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COX AND SONS, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's-Inn Fields. 1837. 1 EXTRACTS, &c. June Btk 1836. Ship A , lat. 39° 15' N. long. SI* 46' W. My dearest Mother : As we are approaching the conclusion of our voyage, 1 shall prepare a letter for you to send from New York immediately on my arrival. Of course, you cannot expect that the monotony of a voyage across the Atlantic can possibly afford much material for corres- pondence, but you will be content this time to hear of my safe arrival, without expecting a long letter. We have had a most unlooked-for succession of fair winds from the eastward, so that we have every prospect of a short passage, although the ship sails very badly. The weather has not been altogether summer, but at times boisterous with much rain, and two or three days lately very cold, so that I have been glad to wear my rough coat all day ; to-day and yesterday are, how- ever, beautiful days, the water bright and smooth, and the sun shining in meridian splendour. I have been happy in having a most comfortable cabin, having 6 been able to keep my window open constantly, and a good light from above as well, so that, with my secre- tary set up and my books at hand, I have been quite cosey. I have nevertheless felt the want of society on board, not having one person with whom 1 can converse with pleasure. The captain is a very illiterate man, just capable of taking a ship from one port to another, and nothing more; my fellow-passengers, one a lieutenant in the regiment, by no means a congenial companion, and a young lady of about eigliteen years of age, going out to her sister, a com- plete boarding-school miss, and I should judge very badly brought up at home. We have about one hundred and fifty second-cabin and steerage passen- gers, including a few respectable tradesmen ; the agri- culturists are a very inferior set, not one among whom I should be anxious to engage as an assistant. We had yesterday a very remarkable instance of the interposition of Providence making us the means of rescuing seventy individuals from a lingering death. It had been calm all the morning till noon, wh^n a breeze sprung up from the westward, which threw us out of our course, and about two o'clock p.m. fell in with a brig, who sent a boat on board of us ; she proved to be the Henry of Cork, bound to St. John's, with sixty-four passengers, emigrants. She had been out fifty-three days, and was in great distress for provi- sions, having been reduced for the last six days to half a biscuit a day, many of the passengers not having even that. We supplied her with two casks of beef and pork, five hundred-weight of bread, tea, spirits, &c., besides many of our passengers giving what they i I ii m re- ite ty ail ite toil Id spare from their stock. The vessel herself was .1 wretched brig of 130 tons, ill found in everything and leaky ; and the competency of the master to his ch.irgc may be judged, when I tell you that he was 800 miles (by his reckoning) to the westward of his aitiial situation. The agents and owners were Messrs. of Cork; and as such culpable neglect and barbarity on their part should not be concealed, I think you would be conferring a favour on society if you threw this account into form and sent it to the Morn- ing Herald. The place where we fell in with the brig was lat. 40 N. long. .51° 20' W., and the day the 7th of June. The most remarkable features of this case were, that had we not been thrown as we were out of our course, she would not have fallen in with us ; and if she had missed us there was little probability of her falling in with another vessel, certainly not with one A ho could have supplied her wants. It is disgraceful to the persons connected with our ^hip, that one hundred and sixty beings were embarked without a surgeon, although she was advertized to carry one. We have, providentially, had no accidents, nor any very serious illness ; and in the attendance that was requisite I have assisted the captain, who is very humane to them ; but his medicine chest exhibits a fresh instance of tlie roguery connected with this traffic in human flesh, as it is filled with abundance of the most expensive and least useful drugs, while the more necessary ones are omitted. New York, June 24. We are at last arrived at this place after a longer passage than v,e expected, being thirty-four days, but 8 ^ I' H ■ after all by no means a long one. We arrived at the Quarantine ground the day before yesterday, but did not get clear of the ship till last night ; and I am going to start by the steamer for Albany at five this after- noon. I can tell you very little, of course, of this city, though I must say I am disappointed in the general appearance of it, and very much inclined to be con- firmed in my bad opinion of the American character, having hitherto met with nothing but gross and un- provoked insult, extortion, and injustice from them ; indeed an opportunity appears to be never lost by an American to manifest his dislike to all other nations* more particularly the English. I shall write to you again on my arrival at Lennoxville. I have found my baggage rfither cumbersome to move, but by no means impossible, though I dare say it will increase my travelling expenses ; but as it is only one journey, that does not signify. I shall now conclude this letter, which, notwithstanding my threat in the commence- ment, is I think sufficiently long. &c. &c. Lennoxville, Ascot, July lOth 1836. My dearest Mother : You have, of course, received from me the letter which I wrote on my arrival at New York. I pro- ceeded immediately to Montreal, where I experienced the greatest kindness from Mr. McGill, on whom I had ray letters of credit. I remained there from Wednesday till Saturday, although I had intended i I letting out for the tov^nships on Friday, but remained, in consequence of Mr. McGill's wishing nie to meet Lord (tosford at dinner, at his house, on Friday, after which I was to go down on Saturday in company with Mr. Moffat, one of the Commissioners of the Land Company. Lord Gosford showed me particular attention, asking me to take wine at dinner, and coming to talk with me afterwards. His interest is, however, to me of no value, because even if I could, I would never accept any public situation in the distracted state of politics in this country. The only thing for a man to do here is, to set himself down on his acres, and keep himseli' perfectly free from politics. The country (i. e. the Eastern Townships) answers my warmest expecta- tions ; it is beautiful as scenery, and the soil good, particularly for grazing : the wheat is not raised in such large crops as in the Upper Provinces, seldom exceeding twenty-five bushels per acre. I have just purchased my farm, which is everything I could wish, after travelling round in all direction^i, and examining every part. I shall be very busy, having a very large hay harvest, nearly fifty acres, to get in. The weather has been intensely hot here. Yesterday, the thermometer stood at 90° in the shade, and I was obliged to ride thirty-five miles in the heat of the day, besides walking about my farm. I shall not get into my house for six weeks, but I put my man and his wife in the day after to-morrow, and lodge at a neighbour s till my house is ready. I must acknow- ledge that when I was first set down in this place, 1 was for a little time exceedingly melancholy ; but time A 3 Mi i! Ill ;:1 III 10 and the necessity for active exertion, and above all, the being enabled, as I trust I do, to look constantly upwards for assistance, has enabled me to overcome it. &c. &c. To J. TTc — B , JUsq. Lennoxville, July lOtk 1836. My dear Sir : I Avill endeavour to fulfil my promise of writing to you on my arrival here, though I cannot have much to tell you, further than that the place of my future abode is fixed. I have purchased a place called Lowd Farm, situated in the township of Eaton, fifteen miles from Lennoxville, five from the village of Eaton Corner, and a short two from Cookshire Church and village. It is a beautiful spot, with a fine extensive view, and the land very good ; the extent two hundred acres, of Avhich eighty-five are in a state of improvement, with a liouse, barns, &c. The price I gave was £250 cur- rency ; the contract with the carpenter for repairing the house, barns, &c., is £55 more, and £50 will go in stocking it, so that for i^350 currency I have be- come a landholdei', freeholder, and in fact an inde- pendent man. This country has been by no means misrepresented ; it affords every inducement to settlers. The land is good, particularly for grazing ; the climate delightful ; and above all, there is a ready market for every species of grain or stock you can raise, and cash paid for it. The original American settlers, who form the bulk of the population, are always ready to sell their improved I 11 farms at fair prices and to go further into the bush. The only thing which is high here is the labour : this will, of course, fall as the population increases. I have been very fortunate in servants, having met with a man and his wife, with a five years' high cha- racter from their last place, just arrived from England I have engaged the man as farm servant, and the woman as housekeeper, at .i'3 currency per month. I have another man or lad as teamster at the same wages, who only however remains with me during the busy months. ]\Ty stock this winter will consist of three horses, two cows, one pair of oxen, and small animals (i.e. pigs, &c.) in proportion : another year I shall be able to increase, but I was rather late this year. Cattle meet a very good sale and a constant demand, as the Bo?ton, Quebec, and Montreal markets are all supplied from this country. To E. S- -, Esq. Cooks/lire, July I7tk 1836. My dear Brother ; Notwithstanding oiy having despatched letters the other day to various members of the family, I will fulfil my promise of giving you a separate one. Since writing those, I have shifted my abode and commenced work, which at present has consisted in drawing and piling old logs ready for burning, and also in plough- ing. Of the latter I have a good deal to do, which I have every prospect of doing well, as I have succeeded in obtaining a very good plough, between the old one A 4j 12 I of the country and the Scotch plough, which latter is beginning to be introduced. I have bought a four- year-old colt very cheap for my own riding and wag- gon, and as I have a large crop of hay, I shall add to my present stock two or three horned animals for winter feeding. We live at present on salt provisions. I am living at a farm-house about a mile from my farm till my own is put to rights ; or fixed, as the Yankees would say. My system is this : I rise at five o'clock, have my basin of bread and milk, and walk to my work. In the middle of the day, while the men and cattle are feeding, I do some little carpentering job. We work till half-past seven or eight, when I walk home and have my supper, generally consisting of a small piece of fried bacon, two eggs, and from six to eight cups of tea. I find this system enables me to endure much harder labour than if I fed in the day, and my health, thank God, is excellent. I am going with my waggon to-morrow seven miles to the mill, to fetch my grist. This country has not been at all misrepresented : to the man of small capital it is perfectly suited. I find sheep will answer well, as there is a constant demand for wool ; but they are not generally kept as yet. The first settlers have no idea of doing more than support themselves, and are much attached to what they call trading, which consists in bartering cattle, &c., whenever they can gain half a dollar by the ex- change. I am happy to say 1 have not found myself at a loss in my new situation ; from the moment I entered the country, I had my eyes, cars, and moutli open, and from the little knowledge I really possessed, T 13 being careful never to allow the smallness of the stock to appear, I rapidly acquired a perfect acquaintance with the prices, &c. The only thing for a man to do licre is to throw aside all affectation of superiority, and meet the Yankee on his own grounds ; you will then find them an honest, fair, though hard-dealing set of men. I only know that, by adopting this plan, I have met with no difficulty ; and I may safely say tl)at 1 have not, in one single instance, been taken in. All the old settlers, particula^-ly round me, are Yan- kees ; but they are fast retiring before the tide of emigration, the more sagacious among them predicting the total ruin of tne country from this irruption on tlieir old haunts and habits. A few men of the same, or less means than myself, coming here would buy them out and make a delightful neighbourhood. I could answer to show them next year several farms near my own, all eligible. My constant employment prevents me from feeling the loneliness of my situation in this country, but when unoccupied and quiet I must say I do feel it much. I was quite overpowered in church to-day by one of the old Heathfield tunes being sung ; a tide of recollections rushed over me, which brought tears into my eyes that I was with difficulty enabled to suppress. Remember always, my dear brother and sister, that the same gracious God who watches over and has hitherto so mercifully preserved me, watches over both of you, and that thought alone will bring us together, though separated by thousands of miles. There is our true point of union, through Christ Jesus our common Saviour. a5 14 i: I ill 111! My (\fr.it Brothi^T. I hav^. xMw fe^enlni? receired your weicorae letter, fr/r which acf:^t rny be^t thanks, and which wia the m'^jre wekome a.^ I harl been for vjine time expecting intfenigence of the family, and having had none, had VjeTne rather anxiou*. You cann^/t well conceive the solitariness of my ^ituatir/n it i,. a farmer, who died here after being in the country ten or twelve years. My factolum is an Englishman named Bates, coming from near 1] I' 1 ■ A 1' I h ii i^ h'i 'II ill :! f Maidstone j aiul 1 have also his brother, a lad of fifteen, as an assistant. Their wages are as follows .• The housekeeper six dollars, Bates ten, and John five dollars per month. The only thing dear in this country is wages, so that you are obliged to avoid hiring as much as possible. My stock consists of a most supe- rior short-horned Durham bull and heifer, three cows, one pair of oxen, two working mares, and one for my own use, and a foal. I have two dogs, both presents ; one a black cur-dog, for the cattle, and a beautiful spaniel of the Devonshire breed. Game of all kinds is plentiful, but I have positively scarcely fired my gun. During my late absence at Montreal, where I had been to purchase necessaries for my house furnishing, Bates shot a deer close before the house, and my housekeeper reported the venison excellent, of which I was compelled to form an opinion by hearsay, as it was all eaten up before my return. We get to Montreal with ease in three days, by a stage, which runs from Sherbrooke (twenty miles hence) to Port St. Francis, and from thence by steamer to Mon- treal. Looking back upon the active life I have quitted, it sometimes seems quite a dream, being transported in so short a time into such complete retirement; but you must not think from the first part of my letter that I am unhappy, or repent the step I have taken ; this is not the case : I certainly never enjoy a great elevation of spirits, but I am calm and contented, and every day feel more deeply convinced that everything in my lot has been ordered for the best by the overruling Pro- vidence of a good. God. I have established the regular 17 peiibvmanco of family worship in my little circle, and I now wonder how any master of a family can over neo;lect so great a privilege. May I ever be enabled to appreciate and value it as I do at \,. jsent ! Thanks to your kind assistance, everything I have is of the greatest use. I shall feel obliged by your seeing that my subscription to the Tract Society is paid at Christmas, and if they like to send me some tracts, I have a field for distributing them. I shall now con- clude this long letter. Woodcote Place, Nov. Sd, 1836. My dearest Motlier : I was much gratified yesterday by t!ie receipt of your long and delightful letter. I was rather sur- prised at your desiring me so seriously to read your letters twice, as if they were not read and re-read at least a dozen times. You can scarcely conceive the anxiety with which letters arc expected by a person cut off from all friends, and the extreme pleasure which they give. I have already given you an account of my location ; this therefore I shall not repeat, but confine myself more to my manner of living, the views I have formed, and my general opinion of the country. I must in the first place endeavour, with all due submission, to set you right in an error into which you have fallen with respect to this country. You must recollect that this is not America, but a colony of Great Britain, with whose interests she is as clearly and as intimately connected as with any part of the li^'. J. 4: 3'' Mil:. i'W'' 18 ■I ^ ^U mother country itsell". You tlo not, I tliink, either rightly understand my political principles, which are those of a high tory of the old school. I have indeed, and always had, a most strong feeling of devotion to the constitution of my country, more particularly that part which affects the royal prerogative, and which I should be always ready, when I was not forbidden by Christian principles, to defend at the hazard of my life. These two points being clearly understood, you will see that, although I do not actively interfere in politics, I can still feel warmly interested in the wel- fare of the country which supports me. By not inter- fering in politics, I mean the elections and political discussions, always engendering a spirit which, to say the least of it, is decidedly opposed to that inculcated by our Great JMaster and pattern. This country is in a miserably divided state just now, owing to the agitations and cabals of a few de- mocratic gentlemen, a few degrees worse than our friend Dan O'C, inasmuch as they are diametrically opposed to every scheme for the settlement and im- provement of the country. One of their demands in their last address to the governor, was the repeal of an Act of Parliament granting a charter to the British American Land Company, who are carrying on most extensive operations in the townships, and in this year have imported and settled a great number of British emigrants. This has alarmed the bigotted French party, who are strongly opposed to the introduction of Bri- tish enterprize and industry among them, with which they cannot compete, and under which they must eventually succumb Seeing this they arc ready, aa 19 all democrats and radicals are, to sacrifice the best in- terests of their country to further their own private ends. The lower orders of the French population are a quiet well-disposed race, completely deceived and misled by their radical representatives. Having thus disposed of the subject of Canadian politics, I shall turn to the more agreeable one of Canadian farming. I feel confident that no pursuit or employment ever suited me better than my present one. I was always partial to bodily exertion and out- door employments, of which I have now plenty ; and there is something in the healthful, interesting, and innocent employments of a farmer's life, which exactly suits my present feelings. I will now give you a sketch of a day. I rise at this time of year about half-past six or seven, and have sundry small occupations till eight. At that liour our little household assembles for family prayer, and I know not when I feel a greater or sweeter pleasure than when we unite at these seasons in imploring the pardon, and commending ourselves to the protection of our Heavenly Father. Our breakfast follows ; im- mediately after which we go out to our active employ- ments, and my worthy old housekeeper to her domes- tic duties. You enquire after my man and his wife. I thought I had informed you of her melancholy and sudden de- cease shortly after coming to me : the man Bates con- tinues with me, and is, I may safely say, every thing I could wish. His brother John is a nice lad of fifteen, and these two, with Mrs. B., compose my family. The 1 20 I nil! u . li I lattor is the widow of a Scotch farmer, who died some time since, having been about ten years in the country, so that she is fully initiated into the ways. She is ex- ceedingly economical, and a most perfect mistress of every part of her duty, quiet, cheerful, and respectful ; in fact I cannot say too much for her. But to return to our day. At twelve we come in, when they have their dinner ; my repast consisting of a little bread and cheese, or something similar, my system being only two meals a day, and those in the morning and in the evening. In the afternoon to work again till about five ; then foddering and attending the cattle, liorses, &c. occupies till six, when it is dark. I then have my last meal, which is a species of solid tea, and at eight we again assemble to our family de- votions, when they go to bed ; and this is my hour for reading, &c., which I do by the light of home-made candles. And you may now have some idea of the feeling of independence of a man possessed of a com- fortable house, buildings, &c., with two hundred acres of good land, free from rent, taxes, or any incum- brance, save twelve days' statute duty on the roads. My dwelling is the beau ideal of the height of my ambition : a comfortable cottage prettily situated. I know not where you can enjoy a more pleasing view of a fine sunset than from my verandah, nor listen on a brilliant moonlight night with more. advan- tage to the soothing sound of a waterfall in the neigh- bouring river. This is a beautiful country for graz- ing, to which I intend chiefly to turn my attention : it also produces wlieat and other grain in sufficient abun- 31 dance, and with less tillage than is necessary in Eng- land, and we have a ready market at our doors for any produce we can raise. Woodcote Place, Dec. 3d, 1836. My dear Aunt : I sit down with pleasure, after a hard day's labour, to talk to you a little, supposing myself, notwithstand- ing the snow falling without, seated in a snug corner of your hospitable fireside. I am just now busily oc- cupied in getting in my firewood, and as it is always best to have at least six months* wood beforehand, this is a great undertaking the first time. The woods we use for fires are maple, beech, and birch. That which lam now getting in is off a neighbour's lot, consisting of a number of trees blown down some years ago, which he is much obliged to me for taking away. Being dry it makes most excellent firewood, so that the obliga- tion is mutual. The people settled here, all Yankees, are a singular contradiction of character. The fact of their coming and settling down in the midst of the forest, certainly argues a people of an active enterprising spirit, but their general mode of conduct is exactly the reverse. Their farming is carried on in a most slovenly manner : the filth of their stables and farm buildings would dis- grace a Hottentot, and they are always behindhand. Of course, as I am desirous of ingratiating myself with these people, I am sparing of my observations^ but i« i •if i I'l I' I 22 I am endeavouring to shew by my example what can be done with proper dihgence and attention. The trutl) is, that tliey only work in seed and harvest time, whereas my maxim is to be always doing something every day, the only way of keeping things in order. I liave broken up this summer and fall fifteen or six- teen acres of old pasture land, which is destined tor my wheat, oats, and potatoes, next spring. Having made myself master of the theory of ploughing from books, I soon learnt the practical part of holding the plough, and 1 believe can flatter myself there are few sixteen acres around me so well tilled. The goodness of God has preserved me in perfect health and strength. Of my spirits I can say but little, for it could hardly be expected that they would be very high or buoyant, cut otr as I am from all my dearest connexions, and lite- rally deprived of intercourse with a single educated being. I have positively no person whom I could de- signate with the title even of companion within fifteen miles, and that is a distance which, of course, pre- cludes any frequent meeting. I shall doubtless have some English neighbours next spring. I am a short two miles from the church, which is a great comfort, as I can always get there, though not without difficulty at tills time of year, as we have a river to cross which has no bridge, and has been just now in a state between water and ice ; not hard enough to bear, but suffi- ciently so to make it difficult for a horse to break through. Our roads in these townships are excellent : there has been no time this fall when you could not travel with a wheel-carriage of the lightest construc- tion. Li !23 Winter is just now si'ttin