IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^ :> y^ '■^ '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation ^.V 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. US80 (716) 872-4S03 '^ o ^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques ■ Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographlques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographicaiiy unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagde Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurde et/ou pellicul^e I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Rnlii avec d'autrbs documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge int^rieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouties lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 filmdes. L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a dt6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la methods normale de filmage sont indiqu^s ci-dessous. D D D D D D D D Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restauries et/ou pelliculdes Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d^coior^es, tachetdes ou piqudes Pages detached/ Pages ddtachdes Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of print varies/ Qualiti in^gale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel suppldmentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refiimed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totaiement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont M filmdes d nouveau de fa^on d obtenir la meilleLre image possible. n Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppl6mentaires; This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film6 au taux de reduction indiqu6 ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X L y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed here hes been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: Library of the Public Archives of Canada L'exemplaire filmA fut reproduit grAce d la gAnirositd de: La bibliothdque des Archives pubiiques du Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de l'exemplaire filmd, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprim6e sont film6s en commen^ant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s en commengant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol •— »> (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols -^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols y signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent §tre film^s d des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 '■'^'m^ffwmmmm^^^ilimi^^m^ T II E I i< S P R T {^ M A K IN CANADA ' V, I I iLbtil .il.l'i^'kJM ic^"' I c a: tn l-C c_ ,1 TIIK SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. UY FREDERK; TOl.FKEY AlTllOB OF " THE Sl'oRTHMAN IN F«AN(I-." IN TWO VOLIMF, S. VOL. I. LONDON: T. C. ^EVM]V, 72,NC)UT1MEU St.. ( AVINIISII Jw. 1845.. )l r i To tha-ic Friends and Conipaniuii.'*, To whuse .sufiety in the mc^ri-ixtoni <>r in llic field — on the banks of the Jacques ( 'artier l^iver, or in the snipc-bop:s of Chateau Richer — in the jjfarrison ball-rooin, or on the boards ttf tlie ■Quebec Amateur Theatre — he is so deeply indebted for the many happy hours lie passed in Canada, These two little volumes are dedicated by their old chum ■»t and brother Sportsman, The Author )f' I it. ■ ,-«• w» irarsrw?*; -i '"■ PREFACE. In the early part of the year 1841, an unpi*e- tending little work of mine, having for it's title " The Sportsman in France," was intro- duced to the notice of the public. The transient success my Book met with has induced me to take a second plunge in the troubled sea of Authorship ; and whether I sink or swim must depend upon those humane patrons of struggling scribblers — the public If a helping hand be stretched forth in aid of the attempt, I hope to float comfortably down the stream of popularity; if otherwise I must be content to be swamped in the waters of oblivion. My' undertaking, therefore, is a matter of life or death. •mmimmmsmimm^i 11 PREFACE. I i iS " i H Acting under the advice of some kind and partial friends, I have put together a few loose leaves of an old journal, descriptive of some adventures with the Rod and Gun, which befel me some years ago in Canada. Though the scenes described in the follow- ing pages are to be number'^d with the things that were, they may still carry with them the impression of freshness and novelty to some of my untravelled readers — and even those who, in the course of human events, may have visited the spots which a long ab- sence can never efface from my memory, will, I trust, peruse, with a feeling akin to interest, the feats by flood and field which I have here recorded. If the reader look for high flown descrip- tioES or poetical language in the following pages, he will be disappointed : but I can promise him he will find an honest and faithful account of the amusements to be derived from a sojourn in our North American possessions. ^ K PREFACE. Ill The two Provinces offer a wide field of enjoy- ment to the active and enthusiastic Sportsman ; and I hope in the course of the following nar- rative to hold out some additional inducement to the Half-pay Officer, the Settler, and the Emigrant, to make choice of this land of lake and mountain, wherein to pass the remainder of their days in peace, quietness, and content- ment. A happier lot no man need desire ; and it has been my endeavour to point out to those, who may honor these pages by a perusal, that few beings are more to be envied than " The Sportsman in Canada." London, April 12th 1845, kmimmmmimmmum- THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. Ji CHAPTER I. Short petticoats, and clean ankles, the cause of the Author's leaving home — proceeds to Brussels, and, thence returns to England — Captain Dicken- son, and the transport. La Lune — Instead of Quebec, the Author is shipped off to Caen, until the Spring — Departure for Canada — The Island of Madeira — Voyage out — Narrow Escape from a Shark — Banks of Newfoundland — It's Cod Fish — The RiAxr St. Lawrence — Arrival at Quebec. It may be in the recollection of some re- spectable middle-aged gentlemen, that in the year of Grace one thousand eight hun- dred and fifteen, the Ladies, God bless them, wore their petticoats most captivatingly VOL. I. B HM i]^ »' Ml' 'I: t ? ii i I 2 THE SrORTSM.VN IN CANADA. short, at least, all those who were blest with small feet, well turned ankles, and good legs ; and, it came to pass, that, being a susceptible youth, I fell deeply in lovo with as pretty a pair of extremities, as ever supported a lovely form, and a face to match. Fathers and sons, however, occasionally differ in these affaires dih cceur et des jambes, and I was not exempt from paternal interference, inasmuch, as my excellent, and worthy go- vernor, being proof against the attractions of shape and make, and clean legs to boot, disapproved of my choice, cut short my love-making and gentle dalliances — firstly, by certain threats of disinheritance, and, secondly, by depriving the War Ofl&ce, of one of its idlest clerks — and, shipping me off to Brussels, there to think of my " ladye love," and be disposed of as the chances of war, or an ounce or so of lead might determine. As no friendly bullet put an end to my suf- ferings, I fed upon grief, (and Flanders beef) like a true love-sick swain, until the post brought me intelligence, one fine morn- fm'im&'^wm^M^^^'- THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. t ing — some ten weeks after the Battleof Water- loo — that I was appointed to a staff situa- tion in Canada ; and, that I was to make the best of my way to the paternal mansion, there to take possession of a liberal outfit, whicli had been prepared for me, and bid a long farewell to the best of mothers, and a host of sorrowing relatives. Within an hour of the arrival of the post, the old family butler, presented himself at the Hotel d'An- gleterre, where I had taken up my quarters. It required no extraordinary peojstration, or stretch of imagination, to guess at the ipotive, which induced my prudent sire, to send this trusty domestic on such an errand. It was feared, probably, that the lady with the legs, would be Uppermost in my thoughts, on approaching the shores. of England again ; in short, that love would take precedence of filial duty — for such reprobate thoughts will creep into the brain of hot-headed youths. Whether such would have been my case, it behoveth me not to mention at this mo- 3 B !l !BHB ''( --^ii'liUM12IStiHI«M»».)# fl'!' 4 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. nient — here was a regular stopper to an} stolen march, (had I been so undutifuUy in- clined) in the person of the portly, wheezing, burly, butler. He was constituted a sort oi respectable family spy ; and, as I knew the old fellow to be the most conscientious of cork-drawers, bribery was out of the question. Making a virtue of necessity, I appeared de- lighted to see the trusty guardian of my hos- pitable father's wine-cellar, and expressed — with much apparent sincerity — the satis- faction 1 felt, at having so respectable, and trust-worthy a guide, to lead me home again. I blush to own — even at this distant period — that I gave the old fellow as much trouble as possible, and chuckled with demoniacal glee, when that impartial invader of men's stomachs — sea-sickness — laid him flat on his back, on board the packet which car- ried us from Ostend to Dover. I allowed him, nevertheless, to hug his basin in peace, and left him to the tender mercies of the steward. Poor old Sadler I he lived for nearly half a century in my father's service. masmmkw^ THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. and died, as all well-conditioned butlers ought to do, of gout in the stomach. On being delivered up in a state of good preservation, morally, and physically, to those who were good enough to own me, I was — after having been duly lectured on the enormity of my crime, (tliat of betray- ing a partiality for a pretty woman) — in- formed that a passage had been provided for me by government, on board a trans- port, named La Lune, A. 1., copper-fas- tened, carrying a surgeon and other con- veniences, usually enumerated in nautical phraseology, by those disinterested ship- owners, who advertise for passengers inclined by nature, or compelled by duty, to leave their native shores. Within eight and forty hours of my arrival in London, I was posting down to Woolwich in the old family carriage, with the most affec- tionate, and solicitous of parents, a brother, and a sister. Was ray symmetrical dulci- nea forgotten during the journey 1 Forbid it, gratitude, gallantry, and true love knots ! I<: r'tummtmiammHLm T ^^ 1 [ 'i :' f l' If :f 6 THE SP0RTSMA5 IN CANADA. and, if th(^ truth were penned, it is pro- bablc, that more affectionate thoughts, and fond regrets, were bestowed upon the fair enslaver — the undoubted owner of the taper ankles — than on kindred and friends, at that moment. To bring this little love episode to an end, I must observe, that, from the moment our tender passion was nipped in the bud, we have never met. I have sought in vain, for the legs that captivated my youthful fancy ; and, since the dowdy introduction of draggle-tail dresses — which effectually hide the understandings of our fair countrywomen — I despair of discovering my little " Venus de Medicis." But, revenons a nos moutons. Arrived at the Ordance "Wharf, at Woolwich, I was conveyed on board The Laa Looriy as the boatman christened the transport, with* my kind relatives, who had supplied me with an equipment, which would have served for half a dozen more younger sons. Having been regularly installed in my floating cup- board — some twelve feet by eight — and k. '^if*fsmfi-ii^ THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. which, by the way, the captain dignified by the name of " state-room ;" the mournful ceremony of leave-taking was got through — and, to those, who have been subjected to the same painful ordeal, I need not dcscril)e the agonizing moment. In a most desolate mood, and disconsolate spirit, did I pass the night, of the 16 th of September, 1815. On the following morning, as I was performing my ablutions in a bucket of muddy water, the steward's factotum, — a heau ideal of a cabin boy, redolent of grease and tar, with a chubby face, cork- screw curls hanging from beneath a low- crowned straw hat, jantily planted on one side of his head, a red flannel shirt, canvas trousers, and shoes to match — informed me, that Captain Dickenson, the Master-attendant of Woolwich Dock Yard, had sent his boat for me, with a request, that I would come on shore immediately and breakfast with him, as he had a communication of impor- tance to make. I was sorely puzzled, to account for this unexpected summons — for, /; n/ I I I 1 1> ( ' H 8 THE SrORTSMAJT IN CANADA. until that moment, I was unacquainted with Captain Dickenson, even by name — and, was equally ignorant of the important and responsible office he filled, with so much credit to himself, and advantage to the government. I addressed myself to the worthy schipper of the transport, in the hope of eliciting something like a clue to the proceeding, but he was equally mystified — although I could perceive, that I had risen considerably in his estimation, in consequence of the un- known interest exhibited towards me by the highly, and deservedly-respected, Master- attendant. On shore I went, and was greeted most cordially, and kindly, by Captain Dickenson — who, after apologising for having sent for me so unceremoniously, without further pre- face, thus delivered himself — " You are the young gentleman, I believe, who came down last evening with his family, in a heavily laden carriage, and four posters ?" ' § THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. I replied in the affirmative. " Have you any interest at the Board of Ordnance V " I think I have," was my answer, " Do not deem me impertinent," continiu-d the benevolent interrogator, " in asking the nature and extent of that interest." Having satisfied the kind-hearted Master- attendant on tins point — and, probably, rather beyond his expectations — I accompa- nied him to his well-appointed official residence, where a substantial and tempting breakfast awaited us. It was not, until the savoury meal was concluded, that I learnt the cause of my having been unshipped so un- expectedly. As the last cup of fragrant hyson, was washing down the toast, the muffins, cold tongue, broiled ham, and new-laid Qg^», my host taking me by the hand, and with a kindness of manner, I never can forget, said — " The sight of your venerable parents, who accompanied you to the ship last even- B 5 10 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. ing, interested mo much : I knew her desti- nation of course, and learnt that you were going out to Canada, in the service of go- vernment. I need not tell you, tliat you arc proceeding to an inhospitable climate. The season is so fur advanced, that I very much question, if you will reach your destination. This is the 1 7th of September, and the odds are, that the ship will either l)e blocked up in the ice, as she enters the St. Law- rence, or be compelled to run into Halifax Hai])or, and there winter. It is possible, she may be lost ; and, as I think it a pity such good flesh and })lood as yours, should be thrown away upon North American bears, I strongly advise your postponing your voyage until the spring. To be serious, my young friend, you must not go out in this ship. I am an old sailor, and, take my word for it, you would be shipwrecked ; and, perhaps, encounter hardships and misery, if not a lingering, torturing, death. 1 have sent for your luggage : return on board, pack up your light goods — come back to >?.#4!fi^^?*; THE SPORTSMAN U (AXADA. 11 me, and I will give you a letter tu your relative and patron, Sir II — — : tell hini' and your friends, that I sent you back to town ; and, depend upon it, before this time twelvemonth, I shall receive their thanks, for having taken upon myself to ad- vise this course." I confess, I was somewhat startled at this sudden change of affairs ; but, acting under such good authority — and, having no very serious objection to remaining on full pay at home, until the month of April — I went on board La Lune for the last time, — collected all my valuables — came on shore — left my heavy baggage under Captain Dickenson's charge in a warehouse, thanked him unfeignedly, for his disinterested advice — shook him cordially by the hand, and rat- tled up to town in a post-chaise — not without certain misgivings, as to my reception on ar- riving chez mon pere. To say the truth, I felt a little nervous ; and, fearing to occasion any alarm by re- appearing before my family so unexpectedly, m 12 TUE SrORT.?5IAX IJf CANADA. I drove to the residence of the Lieutenant- general of the Ordnance, aad presented him Captain Dickenson's letter — "which, to my great joy, he approved of. All difficulties were thereby removed, so that, after a note had been despatched to my revered father, announcing my return, I be- gan to indulge in the hope, that I might see " the legs" once more. Fate ruled it other- wise. I was received with open arms of course — and. never hnd son a warmer welcoinj under paternal roof ; but, (ominous words for lovers ?) it was proposed — and, conse- quently, thought advisable, that I should make myself master of tho Frencli language, prior to embarking for Canada — for which purpose, it was decided, I should pass the winter on the Continent. Caen was the town fixed upon — and, to Caen I went, on the shortest possible notice. The selection of this old Norman town, I attributed to the circumstance of some old friends of my family, liaving migrated thi- ther attracted, doubtless, hy the excellent :-■*. Ti-^-*'kii»^mmm^i0^ ^i>. THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. 13 :■■! i ■ I society congregated witliin its walls at the period I write of. There were, in truth, sonic charming families — and of the best English blood too, who had been received with open arms by the Ancierme Noblesse of that aris- tocratic city. Where such good feeling pre- vailed, the intercourse between the English residents, and the native inhabitants, was frequent, and kept up with undisguised cor- diality. General St. Simon, the present ambassador from the Court of France to Stutgard, was the commandant of the garrison, and him- self and his staff, did all in their power to promote gaiety and good feeling. Nor were the old nobles backward in hospitality, or in testifying the pleasure they derived from the society of the English. The winter of 1815 and 1816, was one of the gayest that had had been known in the good old town of Caen, for many years ; all was feasting, fid- dling, fun, and frolic : six pleasanter months I never passed. I have in my little book, " The Sportsman in France," adverted to the '<{■ K; i 'LL .■f> 14 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. excellence of the shooting in the neighbour- hood of the town ; there are — or, perhaps, I ought rather to say were — plenty of birds ; and, the marshes, the whole of the way along the banks of the river to the sea, are full of snipes My old friend. Archer Croft, of Green- ham Lodge, in Berkshire, and myself, did our best towards thinning the coveys of part- ridges, as well as the swampy meadows of the snipes ; but, we did not succeed in ex- terminating the race of either, inasmuch, as a pretty sprinkling of both, is to be met with to this day. Caen, in short, has lost none of its attractions ; in proof of which, one-third of its best houses, is inhabited by respectable English families of moderate in- comes, who, in addition to a most agreeable and intellectual coterie of their own, have the advantage of enjoying the best French society — into which, their acquirements, birth, and education, have insured them ad- mission. ■ '- ■ I THE SPORTSMAN IX CANADA. 15 In the plenitude of my enjoyment, I received towards the end of April, an official letter, containing an unmistakable " notice to quit," and in obedience thereto, I bade adieu to my kind and hospitable friends, French and English, and turning my back upon the pleasantest of all Continental towns, once more steered for Old England. The passage from Havre to Southampton was a much more serious affair in those days than at present ; at least, if not of greater moment, it was of longer duration ; for who can forget — that has ever undergone the infliction — the tacking, the pitching, the rolling and tossing of the sailing vessels, which carried the adventurous Continental travellers to and fro across the Channel, before the Watts's and the Maudesleys (bless- ings on their engineering heads !) gave us a fleet of steamers 1 Thanks to their perse- verance and industry, we have Alonarchs, British Queens, Harlequins, Columbines, Grand Turks, Magnets, Ariadnes, Firebrands, Fireflies, and a host of flyers, which will •> 1 ■T[iiiTiiiii>iiniwiimiini|i(i||iiiii 16 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. whisk us from one port to another in less time, than a crawling cutter would be beat- ing through the Needles. In the early part of the month of May 1816, however, slow coaches were the order of the day, and to keep up the charter at sea as well as on land, I had to endure some thirty hours of suffer- ing, and a blessed relief it was when I found myself on the box of the Southampton coach, by the side of that most gentleman- like of antiquated Jehus, old Wise, or Vyse, for he answered both appellations. On arriving in town, I found that my anatomy was destined to be borne across the Atlantic, on board of the good ship Diana, Captain Haig, who had also under- taken, for a certain consideration, to convey as many officers, ordered to Quebec, as the accommodations of a seven hundred ton vessel would admit of. At the Falcon Hotel, Gravesend, I took leave of my family for the second time, and on making myself known ro the Commanding Officer, on arriving on board, I had the satisfaction of finding a -A* THE SPORTSMAN II< CANADA. 17 most gentlemanlike well-bred man, and that my fellow-passengers had all the outward and visible signs, of being congenial spirits of the right stamp. Out of a London population of two millions, (I believe the last census amounted nearly to this number,) the odds are fearfully against any wanderer meeting with sixteen really good fellows, cooped up within the narrow compass of a free-trader ; but my good genius had so willed it, that our party was to l^e a remarkably pleasant one. It consisted of Colonel Wells of the 43rd, our Commanding Officer, who was going out to Canada as an Inspecting Field Officer of Militia, and his pretty little wife ; two Captains and one Subaltern of Artillery ; one Captain of the 99th; one Sub. of the 100th; another ditto of the 103rd; one Cornet of the 19th Light Dragoons ; two officers of the Ordnance Department ; one Captain on the half-pay of the 56th ; two merchants ; one surgeon, and my unworthy self. It was known that our Captain intended '.i i< ■>fmM*mmtmmmMiMu.> ^ 18 THESrORTSMO IN CANADA. i r- Mi to touch at Madeira for a cargo of wine, and I was fortunate in having some letters of introduction to one of the principal firms of that Island, forwarded to me down to Portsmouth. The inhabitants of this insular paradise, are as celebrated for their hospi- tality, as the soil is for the juice of the grape ; and the firm of Gordon and Murdoch, stands as pre-eminent for the exercise of this cardinal virtue, as their wines lor quality and flavor. On the evening ol the ninth day, after leaving the Isle of Wight, the blue moun- tainous land of Madeira was descried from the mast-head, and before midnight the lights of the town of Funchal were discer- nible. The Portuguese authorities, having a horror of nocturnal invasion, forbid every vessel to enter their port after sunset, under pain of red-hot shot and other missives from the batteries, to the peril of the rigging, shipping, crews, &c. ; so that, not being inclined to hazard so warm a reception, we lay-to off the harbor all night. In the 'I l*Wlii!^,tjKMSff8ir:-''0'* THE SPORTSMiilf IN CANADA. 19 morning, the chaste Diana floated past the batteries and anchored off the town. Like a parcel of school-boys rushing out of school on a half-holiday, did we scramble into the boats in our anxiety to get on shore. On presenting my letter of introduction, and announcing my name to Mr. Webster Gordon, his first question was, — " Where is your baggage V Having replied that it was on board our ship, I was most kindly rebuked for not having brought it on shore, as a matter of course, and forthwith directed to return and bring my portmanteau and carpet-bag, and make that house my home during my stay. Having complied v/ith these hospitable in- structions, my kind host asked, if amongst my fellow passengers, I affectioned one or two more than the rest. Upon my hinting that my chum the dragoon, who shared my cabin, and Captain F. of the Artillery, were those to whom I had cottoned more especially, I was desired to invite them also to pass the few days we remained on the Island, beneath ii., : I m 4 ,a4i,u»,j»«»»uJ«»*«ft4** v*** fl 1 {I /I, 20 THE SPORTSMAN LX CANADA. his roof. Horses and carriages were at our command during the day, so that what with riding and driving about the beautiful country, and living en Prince, we passed a fortnight most agreeably. Ous Commanding Officer, Colonel WellSj had taken up his quarters at the residence of Mr. Blackburn, whose house is renommee for good cheer and good wine. Mr. Veitch, the Consul, gave us a splendid entertainment, as did our host, who paid the gallant colonel the compliment of inviting him and his better half to his house. In short, we had a very merry time of it ; and . with a feeling akin to regret, we perceived the Blue Peter at the fore-top-gallant-mast- head one fine morning, as a warning to us to retpair on board, as well as to announce that the Caledonian Schipper had concluded his commercial arrangements, and was about to sail. Before we leave Madeira, one word about its wine, for we know nothing about it in this country. The stuff sold in this metro- mutmuMmi.-^ THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. 21 polls as East India London Particular, is as unlike the generous juice bearing the name of ^ladeira as Hunt's blacking is to genuine port wine. The East India Madeira is a thin acid potation, a second growth wine in fact and is sold to the captains of trading vessels en route to the Eastern hemisphere, at a much less price than that asked for the first quality wine shipped to the West Indies. At the time I write of, several free traders were in the port, taking out wine to the several Presidencies of Madras, Bombay and Cal- cutta ; the price paid by the captains, averaged from £38 to £40 the pipe, while every drop consigned to the West India Islands, was charged at the rate of fifty guineas and upwards. My host informed me that the planters were the best judges in the world of Madeira, and as the run to the West Indies occupied little more than three weeks, the wiue was returred on the ship- per's hands, if not of the very first quality. It is true that the Nabobs of the far East, as well as Governors General, have as fine I' / I -Of i ' i> i' i I' 4 I I'i ■U i^'J I I i 111,,,. ii 1i|, t! ii:l ! > i) li 'I! I V 'i \ 3 22 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. Madeira as can be drunk, but they pay the best price and obtain good stuff ; but the wine consigned on commission to the Indian market, or taken on speculation by the captains of ships, is of very inferior quality. The good people of England imagine, be- cause an enterprising commander has stowed away divers pipes of Madeira in the hold of bis vessel, and sailed about with them in warm latitudes, that the contents must be superlatively good, little thinking, that all the voyages round the world, from the time of Captain Cook to the present day, will never give to an originally thin ana meagre wine, the body and flavor which essentially belong to Madeiras of the first class of excellence. Having expressed our sincere and heart- felt thanks to our hospitable host, who had entertained us from the moment of our land- ing, in the most liberal and sumptuous man- ner, we repaired on board our floating barrack. As the ship was getting under weigh, a boat came alongside, and one of the Tsa n» ' THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. 23 crew having inquired for me, presented a a note from Mr. Gordon, who, not having forgotten my unqualified admiration of some splendid claret and sautcrne, from the cele- brated cellars of Mr. Adamson, the London wine-merchant, took this method of begging my acceptance of a three dozen case of each, to drink on our voyage to Quebec. The gift was duly appreciated, and the manner in which it was conferred made it not the less acceptable. This welcome addition to my sea stock, was gracefully acknowledged in a hasty note, and our thanks were reiterated over many a bumper, while drinking the health of the donor on the deep waters. On taking our seats at the dinner-table, as we left the Island, I observed a large cask slung in the after-part of the cuddy {Anglice^ dining-room,) and the cause of the intrusion was explained by the kind-hearted captain on the cloth being removed. He prefaced his speech in broad Scotch, by saying, that we were a set of drunken " loons " — a grace- less body of " ne'er-do-weels :" that we had I i 24 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA, ill ,i nwarly drunk all his Port wine, and consider- ably diminished his stock of Sherry ; but that as the De'il always took care of his ain, the firm at Madeira, from whom he had purchased his cargo of wine for the market of Quebec, had, according to invariable cus- tom, presented him with a hogshead of choice old stuff. The jolly old fellow went on to say, that he had conveyed soldier offi- cers from one quarter ofthe globe to another, for upwards of thirty years, but that he had never carried sucli a joyous living cargo as ourselves ; and that, as he was convinced he should never meet again with such a batch of merry mad-caps, he had determined upon tapping the present, and the first glass he should take out of the " wie stoup" (va he called the hogshead behind the President'^ chair) would be to the health and prosperity of the friends around him, and a safe voyage to the ship Diana. As may be easily ima- gined, this well-meant harangue was received with shouts of applause, and I am ashamed to record the number of times our decanter?, "t n THE SPORTSMAN IX CANADA. 25 were rcplcni'>li(;d on the evening from the • " wie stoop."' "We did ample honor to tlio " wine offering," I can assure the reader, and when our noble Commander " turned in " for the night, he was somewhat " fou," or, in nautical phraseology, " three sheets in the wind." On the fourth day after leaving Madeira, we were becalmed, and as we were lounging listlessly on deck sighing for a breeze, a man from the cross-trees sung out to the mate on deck that he saw several turtle taking a snooze on the surface of the water. " Hey, sirs ! but it's good eating is the turtle," said our captain ; and in order to afford us a practical proof of the soundness of his judgment, he ordered the jolly-boat to be lowered, and directed the oars to bo muffled with sheep skins, that the amphibious delicacy might be approached with the greater certainty. The Cornet, Captain F., a Lieutenant of Artillery, and myself were permitted to go in the boat ; and oar coxswain VOLL. I. c M m b) U, / 26 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. ti , ■ '" ij< WW iiinmiuM, mumtM' 30 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. I. ]'' weather was too fine, and we got on but slowly. "We contrived, however, to amuse ourselves by playing at chess and backgam- mon during the day, and with a rubber at night. "We could muster four or five first- rate whist players, a talent not much ap- preciated or liked by the steward, who was frequently kept up beyond the small hours mixing our grog, while we were deep in the study of Matthews and of Hoyle, and our thoughts on the odd trick rather than our beds. We had been for some days busily em- ployed in preparing our lines and tackle for a crusade against the cod fish on the banks of Newfoundland, and we had almost begun to des >air of tasting one, when, on as foggy a morning as ever ushered in a Lord Mayor's day, the mate ran down the companion ladder to announce the joyful intelligence of having made soundings on the Green Bank. In less time than I can write the words, we were all on deck, and the anxiety to get the first line out and to catch the first fish THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. 31 1 caused no little scrambling, confusion, and merriment. Our chief mate, who was a sort of salt water Walton, had the honor of hooking and pulling on deck the first cod. It was a fine fish, but did not appear to me to be in particularly good season. His ex- ample was followed by nearly half a dozen of us at the same time, and in less than half an hour I suppose the passengers and crew had taken nearly seventy fish. One of them was cut in slices and fried for breakfast, but we one and all pronounced it woolly. Another of the finest was well cleansed and rubbed with salt preparatory to being dressed for dinner. This was an improvement, and the fish was eatable, but still immeasurably inferior to the Doggerbank cod we are ac- customed to see in London. We found them better on the second and third day than on the first, but no process will ever give the flavor to a Newfoundland fish that distinguishes those caught off" the Dutch coast. After having laid-to until the afternoon. ir I 1 \'i 32 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. we filled and made sail, passing through a fleet of small vessels from St. John's, New- foundland, and the coast of Labrador. These sloops and schooners are called " Ban- kers," from their remaining at anchor for some weeks on the fishing-ground. They incur considerable risk of being run down in the night by ships proceeding to the Ameri- can ports, as well as Halifax, Prince Edward's Island, and the St. Lawrence. Several fatal accidents have occurred, and not a year passes without a considerable loss of life. In a week from the time of our making the Banks, the Island of Anticosti, at the mouth of the River St. Lawrence, was seen from the mast-head, and here our voyage may be said to have ended, although we had from three to four hundred miles of river to run up. On the following morning we were boarded by a Canadian pilot, and as we were passing by a barren, rocky, and inhos- pitable-looking Island, some thirty miles above Anticosti, I perceived the wreck of a large ship on a formidable reef of rocks. THE SPORTSMAN IX CANADA. 33 Little dreaming of the reply I should re- ceive, I asked the pilot when and how the vessel had been lost. To my astonishment he informed me, that the wreck we were passing was that of La Lune transport, bound to Quebec with Government stores ; that she had arrived out rather late in the season, was blocked up in the ice, and had stranded on the desolate spot where we saw her ; that the master and crew, with the excep- tion of one man, had perished ; that the fortunate individual who had escaped, had suffered indescribable hardships ; and that all on board had suffered miseries and pri- vations too horrible to commit to paper. Thus was I rescued from a lingering, tortu- ring death by Captain Dickenson, of whom I have made mention, and but for his benevo- lence and soundness of judgment I might have been converted into a pot of bear's grease, for the survivor of the doomed beings on board this ill-fated ship reported that his messmates furnished many a meal for the c 5 ■»(: !H: W 34 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. 'if •il famished bears, who attacked them in orga- nized gangs for many nights in succession. Our sail up the St. Lawrence was none of the quickest, but I could scarcely regret the delay, for the scenery on either side of the river is supremely beautiful, the south shore, which we hugged (as the sailors term it), especially so. It is impossible to conceive a more splendid or varied panorama than that presented to the gaze of the European traveller on first entering this Queen of Rivers, the St. Lawrence. It is in truth a magnificent water, and its countless islands, straggling viUages, picturesque churches, and whitewashed cottages afford a coup cVceil very difficult to describe. On the fourth day of our fresh-water voyage, not having sufficient wind to stem the ebb-tide, we were compelled to anchor about twelve miles below the city of Quebec. My chum the Cornet and myself, becoming rather impatient at the repeated stoppages, landed at the village of St. Nicholas, and hired a cabriolet, which conveyed us to a \% < THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. 35 point of land facing the town on the south side of the magnificent basin. The view of Quebec from this spot is perfectly enchant- ing. We crossed over in the ferry-boat, and were soon welcomed by those families to whom we had brought letters. Behold me now at my journey's end. I cannot, however, conclude this chapter with- out stating, that as our voyage had been prolonged to nearly twice the expected pe- riod, and as we were convinced that Captain Haig must have been considerably out of pocket by his contract, we, at a meeting of the passengers which was convened at our Hotel, subscribed ten guineas each without his being aware of our intention ; and hav- ing invited him to a dejeuner a la fourchette a bag containing one hundred and sixty guineas was presented to him, accompanied by an address, in token of the sense we entertained of his kindness, liberality, and gentlemanlike conduct towards us. ii ; I, tm i mtm: M m' 36 THE SrORTSMAIT IN CANADA. CHAPTER II. Tub Author lands a few miles below the City of Quebec — and proceeds to Malhiot's Hotel, where the Comet and himself make all due preparation for the reception of their fellow passengers. A jolly night on their meeting. Major Browne and hia fishing tackle. Breakfast given to the Captain of the Diana, accompanied by a subscription purse and a lon^ speech. A parting dinner and dispersion of the gue.^'vo. Preparations for a piscatorial trip. m The good ship Diana, freighted with our fel- low-passengers, did not reach the Basin of Quebec until a late hour in the evening, long afterthe Coraet and myself had discussed our claret at Malhiot's Hotel. We had not been unmindful of the comforts of our friends even in the plenitude of our own enjoyment, having commanded a substantial supper to M TUE SPORTSMAJT IX CANADA. 37 be prepared for them ; for to those who have endured the misery of being " cabin'd, cribb'd and confined " on ship-board for some six or eight weeks, a change of diet is not the least of the enjoyments to be met with on reach- ing terra jflrma. The bowels of the sea- farer yearn for beef, fresh buttei', eggs, and cream ; for it is engrafted in our nature to crave after that which is unattainable ; and for this reason do gastronomic passengers, for lac!: of better conversation, talk of frie -••***<*«/'*»,-,. ,«««,»,(4jii. H o C/2 -CO -t; o to ^3 E-1 % 1) -*'*w-->*" V' fi 1 3 I -CO If PC, '■-.' ti^ i'5 ^ 1 a 1 1 ! ra '^^ 1 I i I K THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. 41 his piscatory campaigu. He was in his sanctum sanctorum, a perfect snuggery, set apart exclusively as the receptacle for guns, rods, and all the paraphernalia appertaining to a Sportsman. At this my first introduc- tion I discovered the kind-hearted Major seated at a table which was strewed with wings, feathers, pig's down, dubbing, furs, and silk of every denomination and hue ; and to these might be added gut of every size, tT/iS' d and untwisted. It was evident that the >> n.T of these treasures was in his glory, and he received me v^ith more com- placency than I could have anticipated, see- ing, as I did, that I interrupted him in his principal amusement. The greeting and welcome I experienced were unaffectedly cordial, and in five minutes I was on as friendly a footing with my new acquaintance as if I had known him as many years. The Major had heard of my predilection for the rod and gun, which circumstance may have prepossessed him in my favor, for a similarity of tastes and habits is the sure precursor of f :bf i i 42 THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. i^- 1- '^ intimacy ; and to this only can I attribute the marked kindness of my reception. As a token of especial favor, the Major's valuable store of tackle was exhibited to me ; and if I was surprised at the quantity, I had no less cause for astonishment at the quality of the materials, the salmon gear being essen- tially different from everything of the kind I had been accustomed to see on this side of the Atlantic. While I was taking a brief survey of the contents of the studio, I could perceive that the kind-hearted Major was chuckling under the rose at my undisguised astonishment, and having enjoyed for some minutes the bewilderment I exhibited, he thus addressed me. " It's right, glad I am to hear that you're fond of fishing and shooting, Mr. Tolfrey, and ' by the piper that played before Moses' — (a favorite expletive of the Major's) — I'll shew you some sport. I like to see a tight lad like yourself fond o' these diversions ; but I'll be letting you into a bit of a secret : you'll be wanting some experience in the i > THE SPORTSMAN IN CANADA. 43 Canadian rivers ; for if you're going to fish for salmon with us, you'll smash your fine London tackle all to smithereens as sure as my names's James (or Jemes as he pronounced it) Browne of New Town Barry. — How old may you be, Mr. Tolfrey'? — 'Twenty-two,' was my reply. — And when you've twenty- two more years clapt on to the back o' that, you'll be after using the same sort o' tackle I do. I mane you to be one o' my own boys, and by the powers I'll make a rale fisherman of ye. Just come with me now, and 111 shew you my rods." Whereupon the kind-hearted Major in- ducted me to a grenier at the top of his domicile, a long and lofty apartment — three garrets rolle