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NEW-rORK: WILLIAM STODART, 6 COURTLAND-STREET. 1832. /'I % ■si I ■IP r.-;ifi.;ivi<^.. -Jr**;-*.'*— * 'V^^IP^^ 0- -,■■>_ « «-l t • •• • • • • • • 'V, • • • • • • ■'. • « • -t •• •, M ' >t <• /• ■ f , ■» •f**- Y i; J S 9oo -A-l "--HlMl.i iMhli.i I*- M ■*■" PREFACE. •, the scene, adds to the traveller's and the neighbour's enjoyment. For forty miles above Bytown this appearance is presented ; the canal has indeed fertilized the country ! In its passage through the centre of the Rideau settlement the same won- drous improvement is visible ; houses, mills, stores, and buildings of every description, and bridges over the canal that! has coui Al medl Mei nessl PUEFACK. I that has accompiifihrd nil thcHc licnffitH, loHtily liow iniu ii has already been clone in thn prrttitnljlo Hcttlemont of the country. i About five miles above the settlement of Rideau, and im- mediately on the line of the canal, is nitu&tcd the village of Merricksvillo, which has sprung up with astonishing quick- ness into a place of conHidembic consequence ; two years ago the spot now covered with well-built dwellings, was a solitary wildemesn ; a little market ii>wn is established in the forest land, and stores, mills, and taverns are seen on every side. Mechanics of all grades have tlockcd in the infant settlement, which is thus provided with every neces- sary establishment. The salutary effects accruing from the opening of the Rideau canal, are not however confined to the immediate vicinity of its course ; the communicating advantages are .and will be experienced through the surrounding country. Perth, for instance, a neighboring town and settlement of some standing and consequence, will reap immense benefit ; it is intended to render the river Tay, running a distance of eight miles from that place to tho Rideau, a navigable stream by the subscription of the inhabitants of the town and its neighbourhood, under the immediate auspices of Mr. William Morris, of Perth, the highly respected mem- ber for the county of Lanark. Passing onwards from Mer- ricksville on the line of the Rideau to Kingston, the same decided improvement is apparent as elsewhere, — in fact, throughout the whole length of country traversed by the canal, the results of inteUigence and industry have succeed- ed to the wildness and desolation of the waste. Should then the completion of this veork, that in its pro- gress has been so productive of usefulness to the infant set* tlements on its margin, be abandoned, the prospects of A5 i*4 J PREFACE. thousands of emigrants will be blasted, the hopes they have been led to form from previous prosperity, defeated, and the efforts that have already accomplished so much in the im- provements of their condition, paralized. ' The encouragement of public works in Canada provides the emigrant with immediate emplojrment, if circumstances prevent his early establishment, and indeed the knowledge of such undertakings induces numerous bands of labourers to seek the country with no other object in view than to en- gage in them. The importance of this class of emigrants to society will be admitted by all who recollect the scarcity and deamess of labour during the last summer, when in many of the townshipr above York, — Markham, Vaughan, King, Whitchurch, Georgina, and others, a dollar a day, and in some instances, six shillings currency, were paid in addition to the board of the laborer. The privilege granted to Canada by the Government, of the admission of her grain into British ports, under a very low duty, has wrought a surprising change in the habits of the farmers ; the land was formerly tilled merely for the sup- port of his family, for he had no market to relieve him from a surplus produce ; Sumac, the Raspberry, and other woods were permitted to grow in the place of com, and the time of the fanner was occupied in shooting or fishing, from the imposibility of employing it to a useful purpose in agricul- tural pursuit. At the present time he obtains a fair and remunerating price for all the grain he can raise, and the farm is therefore in good order and continually improving in value ; he is enabled to pay excellent wages to a numer- ous band of laborers, to clothe his family in British fab- rics, and thus in the advancement of his own prosperity to reciprocate the advantages afforded to him by the mother country. ( i.. PREFACE. Xi During the last season there arrived at Clucbec, about 49,000 emigrants, the majority of whom were laborer*, who distributed themselves in the districts of the upper province ; still the effect of this increase is imperceptible. In the northern settlements bordering on the Ottawa, in the Midland districts above and below Kingston, in the interior settled parts towards York, on Yonge Street, New- market, Lake Simcoe, Dundas Street, Dundas, Hamilton, Niagara, the London district, and all the large settlements on the shores of Lake Erie, the addition of numbers has scarcely been felt, and in fact had three times the quantum of emigration occurred in this province, the supply would scarcely have been recognized on the face of the country. It has been calculated that the number of emigrants .to Gluebec this season, will amount to 80,000, and' certainly the last reports from England justify the assumption. The prejudice in favor of the United States is declining very fast in England, and every year will witness a larger tm* val into these provinces ; the tide of British emigration sets towards Canada, bearing the hardy sons ofEnglancI Scotland and Ireland from countries too densely peopled to allow the display of their strength, to a soil sufficiently extensive for its perfect development, and abundantly fer- tile to reward their exertions. Of late years, a number of the middle classes of British society have settled in these provinces, in addition to the dass of poor settlers. Voltaire in speaking of the com- ponent parts of the British community, observes, that they may be justly compared to their favourite beverage " beer"; the top or the higher orders, is all froth, the hot* tom,or the poorer class all dregs, but the middle, excellent : this is an overcharged picture, but not altogether without its likeness, and from this excellent middle portion of soci* r xn PREFACE. ety, comprising so much virtuous principle, moral orcter^ and superior intelligence, the Canadas have obtained, and will yet acquire in a larger proportion than heretofore, many families and individuals who contribute so much to the well-being and advancement of the country of their adoption. Montreal, the leading town of Canada, is foremost in the march of improvement ; her new streets laid out with the utmost neatness and regularity, the excellent houses that adorn the suburbs, the convenient wharves, and to crown the whole, that splendid edifice, the new Catholic church in the centre of the city, which may be regarded with equal pride and admiration, as th^ noblest temple of North Amer- ica, are all evidences that the spirit of the times has travel- led in this direction. But, this spirit is not only recognized in the town ; if we visit the neighbourhood, we witness an agricultural system in full operation, that must commend it to the notice of the British farmer ; the farms are in a state of the highest cultivation, the regular plan of succes- sive tillage adopted in England, is here acted upon, and the results as may rationally be supposed are no less encour- aging. The establishment of agricultural societies in the vicinity of Montreal, has been productive of the ut- most service to the agricultural interest ; the popular errors which were persevered in, simply because they had been transmitted from a past to a present generation, the pre- judices retained by ignorance, or the caprices dictated by folly, have yielded to the spirit of modern dis«ovcries ; the farmers of the upper provinces and particularly those in the vicinity of Montreal, have adopted the provisions of an English system in the cultivation of the soil, and they need only ask comparison with the jiffricnltnrllpts of Lower €anada, (o prove their infinite superiority. Tt is a Fubjecl, ^v I • ^ PREFACE. Xlll of reg^.' at the Canadians of the lower province are still charact£,:^^zed by their former apathy and indiilerenee to improvements, notwithstanding the prosperous condition of their neighbours ; but the time will surely arrive when a common interest will inspire common exertions in every part of this territory, capable of producing equal benefits throughout its whole extent. In the different cities and towns, individuals are to be found in the exercise of their respective vocations, who would confer credit upon any European society : the professions are filled by men of character and learning ; the cpmmercial interests are pro- moted by Merchants of intelligence and respectability ; the trading classes and the Mechanics lend their means and their industry to the general weal, so that the increase ing population of this comparatively new country are in possession of nearly all the advantages enjoyed by the oldest community. A general confidence is experienced in the respective exertions of each other ; an indulgence is ex- tended to the efibrts of the humblest individual ; a recipro- cal interchange of commodities takes place from the manufactured article, to the animal or vegetable product ; the efiects of a well regulated society are recognized in the arrrangements which provide for the education of the young, the restraint of disorderly habits, so common in a new set- tlement, and an obedience to the laws and-the encourage- ment of industry : — such are the pleasing resulcs attend- ant upon the prosperity of tlieCanadas. There are few circumstances that have contributed so much to the condition we have described, as steam naviga^ tion ; the facilities afforded by the lakes and rivers for per- sonal conveyance, and the transport of merchandize and the products of the soil have been eagerly accepted ; the freight of goods by steam vessels to York, during the last season \ i m XIV PREFACE. amounted to between nine and ten thousand pounds, multi- tudes of emigrants have been conveyed to their place of destination, and the staples of the numerous Merchants and farmers in the interior have thus been readily transmitted to a market. The Banks likewise, especially those of Montreal and York, have in the mode in which they are conducted, prov- ed of incalculable usefulness. The discounts are not only liberal as commensurate with the security, but the returns of payment are so arranged as materially to increase the value of the accommodation : for instance ; a note of one hun- dred pounds is discounted at ninety days date ; at the ex- piration of that time one fourth of the amount is only requir- ed in payment, renewing the note for the balance for an ad- ditional ninety days ; another twenty five pounds is then paid, with a similar renewal ; a third takes place for the remainder of the time, and the last payment is discharged at the end of another ninety days when the ori^nal advance is liquidated. All these renewals are of course granted at the common rate of interest, and without the expense of stamps, and by this means the time of a twelvemonth is allowed for the complete payment of the loan. There is one fact connected with the York Bank that strikingly illustrates the presenthealthy state of commerce in the upper province; when it was firat established, a charter was ofiered, limiting the subscribed capital to two hundred thousand pounds ; this extensive limit was at the time properly declined by the Directors, on account of the infant state of the Colony, which rendered the profitable employment of so large a sum very precarious, and would thereforehave returned but a small interest to the proprietors, at the same time depreciating the value of the stock in public estimation ; a charter was therefore accepted for a bank with one hundred thousand PREFACE. X? pounds capital. This occurred but a few years ago ; during the last session of the House of Assembly an application wati made and complied with for the extension of the capital to the original proposed amount, as the Directors found that the increasing demands of the commercial and other inter- ests required an enlargment of their accustomed issues. In the following description of the Canadas, it is the in- tention of the author to convey such information to the em- igrant as will assist him in his progress ; the details are founded on practical experience, and may fourly be contrast- ed with many of the garbled and interested statements that have proved injurious to the settler. The individual who seeks the Canadas for a home, has much to learn ; a pre- vious knowledge of the current aiiturs of life will serve him but little in a new country, where the habits, the practical operations of handicraft, the applicability of science, the mode of trade, and the pursuits of agriculture are foreign to his former experience ; he is introduced upon a scene where he is opposed by strange and unforeseen exigencies which must be surmounted ere he can pursue his course; his steps are impeded by difficulties which must be removed before he can track the route leading to his future independence. An emigrant blessed with strength and hardihood, and be- ing moreover in the prime of life, will not consult his per- manent interest by embarking his fortunes in an old settle- ment; a country untouched by the hand of man is before him, clothed in a native verdure, and portioned with a native fertility — let him strip the forest of her ^gantic mantle, con- vert the wilderness into the fruitful plain, and force the treasures from the bosom of nature. The virgin soil will repay the exertions of man by an abundant increase, and the proud reflection will be enjoyed of having carved out from a mass of incongruous materials, the means of future ^ XVI PREFACE. support and comfort. There will be inconveniences und privations, but let them be endured ; they cannot resist continued exertions, and man will in the end become the conqueror. The settler must rise with the lark in his daily career; he must be early in the field, for afternoon farming will not serve his purpose, and this is true not only in the commencement of his undertaking, or as applied to his daily labor, but in reference to the culture of his land ; for it is an admitted fact, that in this country late crops sel- , dom reward the Hgriculturist, while early field labor is al- most invariably crowned with success. t The emigrant who possesses sufficient means for his sup- port for sometime after his arrival in the country should pause ere he determines the place of his settlement ; the few extra pounds expended in the survey of the different locations will purchase the most valuable information, and render him equal to the task of choosing for himself instead of acting upon the interested counsel of others. In travers- ing the country, let him visit the various settlements al- ready established, regard the conveniences or the ob- jections to their situation, and penetrate into the bwh^ to ascertain the capabilities of improvement there presented : he can learn little on the deck of a steam-boat, or by a continuance in the towns, beyond the common-place in- structions that are of trifling benefit. No ! he must dive beneath the surface into the recesses of the country, to wit- ness the enterprising and persevering exertions of others, to discover the gradual development of power in overcom- ing the mighty obstacles that oppose the emigrant, and to gain a knowledge of the means that have elevated Canada to her present prosperous condition. In a few years, the whole territory of the Canada, must exhibit the appearances now presented in some of the dis- CCS und it resist ome the [lis daily (lemoon lot only plied to is land ; ■ops sel- , )r is al- his sup- r should int ; the different ion, and , instead travers- lents al- the ob- buahf to tsented : or by a ace in- ist dive to wit- others, vercom- and to Canada a, must the dis- PREFACE. XVU tricts ; the desert and the forest will have disappeared under emigrant labor, to give place to thriving and populous towns ; trade and commerce, progressing in the ratio in which they have hitherto advanced, will have increased to an infinite extent ; and a crowded and intelligent population will ret\p the fruits of former toil. The main channel of Canadian prosperity is unquestionably her water communication ; her inland seas, the vast lakes of the American Continent, and the river St. Lawrence have already been alluded to, but hardly in terms of sufficient praise i no country in the world can boast a similar extent of lake navigation, and in no country can be discovered a stream of greater beauty and usefulness ; whether we regard the St. Lawrence, the grand boundary stream, as a natural defence in war, or as the great channel of Commerce in peace, it is equally entitled to our admiration ; the advantages it affi>rds in each respect can only be estimated by the consequences that are every where apparent, in the increasing wealth of the country, and the happiness of its inhabitants; in the metamorphosis of a de- sert into a thriving and populous state. The exclusive right of British subjects to the navi- gation of this river, has an important reference both to the political power, and the trading privileges of the Provinces ; to share this privilege would be to anticipate the eventual loss of the Canadas, for in the first place tlie earring trade to the British shipping would be engrossed by others, and the facilities of smuggling be increased; and in the second the interests of two separate powers would so often clash in the prosecution of a mutual privilege, as to be productive of the utmost confusion, and finally terminate in the anihila- lation of Colonial prosperity. It is however almost impossi- ble to imagine the commital of such an act of folly, notwith- standing the plausible arguments of our Commercipl oppo- nents, for although it were admitted at the present \ ^riod that I II H xviu PREFACE. the expanso of navigable waters in Canada aflbrdi? ample range for the shipping of both countries, it may be reason- ably surmised that ere the lapse of many years, the British and native tonnage mil be doubled or trebled in the Colonial trade, and that the St. Lawrence will become the Baltic of America through the exercise of the protected energies of these Provinces. The wealth of every country consists in a surplus p/oduct beyond the necesities of consumption, whether through the agency of the husbandman or the manufacturer ; Canada is already capable of raising an immense surplus, and is there- fore in the possessiou of immense wealth — with her present limited means of cultivation, her great staple, wheat, forms an article of profitable export, and there can be no doubt that if the country were brought to its properbearing,andtho surface adapted to its legitimate purpose throughout its ex- tent, a supply of grain could be raised capable of relieving the severest necessities of the mother country, and render- ing her independent of a foreign state for the food of her inhabitants. But, there are prospective as well as actual advantages ; in the article of hemp, an admirable opportu- nity is offered of rei^dering England dependent upon her colonies rather than a stranger ; the very best quality might readily be grown in Canada, as much to the advan- tage of the grower, as of importance to the merchant, in the improvement of the soil on the one hand, and the encourage- ment of trade on the other. These are sufficient examples, although others might be named, of the actual and possible resources of this territory ; extent of surface, fertility of soil, goodness of climate, and an increase in population are the assistants to her prosperity, and the ability of the exporting such an amount of native produce as will pay for the import- ed articles, must ere many years, havq witnessed the exer- PKEFACErf XIX I ample reason- British Colonial Baltic of orgies of product ugh the anada is is thcrc- r present it, forms 10 doubt r, and the ut its ex- relieving render- |od of her ,8 actual lopportu- ipon her quality advan- t, in the lourage- :ample8, possible of soil, are the [xporting import- le exer- iioiis of the population, place hor on the same level with the most favoured countries. The great misfortune of England is her excessive popula- tion, over a smAll tract of Country; the drawback upon Canada, is the want of a sufficient number of inhabitants — thus the interests of both countries arc served by emigra- tion ; the former parts with that, which is a burden upon hiir soil, whilst the latter receives the only gift that can rendVho iipon their ar- rival did not possess the means to purchase the next meal, having attained to a condition of decent competency. If such individuals had remained at home, how different their lot ! doomed to suffer poverty and Want, to eke out a mis- erable exiatenee by subsisting upon th^. ciiarity of the be- B XX PREFACE. nevolcnti they would liavc lived as tniscrublc dcpcndcntf'^ and oppressed society still further by entuiling a needy oH- spring upon its members ; as emigrants, on the contrary the opportunity for bodily and mental improvement is of- fered to them ; they have no excuse for refusing it, and in the majority of instances the force of example operates as a spur in its ready acceptance ; they work and their labour is rewarded, they earn more than is'rccjuired for their wants, they savo money, purchase property, become lords of the soil, and hold a stake in the advancing prosperity of the country. - As yet, the population of the Canadas is trifling in com- parison to its extent ; notwithstanding the length of time they have been attached to the crown, and the number of emigrants who have arrived, vast tracts are untenanted ; hitherto a large number of families who had left the English shores for the American continent, travelled through Can- ada to the United States, or embarked for ports in that coun. try, in consequence of the encouragement they received to yCttle in N. York, Pensylvania Ohio &c., an encouragement which was was denied to them by their own government ; latterly the system has been happily changed, protection has been extended to the emigrants in the British provinces, and, as might have been expected, Canada receives by far the larger portion ; thousands of subjects arc thus retained in their allegiance, British property is rendered more valua- ble by their assistance, and t!;e national welfare is promoted by their instrumentality, at the same time that their own so- cial enjoyment is secured in all the relations and comfoits of existence. * Tlio settlcm«;i)l of sonic huUviduals in the Canadui-', pos- RRSsinij a oonsi(l,tt A: ■t :' .,, i' CANADA. In describing the condition of the Canadas at the present periodt it is intended to confine the de- tails principally to the Upper Province, inasmuch as it is mostly settled by natives from the British Isles, as it possesses a superior climate, is under the operation of English laws, and altogether pre-* sents superior attractions to the settler than Lower Canada, which is essentially French in the prevail- ing manners and customs, in its mode of govern- ment, and moreover, is but very partially settled by Europeans. The first land made in crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Canada, is Newfoundland, and presents a rugged and forbidding appearance from its high and craggy rocks ; the scene is however soon changed upon entering into the Gulf of St. Law- rence, and in about two days' sail, the river of that name is approached. The attention of the voyager is irresistibly attracted to this noble and gigantic stream ; upon the northern shore the eye is not re- warded for its gaze, for a high and barren land stretches afar, untouched by the hand of industry. M n ■I.J 1 i 11 1'l CANADA AS IT IS. until within fifty miles of Quebec ; the southern shore however atones for this dreariness in present- ing continued evidences of cultivation, and on this bank of the river are observed many neat houses and villas, all painted white. Within a few miles of Quebec are the falls of Montmorency, high- ly deserving of notice, and after passing them, the city soon rises in the view to claim the admir- ation of the passenger ; its numerous handsome buildings, its extensive churches, with their tin covered roofs glittering in the sun, and their hand- somely painted turrets, the stretch of the bay, mar- gined with the abodes of a thriving population, render the appearance of the whole as imposing and brilliant as it is agreeable. The lower town of Quebec strongly resembles many of the seaports in Europe, in its prevailing activity, and the same race of bustling inhabitants are recognized. The city is chiefly inhabited by French Canadians, and in its general appearance may be compared to a French town : there are two or three very good markets, well supplied with excellent beef, mutton, veal, poultry, &c. together with the peculiar produce of the country, such as maple-sugar, Hsh, and a variety of home- spun wares, manufactured by the habilors. CANADA. AS I'J' IS. a The shops are spacious and plentifully stocked with goods, some of which will suprise the new- comer by their apparent cheapness ; for, instance, he may purchase brandy at seven shillings a gallon, rum at six, and whiskey at two and sixpence ; and the very cheapness of these articles has too often been the means of destruction to the settler. On the opposite bank of the St. Lawrence stands the picturesque village of Point Levi, in which are erected many comfortable villas, and the country around the city is well cultivated by some of the old country farmers, who display the knowledge of a superior system of agriculture. About ten miles from Quebec, is the interesting village of Indian Lorette, consisting of about one hundred houses, and principally inhabited by In- dians of the Huron tribe, with a slight mixture of Canadians. The four chiefs who visited England ta few years ago, reside in this place, in very neat and clean wooden houses : they all possess some relics of their visit, hung up in the most conspicu- ous parts of their dwellings, and appear to set much value on an excellent engraved portrait of his late Majesty George the Fourth. John Vin- cent,^ the principal Chief, and who is also styled king of Lorette, has. In addition to the portraits, two medals, one gold, and the other silver, of con- B5 ! ■;! ^TTT 4 • canaija as it is. siderable value, which the king personally present- ed to him.* There are two extremely neat and clean Catholic churches in the village, one for the Indians' and the other for the Canadians' worship ; the former is handsomely decorated with an abun- dance of images, and the roof bespangled with gilded dots, and is regularly attended by a devout congregation. These Indians, and others of their tribe, receive annual presents from the British Government, as equivalents for their conceded territories. The passage from Quebec to Montreal is pleas- ant, particularly in fme weather ; the accommoda- * In a visit paid to this village by the author and a party of his friends, the utmost hospitality was exercised towards them ; his Majesty was not at home upon their arrival, but the Queen, a good looking Squaw, did the honours and received them very cordially, presenting cakes, maple syrup ^-c, for their refreshment. Her Majesty with her daughters were busily employed in making fancy baskets for sale, and observed, that she was obliged to work, but that the Queen of England was both paid and kept. In a short time the King returned home, with a rush basket suspended from his neck, con- taing a hare and some wild fowl, the produce of his day's sport : he was a tall good looking man, about fifty years of age ; was very courteous to his visitors and appeared exceedingly kind and attentive to his wife and family, who evidently regarded him with much respect. CANADA AS IT Is. resent- lat and for the orship ; 1 abun- 3d with devout of their British mceded s pleas- nmoda- )r and a ixercised )on their t did the ■esenting nt. Her )loyed in t she was land was returned eck, con- his day*s ifty years appeared d family, tions arc of the very best order, the rate of travel- ling expeditious, the viands extremely good, and the company generally respectable. The fare in the steam-boat Cabins is six dollars ; in the steer- age one dollar. The country now wears a more pleasing aspect — neat villages, and some good farms appear, and the lands are generally in a tolerable state of cultivation. The scenery of the St. Lawrence is agreeably diversified by the appearance of the steam-boats, and other vessels passing to and fro : occasionally an immense raft of timber comes from the upland country, cover- ing at least an acre ; and then the light canoe, gliding gaily over the surface. These canoes are a species of craft which (although frequently car- rying from three to four tons burden,) are composed of such slight materials (the bark of the birch tree,) that were they to strike against any hard substance, they would immediately become leaky, or batter in their sides : yet with these slight barks do the Indians and others frequently ride out the rough- est squalls in perfect safety. „ Were it not for these canoes, some of the rivers in the upland country could not be navigated, for the parties engaged on those occasiony, have not only to curry their freight, but alrio (lieii boats over the poilagci^, and rynn for Ion or twelve miles at i 1 1 ¥ ■ ■ ' I .1 i i I f) CAXAD.V AS IT IS. some pliiccH, to avoid the rapids and tails of the rivers. The Canadians of the Lower Province are nearly all Catholics, and pay implicit regard to the rights of their religion. Crosses are erected on the road side, from which are suspended various religious relics ; and at their feer, morticed in the post, are portraits of our Saviour, enclosed in glass cases : in many places his figure is extended on the cross and few Canadians pass these symbols of their religion, without paying them due reverence. Nearly all the lands in the Lower Province are parcelled out in seignorial manors, and held under the old FrenQh law ; the seignor or proprietor ex- acts from his tenants, bv virtue of their tenures, certain annual fines ; hence large tracts of land are bona fide the property of one lord ; and al- though the rents or fines exacted are not heavy, yet they are at variance with the spirit of a free country. A man occupying land under these tenures has no stimulus to improve his farm beyond the pre- sent day, knowing that he cannot hand down his property to his own tamily, and is even deprived of it himself if he fail in the obligations attached to it ; — these considerations tend in a great measure to picvent the advancement of this part of the coiijitrv. f ' CANADA AS IT 13. s of the re nearly tie rights ihe road religious post, are s cases : the cross J of their nee. )vince are leld under >rietor ex- ir tenures, s of land and al- heavy, yet e country, inures has i the pre- down his 1 deprived ittached to it measure iiit of the In travelhng from Quebec to Montreal by land, you continue nearly the whole way on the banks of the river, which is pretty thickly settled by Canadians, not many Europeans being found amongst them. Montreal is a large, handsome, well-built town, very much improved within these ten years, par- ticularly in the suburbs, which are ornamented by many well-built villas, with gardens attached, in the highest state of culture, and yielding a profu- sion of fiuit and vegetables. Although the dis- tance of Montreal from Quebec is but one hundred and eighty miles, yet so much more forward is the climate of the former, that the vegetables and fruits are at least a month earlier than in the latter place ; indeed, the markets of Quebec are regularly sup- plied from hence with the early summer produce. The orchards in the neighborhood of Montreal are very prolific, and amongst other fruits produce one beautiful apple, called the ** pomme-de-gris," of delicious flavor, and vast quap*'ties of which are barrelled, and sent to various parts of the pro- vince, and even to France, the country of their first growth, where they are considered as supe- rior to the original fruit, i.rrv; The Montreal markets are admirably supplied with moat, vegetables, &c., and at a low price; i .# 5» CANADA AS IT IS. » for instance, heeS and mutton, ihrre pence per pound ; voal and ham by llie quarter, equally low ^ g^ese, two shillings and sixpence ; turkeys, three to tive shillings ; fowls, from nine to eighteen pence a couple. In winter, fish, {principally cod and oysters,) arc brought hither from the seaport towns in the states, a distance of five or six hundred miles, in a frozen condition ; hundreds of pigs, likewise frozen, are transported to the Montreal market. At this season of the year, a general gaiety prevails ; an endless throng of sleighs flock- ing to the town on business or pleasure, their horses caparisoned with jingling bells, and a busy population crowd the streets, intent upon the pur- suit of their several avocations. The hotels are the most comfortable places for the sojourn of the traveller, and the charges about a dollar a day, including all expenses — no fees to servants being necessary. , »^ ■ . \ _ -. . Most of the consignments of goods from Eng- land and other parts, to Montreal, are disposed of | at public auction ; and it is surprising to observe the low prices obtained for the different kinds of manufactured wares, although this may depend in[ some measure on the supply. Montreal is justly termed the key to Upperl Canada, for here ends the navigation of sea boardi lire per Uy low ; l^s, three eighteen cod and )rt towns hundred of pigs, Montreal I general rhs flock- ire, their nd a busy 1 the pur- ilsare the rn of the ar a day, mts being > om Eng- isposed of observe t kinds of depend in to Upper sea board CANADA AS IT IS. W vessels ; consequently, those goods destined for the upper country, are warehoused in ' e town, and almost all consignments are made to the resident merchants; and although some few of the merchants residing in the upper country, are their own importers, they, for the most part, come to Montreal to make their purchases, which occa- sions a great interchange of communication with all parts of the upper province. There are five weekly papers published, each very creditably conducted ; the Canadian Courant is of long standing, and has a good circulation ; the Montreal Gazette is also ably conducted ; the^ New Montreal Gazette and the Herald belong to • one proprietor — the former, a literary publica- tion, generally comprising very interesting matter ; the latter with a large advertising patronage, and usually containing much and important information,. and the Montreal Herald, which has a more ex- tensive circulation than any. Montreal and: its suburbs contain.a population of about 50,000, com- posed of the inhabitants nearly all countries, although by far the greater partare Canadians. The roadsnear and around the city are excellent, for Mac-Adam- izing is now as common here as Day & Martin's blacking ; indeed they go hand in hand, for in many parts of the province, whtre Mar Adamr>* 10 CANATM AS IT IS. system has not been adopted, Day ^ Martin would bo an intrusion and a mockery. Montreal is a busy, bustling town, the shops appear to be well attended with customers, the market filled with various commodities, and the streets thronged with people of all grades. The air in the vicinity of the city is considered more salubrious than in any other part of the Province, which is in consequence of almost all the Signory of Montreal (an Island of about fourteen miles by twenty five) being clear and in a state of cultiva- tion, thus allowing the admission of a thorough current of air to purify the atmosphere; and as a proof of its salubrity, people live to a good old age. Were the forests cleared in the other parts of the Province, and free currents of air admitted, they would be equally healthy, and those local dis- eases, fever and ague, hardly known. Many publications have appeared at different times, some containing the most exaggerated state- ments, which would tend to raise the expectation of the emigrant too highly, and others the grossest errors, and serving only to intimidate him. Should the settler arrive in Canada with agricultural views, let nothing, under any circumstances, or represent- ations, induce him to purchase lands at home ; he must see and judge for himself. In the first place, • CANADA AS IT IS. the land may not bo good, the part of the country may not suit him, there may bo no roads, no ways of communication, and many other difRcultios only to be ascertained by personal observation. Canada, in a state of nature, is an universal forest, which is a fact not generally known, and the timber is of little value but for home purposes, and making ashes : it is almost an unerring rule, that the different kinds of timber denote the differeiU qualities of the soil on which they grow ; thus, on the best lands will be seen maple, oak, elm, and bass wood and this land will be found best for culti- vation ; swamps covered with white cedar, (which will make excellent and durable fences,) are con- verted into the finest meadows ; and pine, (either white or red,) beech, birch, or poplar, denote the poorest soil, not altogether unfit for cultivation, but of the worst description. The system of farm- ing here is so different to that pursued in England, that the most inexperienced person, if he be only willing, will soon rival the most skilful agricultur- ist. Fanning implements of every kind are of such different construction, and so easily procured, as to render their importation unnecessary. A person with adequate means would do well to bring a thorough good .stud horse, something be- »! H id CANADA AS IT 13. Iweeri the can and hackt a good youtig buUt some <:ows,aiid rums, a mixture of the South Down and lioicester breed. This would be both troublesome and expensive, yet if the imported stock be of good character, it is certain to pay well : it would be of no use to bring inferior cattle, as there are plenty hero already, and improvement is only wantedk Furniture, such as bureaus, tables, chairs, or any other heavy kinds of goods, 'should be purchased here, whilst blankets, bedding, and all kinds of portable goods will prove a valuable investment* The first step to bo taken on arriving, if the land be v/ild, is to erect a shantee, which is a rough dwelling, composed of logs of wood saddled one on the other at the ends, with a roof, some com- posed of shingles, some of scoops, thai is, halves of the logs of wood, hollowed out, some of slabs^ and lastly cvered by the bark of the ash-tree. The chinks are well stuffed with moss, in order to render it warm, the house partitioned off into rooms, and a very comfortable dwelling is erected with little trouble. Personb if they choose, might, evert at first, build a framf or a stone house, as stone of the first quality for building is to be had almost every where ; but it is more prudent to erect the log hut as above described, and for this reason — when you get CANADA AS IT IS. 13 aburn on your landtyou aro very likely, from its run- nings to burn down the dwelling, and should it bo a shanteo, the loss will be comparatively nothing. — Aflcr the erection, clearing the land must be atten- ded to, commencing to under-brush or cut down all tho small trees, not more than six inches in di- ameter ; these should then be collected and piled in heaps. Tho chopping or cutting down the large trees succeeds, and these aro again junked up into lengths of fourteen or fifleen feet each, the tops {thrown on the brush heaps.* If the land be chop- ped and underbrushed by contract, the general I price is eight dollars an acre ; to be chopped, un- der-brushed, loggcd-up, burnt, and fenced, sixteen I dollars per acre ; the best time for underbrushing the land is in the early part of the fall, so that no- I thing may impede the process of chopping during the winter, for in Canada the ground is covered with snow, generally about eighteen inches deep, from the month of December to the beginning of April : after having chopped the land, it is necessary to wait until the weather becomes dry and warm (which may be expected about the 10th of May,) I before ilie brush-heaps are set on fire, when it will (if properly managed) run regularly through all I the land that has been chopped, burning the dry loaves and all tho dead veji^ctablr matter accumu- C I /; u I f I .< :i I 1 ntmai* 14 CAr^ADA AS IT IS. c* lated on the surface of the soil, and thereby making a good manure. After the burn is completed, the land should be logged up, by putting the junks of the large trees that have been already cut up, into heaps of about twenty together. This should be done by a yoke of oxen and four men. Oxen will be found of the utmost value to a new farmer, being more tractable and steady amongst the stumps and intricate places, than horses, which are apt to plunge and destroy their harness. After the wood is thus piled, it must be burned, and un- less either pot or pearl ashes be made, it should be strewn over the ground, as it is an excellent ma- nure. The choice of the crop depends a great deal on circumstances ; — the time when the burn takes place, the nature of the soil, or probably the do- mestic wants. Should the soil be good, and the logs have happened to be burned about the middle of May— ^Spring wheat, peas, barley, or oats, may be sown, should either of those kinds of grain be desired ; grass seed and clover should be sown with them, as the new settler should always provide himself with pasture land, in order to graze his stock, and cut hay as soon as possible, par- ticularly should he think proper to keep one or more cows. If the soil be rather sandy, and it • CANADA AS IT IS. 15 can be got in order by the 25th of May, Indian corn and pumpkins would be a good crop. The manner of planting the seed is very simple : drop into the ground four grains of the corn, removing the mould on either side with a hoe, leaving the distance of a yard between each; and at every fourth, plant a pumpkin-seed, leaving a little hil- lock about two inches deep on each. Corn thrives infinitely better when planted with pumpkins, for they spread so much over the soil, that they pro- tect the roots of the corn from the rays of the sun, thereby securing to them a degree of moisture. Pumpkins here grow very large, and are, in the fall of the year, an excellent food for pigs ; Indian corn is not only a good food for pigs, but it is at all times a marketable article ; and is of great service in a family, affording a light and agreeable meal, when made into a kind of thin pudding cal- led Sepaun ; it is made with little trouble, and eaten with milk or maple molasses. Indian meal is also an excellent substitute for wheat flour, and is made into cakes called johnny cakes ; when mixed with a portion of flour, it makes a bread, that for delicacy or lightness is not be surpassed. In the winter of 1829, the wheat crop having partially failed, many people substituted the johnny cakes for bread throughout the winter. C2 2 i ) 16 CANADA AS IT IS. Potatoes will do well in a sandy soil, and arc more valuable than any other crop to the new farmer, as they will serve both himself and his cattle : the very finest potatoes are raised here, particularly when they grow in a new soil, not be- ing so good where the land has been a few years under cultivation. The returns of the crops that are to be expected, vary according to the soil and manner of its tillage, but the following is the gen- eral . average. First, spring-wheat seldom gives more than twenty bushels to the acre, winter-wheat from thirty to fifty, barley, in good land about for- ty, oats thirty to forty, peas about twenty five ; Indian corn is the most prolific and gives a return of upwards of four hundred per cent, but being thinly planted it seldom returns more than from thirty to thirty five bushels to the acre : it thrives best in a dry season ; forming in its first growth a kind of funnel which retains the moisture of the dew (which is here very heavy) nearly the whole day : it vegetates rapidly, having been known to spring six inche'j in twenty four hours, and grows to the height of nine or ten feet, and when at its growth, and in bloom, it presents a very beautiful appearance. Mr. Cobbett has informed us, that all the Indian corn he has grown in England, has been of the dwarf kind ; and it always will be so : CANADA AS IT IS. 17 for the climate is not congenial to its production. Potatoes, independently of their excellent quality, give a very large return, from two hundred and fifty to three hundred and fifty bushels the acre. To emigrants of some property, the oldest set- tled parts of the country will generally be found the most desirable : the settlements on the St. Lawrence, near and above Brockville to Kingston, thence to York, and far above it, the roads will be found excellent, and the society, for the most part, respectable. Good mechanics would find ample encouragement in most of the towns, and smiths and carpenters would do well in the country settle- ments. Professional men have generally the a- bility to judge for themselves in the choice of situa- tion, but it may be observed that there is a large field for the exercise of their respective talents. As regards the law, that in operation in the upper provinces is founded upon the rules of English practice, which however unequal in some respects, however capable of being converted into an engine of oppression in the hand of unprincipled practi- tioners, is yet superior to the code of the lower province, and in the hands of men of honor and in- tegrity may work for the general good. In Upper Canada the transfer of property is duly protected, and its investment whether it be personal or real, C3 ' I ■4 i I ■ I. '■' [.rr w^ ; t 18 CANADA AS IT IS. secured according to the wishes of the owner. In Lower Canada, on the contrary, under the opera- tion of the French law, a man may buy an estate, commence improvements, and occupy his soil in the expectation that he has secured a home for liie, when at the expiration of three or four years, in comes a mortgagee, and wrests his property from him ; there is scarcely a possibility of guarding against this misfortune, as no law exists for the registry of conveyances or mortgages. Again, a wife on her death bed can, by virtue of the same, law, absolutely will and make over one half of the property to her children or even to strangers, to the total exclusion of her husband. These are evils that loudly call for redress. There is also room in the Upper Province for medical men, and particularly for those who can reconcile themselves to live in the country, and unite a little agricultural with medical practice. There is no lack of employment, although it too frequently happens that in the event of an accident, the patient has to be brought to the doctor, some twenty or thirty miles, instead of the doctor visit- ing the patient, and for a very simple reason : in addition to the medical charge, the practitioner re- quires (and properly so,) so much for his travelling expences, for without this regulation he could not 7^''>'^^"""''^??^' CANADA AS IT IS. 19 possibly attend upon distant cases, in a country w^ere travelKng is so tedious and so frequently de- layed : it therefore happens, that as the poor man cannot pay for the journey of his doctor, in addition to his attendance, he must neccessarily seek his abode for treatment. The poor, but healthy emigrant, desirous of em- ployment can readily obtain it either in the neigh- bourhood of the public works, or in the dis- tant districts of the Province ; if he possess a small sum and be anxious to settle on land, his wishes may easily be gratified, when his own pru- dence and industry will afford him the present means of support, and (he future prospect of inde- pendence ; let him refrain from the vico of intem- perance, take plenty of exercise in the open air, retire with the sun, and again rise with him, and he will experience the full enjoyment of health, and improve both his moral and bodily strength. The appetite created by exercise and labour, will be satisfied with simple aliment, and the excellent pork, that he can raise himself or purchase at a very cheap rate will suffice for his general diet. An absurd remark was made in one of the papers in the last fall, that the common food, fried pork and potatoes, was injurious to the health of the emigrants ; to this it may be replied that the C4 •I I km ni 20 CANADA AS IT IS. abuse of spirituous liquors causes two thirds of the sickness in these provinces, that the iood com- plained of is sufficiently good and nourishing, and that it has never been and can never be productive of any evil to the laboring classes of the community. As the means of the settler increase, his addition- al comforts are provided for ; his fall cattle supply him not only with a variety of food, but with the materials for the manufacture of his soap and can- dles; his wants are nearly all supplied by his farm, and he commences his independent existence through the continued exercise of his industry. ^ There is always a great variety of lands both in d wild and cultivated state for sale by private indi- viduals, the description of which may be found in the different newspapers. -^ The Canada Company may be regarded as the principal body, through whom lands are obtained ; their chief office is in York, but in almost every town they have established an agent, and books of reference aro left in many respectable taverns for the information of the public. The company have had a la ;ge tract of land surveyed on the borders of Lake Huron ; it lies about one hundred and eighty miles north west of York, and though there are man^ places even* farther distant that are desirable for occupation, having excellent roads and CANADA AS IT IS. di A continuation of good settlements, yet the Huron tract is as yet much too far in the wilderness, and is but thinly peopled. The company have lands ' for sale in all the upper Provinces, but as ample opportunities offer themselves in the more settled parts, there is no necessity of going so far into the wilderness. Lirge portions of those extensive tracts of land granted by government to military rofficers and others for past services, remain in their original forest state, without cultivation of any kind, and with their townships less improved than any others in the Province. The reason of this may be traced to the impolicy of giving three or : four lots to one man who is thus in all probability unable to improve his land i: the same ratio as ithose around him ; there are unquestionably many .characters who from former services, are fully en- ^ titled to the reward they have received in such ^ grants, but since it is the aim of this new coun- ; try to cement the interests of society by thickly tand well settled townships^ and thereby ensure the erection of churches, schools, and mills, as well as ihe formation of good roads, the claiiM should be equalized as much as possible, in order to ren- der the coatrlbution of labour to the general service of equal value to each individual, in the advan- tages secured. It must he admitted, that the mili* C5 i.^ 22 CANADA AS IT IS. tary townships are the least improved of any in the province ; large blanks of uncultivated land are sometimes observed, and in their original forest clothing, while all around them is fertility. This disposition of the land leads to another inconveni- ence in preventing the church from being built in the centre of the township ; or where the greater part of the inhabitants are settled, and as the roads in such situations are generally very bad, a large poi lion of the population are debarred the lability of attending divine service, as well from the dis- tance from the church, as from the difficulty of reaching it on account of the roads. The price of wild land averages from one to four dollars an acre through the Province, but in the immediate vicinity of towns, from six to eight ; the usual terms are, that one fourth of the purchase money be paid down, and the remainder l?y equal yearly instalments. Should the emi- grant purchase his lands either of Government or the Company, the title is unquestionable, but when he deals with private individuals, he should employ at once, a respectable attorney, as there is a mode sometimes practised in order to dupe the rnvirary ; the settler buys a block of ground, and pays the first instalment, the vendor then, instead of returning the deed, gives a bond promising to produce /I '^■ CANADA AS IT IS. 2U the deed at some future day, when probably the land is not absolutely his own property ; he disappears and the purchaser has no redress The deed for th» \nd should always be executed on the first instalment being paid, and lodged in the hands of some respectable third party for the due protec- of all, for even where no chicanery is intended, the original possessor might die before the deed is due, and it would be very difficult to find his h eirs, executors, &c. A person, with ready cash might purchase a very good farm of two hundred acres, with from fifty to seventy acres under cultivation, well fenced, with a dwelling-house, barn &c., for about three hundred pounds, which is the most pru- dent beginning in a new country for those who have the means. The price of good Canadian horses is about £25 the pair, or span, as they are called : these are a kind of small cart horse, well adapted for this country. Cows fetch from four to six pounds ; oxen from fifly to eighty-five dollars the pair or yoke : sheep from two to four dollars each : young pigs taken from the sow at a month, one dollar, two months old, seven shillings and six pence ; good store pigs from three to five dollars. A barrel of salt pork, containing two hundred pounds of meat, from twelve to twenty two dollars ; y 24 CANADA AS IT ISt i-' W a barrel of flour containing one hundred and ninety six pounds, from six to nine dollars. Wheat was »oId in Montreal during the last season for six shillings, and six and nine pence a bushel ; at York five shillings and seven pence halfpenny (or as it is termed nine N. Y. shillings) has been the cur- rent price throughout the season; above York, at Dun* das, Hamilton, and thti^ neighbourhoods, the price has been five shillings. VVhen a Canadian farmer can procure a dollar a bushel for his wheat, he has no right to complain. Oats at Montreal will bring at an average price, one shilling and six pence a bushel ; at Kingston the same ; and at York from fif\een to eighteen pence ; peas about three shil- lings ; barley three shillings and four pence, and more of this grain is required than is at present grown in the upper province : potatoes generally average about one shilling and six pence a bushel. On the Ottawa river, where the timber trade is carried on, to its largest extent, oats and hay fetch a much better price than elsewhere, but in the oth- er products there is little or no difference. In thp last winter the Ottawa oats realized two shillings and in the spriri^g they commanded a ready sale at three shillings and six pence a bushel : hay while selling at Kingston, York, and some other places for ten dollars a ton, brought from twelve to fifteen on the Ottawa. -,/ CANADA AS IT IS. 25 The general ])rico of Indian corn over the Prov- inces, is from two and nine pence to three shil- lings and three pence a bushel. A good sized fat ox will bring from oi ^ht to ten pounds, and a young ox for work is of the same value from their constant employment as beasts of draught ; indeed, an ox is not fattened for the butcher until it is growing old. Butter and cheese made in Canada find a ready and profitable sale. It is necessary to observe that the prices here named refer to the Halifax currencv,as it is termed; there is a considerable difference in the value of Canadian and English money, amounting at the usual rate of exchange to about seventeen per cent. The English shilling passes for fourteen pence ; the dollar, worth in the British Isles about four shillings and two pence, is circulated as five shillings ; the English sovereign is worth one pound, three shillings and four pence ; so that an emigrant bringing out one hundred sovereigns, is nominally worth one hundred and sixteen pounds, fourteen shillings and four per.ce. It is a subject of some importance to the traveller to be able to I calculate his expences, particularly in this, his newly adopted country. If he ascend the St. Law- 'rence in the direction of York or Kingston, or any intermediate place, the fare may be secured on to 26 CANADA AS IT IS. Prescott, which in the cheapest manner of travel- ling will coBt about three dollars a hcarl. The steam navigation docs not extend lower down than Prescott. When at this place, if the settler in- tend to proceed up the country, he may embark on board the steamer to Kingston, in the best cab- in for five dollars, in the steerage for one dollar ; to York for ten dollars in the cabin, in the steerage for two. There are no perquisites required cither in packet and stage travelling or in the taverns, indeed a servant would regard the offer of a gratuity in the light of an insult. There are now three large steam boats running from Prescott to York, the Niagara, the Queenston and the Alciope ; a very large bout upon nearly double the scale of any of them is now building by the Messrs. Hamiltons of Prescott, which will be afloat this summer, and of course render the facilities in travelling, even greater than they are at present. If it be the object of the set- tler to locate himself on the Ottawa, at By-town, or in its neighbourhood, he may proceed fromj Lachine about ten miles from Montreal to Point; Fortune, for three dollars, from thence to Hawks- 1 bury by land for five shillings, and from Hawks- bury to By-town, a dist&nce of sixty miles, for an- other three dollars. In this route, the pleasing ev- idence of agricultural improvement will be recog- / - CANADA AS IT IS. fl nizcd bctwoon Montreal and Lachinc, whilst well linished and regular built houses, neat and thriving farms, and an endless and fanciful variety of gar- dens greet the eye in every direction. Lachine is a long straggling village on the water side, with nothing particular to invite the attention of the voyager ; from this place the journey may be con- tinued through lake St. Louis, and about fourteen milesabovo Lachine,the junction of the noblerivers^ the St. Lawrence, and the Ottawa, may bo observed running their course side by side through the lake, without an admixture of their waters. A dark reddish stream marks the track of the Ottawa, while that of the St. Lawrence is distinguished by its clear blue colour ; the separate courses of the rivers are thus continued, until the rapids of Caril- lon are gained, when the violence of the current unites them in one impetuous flow. The military post of Coteau de lac where Government retains a small garrison, next receives the traveller, from whence sometimes by batteaux, (large boats) and sometimes by land, an easy passage is secured to Prescott. This is a comfortable little town, with many good houses and stores, and the Country around is well cultivated. Prescott is rendered of some importance from its situation, as being the place where the regular navigation terminates, and V' 28 CANADA AS IT IS. % the opposite town to Ogdensburg on the American side of the St. Lawrence, and which is a place of considerable size and importance. The commu- nication between the two places is almost hourly, by means of tow boats, which have to cross a channel about a mile in breadth. The traveller here, has a ready opportunity of visiting our enter- prising neighbours, but he may be reminded that no contraband trade can be carried on, as the au- thorities on each side are sufficiently attentive in the performance of their respective duties. In the summer time, the life and gaiety of Prescott ,are greatly increased by the numerous arrivals to and departures from the upper parts of the Province. It is desirable that individuals, as they are passing through the country ^unless they are bound to some particular spot) should look at the newspapers in the various places through which they pass, as farms and situations for location are frequently advertised, on the line of route, some of which may correspond with their means and inclinations. These inquiries may occasionally be productive of a little delay, but the time thus occupied, so far from being lost, will both lend useful information, and probably supply to the inquirer a comfortable home. CANADA AS IT IS. 29 As the St. Lawrence is still ascended, the scene- ry on the north bank is well deserving attention ; thus, the British side is agreeably diversified with good stone residences, large orchards and gardens well stocked with fruit trees of every description, and many neat and even handsome little villages. This part of the country is chiefly remarkable for the large quantities of pot and pearlashes manufac- tured. An emigrant who purchases a lot of wild land, on which there is abundance of elm, ash, ma- ple, and bass-wood timber, may, if the piice of the articles be tolerably good in Montreal, (say from 30 to £S5 a ton for pot, and from 33 to ^£38 for pearl ashes) pay the expenses of clearing the land, provided he chooses to risk the first outlay. The expense of erecting a pot ashery is not heavy, and the process of manufacture is very simple. The whole outlay if but one kettle be employed, is from 30 to £Z5 ; if the kettles be used, it may amount to fifty pounds. Having the leeches erected (that is, large tubs with holes in the bottoms) its floor- ing is strewed with lime about eight inches thick, trod down hard ; the leech is then filled with ashes, and watered regularly until their strength is com- pletely extracted ; during the time the leeches are running, the icy already procured from them is kept b(jiliug lor about two days and a night, when ij i i .«1H 30 CANADA AS IT IS. |i^ it forms a consistency called " black salts." If pearl ash be the object, these salts aie taken out of the kettle, and placed in an oven erected for the purpose, and there by a process of evaporation ^ formed into the desired material. Should the in- tention be merely to make a pot ash, the boiling is continued until all the ley is procured that from eighty to one hundred bushels of ashes will supply: as the water evaporates, the mass assumes a va- riety of different colours, such as green, blue, yel- low, &c., and at length an extreme fire being kept up, it presents a consistent surface of the co- lour of melted lead, which is then drawn offer ladled out into iron pans to cool, forming in this last pro- cess, the substance denominated potash. Pot and pearl ashesare two of the principle staples of Cana- da, and are of essential importance, both as an ex- port and for domestic use, and so well is their value understood, as to induce the preservative of all the ashes produced by the fires of the family, which are readily disposed of to the potash manufacturers in the neighbourhood. About twelve miles above Piescott, stands the handsome town of Brockville, so named from the late distinguished General Sir Isaac Brock ; it has been built since the last American war, and now contains upwards of three thousand inhabitants. I stalior consid Engia white- laid up battle-{ Mf-^ CANADA AS IT IS. 81 ;s." If a out of for the oration^ the in- oiling is at from I supply: es a va- lue, yel- re being f the co- or ladled last pro- Pot and ofCana- s an ex- eir value e of all ly, which facturers lands the from the ; it has and now labitants. The river begins to widen at this place, or in other words, to put on the appearance of a lake ; and about twenty miles above Brockville, Lake Onta- rio itself is perceived. The river sceneiy is now greatly enlivened by the steam-boats and tim- ber rafts, especially in the spring of the year ; on these rails, little cabins made of the bark of trees are erected, presenting the appearance at a dis- tance of many immense bee-hives, and by this con- veyance, merchandize, yokes of oxen, and the commodities permitted to be brought to Canada from the American side, are readily transported. Amongst the variety of American produce thus i'^ceived into Canada, the most singular consists f whole cargoes of pigs, brought on the rafts, two or three hundred at a time. Live stock pay a very low duty, and hence our neighbours find these pigs a very profitable article of commerce. Lake Ontario now commences, and the first place in this route on its borders, is Kingston, ?» large and well built town, and the principal naval station on the Lake. Its appearance has been considered somewhat like that of Portsmouth, in England, and the resemblance is assisted by its white cliflfs, and by some large ships that are here laid up in ordinary. The St. Lawrence, a line of I battle-ship pierced for 130 guns, two frigates, some D 1 \H 32 CANADA AS IT IS. rl sloops, &c . , attach a character to this safe and ex- cellent harbour. Kingston is altogether (if the expression be orthodox) a fresh-water sea-port town; is clean, large, and well built, and may already be ranked as a place of great importance. The markets are exceedingly well supplied from the cultivated lands in the neighbourhood ; and it is the residence of a great number of opulent and highly respectable inhabitants. It has of late years been supposed by some individuals, that the seat of government would be removed from York to Kingston ; but the building a new house of assem- bly at York, together with other preparations, con- tradict the assumption that the legislatorial offices will be removed. As a commercial town, Kings- ton ranks the second in Upfler Canada, although her prosperity received a serious blow, a few years since, from the effects of which she is but just re- covering. The consequences of tree trade wer* bitterly experienced in Canada, and Kingston in particular sufiered. A want of confidence pre- vailed, the colonial bank paper was depreciated, and at length the bank compelled to suspend its payments, and wind up its accounts. These cir- cumstances are now happily contrasted by the pre- vailing prosperity ; a second bank has been esta- Hlished in the town through the exertions of Chris- and S( troduc bly ab ofbani live ai they le secjtifl dual a( tributin at large King importa provinc In the creasin success sented scarcel; bear ai the fert these n able, bi ofsetth freed fr Shoi ada be CANADA AS IT IS. 33 e and ex- ir (if the sea-port and may portance. lied from d ; and it Lilent and late years t the seat 1 York to of assem- ions, Gon- ial offices n, Kings- al though few years it just re- ade wei* ngston in )nce pre- jreciated, spend its ?hese cir- y the pre- ►een esta- of Chris- topher Hagerman, the representative for Kingston, and Solicitor General of Upper Canada, who in- troduced and carried through the House of Aslkem- bly a bill for its incorporation. The establishment of banks in any part of the country always is posi- tive and pleasing evidence of prosperity ; and as they lend means to industry ^nd enterprize in pro- sec i ting undertakings for public as well as indivi = dual advantage, they must be considered as con tributing towards the real interests of the country at large. Kingston will probably become a place of much importance, as well from its central situation in the province, as for being the principal naval station. In the neighbourhood, the population is greatly in- creasing, and thriving townships appear in quick succession on that land, which a few years ago pre- sented the desolation of the wilderness, and had scarcely been passed by the foot of man. The bear and the wolf held undisputed range, where the fertile meadow and the farm yard now exist : these marauders are still more plentiful than desir- able, but they recede in proportion to the advance of settlers, and in a few years the country may be freed from them altogether. . . r Should the route from Montreal to Upper Can- ada be preferred by way of Ottawa, and through- D2 n II f .♦■' m IH.^ 1 ^1 34 CANADA AS IT IS. hi. r III the heart of the country from By-town to Kings- ton, the journey may be made either by land or water from Montreal to Point Fortune: in the journey by land, the traveller continued in lower Canada until he reaches Greriville, (40 miles) which is opposite to Point Fortune ; on the road are many Canadian villages, although in this part of the lower Province there are more British set- tlers than elsewhere, St. Anne's is a pretty rural village on the banks^of the Ottawa, and it was here that the Irish bard, Thomas Moore, composed his " Canadian Boat Song." At Grenville, the Gov- ernment are making a canal, twelve miles in length, in order to avoid the rapids of the .Long Sault : for some time the work was not carried on with the energy and expedition which marked the progress of the Rideau canal, although it is now continued with greater rapidity, and when finished it will be of the utmost consequence to the navigation of the Ottawa. The voyage from Grenville to By-town is performed in a steam- boat in rather less than 12 hours, whereas four years ago it employed 30 hours ; at that time there was scarcely a settler between the two places, but now on both banks of the river there is an aston- ishing change ; although on the liower Canada side of the Ottawa, with the exception of its imme- CANADA AS IT IS. 35 diate banks, the country is wholly in a state of na- ture. F'^r many hundreds or oven thousands of miles, this part of Canada has never been thorough- ly explored ; a small party went in this direction about two years since, but they returned with no other information than that there were some lakes and beaver meadows, in that section of the Province; and as it doubtless contains much fertile land, it is to be lamented that it has not been properly explored. On the approach to By-town, the scene- ry v/nich bursts most unexpectedly on the view, is scarcely to be surpassed for its boldness and sub- limity : the first objects that strike the attention are the Ride^ii falls about two miles below the town ; these are two distinct falls, which rush over the precipice in the form of a curtain from a height of about fifty feet : the Union Bridge (so called from connecting the upper and lower Province by cross- ing the Ottawa, which is the boundary line between them) now opens to the view, and presents a piece of architecture that reflects the highest credit on those who accomplished such a gigantic under- taking ; the current of the river is here broken by tremendous rocks, on which rest the abutments of the bridge ; the centre arch forms a span of two hundred and seventy feet, which may give some idea of the immense labour and difiiculty re- D3 il I, I f^ 36 CANADA AS IT IS. quired in its accomplishment : it is let at a yearly rent of about ^£200, each foot passenger paying a penny, horses two pence, and so on. Immediately above the bridge are the falls ex- tending across the Ottawa, called the " Chandiere Falls," these assume all imaginable forms, but it is in the winter, when the river is frozen over, that they present the most interesting appearance : the ice accumulates to the very edge of the falls, and in congealed «nasses down the ledges of the rocks, becoming transparently white from the intense freezing, and forming apertures through which the dark red waters of the Ottawa rush with an incon- ceivable fury, the foam casting up the frozen parti- cles, which, from the rays of the sun, assume every variety of hue. The Union Bridge leads from By- town to the village of Hull ; which is now a very large and well settled township ; it owes its first settlement to Mr. Philemon Wright, who came to this spot about thirty years ago, when not a tree was cut. Mr. Wright, justly called the father of the town- ship, is an American gentleman, who 'has given proofs of an enterprising and persevering mind ; he has lived to see his numerous followers arrive at a state of comparative affluence, and as the coun- try in which the township is situated is entitled, CANADA AS IT IS. m early ing a town- given mind ; rrive at coun- ntitled, from its increased population, to send a member to the house of Assembly, Mr. Wright has, very properly, been returned this last election as its representative, and since that period an additional member has been elected. The township of Hull is skirted by a ridge of mountains, being a continuation of that chain, which is seen for some distance at the back of Quebec ; they are sup- poised to extend for some thousands of miles, and are even belie^'ed to be a continuation of the An- des in South America. A part of the mountains near Hull have been explored and are found to contain, deeply embedded, great quantities of iron and lead ore, black lead and marble, and some minerals, and although it is probable that coals might be found, none have been yet discovered ; the iron ore produces 75 per cent, or three fourths of iron. These mines have not hitherto been work- ed, from the want of persons competent to the un- dertaking, both as respects pecuniary means, and ability to engage in the task. But a field of enter- prize is doubtless open to the individual who would commence a search for the treasures con- tained in the bowels of the earth ; at present a vast mass of property lies dormant and utterly use- less, but let it be redeemed, and immediate oppor- tunity is offered of transporting it to a scene of use- 38 CANADA AS IT IS. fulness, as By-town is not more than 12 miles distant, and there are various other places that would participate in the advantage, and reward a spirited projector. - ^ ., . By-town, independently of its close connection with the Rideau canal, will in all probability be- come a large and important place ; both from its central situation in a fertile and well settled coun- try, from its close connection with the lumber trade of the Ottawa, and from its importance as a place of strength and safety in the event of a war ; all combine to warrant the supposition that By- town may ere long become a place of considerable importance; but the furtherance of its prosperity will be very much retarded if the means available be not at hand ; many men who have ability and energy for large undertakings and who have also a bona fide property though not available, cannot procure discounts at either bank in the Province; the distance is too far, the parties are not known — thus rendering it impossible although a part of the coun- try is in a healthy state of commerce and growing prosperity, and there are objects of enterprize which, with the assistance of available capital would be productive of the best consequences to its immediate neighborhood) in the diffusion of wealth to the £ immen The the \'i therefo the esl have b( instituti regardc couragi same i Ance in interest bourho^ foundec and the a whole fourth, assistai Whe bear it yond i ly acts ibuildin isudden young are but CANADA AS IT iS. 39 to the surrounding country, and hence of conferring immense benefit to the Province generally. The state both of trade and agriculture in the vicinity of the Ottawa, is very prosperous ; therefore their united financial wants call for the establishment of a bar r i; i I ■'i ;!' 42 CANADA AS IT IS. river to the amount of seven or eight hundred pounds, including many articles of a portable na- ture, in a mere shed with scarcely any fastening, and although this was by the river side, he found upon the removal of his property, that he had not lost the slightest article. .; There are new settlements forming in all the intermediate places on the Lower Canada side be- tween Hull and the Chats, about thirty miles dis- tant ; and which is becoming a place of consider- able importance. Here are the falls of the Chats, consisting of fifteen distinct falis,extending to a dis- tance of two miles across the Ottawa ; and between each fall there is a clump of pine tree^ ; these falls ,are extremely novel from their regularity ; and here nature seems to have copied art, for al- most all the fifteen except the centre fall are near- ly uniform ; the centre is precisely in the shape of a horse shoe, and it still adds to the interest of this scene that at a distance of about twentv feet from the ' ottom of the centre fall, the water in a circumference of perhaps twenty or thirty feet, bubbles or boils up to a height often or twelve feet above the surface of the river, and has the perfect appearance of a foaming cauldron. A gentleman, Mr. White, one of the principal contractors of the Rideau canal, has lately made a purchase of some CANADA AS IT IS. 43 property adjoining, and is about to carry on con- siderable improvements. He is now preparing to build a steam-boat, to run from the Chats to By- town, when in operation, which will give a new life to this part of the country. The Hudson Bay Company have their first boat established at the Chats, and the Company of late years having lost so many ships in the passage round by sea, intend, it is said, in future, to make the Ottawa their regular route to their principal forts and posts in Hudson's Bay. Above the Chats are some new settlements. Clarendon and Mac Nab. This lat- ter settlement w^as established by a Scottish chief of that name. " Laird Mac Nab" of Mac Nab, who has prevailed on a great many settlers to join him from Scotland, and the system he adopts in his little colony is somewhat similai to the old Scot- tish customs. The country above the Chats is not much set- tled ; indeed at the distance of thirty or forty miles the pine regions commence, where the red or Norway timber trees are the sole possessors of the soil. These groves are supposed to extend for hundreds of miles, although the country in their direction has only been partially explored. In the fall of each year, a considerable number of persons 44 CANADA AS IT IS. visit this tract of country, remaininjij until the follow- ing spring, to prepare the timber for market. Near the Chats is the township of Fitzroy but partially settled, and adjoining it is Ramsay a re- spectable and populous township ; nearer By-town are Goulburn and Huntley, both thickly settled, the latter containing some of the best lands in the Province. On the front of the Ottawa, are Tar- bolton and March, both thinly settled, although containing many respectable officers who have re- tired from public service. The whole of this part of the province being cold- er than the western portion, is perhaps not so well adapted to the pursuits of agriculture ; but it still presents many advantages to the settler, the chief of which may be considered the healthiness of its climate. The river Ottawa abounds with fish, supplying to the settlers on its margin a vast supply of de- licious and wholesome food ; in the summer sea- son pleasure can be joined with business in their capture as they come down the small streams in shoals ; when dried and salted they make a good store food for the winter. The largest fish in the Ottawa is the Masquinonger, averaging from twen- ty to forty pounds weight, and resembling the pike in colour and in the shape of the head, but in- CANADA AS IT IS. 45 finitely superior in flavor. The cat-fish, so call- ed from its near resemblance to that animal, may be considered the most valuable fish of the Ottawa ; they are sufficiently fat not to require any butter or pork in cooking, and are regarded, with justice, as an excellent and nourishing food. In addition to these are the pike, the perch, sun-fish (a small flat fish having the appearance of a sun on the side) the bass, the white fish, succer mullet, eel, pickerel, &c. They are easily caught, and will take almost any bait that is given them, either a bit of pork, frog, or should nothing else ofler, a piece of an old moccasin. The Ottawa also produces the sword fish, very formidable either in or out of the water ; it is de- structive to the other species of fish, and when caught will be found most troublesome to discn- gage from the hook, as it snaps in a most for- midable manner with its double row of sharp teeth. . \ Not half a century ago, the banks of the Ottawa were peopled almost entirely by Indians of the dif- ferent hunting tribes, Micmacs, Shawnees, &c. ; they have now wholly retired from these parts, and are not to be found in any numbers within two or three hundred miles above the Chats, occasionally coming down to dispose of their furs. They have. w I / 46 CANADA AS IT IS. for the most part no settled habitation, but live a roaming life, with aP. their little wealth, (consisting generally of a few blankets, a gun, some traps, iron pots, and a few other necessaries,) in their canoes. They are, when unmolested, a harmles^ , inoffen- sive race • but in their wars amongst themselves, they prfc^^ae the most barbarous cruelties. If once ofi nded, they are implacable, and never for- give an injury. When the North West Company existed, one of the gentlemen connected with that Company, had by some means offended an Indian with whom they dealt in furs ; this gentleman had occasion to go to England immediately, and did not return for five years. When he did return, it was soon known to the Indian, who was seen one morning lurking about the fort with a loaded gun. He ^ was taken into the fort and asked his pur- pose ; he candidly owned that he waited the ap- pearance of such a gentleman, whom he meant to shoot. For his treachery he was hanged without ceremony. Their entire occupation, during the winter months, is hunting wild animals, such as the beav- er, martin, mink, otter, &c., for their furs. The beaver, ♦the most valuable on account of its fur, is getting somewhat scarce. The Hudson Bay Com- pany have therefore adopted the plan of preventing CANADA AS IT IS. 47 their hunting Indians from catching them in traps as tbriiierly, lest they should kill the young as well as the old, and thus rlestroy the race. The beavers are the most sagacious of the ani- mal creation: they clear meadows, make dams, and excavate their little canals ; fell trees, build their houses ; and all mih the utmost order and regularity. When they fell a tree, they gnaw it away op one side, so that it shall fall exactly in the position they wish : their water-dams are made in the shape of a horse-shoe, and arranged as regu- larly as though it were done by the hand of man. They live in communities of from twenty to thirty, and should one happen to be lazy, thev beat him unmercifully, and will not suffer him tc remain among them. These discarded beavers are often met with by the hunters, and are always in a lean condition. They live principally on the inner part of the white birch, which they store up in large quantities in the summer for their winter food. These animals work early in the morning and in the evening. The manner of erecting their win- ter habitations is very curious ; — one of the large beavers will lie on its back, whilst several of the oth^vs load it with mud ; of which, by holding its legs in .1 particular position, it contrives to hold a lar«jc quarttity ; and when fully laden, the other * " a (I'l m If Mm I'l ,v. Hi 48 CANADA AS IT IS. beavers take hold of its tail with their toeth, and draw it to the spot tixed on for their winter abode. This is several times repeated, the carrier coming regularly back with the rest. They build the liouse on piles at the curve of the darn, vviih a floor raised ■above the water to keep ihem dry : it is abotj' six feet in diameter and quite i oundr with a hole at the bottom to enable them to make their escape in case of alarm. A regular roof is formed of twigs well cemented with mud. These animals p^^sess amaz- ing strength in their tails, with wliJch ttiey collect the mud ior their building, plaster the sides of the house, drive the piles to support the dam to a con- siderable depth in the ground, and use it wherever the force of a hammer is required ; they are very broad and long. ' ' The Indians of the. Ottawa appear to have little or no idea of cultivation ; some few grow a little Indian corn, but they mostly depend on chance for their s ibsisience. In the summer they make ca- noes, and bring their furs down the river; these bark canoes of the most exact shape, that will con- tain twentv men besides a ton e and a half of loading with the greatest safety, are simpl)' made and the only tool they make use of is a pocket knife, not even a nail being required in their formation. CANADA AS IT IS. 49 They are passionately fund of spirits, and the worst result ', often occur from their intoxication ; for when in this state the greatest impositions are frequently practised on them. Their mode of trading away their skins is singular ; should they have a hundred or more skins, they will only sell one at a time ; and when sober, they are very acute, and take good care to get their value ; but \vhen intoxicated, they part with them for little or nothing,— 'frequently a good beaver skin for a small glass of rum : and many a designing person, well aware of this propensity, encourage it in order to defraud them, and have made much money by these nefarious practises. Some of the squaws when young, are interesting, good looking girls, and were they not to distort their features in the manner they do, by slitting the gris- tle of their nose, &c., they really might be termed handsome. The cruelties these Indians practice on the prisoners whom they capture in their wars, are enormities of the most revolting nature, viz . scalping, taking out their eyes, cutting out their tongues, and in this state making them walk over the burning embers of large fires, uttering on those occasions the most horrid yells and groans. The Micmacs and Shawnees had been at war for a long time. It is their practice in w^arfare for the 60 CANADA AS IT IS. Indians to go about in parties of from twenty to thirty. On one of these occasions a band of the Shawnees headed by a son of their chief named Winnc.r»vee, attacked a camp of the Micmacs under their chi( " (Caunawana) ; the chief himself escap- ed, but the Shawnees took some of his tribe and some squaws ; amongst them the only daughter of Caunawana the chief of the Micmacs. She was an interesting young creature about seventeen, and for a squaw, handsome. The Shawnees had to take their prisoners some three or four days march to their camp, for the subordinate Indians are not al- lowed to perform the office of scalping &c., till the prisoners are brought before their chief, who gene- rally performs this horrible rite himself. In march- ing them to the camp of \\ inneewee, his son the young chief became violently attached to the daugh- ter of Caunawana, their female captive. And when they arrived at his father's camp, the young chief most earnestly implored her rescue. Win- neewee became outrageous at the thoughts of his son forming on attachment to the daughter of his implacable enemy, and threatened the young chief with instant death if ho persisted. His passion was however too deeply rooted to allow even the wrath of his fiither to remove it, — and he still con- tiniH^d to implore his consent, so that at last he told if CANADA AS IT IS. 51 his son, that if he would bring him seven heads of the Micmacs before the setting of seven suns, he would give him up the daughter of Caunawana. The young chief was not long in prevailing on a band of stout young Indians to join him in his un- dertaking, and within the given time, he brought to his father the required ransom, and obtained tho object of his wishes. About two years aflerwards, a strong party of the Micmacs surprised and carried a camp of tho Shawnees taking several prisoners together with the son of Winneewee, badly wounded, and tho young squaw his wife. The Micmacs took their prisoners to the camp of Caunawana to undergo the usual cruelties and death. The young squaw well knew the violence of her father, and that if she attempted to intercede either for herself or the young chief her husband, that a more horrible death awaited them both. They therefore made up their minds to their fate. i, ^,.,»n The Micmacs have a pecidiar custom of marking their childrenof both sexes when young, by slitting the gristle of their noses. When arrived at the camp of Caunawana, the young squaw was the first brought forth to undergo the horrible ordeal. Before the first operation is begun of peeling the scalp oflT the head, a tight bandoge is bound round their eyes. E2 i i. ?; 52 CANADA AS IT IS. Caunawana, stepping forward to make the first dread- ful gashf stayed his knife for he saw it was a Mic- mac ; and on examining her more closely, he be- held in the person of his intended victim, his own and only daughter. The savage breast was not unsusceptible of kindred feeling. His daughter, now aware of his discovery, implored in the most supplicating manner that he would not stay the operation, unless in restoring her he also released her husband, the young chief. Caunawana over- joyed at again seeing his daughter, whom he had long given up for dead, released her husband with all the other prisoners, which was the means of re- ^itdring peace between these two warlike tribes. Wolves here, as well as elsewhere, are most de- structive animals. They roam in the forest, and when driven by hunger, sometimes come into the clear- ances and commit dreadful havoc amongst the cat- tle. They hunt in packs, frequently catch deer, and when they get one, every atom of the skin and flesh is devoured in a few hours. Their ravages amongst cattle liiay be avoided with care and pre- caution. There is a premium paid for their de- struction ; five dollars in the Upper and ten in the Lower Province, yet they are more numerous in Upper Canada. This distinction of premium is bad policy, and well worth the attention of iho CANADA AS IT IS. 53 mum IS Ilon^jo of Aasombly, for -t is by no means tho least evil Uiat a settler has to contend with. Tho object of the premium is of course to rid the country of those- destructive animals, and the wording of the act made for this purpose is " that if the parties take the heads and skins to a magis- trate and make oath, that ho or they killed the wolf or wolves in the province, they shall, by pre- senting his certificate to tho treasurer of the re- spective district, be paid the allowed premium." - It happened a short time ago, that a settler who resided in the Upper Prbvince, (where, as was before observed, the premium is only five dollars each,) trapped a she wolf, which was at the time big with young. A neighbor, an American, having heard of the circumstance, went to the settler and purchased the live wolf. He fed her well, and in a little time she brought forth a litter of eight young ones. He immediately got a cage made, and took the whole family of live wolves into the nearest part of the Lower Province, there killed them, and received the premium of ten dollars for each. The black bears are numerous here. In their native state they are a very diflferent looking animal than when in confinement. In the summer, when fat, they have rather a noble looking appearance ; in the winter th^} are never to be met with. They take to E3 \} . ' 54 CANADA AS IT IS. their dens, large holes in the roc! , or earth, and remain in them till the beginning of May. They lay up no stores whatever for their winter supplies, but exist in a state of somnolence. When they re- turn to their dens they are fat and sleek, but when they first make their appearance in the spring, they are mere skeletons. In the summer they subsist on roots, wild fruits, Indian corn, and in fact every thing that comes in their way ; they sometimes do a great deal of mischief amongst the grain, not alone from the quantity they consume, but they roll about and beat down the standing grain, thus destroying it. They are frequently killed in commit- ing these depredations, but their smell is so keen that it requires caution to get near them. The general plan is to erect a stage about twelve feet high, so that their approach may be observed. They are frequently also caught in traps. The black is the only species of bear in Canada ; but towards the North Western Territory there are three other kinds, the white, the brown, and the yel- low. The white bear is one of the fiercest animals in existence. They never show mercy to any liv- ing creature, not even to their own species amongst tl^e male kind, for whenever they meet, one if not both is sure to die, and hence their scarcity. The yellow bear is ftlso very scarce; the coat of the yel- h CANADA AS IT 18. 55 low boar is supposed to be tbe finest hair in the world. Canada produces three kinds of deer, — the red, which is the most conimonf the fallow, and the moose deer ; the last is a most extraordinary ani- mal, and not frequently mot with ; — it is of such an enormous height, that a horse of sixteen hands high could easily walk under its neck ; it seldom goes out of a walking pace, which is as fast as any other animals trot, and its legs are so long, that it could with ease step over a five barred gate, but its neck is so short that it cannot graze, but subsists by browsing, chiefly on the ntoose wood (whence it derives its name) neither can it drink in a stand- ing posture, but is obliged to kneel for the water. The bark of the moose wood is so strong that the Indians use it for all sorts of purposes, it is an excellent substitute fur rope and string, and is sometimes used by the settlers as traces for horses. The red deer are very numerous, and when fat generally weigh about two hundred pounds ; from the month of August till Christmas they are good, and afford in the autumn excellent sport in hunting. When started by the dogs, they invariably fly to the nearest river or lake, where some of the J party are ready with a canoe, so that when it plunges in the water, they may paddle after and shoot it. It is E4 56 CANADA AS IT IS. m \ h surprising that these deer are so numerous consid- ering the quantity of wolves prowling about the forests. There is an abundance of wild fruit, such as raspberries, stvawberries and plums on the northern side of Upper Canada, the two first grow very plentifully and are excellent, the red raspberiy equals in size and flavour that produced in Eng- land, yet might it be termed the weed of this coun- try, the black raspberry makes an excellent pre- serve : there are also wild black currants which are very good, and gooseberries, but these are small and have no flaifour : the currant is not a native of this country, but grows, when brought here to a large size. It is advisable for the emigrant to bring different kinds of fruit trees. The wild pigeons, from May to August, are: generally very numerous, and are excellent eating: they arc about the size of the blue rock pigeon, and": the cock-bird is much the same colour. Wild fruit is their principal food, but some seasons when< they are very numerous, they consume a great deal of grain : they arrive in immense flocks and are supposed to come some thousands of miles, crossing lakes two or three hundred miles wide : such is the instinct of these birds^, that after the first flock hayr remainetl about a month tliov loavo i'(H thf'ir nwrscMiofs, whore thri hatch •vx. -..A. CANADA AS IT IS. 57 )nsid- it the 3t, are: sating: •n, and": Wild i when great (8 and milest wide : after month hatrb t their young, and are soon afler succeeded by others in succession continuing thus throughout the sea- son, following precisely the same course, though at afi immense distance through uncleared forests, aud over trackless lakes. There are a great quantity of frogs in Canada ; they are the ^est bait for fish that can be had, particularly the green frog. The bull frog is an extraordinary little animal, on account of the great noise it makes, which very much resembles the bellowing of a bull. Many of the French Canadians eat this animal, which is found to be a wholesome and nutritious food, when people can banish their prejudices. The mosquitoes are the most annoying of all in- jects ; it is a small fly, very much resembling the gnat which is oflen met with in England ; the sting is very sharp, and occasions a blister particu- larly to new comers ; they generally come here ^out the middle of May, afler they have remained upmolested for about a month, comes their natural epemy the OQiusquito hawk, an insect resembling the hornet in shape, they pursue the mosquito in- cessantly and devour it, so that afler this hawk ap- pears, the mosquito is seldom very troublesome. Jt is commpn where they are very numerous, to see a large smudge made in the farm yards, around E5 u 58 CANADA AS IT IS. which the cattle, (which are also greatly tormented by them) will arrange themselves in order to rid themselves of these annoying flies ; and it is quite necessary, prior to retiring to rest, to make a smoke in doors, in order to eject them from the house. It is highly gratifying to pay a visit to an industri- ous new settler, after he has been two or three years on his land, — to partake of his humble, yet whole- some fare, particularly should he be blessed with a help-mate, of those neat and cleanly habits, which always impart an air of comfort even to the most humble dwelling. See him at his morning meaf, — the clean white deal table, the plentiful supply of ham, the ample dish of potatoes, the hearth-baked bread, the pitcher of new milk, the maple sugar, with the addition of tea ; and \nth the exception of the tea, all the produce of his little new farm. Unfortunately this is not always the case; people of indolent, dirty habits, are comfortable under no circumstances, and in no country ; but if a man be only industrious, even if he have no knov. ledge of agriculture whatever, he must succeed ; and every necessary comfort is within his reach. , In sailing down the river in the summer season, from the Chats to By-town, what numerous objects of interest present themselves,*-to the rear are the beautiful falls at the Chats, its widely extended CANADA AS IT IS. 69 lented to rid quite smoke se. lustri- years ivhole- d with which Q- most leal, — ppfy of -baked sugar, »tion of I. people ider no man be r;/*edge d; and 1. season, objects are the xtended bays studded with islands ; on one side are the bold heights covered with forest trees with their splendid foliage : on the other, and in the distance is seen the cragged tree topped mountain rearing its head above the clouds ; in front appears the stately flowing stream, the Ottawa, with ever and anon the lightly, gliding, gay canoe ; and every now. and then a small opening discovers a neat little dwelling, with its curling smoke just emerg- ing from between the trees. All must acknowledge the beauty and sublimity of the Alps, the stupendous grandeur of Niagara, but the diversified and interesting scenery of the Ottawa must not be denied. The upper town of By-town contains many neat houses in the cottage style ; there is one handsome stone building of large dimensions, with numerous out offices, the occupier of which deseives mention. He is a native of Ireland, and came a pc: r emigrant to Canada some eight or ten years ago : a year or two before the Rideau canal was made, he pur- chased a lot of land of one Lindred acres for a very small sum of money, which is now the site of By-town, some of the government buildings, and a part of the canal. This person has already real- ized a handsome fortune ; but by selling out parts of his land in buildinff lots f«>i short terms, lie will. f H^ m 60 CANADA AS IT IS. 11^ 13' in a few years, be iv the receipt of a considerable income arising from those r^nts. Upper By-town is at a very great elevation, overlooking an im- mense tract of land, and is perfectly distinct from the lower tovn, the canal passing between them, over which is now erected a neat stone bridge. By-town is now quite a lively, fashionable place ; here are to be seen the European fashions, silks vieing with muslins, the poke bonnet with the immense leghorn. Here are quadrille parties, and ^ Scotch reel parties, and many other parties where mirth usuall} presides. There are now many re- spectable mech9.nics and tradesmen established here t emigration has in some degree flowed to this part of the Provir ce for thete last few years, and it has the appean ice 7ernment contractors, it re- quires pretty strict discipline to keep them all in order, — there is something like a mutiny every now and then breaking out amongst them ; and on the whole, Col. By has certainly no sinecure. The government pays three shillings a day to each man, on which they might live very well and save money, where provisions arc to be bought so cheap as they arc here ; most of them have their own little cabins to live in, with a plot of ground to CANADA AS IT IS. 61 each, enough to grow potatoes sufficient for their own consumption, which is a consideration of some importance to them. Such a mart has By- town already, that in the winter, when sleighing is good, the place is thronged by the country people, bringing their various produce to dispose of, and at this time of the year provisions are particularly cheap. Fresh pork at five or six dollars a hun- dred, beef at five dollars, mutton about three shil- ings a quarter, and poultry of all kinds very plenty and cheap. The living at taverns is high, con- sidering the cheap rate of provisions : a dollar a day is the usual charge. There are abundance of them opened, but so few are kept in any decent order, that a respectable pbisun cannot reconcile hlnself to their accommodations. New houses are appearing in all directions about By-town, and the lands for some miles are gradu- ally taken up and settled on. It is a matter of no ordinary difficulty after a lot of land in the bush has been purchased, to find out where it is situated; for tho' there are diagrams explaining the numbers and situation, with other particulars of the different lots, yet this lot might chance to be situated some eight or ten miles in the forest ; and did there not hap- pen to be settled every here and there a person well acquainted with the lay of the country, new ;l 62 CANADA AS IT IS. t V,- comers would never of themselves bo ublo to find out their diflerent portions. They are all survey- ed, and posts are put up at the corners of the dif- ferent lots, denoting their numbers ; but to an utter stranger, these landmarks are of but little use, par- ticularly m trackless forests. The woods, even to persons who have long been settled in this coun- try, are very treacherous, but not to the native born American, who seems to have a kind of instinct in M: finding his way in the untrodden bush. The success generally attending American set- tiers is in a great measure to be attributed to the manner in which they are brought up by their pa- rents, and their customs in this respect as regards both sexes, are not altogether unworthy our imita- tion : habits of practical industry are early instilled in the minds of the children, paying at the same time a propef attention lo an useful education ; for it is evident that the schoolmaster has been, and is now abroad in the United States : their manners, it is true, are not so polished, — there is not that outward show of civility that is recognized in most parts of Europe ; they have certainly their peculiar- ities, strange expressions, quaint remarks, but so have iiiost other countries. In forming a criterion for the education ci children, a due regard should be had to the habits of the country in which they CANADA AS IT IS. 63 are brought up ; in Europe such is the refined state of society, and the superabundance of persons in the lower ranks of life, that the industry of the higher or even the middle classes are scarcely ever called into action ; these ideas are often import- ed here, and their influence frequently incapaci- tates individuals, when left to provide for themselves, from using the proper means to obtain the com- forts, or even the necessaries of life. There is a great difficulty in procaring servants here, independently of the expense of keeping them ; in fact, labour, be it of either sex, is the riches of this country, and persons coming out from Europe if they expect to succeed, must reconcile themselvs to it. The only servants a family man should hire» are men servants of all work, instead of women servants of all work. Some of the Canadians are extremely clever in turning their hands to almost any thing. There is a system adopted in various parts of Canada, particularly in the neighbourhood of Mont- real and other large towns, of letting farms out upon shares ; gentlemen of opulence in the towns and other places very often let out their farms upon those terms, and it is a very good plan for a new comer to embrace these opportunities if he can ; it gives him an experience in the custom of the country, and particularly if ho have no property 64 CANADA AS IT IS. of his own, offers him the means of acquiring a lit- tie to commence with on his own account : the owner of the farm provides stock, farming utensils and seed to crop his land for the first year, there are no wages paid of course, the tenant does either by himself or with assistance, all the labor of the farm, in return for which he gets his half of the crop, half of the stock bred on the farm, (the ori- ginal stock being retained by the owner,) this sys- tem is frequently of mutual benefit ; farms are let in this manner from one to three years and so on. It is astonishing with what rapidity a man's stock might, with care and attention, accumulate in the course of a few years : as an instance, a man commenced with the following supply of stock ; two ewes and a ram, one cow, one mare, and one sow, he neither killed or sold any of his sheep, and at the expiration of five years he had fifty three sheep ; he had sold two horses and had three left, eight head of horn cattle, he had killed a good many pigs and had plenty remaining. A farmer's life in Canada, admitting that he has his share of work, is not the most irksome in the world, and it leaves him plenty of time for recrea- tion. His most busy time commences usually about the twenty-fifth of April, when the snow and ice are quite gone. He first begins to plough his CANADA AS IT IS. 65 iga lit- it : the utensils f, there s either r of the If of the [the ori- this sys- } are let cl so on. I's stock e in the a man ' stock ; and one eep, and ifty three tiree left, >od many at he has me in the ir recrea- 5 usually snow and lough his land, and then to sow oats, barley, peas, and spring wiioat if he should have occasion. Indian corn is the next crop, and this should be in by the fideenth of May ; lastly, potatoes, which, after all, are the most important. They are usually planted in hil- locks, but often with great success in drills : in the neighbourhood of Montreal and other places, they arc done with less expense in drills than hillocks ; they are put into the land quicker, in the first place, and the [dough will save hand-hoeing; they are also much more expeditiously got out of the ground with the plough. After the farmer has put in all Ills crop, he should then look well to his fences ; for it is of no use to crop the land unless it is well fenced also, it being the custom in most parts of the province to let the horned cattle range in the woods all the summer. This may not be a good plan, still it is one of expediency, for many a new settler, who has a cow, has probably no pasture for her for the first year or two. The farmer's crop being all in the land, and his fences well secured^ he may now rest a while from his labours ; shoot pigeons, which are generally very plenty at this season of the year, fish, visit his friends, or amuse himself as best suits his inclination, till about the Hftcenth or twontieth of July, then his hay is fit to cut. TTay should be mowed just as the flower is 4 66 CANADA AS IT lH. leaving it ; while the sap is yet full, it is the moal profitable both for home consumption and foi i^ale. It should, if possible, be cut one day, andhQUl^cd or stacked the next ; for if no rnin occur, it will never heat. The idea of tho sap causing it to heat, is all a chimera. It is a mistaken notion to dry hay too much in the sun ; it is generally made here with little expense. Hay season over, in Au- gust his wheat and other grain begin to ripen, to get in which, will take him till September. The next grain that he has to look to, is his Indian conit but that takes only a short time ; the husks are merely torn off, and the stalks left standing, unless they are cut for fodder, for which they answer very well, in September the farmer ought to have his plough in his land, and before the latter end of this month, if possible, get in his fall wheat. Wheat .sown in October generally does very well, and even in November ; in fact, it is sometimes sown when the frost and snow have clotted the earth, so as to be hardly broken with the harrow, and has yet been a good crop ; but this is neither so good nor safe a mode as preparing the ground in September. His harvest being done* and his winter crop sown, the farmer is not now greatly pressed for time ; still, he may generally find something to do to keep him out of idleness. In October his potatoes will be CANADA AS IT IS. 67 ic mual hoiused , it will )g it to otion to ly made r, in Au- :ipen, to •. The ian corn? isks are g, unless wer very have his d of this Wheat and even wn when so as to yet been or safe a >er. His own, the me; still, keep him s will be (it to take out of the ground, when they should be either well secured in his cellar, root-house, or in pits in the field. A root-house is a very necessary place to keep vegetables in for winter consumption. It is a long room or hole dug pretty deep in the earth, a double tier of logs round the sides, the va- cuity being well filled with earth, and also the roof well covered with a doul)lc layer of logs and earth, so as not to admit the least ai' ^ light. This pre- caution is necessary to keep < -ost, which is most penetrating. The ext ^verity of the^ frost in Canada in the winter is almost incredible, for it frequently freezes the nose and ears. The usual method, when one person meets another in this predicament, if. to take up some snow and rub the affeted part till is restored the circulation of the blood, for the frozen persons themselves feel no pain whatever. I have sat by the fire-side when, while the sap has been oozing out at the ends of the wood then burning in the fire, it has been in- stantly frozen hard. In taking tea, the cups, and saucers, tea-pot and all, frequently freeze to the table. However, with due precaution, potatoes and other roots and vegetables might be well se- cured through the winter. If the farmer have any new land to clear, October is a good time to begin to under-brush and chop ; he can also spare a day i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 S:"^! I.I 11.25 \15 ii^m 122 lAO I 2.0 IJift L4 11.6 rV^^p 'V:^^' '^' Photographic Sciences Corporation as WIST MAIN STRHT WnSTIR,N.Y. 145M (716)I73-4S03 '^ 68 CANADA AS IT IS. now and then for hunting, if his inclination be that way bent. In November he ought to look out for his winter's stock of fire- wood, which is a matter of some importance in Canada. It is by far the most desirable plan every year to lay up a year's stock of fire-wood before-hand, for green wood ta- ken to burn, moulders away, and does not give that heat which is derived from wood that has been laid by for some time; the ashes that a family will make through the season, is of some consequence; a shed should be erected, not too near the dwelling, tn case of fire, but at a convenient distance, to keep the ashes thoroughly dry, and many dollars woukl accumulate in the course of a year. In Novem- ber, the snow usually commences, then the farmer has to look out for good winter quarters for his cattle, and also to see that his own dwelling is Well tiled in, get all his vegetables out of the ground, and have a plenty of grain ground, for many of the mills are stopped during the winter months, from the severity of the frost. November is generally the slaughtering month; some sheep are killed, and are hung up to freeze for the winter supply, and pigs, beef, &c. December is frequently an open month, till Christmas, and the farmer might keep on with his under-brushing and chopping till after he has eaten his Christmas dinner. The CANADA AS IT IS. m snow getting sufficieDtly deep, and the rivers freez- ing hard, sleighing generally begins. Now is the time to get the sleighs and harness in proper order, or this is the season for the settler who happens to have no good summer's road to his residence* to take what produce he may have to spare to market. The houses at this season of the year are kept very warm and comfortable, by means of stoves, particularly the large double ones. Those stoves are fixed so that one will warm two rooms, and the pipes aie so arranged as to give considerable heat to the upper parts of the houses. In the lower province particularly, the houses in the winter are kept so hot, as to be almost suffocating^ and fre- quently accidents occur from persons not being aware of the heat of their stoves. In January the ice begins to be of a proper thickness to bear a load with safety. The method adopted here, in order to ascertain if it be of a pro- per thickness to bear a horse with sleigh and load, is to take a good sharp axe and to' strike ittinto the ice with all your might at one single blow, and if you penetrate to the water, it is considered not safe enough to travel on "with a load, but if no water gushes out, it might then be trusted. It is extreme- ly pleasant to travel on the ice, the horses being well corked, will trot along at great speed, and with F2 is 70 CANADA AS IT IS. perfect safety ; and where it happens to be a road well frequented, the tinkling of the bells, the speed of the horses, and the variety of the vehicles, give it an air of great gaiety. It is delightful to travel on the ice on a line moon-light night ; for although it freezes harder at night than in the day, yet from there being generally little or no wind, the cold is not nearly so much felt; the greatest danger is being caught in a snow-storm. It is a custom in the win- ter to make, or rather plant roads on the ice; it is done when the ice first takes, by collecting a quan- tity of green brush, the branches of the fir and ce- dar trees, making holes in the ice, and planting this brush in groves across the ice to any given place; it thus serves for a road all the winder. At differ- ent places, both on the St. Lawrence and on the Ottawa, you will see these roads continuing for miles, and are of the greatest utility. With the ex- ception of travelling about, the farmer has little to do now, besides feeding his stock. Nothing is to be seen but the tops of *' i fences ; and the build- ings, and sometimes fonc and all, are totally buri- ed in the snow. Winter has now assumed her wonted stillness — all in the forest is silent as the tomb — not a bird — not a sound — not a creature, is now to be seen or heard — not even a leaf to rus- tle on the trees — it is now the midnight of nature's slumbers. 1^1 f the Briash Kingdom. This district is r^msrk-^ able ft>r the number the road» frequently in herds of twelte or sixteen, wM^h iw unusual, asi they seldom herd more iS^n Wo or^ three together. In some particuku* spcts ther0i are what are termed deer licks : lhese< ai^ saH springs, of which these animals are So f§ ill 4' i i,(M !• i Is I 100 CANADA AS IT IS. On leaving Cobourg, you pass on the high road leading to the capital of Upper Canada, the coun- try is in many places along the line of this road still a wilderness ; here and there are some good clearances, but they are not general till near Port Hope, which is sixty miles below York. This is another village similar to Cobourg, but not so large : it also butts on Lake Ontario, over which it has an extensive view. Port Hope contains at present about forty or fifty dwellings, and is now one of those pretty pleasant country villages so oflen to be met with. Leaving Port Hope you now soon arrive at what might be termed the Yorkshire of Upper Canada; for here are the towns of Darlington, Scarborough, Harrowgate, Whitby and Pickering, and a township called Scarborough; and these places are settled very much by natives from York- shire. Many of the Upper Canada loyalists have settled on and about Scarborough. Doubtless the term is generally understood ; they are persons from the United States, originally from British parents, who at the time of the American war, would not, from conscientious motives, take up arms against their original country and kindred. They withdrew from the States, and placed them- selves under the protection of the British govern- CANADA AS IT 18. 101 tnent, who as a recompense for the sacrifices they had made, gave them grants of lands iu the Cana- das, and also to their children. When within about six miles of the town of York, it presents a very good and extensive view of it, stretching itself along the beach, on the north- west side of the harbour. In the distant vievr, and commanding the entrance to the harbour, is the garrison, which has a very formidable appear- ance. The suburbs are marked by all those characteristics observable in the vicinity of most large towns at home. Dotted hcie and there are neat pretty villas, built on a handsome construc- tion, having those compact little paddocks and shrubberies which so much adorn the country- house. The first structure that engages the attention, is the new, handsome, and substantial wooden bridge built over the river Don. In the entrance to the town as well as this, many other handsome and useful buildings which now ornament it, was com- pleted under the direction of the present excellent Governor Sir John Colborne. The next building of any consequence is the arge brick Catholic Church, a most substantial idilice. A distinguishing feature in the town of i!^ork is the numerous substantial brick dwellirii!- f; 102 CANADA Al8 IT 18. houses. The town is laid out with numerous streets butting on the lake shore, and crossing transversely the main street at right angles, called King-street ; which runs in a straight line through the heart of the town, for a mile and a quarter in length. Here is a Newgate-street and a Cheap- side, a Poultry, and Snow Uill, and many other names familiarly known in the British metropolis. Here is also another singular accumulation of names ; for on the whole side of one street,t he in- habitants which comprised only two names, (Arm- strong and Rideau.) There are a great number of stores in York, and some of them are really elegant, and well supplied with the choicest wares manufactured in Europe. They all appear to do a great deal of business. York is altogether a place of extensive trade with the western part of the Upper Province ; and the thickly settled townships surrounding it, is in fact the bay to this important part of Upper Canada. It is astonishing in the time of sleighing in the winter, when the roads are good, to see the num- ber of large sleighs, with wheat and various kinds of produce, coming into the town ; and it is alto- gether a very novel sight. Sometimes will be observed fifteen or tv/enty of those large box sleds, some drawn by two horses, others by four, all at eANADA A8 IT 18* 103 full trot Mrith their bells jingling, some driven by jolly looking Quakers, some by the singular £ t called Tankards, who never shave their beards,— these growing nearly down to their middles, and with their little skimmer hats and long coats, have a most extraordinary appearance.>*-Then comes an Indian, >vith his well known dress, the universal blanket, driving in a load of frozen deer to mar- ket,~>next a Yankee, with his load of frozen pigs, all as stiffas the shafts of his sleigh, himself dressed in his homespnn suit of brown, — all these charac- ters form a very striking contrast. The quantity of wheat deposited in York during the winter is very great ; many of the principal storekeepers of the town purchasing very largely of this commodity. A large body of the farmers in Yonge-street, and in the townships in the vicinity of York, have adopted the plan of storing their own wheat; they have formed themselves into an association, and have built a very large storage at York, on tlie margin of the lake^ where they store it in the win- ter, while the roads are good, and transport it down in the Spring, — thus securing to themselves the best prices. They have their secretary in York to see to the storage, and keep the account of de- posits, &c. 104 CANADA . . IT 19. I The public market of York is uncommonly well supplied daily with fresh meat, poultry, vegetables, butter, cheese, &c. both in summer and winter. The present market house, which is extensive, appears scarcely large enough to accommodate the inhabi- tants of this fast increasing town. A contract has been made for the erection of a new market-house, and it is stated, that the estimated cost of the build- ing will be about six thousand five hundred poiinds currency. The prices of meat generally in the York market is, for beef about three pence per pound ; mutton four pence ; veal Iho same ; a fat goose for two shillings ; turkeys three and six- pence to five shillings ; fowls nine pence to one shilling and six pence ; butter eight to ten pence ; cheese five pence. York is also at some seasons of the year well supplied with fish taken in the lake. The salmon is excellent, and in great plenty. The lake salmon . does not quite equal in flavour that taken in salt water. The colour is not so bright, but the fish are equally large, and very good eating. They are not caught in nets, but with the spear ; the fisherman goes out at night in canoes or boats, keeping a light in the bow, which attracts the fish, when they are struck with the barbed spear, and easily secured. The lakes produce another very •*: CANADA AS IT 11. 105 eicelleiit fish, called white fish, generally of about three or four pounds weight ; also the blue backed herring, much larger than the common herring, but of the same species. It is somewhat like the fresh herring, but rather of a milkish flavour. In fact, the most of those fish in the lakes are migrators from the sea ; and there is no doubt, if the sea- fish could be introduced into the lakes, but they would breed and thrive in fresh water. A gentleman of Upper Canada has proposed to the House of Assembly to vote the sum of fivo hundred pounds, to be appropriated to the pur- chase of all kinds of live sea fish, lobsters, oysters, and all descriptions of shell as well as other sea- fish, to be deposited in the lakes, lor the purpose of trying the experiment of raising an inland sup- ply. The various descriptions of herring (known to be natives of the sea) — flourish in these waters. There can be no reason why other natives of the same element should not also succeed, at least, it is not improbable. They now have a supply of fresh cod and oysters at York in the winter, but they are brought a distance of six or seven hun- dred miles, and of course the price is proportion- ate. York is fast becoming a place of considerable importance. The situation is central, between a H2 r 106 CANaOA AI it 18. great extent of inland navigation and a very large tract of well settled country. All the supplies, for above a hundred and fifly miles above it, are drawn from York. There are already many considerable establishments in its neighbourhood, such as paper makers, hatters, parchment makers, potteries, and many other branches; and the mechanics generally, in and about York, are the most ingenious and best in the Province, and are here very numerous. The grist-mills in the vicinity of York, too, de- serve notice ; they are upon a most ingenious and efiective construction ; they are afler the American model, and are certainly the most simple, effective, and expeditious in their operations. It is not the custom here for millers to measure in the wheat they purchase, but to weigh all at the rate of sixty pounds to the bushel. The mills receive the wheat at the weighing machine i it then passes on in a trough worked by cogs, placed in rollers ; then by conductors,— (these are a kind of leather pouch, each holding about a pint)-^it is taken up to the smut machine, then to the fanning mill; from thence down to the griu<3«ng stones ; up again by conductors to be bolted ; from thence i! passes in- to the large receiving bin, and into the barrels. — Thus the wheat is taken in at the weighing ma- 's » CANADA AS IT IB. 107 chinOf pasflos through all those evolutions ; and from the time of its being weighed till it is fine flour, and in the barrel, no hand touches it ijit is all done by a simple piece of machinery. Flour and wheat are articles of considerable trade at York. Salt is another article of importance ; and nearly, if not qoite all, the salt that passes through the hands of the merchants at York, is imported from Onondaga in the States, where it is made. The amount paid to the Americans, for this single article, in the course of a year, must be some thou- sands of pounds. There are the r^ame facilities for manufac luring salt in some parts of the Upper Province, which, they have in the inland part of the States — namely, salt springs : but who is to advance the necessary capital, in this Province, re- quired to carry on such works? We have no banks here to assist us. Thus thousands are annu- ally spent in th? Province, both for this and many other necessaries. The inns an^ other places of accommodation are very numerous in York ; and some of them are kept in the best order, and on a very large scale. There are likewise many private boarding-houses, equal, if not superior, to any in the Province ; and the charges, considering the nature of those ac- H3 .::, .V^V:<■. -■•/:-■. iilH Ki HR IEh il 1 ^^^1 11 1 108 CANADA AS IT IS. I commodations, very reasonable. Many of the taverns are kept by Americans. It is no uncommon thing in taverns in the States to find a Bible placed in each bed-room, for tho use of visiters ; and some of these taverns will supply no liquors, on Sundays, ta any persons but those really travelling ; and a very excellent and proper regulation it certainly is. The arrival of the numerous emigrants at York, during the summer, is a source of great profit to the tavern-keepers. In fact, many of them loiter at these houses much too long for their own interest. The numerous groups of emigrants collected on the beach, immediately after the arri- val of a steam-boat, is a scene of no common in- terest, and exhibits a very singular taste in the ideas of economy. You will see, probably, a few old chairs not worth half a dollar each, which have been brought nearly or quite five thousand miles ; with old bedsteads, and other pieces of common furniture, that could have been disposed of at home for nearly as much as new would cost here ; for wood being so very- abundant in Canada, these common articles of furniture are very cheap in most parts of the Province ; very good common chairs, quite new, are to be bought for four or five shillings each, and sometimes less ; but the people CANADA AS IT IS. 109 at home imagine there are no persons here who can manufacture these kind of things. In this they are much mistaken ;' for such is the accumu- lation of furniture for sale in the Upper Province, that the body of cabinet makers of York, during the last session of the Assembly, petitioned the House to pass an act prohibiting the importation of furniture from the United States; therefore, emigrants should not bring any lumbering heavy furniture with them to this country. The navigable part of the emigrant's long jour- ney generally ends at York ; and here are to be seen groups of men, women, and children, each betraying, in their countenances, marks of the un- settled state of their ideas in this, to them, strange country. Some are anxiously seeking their friends ; some are inquiring for the most eligible situations to settle in ; others are endeavouring to procure present employment : and many are the dupes of unprincipled characters, who, for the sake of plun- dering these poor strangers, often lead them into situatioiis the most inimical to their interest. The trades of York appear to be more distinctly classed than are to be observed in many other town«J in Canada. There are drapers who appear to keep only those peculiar kind of goods in their immediate line, denominated dry goods. Hem H4 110 CANADA AS IT IS. are grocery and spirit stores, selling nothing but heavy kinds of goods, spirits, and wines. Whis- key is an article to be had exceedingly cheap, as low as one shilling and six pence a gallon : cider, too, is very cheap — at about three pence per gal- lon, and very good. There are in York iron- mongers, silversmiths, druggists, stationers, &c., who respectively seem to confine themselves to the sale of their legitimate articles of trade. The suburbs of York are remarkable for the rich appearance of its numerous gardens, which exhibit the evident marks of a congenial climate. Apples, particularly, thrive in the greatest luxu- riance. Most kinds of fruit and vegetables seem to flourish here ; the red currant and the plum grow to a very great size ; cabbages, celery, cauliflow- ers, and in fact all kinds of culinary vegetables, are raised here in the greatest abundance. They have here a pea called the six week pea, which is planted and comes to maturity in six weeks. Many fruits and vegetables are raised in Upper Canada which will not come to perfection at home, at least not in the open air. Melons are here planted openly in the gardens, or in the fields ; indeed, they succeed best on a spot where a log heap has been burnt. Cucumben? also grow to an uncom- mon size when planted in the same spots. They CANADA AS IT IS. Ill are also much better than those grown in Europe, If some kinds of garden seeds are sown here in the fall of the year, they succeed well ; and persons would profit much by adopting this system — of sowing onions, carrots, parsnips, and asparagus, and other kinds of the hardy plants, that frost will not injure. Seeds, by being sown in the fall of the year, acquire an early growth in the Spring, and get strong before the grub attacks them. About fifty miles above York, towards the West- ern District, and at Niagara, which is thirty-six miles across the lake, peaches grow in the greatest abundance, on trees planted in the gardens or or- chards, just the same as the apples. They are not so large as those raised on wall trees, nor have they the same rich appearance; they are green when ripe, but are very sweet and good, — are used in great quantities for preserving, and are also made into peach brandy. They are brought from Niagara to York in very large boat loads, and sold out of the boats at the wharf side, at sometimes a shilling, dnd even as low as six pence a bushel. The harbour of York presents a scene of great interest when the navigation of the lake is open. Her placid waters being the receptacle of a great variety of craft, — flight fancy painted skiffs, some for pleasure, some for business, a numerous an- H5 112 CANADA AS IT IS. chorage of sloops freighted with a variety of pro- duce ; one handsome steamer, just departing ; another of portentous dimensions, just now seen in the offing, — regarded with an anxious eye by the groups of characters walking to and fro on the long extended wharf. The whole scene presents to the view an interest not et\3i\y conceived. There have been for the last two or three years, three large steam-boats running constantly between Prescott and Niagara, — the splendid new steamer, the Great Britain, now makes the fourth. Nia- gara is merely the nominal place of destination. The steam-boats generally land four fifths of their cargoes and passengers at York. The Canada runs every morning to Niagara, and returns the same afternoon. There is also another at the head of the lake, taking passengers and loading for Hamihon, Dundas, Ancaster, and all parts of the west. The improvements in the town of York are making inconceivable progre. "<. Both public and private buildings, of the most substantial kind, are being erected in all directions. They are mostly of brick, of which article there is now an immense quantity made near the town. Mechanics of all grades obtain ready employment. The supplies of lumber and other building materials are not more sergej milital banitj busini Fal lege CANADA AS IT IS. 113 than commensurate with the demand. In fact, the prosperity and growth of the capital seems to keep pace with the general improvement of the Pro- vince. The large handsome brick buildings, now near- ly completed, immediately opposi*.e the lake, re- flect the greatest credit on those engaged in their erection. These buildings are intended for the sittings of the Houses of Assembly, and the legis- lative body ; and also for the occupation of some of the public offices. The government here ap- pears to be concentrating the public offices under the same roof, — a most desirable regulation ; for at present they are distributed all over town ; and after a person has transacted business at one oHice, it takes him half a day to find out the next. The Government House, (the present residence of Sir John Colborne,) is a large white painted build- ing, immediately in the rear of the building just alluded to. It altogether occupies about four acres of land, comprising a shrubbery, garden, &c. A sergeant's guard is always in attendance, and due mihtary etiquette is observed. The greatest ur- be^nity and attention is shown to all applicants on business, without distinction. Facing the Government House is the new Col- lege of Upper Canada, comprising a large extent i mi^ i '■t i 114 CANADA AS IT IS. I of buildings. The present, number of scholars is about two hundred. There are three classical masters — two writing masters — a drawing and French master, with a few assistants. The estab- lishment of this college is of the most incalculable advantage to the residents in and near York, and of Upper Canada generally ; for here they have the means of giving their sons a liberal education for a comparatively trifling expense, the whole of the college fees not amounting to more than eight or ten pounds a year. Near the college stands the hospital, a large commodious building, well adapted for the purpose for which it is intended. There are many elegant private residences in the vicinity of York, built in a style that would do credit to any place in Europe. The jail and court- house are built in a manner that renders them an ornament to the body of the town. The House of Assembly is at present held at the court-house. It consists of about fifty members— attorneys, doc- tors, farmers, merchants, &c. The place w here they now hold their sittings, is in an immense room about eighty fee^ in length by forty in breadth. There are three or four anti- rooms for the ac commodation of committees, &c. The room of sitting is fitted up with every con- CANADA AS IT 18. 115 venience for the accommodation of the memberi. Each member has a desk, enclosing a secretaire for the deposite of his letters and papers. At the extremity of the room is 'm elevated throne under a canopy ; above which are his Majesty's coat of arms. The throne is occupied by the speaker, who sits in his robe of office and shovel hat. There are tha mace bearer, sergeant-at-arms, usher of the Mack rod, &c., all in attendance. There is also an elevated enclosure for the accommodation of the gentlemen of the press. The House usually sits from the beginning of January to the middle of March. At the opening of the session, the Governor goes in state tc the House in a similar form to that observed by the King at home — ^being here his representative. The bank of York is a large handsome building, entered by a flight of stone steps ; having doors, and the fittings up in the inside, of mahogany. The business, which is now very considerable, seems to be conducted with great regularity and despatch. There are no lack of professional men in York, having a considerable number of lawyers and doc- tors. The periodical publications appear to be very well supported in the town and its vicinity. There are five regular weekly papers, besides the Govern- ment Gazette — ^these are the Courier, the Colonial ii i 116 CANADA AS IT IS. Advocate, Canadian Freeman, Observer, and the Christian Guardian. The price of papers in Canada is generally four dollars a year. There is great encouragement for mechanics in and about York. The wages of sinitbs and car- penters are seven shillings and six pence a day ; masons about the same. Most other trades are well paid. They certainly may live very much cheaper here than at home ; and if they are sober men, they have a chance of saving money. Shoe makers, hatters, and tailors, get the highest wages in York, for such is the gaiety of this thriving town, that their respective trades are well encou- raged. Here are advertising boot makers from »♦ Hoby's," tailors from " Bond-street," and milli- ners and dress makers from the " West End ;" in fact, here is a London in miniature. iPhe place is yet too small to support a regular theatre ; although they have occasionally some travelling performers. The gaiety of York is developed in their private parties, which is greatly enhanced by the beauty and vivacity of the fair sex. The religious sects are of many denom^nsLUons, • — ^the Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Congregationalists, and Episcopalians ; and what- ever they might be in other parts of the Province, the latter are the most numerous in the capital Th( regard Ontari CAITADA AS IT IS. 117 The site of York is admirably chosen, as far as regards its convenience for the navigation of Lake Ontario ; possessing a safe, commodious, and capacious bay, secuilu^ to craft of every descrip- tion a safe anchorage. The lands, also, on the western side of the town, are high a!!d dry, and admirably adapted for building, but there is a great drawback on the score of its unhealthiness of situa- tion on the eastern side of the town, which, it is much to be feared, is irremoveable. At the head of the bay^ which comes to the east side of Tork, are some vf^ry extensive stagnant marshes ; they extend for six or seven miles ; and are considered to be the principal agents in germinating the local diseases felt more or less in and ebout the town. In Reesorville are two good taverns, two or three smiths, carpenters, a saddler, tailors, shoe makers, a regular post-office, several stores, and a church is now being built. . - ^*t These little new village?, built up in the centre of the forest, have a most extraordinary appear- ance to any person who has been familiar with European towns. There, the immense space of surrounding country, all open to the view, is gene- rally seen : here is, as it were, a town fenced in by an interminable forest. -^ -; - " ' > : yf-\'^ 118 CANADA AS IT IS. A person travelling through the bush, feels much about the same sensation as he would, were he to be travelling through any part of the United King- dom, with a bandage over his eyes, and only hav- ing it released upon his coming to any town or village. He is not always lonesome on his way ; he sometimes may see a deer crossing his path ; or the red or black si uirrel playing in the trees ; and peradventure he might meet with a bear. Birds are seldom to be seen much in the heart of the forest, with the exception of the solitary woodpecker. The feathered tribe generally ap- pear to be of a social habit ; in the clearances, and near the villages they appear to be most at home. The inhabitants in this neighbourhood derive a great advantage from the abundance of suimon in the river Ruish, a small stream commu- nicating with Lake Ontario. Each family in the Spring obtains enough to supply them for many months. Further on in this direction of the country, lie the thriving townships of Brock, Innisfil, and others. Lands about these townships are to be had cheap, and consequently a desirable place of settlement for the emigrant who has but small means ; and the roads, all through this part of the country to York, are good. '\9fi>i*f I CANADA AS IT IS. 119 On the Yonge-street, about eighteen miles from York, are the very high lands, called the Oak Ridges ; they extend for some miles, and are nearly all sandy and poor. But from hence up- wards, the soil is of the most fertile description. On the top of these Ridges, is a lake of about a mile in circumference, and said to be twenty or thirty fathoms in depth. A few miles beyond them is the settlement of the curious sect called Tankards. They are dissenting Quakers; they do not marry ; their dress is a long suit of home- spun brown cloth ; they do not shayo their beards, and altogether exhibit a most singular appearance. A few miles from hence is the town of New- market, a place of importance in this part of the couiitry. Newmarket comprises about a hundred houses ; it is situated in the heart of a rich pro- ductive country, and is a place of great business of various descriptions. Here are two excellent grist- mills ; besides saw-mills, a hat and chair manu- factory, which are very extensive ; and a cloth or carding mill. The texture of the cloth made at this mill is of a fair quality ; and fhe farmers in the neighbourhood have only to dress and prepare their wool a little, when it is taken to the mill, and is returned a good serviceable cloth. Newmarket is quite a manufacturing town, upon 120 CANADA A8 IT 11* a small scale. Here is a large fur establishment^ where thoy carry on an extensive trade in furs with the Indians about Lake Huron, and further north- ward. Here may be occasionally seen a body of Indians ; they are very large, being on an average at least seven feet high ; and their limbs are in proportion. These are entirely devoid of clothing, and their arms are certainly as large as the fore leg of an ox. They are part of a tribe of Indians, inhabiting the country about the Rocky Mountains, ten or fifteen hundred miles from hence. They were at war with a neighbouring tribe, who, not* withstanding their gigantic size, appear to have been more than a match for them, for the last party seen at York were a few, deputed by their tribe, to come down with the view of solicit- ing the assistance of the government against the hostile tribes. The government of course refused to interfere, and they were obliged to return to their own regions. They appear to be possessed of great strength and agility ; they can run as fast as a middling horse can gallop. All kinds of produce are raised in great plenty in the vicinity of Newmarket. They are remark- able here for the extremely fine quality of their honey ; it is quite equal to the Narbonne honey, so celebrated in Europe. CANADA AS IT 18. 121 neiitf I with lorlh- dy of crage ire in thing, it plenty remark- of their 3 honeyi The next place, five miles beyond Newmarket, is one of the most interesting little villages in the whole Province. From the peculiarity of the sect, the Davidites, or Children of Peace^ as they call themselves, who inhabit it, and to whom it belongs, it is generally called the Village of Hope. Some call it David's Town, from the name of its founder, David Wilson, who is still living, and the head of this sect. The road from Newmarket to David's Town lies in a zigzag direction, and the village opens abruptly to the view, which gives it a pecu- liarly striking effect. Its site is moi^t picturesque, being situated on the declivity of a hill of conside- rable elevation. The village is composed of about forty or fifty remarkably neat, clean dwellings; but what gives the most imposing effect is, the handsome newly built temple, which is built near- ly on the summit of the hill, and is now nearly finished. It is intended for their public worship, and is built somewhat afler the manner of Solo- mon's Temple. It is of a pyramidical form : the extreme height is about eighty feet; length and breadth of base about seventy feet, — contracting in elevation. It is decorated at the top with a gilded ball. The whole is of wood work, and painted white. The fitting up of the interior does them much credit. There is a handsome pulpit ; Ii22 CANADA AS IT IS. also an orchestra for the musicians, and their sing* ing virgins, and every accommodation that can he desired. The building and finishing of this tem- ple have been accomplished wholly by themselves. This sect lives in a little community, entirely to themselves. All matters of dispute arising be< tween them are referred to David; he was their founder ; he is now their director and lawgiver : all their produce passes through his hands. They are many of them farmers, cultivating the lands surrounding the village. David keeps the store : the general produce of the community is deposit- ed with him, and is conveyed to York, for sale, regularly twice a-week ; and he accounts to the different members for the amount of produce sent to market. This David Wilson is a singular and original character : he is very anxious to ob- tain converts to his creed, for which purpose he goes about to the different villages, for twenty miles or more, to deliver his doctrines. He fre- quently preaches in York ; and wherever he goes, he draws large congregations, — not only to hear his proaching, which is purely original, but also his singing men, his musicians, and his virgins, — some of which always follow in his train. '"^ David, in person, is of the middle stature, about sixty years of age, a healthy looking man; he ■^9:'i CANADA AS IT IS. 123 squints much, and has a flat heavy appearance. He, in common with the whole of the sect, weari^ a homespun blueish mixture : his walk is peculiar, — he appears to move as if he were pulling his legs afler him ; his speech has a strong nasal twang, — ^his dwelling is a large respectable house near the temple, — the virgins have a separate apart- ment,-*-they are all kept well employed ;. some at spinning, others sewing, and different kinds of work. The principle of the Davidites appears to be, a mutual assistance to each other. They are not absolutely embodied in one and the same socie- ty, as is the case with Mr. Owen's establishments : but though living in one community, and having their laws and regulations within themselves, yet, as to personal property, each individual is distinct. David obtained a large quantity of land, which he sells out to the different members of his sect. They all have separate farms, but each member turns in his surplus produce to David for advances, &c., made ; they severally contribute towards the, general expenses of the establishment, — such ad building their temple, or any other undertaking for their general accommodation. Any man who has a farm or other occupation may, if he choose, be- come a convert to this sect, and join in the com- munity, — submitting, of course, to their laws and 12 mm 1 mi mm , 124 CANADA AS IT Id. regulations. This singular sect, though professing the doctrines of Christianity, appear to consider it as indispensable to unite with it as much as pos- sible the observance of some part of the ordinances contained in the Mosaic law. They profess to take the model of their institution from some parts of the book of Kings. David has an establishment of virgins, who keep up an annual feast, after the manner of the feast of Belshazzar, and some other religious ob- servances, in accordance with the ancient Mosaic institutions. On the occasion of their annual feast, they prepare the most sumptuous and expensive entertainment, which is open to all who choose to attend. There is music, dancing, and every demonstration of joy. The Davidites, although strictly enforcing the rigid principles of their doctrine, do not conform themselves in the out- ward man, at least, as far as regards their dress, to any particular plainness of habit. The virgins, when seen at a place of worship, are all dressed in white, and uniformly. They, together with all the women belonging to the sect, used to be drilled to the use of fire-arms, probably in case of extremity, to defend themselves ; on one occa- sion, however, one of their muskets burst, after which accident they declined the practice. Any CANADA A3 IT IB. 12^ of the unmarried men of the sect, who takes a fancy to either of the virgins, makes known his ideas to David, who communicates to her the proposal made ; and if she should wish to enter into the- holy state of matrimony, an appointment is made for a meeting of two hours' duration ; (which is all that is allowed ;) and when a final decision, either favorable or otherwise, is made. The sect of Davidites have not been located here more than about fifteen or twenty years. They give ample proof of having rapidly increased in number and property, which clearly demonstrate that where a settlement is closely connected, — where they are concentrated as nearly as possible, -here there are every means of communication liiat can be desired, — and where, in fact, they study each others' interests, — it is then that settlements will prosper. Each individual has his own immediate success at stake ; which is a wholesome stimulus to every roan's exertion ; although the whole body have a corresponding feeling for the success and pros- perity of each other ; for they are well aware, that although each distinct member depends on him- self, yet if the whole body be not prosperous, it must operate in some degree inimical to the inte- rest of alL 13 ' i % 126 CANADA AS IT IS. The country around Newmarket is much settled by Quakers ; particularly the township of Whit^ church. They are a most industrious class of peo- ple : those to be met with in many parts, are of pe^ culiarly reserved, shy v primitive kind of habits, un- sociable and apparently have little or no correspon- dence with the rest of mankind. But the Quakers, settled hereabouts, are of a very different cha- racter ; for though they have a peculiarity of man- ners, yet they are a cheerful, free, pleasant people and extremely hospitable. They are branches of the original sect settled in Pennsylvania, and many of them are wealthy, and appear to live in very com- fortable circumstances. Their houses are always open to strangers, and the best their house affords. The road leading towards Lake Simcoe, through the township of Georgina, is well settled. Here is rather a large settlement of half-pay officers, who appear to live very respectably. Lake Sim- coe is about twenty miles across, and is in the direct line with Penetanguishene. About seventy . miles above Newmarket, Latte Simcoe is a beauti- ful picturesque spot, affording an abundance of fish, particularly salmon, which are taken here, both in winter and summer. Penetanguishene is a station of the government, where a strong garrison is regularly kept up. As CANADA AS IT 18. m a point of defence, it is most judiciously chosen, and is capable of defending a large tract of coun- try. It is so defended by nature, that no enemy could ever surprise it. This post is at the extre- mity of the settled part of Upper Canada. The cli-^ mste here is much the same as in other parts of the Uppc r ProxancO ; probably the winters are a little shorter : bw; they are in some seasons very severe^ — *the thermometer frequently at twenty-five and thirty degrees below zero. This is a part of the globe where the Northern Lights, or the Aurora Borealis, are seen to great perfection. Sometimes they appear absolutely to blaze in the air. The country further northward is very imper- fectly, if at all known, except to the Indians ; and they have a particular antipathy against giving any information whatever respecting the extreme in- land parts' of the country : they are afraid, as they say, of White Man, lest they should destroy their hunting ground. The country between Lake Simcoe and Pene* tasguishene is but partially settled. The situation is as yet too insulated for settlers ; the soil and climate are good ; and in the course of a few more years, there "is no doubt but this will become a flourishing part of the province. 14 11 . i' I 128 CANADA AS IT IS. The ither main road out of York is called Dun* das-street, which leads round by Hamilton to Nia- gara, a distance by land of one hundred miles. Niagara and the immediate surrounding country is now styled the garden of the Upper Province. Certain it is, that in the neighborhood of Niagara, Queenstown, St. Catharines, &c., the climate is peculiarly mild, and vegetation flourishes in an astonishing degree. Dundas-street was originally intended to extend from Kingston to Talbot's set- tlement, a distance of five hundred miles. Th e whole line of road is now laid out and traversed ; but the only part of it that is known as Dundas- skeet, is that between York and Dundas, a dis- tance of fifly miles. At th6 commencement of ^is road, out of York, during about seven miles, are the plains, or high lands ; the country has then a more interesting appearance, and is remarkably well settled. About ten miles from York is an excellent inn, kept by a Yorkshireman, — a man whose whole attention and interest seem to be devoted to the health and well-being of his horses. This person keeps a good house, and is the chief proprietor of the stages running between York and Hamilton, for it is now a regular stage thorough- fare from York round to Niagara, and the road is excellent all the way. The road from York to CANADA AS IT IS. 129 k Hamilton is remarkable for the most picturesque scenery that is probably to be met with on any road of tho same distance in the world : the deep glens give it a peculiar novelty. In some of these glens you have to descend a declivity of a mile or more, so perpendicular, that on the approach to it you appear to be going straight forward from the edge of one precipice to the other, — (for the valley is not a quarter of a mile wide at the bottom,) — when all at once the immense gulf beneath opens to the view ; — particularly at what is called the Sixteen Mile Creek. A few miles from this place, is the interesting Indian village, called Hurontario. It is composed of about forty iiouses, inhabited wholly by Indians. Thbv have each a few acres of land attached to their dwellings, for the purpose of raising vegeta- bles, &c. They follow their usual occupations of hunting, fishing, &c., and are by far the most civilized body of Indians that are to be met with in the Canadas. They are a remnant of the tribe of the late celebrated Indian«*Chief Tecumseh, — a Chief who distinguished himself in a very remark- able manner in the last American war in which he was slain. Tecumseh was the Na'polton among the Indians of the West. He fought and led on his bands most 15 130 CANADA AS IT IS. heroically, in concert with the British troops, against the American forces, and fell nobly, and was deeply lamented. His name was equally a terror to his enemies, as it was eulogized and venerated by his immediate followers. Our go- vernment, as a reward for the merits of this tribe, has been at the entire expense of building this village for their removal. It also makes them annual presents of blankets, provisions, &c. There is a school established in the village, which is most ably conducted by a Mr. Jones, a native of the tribe, but who has received a good educa- tion in England, and is a well-informed, gentle- manly young man. They have a chapel, and Mr. Jones is also their minister. At their devotions they appear to be most devout and attentive. They have deposited with them an English standard, which they fail not to hoist on any particular occa- sion, — such as a visit from the governor, &c. The village of Hurontario is the picture of neatness and cleanliness ; and it imparts a most pleasant feeling to see these poor savages now re- claimed from a life of barbarism and ignorance. Jiving in comfort and prosperity, and under the dictates of a pure and rational religi on. Dundas-street is so remarkably well settled, — ♦' "re are so many good inns, excellent farm-houses I '■ CANADA AS IT IS. 131 surrounded by thrivingyoung well-bearing orchards, the whole of the rond interspersed with many hand- some villas, some yery superior, — that it naturally suggests to the mind of the traveller, of his passing through a country on the other side of the Atlantic. About thirty miles above York was, some few years ago, the residence of Mr. Gait, the ex-su- perintendant of the Canada Company's affaira here. It is a most delightful spot, having a very extensive view both over a large tract of inland country, and also over Lake Ontario, Burlington Bay, &c. Here the road to Guelph branches off out of the Dundas-street. It is from hence twen- ty-six miles. This is the only place in Canada where hand-posts are put up to denote the places and distance to where the iroads lead ; probably these were erected by the Company. The road to Guelph is good, and pretty well settled. The city was laid out and built principally by the Canada Company : it bears the name in honor to the royal family of England. It is a scattered kind of place. There are a few tolerable good inns,^-mechanics of various grades, smiths, carpenters, a grist and saw mill, a brewery, &c. This was intended as the principal stgition of the Company, and doubt- less they anticipated a rapid flow of settlers to aci 132 CANADA AS IT IS. .#. cumulate in its neighborhood, but this expectation has not been altogether realized ; however, it must be recollected that Guelph is as yet quite in its in- fancy : five years ago, and the place was not. There are some settlers in its vicinity, who appear to be getting about them the comforts of life. They have many of them tolerable good clearances, plenty of stock, comfortable houses, &c., nnd seem to be well contented. It is astonishing with what patience and fortitude, many new settlers endure their first hardships, and in some cases they are of DO ordinary stamp ; yet it must be borne in mind, that they have the strongest and most rational stimu- lants to persevere and overcome present difiicul- ties, — ^to forego, at least for a time, many of the comforts of life. They feel they are working on their own soil, iheir freehold land, and either he or his family will one day or other reap the advan- tages. These recollections seem to sweeten all the toils and fatigues endured more or less by every new settler. Every acre of land he converts from the wilderness into cultivation is his own ; every tree he fells, adds to his real property. These are stimulants that will naturally operate on the mind of every man, to urge him on in spite of a little present fatigue and privation ; to make every ef- Cbrt in his power to becorje the independent pos- CANADA AS IT IS. 133 Bition must 8 in- not. ppear They inces, sQem what ndure ure of mind, stimu- ifficul- of the Ling on sr he or advan- iten all y every rts from ; every [lese are )e mind • a little >very ef- ent pos- sessor of the soil he treads on, and that which will supply food for himself and family. On the Dundas-street, about fiileen miles far« thek*, is the little picturesque town of Dundas, si- tuated at the bottom of an immensely deep glen ; the road ascends for many miles before coming to this glen, it then descends at least three miles, and is in some places very steep, down to the town of Dundas. It is a little compact, neat place, of some business too. There are four or five stores of ra- ther a superior kind. Dundas is a place that will immediately strike the traveller who has ever seen the romantic scenery of Switzerland. It is sur- rounded on every side by hills, rising abruptly above the town, which are traversed in every di- rection by circuitous winding paths leading to the numerous dwellings — ^built, some on the summit, and others on the sides of those hHls. Dundas is a second Switzerland; its romantic scenery is worth travelling a long distance to see : it is a place of considerable trade with the more inland country, and likely to become more so. A canal, called Desjardins' Canal, is now nearly completed, to communicate between Dundas and Hamilton, a distance of five miles, where it unites with the na- vigation at the head of Lake Ontario. In this part of the country, there is quite an accumulation of i> 134 CANADA AS IT l!9. small towns. There are Dundas, Ancastor, and Hamilton, all places of considerable business and population, and all within ten miles of each other. Ancaster is much larger than Dundas ; it is a place of longer standing, and more business. There are no other parts of the province that bear com- parison with this neighborhood ; the roads, tho buildings, the farms, and towns, are on a very su- perior scale ; the inns particularly, are conducted in a much better .style than those in many other parts of the province. Ancaster is a prosperous bustling town ; it has all the appearance of a regular established place ; it resembles many others, when its prosperity is insured by the spirit and enterprise of its inhabi- tants. Such appears to be the character of the merchants of Ancaster ; they show all the charac- teristics of bustling activity; they are shop-keepers, merchants, farmers, potash-makers, bankers — in fact, they unite ail the chief services of the pros- perity of the country within themselves. Ancaster lies in the direct road to the now at- tractive settlement of London, in the western dis- trict. This settlement is about eighty miles above Ancaster; the roads all "the way are good. The London settlement is now becoming a place of as mnch attraction as any new place in the province. CANADA AS IT IS. 139 I It is situated on the river Thames, flowing into Lake Erie. There are the towns of London,. Westminster, Brentford, Richmond, Oxford, and many other familiar names, all newly sprung up here, and mostly on the river Thames. The lands in this part of the province are without doubt the most productive of any in the country. On new land, they frequently get here from fifty to sixty bushels of wheat to an acre. If they can averuge forty, or even thirty, at the price that wheat has been lately realizing, even in the remotest parts of the Upper Province, it must pay well > Th^^y hav*^ been getting, during the whole of this last seasofi. a dollar a bushel. Now supposing a mnn buys a lot of land at four dollars an acre, wbtch is the highest price for wild land, unless in peculiar situa- tions, (be it observed here, that all purchasers of land in this country ought to calculate, that out of every hundred acres he buys, he must expect, upon an average, to get twenty acres of uncultivatable land,) consequently it will cost him twenty-fivo shillings an acre, the cost of t*yenty acres, there- fore, would be twenty-five pounds; to chop it will be about eight d( 'lars an acre, forty pounds ; to log, burn, and fence it, about eight dollars an acre more, another forty pounds ; the seed neces- sary for twenty acres, will be twenty bushels-^ 136 «» CANADA. AS IT IS. h?; N- twenty dollars, or five pounds; a bushel of wheat to an acre is quite enough for new land ; if more is sown it ia worse than a loss of seed; for it tends to stifle the growth of the whole ; the cutting, housing, and threshing of the above crop would be about twenty pounds more, making a total outlay of one hundred and thirty pounds. Now suppo- sing the land to average a crop of thirty bushels to the acre, which would be six hundred bushels, at a dollar a bushel — six hundred dollars — one hun- dred and fifty pounds being a surplus of twenty |>ounds over the whole outlay ; thus the first crop would pay for the land, clearing it, and putting it in a state of cultivation. The calculation here made, is upon the consideration that the settler hires and pays for all the laboi: necessary to com- plete the above undertaking. But suppose him to be an industrious character, working hard himself, or having a large family, with sons able to assist him, by wh .h means he might be able to do all, or nearly all within himself. What an important sav- ing this would be ! and people with large families, if well brought up, have a much better chance of succeec'ing here than those without. The settlement of London is rapidly accumula- ting, and there is little doubt that this will be one of the finest parts of Upper Canada, when the CANADA AS IT IS. 13T vvheat more tends itting, lid be outlay suppo- hels to lels, at 16 hiin- twenty :st crop itting it >n here settler to com- 3 him to himself, bo assist lo all, or ant sav- families, [lance of cumula- [ be one ^hen the means of transport for their surplus produce are better established, such as the Welland and Rideau Canals, &c. There are many persons from the older settlements flocking to this new place of at- traction. London and Westminster are but yet very sm^ll and thinly populated places, but in the country between them are many good farms, while the lands are being fast taken up, and the trees are rapidly cut. Oxford is already a pretty little vil- lage, containing some twenty or thirty houses, aud is one of those new interesting little villages just budding into existence. The remarkable goodness of the roads here, as well as the fertility of the soil» will greatly tend to the increase of these new set- tlements. The climate, likewise, is more tempe- rate than in the northern parts of the province. Fruit of all descriptions grow in prodigious quanti- ties, and peaches, in particular, are plentiful enough to feed pigs on, and they form a very good and fattening food. The forest in this part has altogether a different appearance to what it pre- sents in any other part of the province. There is little or no underbrush. The trees are so wide apart in some places, that a coach and six might be drawn amongst them, and the timber very large and tall, a circumstance that denotes, amongst other criterions, the richness and goodness of the .(\ i i^ i 138 CANADA. AS IT IS. soil. This is a part of the country where the wild turkeys will occasionally be met with ; they are sometimes in flocks of twenty and thirty together ; they are larger than the tame turkeys, sometimes . weighing thirty-seven pounds ; they run exceeding- ly fast, and, in fact, seldom attempt to fly, trusting to the swiflness of their speed in running as their means of escape, resembling, in this respect, the ostrich. Beyond the London settlement, on the shores of Lake Erie, is the celebrated and extensive settle- ment of Colonel Talbot, known as Talbot's Settle- ment, extending many miles. Colonel Talbot, the original settler, obtained from government a very extensive grant of lands, upon the condition of his making- actual settlements on it, and from every settler whom he can induce to locate on a lot of land, he has the privilege of retaining a certain other portion. The Colonel has been here many years, has a very large farm and establishment, and under his management the settlement has in- creased prodigiously. It is the extent of the pro- vince in this direction, being on the borders of liake Erie, which divides Canada from the United States. Hamilton, situated at the verv head of the Lake Ontario, is about ten miles below Ancaster, at thd CANADA AS IT IS. 139 I wild y are jther ; ^times eding- usting s their ct, the ores of settle- Settle- [}ot, the a very n of his 1 every a lot of certain •e many shmentf has in- the pro- •ders of United he Lake )r, at th« head of Lake Ontario ; it is a place that has grown up entirely within these few years, as about five years ago, not a vestige of it was in existence ; it now contains a population of fifteen hundred or two thousand inhabitants. Lake Ontario is rather of a triangular shape, about two hundred miles in length, and averaging about eighty to one hun- dred miles in breadth^ taking the distance from Prescott to York. The part between York and Niagara might be taken as absolutely the extent of the lake itself, but at this portion commences an inlet of the lake, which runs up fifty miles, at the head of which inlet the town of Hamilton is built. The accumulated waters of this country, flowing into a comparatively small channel, forms a matter of deep consideration for the contemplative mind ; here are the waters of Ontario, the least of the three sisters ; Erie next, and Huron a giantess to either of them ; and all these inland seas pour their united torrents into the noble St. Lawrence. In addition to these, are the waters of the Ottawa, with her thousand streams forming their junction in a manner truly astonishing ; the wonder natu- rally created in the mind is, how these accumula- ted bodies can find vent in a stream so comparative- ly small ; yet such is the fact. Neither Huron, 11 m\ I ' * m i ft I ■\\ 140 CANADA AS IT IS. Erie nor Ontario, has any other outlet, and Ottawa flows immediately into Lake St. Louis, and there joins the St. Lawrence ; nor is the St. Lawrence of that depth, to account satisfactorily for ihe accu- mulation of so vast a body. The I xtont of the vast inland resources of navi- gation if .-tiis country, can be estimated only in a very minor degree by the appearance even of thb St. Lawrence ; when the means now in operation are completed, there will be a route of unbroken inland navigation for a distance of from seven hun- dred to a thousand miles, taking the route from Lachine, by th^ Ottawa, to Grenville, through its canal again into the Ottawa to the mouth of the Rideau Canal,, and by it to Kingston, from thence by Lake Ontario to the Welland Canal, and through which, into Lake Erie. These great water com- munications offer the means of an inland naviga- tion, of an extent probably, unparalleled in the world. What an amazing extent of country is here, nine tenths and more of which, are yet in a useless state ! What if we have forty thousand emigrants out this season, scatter them over these provinces, and where are they felt ? It is true, that they may at first rush in like a torrent, and stop up the passages leading to the regular and natural channels of their several dostinatiouffrbut let them CANADA AS IT IS. 141 Spread themselves regularly and gradually over the country, let them go where their assistance is really wanted, and it will be found that an annual ad- dition of emigrants, almost to any amount, is what these provinces will still stand in need of for many years to come. Hamilton, mentioned before, at the head of On- tario, p.nd immediately ^communicating with its waters, is the place where all the produce coming from Dundas, Ancaster, and the places above, is tiihipped for transportation downward. When the canal (Desjardins) which is to commvmicate with Dundas, &c., is finished, Hamilton mu^t become a place of considerable importance ; it i;: already a bustling, busy town, increasing fast in popula- tion, buildings, and trade, and is a great tho- roughfare both in summer and winter ; in the for- mer season a steamer comes up from York, and another daily from Niagara, it lies also in the im- mediate route, by land, between York and Niagara, and also takes in the thoroughfare from the Lon- don District, the settlements on the shores of Lake Erie, &c. ; in fact, Hamilton is one of those new places just dawning into prosperity ; not that these fcvmptoms of the rising importance of the country are confined to Hamilton or to any other given place, they are general and observable in every K2 142 CANADA AS IT IS. part of Canada, and while she enjoys the present liberal policy of her mother country, she must go oa and prosper in her commorce and agricul- ture. .- "■>.■ :' A little below Hamilton i;^ Burlington l*ay, formed in a singular maimer by a aanuw i ); jal running across the inlet, about four miles broad; it is canaled in one part for the passage of vessels. Hamilton is situated exceedingly low, beiiig sur- rounded by high lands on ail sidetj, y * it appears not to be an unhealthy place, although, in hot weather, immense vapors arise here, but they as- eeod, and consequently, these residing in the low- est situations feel the least effect from them. A few years ago, the fever and ague was very preva- lent, and it was remarked that those who resided in the most elevated situations, had it the most severely, indeed, the same remarks have applied to many other places. These diseases, however, are pu^*ely local, and they recede as the country becomes cleared and open ; in fact, in the forest the natural climate of the country has not a fair chance ; there is but little admission either of air or sun, from the thick foliage of the almost impervious forest, all is stagnant and humid ; but clear away those impediments, open the country, admit a free current of air and the influence of the sun, and "^^aidUHjUiiU JUL ir'imu CANADA AS IT IS. 143 there will not be found a healthier climate in the world. The tour of inhabited Canada is now very near- ly made, but the most interesting wonder of the country, and that which is equally the astonish- ment and wonder of the world, remains yet to be seen, and such is the intense interest excited by .his stupendous work of nature, that ii person who has seen them ninety and nine times, would be equally anxious to view them the hundredth. The Falls of Niagara are about sixty miles from Hamilton, the road from that place to the town of Niagara being fifty miles, and almost all by the lake shores. The first place of any conse- quence, after leaving Hamilton, is the pretty little town of St. Catharine, situated in the centre of a finely* settled and cleared country ; it contains about a thousand inhabitants, the houses and build- ings are exceedingly good, and its site is on a rising ground, which keeps the place at all times dry and clean. The face of the surrounding coun- try assumes quite a diflferent appearance to that apparent in many other parts of Canada. The forest can be seen only at intervals, here is a continuation of farms upon rather a large scale, extensive tracts of cleared country, hill and dale, all open to view, with the comfortable look- K3 144 CANADA AS IT IS. ing farmhouse, snug and compact outbuildings, regularly square laid out fields, all well fenced, and i:'>ne of those common excrescences of the countr) ^:he stumps. The town of Niagara is situated at the mouth of the Niagara River, on the shores of Lake On- tario, eighteen miles below the falls, and is the largest and best town on the western side of the lake. This part of the country is called the Gar- den of Upper Canada, and certain it is, that the climate here, though only thirty-six miles across the lake from York, is much milder. Grapes grow here to a large size, also cherries, and in fact, all descriptions of fruit in prodigious quanti- ties, and vegetables are raised nearly a month earlier than at York. Niagara is not by any means a place of the commercid importance of York, nor has it the numerous settled townships pre- sented in the vicinity of that place, it will be ob- served, that this is the extent p yoll of many wandering spirits. Niagara! who that has ever seen Thy torrents of a tliousand streams and lakes, Their dark deep foaming mass of waters pour Into thy foaming chasm of death, or gaz'd As it did rush, as 'twere, from the infinite height Of Heaven, and seem'd as it had hence brought down; The rainbow, blast, and thunder, such the light Around thy brow, and sudden rush of winds — And ceaseless, ponderous peals of sound, — or who Hath been beneath these everlasting walls Of tumbling torrent, and unshaken rock. CANADA AS IT IS. 14T run- jock- oar f" igHt ght dowiiB ght )!• who Arch'd as a palace oi .najnrnificcncc, Where nature reigns in dark sii1)Hmity, And felt not an oppressive sense of power And majesty of Him, who thus doth pour The cataract from his palm. Niagara! if now thou'rt grand — Far grander still, when haunts of men were not Upon thy shore, and the vast solitude Of boundless, trackless wilderness, through which Thou'st worn thy deep and rock-bound path, appeared, Awe struck, to tremble at thy dreadful voice. About five miles above the cataract, the river •expands to the dimensions of a lake, after which it gradually narrows ; the rapids commence at the upper extremity of Goat Island, which is half a mile in length, and divides the river at the point of precipitation into two unequal parts, the largest is distinguished by the several names of Horse- shoe, Crescent and British Fall, from its semicircu- lar form and contiguity to the Canadian shore ; the smaller is named the American Fall, which is divided by a rock from Goat Island. The cur- rent runs about six miles an hour, but supposing it to be only five, the quantity of water which passes the falls in an hour is more than 85,000,000 of tons avoirdupois ; if we suppose it to be six, it will be more than 102,000,000, and in a day would exceed 24,000,000,000 of tons. On visiting the cavern beneath the fall, the tra- veller sbould take advantage of a fine morning, K6 148 CANADA AS IT 18. and after providing himself with a guide, set out as early as six o'clock, that he might have the advan- tage of the sun upon the waters, he should disen- cumber himself of such garments as he does not care to have wetted ; descending the circular lad- der, he follows the course of the path running along the top of the delris of the precipice, and hav- ing pursued this tract for about eighty yards, in the course of which he will get completely drench- ed, he finds himself close to the cataract, although enveloped in a cloud of spray, the direction of the path and the nature of the cavern about to be en- tered may be readily distinguished : the difficulty in respiration is very great when surrounded by the spray, and afler being blown about, and buffet- ted by the wind, stunned by the noise, and blinded by the spray, (each successive giist penetrating the very bones with cold,) he at length arrives,and hav- ing collected his senses by degrees, the wonders of this cavern slowly develope themselves ; it is impossible to describe the strangiB unnatural light reflecting through its crystal walls, the roar of the waters and the blasts of the hurricane, which per- petually rages in its recesses. The cavern is tole- rably light, and the sun may clearly be distinguish- ed through the watery barrier ; the fall of the cata- ract is nearly perpendicular, the bank over which CANADA AS IT IS. 149 t as it is precipitated is of a concave form, owing to its upper stratum being composed of limestone, and its base of soil sl^bstone, which has been eaten away by the constant attrition of the recoiling waters. The cavern is about one hundred and twenty feet in height, fifty in breadth, and three hundred in length. There is one other point which may be visited, except the wind blow full upon the sheet of the cataract, when it drives the water with great force against a point of the rock which must be passed, and thus cuts off the com- munication: a few yards beyond, the precipice becomes perpeadicular and blends with the water, forming the extremity of the cave ; the eel and the water-snake crawl about its recesses in considera- ble numbers. In 'September, 1827, a very singular and inte- resting spectacle, of which due notice had been given for months before, took place at the Falls of Niagara ; from ten to tweh. e thousand persons from all parts oFthe Ganadas and the United States were present. There are three good and exten- sive hotels near the falls, and the proprietors, with the view of attracting the attention of the compa- ny, purchased an old sloop, called the Michigan, which had been a lake vessel for some years, of about four hundred tons burden, to descend, or I 160 CANADA AS IT IS.' rather to be hurled, over the falls. The extreme novelty of the sight, had attracted immense bodies of people, and what added kighly to the curiosity was, that her crew consisted of wild animals ; there were shipped on board, a few miles above the falls^ two huge bears, two wolves, some racoons, foxes, deer, pigs, geese, &c. &c. She was towed down the lake, very near the falls, by the Queenston steam-boat ; when the Michigan got near to the precipice, she went over on one side, of which ac- cident, the bears, more on the alert than their bro- ther shipmates, took prompt advantage, for they no sooner found the vessel stranded, than they made a plunge in the water and swam safely to the shore, to the no small diversion of the bystanders; the vessel, however, soon righted and came over the precipice (a fall of one hundred and sixty feet) -with a most tremendous crash — she broke right in two, and the only living animal taken out of her was one of the geese. There is an idea entertained, and by no means an unfeasible one, that the falls at one time were much farther down the river towards Ontario, or even quite near the lake itself, this is by no means improbable, for the perpetual attrition of the waters, on a substance however hard, it may be, must in the space of time considerably wear it away ; a CANADA AS IT IS. 151 gentleman, who lives close by the falls, has ob- served, that within the period of his residence here, they have visibly receded. The great accumulation of visiters to the falls, in the course of a season, affords a rich harvest to the^hotel keepers and others who live in their im- mediate vicinity, and they are always on the alert to devise some novel and extraordinary feat, inde- pendant of the natural attractiveness of the place. To amuse and prolong the stay of visiters, for some seasons past, they have had an annual fall jumper, in the person of Sam Patch, who has since at one fell swoop, jumped into another world ; this Sam Patch made the leap of Niagara Falls more than once with safety, he jumped from the top of the precipice of the highest fall, into the gulf below, an undertaking of unparalleled boldness. The tremendous rushing of the waters into the cauldron below, the perpetual foaming and roar- ing of the troubled elehient, the immense height of the torrent, and all the features of this vast scene, are quite enough to appal the mind of any beholder; but for a man to hurl himself from the top, and plunge into the foaming waters below, shows a daring of no ordinary stamp ; however, this man performed it with safety, he came out quite unhurt at a short distance below the falls. At another ■';{ 1 4 I'i i' !l II 1 :l I I I 152 CANADA AS IT IS. place he repeated this feat once too often ; he was; hired to jump the Genesee Falls some miles below Rochester, in the States : the Genesee Falls arc small when compared with those of Niagara, and in order still to increase the novelty of the scene, a stage was erected at the top of the fall, so as to ele- vate the height of the jumpthat this unfortunate man was to make, it is said that he was somewhat in li- quor at the time, he flung himself off and never was seen alive again ; he was taken out of the water a few miles below the falls quite dead ; it was said he lost his usual confidence at this last attempt. Birds. — The feathered tribes of Canada are ex- tremely numerous ; many of the kinds are to be seen only at stated times of the year; indeed there are many different species, known only to those who happen to go into the peculiar parts of the country which they inhabit ; and, as has been be- fore observed, no kind of ' ird;^, and scarcely any living wild animal, is fo be > jcn here in the dead of winter; in fact, " : :. i productions of this country are on> t< c l^u^^wn by a residence of some years, aj i I s- oaly by penetrating the fo- rest^ and close!/ o.^serving its almost hidden pro- ductions, that any ju^t idert can be formed of its natural capabi'itieK The Canadian Partridge or Pheasant, is nearly CANADA AS IT IS. 153 as large as the European Hen Pheasant, of much the same color, and spotted on the breast ; but the most remarkable feature in the Canadian Par- tridge is its tail, which is, when spread, the shape and size of a fan, it has decidedly more the habits of the pheasant than of the partridge, it pitches in the trees, and has the same motion when on the ground, with many other habits peculiar to the pheasant at home, its flesh too is very similar in flavor and delicacy of appearance ; the hen lays fourteen or sixteen eggs ; they have a v^ry singu- lar habit, in the laying season, which is termed drumming, it is the cock bird calling his mate ; this he does by perching on a log- of wood or a stump, and about every ten minutes, through the day, he makes a buzzing kind of noise by flutter- ing his wings and feathers for a few minutes, and ends by flapping his wings hard against his sides in repeated strokes, which at a little distance has very much the sound of a muffled irum ; this habit often proves fatal to them, for thoy are easily dis- covered by this noise, and although it is at a time of the year when they ougjit not to be killed, the settler does not often scruple to do so, being sel-^ dom guided by true sportsmanlike principles ; the Canadian Partridge is at all times a stupid bird^ and a person may approach very near to theniv i I h ■ f54 CANADA AS IT ISi They sonnetimes flock together in coveys, "but in general are to be seen only by two or three toge- ther. It is a singular fact, that should there be a dozen or more of these birds on a tree, the sports- man may keep firing, provided he take the lowest bird first at each shot, and insure himself the whole covey, but he must not stop to pick them, up, but keep on firing till they are all killed ; by taking the under bird at each shot, so that it does not fall to disturb any of the others, and keeping up the noise by firing or whistling, he attracts their at- tention and keeps them from flying away. The bird that most resembles the European Partridge in all but in disparity of size, is called here the quail; they are precisely the same in form and color, and have :.'". i\e habits peculiar to those birds ; they keep together in coveys of considera- ble numbers ; they are to be met with in the field after the grain is taken away; they never pitch in bushes or trees ; they fly low, have the same creep- ing nianner of moving* and are in every respect ^he same kind of bird ; they are very fat and deli- cious eating, but are rarely if ever seen in the northern parts of Canada; they are very numerous near and above York, and in the upper districts. There is to be seen occasionally, in the winter, neax the Ottawa, the White Partridge, the par- CANADA AS IT IS. 155 tridge inhabiting any part of Upper Canada, as high as fifly miles above the Chats, do not turn white, as has been stated by some writers, they retain their brown color all the winter ; those which are seen about that neighborhood are migraters from the north west. There are two kinds of plovers, the gray and the black and white, the gray plover is mostly to be seen in the fall of the year; they are a very shy bird, fat and good eating ; the black and white plover, though very rarely seen in northern Canada, are io be met with in immense flocks above York, and in the western districts, so much so as some- times to darken the air; they are much larger than the gray plover: the plover, like the pigeon, is not a native of Canada, but migrates from the south; they are met at some periods of the year crossing and recrossing the lakes in the upper country, thus they must fly some hundreds of miles at a stretch. Woodcocks are plenty in the low marshy parts of the country, they are not more than two thirds the si ze of the English Woodcock, but are much the same in color and richness of flavor. The Canadian Snipe is very nearly the same as that of Europe. ^ . i . There are four kinds of woodpeckers in Canada? the black, the brown and red, or pigeon woodpeck- ^* 156 CANADA AS IT ISi er, the white and red, and the small speckled ; the black woodpecker, or cock of the woods, as he is generally called, is something larger than a pigeon, and is a handsome bird ; the body is black ; under the wings yellow and white ; a bright crimson tuft on the cap of its head, with a white ring round the eyes; it has a remarkably strong, clear and shrill note, and is a prognosticator of the weather, for it is generally remarked, that when it is more vociferous than usual, it portends rain ; it has an amazingly strong beak, and a tongue that will ex- tend nearly a foot in length, the end of which is tipped with a hard bony substance, and bores the same as a gimblet ; this bird keeps mostly in the woods. Woodpeckers in general, are great fore- warners of danger, for they leave those unequivocal marks in all the rotten and decayed trees, by which means they are easily discovered in the forests. The brown or pigeon woodpecker, is ^bout the same size as a pigeon ; this is also a handsome bird ; it is of a bright yellowish brown, speckled on the breast ; a tuft of gold color on its back, with a red poll. This bird mostly frequents the open cleai'inceo, and is sometimes seen in flocks to- gether. They arc good eating. The small speckled woodpecker appears to be a solitarv bird, seldom seen in company, and inhabit- ing the appear and ne The is alwa the bui fighting ends in a smal and wi birds iti concep roof ho &c., ar the san Som treme r conspic dinal i' westeri rarely ; dinal is streaks what si high di^ bird; tl CANADA AS IT IS. 157 ; the. IS he e open cks to- to be a inhabit ing the secluded part of the woods ; it is small, but appears to possess prodigious strength in its head and neck. The white and red, or quarrelsome woodpecker, is always to be found in the clearances and about the buildings ; they are eternally quarrelling and fighting with each other, which sometimes even ends in the death of one of them. They are rather a small bird, white on the back, with black breasts and wings, and red heads ; the noise which these birds make in boring with their beaks, is beyond conception; they do great mischief in shingled roof houses, which they bore to get at the grubs, &c., and which sounds, to a person in the inside, the same as the boring of an auger. Some of the birds of this country, are of ex- treme richness and brilliancy of plumage, the most conspicuous of which is the cardihal. The car- dinal is a bird only to be seen in the extreme western parts of the upper province, and then but rarely ; it is more common in the States ; the car- dinal is so named from its having, longitudinally, streaks on its body, of scarlet and black, some- what similar to the splendid robes worn by those high dignitaries ; it is about the size of the black- bird ; the colors of its plumage are inconceivably L J 58 CANADA AS IT IS. bright, and it has an appearance, when flying, of dazzling splendor. The fire bird is of a deep red colour, with a little black on its head and wings ; it is about the size of the lark, and is to be seen in most parts of the province. The Canadian King-fisher is about the same size as the European, very much inferior with regard to brilliancy of plumage, being rather an ugly bird, but precisely the same in its habits. The Loon is a singular bird, it inhabits the water, is never seen out of it, and is therefore never seen to fly ; it is nearly as large as the goose, and has a black head, with a white ring round its neck, and speckled body; its sl:in i3 so thick, tough and strong, that bags are made of it for the preserva- tion of any thing from wet ; the Loon is continually diving in the water after the fish ; it is extremely diflicult to kill. Of all the singular and interesting little members of the feathered community, the Humming Bird stands the foremost ; it is a native of the States, but migrates in the summer, and is occasionally seen in all parts of the Cauadas ; they are of dif- ferent colors and sizes ; some ar« not much larger than a cock-chnfcr ; their color can scarcely be CANADA AS IT IS. i5d ig, of L little size of of the le size ravd to id, but watcrt jr seen d has a ck, and gh and eserva- tinually tremely lembers ig Bird 5 Statest Lsionally J of dif- ;h larger rcely bo descried until they are caught, for they arc in an incessant buz and flutter ; they appear seldom to alight on any thing, but in their continual flut- tering, they dip their little beaks first in one flower and then in another ; they seem to live entirely by the suction they derive from different flowers, par- ticularly from the blossom of scarlet beans; they are of a variety of colors, green, blue, yellow, purple, &c., the only way io shoot them is to load a gun with sand instead of shot. Under no circumstances can the humming bird be tamed, or bear the least confinement. There are two kinds of owls in Canada; they are both large, the smallest kind is larger than the common owl at home ; they make a most horrible screeching noise in the night, and in the forests it is heard for miles when the weather is calm ; the largest kind is the horned owl, which is an immense bird, much larger in body than the turkey ; this owl, with its pointed horns and im- mense glaring eyes, has a most terrific appearance, particularly when come upon suddenly in the woods, for they g?nerally appear sleeping; and when first disturbed, they look as if they would at once devour you ; these birds are fortunately not very numerous ; they sometimes do much mischief hy devouring fowls, geese, turkeys, and even young L2 •»'^Pf IT''" 160 CANADA AS IT IJ. pigs ; they have in many respects more of the fo» rocity and habits of the hawk. or hawks there are four kinds, the largest is the hen hawk, which is very large, a^id will be often seen hovering around the houses and barns, and if an opportunity offer it will dart down and take up a hen or a chicken, or indeed both in his talonsy and fly off with them ; the next in size is the fish- ing hawk, this bird is a most expert fisherman, it sits watching on the brink of the stream, and the histant a fish appears, it dives into the water, and seldom fails in obtaining its prey ; it is a singular sight to see them fl} ing through the air, with pro- bably a large pike or other fish securely locked in their tajons ; the sparrow hawk is of the smallest description, its prey is on small birds ; the night hawk is a curious bird, appearing only at night ; it ascends through the night with rapid flight to an immense height, and then suddenly drops itself to the ground as if shot ; this is probably some ma- noeuvre to catch the numerous flies that hover in the air by night. There is in Canada a pretty singing bird called Tom-o-lincoln, it is about the size of the black-bird, it is generally to be seen in meadows, perched in small bushes, and sings most melodiously and in great variety of notes. CANADA AS IT 18. 16t fc Tho Canadian Nightingale is the evening song- ster of the forest ; as the sun is taking his final leave, the chaste notes of the nightingale are heard thrilling through the deep recesses of the woods ; there is a peculiar plaintiveness in them, yet sweet and melodious in their effect. The Thrush is a bird much the same in size as the English Thrush, but ' orent in colour, it is of a dingy yellow, with a *' 'ong tail ; it sings har- moniously, and in otl yects precisely the same as that of Europe. In the fall of the year starlings are observed in large flocks, to proclaim the approach of winter. The Canadian Black-bird is generally to be found in marshy pkces ; it is about the size of the thrusht of a glossy black colour, having some red on the tip of its wings. Snow bird : this is a bird that is never seen but when the snow is on the ground ; it is much about the size of the lark, with a considerable portion of white in its color : they fly in very large flocks. The Canadian Lark is in size much the same as the English Sky Lark, but it keeps entirely on the ground. The goldfinch or canary is more in colour like the latter, being of a bright yellow, or gold color, L3 iH^ ^.^ %r^. -^ai IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 125 |S0 "^™ ■■ 1^ iU 12.2 ^ lit£ 12.0 L25 iU 11.6 '># 71 HiotDgraphic Sciences Corporation 23 WBT MAIN STRUT WfUTH.N.Y. M5M (7U) §72-4503 \ k^' J\ s:^ 0^ <\ 1^2 CANADA AS IT IS. intermixed with a little black ; it appears to be of the same habits as the goldfinch at home. Of sparrows there are three kinds, which appear to have much the same habits as sparrows in gene- ral, but widely difierent in color; the first and largest is a bird not generally seen till the fall ; it is of a bright azure color and looks very pretty ; thie next is smaller, and of a deep blue color ; the other kind is still smaller, and of a perfect green color; so totally unlike any other small birds, which are generally of a brownish hue ; these little bright plumaged birds haveavery prettyappearance.^ The largest of the feathered tribe here, is the bald-headed eagle ; this is a very sagacious Bird^ very powerful and rarely to be approached ; the bald-head is easily to be distinguished in its* lofty flight. One of these birds was shot in the upper coun- try some time ago, which measured from the tip of one wing to that of the other, thirteen feet, and fh>m the point of the beak to the end of its tail, five feet ten inches ; they mostly inhabit the tops of the^ mountains, or any other unfrequented spots. Here are four kinds of wild ducks, the black, the red head, the wood duck, and the common^ brown water duck. The black duck is a very fine bird; in size between the tame duck and goose ; its flesh is rich and good; the red heads are CANADA AS IT IS. 163 be of ippeat gene- st and all; it )retty ; r; the green birds, se little arancer , is the IS birdr 5d; the its lofty >r coun- tie tip of indfironr five feet s of the ts. le black, common^ very fine i goose ; eads are nearly as large as the black duck, and are also a very excellent eating bird ; the wood duck k of a light brown color, unlike any other of. its species; it pitches in the trees, and builds its nests there also; the common dark brown wnter duck is of the usual size; all these species are to be met with more or less through the provinces, but in the upper country, in the fall of the year, they flock together in myriads on the lakes. Of tame fowl there is an abundance kept in both provinces, with ^e exception of ducks, and these are generally very scarce throughout the country. Of t^me geese there is an abundance all over the country, and they are profitable from the quan- tity of feathers they produce ; it is the custom heret to pluck them alive once or twice a-y,ear, and thus procure vast quantities of feathers; they are here yoked in the same manner as pigs, to prevent them getting into the grain, &c., which presents rather a curious appearance. The upper country is an excellent climate for^ turkeys, of which there are in .many places vast: numbers bred. The common fowls too^ thrive ex- ceedingly well here. There are, in addition to the^ kinds described above, a great variety of watei:^ fowl, widgeon, teal, &c> &c. L4 164 CANADA AS IT IS. The Canadian Rabbit or Hare, is in size between the two, but nearer to the latter, and has also more of its habits, than of the former ; it does not bur- row in the earth ; in color too, it resembles the European Hare, or at least in summer ; in the win- ter this animal turns nearly white ; when the snow is on the ground, they will run to and fro on the same tracts for nights together, and are frequently taken by snaring. The racoon is a short legged animal, with a thick body, long bushy tail, and a remarkably sharp pointed nose ; it has a fair skin ; when fat, they weigh from seven to ten pounds, their flesh is ex- cellent eating. Muskrat ; this little animal, in its habits, much re- sembles the beaver, living in little houses curiously erected by the water side, so that they can approach their dwellings and emerge from them without being seen ; it is in size scarcely as large as a cat; of a darkish brown color ; the ' eep entirely in the water, except mornings ard e . jingq ; they are a disgusting looking animal ; their flesh is eatable ; but their fur is the most valuable part of them, and for which they are taken. The martin is a kind of wild cat, it much resem- bles that domestic animal, but is not so large ; it has a long slender body, small sharp head, and CANADA. AS IT 18. 165 veen more bur- 3 the win- snow n the lently ;vith a ' sharp t, they is ex- iich re- riously iproach without sacat; y in the y are a satable ; m, and 1 resem- arge; it ;ad, and bushy tail ; its fur is very fine, which is the object in hunting them ; the fur of the martin, as well as that of the beaver, is an object of very considerable commerce. There are two kinds of foxes in Canada, the black and the common red fox ; the black fox is very rarely seen ; its skin is very valuable ; the common red fox is very frequent, and is a sly thief amongst the poultry, &c., their skins are of very little value ; and such is the nature of the country yet, that they cannot be hunted with dogs with much success, though at Montreal some gentlemen have established a fox-hunting club ; they turn out a large field of sportmen well mounted, with scarlet coats, caps quite in the regular jockey style, keep an excellent pack of hounds, and oAen get a fine run. u Squirrels, these little animals some seasons com- mit serious damage throughout the country ; ther') are two kinds, the black and the red ; the black are never in any numbers ; they are a handsome little animal ; the red squirrel is smaller than the English Squirrel, and not so handsome ; these are the destructive kind, but they are not stationary ; probably once in six or seven years they come in shoals, and destroy great quantities of ^rain ; in 1827, they were here in myriads, when they did se- L S i 166 CANADA AS IT IS. rious damage; many instances are known of their h&viiig cleared nearly whole fields of corn ; and in one {^articular instance, they attacked a field of corn, and did not leave a single ear, it in fact al- most ruined the poor settler; when they are in sh6ali9, iti this manner, it is almost impossible to k^p them out of the com ; they travel through the couht!i7 ni' regular droves, and swim tha large dVets and lakes in large companies, journeying eV^n thoui^ands of miles. '^ The Canadiiin Porcupine is not so large as the African, but precisely the same in every other re- spect ; it shoots its quills with considerable force when attacked ; its flesh is excellent ; the Indians appropriate the quills to many purposes of fanciful decorations. The hedgehog, like that of Europe, has the same peculiar habit of rolling itself up^like a balU its prickled pointing outwards, forming a barrier Ugah^st ill attacks. >' Grottfid hog : this little animal burrows in the girbutid like the rabbit, andhas a head much Hke it, btit widi no other riesemblance to tbat^anirad ; it . has a very thidk body, remarkably short legd, so that it caii run but slowly, and when seen above ground is easily taken ; its flesh is good. Skunk : this is an animal of much the same habits ch( till lad is foi CANADA AS IT IS. 167 as the polecat, but much larger ; it is destructive to poultry ; its chief means of defence appears to be carried in a small bag contained under its belly, and when attacked, it forces its contents at its as- sailant, the stink of which is so disgustingly offen- sive as to be almost insufferable. Chip Monk : this little creature might be termed the rat of the country, it is a little thief of the most daring habits ; it has not in color or make the least resemblance to the common rat, but its pro- pensities are much the same; it is about as long as a guinea pig ; and has a head much like that animal, but its' body is not half so thick ; the chip mpnk is continually to be seen about buildings and clearances ; it is a provident little animal, taking care to lay in a good winter's store ; its winter ha- bitation is generally in the bo^y of a hollow tree ; on the approach of winter it very busily employs itself in securing grain or any other provisions within its reach, and this it does in a very singular mannor, which is by cramming both sides of its cheeks with grain, or any thing else it can purloin, till they are ready to burst, and when met thus laden, they have a curious appearance. Rats are not yet general in the province, but it is much to be feared that they will soon become so, for they are already at many places where the na* ■ ■ I I 168 CANADA AS IT IS. ligation touches at, conveyed by the steam-boats- to different places. Both house and field mice are in abundance through the country. The panther or American tiger, as it is sometimes called, is an inhabitant of Canada as well as of other parts [of the American continent ; they are very rarely to be seen ; they are neither so large, nor to be compared in beauty with the Bengal Tiger. Like other ravenous beasts of the forest, they prey upon the smaller animals, and when seen here, it is generally in'chace of the racoon, of the flesh of which they seem particularly fond. In treating of the reptiles of this country, there are not, as has been observed in a former part of this work, any venomous snakes in any part of the Canadas, lower than the head of Lake Ontario ; there, in all the country above it, on the other side of the lake, about Niagara and the country extend- ing to Lake Erie, as well as in almost every other part of ^the American continent, the rattlesnake is an inhabitant; the bite of this snake, though ia some instances fatal, is not universally so ; if pro- per remedies be applied at the instant of the acci- dent, it is oflen cured ; but this, though very veno- mous, is not the most dangerous snake on the American continent ; there are two other kinds, each of which is more to be feared than the rattle- CANADA AS IT IS. 169 )ats- nice mes of are irge, sngal »rest, seen f the there art of 3f the tario ; )r side xtend- r other ake is ugh ia if pro- le acci- f veno- on the kinds, 3 rattle- snake ; these are the black snake, called the black chasir of Ohio, and the copper-headed snake, a very powerful creature, also an inhabitant of the States ; the rattlesnake does not molest, even when approached, unless irritated, yet they do not fly from man as some other of the species, but lie and watch you as a cat ; the copper-head, if approach- ed, will immediately attack, and this they do in the most impetuous manner, they erect their heads, which they swell out to the size of a middling pig's head, and make a tremendous hissing noise, and wo be to those whom they may wound when in this state ; the black chasir will follow and attack, and are the most dangerous reptile known. The rattlesnake and the copper-head are not at enmity with each other ; on the contrary, they frequently cohabit together, an instance of which is the fol- lowing : some two or three years ago, the inhabi- tants in the neighborhood of a place called Hills- borough, in Ohio, one of the western sta s of America, were so much annoyed with venemoua snakes in their vicinity, that they were absolutely afraid to venture out of their houses. One of the inhabitants happened to discover a den of these snakes, that is, large holes in the rocks, where they were seen to creep in and out ; the neiglibors all agreed to make a *' snake destroying hecy^ for thi» 170 CANADA AS IT IS. |5*- purpose they prepared themselves with long hooks, and took care duly to protect their persons ; and in two days they hooked out of the crevices of the rock, upwards of two hundred snakes, mostly of the largest size, two thirds of which were rattlesnakes and the rest copper-heads, some of them measuring upwards of seven feet in length ; the rattlesnake and the black chasir are mortal enemies, and when coming in close contact, one of them dies, gene- rally the former ; a battle was witnessed between these two dangerous reptiles in a secluded part of the country, in the |western states, the attack was commenced by the black snake, and met by the rat- tlesnake with much ferocity, till disabled by the re- peated bites of his antagonist ; and, when lying prostrate, the black snake repeatedly bit his van- quished enemy until satisfied he was quite dead. The flesh of the rattlesnake is said to be good. In the dig- ging of theWelland Canal, between Lakes Erie and Ontario, a few years ago, the workmen had occa- sion to blast a rock, in doing which, they met with a nest of rattlesnakes, there were sixty-fo«tr in num* ber ; in their rage, in being, thus disturbed, some of them coiled themselves up, and bit their own bodies, and soon afler swelled much, and died ap- parently in the greatest agony ; but those that did not inflict the deadly wound on themselves, (after ^ CANADA AS IT IS» 171 eutting off their heads, which contains the poisonr) were cooked and eaten, and were said to be excel- lent. It is a singular fact, that the rattlesnake han an instinctive dread of the pig, which is exceeding* ly fond of the flesh of this snake ; whenever people are annoyed by these reptiles near their dwellings, they have only to keep a number of pigs, and they aro sure to get rid of them ; the rattlesnake wUl bite the horse and the cow, and many instances of fatality have been known to result from these causes, but of the pig they seem to have the greieitest fear, for the instant the pig approaches, they lay perfectly quiet ; he puts his fore paw on their head and soon devours them ; many other snakes have a great dread of the swinish family* The rattlesnake herb is said to be an effectual an- tidote against the effects of their poison, if applied immediately after the wound is given, and that the. rattlesnake shows the greatest abhorrence when approaching this herb. The rattlesnake is of a dark brown color, the head is broad and flat, tha eyes large and very prominent, and when in vigor are particularly bright ; they have a hooked tooth or fang at each side of the mouth, this tooth i» hollow, and acts as a tube for the conveyance of the deadly liquid, which is contained in a small bag at tbo root of this fang, in its under jaw. The re- 1 172 CANADA AS IT IS. ceivod notion, respecting this animal, is, that they acquire an additional rattle every year ; these rat- tles are like so many ivory rings, and when shaken they make a clattering kind of noise ; the rattle- snake is incapable of making a spring of any distance ; it is said that when these snakes are ly- ing on the ground, that the dazzling brightness of their eyes proves an irresistable charm, and causcjs birds to drop instinctively when flying. Spotted snake : the spotted snake is common in all parts of Canada ; it is about three feet long, with a dingy white skin covered with large black spots ; this little reptile, though free from vene- mous qualities, is nevertheless given to thievish propensities, and will devour young chickens, &c. The common garter snake is also to b^ seen in all parts of the provinces, some of them are rather large ; they are marked with black, yellow and white stripes; they frequent the parts near the dwellings, into which they sometimes approach; though quite harmless, ^^they will, when irritated* completely change their color, and from being striped become perfectly spotted, and swell out nearly twice their usual size. Green snake : this is in color a perfect pea-green ; very small, with a remarkably small head ; it is not CANADA AS IT IS. 173 more than sixteen inches long ; it is a handsome little harmless creature; Yellow snake : this is still a smaller snake than the last, and equally harmless; Black water snake, which is common in all the lakes and rivers in Upper Canada ; some of them are very large and are said to be venomous, but which is very doubtful; the following is an instantse which may be considered pretty conclusive that they are not. A boy went to a river for water, he soon came running back with something tightly grasped in his hands, saying he had caught a fine eel, it was a water snake, and although the boy squeezed it tightly to hold it, and kept it in his hands^ or some time, the animal never attempted io bite him, which seems a good proof that they are not venomous* Of turtle, there are three or four different kinds t the most common is the small land turtle, inhabit- ing the borders of the rivers and ponds ; they are handsome little creatures; in sunshine and hot days they are seen sitting in rows by the waterside, into which they immediately plunge when approach- 45d ; it is^ said they are exceeding good eating. ■^ 4 FINIS.