot on their knees. Their 
 thread was the fine dried sinews of the deer. 
 
 I very much astonished them, by pulling from 
 my long-coat pocket a variety of articles, some 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 of which they had never seen before. The prin- 
 cipal of which was a handful of the glass-cutters' 
 dropSj such as are used to ornament the chande- 
 liers with. I gave a pair to each of the women, 
 and, besides this, my friend the captain had a 
 dozen of the gilt token pieces of Clueen Victoria, 
 which they took for so much gold ; and when 
 we gave it them, they sprang up with a loud 
 hilloo, and the most frantic gestures of joy. 
 
 At last I brought out a small looking-glass, of 
 a very good thick plate, and hung it on the side 
 of the wigwam, but it was immediately snatched 
 down by Pocahontas, the savage belle, who ran 
 out of the hut looking at herself, and capering 
 as if mad, while the squaws, one and all, ran 
 after her, leaving us almost alone. 
 
 I believe I never should have called the 
 women back, they seemed so delighted, had I 
 not exhibited two or three gauze scarfs of gaudy 
 colours, and a few ribbons. These, however, 
 brought the women again round me ; nor were 
 
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TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 179 
 
 the men uninterested, but came gaping and 
 staring at us with great astonishment. I then 
 signified I wished to deal with them. 
 
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 and immediately a considerable number of 
 articles were drawn from pouches formed 
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 wigwam. These consisted of dressed skins, furs, 
 quills, and various nicnaes, which they threw 
 down on the ground, and signified were to be 
 mine. 
 
 I selected a few of the more finished articles 
 in exchange for the looking-glass alone. This 
 business afiair being settled, we then gave to 
 each of the young men some little article of 
 value, and to each of the women one of the 
 gauze scarfs. They seemed almost inclined to 
 worship us. 
 
 Upon some further communication with this 
 family, I found that they had been visited by 
 some of our missionaries, and they made signs 
 that we should kneel down and pray for them to 
 God. One of them produced a little book, con- 
 taining the Gospel of St. Matthew, printed in 
 the Indian language, which, however, he had 
 not yet learned to read. 
 
 I shook my head, and gave them to under- 
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 4i 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 181 
 
 tain, they did not take iiim for one. At last, the 
 oldest of the men fell down on his knees, and 
 oflfered up a prayer, in the Indian language, 
 holding the book firmly clasped between his 
 hands all the time. When he had finished, he 
 made signs to all around him to sit down ; and 
 suddenly arose, in the deep silence of the pine- 
 forest, a hymn of praise, sung with a devotion I 
 have seldom witnessed. I was quite astonished : 
 but I felt glad, that God was known in the 
 wilderness, and thought of that beautiful verse 
 in Isaiah, " The earth shall be full of the know- 
 ledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the 
 seas." 
 
 When the hymn was ended, we prepared to 
 depart, and the elder chief made signs that he 
 would accompany us. He comprehended the 
 place we named, as wishing to proceed to, and 
 took up his tomahawk, and with his two sons 
 led the way through the bush. We could not, 
 however, part with our female friends without 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 shaking them by the hand ; and as to our Indian 
 belle^ she seemed desirous to accompany us. 
 
 We went on through many a rugged way. 
 Sometimes the forest was so thick, as almost to 
 exclude the light of the sun^ at other times we 
 passed through spots beautiful from their very 
 wildness. After half an hour's march, we heard 
 a hallooing at a short distance. Our Indian 
 guide directed us to turn aside to a quiet 
 little dell, which had a small brook running 
 through it. 
 
 On one side of this little brook, in an open 
 space, was a pile of stones, heaped upon the 
 grave of an Indian warrior. The Indians who pass 
 near visit this grave. A party had just reached 
 the spot : it consisted of a chief, war-captains, 
 and squaws. 
 
 The Indians, from the back settlements, in 
 travelling to the eastward, never fail to leave the 
 main road, and visit the grave of their departed 
 hero. If a stone be thrown down, they reli- 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 183 
 
 giously restore it to the pile, and sitting round 
 the rude monument seem to meditate pro- 
 foundly — catching, perhaps, a local emotion 
 from the place. 
 
 The Indians all assembled round the grave, 
 and sat down ; after a solemn pause, like that of 
 a Quakers' meeting, the old chief arose, with 
 considerable dignity, and knocking his war-club 
 against the ground, made a short speech, appa- 
 rently a sort of oration, over the body of his 
 brother, as I afterwards understood it was. 
 ■ When the chieftain came to the close of a 
 sentence, there was a dreadful cry of whoo — 
 whoo — whoop ! from the hearers, and this oc- 
 curred several times during the oration ; at last, 
 when he had finished, the Indian struck his 
 club with fury against the ground, and the 
 whole party obeyed this signal, by joining in a 
 war-dance, leaping, and brandishing their knives 
 at the throats of each other ; and accompany- 
 ing their menacing attitudes with a whoop and 
 
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 a yell, which echoed with ten-fold horror from 
 the hollow woods. 
 
 I dare say you have heard of the great 
 orators of antiquity^ such as Demosthenes and 
 Cicero, or of those of our own times, such as 
 Pitt, Fox, Canning, and Brougham. But no 
 orator ever exceeded this savage chief, in the 
 force of his emphasis, and the propriety of his 
 gesture. Indeed, the whole scene was highly 
 dignified. 
 
 The fierceness of his countenance, the flow- 
 ing robe, elevated tone, naked arm, and erect 
 stature, with a circle of auditors seated on the 
 ground, and in the open air, on a spot eminently 
 romantic, made me think nothing of all modern 
 eloquence. 
 
 I once heard a French orator pronounce a 
 funeral oration over a general, in the Pere la 
 Chaise, but that was nothing to the moving elo- 
 quence of the Indian, which I felt, although I 
 could not understand it. 
 
 'S5 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 185 
 
 When the dance was finished, the chief pro- 
 duced a keg of spirits, and having taken a 
 draught, passed it round among his brethren. 
 The squaws now moved the tomahawks out of 
 the way, and a scene of riot ensued. The keg 
 was soon emptied. The effects of the liquor 
 began to display itself in the looks and motions 
 of the Indians. Some rolled their eyes with 
 distraction, others could not keep on their 
 legs. 
 
 At length succeeded the most dismal noises, 
 such whoops, such shouts, such yells! They 
 first wrestled as in play. Then this turned to 
 earnest. Each strove to do some injury to 
 another. One seized the other by the throat, who 
 n return kicked his adversary. To complete 
 the scene, the old warrior was uttering the most 
 mournful lamentations over the keg he had 
 emptied, inhaling its flavour with his lips, and 
 holding it out with his hands in a supplicating 
 attitude, and vociferating to the bystanders 
 
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 " Scuttawawbah ! Scuttawawbah ! More strong 
 drink ! more strong drink !" 
 
 "What do you say. Parley, to establish a 
 Temperance Society^ in this tribe/' said the 
 captain. 
 
 " Well," said I, " I think it would be a good 
 thing for the poor creatures." 
 
 I shrugged up my shoulders. Our Indian 
 guide did the same, evidently in abhorrence of 
 these scenes, which his better teaching had won 
 him from. And we turned with a heavy heart, 
 and unobserved, from contemplating the curse of 
 civilization upon savage life. 
 
 V ^, \ 
 
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 i 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 187 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE SUGAR MAPLE BATTLE BETWEEN THE SNAKE AND 
 
 ORIOLE FLYING SQUIRREL^ BEAVER DAM. 
 
 I DARE say you wonder where I am wandering 
 away to now. If you remember, the last place 
 I was at w^as Coi^ourg: it is on the north 
 bank of lake Ontario, which I described to you. 
 The place where I met the Indians, was be- 
 tween this place and lake Simcoe, which you 
 will see on the map, lying to the north-west of 
 Cobourg. I at last found my way down to 
 York, and from this place determined to pro- 
 ceed to the other lakes, of which you have not 
 yet heard. 
 The weather was now becoming warm, and I 
 
 
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 began to be annoyed, by what is by no means a 
 usual insect, in what we may term cold latitudes, 
 namely the mosquito, or rather a black wicked- 
 looking fly, with black body, and white legs and 
 wings. These little fellows are quite in their 
 element, when they can get a nibble at your 
 nose, and attacked mine with as little cere- 
 mony, as did my old friend Father Frost, of 
 which I think I told you. 
 
 These little gentlemen are more annoying than 
 even the mosquitos, and having taken a certain 
 portion of your blood, leave the part from which 
 they have extracted the precious beverage, very 
 red and inflamed. As to the mosquitos, we 
 easily kept them away, with setting fire to little 
 heaps of damp shavings ; but we were obliged 
 to undergo a process very similar to that made 
 use of in curing hams, which is not very agree- 
 able to living flesh and blood. 
 
 In spite of the mosquitos and all their race, 
 the captain and I proceeded on our journey 
 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 189 
 
 ns a 
 iides, 
 ked- 
 
 and 
 their 
 your 
 cere- 
 t, of 
 
 thau 
 rtain 
 hich 
 very 
 we 
 little 
 iged 
 lade 
 ree- 
 
 ace, 
 -ney 
 
 towards the famous Falls of Niagara, of which, I 
 dare say, you have sometimes heard. We tra- 
 velled partly in a boat, and partly by land, and 
 in both had many things to admire Among 
 other things I saw what you will think to be 
 a very odd sight, in a country so far north as 
 Canada, namely, people making sugar. 
 
 You are now thinking of the sugar-cane, and 
 fancying, I dare say, whole fields of this plant 
 being hoed and cut down by black negroes, 
 under all the wickedness of slavery. But the 
 Canadians can make sugar without the sugar- 
 cane ; perhaps you will be surprised who!n I 
 tell you that sugar can be made from old linen 
 rags. 
 
 Ay, do not think I am joking with you, for it 
 is true. The reason is, that all vegetable sub- 
 stances contain a large proportion of what is 
 called the saccharine principle, that is the sweet 
 principle. Chemists have discovered a method 
 of treating even linen rags in such a manner, 
 
 ^ f 
 
 v : 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 ! ( 
 
 '') 
 
 ii 
 
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 1 1 
 
 m 
 
 
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190 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 ¥ 
 
 ■I I'i 
 
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 that a pound of old rags can be convert^ '^ into 
 more than its weight of sugar. 
 
 I dare say, when you read Cinderella and 
 the Little Glass Slipper, you thought it very 
 wonderful, that the fairy should turn the 
 pumpkin into a coach, the rat into a coachman, 
 and the mice into footmen. But the chemist 
 can perform more wonderful feats than these, of 
 which I may tell you some of these days. 
 
 The Canadian people do not, however, make 
 sugar out of old rags, any more than they do 
 out of the sugar-cane. Sugar may also be 
 made from parsnips, beet-root, and carrots. 
 But it is from neither of these productions that 
 it is made in Canada, but from a tree called the 
 sugar maple. 
 
 The maple tree is a very pretty tree, as you 
 have noticed. This undergo js the operation of 
 tapping like a butt of beer. First a gash is cut 
 in the tree, or a hole is bored with an auger, 
 and a piece of elder is then inserted, which you 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 191 
 
 into 
 
 and 
 very 
 
 the 
 Lman, 
 emist 
 se, of 
 
 make 
 y do 
 
 ;o be 
 
 rrots. 
 
 5 that 
 dthe 
 
 you 
 on of 
 is cut 
 luger, 
 h. you 
 
 m 
 
 know is of a hollow^ cylindrical shape. This 
 slants a little downward, and sticks out like the 
 spout of a pump. Through this runs the sap of 
 the tree very freely into a pan or trough. Seve- 
 ral trees being tapped in this way, the whole is 
 collected during the day, and boiled down before 
 the next. 
 
 I saw two boys at this work, they had been 
 collecting the sap, and chopping wood to boil it 
 with, during the day. In the evening a pole was 
 ^xed across two forked stakes, and between 
 them a large iron kettle was hung. Ay, and 
 a pretty sight it was in the evening, to see the 
 fire blazing away among the leaves of the trees. 
 Sometimes when the fire was fierce, the young 
 sugar-boilers poured in more sap to keep it from 
 boiling into the fire. 
 
 After this has been done, the sap will keep. 
 When a large quantity is stored in this way, it is 
 sent to the sugar-boilers^ and after being 
 skimmed a good many times, it arrives at what 
 
 I 
 
 I I . 
 
 ''it 
 
 ■/ i 
 
 : ;1 
 
 
192 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 ii 
 
 is called the sugar point, when it is taken out 
 and speedily crystallizes. 
 
 The sugar thus made, is not like the refined 
 sugar of our shops, but resembles powdered 
 sugar-candy ; such as is sold by grocers, some- 
 times, to sweeten coffee. Besides the sugar 
 made in this way, a good deal of treacle is ob- 
 tained, which is very useful. 
 
 The Canadians also make very good vinegar 
 of the sap of the maple. This is done by boil- 
 ing five pails of sap down to two, and ferment- 
 ing it ; but it is not so good as our manufactured 
 vinegar, and has got the insects in it. 
 
 You will wonder what I mean by this. You 
 must know, then, that in all home-made vinegar, 
 as it is called, the fermentation breeds animal- 
 culae. These animalculse may be seen with a 
 microscope, and resemble, in the one I saw them 
 with, large eels, as much as three or four feet 
 long. They were magnified, though, above 
 forty thousand times. 
 
out 
 
 pined 
 [ered 
 3me- 
 ugar 
 J ob- 
 
 legar 
 boil- 
 aent- 
 tured 
 
 You 
 egar, 
 imal- 
 ith a 
 them 
 r feet 
 above 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 193 
 
 In the manufacture of vinegar the makers in 
 England are allowed by act of parliament to 
 put in a certain portion of oil of vitriol^ which 
 kills the insects; not that they are of the 
 slightest harm. You may eat two or three 
 hundred thousand of them and know nothing 
 about it. When we think of this we ought not 
 to be afraid of anything. 
 
 And this puts me in mind of some very beau- 
 tiful reptiles I saw in my jcurney, namely^ green 
 frogs. These have a beautiful green body 
 marked all over with brown oval spots. They 
 are about the size of the largest English frogs. 
 I dare say you have often heard the croaking 
 of these. They are called by some people in 
 England Lincolnshire nightingales or Dutch 
 thrushes ; but the note of the green frog is 
 much more musical, and very much resembles 
 the note of a bird. 
 
 Here is a great bull-frog, and very droll 
 creatures they are. I remember in going 
 
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 ^Jir 
 
 I 
 
 ; !• 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 ll 
 
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 li 
 
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 194 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 
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 Itjyl ; 
 
 through a swampy place, one of these odd gen- 
 tlemen suddenly popped his head up from among 
 the hedges, and cried willeroo, willeroo, willeroo. 
 iVt the same moment a reply was heard from 
 a distant part of the swamp, get out, get out, 
 get out; and immediately afterwards a full chorus, 
 from old and young, made the woods ring again. 
 
 While we were sauntering along admiring 
 everything we saw and heard, and watching 
 the bursting of the spring in every blade and 
 bud, my attention was directed suddenly to a 
 spot a little a-head of me, by the captain's 
 calling out. Good luck and fine weather — thei e 
 are the three primitives. 
 
 The three primitives, thought I, what can 
 this mean ? While I was so considering what 
 my old friend meant by this sudden exclama- 
 tion, he again cried out. There they are, red, 
 blue, and yellow. They are the weather makers. 
 I looked before me and saw three birds at no 
 c*;reat distance from each other>, one was nearly 
 
 It 
 ! 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 195 
 
 gen- 
 mong 
 leroo. 
 
 from 
 : out, 
 tiorus, 
 again, 
 niring 
 tching 
 e and 
 jr to a 
 Gain's 
 -thei e 
 
 at can 
 5 what 
 clama- 
 e, red, 
 aakers. 
 at no 
 nearly 
 
 red, another nearly blue, and the third nearly 
 yellow. 
 
 This was a rather uncommon sight, and I 
 then recollected that red, blue, and yellow are 
 the three primitive colours. The red bird is a 
 very beautiful creature, nearly all red, and is, I 
 believe, the same as the Virginia nightingale. 
 The blue bird is equally beautiful, its plumage 
 a sky blue. The yellow bird is something like 
 our yellow-hammer, but the colours are far more 
 brilliant. 
 
 But there is another beautiful sight which I 
 must not forget to tell you of, and that is a 
 clustering of the snow bunting. You have, I 
 suppose, seen the starlings on the cold au- 
 tumnal months flying about in flocks, and sud- 
 denly alighting upon some bushy tree ; which 
 seems literally covered with them. In this 
 manner the snow bunting flies about. I had 
 my attention suddenly aroused by a rushing of 
 wings, and when I looked up beheld a lime 
 
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 ! 
 
 
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 m 
 
 
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 m 
 
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 196 
 
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 ii 
 
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 ■■'■ " : 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 1^ 
 
 tree which had the appearance of being co- 
 vered with stars of silver that twinkled and 
 sparkled like spangles. Presently the whole 
 flight were off to another tree^ keeping just 
 before us for some hundred yards; at last 
 several trees were covered^ and then the whole 
 darted off towards the pine forests. 
 
 There are a considerable number of the 
 reptile breed in Canada, but few of them are, 
 however, dangerous to man, although most of 
 them are to some animal or other. One of the 
 most annoying to birds is the black snake, which 
 grows to a considerable size. These fellows 
 will occasionally pay their respects to a bird's 
 nest and devour the young birds, and many 
 are the battles that take place between the old 
 birds and the snakes. I was called aside one 
 day to witness an encounter of this kind ; a large 
 black snake had coiled himself round the stem 
 of a maple tree, and was creeping his head 
 slily along a branch towards the nest of the 
 
 I 
 
 ^ 
 
 i 1 
 
co- 
 and 
 
 vhole 
 just 
 last 
 
 ^hole 
 
 f the 
 1 are, 
 
 5St of 
 
 3f the 
 which 
 ellows 
 bird's 
 many 
 he old 
 ie one 
 a large 
 e stem 
 ; head 
 of the 
 
 I 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 197 
 
 oriole, a bird not much larger than our thrush ; 
 but the little heroine flew at the snake as his 
 head was out with the greatest fury ; the other 
 hissing and dashing his forked tongue as if he 
 
 v.'^? 
 
 would do mischief if he could. At last the 
 oriole came to closer fight, and what with her 
 wings and beak, which she made the best use 
 of, I can tell you, the snake was glad to drop 
 
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 198 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 quietly down again to the bottom of the tree, 
 and slink off as cowards generally do. 
 
 Among other interesting things that I saw as 
 we walked along, my attention was on one occa- 
 sion directed to a hawk flying over my head at 
 a considerable height. It seemed to be much 
 worried from a little bird screaming close after 
 it ; now rising close under its belly and then 
 dashing sideways, uttering all the time a shrill, 
 querulous cry. I found out afterwards that this 
 small bird was only a swallow, and that the 
 hawks were terribly afraid of them. The hawk, 
 with all its swiftness, never can succeed in flying 
 down or pouncing upon a swallow, which has 
 superior agility khd swiftness of wing. This 
 the little creature knows, and confident in its 
 powers, makes it a rule to torment the hawk by 
 following him whenever an opportunity occurs, 
 till he has driven him off" his domain, for the 
 benefit, not of himself, but other little birds. 
 
 You have often heard of bears, I dare say. 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 199 
 
 There are bears in Canada, and wiiat i^ better 
 they afford excellent ham, and as to bear's-grease 
 there is no difficulty in procuring that if it 
 would make your hair grow. Some of our young 
 English friends when they first came over, having 
 read in the newspapers of bear's-grease pro- 
 moting the growth of hair and causing it to 
 grow on bald places, thought they would have 
 some whiskers, if it was possible to obtain them, 
 and actually purchased the whole of the fat of 
 a bear for this especial purpose. They anointed 
 themselves every night with it, rubbed it on 
 each side of the face, but all to no purpose. A 
 good breakfast off a bear's ham would have done 
 them much more good, as I can testify, for I 
 never made a more delicious meal than wheii I 
 had a bear's ham for my breakfast. 
 
 A ludicrous circumstance occurred with a 
 bear, of which I was told. Bears are extremely 
 fond of honey, and will sometimes steal into 
 the settlers' gardens and lift the bee-hives up to 
 
 ff n 
 
 
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 r 
 
 •.;) 
 
 If 
 
 \ ■ 
 if 
 
 I 
 
 200 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 obtain it ; one had succeeded in lifting the hive, 
 but the bees flew out upon him and clustered 
 round his head and ears, making him roar with 
 pain. Vainly did Bruin try to brush them oif 
 w^ith his paws ; he rolled himself on the ground, 
 tried all manner of expedients ; at last he had 
 the sagacity to dip his head into a water butt 
 which stood by, and thus thoroughly soused, 
 got away from his intruders. 
 
 Bears are also sometimes fond of pigs. A 
 bear had formed a sincere and devoted attach- 
 ment to a young porker belonging to an Irish- 
 man, and formed a design to elope with her 
 the first moonlight night; he cautiously ap- 
 proached the log-house, and succeeded in get- 
 ting through an aperture close by the piggery. 
 He then, watching his opportunity, seized Miss 
 Jess by the leg who immediately called out for 
 assistance in the most expressive tones. Had 
 she been a young lady, of course she would 
 have fainted, but being a pig, she was more 
 
 5t 
 
 
\i- 
 
 3 hive^ 
 stered 
 " with 
 m off 
 ound, 
 e had 
 r butt 
 )used^ 
 
 3. A 
 
 itach- 
 [rish- 
 i her 
 
 J ap- 
 get- 
 ^ery. 
 Miss 
 t for 
 Had 
 ould 
 more 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 201 
 
 reasonable and squeaked violently. This brought 
 poor Paddy to the spot, but at this moment 
 Bruin had succeeded in getting part of the pig 
 through the window. A hind leg was, however, 
 left for Pat, who attached hiniself to it with 
 the greatest ardour. Bruin hearing the shouts 
 of the Irishman, and withal feeling the point of 
 
 
 ■- -CAi 
 
 an iron toasting-fork, which the Irishman hap- 
 pened to have in his hand, and which he thrust 
 through the open spaces of the log-house at 
 him, consented to be what is called in law, 
 non-suited, and went off with the payment of 
 costs. 
 Among other things highly amusing in Canada, 
 
 I 
 
 
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 i 
 
 m 
 
 it-^j, 
 
 I' 
 
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 mi 
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 202 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 :,fi 
 
 
 is the manner in which deer are shot both by 
 the native Indians and the settlers. There are 
 several kind of deer in Canada, common of 
 course to the high latitudes of the north Ame- 
 rican continent. The moose deer is the largest, 
 being seven feet high ; the upper lip is very 
 large and broad, and is called the moufile. This 
 animal does not graze, but browses on the leaves 
 and young roots of trees ; it is a fierce animal 
 when provoked, but naturally tame and inof- 
 fensive. Besides this, there is the great Ame- 
 rican elk, which is seldom seen ; the skeleton is 
 something similar to those dug up in the south 
 of Ireland, and the horns or antlers are tre- 
 mendous. 
 
 The deer which are usually shot are varieties 
 of the American kind, which are exceedingly 
 numerous both on the prairie and in the forest. 
 The mode of killing them sometimes is as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 Two hunters go out, each armed with a rifle, 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 203 
 
 Dh by 
 
 e are 
 
 n of 
 
 A.me- 
 
 rgest, 
 
 very 
 
 This 
 
 eaves 
 
 nimal 
 
 inof- 
 
 Ame- 
 
 ton is 
 
 south 
 
 ) tre- 
 
 'ieties 
 lingly 
 orest. 
 IS fol- 
 
 , rifle^ 
 
 conveying a deer skin with them; when they 
 get within sight of a herd they contrive to 
 envelop themselves so with the skin as to re- 
 semble in some degree the animal. They ad- 
 vance slowly^ imitating the motions of the deer 
 as nearly as possible. Should any of the herd 
 
 . ft ^ 
 
 
 turn round to notice them, they immediately 
 stop, and begin rubbing the horn against the 
 leg as the animal usually does, with any other 
 motions common to the animal while grazing. 
 
 :!i.' t 
 
 i: ■* ; 
 
It < 
 
 \ 
 
 '111 
 
 1. * 
 
 li 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 ' 
 
 fii 
 
 204 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 In this way the hunters get close to the deer, 
 sometimes quite into the midst of them ; they 
 are thus enabled to single out the fattest. In 
 a moment the skin is dropped and both the 
 hunters fire together ; in a moment they reload, 
 unless they have double-barrelled rifles, when 
 they fire again, and so on till the deer have 
 scampered far beyond their reach. 
 
 Besides the deer the formidable bison is 
 sometimes, but extremely rarely, seen on the 
 wilds of the backwoods. He keeps himself far 
 from man, and it is a good thing for the settlers 
 that he does, for he is by no means a pleasant 
 person to do business with ; he is of a dusky- 
 brown colour, with two short black round horns, 
 high shoulders, short and thick legs, naked and 
 stumpy tail ; his forehead is covered with long 
 flocks of woolly hair, which give him a very 
 savage appearance. I never saw one but once, 
 said my friend the captain, and he glared at me 
 through an opening in the pine bush, his eyes 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 205 
 
 deer, 
 ; they 
 t. In 
 h the 
 •eload, 
 
 when 
 • have 
 
 ;on is 
 in the 
 ielf far 
 ettlers 
 easant 
 iusky- 
 horns, 
 3d and 
 1 long 
 a very 
 once, 
 at me 
 s eyes 
 
 seemed like fire as he tossed up the earth over 
 his head with his feet, and looked so mischievous 
 that I was forced to walk out of sight of him 
 with my rifle cocked. 
 
 While we were passing along the woods con- 
 versing about rein-deer, bisons, and other ani- 
 mals, we were surprised at hearing a thrumming 
 noise close to us resembling the turning of a 
 spindle or small wheel ; on looking round we 
 perceived two beautiful humming-birds coming 
 fluttering along in the oddest manner imagin- 
 able. If the noise they made resembled a 
 spinning wheel, so did their flight, for they came 
 tumbling on, seeming to flutter round and round, 
 so that I could scarcely see their colours. I 
 could, however, distinguish that they were very 
 beautiful : I dare say you did not think I should 
 find humming-birds in Canada. Besides these, 
 however, I saw an abundance of large and small 
 beetles, green and gold, some rose colour, and 
 others black; but what were more beautiful 
 
 ^.:s 
 
 I !■ 
 
206 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 .li, 
 
 1 i: 
 
 ;l 
 
 I 
 
 I! 
 
 were the fire flies ; and when these were seen 
 sporting among the dark cedar trees in the 
 evening, they had a very pretty effect — ay, 
 to my thinking, far better than a London il- 
 lumination by gas light. 
 
 We now took a boat to pass from Fort St. 
 George towards the Falls of Niagara, of which 
 I shall have to tell you by and by. As we rowed 
 on we came to what are called the rapids, and 
 as we were looking to see how the water twisted 
 and twirled about just as if it was moving in a 
 set of quadrilles, my attention was directed to 
 what I supposed to be a rat, tugging along 
 against the stream. When we got closer we 
 found, however, that it was a dear little squirrel 
 swimming away towards the shore. We passed 
 between him and the bank, and the boatman 
 put out his oar with a view to lift him out of 
 his element. In a moment when he felt the oar 
 under him he ran along it with remarkable 
 dexterity, dashed into the boat, flew into the 
 
) seen 
 n the 
 
 — ay, 
 ion il- 
 
 )rt St. 
 which 
 rowed 
 s, and 
 wisted 
 5 in a 
 ted to 
 
 along 
 er we 
 juirrel 
 passed 
 atman 
 
 out of 
 he oar 
 rkable 
 to the 
 
 ^1 
 
 r 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 207 
 
 hat of poor Peter Parley, and plunged into the 
 stream on the other side. All this was done 
 before I could put my hand to my head. 
 
 This squirrel was of the common kind, but 
 there are others more remarkable ; one of which 
 is the flying squirrel, and this is, I think, one 
 
 of the prettiest of any ; it is grey, and the fur 
 is as soft as velvet; it has beautiful eyes, and 
 whiskers that would have done honour to a cap- 
 tain of the dragoons. If you look at the 
 
 r,l 
 
 
 t*! 1, 
 If 
 
 i' 
 
 I- 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 MI 
 
 
 
 * 
 
 
208 
 
 PETEP PARLEY S 
 
 hQ-> 
 
 I 
 
 picture you will see that a membrane connects 
 the fore with the hind feet, so that in leaping 
 from tree to tree, it sails along as on wings to a 
 considerable distance. I have often seen pictures 
 of this little animal, but from being badly 
 drawn it had an ugly bat-like form. The truth 
 is, it is a very pretty little animal. 
 
 Before we reached the Falls, we passed up a 
 little creek with a view to call on a friend of the 
 captain's ; we left the boat and passed up the 
 stream for some distance; and what do you 
 think we came too ? what I had long wished to 
 see, and what I am sure you will be much 
 gratified in hearing an account of — it was a 
 beaver dam. 
 
 You have often heard of the beaver, I dare 
 say. It is said to be the connecting animal 
 between quadrupeds and fish ; it is a most sur- 
 prising animal, and if you had seen its works 
 and fortifications you would have said so ; it is 
 endowed with a most astonishing degree of art 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 209 
 
 and sagacity^ particularly in the construction of 
 its habitation. 
 
 The beaver is a social animal, and hundreds 
 
 f 
 
 ,\ ' 
 
 I !-■!' 
 
 
 ■■p 
 
 
 
 Ym 
 
 of them live together just as we do in towns 
 and cities ; they assemble together in the spring 
 to the amount of about two hundred in a 
 company in order to provide their future 
 residence ; and just as we came up we could 
 
 p 
 
 1 1 ;].■ 
 
 >: -.i 
 
 
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I h 
 
 ■ 
 
 ml 
 
 If 
 
 210 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 see plainly that the animals had been at work 
 several days ; the spot in which they had chosen 
 to work was a small branch of a running stream, 
 about a hundred feet over in the part in which 
 the pier was being raised, something like the 
 form given above. The pier was thrown over, just 
 as you see it in the drawing, and was about sixty 
 feet long. But as a foundation, the sagacious 
 creatures had cut down with their little teeth 
 a tall pine tree which grew on the point marked 
 by a black dot. They had gnawed it in such 
 a manner that it fell exactly in the spot 
 they wished it, namely, directly across the 
 stream, and reached the other side. The branches 
 had also been cut off of this and other trees, 
 and were driven in, like stakes, around it on the 
 side next to the dam. The pier descended with 
 a slope on that side next the water, the other 
 side of it was perpendicular, and the top had a 
 breadth of about two feet. 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 211 
 
 When we first saw that we were approaching 
 a beaver's dam, we moved with great caution, 
 with a view to get a sight of what these crea- 
 tures were doing. At last by getting behind 
 some trees, we stood quite unobserved, and very 
 busy they were indeed. Some were at a short 
 distance, cutting small branches from the trees, 
 and trimming them up as smooth as possible. 
 Others were ferrying them down the stream, 
 while others were t irrying the slimy stuff they 
 used for mortar, on their tails, just like so many 
 bricklayers. 
 
 As to their habitations, they had scarcely 
 begun them ; but the captain told me that they 
 were generally about twelve feet long, and eight 
 or ten in breadth, and large enough to house 
 eight or ten beavers ; and if the number of inha- 
 bitants increase, the habitation is proportionably 
 enlarged, and sometimes a hundred beavers 
 have been found together in one large house, 
 
 p 2 
 
 t 
 
 d 
 
 1 , 1 
 
 it: 
 
 
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 f:l\ 
 
 m ... 
 
 
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 an 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 212 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 divided into a great number of apartments. 
 But generally each family of beavers have their 
 own house. 
 
 The shape of the beaver castle is generally 
 oval, and so well roofed a^ to be water-proof. 
 Its interior is as nicely constructed, and with 
 the same degree of art, having a communication 
 both with the w^ater and land, ana making pro- 
 visions against rapid changes of weather, and 
 against floods. While we stood looking at them, 
 I happened to cough, and in a moment one of 
 the beavers gave the water a slap with his tail, 
 and the whole community w^ere immediately 
 under the stream. 
 
 We did not go further to disturb these 
 interesting animals, but left them to pursue 
 their avocations in peace. As we turned away, 
 the captain told me it was the general opinion 
 that the great wild meadows, or savannahs of 
 North America, were caused by the beaver dams, 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 213 
 
 which, by covering the ground with water, 
 destroy the trees and bushes, and form reservoirs 
 for the melted snows and autumnal rains to 
 deposit the rich soil of the highlands. If so, 
 what a wonderful provision of the Great Author 
 of Nature. 
 
 '1 1. 
 
 : ' 
 
 ♦V.ii 
 
 ; ■! 
 
T 
 
 214 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 :if^ 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 1 
 
 ■■■1 
 
 H^il 
 
 S 
 
 ! 1 
 
 FALLS OF NIAGARA NAVY ISLAND. 
 
 You have heard, more or less, I dare say, of the 
 Falls of Niagara, for they are, without question, 
 the largest falls of any river in the world. I 
 told you about lake Ontario. There is a con- 
 necting stream, called the Niagara river, between 
 this lake and lake Erie ; and as the waters of 
 lake Ontario are lower than those of lake 
 Erie, and the other lakes which run into it, it 
 follows, that somehow or other the stream must 
 continue to descend to this level. 
 
 This it does in a truly sublime manner, at a 
 point about half way between the two lakes. 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 215 
 
 5 of the 
 lestion, 
 irld. I 
 a con- 
 etween 
 iters of 
 f lake 
 o it, it 
 [n must 
 
 r^ at a 
 lakes. 
 
 The Niagara is about thirty miles long, and tra- 
 verses a very beautiful country. At Fort Erie it 
 is about a mile wide, but as it gets nearer to a 
 place called Blackrock, it contracts itself to 
 about half a mile in width ; and here is a ferry, 
 and a very difficult ferry it is to pass, for the 
 stream runs at the rate of seven miles an hour. 
 From this place the river widens again, till it 
 is cut in twain by an island twelve miles long, 
 and from two to seven broad, called Pound 
 Island. Below th^s is Navy Island, on the 
 American side; and just within sight of this 
 place (the eye looking over a sort of bay, which 
 the river makes here) are the celebrated Falls 
 of Niagara. 
 
 Navy Island has lately been the scene of war- 
 fare ; and it was here that a short time since a 
 party of the rebels entrenched themselves against 
 the British troops. As the Americans have all 
 the other islands on the Niagara, they seem to 
 think they have almost a right to this also, par- 
 
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 216 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 ticulai ly as it lies on their own side of the water. 
 But this is not right. When the rebels took 
 possession of this island, the Americans aiforded 
 them all the assistance they could. 
 
 I have often heard that the roar of the falls 
 might be distinguished at a great distance ; and 
 as we passed from Queenstown early in the 
 morning, often did we listen to hear the greet- 
 ings of the flood. We however listened in vain 
 till we had been about an hour upon our jour- 
 ney. At last, when within about five miles 
 of the place, we heard a sullen, dull, subdued 
 roar — something like distant thunder, but more 
 regular and continuous. It added greatly to the 
 sublimity of the scene, and made us hasten on to 
 get a sight of the grand cataract. 
 
 As we went along the banks of the Niagara, 
 we were of course below the falls coming from 
 Queenstown; and the first visible evidence we 
 had of the falls, was in the masses of foam with 
 which this lower part of the river was covered. 
 
^vater. 
 
 took 
 
 brded 
 
 
 3 falls 
 ; and 
 n the 
 greet- 
 1 vain 
 jour- 
 miles 
 dued 
 more 
 :o the 
 onto 
 
 |tgara, 
 from 
 e we 
 with 
 ered. 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 217 
 
 We also beheld a lofty ridge of hills, stretching 
 away to the south-west, part of which formed 
 the precipice for the Niagara cataract. We 
 
 then came in sight of the Lake of the Thousand 
 Isles, where a city is to be built on the British 
 side, and is actually commenced. JVt this point 
 the roar of the cataract was tremendous. Some- 
 times it resembled the breaking of the sea on the 
 shore in the wildest storms, and at others like 
 
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 218 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 the dreadful booming of artillery, or the hoarse 
 voice of the muffled thunder. The difference 
 in the sound of the waters of the falls was 
 occasioned by the variation of the wind : when it 
 blowed fresh, the sound came with all its force 
 to the ear ; when it lulled a little, the noise was 
 comparatively weak. 
 
 About four miles above Queenstown, a cur- 
 rent of the river makes a circular sweep in the 
 high and perpendicular banks, resembling a bay. 
 The current sweeps round this bay with great 
 violence, and rushes through two perpendicular 
 precipices as if it was mad. The surface of the 
 whirlpool is in a state of continual agitation. 
 The water twists and turmoils and boils about 
 in a fearful manner. Branches and roots of 
 .trees are swept round and round, or dashed 
 against the sides of the rocks ; sometimes lost 
 for several seconds in the whirling eddy, and then 
 again brought to the surface, to go through the 
 same agitation at another point of the whirlpool. 
 
r 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 219 
 
 Amid this din and roar of the cataract we 
 came to an inn at which travellers almost always 
 stop before they make a survey ^f the Falls. 
 Here we partook of a fowl and a L tile of sweet 
 Canadian wine, made from malt, and felt more 
 comfortable within, and better adapted for walk- 
 ing, and hearing, and seeing. 
 
 It was about the middle of the day, and the 
 sun was shining gloriously. The first thing we 
 saw to strike our attention, was a sort of cloud, 
 or mist, rising from the bottom of the falls 
 towards the top. When the sun's rays fell on 
 this, a most beautiful rainbow was formed, 
 which put me in mind of the angel of hope 
 rising triumphant over the struggles and pangs 
 of death. 
 
 It was the beautiful over the terrible ; security 
 over tumult. The sight here, in full view of the 
 falls, was grand in the extreme ; and I think 
 that viewing them from below is by far the most 
 interesting. 
 
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 PETER PA.RLEY S 
 
 The horse-shoe cataract, under which we now 
 stood, is on the British side of the river, and is 
 the largest ; and its altitude is a hundred and 
 forty-nine feet, which is almost as high as the 
 Monument. Only think of a river half a mile 
 broad, and twenty-five feet deep, rushing over 
 a rock of this immense height. But this will 
 not give you an idea of the efiect produced : 
 you must see it — then you will feel it as I did. 
 
 You would scarcely suppose that it would be 
 possible to penetrate behind this immense sheet 
 of water ; but it is. Behind this gigantic mass a 
 cavern is formed, a hundred and fifty feet high, 
 fifty broad, and three hundred long. Into this 
 we went ; and truly grand and sublime was the 
 effect produced on the mind. Here was a 
 volume of water from four great lakes^ the least 
 of which is one thousand two hundred miles 
 in compass, being poured forth towards the 
 ocean in one immense mass. The rocks seemed 
 to tremble with the force of the fall. The din 
 
I 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 221 
 
 was so loud^ that we could scarcely hear our- 
 selves speak. 
 
 When we looked out from behind the edge of 
 the cascade, we could see a splendid rainbow 
 formed in the rising spray, floating, gossamer 
 like, in the mid air. We were at one time 
 actually between the rock and the descending 
 sheet of water. I can hardly tell you what I 
 felt and thought while I stood in this situation. 
 
 We now ascended a flight of rude steps cut in 
 the rock, and after an ascent of several minutes, 
 through broken precipices and overhanging 
 bushes, and pine trees, we at last stood upon 
 what is called the Table Rock, from its jutting 
 out in a table-like form, as seen in the picture ; 
 it hangs directly over the cataract. I trembled 
 as I went out here, I can assure you; for I 
 fancied I could feel the place shake under me ; 
 and as I supposed that some day or other this 
 overhanging ledge of rock would fall into the 
 boiling gulf below, I said to myself, " It might 
 
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 222 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 fall when you are on it, Peter ; " so that I felt 
 rather timid, and moved step by step, till at last 
 I stood pretty near the edge. I could not, 
 however, in this position, see the eflfect of the 
 fall beneath me ; and the captain told me, if I 
 really wished to see the true grandeur of the 
 falls, I must look over the edge. This I did not 
 feel inclined to do, for fear I should grow^ dizzy, 
 and fall over myself. The captain, however, 
 proposed that we should both fall down, and 
 creep on our hands and knees, and first peep 
 over the edge ; and setting the example himself, 
 he emboldened me to do the same. After the 
 captain got up, and returned backwards, I crept 
 upon my hands and knees till I could just pop 
 my nose over the edge of the Table Rock. But 
 what a sublime sight! The depth immense; 
 the spray ascending like a cloud, which gave 
 an indistinctness to the bottom, that made it seem 
 deeper and more aw^ful than it really was. 
 I could not look long, I can assure you, and 
 
f felt 
 t last 
 
 not, 
 f the 
 , if I 
 f the 
 d not 
 iizzy, 
 ^ever, 
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 peep 
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 crept 
 pop 
 But 
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 gave 
 
 seem 
 
 , and 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 223 
 
 soon drew back my nose, and my body too, till I 
 stood on what I considered safe ground, terra 
 firmaj as it is called, and looking about me, 
 obtained a splendid view of the falls and 
 the surrounding scenery. I could, looking 
 southward, mark the first ripple of the rapids 
 leading to the fall, and follow it with its in- 
 creasing speed, till it reached the tremendous 
 leap, while below, the eyr could trace the 
 foaming speed of the river, till it resumed its 
 placid beauty, and was then lost in the distance ; 
 while towards Queenstown I could descry the 
 bolder face of the country rising into abrupt and 
 elevated ridges, supposed to have been the banks 
 of the river in former ages. 
 
 Beside this fall, I told you there is another ; 
 this is called Fort Scloper Fall, which is not 
 more than a thousand feet wide. Besides this, 
 there is another fall, not more than twenty feet 
 in width, adjoining to which is Goat Island. 
 
 An enterprising American has constructed a 
 
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 224 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 wooden bridge, six hundred feet in length, 
 from the main bank of the Niagara to Goat 
 Island. When you consider that, as I before 
 said, the stream runs at the rate of seven miles 
 an hour, the difficulty of sinking piles to sustain 
 this bridge may be in some degree estimated. 
 
 I saw several wild ducks swimming down the 
 rapids, quite to the edge of the fall, and trembled 
 for their safety. Just, however, as I thought 
 they were about to sink into the roaring gulf, 
 they suddenly took wing, and flew away with a 
 shrill cry, as in defiance of it. Sometimes they 
 would seem to play with the bright wave, and 
 then again resume the wing, and hie far av* ay to 
 the north. 
 
 Such was my visit to the Falls of Niagara, a 
 visit I shall never forget, and one worth any 
 person's while to travel a few hundred miles for. 
 After this I made the tour of the other great 
 Canadian lakes, of which I shall tell you in my 
 next chapter. 
 
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 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 225 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 COMPARATIVE SIZE, AND ELEVATION OF THE LAKES — 
 
 THE boatman's STORY. 
 
 If you look on the map, you will observe other 
 lakes besides that of Ontario, of which I have 
 given you a description. The principal of these 
 are four, besides Ontario: lake Erie, lake 
 Huron, lake Michigan, and lake Superior. 
 These lakes lie on the summit of a range of ele- 
 vated ground, w^hich stretches nearly across the 
 continent, occupying certain deep cavities, hol- 
 lowed out on this level summit, and they receive 
 the waters of all those small rivers which are 
 formed on the flat region lying around them. 
 The navigation from lake Ontario to lake 
 
 
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 226 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 Erie, is internipted by the Falls of Niagara, of 
 which you have just heard. From Erie to 
 Huron vessels of large size pass uninterrupted ; 
 but the communication is again impeded in the 
 channel vvhich connects the two latter with 
 lake Huron by the Falls of St. Mary. At 
 Niagara, a canal called the Welland Canal, has 
 been formed by the British Government on the 
 Canadian side of the river, which enables vessels 
 to pass from Ontario to Erie without impedi- 
 ment ; and I have no doubt a similar canal will 
 ere long, when the present political disturbances 
 are at an end, be formed to compensate the 
 Falls of St. Mary. The whole chain of these 
 inland seas will then be navigable from one end 
 to the other ; and as their shores are all of great 
 fertility, the region lying around them may be 
 expected at some future time to be one of the 
 busiest and richest on the globe. 
 
 It is remarkable, that none of the rivers of the 
 United States fall into the lakes, and there is no 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 ira, of 
 rie to 
 ipted ; 
 in the 
 • with 
 ^ At 
 il, has 
 on the 
 vessels 
 tnpedi- 
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 bailees 
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 these 
 ne end 
 
 great 
 nay be 
 of the 
 
 of the 
 B is no 
 
 227 
 
 river that flows out of them over which that 
 country has any command; so that, without 
 industry, the Americans will not have much 
 advantage from them. Already, therefore, ca- 
 nals have been formed from the inland districts of 
 A|nerica to the upper portion of the lakes, while 
 from their lower shore, or that which is next to 
 the sea, they have conducted others to give 
 them an outlet to the ocean within their own 
 territory. 
 Below I have given you the comparative 
 
 Name. 
 
 Length. 
 
 Width. 
 
 Depth. 
 
 Elevation above 
 the sea. 
 
 Ontario . . 
 
 180 
 
 40 
 
 500 
 
 231 
 
 Erie .... 
 
 270 
 
 80 
 
 200 
 
 565 
 
 Huron . . . 
 
 250 
 
 50 
 
 900 
 
 610 
 
 Michigan . 
 
 400 
 
 100 
 
 unknown 
 
 618 
 
 Superior . . 
 
 480 
 
 109 
 
 900 
 
 641 
 
 
 
 
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 228 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 length, depth, breadth, and elevation above the 
 sea, of the lakes ; by which you see that the sur- 
 face of Erie is three hundred and thirty-four feet 
 above that of Ontario, so you will not wonder at 
 the wonderful descent of water at Niagara. This 
 lake is about six hundred and fifty-eight miles in 
 circumference, and covers an area of about twelve 
 thousand square miles. In fact, it is a little sea, 
 and I can tell you, that when the wind blows 
 strong, the lake becomes exceedingly rough and 
 boisterous ; and on the north shore, where I was 
 one day, the wind setting in from the south- 
 west, a very dangerous surf beat in. I could 
 see little difference between it and the sea beach. 
 There were shells and fish thrown up, and a 
 variety of aquatic birds screaming around, just 
 as you see and hear them on the sea shore. 
 
 The southern shore of the lake, which belongs 
 to the United States, is generally low, and not 
 remarkable for its picturesque beauty, except 
 near the portage of Chataughue, where the cliffs 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 229 
 
 rise fifty or sixty feet high. The Americans 
 have here a town called Erie, which is defended 
 by a strong battery. You will see it is near the 
 centre of the southern coast. About twenty 
 miles south of the lake the tract of coast bears 
 the name of the Sugar Loaf Country : and very 
 much like an assemblage of large sugar 1 Daves it 
 Is. Numerous conical hills, from twenty to 
 thirty feet high, composed of sand and clay, are 
 seen all along the coast. The beach at this part 
 is covered with high black rocks, a,nd very dan- 
 gerous rocks they are when the wind sets in 
 from the north-east. 
 
 If you look at the map you will see that the 
 northern shore contains a projection of land 
 reaching quite into the middle of the lake. This 
 is called Long Point, and a very long point the 
 boatmen used to think it when they went from 
 Dover to Bartwell. It was determined by the 
 inhabitants of the district to cut a canal through 
 the middle of this piece of land at its smallest 
 
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 230 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 part ; the engineers went to work and produced 
 an estimate of the expense, which was twelve 
 thomand pounds. This, I dare say, would have 
 been thirty thousand pounds before the work 
 had been finished; there is a vast difference 
 between an estimate for a work and the bill for 
 it afterwards. 
 
 While things were pending between engineers 
 and inhabitants, the former cogitating how the 
 work could be done, and the latter the best 
 methods of raising the wind, that is, the money ; 
 the wind itself rose in good earnest, a violent 
 storm came on turning the lake into a, sea, and 
 frightening the inhabitants out of their wits. 
 
 Everybody thought the storm a most dreadful 
 thing ; several houses were blown down, many 
 hats were lost, old women could not stir out 
 for several days for fear of being blown off 
 their legs, and young women would not for 
 fear of their bonnets ; but 'tis an ill wind that 
 blows nobody good, for this terrible storm ac- 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 231 
 
 tually made a breach through the point near the 
 mainland, converting the peninsula into an island, 
 and actually made a canal four hundred yards 
 wide and eight or ten feet deep, almost at the very 
 point where the proposed canal was to have 
 been cut, and rendering little else necessary to 
 secure a safe channel for vessels and a good 
 harbour on both sides than the construction of a 
 pier on the west side, to prevent the channel 
 from being filled with sand. 
 
 This lake has also been the scene of warfare 
 between the English and American shipping. 
 A battle was fought between an English and 
 American squadron, which, unluckily for the 
 English, terminated in the capture of the Eng- 
 lish fleet. 
 
 I can tell you that it is by no means a solitary 
 place. This lake Erie is the central situation 
 for all the inland navigation of Canada and 
 America ; steam-boats are passing from shore to 
 shore every day, some coming from the lakes 
 
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 1 •. 
 
 
 232 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 above, and others from the lakes below ; thou- 
 sands of people pass and repass over the lake 
 every day; and on the Sunday, it put me in 
 mind of Margate and Ramsgate steam-boating. 
 
 ^^ Ay, it is all very fine now," said the elder 
 of two boatmen who were rowing us among 
 the shallows on the northern part of the bay, 
 while I was enjoying the beauty of the scenery, 
 " It's all very well now," said the boatman ; 
 '^ Americans and English both live secure and 
 comfortable enough except they choose to fall 
 out with each other, but that has not been lately, 
 whatever it may be by and by. It was not 
 always so even here at Barwell, as I have heard 
 my father say often enough. Yonder rocks, 
 and perhaps this very spot over which I am 
 rowing, ha? been the scene of a good deal of 
 rough work." 
 
 " I should think your famous canal was the 
 scene of rough work when the sea and the wind 
 blew the land in two," said L 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 233 
 
 ^^ Yes/' said the boatman," ^^ that was a gale ; 
 but all the fury of the elements are not half so 
 bad as a wild and lawless man, nor do they do 
 half so much mischief." 
 
 ^^ I cannot tell, my friend, to what you allude," 
 said I. " But if it is any remarkable circum- 
 stance unnarrated, or a good story, pray let us 
 have it." 
 
 ^' A good story ; indeed it is an awful good 
 story ; ay, and a true one. Why, you cannot 
 look at the Dog's-Tooth rock as it is called, and 
 tell me you never heard about the red pirate. 
 Jack Shrike ? " 
 
 " I never knew but one pirate called Shrike, 
 and that some people call the butcher-bird," 
 said I. 
 
 " Butcher-bird, indeed, he was a butcher- 
 bird ;" said the boatman. *^ Why those rocks 
 were once like a slaughter-house with blood ; 
 but if you do not know tne story of Jack 
 Shrike the boat pirate, I must tell you," 
 
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 234 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 " Do tell me. You know I am fond of sto- 
 ries, and I promise you I am as good a listener 
 as a talker." 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
 #M 
 
 >-r ■ 
 
 I 
 
 THE BOATMAN S STORY. 
 
 " Well then," said the boatman, ^^ you must 
 know that when my father was a boy, which is 
 a good while ago, for I am fifty-four years old 
 next birth-day ; when my father was a boy, all 
 these parts, now so populous, only contained here 
 and there a town, and we had not quite so 
 many magistrates and soldiers, and police officers 
 as we have now, nor king's cutters, and all that 
 sort of thing. The settlers came ever as they 
 do now, but they had a great deal more to do 
 I can tell you; besides, they had very little 
 government, and sometimes a big rogue would 
 start up, and rob, and steal, and murder, who 
 only needed to do it on a ten thousand times 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 235 
 
 larger scale to have been a hero, such as Mr. 
 Alexander, Mr. Caesar, and Mr. Bonaparte. 
 
 " One of these heroes on a small scale, a 
 sort of chandler-shop kind of hero, was Jack 
 Shrike. He had been boatswain of a man-of- 
 war ; I dare say you know what a boatswain 
 is, one who never takes anything that he does 
 not like, and no more minds stripping the skin 
 over a man's back than he minds eating his 
 breakfast. A good situation is that of a boatswain 
 for the manufacture of a real regular tyrant 
 of as deep a dye as ever made blood flow like 
 water. 
 
 '' Well, Jack Shrike had been a boatswain, 
 and withal one so furious that he was obliged 
 to be bioke for his severity, and reduced to 
 the rank of a common sailor. Exasperated at 
 this, and vowing deadly vengeance against all 
 mankind, he plundered as many of his mess- 
 mates as he could, lowered himself from the 
 bows of the Spitfire, then lying near Quebec, 
 
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 236 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 and took to the bush, determined to live or die 
 as he called it, a free man. 
 
 ^' He wandered about in the upper province 
 for a year or two, coming into the towns in va- 
 rious disguises, and plundering where he could. 
 After a while he leagued himself with a tribe of 
 Indians, and adopted their dress and habits; 
 at the same time he taught them the use of the 
 cutlass, pistol, and still more deadly rifle. He 
 was acknowledged to be the best broadswords- 
 man on board the Spitfire, and his aim was so 
 deadly that he used to say he never missed with 
 his rifle from the day he was thirty years old. 
 
 ^^ In person. Shrike was tall, bony, and mus- 
 cular ; his eyes were a fierce grey, his hair as 
 black as a raven's, but what was by no means 
 common, his whiskers and beard were red as a 
 new cedar chip, and nothing could persuade 
 him to clip one or shave the other ; he believed 
 that, like Samson, his prowess lay in his hair ; 
 or from some other superstitious notion, no 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 237 
 
 barber was ever allowed to perform operations 
 upon Shrike. 
 
 " The Indians called him in their language 
 Shuchabedacrah, or son of the devil ; and well 
 they might, for he did such things as completely 
 to throw in the shade even an Indian's 
 cruelty, and murdered, without the least re- 
 morse, all who came in his way, if they came to 
 thwart him. 
 
 *^ Finding the Indians disposed to give him 
 such a high appellation, he determined that they 
 should not do it without reason ; he did all in 
 his power to make them believe that he was 
 really the son of the evil one. Having often 
 exhibited himself before them as a demon, he 
 determined for once to show them a pandemo- 
 nium of his own creation. On one occasion, 
 when the tribe were freely encamped in the 
 centre of one of the pine forests, he stole from 
 them, and having provided himself with some 
 combustible materials, he kindled a flame in 
 
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 I. 
 
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 238 
 
 P£TER PARLEY S 
 
 the brush-wood and trees quite round them ; and 
 when the poor wretches awoke at the cracking 
 of the trees and the roaring of the fire, they 
 found him standing over them and dancing 
 about enveloped in flames, he having besmeared 
 himself over with pitch, and tar, and wetted 
 powder, so as to make himself a regular fire- 
 work. 
 
 " In this guise he acted the Prince of Dark- 
 ness by the immense blaze of a pine forest 
 roaring in its fury all around them. The Indians 
 were appalled and sunk down overpowered with 
 dread before him. With a gigantic arm he 
 threw first one on his shoulder and then the 
 other, and rushed through the flames with them 
 till he had got man, woman, and child on the 
 outside of the circle of fire. They, of course, 
 believed him to be invulnerable. 
 
 " Having by similar means got a complete 
 mastery over the untutored minds of the sa- 
 vages, he selected four of the strongest and 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 239 
 
 boldest from among the tribe to assist him in 
 his depredations; many were the houses they 
 plundered, and the settlers they murdered, till 
 at last the whole district was filled with alarm. 
 
 ^' Shrike, however, went on with his enormities, 
 sometimes alone, and sometimes in company 
 with his Indian followers. There began, how- 
 ever, to be rather more hazard in his plundering 
 excursions by land than formerly ; at the same 
 time there was more commerce over the lake, 
 and considerable quantities of goods were now 
 and then brought from the American side for 
 the settlers here. 
 
 " It was just at the time that the first quay 
 was being constructed at Port Talbot, that a 
 little boat, of about fifty tons burden laden with 
 stores from the American side, had entered over 
 night in the offing without coming into port. 
 Shrike had determined to have a boat for him- 
 self, and henceforth to be an amphibious animal, 
 being part of his time on the land and part on 
 
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 240 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 the lake ; he had watched this boat coming in, 
 and was deUghted with her fast sailing, for 
 indeed she was by far the fastest boat then 
 on the lake, and would, when the wind was 
 favourable, run over to the other side between 
 the lights. 
 
 " With an eagle's eye on the boat Shrike 
 watched her two days delivering her cargo, 
 and resolved with the Indians to attack and 
 capture her before she could take in another. 
 From a woody point which overlooked the 
 harbour, the Indians, with their quick eyes, saw 
 the master go on shore about night-fall, and 
 then the whole party prepared to attack the 
 vessel. 
 
 '^ Shrike went armed in a most extraordinary 
 manner ; he had three brace of pistols about his 
 person, a broadsword or rather a cutlass, a short 
 pike, and a dagger. The Indians had their clubs 
 and tomahawks, and having seated themselves 
 in a canoe with Shrike in the stern as steersman, 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 241 
 
 and captain, soon after night-fall shot out from 
 a small a eek about two miles from the vessel. 
 
 " The night was gloomy and dark, and they 
 paddled aw^ay and reached the boat without 
 those on board being at all aware of any danger. 
 When the canoe got under the stern. Shrike 
 listened and Heard the men talking in the cabin ; 
 and having motioned the Indians to remain 
 quiet, and with a noiseless foot entered the 
 vessel, he immediately descended the ladder of 
 the cabin, and in a moment stood before the 
 door at the bottom with a cocked pistol in each 
 hand. 
 
 " There were only two men and a boy below, 
 and before either of them could ask the intruder 
 what he did there, he had levelled a pistol with 
 each hand, and the two former received the 
 double-charged contents in their breasts, and 
 fell dead without a groan. Shrike then drew 
 forth another pistol, and aimed at the poor boy, 
 who fell on his knees before him. 
 
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 242 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 " Get up, you lubber/' said he, taking hold of 
 his pistol by the muzzle, and giving the lad a 
 knock with the butt end of it ; " get up and help 
 
 r^--; 
 
 n^i^ 
 
 K>e to weigh the kedge, or you shall have pills 
 enough to last you your lifetime- 
 
 " The boy, scarr^ely knowing what he did, pro- 
 ceeded to obey the orders of the fiend ; at the 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 243 
 
 same time the Indians came on board, and in a 
 few minutes the Enterprise, for that was her 
 name, was clearly under weigh, and scudding 
 before a brisk easterly wind. 
 
 " In a very few minutes after this the master 
 hailed his vessel for a boat to put off for him, 
 but received no reply ; after hailing for some 
 time, he took a boat at the harbour, but could 
 not find his vessel ^.ny where, and went back to 
 pass a sleepless night until the morning. 
 
 " The boy who had been thus forced to be- 
 come an unwilling companion of pirates, was 
 named Goodwell, and was the son of a poor 
 American widow woman who had sold her only 
 feather-bed to equip him for sea ; he was only 
 twelve years old, and, as you may suppose, 
 thought he should never see his mother again. 
 Poor woman, she had done her duty by her child, 
 and had not forgotten to send him to school. This 
 was a lucky thing for the lad, as you shall hear. 
 
 '' Shrike cruised about all the next day for 
 
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 244 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 pleasure ; ate, drank wine, danced, rowed, and 
 played all sorts of mad antics. He made a vow, 
 that could he get ammunition, there should not 
 be a soul alive on that lake but themselves, and 
 no other bottom should float upon the waters 
 but theirs. 
 
 ^^ The next day a small vessel was seen at a 
 distance; Shrike steered towards it. They 
 found it to be a flat-bottom bound for Stirling, 
 with a crew of three men only. The pirate 
 hailed it, and begged to exchange some pork 
 for fish he saw drying in the rigging, and laid 
 alongside. While two of the men were getting 
 the fish down, Shrike levelled his pistol and shot 
 one, and before the other could turn round, he 
 also was wounded. The Indians then rushed 
 into the ship, killed the captain, and threw all 
 overboard. 
 
 •* This was a shocking thing for the poor lad, 
 but he could not help it, and was forced to see 
 all and hear all without a murmur. He, how- 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 245 
 
 I 
 
 t 
 
 ever, had his wits about him, and having read 
 that sometimes people at sea throw bottles over- 
 board containing information of the place they 
 are in and so on, determined to send all the 
 bottles he could find, overboard, with information 
 of his fate ; trusting some might by chance, 
 or providence rather, be washed on shore, and 
 be found by somebody. 
 
 ^^ In the last ship that was captured, there 
 were two iron and two brass camions, a part 
 of the cargo for the use of the fort at Port 
 Talbot ; there were also several muskets, and four 
 or five barrels of powder and shot. The pirate's 
 eyes brightened when he saw this, and in his 
 joy he tore away the colours from the ensign 
 post and hoisted the bloody flag. 
 
 " The manoeuvre of Goodwell had the desired 
 effect; the stream, which always sets towards 
 lake Ontario, carried the bottles one after the 
 other towards Long Point, and they were washed 
 into the bay ; several of them were picked up, 
 
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 246 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 opened, arid their despatches read. A very few 
 hours sufficed to send an armed vessel after the 
 pirates. 
 
 *^ The captain, who had lost his vessel, the 
 Enterprise, volunteered; and the only bark 
 that could be procured was manned and sent 
 down the lake with all possible expedition. In 
 about twelve hours the red flag of the pirate 
 was seen just off Languard fort, and the Swift- 
 sure, for that was her name, bore down upon it. 
 
 " Shrike, however, was dreadfully prepared, he 
 awaited the attack with great coolness, and 
 when he came to close fight poured in such a 
 fire from his four guns, which were double 
 shotted to their very muzzles, that the crew of 
 the Swiftsure were quite confounded. Before 
 they could recover themselves. Shrike had 
 brought his musketry to bear upon them, and sent 
 such a volley among the assaulters, that they were 
 glad to sheer oflF, while the Indians uttered the 
 war=whoop of defiance. 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 247 
 
 " Shrike followed up his advantage s,o quickly. 
 
 that he again sent a volley into the Swiftsure, 
 
 and killed two of the crew. After keeping up 
 
 a sort of running fight for some time, in which 
 
 one of the Indians was killed, and the poor boy 
 
 was wounded on one side, and two more on the 
 
 other side wounded, the latter gave up the contest 
 
 by taking to the boat, and rowed with the 
 
 greatest expedition to the land — Shrike firing 
 
 at them all the time, but happily without 
 effect. 
 
 " The Swiftsure was now plundered and sunk, 
 and the pirate and his companions were again 
 masters of lake Erie. The remains of the poor 
 discomfited crew of the Swiftsure made the 
 best of their way on foot to Port Talbot, giving, 
 as you may suppose, but a melancholy account of 
 their adventure. 
 
 " It was a hazardous attempt for any descrip- 
 tion of vessel to attack this hardy pirate ; and 
 would volunteer t( 
 
 lik. 
 
 '^ ' 
 
 nobody 
 
 go 
 
 
 ^'m 
 
248 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 ' 
 
 ) , 
 
 large reward was oflFered for his head. A hand- 
 some bounty for any one to enter upon the 
 service ; but no one would go. 
 
 "At last an old man, who used to get his 
 living by hovelling and dredging, oflFered to 
 destroy the Red Pirate, on condition that a ship 
 was provided him free, and no one should 
 accompany him but his two sons. People thought 
 him mad. A meeting was held of the towns- 
 people. The man attended. He said he had no 
 doubt but he could destroy Shrike and all his 
 companions ; but he must do it his own way. 
 He would not communicate his plan of opera- 
 tions to any one but some chief person of the 
 town, who was to be selected by the company 
 present. 
 
 " An old gentleman of high respectability was 
 selected, and retired with the hoveller for nearly 
 half an hour into a private room. At the expi- 
 ration of this time he came out to the assembled 
 townspeople, and told them he was perfectly 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 249 
 
 satisfied with the plan the old man had for 
 destroying the enemy. 
 
 " The old man demanded a light bark of not 
 less than fifty tons, with leave to put what stores 
 he thought proper into her. This was granted ; 
 and in the course of the next day a small sloop 
 was procured. The day afterwards it was fully 
 equipped, and set sail down the lake. People, 
 however, were amazed to find the old man and 
 his sons go away without anything in the shape 
 of warlike preparations. 
 
 '^ It was not till two days afterwards that the 
 pirate was seen. Immediately the hoveller 
 shortened sail, and tacked about ; Shrike saw 
 this, and made himself sure of a prize, and 
 hoisted all possible sail to come up with his prey. 
 The hoveller did the same, but took care to put 
 both anchors over the bows, with a large mass of 
 stone, on purpose to impede his course without 
 appearing to shorten sail. He also employed 
 his young men in getting ready a very fast 
 
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 250 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 rowing boat, which was launched over the ship's 
 side. 
 
 " The pirate came on, and gained ground every 
 moment. The hoveller threw out a bale or two 
 of silk goods, a tub of spice, and some other 
 valuable articles, but kept on crowding sail as 
 before. The pirate was now near enough to 
 bring one of his brass cannons to do execution 
 upon the ship ; and boom, crack went the top- 
 mast over the side of the ship — another, and the 
 stern quarter was carried away. 
 
 "The hoveller and his sons now thought it 
 time to leap into the boat they had prepared for 
 their escape. They did so ; and in a few minutes 
 were rowing away in a direction to the shore, 
 at the same time the vessel, with her helm 
 lashed hard a starboard, luflFed off in a contrary 
 direction. Shrike gave a crack or two at the 
 boat, but immediately turned after the still 
 flying vessel. 
 
 " In a very few minutes he came up with her, 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 251 
 
 ^.■! 
 
 and at this moment the hoveller and his sons 
 rested on their oars, and at last stood up in the 
 middle of the boat, watching with intense interest 
 the pirate and his crew. They saw them board. 
 
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 The Indians were tearing up the hatches. 
 Shrike was just descending the cabin stairs — a 
 flash of broad red flame — a dreadful report— 
 
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 252 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 bang — bang — a volume of smoke — a million of 
 fragments. The pirate was destroyed. 
 
 " Four barrels of gunpowder in the hold, with 
 a secret fusee lit when the hoveller left the vessel, 
 and calculated to burn just fifteen minutes, did 
 the trick; but the poor boy, you will say — he 
 was left to steer the pirate's ship, and at the 
 moment of explosion had suflfered her to drift 
 a little apart. He was saved. 
 
 " Such is the story of Shrike, the red pirate of 
 Lake Erie," said the boatman ; " but I declare 
 I have been rowing you half a mile below the 
 Point." 
 
 " There is nothing like keeping to the point in 
 a story," said I. 
 
 " I should think not, sir," said the boatman ; 
 '^ and so, sir, perhaps you will give this oar a 
 push." 
 
 This I did willingly, and soon again stood 
 upon the northern shore of the lake. 
 
 • 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 253 
 
 i- 
 
 ion of 
 
 , with 
 vessel, 
 s, did 
 y— he 
 at the 
 ) drift 
 
 ate of 
 eclare 
 w the 
 
 )int in 
 
 tman; 
 oar a 
 
 stood 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 OUTBREAK OF THE INSURRECTION IN CANADA PETER PARLEY 
 
 IN DANGER. 
 
 Well, here I am at Montreal again, and glad 
 enough should I be to get away. Nothing now 
 but popping from one end of the town to the 
 other ; smoke, gunpowder, leaden bullets, hand- 
 greui '^es, and Congreve rockets, have taken the 
 place of Canadian cheer. The birds are all 
 frightened; the ducks and geese look suspi- 
 cious ; and as to the cattle, how they scamper 
 away, to be sure, when they see a man with a 
 firelock. Poor old Peter Parley, after all, to be 
 forced to turn soldier : but I will tell you how it 
 was. 
 
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254 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 i ■ ' A 
 
 I came back to Montreal to rest for a few 
 weeks, and took lodgings near the Court-house. 
 That I might not be idle, I suppose, I was at- 
 tacked by a very severe fever, and was confined 
 to my bed for several months, quite through the 
 Canadian summer. The warmer it became, the 
 more I seemed to lose my strength ; and I began 
 to think that all the little girls and boys in the 
 world would have to be put in mourning for 
 poor Peter Parley. I have no doubt they would 
 have all been extremely sorry, if not for the loss 
 of me, at least for the loss of my stories. 
 
 But, thank God, I am alive and well ; but such 
 a brawl, first with the fever, and then with the 
 rebels. But I must give you the whole account 
 from first to last. 
 
 Well, I was lying on my bed, in what my 
 landlady told me were the quietest lodgings in 
 all Canada. I had been living upon water 
 gruel, Dover's powders, Epsom salts, rhubarb, 
 senna, and a variety of slip-slops for several 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 255 
 
 a few 
 house, 
 ^as at- 
 mfined 
 gh the 
 16, the 
 began 
 in the 
 Qg for 
 would 
 tie loss 
 
 t such 
 th the 
 ceount 
 
 at my 
 mgs in 
 water 
 ubarb, 
 jeveral 
 
 weeks. My poor head was in a strange state. 
 I could not think at all ; and looked upon all 
 my travels and stories, and everything else in 
 this world, as less than nothing. 
 
 While I was in this condition, I several times 
 thought I heard people quarrelling under my 
 window. I heard, as I supposed, shouts of a 
 mob ; then horns were blown ; and, lastly, such 
 a confusion seemed to be going on, that I 
 thought something very serious must be the 
 matter. 
 
 I inquired of my landlady, a stout woman 
 with rather a red face, and something of the 
 dimensions of a considerable sized cheese, if any- 
 thing were amiss. ^^Poor dear creature," said 
 she, "his head is very bad. Keep yourself 
 quiet, Mr. Parley," said she, "you are only 
 wandering." 
 
 " I heartily wish I was wandering out of your 
 house, madam," said I : " and if you do not let 
 me know what all this hubbub is about, I will 
 
 irf 
 
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 sir. 
 
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 256 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 leave your lodgings, and remove at once, 
 
 weak as I am, into the environs of the 
 town." 
 
 " Do not be ohstopolos^'' said she ; '^ if you do, 
 you must have some quieting medicine ; keep 
 yo^^ rsvilf quiet," she continued, '^ and you will 
 sr >nn be better. Ay, do not attempt to get out 
 of the bed. I insist upon your not getting out 
 of bed: for it will be the death of you if 
 you do." 
 
 Just at this moment I heard bang, hang, then 
 
 a hurrah, then a shriek or two, and another 
 shout. 
 
 " Do you call this fancy ?" said I to the land- 
 lady, who could not help running to the win- 
 dow ; but instead of giving me any reply, she 
 ran back pale as death. " Oh, my goodness ! 
 oh, save me, Mr. Parley! Here they come! 
 here they come ! We shall be all killed, hung, 
 drawn, quartered, blown up, slaughtered, mur- 
 dered ! Oh, that ever I came into this place of 
 
 'Viii 
 
ill 
 
 once, 
 )f the 
 
 rou do, 
 keep 
 »u will 
 ^et out 
 ng out 
 you if 
 
 7, then 
 nother 
 
 5 land- 
 le win- 
 ly, she 
 dness ! 
 come ! 
 . hung, 
 I, mur- 
 lace of 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 257 
 
 villains ! Oh that my poor dear husband could 
 see me now ! Oh, Mr. Parley ! Mr. Parley ! 
 Oh ! oh ! oh I oh ! " T?*en the poor woman fell 
 into the great chair as naturally as if she had 
 done it for the purpose ; while a shout from the 
 street, and another banff, hang^ made me draw 
 the bed-clothes over me, and leap out of bed. 
 
 What w? : my surprise to see the whole street 
 in commo'oi All around the Court-house were 
 thousands A people, mostly men: some with 
 guns, ot: ers with large club sticks, some with 
 long poles with pikes stuck upon them. Such a 
 raggamuffin set as you never saw ; some without 
 hats, some without coats, some without shoes, 
 their clothes hanging in tatters, and their beards 
 of a week's growth. There were also banners, 
 on which were inscribed various mottoes. On 
 one was written — " Sons of Liberty ! " 
 
 Well, thought I, if these are the Sons of 
 Liberty, they are a rough set. They could sing, 
 and some of them began to sing and caper about. 
 
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 258 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 Presently I saw a party of them, led by a wild 
 looking fellow, without coat, hat, or shoes, and 
 brandishing a large cutlass, rush to a wine and 
 spirit shop, and in a few seconds the door was 
 dashed in, the shutters taken down, and the gin, 
 rum, and brandy, brought out in barrels, bot- 
 tles, jugs, and caps-full. 
 
 As soon as the spirit shop was broken open, 
 hundreds rushed to the place; while the ex- 
 ample was followed at another shop a little 
 further on: for there are plenty of public- 
 houses everywhere. Soon after I began to see 
 the effects of the liquor : for if the " Sons of 
 Liberty" were furious before, they were now 
 absolute fiends. All kinds of shops were now in 
 danger of being broken open. People fled to 
 the house tops. Some ran out at the back 
 doors; women were screaming, children were 
 crying ; the whole forming such a scene as Peter 
 Parley never before witnessed in all his travels. 
 
 Presently I observed another party coming in 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 259 
 
 a wild 
 
 is^ and 
 le and 
 3r was 
 he gin, 
 lS, bot- 
 
 open, 
 he ex- 
 31 little 
 public- 
 
 to see 
 Sons of 
 re now 
 now in 
 fled to 
 e back 
 n were 
 IS Peter 
 ravels, 
 ning in 
 
 an opposite direction : this party also had ban- 
 ners, horns, &c. One fellow had got a large 
 frying-pan, which he beat with a small hammer, 
 which, with the horns, made a nice clash of rough 
 music. On the banners of this party were in- 
 scribed various mottoe?, such as " Canadians, be 
 free!" "No monopoly!" "Death to feudal 
 slaves ! " " No Quints ! " On one, " Confusion 
 to all order !" and on another, " No tyranny ! 
 no kings ! no priests ! no religion ! no no- 
 thing ! " Hurrah ! 
 
 Well, thought I, this is what they call a small 
 slice of revolution, and I was beginning to mo- 
 ralize ; but just at this moment my landlady 
 recovered from her swoon, and seeing me stand- 
 ing at the window in the counterpane, and 
 looking like a ghost, and at the same time a 
 discharge of musketry being heard, she gave 
 a loud scream, and rushed out of the apart- 
 ment. 
 
 I looked again out of the window, to see where 
 
 s 2 
 
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 *>•■ 
 
 
260 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 iW 
 
 I i 
 
 ! ' 
 
 ^* 
 
 the last noise came from ; it was from the fur- 
 ther end of the street, and I could see nothing 
 but a little smoke. The patriots, however, were 
 by this time, to the amount of several hundreds, 
 more or less, in a complete state of intoxication, 
 and had begun to strip the houses of everything 
 valuable. I saw all sorts of things thrown from 
 the windows of the best houses : looking- 
 glasses, curtains, boxes of wearing apparel, 
 books, tea-urns, and plate. Every time any- 
 thing was thrown from a window, a luud cheer 
 was given by those below, who had a furious 
 scramble for it. 
 
 While this was going on, I heard another 
 report of fire-arms, and as I looked in the direc- 
 tion from which the sound came, I saw the mob 
 falling back ; at last I discerned a body of reso- 
 lute persons, apparently well dressed, armed 
 with guns, large sticks, swords, and a variety of 
 other weapons, rushing on with great bravery, 
 clearing the people from the streets and from the 
 
e fur- 
 othing 
 •, were 
 idreds, 
 cation, 
 ything 
 Q from 
 oking- 
 pparel, 
 e any- 
 cheer 
 turious 
 
 ,nother 
 direc- 
 le mob 
 f reso- 
 armed 
 riety of 
 ravery, 
 om the 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 261 
 
 houses into which they had broken. I under- 
 stood, afterwards, that they were the members of 
 the " Doric Club." 
 
 Presently they had advanced as far as the 
 house in which I was, and here a most desperate 
 struggle began ; for a larger number of the mob 
 were at this place, infuriated by liquor, and they 
 rushed upon the Dorics like madmen. 
 
 But it was of no use. The Doric club men 
 laid them flat with their bludgeons, or shot them 
 down with their rifles, and bestirred themselves 
 with such vigour, that in less than half an hour 
 the streets were perfectly cleared of the Sons 
 of Liberty, excepting some twenty or thirty, 
 who were in such a state of intoxication, as to be 
 unable to sit, stand, walk, lie, or go. 
 
 I must own that I was very much frightened ; 
 but I really think the fright did me good. I 
 had scarcely been out of bed for some months ; 
 but I felt able to stand, and, instead of going to 
 bed again, I put on my clothes^ and crawled 
 
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 262 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 down stairs to find some of the inmates of the 
 house. 
 
 There was, however, not a soul in it that I 
 could discover. The shutters were up ; the 
 lower part of the house in darkness ; the doors 
 barricadoed by chests of drawers, tables, beds, 
 bolsters, washing tubs, and beer barrels. Such 
 a confusion as I never saw\ I called aloud for 
 Mrs. Boniface, for that was my landlady's name, 
 but received no reply. 
 
 At last, when the sound of the firing had 
 subsided, and the street was quite quiet, I heard 
 a voice crying, " Mr. Parley ! — are you alive, 
 Mr. Parley r Will not everybody in the world 
 be killed and massacred ? Oh, do tell me the 
 worst, dear Mr. Parley." 
 
 ^^ All the danger is over, Mrs. Boniface," said 
 I; "you have nothing to fear; the streets are 
 clear, and the patriots gone home to look after 
 their wives and families." 
 
 I looked into a cupboard by the side of a fire 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 263 
 
 of the 
 
 that I 
 3; the 
 
 doors 
 , beds. 
 
 Such 
 oud for 
 ; name, 
 
 ig had 
 [ heard 
 I alive, 
 3 world 
 me the 
 
 g," said 
 ets are 
 ik after 
 
 f a fire 
 
 place, for I thought it was from it that the voice 
 proceeded. " No, no, I am not there," said the 
 landlady ; it is here, Mr. Parley — ^here, Mr. Par- 
 ley, up the chimney; but I can't get down 
 again." 
 
 " Not get down again, madam," said I, 
 '' Why not ? " 
 I ^^ I am wedged in round the waist by sorae 
 
 bricks, which have fallen down, and got under- 
 neath my arms, so that I cannot move. Ob, 
 I shall die if you do not help me. My mouth is 
 full of soot ; and I am as blind as a bat." 
 
 I endeavoured all I could to extricate the poor 
 woman, but to no purpose ; but just as I was 
 giving up the matter in despair, she made a 
 violent struggle, and down she came, black as a 
 chimney-sweeper. I cou]d scarcely believe it 
 was Mrs. Boniface. 
 
 She, however, immediately rose up. and said, 
 " Oh, Mr. Parley ! oh, save me, Mr. Parley ! " 
 and staggering towards me, threw her black 
 
 f 
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 :li 
 
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 f'^ 
 
 
264 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 t V'' 
 
 hands on my neck, and fainted away in my 
 arms, making me almost as black as her- 
 self. 
 
 Such is the story of the first Canadian out- 
 break. Of course you would like to know some- 
 thing more of the insurrection in Canada. Of 
 this I will tell you presently. 
 
 
 ■ ■. « 
 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 265 
 
 .»!■!■ 
 
 m my 
 her- 
 
 n out- 
 some- 
 la. Of 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA PETER PARLEY A VOLUNTEER — 
 
 SKIRMISH WITH THE REBELS. 
 
 Such was the confusion that day, so desperate 
 were the mob, that it was fully expected that 
 another outbreak would take place during the 
 night ; but extraordinary precautions were taken 
 by the respectable inhabitants. The members of 
 the Doric Club paraded the streets ; volunteers 
 mustered; and such of the military as were at hand 
 joined in restoring order. No three persons 
 were allowed to stop and talk together in the 
 streets. A couple of cannons were obtained, and 
 placed at convenient places for firing on the 
 insurrectionists, whoever they might be. 
 
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 266 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 Everybody thought themselves secure, but no 
 one went to bed without leaving some members 
 of the family up, and lights were burnt in every 
 house. Doors were barricadoed; and those who 
 happened to have by them crow-bars, pokers, 
 pitchforks, carving knives, and hatchets, got 
 them ready. All sorts of instruments were put 
 in use for the purpose. 
 
 Many a man was seen sharpening hi? carving 
 knife on the stone at the street-door, and here 
 and there were to be seen a few pitchforks under 
 the file. 
 
 This looked rather terrible, did it not? but 
 nobody could help it. We, however, passed a 
 quiet night. In the morning a great many per- 
 sons enrolled themselves as volunteers, and I was 
 pressed very much to do so ; but I was at that 
 time too weak to carry my musket. 
 
 You will wonder what all this insurrection 
 was about ; and if I were to tell you, you could 
 not understand it, as many of the poor wretches 
 
 ■mA 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 267 
 
 but no 
 mbers 
 every 
 le who 
 okers, 
 s, got 
 re put 
 
 arving 
 d here 
 under 
 
 t? but 
 ssed a 
 y per- 
 il was 
 it that 
 
 ection 
 could 
 etches 
 
 did not who were foremost in the affray : but I 
 may tell you a little concering the government 
 of Canada. 
 
 When the French had the possession of Ca- 
 nada, the Government was a real despotism. A 
 despot is a king who chooses to have everything 
 his own way. 
 
 The British Parliament, or Crown, vested the 
 chief authority in a governor,, aided by a council 
 of not less than seventeen persons. After this, 
 an act was passed, by which Canada was di- 
 vided into the Ilpper and Lower Provinces, and 
 had a constitution granted to them, which con- 
 sisted of a governci and an executive council of 
 eleven persons, appointed by the Crown, similar 
 to the ^rivy Council in England. A legislative 
 couiic. , also appoint ^.d by the King, and a repre- 
 sentaiive assembly, forming the third estate, 
 like jar House of Commons. 
 
 This representative assembly has from time to 
 time found fault with the Government on va- 
 
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 268 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 rious points, and at last has gone to such lengths, 
 as to be the cause of the rebellion which broke 
 out while I was at Montreal, and which is not 
 yet quelled. 
 
 Theriu are a great many French people in 
 Lower Canada, the descendants of the French 
 people who lived in it before the English took it 
 from that nation. These French Canadians 
 have long been very dissatisfied with the En- 
 glish Government, and a good many of the lov/er 
 classes of English have joined them. 
 
 But I was about telling you of the progress of 
 the insurrection. After this outbreak, the mili- 
 tary were so^n in motion^ and in a day or two a 
 detachment was sent by the way of St. Denis, to 
 put dovm the rebellion. The patriots, however, 
 mustered in great numbers, and fell upon the 
 Queen's troops with such vigour, that they were 
 defeated, and were glad to run away into the 
 woods, or wherever else they could hide them- 
 selves. 
 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 269 
 
 The news of this event filled everybody with 
 consternation, and recruits or volunteers were 
 raised everywhere. It was looked upon as dis- 
 honourable for any man, old or young, rich or 
 poor, ill or well, to refuse enrolling himself As 
 I got better I began to feel strong enough to 
 carry a musket : and here I am fully equipped 
 as a Canadian volunteer. 
 
 --^^ • ;^ 
 
 Hundreds from the towns and villages around 
 Montreal joined the ranks. There was such 
 
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 270 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 drilling, and forming, and firing, and picquetting, 
 that it created a scene such as I never before 
 witnessed. They soon made me an officer ; and 
 I had the care of about fifty m ^n, as brave a set 
 of fellows as ever lived. They said they wanted 
 a head. I thought it might not be long before I 
 should want one, too. But I took the com- 
 mand ; for you know I am a friend to peace, 
 and I could see clearly that peace was not to be 
 had without fighting for it. 
 
 Just as we were ready to go in search of the 
 rebels, who had marched towards St. Charles, 
 we were glad to hear they had met with a defeat 
 by the regular troops, who had two pieces of 
 artillery. This, however, did not prevent us 
 going off; for we had received notice that a 
 strong party of the rebels were about to receive 
 a considerable quantity of arms from the United 
 States, which we wished, if possible, to in- 
 tercept. 
 
 So away we went — tailors, haberdashers, gro- 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 271 
 
 gtting, 
 before 
 ' ; and 
 3 a set 
 sranted 
 efore I 
 ) corn- 
 peace, 
 t to be 
 
 of the 
 Iharles, 
 , defeat 
 Bces of 
 ent us 
 that a 
 receive 
 United 
 to in- 
 
 rs, gro- 
 
 cers, buttermen, stonemen, clerks, all sorts and 
 descriptions of people, some with arms and some 
 without, but all intent on having some, if they 
 were to be had. 
 
 Before we had proceeded many miles upon 
 the road, what should we meet but several 
 wagons, guarded by the regular troops, filled 
 with arms and ammunition, which had been 
 sent for by express at the first. A loud hurrah 
 bespoke our joy, and, in a few minutes, the 
 arms were taken from the chests, and freely dis- 
 tributed to all in need of them. Then there 
 was such a snapping of locks and fitting in gun 
 flints, and sharpening of bayonets, as I never saw. 
 
 To provide against the arms being of much 
 use, the flints and screws were distributed to 
 two or three horse soldiers, who had received 
 directions, should the wagons fall into the 
 hands of the rebels, immediately to retreat — 
 so that the guns would have been of little use, 
 as to firing, for some time. The ammunition, 
 
 
 'ii' 
 
 ' 1 
 
 
272 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 ' ;a. 
 
 ^■ 
 
 too, was packed in such a way, that a light 
 might have been appUed to each side of the 
 chests containing it, and it would have blown up 
 immediately. So much for the precautions of 
 war. 
 
 Well, we obtained our guns and ammunition, 
 and away we went as full of glee as could be. 
 For my part, I felt very unhappy at being forced 
 to go and kill my f '^How-creatures. But what 
 could I do ? I must either kill or be killed. I 
 of course chose the former. 
 
 We marched on as fresh as larks. There 
 never were more spirited fellows that the Cana- 
 dian volunteers, particularly the Messigui Boys, 
 as they are called. Our object was, if possible, 
 now to intercept the rebel force. In this we 
 were successful. We had passed along the road 
 for some miles towards a spot at which we 
 heard they were mustered, where also we in- 
 tended they should be peppered. 
 
 I walked beside, or rather in advance, of my 
 
 
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TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 
 light 
 f the 
 
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 )ns of 
 
 lition, 
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 forced 
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 There 
 Cana- 
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 )ssible, 
 his we 
 e road 
 ch we 
 we in- 
 
 of my 
 
 company, and what with my dress coat with 
 long flaps, broad hat, belt, sword, and ritlc, 
 made a very good commander. I secretly hoptul, 
 however, that the poor deluded creatures might 
 be prevailed upon to lay down their arms, and 
 that we might not be forced to kill any of 
 them. 
 
 Our leader, however, who was a fierce poli- 
 tician, talked about nothing but extermination, 
 and no quarter. His address to us was after 
 this fashion ; I believe these were nearly his 
 very words : 
 
 " Canadian volunteers ! your houses arc vio- 
 lated ; your domestic hearths sacrilegiously as- 
 sailed ; the laws are set at defiance ; life is no 
 longer safe ; a vile set of miscreants, witliout 
 law,order^ or respect for private or public })eaec, 
 have thrown the state into rebellion. Let us 
 put an end to the outrage by a decisive blow, 
 one that will make the enemies of good govern- 
 ment ashamed and afraid to snap at the liaud 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 that feeds them. Onwards, brave Canadian 
 militia ! onwards to death or victory. Remem- 
 ber, it is for our wives, our children, our homes, 
 that we fight. Pro arts et focis. Follow!" 
 
 With that he dashed onwards in fine style, 
 and all the volunteers hurraed. ^^ Was not that 
 a fine speech ? " said a volunteer tailor to a 
 cheesemonger, who stood by his side. 
 
 " I calculate there's not a better orator in all 
 Canada. Did you ever hear Colonel Galloway 
 before ? Why, he electrified the auditor.^ one 
 night at the Goose and Cabbage to such a 
 degree, that every man went off without paying 
 his score. That's what I call oratory. He had 
 completely made them forget everything, even 
 themselves ; and one man was so far lost, that 
 he is reported to have gone into his stable in- 
 stead of his parlour, and not to have discovered 
 his mistake till he found he could not eat hay." 
 
 "Well, that is extraordinary," said the 
 other. 
 
|l i M 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 idian 
 aem- 
 unes, 
 
 style, 
 that 
 to a 
 
 in all 
 oway 
 ^ one 
 eh a 
 ^ying 
 had 
 even 
 5 that 
 le in- 
 vered 
 
 ay. 
 the 
 
 275 
 
 ^^ Left shoulders forward ! " said the com- 
 manding officer. 
 
 " And pray what have you got that pewter 
 plate inside your waistcoat for ? " said Mr. Cor- 
 poral Snubbs. 
 
 " For a chest complaint/' said the tailor, 
 ^^ it is a metallic tractor, and I always wear it 
 when I go out." 
 
 " It would be of more use to you behind your 
 back," said the corporal. 
 
 " Do you think so ? do you really ? Well, 
 perhaps I may give it a swing in a retreat^ 
 
 " Oh, that's it, is it ? " said I to myself. By 
 this time we had got upon the borders of a fine 
 forest, through which a road had been cut. 
 This we entered, and marched along till we 
 came to a narrow path. Through this we 
 turned, and walked gently along, sometimes up 
 to our waists in the long grass and underwood, 
 and occasionally obliged to creep on all fours, 
 to get through the bushes. 
 
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2/6 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 At last we came to a somewhat extensive 
 swamp, formed by what had once been a small 
 lake in the middle of the wood. It was rotten 
 at the bottom, although apparently smooth on 
 the top. Of course it was covered with grass, 
 as such places usually are. In many parts were 
 deep holes; and you might, if you were not 
 careful, fall in up to your arm-pits, and find it 
 not very easy to get out again. 
 
 In other spots the ground was tolerably firm, 
 particularly so towards one end. We crept 
 round the edges of the space thus enclosed by 
 the forest trees till we came to a deep dell full 
 of broken crags and rocks. Here the trees 
 hung over each other in all kinds of direction ; 
 some shot over the valley almost horizontally ; 
 others, on the extreme verge of it, threw their 
 lofty branches high up into the air, and seemed 
 to stand like sentinels to the spot. 
 
 We had travelled now several hours without 
 food; our brave commandant, therefore, gave 
 
nsive 
 small 
 otten 
 :h on 
 
 were 
 e not 
 ind it 
 
 firm, 
 
 crept 
 sed by 
 11 full 
 
 trees 
 ction ; 
 itally ; 
 
 their 
 eemed 
 
 ithout 
 , gave 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 277 
 
 orders that we should descend into this dell to 
 bivouac. We had no regular suttler or com- 
 missary, every man being his own provider ; but 
 it is but justice to say that no one forgot that he 
 had a stomach before he set out. 
 
 We descended the dell in martial order, and 
 the companies amounting to five of about fifty 
 men each, disposed themselves in groups on spots 
 convenient for sitting; logs of trees, and the 
 trunks of others which had been thrown from 
 the precipices by storms at various times, with 
 large masses of earth which had shelved down 
 from time to time, formed our seats and tables, 
 and in a few minutes every man was busily 
 employed. 
 
 And what a variety of things : one had put in 
 his pocket a knuckle of ham ; another had in his 
 bag half a leg of mutton; others had fowls, 
 sausages, large and small ; one a boiled beef- 
 steak pudding; some enormous sandwiches; 
 others, bacon, veal, beef, wrapped up in pocket- 
 
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 9' 
 
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 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 i. 
 
 handkerchiefs, napkins, Buffalo gazettes, brown 
 paper ; and few were without the brandy bottle. 
 
 Well, down we sat, and made such an attack 
 upon the eatables which showed us to be heroes 
 of the gastronomic line, whatever we might be 
 as volunteers. We were as hungry as hunters ; 
 and really after we had been a quarter of an hour 
 munching, felt very little inclined to go after 
 the patriots, who were not supposed to be more 
 than four or five miles ofi^. 
 
 Our generalissimo came round to every com- 
 pany, and cheered us with expressions of satis- 
 faction at our order, regularity, and bravery 
 (although we had not shown much of that except 
 in our warfare upon the eatables) ; he said we 
 exceeded in soldierly appearance, in military 
 order, in discipline, and in courage any regular 
 troops he had ever heard of, ever read of, or ever 
 seen in any place, in any country, at any time. 
 Really I began to feel after this very much like 
 a hero, for what wdth the brandy, and the 
 
* 
 
 own 
 )ttle. 
 :tack 
 roes 
 t be 
 ers ; 
 hour 
 after 
 Qfiore 
 
 om- 
 
 jatis- 
 Lvery 
 [cept 
 d we 
 itary 
 ^ular 
 ever 
 :ime. 
 like 
 the 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 279 
 
 I! I 
 
 viands, and the flattery, I felt almost too big for 
 my great coat. 
 
 At last when each man was putting away the 
 remains of his provender, our commander ad- 
 vanced to a little knoll in the midst of the dell, 
 and taking a small horn from his pocket filled 
 it with brandy; here, said he, I drink the 
 health of Queen Victoria and destruction to all 
 rebels — zourt — pop — bang, bang, said the voices 
 of two or three rifles from the edge of a preci- 
 pice on the left. The leader dropped his cup 
 and cried out, " The rebels ! up and at them lads, 
 up and at them." 
 
 Before, however, we could up and at them, 
 down came a volley of immense stones, and 
 again whistled the bullets by us. Every man, 
 though, had his gun to his shoulder in a moment, 
 and returned the salute with interest, although 
 it was like firing in the air, for we could see 
 no one. 
 
 In a minute or two, sandwiches, knuckles of 
 
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 ■ihij 
 
 1 i 'f , 
 
 W 
 
280 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 i*: 
 
 
 ham, and all kinds of provision, good, bad, or in- 
 different, were scattered upon the grass. " Form ! 
 Form ! " was the word of command, and without 
 further preparation, each captain placed himself 
 at the head of his company, and called out, 
 " follow me." "Recollect," said our commander, 
 as he first came to one company, and then to an- 
 other, " recollect you are Canadians, and the bed 
 of death is the bed of honour ; remember your 
 wives and children, you that have any, and you 
 
 that have not ". He would have said more, 
 
 but ja:;t then a shot went whiz through his 
 broad-brim lii^d hat, and stopped his oratory. 
 
 "Scramble up the crags, you dogs," said he, "or 
 we shall be dead men in a twinkling ;" and away 
 we went ; but just as we got half way up, down 
 came another cargo of stones, knocking heads, 
 hands, legs about, and rolling many a bold 
 Canadian into the deep places below ; at the 
 same time two or three shots were fired^ and 
 several of our party fell. 
 
 \ s 
 
 m 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 281 
 
 3rin- 
 orm! 
 :hout 
 mself 
 out^ 
 nder, 
 oan- 
 ebed 
 your 
 lyou 
 nore, 
 bi his 
 
 
 or 
 
 away 
 down 
 Leads, 
 
 bold 
 t the 
 
 and 
 
 We, however, did not give the rebels time to 
 give us another salute, but mounted up to the 
 top of the hollow as quickly as w^e could scramble; 
 and, in a few minutes I, with my company, stood 
 in view of the rebels. 
 
 There they were with all their paraphernalia 
 of warfare, pitchforks, poles, scythes, spikes, 
 bludgeons, stones, a few rifles, a dirty flag or 
 two, and in number about five hundred . They 
 stood between us and the swamp of which I 
 before told you, hesitating whether they should 
 continue the attack or run off^. 
 
 We did not give them much time to argue the 
 matter between themselves, but at thew^ord"Fire!" 
 levelled our pieces and poured the shot into them 
 as to make them dance again. However, a great 
 number rushed towards us in a body, as if to 
 overwhelm us; we stood steady, loaded our 
 pieces, and just as they came within a few feet 
 of us fired point blank in their faces, and imme- 
 diately rushed to the charge. 
 
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 l! II 
 
 '111 1 
 
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 iii 
 
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 V.nr 
 
 
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 ! 
 
 ti'i. 
 
282 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 
 \:^A 
 
 Such a scramble then took place as I never 
 saw ; a good many fell by our fire. This dis- 
 concerted the others, and they gave back, we 
 came upon them, and away they ran helter 
 skelter over their fallen companions, some 
 tumbling head over heels, others jumping over 
 trees, stones, ditches ; a company then flanked 
 them on the right, and the second company 
 wheeling to the left completely hemmed them 
 round. There was but one alternative, either 
 to lay down their arms, or to rush pell-mell over 
 the swamp : the Sons of Liberty preferred the 
 latter. 
 
 Away they dashed in a posse and we after 
 them. They soon, however, found the swamp 
 not exactly the place for running. The greater 
 portion of them were up to their knees, some 
 above their waists, and not a few up to their 
 arm-pits. We followed them, and were in a 
 similar predicament. Away the rogues flound- 
 ered black as ink in the thick slime, while our 
 
 i 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 283 
 
 3ver 
 dis- 
 , we 
 3lter 
 ome 
 over 
 iked 
 )any 
 hem 
 ther 
 over 
 the 
 
 after 
 amp 
 ater 
 iome 
 their 
 in a 
 and- 
 our 
 
 party kept loading and firing as quick as they 
 v^ere able ; we were all in as bad a condition as 
 Christian in the slough of Despond. 
 
 •■-^r-'K^r; 
 
 At last by the most violent struggles^ a large 
 proportion of the Sons of Liberty got on the 
 other side, encased, however, in mud ; some with 
 boots only, but the greater number had mud 
 trousers and jackets also. Nor where we in 
 much better condition ; as to myself I was all 
 over mud as far as my waist, for my men had 
 
 W'.i I 
 
284 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 i\: 
 
 , i . if 
 
 ■•" i 
 
 :^' 
 
 pushed me forward so rapidly, that I scarcely 
 knew where I was till I sank deep into the 
 quagmire. 
 
 Few of us were in a condition to pursue our 
 aggressors, but we peppered them as long as we 
 were able ; and one company which had not 
 been so eager to get into the swamp as the rest, 
 made a circuitous course round the end of it, 
 and took several prisoners. 
 
 Thus ended the first regular affray in which I 
 was engaged. When we came to compare notes, 
 we found that as many as thirty poor fellows 
 had been killed, and a considerable number 
 wounded ; we also lost three men, and had five 
 wounded ; but then we had all the glory, as they 
 call it. 
 
 After the skirmish was over, our gallant com- 
 mander made another speech much after the 
 manner of Pizzaro in the play. He began by 
 calling us friends and brother countrymen, and 
 used several phrases of which I can only recol- 
 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 285 
 
 cely 
 the 
 
 our 
 s we 
 
 not 
 rest, 
 rfit, 
 
 ch I 
 otes, 
 lows 
 nber 
 L five 
 they 
 
 com- 
 the 
 
 n by 
 and 
 
 ecol- 
 
 
 .}, 
 
 lect the catch words, such as heroic entex|.rise 
 — glorioas day — everlasting renown — prodigies 
 of valour — transcendent conquest — emblazoned 
 eternal rocks of adamant — England's liberty — 
 British constitution, church and state ; and 
 several other epithets which are generally used 
 on such occasions. 
 
 We now prepared to return to Montreal with 
 our prisoners and trophies of victory, sixteen 
 tatterdemalions, eighteen broom sticks, twenty- 
 four pitch-forks, twic^ as many crab bludgeons, 
 a variety of old hats, three old flags, and a few 
 tarpaulin jackets, such as the Canadians wear in 
 wet weather. 
 
 When we reached Montreal the joy of the 
 place was unbounded ; every man was looked 
 upon as a hero and as the saviour of his country ; 
 for my part I expected to have had a statue 
 erected to my valour as large as that of Achilles 
 in Hyde Park, but it was not so ; the reason of 
 which I will tell you by and by. 
 
 !• 
 
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 ikJ-' 
 
286 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 ■ i, 4' 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ATTACK ON ST. EUSTACHE BURNING OF THE CAROLINE 
 
 STEAM-BOAT. 
 
 Such was the result of our first military expe- 
 dition ; and I should have been very glad if it 
 had been the last ; for although I am no coward, 
 I certainly do not like fighting ; and as to being 
 a soldier, I think tenpence halfpenny a day not 
 enough to be shot at for. But necessity has no 
 law, as the saying is, and so I continued a vo- 
 hmteer. 
 
 We received orders to join the regular troops 
 v\ iuch now came down in considerable numbers ; 
 and away we went, tar better equipped than on 
 the former expedition, the greater number of us 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 287 
 
 had been put into uniform, and we had drums, 
 and music, and flags, and all those other showy 
 things which it is found necessary to throw 
 round the trade of killing to set it off to the best 
 advantage. 
 
 Some had stripes on their arms, some epau- 
 lettes on their coats, and feathers in their caps, 
 and looked very fine. Then there were beautiful 
 silk colours flaunting in the air, and the music 
 playing, and the townspeople huzzaing, so that 
 the greater portion of our volunteers were quite 
 proud of themselves and one another. 
 
 Well, away we went, and were soon joined 
 by the regular troops, and put under the com- 
 mand of Sir John Colborne, a good soldier, and a 
 very worthy man, by no means desirous of spill- 
 ing blood unnecessarily. Everybody loved Sir 
 John, and so we were as happy as soldiers 
 could be. 
 
 Sir John, however, though very humane, was 
 determined to put down the rebellion as speedily 
 
 iiM> 
 
 in: i 
 
288 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
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 11 
 
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 as possible ; and we accordingly advanced on St. 
 Eustache, where we were informed the patriots 
 were to be found in large numbers. We marched 
 into the town in two divisions, and were received 
 with volleys of musketry from the rebels, who 
 seemed at first determined to give us a good 
 peppering. 
 
 Several of our men fell, but we pushed on, 
 driving the rebels before us till we came near 
 the church; and here we found some rough 
 work might be expected, for the rebels had got 
 into this building and kept up a continued fire 
 upon us from the church windows, steeple, and 
 every other post commanding shot range. 
 
 Sir John, however, ordered two field pieces 
 to be brought forward, and immediately com- 
 menced firing at the church, not with shot only, 
 but with congreve rockets. 
 
 Terrible things indeed are those rockets ; they 
 are filled with combustible matter, and, forced 
 from a field-piece, go right into the centre of a 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 289 
 
 I St. 
 riots 
 jhed 
 ived 
 who 
 ^ood 
 
 on, 
 
 near 
 
 )ugh 
 
 [got 
 
 fire 
 
 and 
 
 eces 
 3om- 
 3nly, 
 
 • 
 
 they 
 reed 
 of a 
 
 building, and then begin to burn, and blaze, and 
 shoot about in every direction, setting every- 
 thing on fire within their reach. 
 
 As soon as eight or ten of these congreve 
 rockets had been sent in upon the rebels, we 
 observed the church to be on fire; and now 
 the rebels began to make their escape in all 
 directions, while our soldiers and volunteers 
 fired at them as they ran away. We were then 
 ordered to make a circuitous movement so as 
 to surround the church on all sides, and to kill 
 every one who attempted to make his escape. 
 
 One of oui columns were ordered to advance 
 with bayonets fixed. I was very glad it was not 
 my company, it was the regular troops; they 
 advanced on a point at which the patriots made 
 a stand, and the poor creatures who attempted 
 to defend themselves were skewered by the 
 bayonets of the soldiers in every direction. I 
 saw a party of eight or ten soldiers follow twenty 
 
 V 
 
 i! 
 
 f'i 
 
 J : 
 
290 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 \ur 
 
 '■;' 
 
 i' i: 
 
 or thirty of the rebels into a corner and stick 
 them through and through. 
 
 Quarter was only allowed to those who threw 
 doA\Ti their arms and stood still as prisoners ; 
 
 
 
 
 ' /"' 
 
 all who attempted to run away or turn upon the 
 soldiers were shot at and cut down. 
 
 I was quite sick at the sight ; oh, how I 
 wished to be away from such scenes of blood- 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 291 
 
 shed. And how did I return thanks to God that 
 it had not fallen to my lot to kill a fellow crea- 
 ture even in battle ; I think if I had bayonetted 
 a poor creature in this manner, I should never 
 have got his look of agony and death out of my 
 memory. 
 
 After this we went to another town, which 
 was also burnt down to the ground with con- 
 greve rockets; about fifty houses were burnt, 
 and the smell from the burnt bodies was into- 
 lerable. We then advanced upon Grand Brule. 
 
 Here the inhabitants were dreadfully alarmed. 
 In every window we saw white flags ; they were 
 bits of cotton or silk stuck on sticks, and were 
 meant to say we do not want to fight, we are 
 peaceable. Here also were drawn up a long 
 row of Canadian patriots who had been fright- 
 ened by our victory at St. Eustache. They also 
 had bits of white rags stuck on sticks and looked 
 the most pitiable set of poor creatures I ever 
 • u 2 
 
 1 1 
 
 jjii 
 
292 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 U 
 
 a I 
 
 witnessed. Our men could not help laughini^ 
 at them. 
 
 We now had a little rest, and wondered what 
 the patriots would be at next. We were in 
 hopes that with two conflagrations and two 
 sound threshings, we should have little occasion 
 for any further trouble ; but we were mistaken, 
 for we very soon received intelligence that the 
 patriots had taken up a strong position on Navy 
 Island under their leaders Mackenzie, General 
 Van Reuselar, and Colonel Sutherland. 
 
 Navy Island is a small island situated about 
 two miles above the falls of Niagara, of which I 
 have before told you. It contains about six 
 hundred acres, and has only one practical land- 
 ing place near the head of the island, so that a 
 small body of men could defend it against a much 
 greater number, not only on account of the dif- 
 ficulty of landing, but from the rapids of the 
 river which prevent you from putting off boats 
 from the shore directly opposite to it, and force 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 293 
 
 ling 
 
 vhat 
 B in 
 two 
 tsion 
 ken, 
 : the 
 ^avy 
 [leral 
 
 ibout 
 ichi 
 
 SIX 
 
 land- 
 lat a 
 nuch 
 edif- 
 f the 
 boats 
 force 
 
 you to the necessity of going up the stream some 
 distance ; in which case you would have the fire 
 of all the w^orks of the island upon you for some 
 time before you could land. 
 
 Here then the patriots raised their standard 
 of defiance ; at first only about sixty armed 
 men took up their station here^ but in a few 
 days nearly five hundred had mustered, deter- 
 mined as they said^ to defend themselves to the 
 last extremity. 
 
 We raised a battery, however, of sixteen pieces 
 of artillery and several of musketry within gun- 
 shot of the place, and commenced firing day 
 and night on the insurgents, but with little 
 effect. We also manned boats two or three 
 times with a view to make a landing, but all to 
 no purpose from the difficulties I have named to 
 you. We hoped at last to starve them out, but 
 this was impossible, as they received daily sup- 
 plies of arms, food, and ammunition from the 
 American shore. 
 
 
294 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 . X 
 
 ^1 
 
 n 
 
 A large number of the Americans living on 
 the opposite side of the St. Lawrence, took the 
 part of the patriots from the first, and did every 
 thing they could to give them assistance ; they 
 subscribed money, furnished arms, and took 
 their parts in their various newspapers; and 
 now they, under pretence of using it as a pas- 
 sage-boat, engaged a small steamer named the 
 Caroline, which they put into service to carry 
 provisions to the rebels. 
 
 Our commander had observed this with a good 
 deal of chagrin, and determined to put a stop to 
 it ; he, therefore, commissioned a party of the 
 bravest of our soldiers and sailors to attempt 
 the capture of the Caroline. 
 
 This was performed with great adroitness. 
 Three boats were manned, which in the night 
 were ordered to drop down gently with the 
 stream till they reached the steamer. This was 
 done so gently that although there were a great 
 number of people on board, nobody had the 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 295 
 
 5SS. 
 
 ;ht 
 
 :he 
 
 as 
 
 leat 
 
 :he 
 
 slightest notion of it, till about a dozen of our 
 men entered the boat on each side, with arms 
 and cutlasses in their hands cutting and killing 
 all they met with. 
 
 As a great number of the people on board 
 were Americans, they begged and prayed for 
 quarter ; but it was of no use, all were killed 
 who made the slightest resistance, and the re- 
 mainder were left to reach the shore as they 
 could. Several in their terror jumped over- 
 board and swam to the shore ; many attempting 
 to do so were drowned. Those who attacked 
 the boat now cut her from her moorings and 
 towed her into the middle of the stream, the 
 poor creatures within crying out for mercy 
 every moment. 
 
 When she had reached the middle of the 
 stream, they set her on fire with rockets and 
 hand-grenades, and in a few minutes the Caro- 
 line was one mass of flame. The cries of the 
 people on board were dreadful^ and increased 
 
 ^i 
 
296 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 ■•1 
 
 as they now saw, by the light of the flame, that 
 they were going down the rapids, and would 
 shortly be hurled over the falls. 
 
 Oh, it was indeed a dreadful sight to see that 
 steam-boat one mass of flame, with a number of 
 poor wretches shrieking and howling for suc- 
 cour, going down the dreadful gulf! but there 
 was no other chance for it. Away she went, 
 illuminating both sides of the river, which were 
 now covered with people, crying out, and vainly 
 attempting to put off boats to the rescue of those 
 on board. 
 
 The steamer proceeded slowly and calmly 
 along the lucid waters. We heard her masts 
 crack and fall, and saw the red light shoot out 
 more awfully as her decks fell in. We heard 
 also the cries of those on board. I thought I 
 distinguished a female cry. My eyes kept 
 watching her along the rapids, till at last — she 
 was gone. 
 
 Over the falls in the twinkling of an eye. To 
 
 V 
 
 t 
 
i " 
 
 To 
 
 i 
 
 TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 297 
 
 those below the falls, the sight was more hor- 
 rible. It seemed as if fire and water had united 
 in the work of destruction. I shudder when I 
 think of the fate of the poor Caroline : but such 
 are the inevitable consequences of war. 
 
 
 - ^-J '■.£!--' 
 
 After this the rebels were greatly dispirited ; 
 they found it difficult to procure provisions, and 
 
I 
 
 * I 
 
 111 
 
 III I 
 
 : ', 
 
 ¥. 
 
 4 
 
 298 
 
 PETER PARLEY S 
 
 became every day more and more straitened. 
 We continued firing upon them, allowing them 
 no rest night nor day. At last^ to our surprise, 
 they were gone as suddenly as the steamer. 
 
 They had escaped to the American side, and, 
 with few exceptions, got clear off. As to the 
 Americans, they were highly incensed at the loss 
 of their steamer, and the deaths of those on 
 board. All along the frontiers meetings were 
 held, in which the British were denounced as 
 the most abominable nation in the world ; and 
 it was feared that the wl .ole of the people on the 
 line would arm themselves, and pierce into 
 Canada, to avenge what they called a barbarous 
 outrage. However, they did not do this. They 
 contented themselves with talking a good deal, 
 an I offering sympathy to the Canadians. When 
 they came to investigate the affair, it was clearly 
 shown that the Caroline had been in the service 
 of our enemies, and that according to the rights 
 of war, we were justified in burning her. 
 
 T 
 
 ''■ I 
 
TALES ABOUT CANADA. 
 
 299 
 
 id. 
 se, 
 
 nd, 
 
 the 
 
 loss 
 on 
 
 rere 
 
 L as 
 
 and 
 the 
 
 into 
 ons 
 hey 
 eal, 
 hen 
 larly 
 ice 
 hts 
 
 i^ 
 
 But still they were in the highest degree 
 incensed : and it required the strongest prepa- 
 ration on our part, and also the strongest re- 
 monstrance, on the part of their President, Van 
 Buren, to keep them from coming over in a 
 body to join the Canadians. 
 
 This, however, has not taken place, and I do 
 not suppose that it will ; but the Americans do 
 not like us for all that, as you will see. 
 
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